Accidents

Floyd River floods, Big Sioux still rising (03/16/10)
The Floyd River overran its banks Monday, rising beyond flood stage of 20 feet by mid-day. "The current stage is 20.8 feet," said Mike Gillispie, hydrologist with the Sioux Falls National Weather Service. "I would anticipate that probably you're looking at another half foot rise in Le Mars," Gillispie said. "That shouldn't cause any huge additional problems."...

Big Sioux flooding, Floyd River could be next (03/15/10)
The Big Sioux River spilled over its banks in Akron Sunday and the Floyd River is threatening the Le Mars area. "We just hit major flood stage there (Akron)," said Mike Gillispie, a hydrologist with the Sioux Falls National Weather Service. "Major is where we really start impacting buildings, roads and things like that."...

LOST dollars could rebuild laundromat, buy laptops for school (03/15/10)
Twenty-nine area groups are vying for grants from Plymouth County's $100,000 Local Options Sales Tax grant pool. The requests range from $50,000 to demolish and rebuild the fire damaged Kraft Kleaners in Kingsley to $1,928 for the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department to buy rope rescue equipment to use with the aerial ladder fire truck...

Stelzer leads charge to gather donations for Haiti orphanage (03/11/10)
The congregation of St. John's Lutheran Church in Le Mars and member Kathy Stelzer are hoping they can make a difference for an orphanage in Haiti destroyed by the January earthquake. "After the earthquake, I wanted to find an orphanage in Haiti that needed some help," said Stelzer...

Vehicle drives into Education Station (03/11/10)
One employee said it sounded like a sonic boom. At about 4:15 p.m. Wednesday a van crashed into the glass front of The Education Station, according to the store's owner John MacGregor. "We were in the store, but no one was injured," he said. The driver, Bridget Ann Overman, 31, of Le Mars, was pulling into a parking spot in front of the education store and mistakenly hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes, according to a report from the Le Mars police...

Fire rips through roof of Le Mars home (03/02/10)
No one was injured in a Le Mars house fire that left a 6-by-8 foot hole in the home's roof Monday night. Police notified the Le Mars Fire Department at about 10:15 p.m. after receiving calls about a smokey odor in the neighborhood and seeing smoke coming from a house at 315 Sixth St. N.W...

Fire chief to hang up helmet after more than 40 years (02/26/10)
Le Mars Fire-Rescue Chief Wayne Schipper is about to start a new chapter in his life. Retirement. "I've had a pretty rewarding time," Schipper said. He will retire in June after 27 years as fire chief. He's been with the department 41 years. He started with the Le Mars fire auxiliary in the 1960s while still in high school, and since then rules for becoming a firefighter have evolved, Schipper said...

Outlet malfunction likely cause of Remsen house fire (02/24/10)
A malfunction of electrical equipment in an outlet likely caused the fire that heavily damageda rural Remsen home last Friday. No one was injured in the fire at the home of Chad Homan, 45183 C-44 south of Remsen, but damages are estimated to be more than $100,000...

Fire chief retires this summer (02/24/10)
A man who has served 43 years with fire and rescue and 27 years as the Le Mars Fire and Rescue chief will be retiring this summer. Wayne Schipper, of Le Mars, submitted his letter of retirement in mid-January, giving his retiring date as June 30, 2010...

Outlet malfunction likely cause of Remsen house fire (02/23/10)
A malfunction of electrical equipment in an outlet likely caused the fire that heavily damaged the home of Chad Homan in rural Remsen last Friday. No one was injured in the fire at 45183 C-44 south of Remsen, but damages are estimated to be more than $100,000...

Kingsley fire ruled accidental (02/23/10)
The fire that burned Kraft Kleaners in Kingsley Saturday was likely caused by a natural gas leak in a supply line to a heater, according to the state fire marshal. "The building is considered a total loss and all of the dry cleaning equipment and laundromat equipment may possibly be a total loss also," Deputy State Fire Marshal David Schipper said in a news release...

Kingsley fire ruled accidental (02/22/10)
The fire that burned Kraft Kleaners in Kingsley Saturday was likely caused by a natural gas leak in a supply line to a heater, according to the state fire marshal. "The building is considered a total loss and all of the dry cleaning equipment and laundromat equipment may possibly be a total loss also," Deputy State Fire Marshal David Schipper said in a news release...

Kingsley cleaners burned but not beaten (02/22/10)
A 63-year-old Kingsley business went up in flames Saturday night but owners say they're staying in business. Fire crews were called to Kraft Kleaners and Laundromat at about 9 p.m. after a 911 call and were on the scene for about three hours. "There was a lot of smoke coming out of the building and you could see flames inside," Kingsley Fire Chief Scott Bohle said. "We had the main fire knocked down in about 30-40 minutes."...

County working to make new disaster hazard plan (02/11/10)
The Plymouth County Supervisors is taking disaster preparation one step further in case of future disaster. The supervisors approved the county's participation in a Local Hazard Multi-Jurisdictional Grant Program Tuesday. "It's a FEMA requirement if we have a disaster and we're going to apply for state and federal assistance this plan has to be done," said Gary Junge, county emergency management coordinator...

Officials seek residents with yardsticks and rain gauges (02/08/10)
Needed: volunteers to measure snowfall, rainfall and other precipitation daily. In Plymouth County there are two National Weather Service Cooperative Observer stations, in Le Mars and Akron, where volunteers measure precipitation and temperatures daily...

Calling all newbies: Group welcomes people to Le Mars (02/04/10)
Newcomers to Le Mars -- you're not alone. Locals and other newcomers are waiting to meet you and welcome you to the community. Misty Szczech, a Le Mars transplant herself, started hosting meetings for newcomers in August 2008. Since then her ideas have grown and caught fire with others...

MidAmerican Energy calls for safety, continues storm restoration (01/26/10)
MidAmerican Energy reminds customers to take additional safety precautions as work continues to restore service to thousands of customers impacted by this week's ice storm. Today (Tuesday) MidAmerican Energy reported only one outage in Plymouth County...

Travel not advised on Highway 75, 60 north (01/25/10)
The Iowa Department of Transportation is reporting that travel conditions in northwest Iowa are extremely hazardous. Multiple roadways are being temporarily closed due to a high incidence of traffic crashes, including those involving high-profile vehicles...

Students to hold book sale for Haiti (01/22/10)
A group of eighth graders is working together to make a difference for earthquake victims in Haiti. The Le Mars Community Schools students in Tina Gray's last-period study hall are planning a used book and movie sale Tuesday. "It's to raise money for the people in Haiti and the Red Cross," explained eighth grader Margarita Waldman...

County declares Christmas blizzard a state of emergency (01/20/10)
The snowstorm that pummeled Plymouth County between Dec. 22 and 27, 2009 is officially a disaster. The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors approved a disaster declaration Tuesday, a formal step toward securing state and federal dollars to help pay for the blizzard cleanup...

Haitian visits change Le Mars woman's outlook (01/18/10)
Plymouth County is more than 2,000 miles from the epicenter of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated Haiti Jan. 12. But the aftershocks have traveled that distance to the hearts of people like Linda Kleven, of Le Mars. "When I heard this, my first reaction was that I have to go back," she said...

Plymouth Oil safe after fire call (01/18/10)
It was probably the best-case scenario for a fire at Plymouth Oil near Merrill. There was minimal damage and no one was injured. Fire crews were called to the corn oil plant at 4:30 p.m. Saturday after plant manager Jim Cobb noticed smoldering corn germ in a building...

Plymouth County declares snow emergency (01/13/10)
Based on the amount of snowfall during the 2009 Christmas blizzard, a preliminary estimate for cleanup costs and damages is several hundred thousand dollars for Plymouth County. To receive state money to help pay for those damages, Plymouth County is in the process of declaring a snow emergency with the State of Iowa...

Fire damages Le Mars home (01/12/10)
No one was injured in a house fire in western Le Mars Monday morning but fire and smoke caused extensive damage to parts of the home. The Le Mars Fire Department responded to the fire at 105 Broadview Dr. in the Parkview Terrace subdivision near Highway 3 west after a passerby noticed smoke coming from the house...

Hinton school digging out after partial roof collapse (01/08/10)
Hinton Community School officials are dealing with the aftermath following the collapse of a 45-foot by 30-foot section of roof due to heavy snow. "It collapsed over our computer technology center," said Sue Martens, the school's high school principal. "There were 5- to 6-foot drifts up there, and that was a tremendous weight."...

Budget time: Money sought for park ranger, emergency management, WIC (12/31/09)
County conservation, emergency management and Mid-Sioux Opportunities' directors made 2010-11 budgets requests Tuesday. The Plymouth County Supervisors did not make any decisions stating, instead, they will discuss all department's requests next week when they begin digging into budget preparation...

Man catches Remsen house fire before too late (12/23/09)
By the time fire crews arrived, Will Peirson of Remsen already had the fire in his house mostly out. Remsen Fire Chief Doug Owens said the fire in Peirson's residence at 201 W. Fourth St. started before 6 p.m. Monday in a bedroom. Owens said the cause was a heater or an electrical short that started a fire...

Snow emergency?: Powder Players: Thinking outside the car (12/16/09)
A Plymouth County snowmobile club is teaming up with the local authorities, offering help in case of extreme weather. When a sheriff's vehicle can't get to a stranded motorists, the Powder Players might be able to, explained D.J. Kellen, the club's president...

Le Mars man killed in icy crash (12/09/09)
A Le Mars man was killed Tuesday morning in a pickup versus semi-trailer crash on icy roads. Juan Chagolla, 46, was pronounced dead on the scene after losing control of the pickup he was driving and crashing into the semi-trailer one mile north of Merrill on Highway 75...

Jury finds Robinson not guilty in traffic death (11/27/09)
A Merrill man charged with vehicular homicide was found not guilty by a jury Wednesday. Danny Clyde Robinson, 50, faced the felony charge after being in an August 2007 collision on Plymouth County roads just north of Merrill that claimed the life of 78-year-old Fern Nielson, of Lake Norden, S.D...

Blaze destroys top of Hinton corn dryer (11/12/09)
Burning corn took out one of the Hinton Co-op's grain dryers Wednesday. The Hinton Fire Department responded to a 3:15 p.m. call reporting smoke coming from one of the two grain dryers at the Hinton Co-op. "There was a pretty good fire in the upper third of the grain dryer," Hinton Fire Chief Chad Beck said. "Corn in the dryer was burning and we don't really know why yet."...

Police to use text messages, e-mails to alert public (11/05/09)
You can now get free alerts from the police on your cell phone and e-mail. The Le Mars Police Department recently signed up for Nixle, a free program that allows community groups like law enforcement agencies to provide up-to-the-minute updates to the general public...

Family hosts reverse trick-or-treating for needy (10/30/09)
A family will be collecting goods for people in need while they're giving out treats on Halloween. Dan and Deb Ritz, of Le Mars, are asking people to drop off non-perishable food and other items on Halloween to be delivered to the Christian Needs Center, a Le Mars food pantry...

Oh deer! It's that time of year (10/28/09)
With tree leaves turning golden and temperatures cooling, the fall season also brings a greater chance of car-deer accidents on roadways across Plymouth County. "We're starting to see an increase in vehicles hitting deer," said Plymouth County Deputy Paul Betsworth. "Once farmers start getting their crops in, they start chasing the deer out of the fields onto the roadways."...

Firefighting passion burns in family (10/08/09)
When their radios crackle to life, Steve, Donna, Tim and Dan Bolton go on red alert ready in an instant should their firefighting skills be needed. Steve began the trend as a firefighter with the Oyens Fire Department 19 years ago. He's been chief the last three years and before that served three as assistant chief...

Le Mars firefighters head into the danger zone (10/07/09)
Oct. 4-10 "Stay Smart! Don't Get Burned" In a house fire, the temperature can reach more than 1,000 degrees. Inside, smoke can turn a lit house pitch black in four minutes. Odorless toxic fumes can swirl through the rooms, making anyone inside sleepy, weak and confused...

Missing Remsen man found dead (10/06/09)
Answers are still being sought in the death of a 29-year-old Remsen man who was found dead at noon Monday in a pickup truck partially submerged in the Little Sioux River, just north of Kingsley. Michael David Ahlers, of rural Remsen, was declared dead on the scene, according to the Plymouth County Sheriff's report...

Supervisors look at storm shelter option (09/23/09)
Could the basement of the proposed Plymouth County Courthouse annex building be made into a storm shelter? Gary Junge, Plymouth County emergency management coordinator, presented that possibility to the conty board of supervisors Tuesday. Junge explained federal and state grant money is available to help pay about 85 percent of the cost to to transform buildings into storm shelters...

Free soup: Tradition lives on in Tipi Village (09/02/09)
In the 1840s, when people pulled up to a fur trading camp, they'd be sure to find a pot on the fire. "Whoever had been on the trail could always depend on a hot meal," said Catfish Grinstead, stirring a pot in his tent in the Tipi Village at the National Old Time Country, Bluegrass and Folk Music Festival in Le Mars...

Sheriff's evidence building ready for construction (07/08/09)
After three years, plans to construct a county evidence storage building moved from the drawing board into reality Tuesday. The Plymouth County Supervisors Tuesday approved estimates to construct a 40-by-60 pole building next to the Law Enforcement Center for a total cost of $79,200...

Clerk of courts works to meet public needs after flood (07/07/09)
Despite appearances, the Plymouth County Clerk of Courts is open to the public for business pretty much as usual. After rain water poured through the ceiling and flooded the large office on the third floor of the courthouse mid-June, every file and computer had to be moved out...

Officials ready for emergency after training (06/29/09)
How would local health officials respond to a statewide outbreak of meat contamination? A training exercise covering that hypothetic scenario indicated Floyd Valley Hospital along with Plymouth County community health and emergency management would do well...

Back in the saddle: Akron woman overcomes challenges (06/12/09)
Nothing can keep Lea Jacobs from riding horses. Not even a vehicle accident paralyzing her from the waist down in November 2006. "When I couldn't ride after the accident, it felt like forever," Jacobs said. Only about a year after breaking her back, then going through four months of physical therapy, two surgeries and having steel rods put in her back, the Akron woman was back in the saddle...

Wiltman honored as Firefighter of the Year (06/09/09)
The Le Mars Fire-Rescue Department's Firefighter of the Year for 2008-2009 is continuing a family tradition by serving as a volunteer on the fire squad. Kim Wiltman, of Le Mars, who started with the department in August 1990, is closing in on 19 years of service...

Always believe: Hanno celebrates gift store ownership (06/02/09)
A rural Le Mars woman is rising above a tragic accident to follow a new dream. Megan Hanno, who was seriously injured in a car accident in October 2003, now runs her own gift store which draws shoppers from as far away as the United Kingdom. "We started out small and now we've grown," she said...

Bicyclists plan Ride of Silence in Le Mars (05/18/09)
This week Le Mars area cyclists will have the opportunity to participate in the annual Ride of Silence Wednesday evening, May 20. The Ride of Silence is a slow-paced bicycle ride that will occur in hundreds of locations world wide to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways...

Remember Andie: Family sends classmates off with thanks (05/15/09)
In seventh grade, the Kingsley-Pierson class of 2009 lost a classmate in a snowmobile accident that claimed four young Pierson girls' lives. But this weekend, as that class graduates from high school, the students still carry the memory of Andrea "Andie" Phillips...

Fighting fires whets the appetite of five generations (05/15/09)
Fighting fires has been in Wayne Schipper's blood more than 100 years. The Le Mars fire chief's great-grandfather Henry Schipper started the tradition in the 1890s with his great uncle Hy (Harold) Schipper following in the early 1900s. "They just came and participated in the fire department to help citizens," Wayne said of his ancestors. "We just continue that tradition they established."...

County residents remain safe, officials ready for H1N1 Flu (05/04/09)
No suspected cases of Swine Flu have presented in Plymouth County, but the first case has been confirmed in eastern Iowa. Plymouth County health officials are prepared if the H1N1 influenza, which was previously called Swine flu, is found here. Deb Steffen, county public health nurse, has been in constant contact with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) to stay abreast of what's happening throughout the state...

Man injured in motorcycle accident (04/27/09)
An Ames man was injured when a gust of wind pushed his motorcycle off the road in Plymouth County. Korey Andrew Brooks, 22, was eastbound on Highway 3 at Jet Road at 5:19 on April 24 when, according to a witness' statement to the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office, a gust of wind blew the 1979 Kawasaki 800cc he was driving off the road and into the south ditch...

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