Alcohol Regulations

Smoking law leaves city with cigarette clean up (09/17/08)
Le Mars Councilman Rex Knapp suggested the main entrance of the Le Mars Convention Center can, come weekends, resemble a pig sty. "It looks hideous, terrible," Knapp said during Tuesday's city council session describing what he said was the littering of the area with cigarette butts left by the weekend crowds...

The drinking age debate: locals speak (09/12/08)
While a national group is urging university and college leaders to sign onto an initiative calling for a lower drinking age -- 18 years old -- locals aren't gung-ho about the idea. A project known as the Amethyst Initiative, launched this summer, is a group of more than 125 university and college presidents and chancellors urging elected leaders to support debate on the 21-year-old drinking age and reconsider laws related to that rule...

Smoking in most public places will be extinguished Tuesday (06/30/08)
No Smoking signs started going up last week in preparation for the Iowa Smokefree Air Act which goes into effect Tuesday. Lally's East Side Restaurant, in Le Mars, sported homemade signs Friday telling customers the establishment, which previously allowed smoking, will be smoke free July 1...

Employee health insurance plan awarded to Avera Health (06/19/08)
Le Mars city council members Tuesday voted to continue the city's Employee Health Plan with Avera Health with Northwood continuing as the city's reinsurance carrier. City Finance Director Bill Cole said that while the plan represents a 10 percent cost increase, the plan was the lowest of 15 proposals received. Despite the increase, he said, the city will be paying less for the insurance fixed costs in 2009 than in 2006 due to the health contract accepted at that time...

Pedestrian struck by drunken driver Saturday (06/16/08)
Erik Wiltgen was hit Saturday night by a drunken driver while attempting to walk across 12th St. S.E. Wiltgen was initially transported to Floyd Valley Hospital and later life flighted to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City. The driver of the vehicle, Jeremy Murfin, of Le Mars, said he was traveling eastbound on 12th St. S.E. when Wiltgen stepped in front of his vehicle...

LBIC gets city land project reimbursement (06/06/08)
The City of Le Mars is reimbursing the LBIC for costs of two economic opportunity activities the corporation said "do not fit" under the current development agreement between the LBIC and the city. Both projects, Le Mars Business Initiative Corporation's (LBIC) Neal Adler said, took place with prior knowledge of the city. ...

Not just a number: Drivers choose message with specialized plates (04/21/08)
GODLVSU, SKI BUG, 3 LTL PGS, MAN CAVE, HUMMMMR -- they're all license plates with meaning. Personalized and specialized license plates allow drivers to express themselves, support a cause or send others a message. Duane McLay, owner of Emily's Home Furnishings in Le Mars, drives a car with GODLVSU, which translates into "God Loves You," license plates for almost 20 years...