Government Bodies

Knapp calls business owners to protest property assessments (03/17/10)
Councilman Rex Knapp took the public podium Tuesday, asking local business owners to protest what he calls inaccurate business property assessments. Knapp stepped aside from his duties as a Le Mars city councilman to address the council with his own business concerns...

State looking to raise revenue from traffic violation fines (03/17/10)
The Iowa Senate passed a bill Tuesday that could double or triple traffic violation fines. The purpose of the bill, which passed the Senate 31-17, is to combat shortfalls in the state's budget. The 207 proposed fine increases would add $8.8 million in revenue to the general and judiciary funds, Sen. Randy Feenstra said...

Le Mars finance director sees city audit as positive (03/17/10)
"All in all a very positive audit" was Le Mars Assistant City Administrator Bill Cole's observation on the city's annual financial report for the year ending June 30, 2009. The report was presented to the city council Tuesday. Cole said he was "very satisfied" with the report indicating the city's general fund with 97 days worth of coverage considered "a good sign" when the auditor's recommendations are in the 80 to 120 day coverage period...

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...

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...

2010 census: Step up and be counted, officials urge (03/11/10)
Participating in the 2010 U.S. Census could save thousands of dollars, services and programs -- when numbers of people matter. Local and state officials are asking residents to be diligent in filling out census forms and mailing them back by the April 1 deadline so an accurate population count can be obtained...

Plymouth County schools find ways to make cuts (03/10/10)
Editor's note: This is the second of two stories looking at budget cuts for Plymouth County schools. Plymouth County school districts are trying to figure out ways to reduce already lean budgets. Because Legislators haven't decided whether or not to cut the 2 percent allowable growth, each school district does not know yet if it will receive state funding...

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...

Supervisors limit weight on road (03/10/10)
The Plymouth County Supervisors put a weight restriction on part of Marble Avenue Tuesday. The weight of trucks and other vehicles cannot exceed 6 tons per axle on Marble Avenue from 160th Street south to the concrete paving. The restriction will be effective Tuesday through May 28. It will be enforceable as soon as signs are erected, said Tom Rohe, county engineer...

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...

LCS board will budget on anticipated allowable growth money (03/09/10)
Le Mars Community School Board of Education members gave their approval to a budget timeline that will culminate in a certified 2010-11 budget to be filed with the state by April 15, 2010. The board directed Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt to develop the 2010-11 budget working under the assumption of a 2 percent allowable growth in state funding and a Cash Reserve Levy of $750,000...

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...

Plymouth County's lean school budgets may receive another chop (03/08/10)
Editor's note: This is the first of two stories looking at budget cuts for area schools. Lean school budgets throughout Plymouth County may receive yet another cut from the State of Iowa. And the possible cut -- taking away the 2 percent allowable growth -- would be deep...

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.

Council approves city budget with no levy increase (03/04/10)
Le Mars will begin fiscal year 2010-2011 with a balanced budget of $16.1 million. The good news for local residents? The budget will retain the current $13.75 tax levy for another year. Le Mars City Council members put their official stamp of approval on the budget after a public hearing Tuesday. The budget must be submitted to the state by March 15...

County budget passes without a hitch, despite 'no' vote (03/03/10)
Taxpayers had nothing to say Tuesday before Plymouth County's 2010-11 budget was finalized. The Plymouth County Supervisors approved the $21,891,804 budget with a 4-1 vote, after no one attended a public hearing.

City approves Historic Preservation grant match request (03/03/10)
Le Mars City Council members Tuesday agreed to give the local Historic Preservation Commission $10,000 throughout two years to help place portions of downtown Le Mars on the National Register of Historic Places. The money, which will be paid $5,000 per year in 2011 and 2012, will be the local match of a grant...

City, county to seek energy efficiency grants (03/03/10)
Energy efficiency was on the front burner Tuesday for members of the Le Mars City Council and the Plymouth County Supervisors. Members of both entities applying for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) for projects that will save energy and enhance economic development by creating local jobs...

"Cash for Appliance" rebate money runs out in 24 hours (03/02/10)
Nearly $2.7 million came and went in Iowa Monday for the "Cash for Appliances" rebate program. The day kicked off with the State of Iowa's program offering $100 to $500 in rebates to encourage Iowans to trade in old appliances and upgrade to new energy efficiency Energy Star rated ones...

Budget cuts limit low income housing for Plymouth County (03/01/10)
Assistance for low income housing in Plymouth County and surrounding areas will be cut back in 2010. It's a result of lower budgets for the Siouxland Regional Housing Authority (SRHA) which provides low income housing support for Plymouth, rural Woodbury, Cherokee and Manona counties, and the area north of Highway 20 in Ida county...

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...

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...

Merrill residents apprehensive on proposed Kissinger closure (02/18/10)
Final decision time is nearing on the question of whether to close Kissinger Elementary School in Merrill. The Le Mars Community Schools Board is holding a special meeting 7 p.m. tonight (Thursday) for public input and comments regarding proposed budget cuts, which include shuttering the Merrill elementary...

County reminds recyclers to keep it clean (02/18/10)
Plymouth County citizens are being reminded to use the large metal recycling bin at the Plymouth County Courthouse responsibly. The large metal recycling bin on the Plymouth County Courthouse block is provided for the rural citizen of Plymouth County to deposit their recyclable materials...

City's $16 million budget approved for public hearing (02/17/10)
The city's 2010-11 budget is officially accepted by the Le Mars City Council. Now only one more step, a March 2 public hearing, remains before the city's adoption of a $16,164,421 budget for the coming year. The balance spending package will allow for continuation of the city's current $13.75 tax levy, said Bill Cole, Le Mars' assistant city administrator...

County construction means less LOST money for grants (02/16/10)
The Plymouth County Supervisors set aside $100,000 in Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) money in their proposed budget to be used for grant requests. That's $80,000 less than last year -- but the county has two new major construction projects to pay for with LOST revenue in the next fiscal year...

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...

LCS board plans public comment meeting Thursday (02/15/10)
The Le Mars Community School Board of Education will hold a special public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Education Service Center, 940 Lincoln St. S.W. The meeting is a time for the board to receive public input/comment on expenditure reductions recommended for 2010-11 budget...

Legislators and taxpayers talk budget, unions (02/15/10)
Iowa Legislators Rep. Chuck Soderberg and Sen. Randy Feenstra discussed the gaping hole in the state budget, union bills, ethanol requirements and state tax returns Saturday with about a dozen people at the Le Mars Public Library. Soderberg and Feenstra were in Le Mars for a legislative forum where they invite the public to come and ask questions and find out how the legislators feel about the current legislative session...

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: 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...

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...

Vander Plaats ready to put government on chopping block (02/09/10)
Gubernatorial hopeful Vander Plaats thinks he has some answers for Iowa's troubled economy -- and the top one is shrinking the government. Vander Plaats spoke Monday to about a dozen people at the Le Mars Pizza Ranch during a tour hitting all 99 of Iowa's counties...

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...

City council to discuss golf course liquor license (02/08/10)
The Le Mars City Council will hold a special meeting at noon Tuesday to consider a liquor license and outdoor service area for a golf course. Mike Fiddelke of Willow Creek Golf Course filed an application for a new 12-month Class C liquor license and outdoor service area for the golf course bar and grille...

TIF: a powerful tool being overused? (02/05/10)
Out of all 99 Iowa counties, Plymouth County is ranked second for using Tax Increment Financing (TIF). About 15.2 percent of the county's taxable valuation is in TIF, according to the Iowa State Association of Counties. TIF is a taxing tool different than regular taxes, according to Plymouth County Auditor Stacey Feldman...

Vander Plaats in Le Mars Monday (02/05/10)
Monday as part of his campaign trip, making appearances in every region of the state in the next week. Vander Plaats will be at the Le Mars Pizza Ranch at 6 p.m., Monday to talk about his bid to unseat Gov. Chet Culver and outline his priorities for the state...

City officials ask for resident support during upcoming census (02/04/10)
Le Mars Mayor Dick Kirchoff has called on local residents for their cooperation in compiling accurate figures for the community as they receive their 2010 census letters. "Accurate figures are important to the city in that they can impact on future grants and funding," Kirchoff said...

Council gives first reading approval to code changes (02/04/10)
Le Mars City Council members Tuesday, following a public hearing, gave first reading approval to an ordinance amending the city's Fire Prevention Code from the International Fire Code 2006 edition to the 2009 edition. Members also gave first reading approval after a public hearing to the city's sign code ordinance to update terminology and incorporate the ICC Zoning Code, 2009 edition, into the present ordinance...

Hotel/motel tax dollars may boost fairgrounds, chalk festival (02/03/10)
Twelve local agencies and organizations and the city are likely to be the beneficiaries of $36,033 in local option Hotel/Motel Sales Tax dollars this year. The Le Mars City Council received the requests for annual allocations of the sales tax revenue from the Hotel/Motel Sales Tax Advisory Board at its Tuesday session...

Budget changes add dollars for cemetery roads (02/03/10)
Finalization of the city's budget for the fiscal year 2011 moved a step closer to reality Tuesday. Assistant City Administrator Bill Cole shared with Le Mars City Council members current changes in the $16.1 million spending package. Changes resulting from last week's Jan. ...

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...

New Honduran president good news for mission group (02/02/10)
Will the inauguration of new Honduran president Porfirio Lobo Sosa mean restoration of the country's international aid, and with that return funding to Mission Honduras Le Mars programs? That's what Richard Seivert, director of Mission Honduras Le Mars and Gehlen Catholic Mission Honduras, believes...

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."...

Census 2010: It's time to be counted (01/29/10)
The 2010 Census is coming to Plymouth County soon. Here's what to expect. Census taking will begin in Le Mars, Hinton, Merrill, Westfield, Akron and Remsen starting in about three or four weeks, according to Jim Meyers, local census office manager for western Iowa...

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