Financial Crisis

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...

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...

Northey: Budget cuts hit ag department hard (12/15/09)
Iowa's Department of Agriculture is now operating with funding comparable to what the department had in 1994 -- and with a staff of less people, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said Monday. Northey discussed the funding cuts during an appearance at the Farm Bureau Financial Services office in Le Mars...

Northey plans Le Mars visit (12/09/09)
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey will be in Le Mars to talk with Plymouth County residents Monday, Dec. 14. Northey will be at the Farm Bureau Financial Services Office, 21 First Ave. NE, Le Mars, beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 14. Northey will discuss agriculture and the issues facing farmers in the state. The meeting is open to the public...

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...

Feds shut down Vantus Bank, Missouri bank acquires deposits (09/09/09)

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...

Courthouse water repair costs passed onto insurance (07/29/09)
Final costs to repair water damage at the clerk of courts' office on the third floor of the Plymouth County Courthouse are in. Stacey Feldman, auditor, told the Plymouth County Supervisors Tuesday she would submit the $15,770 bill to the county's insurance company, and she expects a check within a few weeks...

A mom with a message: Porterfield visits Washington D.C. (06/16/09)
"I'm not a lobbyist," Barbara Porterfield said. "I'm a mom." Even so, the rural Plymouth County woman just returned from Washington D.C. where she spoke to legislative officials about her family's plight to get affordable health care. Porterfield, a medical transcriptionist, had health coverage through her company until its ownership changed a few years ago...

Health care: Is the system broken and can we fix it? (05/22/09)
Barb Walter, owner of Close to Home, a local shop, said her health care costs are getting out of hand. For self-employed people like Walter and her husband, they have to find and pay for health insurance on their own. "It goes up every couple of months," she said of the price they pay. "And we have a high deductible to keep our premium lower. We have no co-pay."...

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...

Special tax break available for new car purchases this year (04/02/09)
The Internal Revenue Service announced this week taxpayers who buy a new passenger vehicle this year may be entitled to deduct state and local sales and excise taxes paid on the purchase on their 2009 tax returns next year. "For those thinking about buying a new car this year, this deduction may give them a little more drive to make their purchase this year," IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said. "This deduction enables taxpayers to buy now and get cash back later on their tax returns."...

Attempt to legalize marijuana for medical use fails again (03/13/09)

LCS board cuts $208,500, approves Cash Reserve Levy (03/10/09)
Decisions impacting students and district taxpayers were approved by the Le Mars Community School District Board of Education Monday night. The board approved a total of $208,500 in budget cuts and made the decision to implement the Cash Reserve Levy (CRL) to bring in $500,000 for the fiscal year 2010 budget...

Supervisors approve budget, public silent (03/04/09)
The Plymouth County Supervisors approved the about $18.2 million 2009-10 county budget Tuesday. The approval followed a budget hearing, which no one from the public attended. The supervisors did not raise property tax levies for county residents in 2009-10 because of a large increase in property tax valuation...

American Bank president resigns (03/02/09)
American Bank's Le Mars president Richard E. Magnuson resignation was accepted Monday, Feb. 23 by the bank's board of directors. Magnuson's resignation was made public Friday through a press release from American Bank. Magnuson has served 12 years as American Bank's president...

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...

American Bank president resigns (02/27/09)
American Bank's president Richard E. Magnuson resignation was accepted Monday, Feb. 23 by the Le Mars bank's board of directors. Magnuson's resignation was made public Friday through a press release from American Bank. Don Baker, current board member, was appointed interim president until a permanent president is named...

New county budget holds tax levies steady (02/18/09)
A large increase in property tax valuation means no increase in property tax levies for county residents in 2009-10. The Plymouth County Supervisors reviewed the about $18.2 billion proposed 2009-10 county budget Tuesday. They also set a 10 a.m. March 3 public hearing to receive input before finalizing the budget...

Chalk festival, dinner drama to light up Main Street Le Mars (02/17/09)
Chalk. A jewel thief. A rib fest. Le Mars is in for a bit of the unusual in the year ahead. The Main Street program and the Chamber of Commerce are trying some fresh events to reinvigorate downtown Le Mars. Mary Reynolds, the new Main Street Manager, is helping pioneer some of the ideas...

ISL will not go to third vote for LCS (02/10/09)
There will not be a vote in the Le Mars Community School District on the Instructional Support Levy (ISL). The Le Mars Community School Board of Education unanimously approved a motion to accept Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt's recommendations and abandon the election process on the ISL...

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...

Woodbury County school shares LCS challenge to begin ISL (01/20/09)
A Woodbury County school district is making its first attempt to implement the Instructional Support Levy Program (ISL). Like Le Mars Community Schools, the Lawton-Bronson Community School district is of the few school districts in Iowa which doesn't have the ISL. And while Le Mars Community is making a third attempt to pass the ISL, Lawton-Bronson is making its first try at passing the ISL...

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. ...

Doctors on screen coming to Plains Area (12/23/08)
Wait time to see a psychiatrist or clinician at Plains Area Mental Health Center could be shortened thanks to a new teleconferencing system. It's called Telehealth and it will allow a physician to be in one location while a client is is in another. "By giving us more face-to-face time with a psychiatrist, it should reduce patient wait time, the time it takes to get an appointment," said Patrick Schmitz, Plains Area Mental Health Center's executive director...

Uncertain economy pinches health care patients and centers (12/22/08)
Today's economic downturn isn't only affecting what consumers pay at the pump or for groceries, it's also affecting how they pay for health care. Some families have to make a decision as to whether to pay for their health care needs because of higher insurance deductibles, co-pays and larger responsibilities in paying for care...

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...

Outside review of information refutes allegations against school board (12/16/08)
A letter to the office of the State Auditor of Iowa with allegations against the Le Mars Community School District Board of Education by a district resident was addressed at the Dec. 8 board meeting. Jeffrey Peters, a certified public accountant with Williams & Company, in Le Mars, presented his findings to the board after receiving the information from the state auditor's office...

Legislators predict budget crunching, right-to-work laws to top session (12/12/08)

Holiday happenings (12/12/08)
Dec. 13 - No hustle, no bustle $5 Holiday Soup and Sandwich Lunch available at the Arts Center, 200 Central Ave. S.E., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eat in or take out. Gift Wrapping contest winners and raffle winners announced at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 13 - "The Nutcracker" presented by The Dance Studio Performance Company and the Le Mars Arts Council, 6 p.m. at the Le Mars Community Middle School Auditorium. Tickets at the door, $8 for adults, $5 for children through high school age...

LCS teachers group proposes salary, insurance increases (12/02/08)
Le Mars Community Education Association members are proposing increases in base pay and insurance for the 2009-10 school year. Members of the bargaining team for the LCED met with Le Mars Community Schools Board of Education members Monday to present their initial proposal...

LCS board crunches numbers for 2009-10 (12/01/08)
It was numbers and more numbers as Le Mars Community Schools Board of Education pondered whether to seek an Instructional Support Levy (ISL) or implement a Cash Reserve Levy as a funding source for the 2009-10 budget year. At the Nov. 24 board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt gave the board information on preliminary fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget information. He also outlined various options for the board to consider as they decide whether to pursue the ISL for the next budget year...

Presentation on college financial aid set for Dec. 1 (11/28/08)
The Le Mars Community High School guidance office has invited a representative from the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) to Le Mars to provide a free presentation on financial aid for juniors, seniors and their families. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, at the Le Mars Community High School Commons...

School board predicts money crunch, weighs ISL option (11/20/08)
A "mixed bag" is how one board member described the input on the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) received from the Le Mars Community School's District Learning and Instructional Impact Team, (DLIIT) at the board's meeting Monday, Nov 10. The Instructional Support Levy provides a funding source for general fund expenditures through property tax, income surtax and a small amount of state aid...

LCS ends fiscal year with $1.1 million general fund balance (11/14/08)
The Le Mars Community School District ended the 2007-08 school year with a general fund balance of $1,123,037. That fund is down $731,756 from the year's beginning balance of $1,854,793. Jeff Peters of Williams and Company presented the district's annual audit report to the board of education Monday evening...

'Holiday Dollars' sale is Saturday (11/13/08)
With $15,000 in Chamber Holiday Dollars on sale this Saturday, area residents can save money and support Le Mars Chamber businesses during the holiday shopping season. Doors will open at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Chamber of Commerce office at 50 Central Ave. S.E...

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...

County sees more identity theft cases (11/10/08)
More identity theft cases are coming before a judge in Plymouth County. County Attorney Darin Raymond shared this news with the county supervisors Tuesday. "Identity theft and that business of working somewhere and not having proper identification and being an illegal worker in this country is creeping in," Raymond told the supervisors...

Le Mars Insurance cuts 12 jobs (11/06/08)
Twelve layoffs were announced Wednesday at the Le Mars Insurance Company. "It was primarily driven by gains in efficiency due to a significant investment in technology," said Jeff Miller, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Donegal Insurance Group in Marietta, Penn., the parent company of Le Mars Insurance...

Courthouse shuffle begins (11/05/08)
The Plymouth County Supervisors took the first step Tuesday toward rearranging the courthouse to make more room for crowded offices. The main push was to make more room for the cramped Juvenile Court Services. The supervisors approved moving the Veterans Affairs office, currently on the main floor of the courthouse in the northeast corner, to the lower level. There that office will share the space with the Zoning and Sanitation offices, which are only used one day a week...

Main Street Le Mars welcomes Mary Reynolds (11/03/08)
Le Mars has a new Main Street manager: Mary Reynolds. Born and raised here, the life-long Le Mars resident is excited to begin the position promoting local businesses and business improvement today (Monday). "It's totally me," Reynolds said. Why's that? She loves Le Mars, for one. And her fundraising and business promotions portfolio is extensive...

Tax Increment Financing: A double edged sword for Le Mars? (10/02/08)
Editor's note: This is the first story in a series looking into how Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is working in Le Mars. Taxes on more than 60 percent of Le Mars commercial properties aren't going into the city's general fund. That money is being set aside to be used for economic development...

Financial world rolls, northwest Iowa steady (09/24/08)
In Washington D.C., the federal government is hashing out details on a $700 billion assist to the financial system. In Le Mars, it's business as usual. People are buying groceries, selling shoes, checking out homes to buy, clocking in at work. The question is at the same time distant and pressing: should we be worried?...

School board waits on decision about future levy (09/23/08)
The Le Mars Community School board won't decide whether or not to make another try at starting the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) until November. Monday night's board of education meeting was the first opportunity for board members to discuss together the outcome of the Sept. 9 ISL vote...

School board candidates share views heading into election (09/02/08)
The Le Mars Community School District has two open seats on the board of education. The election to fill the District 3 and 5 seats will be Sept. 9. Joe Cain and incumbent Dan Smith are running for the District 5 spot, and Mark Hemmingson is running a write-in campaign for the District 3 spot, which no one filed papers to fill. To get to know the candidates more, the Daily Sentinel asked each one eight questions, which are printed below with their answers.

Questions answered on school levy issue (08/29/08)
Two public information meetings brought approximately 75 Le Mars Community School District residents out to learn about the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) Wednesday and Thursday evenings. A vote on whether to implement the levy will be held on Sept. 9, the same day as school board elections...

Construction marches forward on new Remsen Medical Clinic (08/13/08)
June rain delays can't stop construction of the new Remsen Medical Clinic. The clinic on Second Street west of the post office is expected to be completed Dec. 1, said Daryl Friedenbach, director of financial services at Floyd Valley Hospital (FVH)...

Enrollment one of key issues in ISL decision (08/12/08)
Le Mars Community School Board of Education members discussed the impact of the outcome of the Instructional Suppot Levy (SL) election during their meeting Monday evening. The ISL as proposed by the board, would raise money for the school's general fund through a mix of instructional support state aid, ISL property tax and ISL income surtax. The issue will be put to a vote on Sept. 9, the same day as school board elections...

Evans advances in Bill Riley Talent Search at Iowa State Fair (08/12/08)
A Le Mars girl has advanced to the semi-finals in the Sprout Division of Bill Riley's 49th annual Iowa State Fair Talent Search. Chloe Evans, 9, of Le Mars, will perform again on Thursday, Aug. 14. She qualified for the talent search with a piano solo...

Sign-up deadline nears for new disaster program (08/07/08)
Sign-up for the SURE, the new USDA disaster program, is underway, and the deadline to participate in this year's program is Sept. 15. SURE is a permanent disaster program that will be specific to each farmer. Unlike previous USDA disaster programs, this one does not require an Act of Congress for it take place...

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