General Elections

Law would take away guns from domestic violence offenders (03/18/10)
Convicted domestic violence offenders in Iowa could lose their right to own guns and ammunition if the governor signs a bill into law Monday. A person accused of domestic violence who has a protective order placed against them can be required to relinquish their firearms temporarily, the bill states...

Big Sioux Flooding (03/17/10)
The Big Sioux River rose over its banks and floodwaters closed a portion of road north of Akron near the bridge. A dike broke on the South Dakota side so water is going onto cropland, taking some of the pressure off the Iowa side by Akron. The Big Sioux will likely crest at 21.4 feet Thursday, according to the National Weather Service...

Floyd River floods, Big Sioux still rising (03/16/10)
The Floyd River overran its banks Monday, rising beyond flood stage of 20 feet by mid-day. "The current stage is 20.8 feet," said Mike Gillispie, hydrologist with the Sioux Falls National Weather Service. "I would anticipate that probably you're looking at another half foot rise in Le Mars," Gillispie said. "That shouldn't cause any huge additional problems."...

Big Sioux flooding, Floyd River could be next (03/15/10)
The Big Sioux River spilled over its banks in Akron Sunday and the Floyd River is threatening the Le Mars area. "We just hit major flood stage there (Akron)," said Mike Gillispie, a hydrologist with the Sioux Falls National Weather Service. "Major is where we really start impacting buildings, roads and things like that."...

LOST dollars could rebuild laundromat, buy laptops for school (03/15/10)
Twenty-nine area groups are vying for grants from Plymouth County's $100,000 Local Options Sales Tax grant pool. The requests range from $50,000 to demolish and rebuild the fire damaged Kraft Kleaners in Kingsley to $1,928 for the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department to buy rope rescue equipment to use with the aerial ladder fire truck...

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...

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...

Drug court could fall victim to budget cuts (03/10/10)
A program that has changed lives in Plymouth County may be threatened. Adult drug court, in which adults facing drug-related charges meet with a panel of their peers and follow its recommendations, could be cut in Plymouth County if a lack of money is available, according to Mary Buhman, drug court coordinator...

Two supervisors seek re-election (03/09/10)
Two Plymouth County Supervisors have filed for re-election. Republicans Craig A. Anderson, of Merrill, and Don Kass, of Remsen, turned in their papers Tuesday morning to run again for supervisor. Anderson, who first took office in early 2006, is seeking to hold the District 4 seat for another term. Anderson was first elected in a special election, filling the unfinished term of Jack Spies. He was re-elected for a full term later that year...

High snowfall means low frost depth for Plymouth County (03/04/10)
None. That's the amount of frost in the ground under the snow. That's the report Joel De Jong, crops field agronomist for the Plymouth County Iowa State Extension, has heard from a couple of farmers after they recently installed tile in their fields...

Cyclists hope bike safety bill pedals through Legislature (03/04/10)
Last year a Plymouth County woman was hurt after being struck by a beer can while riding her bicycle along a country road. Erin Schroeder still gets butterflies in her stomach when she climbs on her bike. She hopes a proposed bicycle safety bill in the Iowa House of Representatives moves forward to help protect cyclists on the roadways...

Candidates can file paperwork Monday (03/04/10)
Candidates wishing to file papers for the county's primary election can start Monday. Candidates must file paperwork with Cherie Nitzschke, Plymouth County deputy auditor, at the courthouse. The deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 31.

Fire rips through roof of Le Mars home (03/02/10)
No one was injured in a Le Mars house fire that left a 6-by-8 foot hole in the home's roof Monday night. Police notified the Le Mars Fire Department at about 10:15 p.m. after receiving calls about a smokey odor in the neighborhood and seeing smoke coming from a house at 315 Sixth St. N.W...

February's chilly temps set new local weather record (03/01/10)
As of Sunday, it's been 88 days since Le Mars residents have basked in 40-degree temperatures -- and that's a record breaker. The next longest streak with temperatures less than 40 degrees in Le Mars was 74 days set from Dec. 13, 1968 to Feb. 24, 1969, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center in Illinois...

Authorities release identity in rural Hinton suicide case (03/01/10)
The 28-year-old man found dead on a rural Hinton road has been identified as Wilson A. Shierk, of Kenosha, Wis. Investigators have not yet found a reason Shierk was in rural Plymouth County, but Plymouth County Sheriff Mike Van Otterloo said evidence still shows the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound...

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...

Proposed texting and driving ban receives local support, criticism (02/26/10)
As soon as this summer, Iowa drivers who text and drive might see flashing blue and red lights in their rear view mirror. The Iowa House and Senate have both passed their own versions of a bill that would ban texting and driving. However, they have to come to an agreement before the law can move forward...

Wisconsin man takes own life near rural Hinton (02/26/10)
Information released today (Friday) by the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department stated the man found on a rural Hinton road this week died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The name of the deceased, who is a male, 29 years old, from Kenosha, Wis., will be released later, according to a report from the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department...

Complaints, citations, arrests down in Le Mars for 2009 (02/26/10)
Good news comes from the the Le Mars Police Department 2009 annual report. The report indicated numbers were down for six categories: accidents, arrests and juvenile charges, citations and warnings, complaints investigated by officers and calls for service...

Authorities work to identify dead man (02/25/10)
The name of a man found dead on a rural Hinton road and the cause of his death were still unknown as of 7 a.m. today (Thursday). The body was first found by a motorist traveling on 310th Street just east of K-49 Wednesday afternoon, about eight miles southeast of Hinton, according to a report from the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office...

Outlet malfunction likely cause of Remsen house fire (02/24/10)
A malfunction of electrical equipment in an outlet likely caused the fire that heavily damageda rural Remsen home last Friday. No one was injured in the fire at the home of Chad Homan, 45183 C-44 south of Remsen, but damages are estimated to be more than $100,000...

Fire chief retires this summer (02/24/10)
A man who has served 43 years with fire and rescue and 27 years as the Le Mars Fire and Rescue chief will be retiring this summer. Wayne Schipper, of Le Mars, submitted his letter of retirement in mid-January, giving his retiring date as June 30, 2010...

Outlet malfunction likely cause of Remsen house fire (02/23/10)
A malfunction of electrical equipment in an outlet likely caused the fire that heavily damaged the home of Chad Homan in rural Remsen last Friday. No one was injured in the fire at 45183 C-44 south of Remsen, but damages are estimated to be more than $100,000...

Kingsley fire ruled accidental (02/23/10)
The fire that burned Kraft Kleaners in Kingsley Saturday was likely caused by a natural gas leak in a supply line to a heater, according to the state fire marshal. "The building is considered a total loss and all of the dry cleaning equipment and laundromat equipment may possibly be a total loss also," Deputy State Fire Marshal David Schipper said in a news release...

Kingsley fire ruled accidental (02/22/10)
The fire that burned Kraft Kleaners in Kingsley Saturday was likely caused by a natural gas leak in a supply line to a heater, according to the state fire marshal. "The building is considered a total loss and all of the dry cleaning equipment and laundromat equipment may possibly be a total loss also," Deputy State Fire Marshal David Schipper said in a news release...

Kingsley cleaners burned but not beaten (02/22/10)
A 63-year-old Kingsley business went up in flames Saturday night but owners say they're staying in business. Fire crews were called to Kraft Kleaners and Laundromat at about 9 p.m. after a 911 call and were on the scene for about three hours. "There was a lot of smoke coming out of the building and you could see flames inside," Kingsley Fire Chief Scott Bohle said. "We had the main fire knocked down in about 30-40 minutes."...

Winter's snow melt may bring water in basements (02/22/10)
As icicles build up on gutters, it may be hard to see the significance of the damage that may be occurring behind them. Icicles are usually one of the first warning signs of possible ice dams on roofs which may result in excess water near the house and in the basement...

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...

Potholes open up challenges for crews, drivers (02/17/10)
Warm winter weather does more than melt snow -- it helps create potholes. And they multiply every time the ground freezes and thaws creating more this year than ever. That's what makes it hard for street crews like Le Mars and the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) to keep up with temporary pothole repairs...

Branstad plans Thursday Le Mars stop (02/16/10)
Iowa gubernatorial candidate former Gov. Terry Branstad will be in Le Mars Thursday. Branstad is hosting a 9 a.m. Plymouth County "Iowa Comeback Tour" stop at the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor. Branstad, who served as Iowa's governor from 1983 to 1999, is making five town hall stops as part of his campaign Wednesday and Thursday...

Huseman seeks re-election (02/15/10)
Rep. Dan Huseman (R-Aurelia) announced Friday he will be running for re-election to the Iowa House. Huseman represents Cherokee County, 10 townships in eastern and southern Plymouth County and nine townships in northern Woodbury County. "State government must manage Iowans' tax dollars wisely. ...

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...

County working to make new disaster hazard plan (02/11/10)
The Plymouth County Supervisors is taking disaster preparation one step further in case of future disaster. The supervisors approved the county's participation in a Local Hazard Multi-Jurisdictional Grant Program Tuesday. "It's a FEMA requirement if we have a disaster and we're going to apply for state and federal assistance this plan has to be done," said Gary Junge, county emergency management coordinator...

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...

Snow days adding up for Le Mars Community and Gehlen Schools (02/08/10)

Officials seek residents with yardsticks and rain gauges (02/08/10)
Needed: volunteers to measure snowfall, rainfall and other precipitation daily. In Plymouth County there are two National Weather Service Cooperative Observer stations, in Le Mars and Akron, where volunteers measure precipitation and temperatures daily...

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...

Calling all newbies: Group welcomes people to Le Mars (02/04/10)
Newcomers to Le Mars -- you're not alone. Locals and other newcomers are waiting to meet you and welcome you to the community. Misty Szczech, a Le Mars transplant herself, started hosting meetings for newcomers in August 2008. Since then her ideas have grown and caught fire with others...

Sheriff seeks more inmates to help county budget (01/28/10)
The Plymouth County Jail has felt a drop of about $160,000 in revenue due to housing only half the number of federal inmates as in previous years. Currently, seven or eight federal inmates reside in the jail at $75 a day. But the jail was built to house six to eight more...

MidAmerican Energy calls for safety, continues storm restoration (01/26/10)
MidAmerican Energy reminds customers to take additional safety precautions as work continues to restore service to thousands of customers impacted by this week's ice storm. Today (Tuesday) MidAmerican Energy reported only one outage in Plymouth County...

Travel not advised on Highway 75, 60 north (01/25/10)
The Iowa Department of Transportation is reporting that travel conditions in northwest Iowa are extremely hazardous. Multiple roadways are being temporarily closed due to a high incidence of traffic crashes, including those involving high-profile vehicles...

Winter predictions: Plenty of snow, ice ahead (01/25/10)
"Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice..." Le Mars readers of Robert Frost's famous poem might lean toward the latter with the latest bout of freezing rain, ice and blowing snow glazing the region. The predictions for February and March weather seem to pile on more evidence...

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...

State to scrutinize question of court reporters (01/21/10)
The decision between court reporters and digital recording devices in Iowa's courtroom isn't black and white -- and it won't be made for some time. That's according to John Goerdt, assistant state court administrator. Earlier this month, Iowa's Judicial Council reviewed a research committee's report about the accuracy and expense of putting digital recording systems in Iowa's 316 courtrooms...

Holst garners deferred judgment in shotgun case (01/20/10)
A man who fired his shotgun in Le Mars after two teenagers allegedly rang his doorbell before driving away won't be serving any jail time. Gary Holst, 69, of Le Mars, was given a deferred judgment at his sentencing Tuesday in Plymouth County District Court...

County declares Christmas blizzard a state of emergency (01/20/10)
The snowstorm that pummeled Plymouth County between Dec. 22 and 27, 2009 is officially a disaster. The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors approved a disaster declaration Tuesday, a formal step toward securing state and federal dollars to help pay for the blizzard cleanup...

Ice closes schools, slicks roadways (01/20/10)
An ice storm began pelting Le Mars at about midnight continued through the day today (Wednesday) making for cancelled school and icy roadways. An ice storm warning issued by the National Weather Service remains in effect until 6 a.m. Thursday for most of the western half of the state, all of central Iowa and portions of east central and southeast Iowa...

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...

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...

Plymouth County declares snow emergency (01/13/10)
Based on the amount of snowfall during the 2009 Christmas blizzard, a preliminary estimate for cleanup costs and damages is several hundred thousand dollars for Plymouth County. To receive state money to help pay for those damages, Plymouth County is in the process of declaring a snow emergency with the State of Iowa...

Related subjects