Automotive Technologies

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...

No word from GM for Total Sales and Services (03/10/10)
A Le Mars auto dealership hasn't heard anything from GM regarding whether or not the business' Chevrolet franchise will be reinstated. Total Sales and Service is one of hundreds of dealers across the nation that lost GM franchise agreements in the automakers' bankruptcy dealings in May 2009...

Steve King says time to stop spending (02/08/10)
U.S. Rep. Steve King thinks the biggest problem in government right now is overspending. He also doesn't believe President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan is working as it was set out to do. Neither does he favor a government-run national health care program...

Transfer brings Chrysler back to Le Mars (01/13/10)
A Le Mars auto dealership is expanding. Le Mars Ford is adding Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep sales and service, according to owner Bob Jensen, of Sioux City. Jensen is transferring those franchises from Heartland Motors, which he owns in Hawarden, to his Le Mars dealership...

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...

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...

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."...

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...

Long-time Le Mars auto and sales dealership changes hands (09/18/09)
Lynn Nuebel, owner of Nuebel Chevrolet, announced this week that he sold his 26-year-old auto sales and service business to a trio of local men. Brent Brownmiller, Todd Brownmiller and Scott Taylor purchased the property to open their new venture: Total Sales and Service...

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...

Motor Inn to close door on Chrysler dealership (06/10/09)
The word came down late Tuesday afternoon from federal bankruptcy court -- Chrysler is clear to cut ties with 789 franchise dealerships, including Motor Inn of Le Mars. The judge's order stated that franchises can no longer act as authorized Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealers, effective immediately, according to a story from the Associated Press...

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...

Motor Inn to continue -- minus Chrysler dealership (05/15/09)
The auto industry's turmoil is rearing its head in Le Mars. A local Chrysler auto dealership is one of 789 on a list to be cut in the automaker's bankruptcy dealings. Motor Inn of Le Mars will no longer sell new Chrysler brand vehicles starting early next month, but the decision won't be final until a judge approves the cuts...

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...

Friends set fifth annual Joan Wilson Memorial Run (04/20/09)
The fifth annual Joan Wilson Memorial 5K Run/Walk, honoring a mother, wife, and friend, will kickoff at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 25, at the Le Mars Municipal Park Maser Fitness Trail in Le Mars. The race, organized by the Friends of Joan Wilson, honor the woman who died in a hit-and-run accident while running on a gravel road near her home northwest of Le Mars in May 2004...

Requests for county LOST grants reach nearly half a million (03/16/09)
Twenty-two Plymouth County groups are putting their name in for money from the $180,000 Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) revenue grant pool. Asking for a total of $431,261, the 21 groups' applications range from buying a Wii exercise DVD -- a kind of interactive video game -- for special needs people to renovation of the Akron Opera House...

Ethanol debate: Is your car ready for E-15? (03/12/09)
Currently, government rules allow non-flex-fuel vehicles to use only 10 percent ethanol in their gasoline. Politicians from Iowa are pushing for that to change. Earlier this week, newly appointed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, spoke in support of allowing higher blends -- 15 percent...

Developers look at piping methane from wastewater plant (03/11/09)
Waste not. That could be the motto of Le Mars' wastewater plant. The plant already makes 100 percent of what comes in into usable products. Now officials are talking with a local renewable energy developer about using the wastewater plant's methane to help fuel the Plymouth Energy ethanol and corn oil plants north of Merrill...

This IS your grandma's Internet (03/02/09)
Generations are often defined by what music they love or how they view work. But more and more, young and old are coming together in one place: the Internet. Since 2005, the biggest increase in Internet users was in the 70-75 year-old age group, according to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life project...

Sioux City man killed in icy rollover (02/27/09)
A 26-year-old Sioux City driver was killed when he lost control on icy roads and was thrown from the vehicle, according to an official from the Iowa State Patrol. Ramiro Barba was eastbound on C-38 about one-half mile west of K-42 when he lost control of the 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer he was driving and went into the south ditch, where the vehicle flipped and Barba was ejected, according to Sergeant Dave Eral of the Iowa State Patrol...

OdysseyWare gives alternative high school students new class options (02/19/09)
A new software program, OdysseyWare, is helping students make huge strides at the Le Mars Community Alternative High School. Julie Theisen has led the Alternative High School, formerly known as the Individualized Learning Center (ILC), for 19 years and is excited about the software program and what it means for her students. The classroom is located in the Education Service Center at 940 Lincoln St. S.W...

Nor-Am finalizes purchase of Harker's plant (02/18/09)
Nor-Am Cold Storage is the new owner of the former Harker's plant in Le Mars. Greg Brandt, Nor-Am president and CEO, said today (Wednesday) the company will be using the plant to repackage and manufacture some products serving area food companies. Opening day is not far for the new Nor-Am facility...

Two-car crash rocks Central Avenue Tuesday (02/18/09)
A Le Mars teen complained of possible injuries after the car she was riding in struck another car at the intersection of Central Avenue and Ninth Street South. The 15-year-old was the passenger in a car driven by Jessica Langel, 14, of Le Mars. Langel, who was driving on Ninth Street South, was stopped at the stop sign at the Central Avenue intersection then pulled into the intersection...

Winning voices: More than 100 FFA students to compete in Le Mars (02/13/09)
On Tuesday at Le Mars Community School, senior Jacob Conley will make a radio ag. broadcast, junior Angie Breuer will speak on the pros and cons of ethanol, and senior Zerick Kuecker will do a job interview. This is all part of the FFA Leadership Contests...

Courthouse goes wireless: System offers public access to Internet (02/10/09)
A dream is becoming a reality for Plymouth County Information Technology expert, Shawn Olson. Olson's department has received a Local Options Sales Tax grant of $25,000 to upgrade, improve, and expand the wireless network at the Plymouth County Courthouse...

Seniors train to save your life (02/09/09)
Beep. Beep. Beep. Eighteen-year-olds Pat Rosacker and Ryan Baue are already in motion. But it's not their cell phones they're answering. "Le Mars Ambulance needed for a car accident." Rosacker and Baue are answering a dispatcher's call as the Le Mars Ambulance squad's youngest EMTs...

Safe on the Internet? Find out how to be (02/09/09)
With e-mail scams and internet predators in recent news, the Le Mars Public Library is offering an adult course on internet security and understanding social networking sites like MySpace. The free course will be held twice from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and Tuesday, March 17, in the library's meeting room...

LCS students compete in national quilt block challenge (01/19/09)
Students in the textile arts class at Le Mars Community High School put their skills good use as they designed quilt square for the National Quilt Museum: Museum of the American Quilter's Society/Moda School Block Challenge Contest 2009. LCS family and consumer sciences instructor Rosemary Cronin obtained the entry information for the contest, based in Kentucky, and had the students put their creative energy to work in creating the 16-by-16-inch square blocks using the paper piecing method of construction.. ...

Accident spills animal carcasses near highway (01/12/09)
A tow truck pulling a car pulled in front of a semi-trailer loaded with farm animal carcasses Saturday on Highway 75 south of Hinton causing an accident that sent the carcasses spilling onto the highway median and that truck's driver to the hospital...

City makes big cuts, makes department reorganization (01/06/09)
The City of Le Mars is eliminating its engineering department and cutting one person's job to help trim expenses. This decision, plus other cuts like not filling three other positions, will slash between $200,000 and $250,000 from the city budget. Mayor Dick Kirchoff announced the changes Monday afternoon in a press conference...

Predictions 2009: Where will we be this year? (01/02/09)
Has a fresh start ever looked so good? After a year when 401k reports were as dour as the news reports, and when about 11 months of television were dominated by presidential campaigning, 2009 smells fresh. We asked people around Le Mars and Plymouth County what their predictions are for the new year. Here's what they said...

How to survive being snowbound on the roadway (12/30/08)
Help save a life -- your own. Pack an emergency car kit before setting out on treacherous snow covered roads. "Do your planning. If you were delayed or had trouble, think of what you might need," said Gary Junge, Plymouth County emergency management coordinator...

A year to remember: Top stories of 2008 (12/30/08)
Editor's note: This is the first of two stories recapping 2008's top stories in the Daily Sentinel. 10. O'Keefe stabs, kills a man A butcher knife to the chest led to the death of Sam Toliver, 32, Jan. 24, 2008. Jody O'Keefe, 35, most recently of Le Mars, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and other charges and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. ...

Don't get stuck in the cold: Plan for winter power outage (12/29/08)
By Charles Schwab Safety Specialist, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Iowa State University Extension Winter power outages are always challenging but occasionally they can be dangerous if not handled correctly. The key to managing any emergency such as a power outage is to have a specific disaster plan to handle decisions that must be made in the moment of the crisis...

Slower economy equals busier library (12/26/08)
Grab a movie. Get a computer program that helps your daughter prepare for the ACT test. PIck up a new framed print for your living room. Where can you do all this for $1? The local library. Libraries have always been the old standby for checking out books and other resources, but with families facing tighter budgets, they're finding out the library has a lot to offer...

Economic development group on the prowl (12/24/08)
The Northwest Iowa Developers Coalition is putting both feet forward in its efforts to bring economic development to the area. Gary Tucker, Plymouth County's economic development director, shared with the Plymouth County Supervisors Tuesday some of the group's plans for 2009...

Lost and found by phone (12/23/08)
With blowing snow and below-zero windchill, Ann Rush wasn't the only person to call into the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office about getting stuck in the ditch Saturday night. But the rural Sioux City woman's call was different. She didn't know where she was to tell rescuers where to find her...

Libraries need more money to provide additional services (12/18/08)
Plymouth County Library Association asked for an additional $5,000 from the county to shore up its 2009-10 budget. The Plymouth County Supervisors Tuesday heard from Sue Kroesche, Le Mars Public Library director that with the additional $5,000 the county library association's annual budget would be about $70,000...

Community Foundation awards more than $106,000 in grants (12/12/08)
More than $106,000 in Community Foundation grant money was awarded to 26 organizations and groups in Plymouth County at a breakfast meeting Thursday, Dec. 11. The grants were presented by members of the Community Foundation of Greater Plymouth County. The presentation was postponed from Dec. 9 due to weather and road conditions...

Dog tags might help get strays home, veterinarian says (11/20/08)
A peppy Jack Russell terrier squirms in Tammy Singer's arms at the Le Mars Veterinary Clinic. This dog, the veterinarian assistant said, was brought to the clinic -- which also serves as the city pound -- several weeks ago. It was found loose near Greenwood Avenue in Le Mars. Although it has a collar, the pup has no tags to tell who its owners might be...

Supervisors give stamp of a approval to Merrill urban renewal (11/19/08)
An urban renewal area around and in Merrill became a reality Tuesday. Following a public hearing, the Plymouth County Supervisors approved an urban renewal district to encompass the entire city of Merrill and around Plymouth Energy ethanol plant, Plymouth Oil, a food-grade oil plant and Midwest PMS, the liquid cattle feed mill...

Train officials: Don't risk your life to cross the rails (11/17/08)

Turning down the music could mean saving the hearing (11/06/08)
Next time you plug in your MP3 player and stick in your ear buds, think about this -- you could be damaging your hearing. It's not the ear buds or head phones that are the problem. It's the frequency and the volume, said Mike Sloniker, audiologist MSCCA (Master's of Science of Certified Clinically Competent in Audiology) at Siouxland Hearing Healthcare, in Sioux City...

The Browns plan for Le Mars concert (10/02/08)
The Browns will be singing in Le Mars this weekend. The musical family is performing in concert at their home church, Le Mars Bible Church, 6:00 pm. Sunday, Oct. 5. The Browns will perform old favorites and songs from their brand new compact disc release "A New Day."...

Speakers urge local leaders to consider possible threats (10/01/08)
Maybe it will be an ice storm. Maybe a pandemic flu. Or maybe a terrorist strike with chemical weapons. Disaster is always on the horizon -- at least that was the message at a "Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail" videoconference that brought together local leaders from Le Mars and in six other states...

Minnesota woman escapes serious injury in truck, building collision (09/29/08)
A medical condition caused Stephanie Kay Allen to lose control of her pickup and crash it into the Meylor Chiropractic building Friday afternoon, police said. The 39-year-old woman, of Silver Lake, Minn., who was wearing her seat belt, suffered non-life threatening injuries during the 12:45 p.m. accident...

Minnesota woman escapes serious injury in truck, building collision (09/26/08)

New feeding clinic may help children eat (09/19/08)
Some children don't like to eat or have difficulty eating. Floyd Valley Hospital's new children's therapy services will try to determine why and how to overcome those problems through its feeding clinic using sensory and motor equipment. Erin Schroeder, OTR/L, an occupational therapist, said those tools, like a trampoline, an obstacle course, a slide and a large ball, can help settle a child down in preparation for eating...

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