Corporate Tax Evasion

MidAmerican customers may help finance nuclear study (03/16/10)
The 7,184 MidAmerican Electric Company customers in Plymouth County may see a monthly increase in their payment due to a proposed law. The increase would come if Iowa Gov. Chet Culver signs a bill to allow MidAmerican to boost electric consumer payments throughout the state by $15 million to study the possibility of bringing a second nuclear plant to Iowa...

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...

Merrill industry is model for Iowa's future, Judge says (03/09/10)
If Iowa is going to recover from the recession that has plagued the nation, recovery is going to come from the ground up. That's what Lt. Gov. Patty Judge said Monday during a visit to the Plymouth Oil, a food-grade corn oil plant just north of Merrill...

I-JOBS pays for roads, bridges in Plymouth County (03/09/10)
I-JOBS, a state program using gambling dollars to pay for roads, bridges and other improvements, is funneling about $1.2 million into Plymouth County. Lt. Gov. Patty Judge shared that figure during her Monday stop at Plymouth Oil near Merrill. The dollars will help pay for proposed projects like Blue Diamond Drive in Le Mars, two bridge replacements and the Environmental Conservation Opportunities (ECO) Center at Hillview Recreation Park near Hinton, Judge said...

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...

Ice cream parlor will bring life to historic Le Mars building (02/25/10)

From field to table: Plymouth Oil begins production (02/22/10)
The food-grade corn oil plant just north of Merrill is making liquid gold. After weather and financial delays, the $30 million Plymouth Oil plant is completely constructed and pumping out gallons of crude corn oil, according to Dave Hoffman, chairman of the Plymouth Oil Company board...

Branstad says it's time to clean house, Iowa (02/19/10)
Former Gov. Terry Branstad is OK with ice cream for breakfast, but he's not OK with Iowa's government the way it is now. That's what he told the crowd at the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor in Le Mars Thursday morning on a campaign stop for the 2010 governor's race...

Public employee bargaining: The reasons behind the raises (02/12/10)
(Editor's note: This story is the second of two stories taking a closer look at public employees' bargaining.) Le Mars City Employees Bargaining Unit: Pay freeze for six months, 3 percent raise starting in January 2011. Plymouth County Secondary Roads Bargaining Unit: 3 percent raise for each year of a three-year contract...

Public employee bargaining: Designed to protect citizens (02/11/10)
(Editor's note: This story is the first of two stories taking a closer look at public employees' bargaining.) In the business world, salaries and benefits of a business' employees are somewhat dependent on how well the business is doing. However, in the public sector, employees like teachers and city workers are given the chance to organize and bargain collectively based on Iowa Code Chapter 20...

E-911 supplements IT coordinator's salary for 2011 (02/10/10)
Plymouth County E-911 Board members approved putting $5,000 toward the salary for Shawn Olson, county 911/information technology (IT)/GIS coordinator. The Plymouth County Supervisors took them up on that offer Tuesday for the 2011 fiscal year. Olson's new wage was OK'd in the supervisors' with their preliminary approval of the 2010-11 proposed $21,891,804 budget...

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...

Sheriff's bargaining unit employees negotiate 6 percent raise (02/03/10)
The Plymouth County Supervisors signed 2010-2013 contracts with the sheriff and secondary road bargaining units Tuesday. After five months of negotiation and a four-hour mediation session in late December, 30 employees within the sheriff bargaining unit will receive a 6 percent salary increase in 2010 as part of the three-year contract...

Mike Donlin named 2009 Citizen of the Year (02/01/10)
Mike Donlin of Le Mars was honored as the 2009 Citizen of the Year at the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner Saturday at the Le Mars Convention Center. "Some people seem to have natural leadership abilities. This year's recipient demonstrates such abilities both in the workplace and throughout the community," said Graham Forbes, 2009 Chamber president as he began to describe Donlin...

Now hiring: Census 2010 needs local workers (01/29/10)
The U.S. Census Bureau is looking for local workers to complete the 2010 Census. Census work will begin in Plymouth County communities within a month, according to Jim Meyers, local census office manager for western Iowa. "At that point we will be hiring people to visit those houses and leave the questionnaire at the household in person," Meyers said. "We still have lots of hiring to do throughout western Iowa."...

¿Habla español? :Plains Area staff trains to be multi-lingual (01/29/10)
Employees at Plains Area Mental Health are learning to say "What do you need?" and "How much does this piano cost?" -- in Spanish. It's all part of a new venture Plains Area is starting to help reduce cultural and language barriers. About 25 therapists and receptionists at the Le Mars mental health center and its Storm Lake counterpart are working on picking up another language and learning about that group's culture...

Le Mars dealership fights for Chevrolet franchise (01/28/10)
Total Sales and Service filed paperwork Friday with General Motors to reinstate the business' Chevrolet franchise. The Le Mars dealership is among 1,550 GM and Chrysler dealers across the nation appealing the loss of their franchise as part of the automakers' bankruptcy dealings in May 2009...

Job training program revision, could limit local businesses (01/28/10)
One-half million dollars for Plymouth County business could be at stake as the State of Iowa discusses adjustments in funding to the Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program. Plymouth County businesses that received job training funding in 2009 were Plymouth Energy - $250,612, Plymouth Oil - $153,000, Wells Dairy - $25,000 and Bodeans Baking Company - $63,403...

Supervisors discuss IT salary increase (01/27/10)
Plymouth County's Information Technology (IT) Director Shawn Olson is seeking a nearly $6,000 salary increase for his position as part of the 2010-2011 IT bugdet he presented to the board of supervisors Tuesday. He stated that having the pay increase would eliminate his ability to occur compensation time...

Proposed city budget holds the line on tax levy (01/20/10)
The City of Le Mars is working to keep the tax levy at its current level in the proposed 2011 budget. The $16.1 million budget with $5.5 million in the general fund is similar to the current fiscal year 2010 budget of $15.9 million, Assistant City Administrator Bill Cole 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...

Proposed raises increase county law enforcement budgets (01/14/10)
Projected costs in salaries, insurance and retirement are the majority of increases in the Plymouth County sheriff's, correction's and communication center's proposed 2010-11 budgets. Sheriff Mike Van Otterloo presented those estimated budgets to the Plymouth County Supervisors Tuesday...

City leases Willow Creek Bar and Grill to Fiddelke (01/13/10)
In a 3-2 vote Tuesday, the Le Mars City Council chose Mike Fiddelke, of Orange City, to lease the bar and grill at Willow Creek Golf Course for 2010. The lease, at a rate of $30,000 per year, is tentatively set to begin March 1. The other candidate seeking the lease was Kathy Schwader, of Le Mars, who had been recommended for the lease by the Le Mars Park Committee at last week's city council meeting...

Akron senior living apartments to close (01/12/10)
An eight-plex of senior living apartments in Akron is closing. The Senior Village North Apartments, under the umbrella of the Akron Care Center, will be closed by the end of February due to a lack of interest and the money it would take to upgrade it for assisted living...

Live Healthy Le Mars offers team approach to good health (01/11/10)
Get ready to get in shape in 2010 by participating Live Healthy Le Mars. The 100-day challenge promotes a team approach to weight loss and physical activity. Local sponsors for Live Healthy Le Mars are the Le Mars YMCA, Floyd Valley Hospital and ISU Plymouth County Extension...

Highway 3 west widening, city signs on 2010 project list (01/08/10)
Adding a lane to Highway 3 west of Le Mars will likely be one of the City of Le Mars' top projects in the works in the new year. Le Mars City Administrator Scott Langel sketched out the 2010 priority projects with the Daily Sentinel this week, noting the finalized list is yet to come...

Raises approved for city administrator, assistant city administrator (01/06/10)
Le Mars City Administrator Scott Langel and Assistant City Administrator Bill Cole will be receiving salary increases effective Jan. 1 for the balance of fiscal year 2010. Langel's salary will go from $118,119 to $122,844 and Cole's will increase from $81,500 to $84,760...

Council delays Willow Creek Bar and Grill decision (01/06/10)
Le Mars City Council members delayed until next week a decision as to who will operate the Willow Creek Bar and Grill at the golf course. The delay followed a 2-2 split vote to authorize completion of final details for lease of the facility by Kathy Schwader -- the recommendation from the Le Mars Parks Committee...

Remembering the decade: At home and beyond (01/04/10)
Ten years ago, as the decade turned, we were waiting to see if the Y2K threat was real. While that turned out to be the biggest non-news event of the Aughts (the first decade of the 2000s), there was plenty of headline material to come, tragedy and triumph alike...

Rewind 2009: The worst of times and the best of times (12/31/09)

Rewind 2009: The good, the bad and the blizzard (12/30/09)
Editor's note: This is the first of two stories recapping 2009's top stories in the Daily Sentinel. Mother Nature put a wet (or white) blanket on Plymouth County's Christmastime plans, nailing northwest Iowa with more than a foot of snow and winds that lowered visibility and drifted roads shut. ...

Supervisors to consider raise for elected officials at budget time (12/30/09)
The Plymouth County Compensation Board recommended a 2 percent salary increase for elected officials in 2010-11. The Plymouth County Supervisors said Tuesday they will take that into consideration as they prepare the new budget. The first work session on the 2010-11 budget will be Monday...

Keep your driveway shoveled without seeing the doctor afterward (12/29/09)
If you haven't noticed yet, the Christmas season left us all the gift of about 17 inches of snow last week. It was likely left in your driveway among other places. Unfortunately, a heavy snowfall can also be the gift that keeps on giving -- like a trip to the chiropractor or hospital from people trying to dig out...

Six-month pay freeze for city employees, then a raise (12/23/09)
The wages for the 41 Le Mars city employees in the bargaining unit will be frozen for six months next year, then see a 3 percent raise. The Le Mars City Council made the motion Tuesday afternoon to freeze bargaining unit members wages starting July 1, 2010 for six months -- with the exception of three positions...

LCS board proposes no teacher salary increase for 2010-11 (12/22/09)
No increase in base salary. No step movement on the salary schedule. No changes in contract language other than date changes. That's the opening proposal put forth by the Le Mars Community Schools board of education negotiating team in response to contract talks with the Le Mars Community Education Association (LCED) for the 2010-11 teachers' contract...

LCS teachers seek 3% package increase (12/08/09)

Deadline looming for first look at closure of Mental Health Institutes (12/01/09)
The Iowa Department of Human Services will make its recommendation in two weeks as to which of the Cherokee, Independence, Clarinda or Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institutes should close. On Dec. 15, the Department of Human Services (DHS) will present its decision to Iowa Gov. Chet Culver and the Legislature...

BoDeans expands production, adds more than 50 jobs (11/23/09)
A Le Mars ice cream cone and wafer baking company is upping production with a $12 million investment and adding close to 60 new jobs. BoDeans Baking Company is in the process of expanding both it's cone and wafer production at its facilities in the Le Mars industrial park, according to co-owner Dean Jacobson...

Brunsville grain elevator adds capacity, speed (11/23/09)
Brunsville's Premium Feed and Grain upped the ante this harvest with a new 204,000 bushel storage bin and a new grain dump that can take in grain at the rate of 8,000 bushels per hour. The company's growth also included adding three new full-time jobs. Now Premium Grain and Feed employs 12 people, 10 of which are full-time...

County court employees' jobs safe from judicial cuts (11/13/09)
No one in the Plymouth County court system will lose his or her job despite the Iowa Judicial Branch's 9.3 percent reduction in employee workforce announced Thursday. "No personnel will be laid off in Plymouth County," emphasized Clerk of Courts Charlene Peterson. "We're very thankful for that."...

LCS board appoints negotiating team, purchases vehicle (11/13/09)
Opening negotiation sessions between teachers and the Le Mars Community School District will be held in December. In a letter to the school board president, the Le Mars Community Education Association (LCEA) notified the board of its intent to bargain, with the first bargaining session for the 2010-2011 master contract to be held at 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7...

Supervisors approve election numbers with no changes (11/13/09)
The Plymouth County Supervisors made no adjustments Tuesday in their canvass of last week's city elections. Final numbers verified 1,017 residents visited the polls for an 11 percent voter turnout. The county's cost for the election was $7,858, but that amount will be reimbursed by the cities, said Cheri Nitzschke, deputy auditor...

Courts cut out 10 more days (11/11/09)
All of Iowa's judges, magistrates and court staff are ordered to take 10 already scheduled days of unpaid leave by July 1, 2010, including those in Plymouth County, in a cut announced Tuesday by the Iowa Supreme Court. The statewide unpaid leave, which will reduce the judicial branch's operating expenses by $4.1 million this fiscal year, were made in response to Iowa's "serious revenue shortfall," a press release from the Iowa Supreme Court stated...

Local electric providers: We're for cap, but not trade (10/23/09)
Under proposed energy legislation often called "cap and trade," the Midwest would get burned, according to representatives from local electricity providers. MidAmerican Energy representative Mark Reinders explained his company's take on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a comprehensive energy bill proposed by U.S. Representatives...

Ethanol outlook: Where is the industry headed? (10/21/09)
Editor's note: This story is part two of a pair of stories looking deeper at the ethanol industry and Plymouth Energy's recent quest to raise $10 million for the ethanol plant. In the past decade, ethanol has been both a golden egg and a rotten one...

Plymouth Energy seeks $10 million to position for future (10/20/09)

Day, King thank soldiers, urge patriotism (10/19/09)
It was a good day to be a Siouxland soldier Saturday. Col. George "Bud" Day, America's most decorated living war veteran, spent the day pheasant hunting with soldiers from the 113th Cavalry in Le Mars and the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, along with Rep. Steve King (R) in western Plymouth County...

Boosting employee morale when dollars aren't there (09/25/09)
In the past year, more than 70 percent of employers laid off employees or restructured their organization. About 60 percent of employees say they're not getting bonuses this year. And about 50 percent of workers saw negative effects from pay and benefit changes...

Scott retires from LCS board (09/18/09)
Le Mars Community School Board members gave thanks to a retiring board member and welcomed a new member at their Sept. 14 meeting. Dr. Leon Scott retired after serving 10 years representing District 1 on the board. Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt presented Scott with a lifetime activity pass and a plaque in appreciation of his years of service...

LCS board looks at Camp Quest financial implications (09/16/09)
The Le Mars Community School Board is mulling over what to do with 18.60 acres of property east of Le Mars owned by the school district known as Camp Quest. At the June 8 board meeting, a citizen asked the board to sell the property as it was no longer used by the school district...

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