Ethanol Markets

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...

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. ...

EPA pushes back ethanol decision (12/02/09)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding off on deciding whether to raise allowable ethanol content in gasoline until mid-2010. The announcement came on Tuesday, Dec. 1 -- the original deadline set by the Clean Air Act for the EPA to decide whether to allow up to 15 percent ethanol in gasoline, a 5-percent increase on the current limit...

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...

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...

Journey to Japan gives Remsen natives chance to teach (07/31/09)
At age 15, Jenny made a journey to Japan to study as a foreign exchange student. On August 10, Jenny, a Remsen native, will be making a second trip to Japan, and this time with her husband Lars Robins to teach English. During Jenny's first visit to Japan, she lived in a rural area on a small island, this time she and Lars will be in Tokyo...

Farmers' market to open soon (06/15/09)
Ready for fresh fruits and veggies, jellies, salsas and baked goods? The Le Mars Farmers' Market will begin Wednesday, June 24. Market times are 3-6 p.m. every Wednesday and 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday. The market is held at the Olson Cultural Event Center at the intersection of First Avenue and First Street northeast...

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...

Shaky economy has different effects on diners (03/02/09)
Does a downturn in the economy mean more people are eating in rather than eating out? Last week customers at Fareway Stores Inc., in Le Mars, were on both sides of the debate. Dawn Topet, of Le Mars, said her family has been eating out a lot, especially lately because she and her husband work different shifts...

Economic downturn means havoc for Iowa budget woes (02/09/09)
Plymouth County legislators Rep. Chuck Soderberg and Sen. Randy Feenstra said the economic downturn is presenting some real challenges for the Iowa Legislature this year. The two spoke at a 9 a.m. Legislator's Forum Saturday at the Le Mars Public Library...

2008 in review: Hellos and goodbyes (12/31/08)
Editor's note: This is the second of two stories recapping 2008's top stories in the Daily Sentinel. 5. Iowa begins Smokefree Air Act Indoor smoking, except in people's homes, became a rarity after the Smokefree Air Act went into effect in Iowa July 1. ...

Winter heating costs on the rise? Officials say no (12/16/08)
Local energy suppliers say residents will not see an increase in cost to heat their homes this winter. Gasoline and diesel along with propane and natural gas prices have fallen considerably in the last couple of months. "For natural gas customers we are projecting the same heating costs as last winter," said Mark Reinders, MidAmerican Energy, communications manager...

County solidifies help for Girls Inc. (11/11/08)
Girls Inc., a Sioux City nonprofit providing programs encouraging girls to develop self-esteem and productive life goals, officially received a helping hand from Plymouth County last week. The Plymouth County Supervisors, after a public hearing, unanimously approved allowing Girls Inc. to pass $4.3 million in bonds through the county. The money will help Girls Inc. build a new activity center in Sioux City...

Plymouth Oil may receive $1.2 million in tax benefits (07/22/08)
The State of Iowa pledged about $1.2 million in tax incentives to a plant near Merrill that will make corn oil for food and cooking. The $30 million Plymouth Oil plant is planned next to the 50-million-gallon Plymouth Energy LLC ethanol plant near Merrill. The projected completion date is July 31, 2013, according to an Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) spokesperson...

Increase of fuel theft at the pump not prevalent in Le Mars (07/18/08)
Throughout the country, high gas prices have caused the theft of gasoline at the pump to skyrocket. With prices around $4 per gallon, people around the nation are more tempted to bolt after filling up. Thankfully this trend in crime has not gripped Le Mars for the most part. But "drive-aways" from the pump do still happen...

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...

Entities will pay administration costs for county's help (06/19/08)
The Plymouth County Supervisors on Tuesday approved charging $1,500 in administrative costs for helping issue bonds or grants under its tax-free canopy. The topic came to light when Girls Inc., a nonprofit organization from Sioux City, requested the county's help to route revenue bonds through the county...

Group looks at making Le Mars healthier (05/05/08)
A garden where people from the community can come grow their own vegetables and fruit. More bike racks around town. A website that lists recreation options and local food venders around the area. These were just three of the ideas a community group is throwing around as possible additions to Le Mars through a program called Iowa Fit for Life...

Corn oil producer planned near Merrill ethanol plant (04/21/08)
Better together. That's what Dave Hoffman of Merrill says about the $30 million corn oil plant he and others are planning to build next to the Plymouth Energy ethanol plant near Merrill. The corn oil plant will produce up to 60 tons every day of the oil used for human food and cooking. Employing 25 people, the plant is slated to be in operation by the spring of 2009...

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