Coal, Oil And Natural Gas

NCCC restores grasslands in Plymouth County (03/15/10)
A team of 11 AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) members are serving with the Plymouth County Conservation Board and the Nature Conservancy this month. From March 7 to April 23, the group will work to help restore and preserve 15 acres of Five Ridge Prairie, Broken Kettle Grasslands, and Hillview Recreation Area...

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...

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...

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...

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...

U.S. wildlife leaders worry about future during Akron summit (11/16/09)
Leaders from national wildlife groups shared concerns about the future of clean water and conservation in the United States during a summit near Akron this past weekend. "This is a place where agricultural producers, conservationists and water quality advocates come together for a common program," Jim Martin said of the gathering...

Pheasants' habitat dwindles by millions of acres each year (09/18/09)
Hunters may face a challenge this season -- the pheasant population is on a downward spiral in Plymouth County and throughout Iowa. Last year Iowa had 100,000 hunters and 383,000 birds, which is four birds per person in the field. Other years there have been 1.5 million pheasants, said John Linquist, Pheasants Forever regional representative. "From the early 2000s to now there has been a steady decline because of weather and habitat," Linquist said. The cold, damp spring this year affected pheasants' nesting habits, said Mike Slota, Pheasants Forever chairman for Plymouth County youth programs. "The weather has to be somewhat warm to produce the insects for the chicks when they're hatched," Slota said. "The hens can't keep the chicks adequately warm and they just die from exposure." The loss of habitat also affects pheasants' nesting because hens have less area to hide from predators, Slota said. Pheasant habitats, which usually require 5 to 10 acres, are areas with a mixture of tall and short grasses and flowering plants that attract insects, Slota said. A major reason that habitat is dwindling is that millions of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres are going away each year, Linquist said. Last year alone 1.1 million CRP acres expired, according to www.pheasantsforever.org. With the price of grain, farmers are finding they can make more money planting their land than putting it into CRP acres, Slota said. "With this economy you can't blame any farmer for squeezing every dollar out of the ground they can," Slota said. "Their job is to produce grain and make money off the ground. We understand that." Farmers began enrolling their qualified land into CRPs to be planted into habitats 10 to 15 years ago and receiving federal compensation, Linquist said. "A lot of people's acres are expiring and there are no new signups," he said. Another 3.8 million CRP acres will expire this fall and 4.4 million acres next September for a total of 21 million acres gone from the program by the end of 2012 without a new signup. The USDA does not have a signup scheduled, according to the Pheasants Forever website. "It's hard to maintain a bird population when we're constantly taking conservation acres out of play," Linquist said. Pheasants Forever hopes to turn that around with its program, Reload Iowa. The intent of Reload Iowa is to establish 1 million acres of new habitat on Iowa landscape. That means $11.5 million will need to be raised and 50 employees hired to go door-to-door to work with landowners to create the habitat, Linquist said. "That program is going to have to pay enough money out to entice the farmer to want to do this," Slota said. "The farmer has to look at the bottom line." There are also national programs like Conservation Practice 38 or State Acres For wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) working to help conserve and create new habitat. SAFE started last year with 200,000 CRP acres that were divided among states. "We had 27,700 acres," Linquist said. "All of those acres have been used up and all within a year." The loss of habitat and dwindling pheasant population in Plymouth County and throughout the state has a trickle-down effect on economy and recreation, Linquist said. "When the population of the birds down so does the population of the hunters," he said. That means less dollars spent shopping, eating and staying locally by nonresident hunters. Fewer hunters also leads to a loss of revenue on licenses, which means less money to help support county and state parks, Linquist said. "That's what buys the land and sees to the upkeep," he said. "We're hurting ourselves by people not going out and hunting." A declining pheasant and hunter population is also detrimental for the next generation of would-be hunters, but Slota's optimistic Reload Iowa and similar programs will turn the numbers around. "I hope we start seeing an increase in the next couple of years," Slota said. "I would love to see it start going back the other way and hopefully we are doing the right things to make it start going the other way."

Big Sioux River Cleanup scheduled for this weekend (07/14/09)
The Plymouth County conservation department will be holding the Third Annual Big Sioux River Cleanup July 18. The cleanup will start at the Big Sioux River Park north of Akron. Volunteers will then float, in canoes, down the river and end at a spot near Akron...

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...

Remsen habitat creation could spark statewide projects (04/29/09)
This spring, the first native grass seeds will take root in about 70 acres of land around the Remsen wells. Cropland on those acres was replaced with native habitat to help keep the water source below the surface purer. Now state officials are watching the success of this water quality improvement project in hopes that it will be the seed project for others across Iowa...

Notify fire department of controlled rural burns (04/15/09)
Holding a controlled burn on your rural property? You need to notify your fire district. Le Mars Fire Chief Wayne Schipper said the fire chiefs of each district need to know the day people are burning and who is tending to the controlled burn at least within the same day of the burn...

Don't mess with Mother Nature: Heed warnings (04/10/09)
We're barely out of blizzard season and here comes tornado weather. This week is National Severe Weather Awareness Week, and a local disaster management planner wants to get word out about the importance of heeding severe weather warnings. "When the National Weather Service puts out a severe weather or tornado warning, they try to give people as much time as possible so they can take shelter," Gary Junge, Plymouth County disaster services director said. ...

Farmers can earn money per acre using soil conservation (03/24/09)
A grant will pay farmers per acre to implement conservation practices that improve soil quarity in Plymouth County. The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Iowa is offering incentive payments through the 2009 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) signup to row crop producers...

They're back: Bald eagles showing their faces around Le Mars (03/23/09)
Last week, Le Mars' airport manager Earl Draayer spotted seven bald eagles perched in the same tree. A driver reported seeing a dozen of the birds in trees along the Floyd River. We shouldn't be too surprised, according to Plymouth County Naturalist Victoria Shamblen...

Red Cross supplies cots, goods to help prepare local shelters (03/16/09)
In case of a flood, an ice storm, a heat wave, tornado or pandemic, victims who are forced from their Plymouth County homes will have a place to sleep. Friday, the Siouxland Area Chapter of the Red Cross delivered 80 cots, pillows, blankets and a supply of adult and youth comfort kits to the Le Mars Disaster Services building...

World Day of Prayer services looks at local Peru mission work (03/02/09)
Church Women United will host a World Day of Prayer service Friday, March 6, at United Methodist Church of Le Mars, 901 Third Ave. S.E. The service begins at 1:30 p.m. and is open to people of all ages. World Day of Prayer is a worldwide movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year, and who, in many countries, have a continuing relationship in prayer and service...

End of an ice age? (02/24/09)

Pheasants Forever to offer scholarship (02/24/09)
At the Pheasants Forever annual banquet April 4, a new $1,000 scholarship will be announced. The scholarship is open to Plymouth County graduating senior's with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA. Applicants must be pursuing a career in conservation, natural resources, environmental education, conservation law enforcement, biology or related field...

Council approves study for Dean Foods drainage problem (02/20/09)
An engineering study on the causes of upstream runoff and resulting drainage problems impacting Dean Foods' Le Mars plant got the approval of Le Mars City Council at its Tuesday session. City Administrator Scott Langel said Dean Foods is making its own independent study of the problem and that he is agreeable to the city's working in conjunction with Dean Foods' officials' choice of the firm selected for the engineering report...

Local Pheasants Forever win top award for habitat and youth education (02/17/09)
The Plymouth County Pheasants Forever chapter and its local volunteers have been recognized as a top chapter in the nation for investing more than $500,000 on habitat improvements and youth education in Plymouth County. The award was announced at the recent state convention awards program. John Linquist, Regional Representative of Pheasants Forever came to Le Mars to present the plaque to chapter members...

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...

Veterans honored today (11/11/08)
Those who served, we salute you. Tuesday, Nov. 11, marks Veterans Day, a day to remember the sacrifice of many. President George W. Bush issued a proclamation in honor of the day: "From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation's ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe."...

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...

Steam locomotive to stop in Le Mars (09/25/08)
Union Pacific's "Challenger" No. 3985 will steam into Le Mars next Wednesday for a brief visit The visit comes during the 1940s locomotive's round trip tour from Cheyenne, Wyo. to St. Paul, Minn., and back. People can take a look at the restored train engine during its half-hour stop Oct. 1 along Lincoln Street near the south Wells Dairy ice cream plant at Eighth Street Southwest...

Grant request denial puts brakes on building ECO Center (09/19/08)
Plymouth County Conservation's plans to build a proposed Education Conservation Opportunities (ECO) Center hit a roadblock Tuesday A request for a $400,000 Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) grant to help construct the center was denied by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources...

AmeriCorps team preps Loess Hills for bison (09/11/08)
Men and women ages 18-24 from across the nation are building fences, restoring grasslands and helping with research in the Loess Hills through Oct. 2. The 10-member AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team, has been working in the Broken Kettle Grasslands and Five Ridge Prairie in Plymouth County since August...

Flood benefit showcases old-time country musicians (08/25/08)
Saturday night's Country Music fundraiser for flood victims in the Cedar Rapids area raised nearly $1,200. It also gave area residents and guests a taste of the music to be presented at the 33rd Annual National Old-Time Country & Bluegrass Festival and Contest at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds starting today (Monday) and running through Sunday, Aug. 31...

Leaving behind her comfort zone (08/21/08)
When Jaclyn Ver Mulm packed her bags for China this summer, she had two things on her mind: visiting her sister and catching some of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. But more was in store for the young woman from Le Mars during her three-month stay in the country...

Saturday country music show will benefit flood victims (08/19/08)
A benefit for flood victims at Cedar Rapids with old-time country music will fill the Plymouth County Historical Museum this Saturday, Aug. 23, and give a preview of music to be enjoyed at the 33rd Annual National Old-Time Country & Bluegrass Festival set for Aug. 25-31 in Le Mars...

Garage sale raises hundreds for flood relief (07/14/08)
A garage and bake sale hosted this weekend by Perry and Sonni Cosby's family raised more than $500 for flood victims in Cedar Rapids. The Cosbys and their three daughters held the sale at their house in southern Le Mars Saturday, inviting neighbors and friends to donate baked goods and garage sale items...

Siren testing runs late Monday afternoon (07/07/08)
The tornado alert sirens in Le Mars were tested Monday, July 7, the first Monday of the month at 3:30 p.m. rather than 1 p.m. There is not threatening storm. Switiching some of the radio and paging equipment at the county's communications center caused the delay, according to Le Mars Fire Chief Wayne Schipper...

Grassley gives his take on fuel crunch at Le Mars meeting (07/01/08)
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley praised ethanol and drilling for more oil in the United States during his stop at a Le Mars town hall meeting where concern about energy and food prices was the prevailing mood. Speaking to a crowd of about 50 people at the American Bank Monday, Grassley responded to questions about fuel prices by presenting his idea for an energy program...

Flood damaged Iowa (06/19/08)
AMES, Iowa - June 18, 2008 - Ignoring or moving barricades and attempting to travel on closed roads can be extremely dangerous to motorists. The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) is receiving reports of motorists moving road blocks to travel on highways that may...

Local Scouts join vigil for four boys killed in tornado (06/16/08)
No local Boy Scouts were directly involved in the tragedy at the Little Sioux Scout Camp near Blencoe last week, but the tornado that claimed four Scouts' lives affected all of them. "We didn't know the boys but in a sense we're all brothers -- we have the same background, the same morals, the same beliefs," said Dean Christoffel, the Scoutmaster for Troop 184 of Le Mars...

Big Sioux could flood again at Akron (06/10/08)
The Big Sioux river crested Sunday at four feet above flood level and is starting to drop, but more rain predicted this week could turn that around. As of Tuesday morning, the Big Sioux was hovering at about 18.9 feet, with flood stage being 16 feet for the area...

Disaster services plan open house Saturday (05/29/08)
When the weather turns dangerous, when there is a bio-emergency, the county disaster workers will be there. But they want to show people what they've got before disaster hits. Plymouth County Disaster Services will have an open house this Saturday at the facility on 231 Second Ave. N.E. in Le Mars...

Former 4-H'er saddened by vandalism of fairgrounds model (04/22/08)
When Matt Giffrow, 27, visited the Plymouth County Historical Museum last Saturday, it was more like a funeral wake than a cultural experience. The Omaha resident returned to view his 4-H project, a diorama of the Plymouth County Fairgrounds he had created when he was 11. The exhibit was destroyed at the museum at approximately 2 a.m., Thursday, March 20, during a break-in...

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