Government Budget

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...

Public can speak on Girls Inc. bonds (10/02/08)
Girls Inc. received permission from Plymouth County supervisors in June to route $5.1 million in revenue bounds through the county to build a new center in Sioux City. The supervisors Tuesday scheduled a 10 a.m. Nov. 4 public hearing, which will be during their regular board meeting, inviting public comments on the agreement with Girls Inc...

Domestic Violence Awareness can protect victims (10/02/08)
This year in Iowa seven women, two men, four children and one bystander were murdered in Domestic Violence incidents. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to celebrate survivors and to honor those who have died at the hands of their abusers...

Speakers urge local leaders to consider possible threats (10/01/08)
Maybe it will be an ice storm. Maybe a pandemic flu. Or maybe a terrorist strike with chemical weapons. Disaster is always on the horizon -- at least that was the message at a "Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail" videoconference that brought together local leaders from Le Mars and in six other states...

Kerrey trumpets Obama's ability to bring change in Le Mars stop (09/30/08)
U.S. Senator and former Nebraska governor Bob Kerrey stopped by Le Mars Monday during an Iowa stump tour for presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama. Kerrey said he admired both Obama and Senator John McCain, the Republican candidate for president...

General election absentee ballots available (09/25/08)
Absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 general election are available to voters as of today (Thursday), according to officials at the Plymouth County Auditor's Office. A request form is required to receive an absentee ballot, whether in the Auditor's office or by mail. Request forms are available in the Auditor's Office or may be found online at www.co.plymouth.ia.us/Departments/audito... and clicking on the Absentee Ballot link...

Proposed evidence building back on the table (09/24/08)
Storage space is tight for the Plymouth County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Mike Van Otterloo asked the Plymouth County Supervisors Tuesday whether he should continue to pursue options to construct a new evidence storage building. "Is this something I should still be looking to budget?" Van Otterloo asked. "I'm just looking for some direction."...

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...

Hinton School Board steps closer to using eminent domain (09/22/08)
Last week Hinton School Board members moved forward to possibly try to obtain agricultural land through eminent domain by scheduling a public hearing in November. "It's a necessary step before we would be able to actually pursue the possible use of eminent domain," said Robert Held, Hinton School Board president...

Le Mars native to speak on behalf of National Education Association (09/19/08)
A Le Mars native who is now president of the National Education Association will be speaking in West Des Moines at the end of this month. Dennis Van Roekel, who was elected to the position in July, will be talking at an IowaPolitics.com forum about the November election and answering questions educational issues...

Reflecting on their sacrifice (09/19/08)
A single stone soldier stands at salute. Five black granite slabs, etched with veterans' names, mirror his reflection against the blue sky. After years of planning and work, the Remsen Veteran's Memorial was put up Tuesday in the cemetery on the west edge of Remsen. It will be dedicated in a 1 p.m. Sunday ceremony...

Council gives go-ahead for downtown intersection patch-up (09/17/08)
Le Mars City Council members took a walk during their Tuesday meeting to go inspect the Plymouth Street and Central Avenue crossing, then agreed to temporary repairs for that intersection. The repair, as approved at Tuesday's council session, calls for removal of the decorative bricks on the four Plymouth Street walkways, at the east and west edges of the intersection. They will be replaced with asphalt...

Voters turn down ISL for Le Mars schools (09/10/08)
Le Mars Community School District voters said "no" to starting an Instructional Support Levy by 49 votes in Tuesday's election. District residents cast 1,880 "yes" votes (49 percent) for the adoption of the funding source for the district's general fund budget, with 1,929 "no" votes (51 percent) cast. The decision needed a simple majority to pass...

O'Keefe gets maximum sentence for stabbing death (09/10/08)
The man who pleaded guilty to stabbing another man with a butcher knife in a Le Mars downtown apartment will spend up to 40 years in prison. Jody Brent O'Keefe, 35, was sentenced Tuesday in Plymouth County District court for the death of Samuel Ray Toliver, 32...

Voters narrowly turn down ISL (09/10/08)
With nearly half the Le Mars Community Schools district turning out to vote Tuesday, the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) was defeated by a narrow margin. Only 49 votes were between the "no" vote, which won, and the "yes" vote for the ISL, which would have brought in money for teachers, programs, textbooks and transportation fuel at LCS. The ISL program would have raised money through a combination of state aid, property tax and income tax...

Siouxland veterans flown to memorial in D.C. (09/09/08)
The Honor Flight began as a flicker of light three years ago and has grown into a beacon, thanks to retired Air Force Captain Earl Morse of Springfield, Ohio. It was Morse who flew World War II veterans to see the Memorial, the latter of which was built, completed, and dedicated to them in May 2004. ...

Do your duty - vote (09/08/08)
It's the end of a era. With the passage of a new law by the Iowa Legislature, terms of school board members will grow to four years. Each school district in the state has submitted plans with the Iowa Secretary of State as to how they will phase in these new terms...

Hubler issues challenge to King in congress race (09/05/08)
"If you like what you've had for the last six years, vote for Steve King. But if you want change, vote for Ron Hubler." This is the challenge Hubler, democratic candidate for the 5th U.S. Congressional District of Iowa, announced during a short stop in Le Mars Wednesday...

Convention and Visitors Bureau moves closer to reality (09/03/08)
Le Mars City Council members Tuesday gave their support to the concept of a local Convention and Visitors Bureau. Final approval of the new bureau is pending City Attorney Joe Flannery's legal review of the proposal. Angie Watson, chair of the Hotel/Motel Sales Tax Advisory Board, presented the board's goals for the bureau and said it would mean "more efficient" marketing and planning efforts on behalf of many different groups in Le Mars, a "one-stop shop" for visitors...

No jail time required for Kingsley funeral director (09/03/08)
A Kingsley funeral director will have to pay nearly $180,000 in restitution to a former business partner for money he admitted to stealing, but he faces no prison time. Mark Francis Rohde, 49, who pleaded guilty in August to stealing about $179,000 and to tax evasion, both felonies, was sentenced Tuesday in Plymouth County District Court...

Council delays action on bumpy downtown intersection (09/03/08)
"We've cut $700,000 from the budget, reduced services, cut back on books for the library, and eliminated some mowing of city properties, and cut people's jobs. If we don't have the money, we don't do the project," Le Mars City Councilman Rex Knapp said Tuesday referring to repair of the Plymouth Street/Central Avenue intersection...

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.

School election absentee ballots still available (09/02/08)
School board elections for Plymouth County school districts will be Tuesday, Sept. 9. In the Le Mars Community School District, polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. where voters will cast their ballots for two director seats, and give a "yes" or "no" vote on the Instructional Support Levy request...

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...

Music festival uses hotel/motel tax grant to bring people to Le Mars (08/28/08)
A Hotel/Motel Sales Tax grant is paying off for Le Mars. More than $6,000 of the 5 percent sales tax revenue from hotel and motel rooms rented in town was given to a group advertising the 33rd annual National Old Time Country and Bluegrass Music Festival, held this year in Le Mars for the first time...

Dream Program helps Happy Siesta earn governor's quality award (08/26/08)
A wish to ride in an airplane, watch a play in a theater, take a fishing trip, hear an auctioneer cry -- all came true for Happy Siesta Health Care Center residents. Happy Siesta's Dream Program and other activities earned the center, in Remsen, a Governor's Award for Quality Care in Iowa Health Care Facilities for 2008, presented Monday...

Police officers try to slow down drivers on bypass (08/26/08)
Law enforcement officers issued 131 tickets and warnings for traffic violations at the 24th Street exit of the Highway 75 bypass in two hours last Thursday. From 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., police issued 30 tickets including 16 for speeding, five for insurance violations and three for not using seat belts...

Supervisors approve buying trailer for voting machines (08/20/08)
Election workers will have the help of a cargo trailer to haul voting machines to the polls in September. The Plymouth County Supervisors approved purchasing the single-axle enclosed cargo trailer with a ramp for $3,000 Tuesday. The handicap-accessible voting machines weigh 89 pounds, which K. Kae Meyer, Plymouth County auditor, said she can't lift nor does she expect her staff too...

Council moves ahead four street project plans (08/20/08)
Le Mars City Council members Tuesday gave their approval to a professional engineering services agreement for four Le Mars highway and street projects. On the agenda are widening Highway 3 near Floyd Valley Hospital, improving Business 75 from Highway 3 to Airport Drive, curb and gutter work on Seventh Avenue Southeast (K-49), and curb and gutter work on Sixth Avenue West...

Merrill council urges 'Yes' vote for ISL (08/20/08)
The Merrill City Council is officially encouraging people to vote in favor of the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) which would raise money for the Le Mars Community School District. During its Monday meeting, the council passed a resolution stating its council "encourages all those eligible to vote YES" to the ISL...

Kingsley funeral director pleads guilty to theft (08/19/08)
A Kingsley funeral director pleaded guilty to stealing about $175,000 and avoiding paying taxes Monday in Plymouth County District Court. Mark Francis Rohde, 49, pleaded guilty to theft in the first degree and tax evasion as part of a plea agreement...

School election absentee ballots available (08/18/08)

When mommy is arrested: Police plan for children on the scene (08/18/08)
Patrol cars pull up to a house, looking for an adult suspect. They enter the house to make an arrest. There, on the couch, an eight year old is reading a book. Suddenly, the plan changes. "Kids are so impressionable," said Le Mars Police Chief Stu Dekkenga. "It's a big deal, removing a parent. You don't want to traumatize the child."...

Wind blows Texas oilman in to Le Mars to talk energy (08/15/08)
He may be 80 but an audience member still called T. Boone Pickens a "rockstar." The Texas oilman and billionaire landed his jet at the Le Mars airport Thursday afternoon to spin to Iowans his plan for reducing U.S. dependency on foreign oil. His idea: shift to using more wind energy and natural gas -- two things in which the nation is rich...

LCS students ahead of No Child Left Behind curve (08/14/08)
LCS students' math and reading proficiency 2007 In the math area, LCS students exceeded the state proficiency levels as follows: Grade 3-5 Grade 6-8 Grade 11 LCS students also exceeded the state proficiency levels in reading: Grades 3-5 Grades 6-8 Grade 11...

Trailer could make poll workers' job easier (08/13/08)
An enclosed cargo trailer could help election workers transport voting machines to the polls. The Plymouth County Supervisors looked at purchasing a $3,000 trailer on Tuesday, but tabled the discussion until their meeting next week. Auditor K. Kae Meyer said the cost of the trailer could be taken from her her department's budget...

Akron man receives lifesaving award (08/12/08)
An 18-year-old Akron man was honored by Iowa's governor at the state fair on Friday for risking his own life to save another's. Shawn Milbrodt received a 2008 Governor's Lifesaving Award for helping save a 19-year-old's life last July. On July 20, 2007, Jason Bumsted, 19, was involved in a head on collision with another vehicle where both cars caught fire. Shawn Milbrodt and Grant Krentz, 21, of Sioux City, drove upon the accident shortly thereafter...

Remsen urban renewal district in the works (08/11/08)
Creation of an urban renewal area in Remsen could generate money to extend public utilities to a new business and tear down old buildings in its downtown. An urban renewal area is a district which designates where Tax Increment Financing (TIF) revenue can be spent. TIF is created based on taxes from designated structures built within the district. Those taxes can be collected for 20 years...

Sen. Harkin suggests alternatives to combat oil prices facing country (08/07/08)
Americans are addicted to oil. Sen. Tom Harkin told Plymouth County residents gathered Wednesday at Lally's Eastside Restaurant that addiction is the reason for the continued increase in oil prices. "When you're addicted to something, you just continue to feed the addiction," Harkin said...

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...

City accepts fee increase for emergency medical services (08/06/08)
Some ambulance fees are going up but most users won't feel the impact. Le Mars City Council members Tuesday, on recommendation from Bill Rosacker, Le Mars ambulance director, authorized city acceptance of a Wellmark-introduced change in payment for emergency medical services (EMS)...

Convention bureau to be topic of Hotel/Motel Sales Tax meeting (08/06/08)
A proposed convention and visitor's bureau is the main item of a Hotel/Motel Sales Tax advisory board meeting Thursday. The meeting, open to the public, will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. During the meeting, the board will review public comment from its meeting last week, review its plan to present the concept to the city council at its Sept. 2 meeting and review applications for upcoming openings on the Hotel/Motel Sales Tax advisory board...

Fairgoers rate economy first in election (07/31/08)
Presidential candidates better know more about money than how to spend it, according to a survey conducted at the Plymouth County Fair. In a questionaire given to 500 voting-age fairgoers at the Plymouth County Republicans' booth, responders solidly placed "The Economy" as the leading issue that would influence their vote...

LCS board puts ISL issue to voters (07/28/08)
Le Mars Community School District residents will cast their vote on Sept. 9 on whether the district will participate in the Instructional Support Levy. The school board met at noon Friday to hold a public hearing on the resolution to participate. After hearing from two members of the public, the board unanimously passed the resolution and set the date for the vote...

Deadline to enter school board election nears (07/23/08)
Ten school board positions are up for election this fall in Plymouth County, and the deadline to file papers is only a week away. Candidates wishing to run for seats must turn in nomination papers with a designated number of signatures by 5 p.m. Thursday, July 31 to their schools' board secretary...

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...

Robinson pleads not guilty in vehicular homicide (07/22/08)
A Merrill man pleaded not guilty to a charge of homicide by motor vehicle Monday in Plymouth County District Court. Danny Clyde Robinson, 49, is accused of that felony and operating while intoxicated, a second offense, regarding an Aug. 11, 2007 accident which claimed the life of a 78-year-old woman...

Advisory board seeks new members with vision for visitor bureau (07/15/08)
The Hotel/Motel Sales Tax Advisory Board is on the verge of shifting directions, and the members are looking for people to fill two open seats. The board, which guides the distribution of about $100,000 a year in hotel/motel sales tax revenue, is considering the creation of a Convention and Visitor Bureau...

LCS board sets July 25 hearing on ISL resolution (07/15/08)
The Le Mars Community School Board has set a public hearing on their intent to participate in the Instructional Support Program, a tax levy which would raise money for salaries, supplies and program costs for the school. The hearing will be noon on Friday, July 25, at the Education Service Center located at 940 Lincoln St. S.W...

It's 'fair or bust' for the Ludwig family (07/14/08)
(Editor's note: This is the first in a series of stories about families preparing for the upcoming Plymouth County Fair) In less than two weeks the Ludwig's family van will journey to the Plymouth County fairgrounds filled with 4-H baked goods, dogs, a homemade hurdle and coffee table, plus the five Ludwig children and a kitten, if there's room...