High Blood Pressure

Optimist Club impacts 25 years worth of children (03/12/10)
Twenty-five years ago this week, a group of locals came together to make a difference for youth. Since then, thousands of young people in Le Mars have been reached by the Le Mars Optimist Club. "We've made an impact," said Jerry Haack, founding president of the club. "Over the past 20-some years, we've touched every kid in this town in a positive way."...

Local students excel at IE speech contest Saturday (03/02/10)
Le Mars Community High School and Gehlen High School students have advanced to the state level following competition in the Individual Event District Speech Contest Saturday. The district contest was held at Akron-Westfield High School in Akron, one of 16 sites in Iowa...

LCHS dance exhibition Friday (02/24/10)
Dozens of dancers will light up the floor in the Le Mars Community Schools Dance Exhibition Friday. The exhibition will be held at the Le Mars Community High School Gymnasium. The show will include performances of the LCS dance team's dances from this year, a co-ed dance with boys from the high school, solos performed at the state solo contest, and dances from four other teams...

Basketball on the big screen: Local students play in new movie (02/23/10)
On Thursday, Skyler Higgins suited up for a Remsen St. Mary's district basketball game. On Friday, the RSM senior was shooting hoops on the big screen. "Winning Favor," a movie that captures the story of two Orange City teams and includes a cast of local ball players like Higgins, opened Friday for a two-week run at the Orange City movie theater...

Local jazz bands qualify for Iowa Jazz Championships (02/12/10)
Jazz bands at Le Mars Community High School and Gehlen Catholic High School qualified for the Iowa Jazz Championships April 13 in Des Moines. Both placed second in their respective classes at the NW Iowa District Jazz Competition in Sioux City Feb. 3. LCS will compete in Class 3A and Gehlen Catholic in Class 1A...

YMCA's swim team makes a splash with local youth (01/14/10)
Eight-year-old Abigail Johnson has been swimming since she was 4. That's why she's happy to be a member of the YMCA's Le Mars Stingrays Swim Team. "I like to swim laps -- it makes you very tired," Abigail said after practice Tuesday at the Le Mars YMCA...

Spring construction set for Gehlen Wellness Center (01/12/10)
What started as a free-standing structure to house a wellness center at Gehlen Catholic Schools will now be an addition to the school's back gym. Construction on the addition is expected to start in the spring, according to Tony Gunter, the school's high school athletic director, teacher and coach...

Blood drive time change (12/22/09)
The Blood Drive scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday) has moved up scheduled times. Blood donations will be accepted 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, December 23 at Floyd Valley Hospital Lower Level. Donations will also be accepted from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, December 24...

Gehlen band prepares for Champs Sports Bowl (12/21/09)
This morning (Monday) Gehlen Catholic's Competition Marching Band rehearsed one final time at the Le Mars YMCA before their planned departure early Dec. 26 for the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla. The Gehlen marching band will compete against nine other schools from throughout the nation Dec. 28 in the field show competition...

LCS board receives budget cut ideas from teachers, staff (12/16/09)
Teacher and staff suggestions for Le Mars Community Schools budget cuts range from a salary feeze to dropping the orchestra program. That input is another item on the Le Mars Community Schools' board of education timeline for cutting expenditures for the 2010-11 school year which it crossed off its list at Monday's meeting...

LCS board takes closer look at cutting sections (11/25/09)
Le Mars Community Schools board members have targeted reducing a section in grades kindergarten, first and second, including the possible closing of an elementary building, as one of three areas in which to cut expenses for the FY11 budget. This discussion came as the board checked off one of the dates on its timeline toward a decision on elementary section reduction at its Monday meeting...

LCS board begins process to cut $1 million from FY11 budget (11/11/09)
With a goal of cutting $1 million from the 2010-11 school year budget, Le Mars Community Schools Board of Education members approved timelines and processes for expense and elementary section cuts. "Administratively, we have been working on potential expenditure reductions already," Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt told the board at their Monday meeting...

Olympic champion returns to roots: Jennie Finch headlines Pink Ribbon Night (10/30/09)
You won't find too many natives of Southern California who enjoy the smell of a cattle farm. But Jennie Finch is not your typical California girl. "It's funny how you appreciate the smell of cows and cornfields," said Finch, a softball pitcher for Team USA and a two-time Olympian, said in Le Mars Thursday. ...

'Well Aware' health fair is Wednesday (10/12/09)
Area residents can learn more about health-related services and programs in the Le Mars community and surrounding area by attending the "Well Aware" Community Health Fair Wednesday. The fair, sponsored by Floyd Valley Hospital, will be held from 2-6 p.m. at the Le Mars Convention Center upper level. The Well Aware Community Health Fair is free of charge...

Hinton voters to decide fate of proposed elementary (09/03/09)
Hinton Community School is bursting at the seams with students and increasing enrollment trends indicate that's not going to change. "We have run out of room particularly in the elementary classroom area," said Rob Held, Hinton School Board president...

Alexander brings experience, knowledge to Hinton school (08/07/09)
Mike Alexander will ride into Hinton on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle next week as new superintendent of the Hinton Community School. Alexander will bring eight years of experience as a superintendent and close to 20 as a school administrator. "I think I've a real passion for kids and the public education system," Alexander said. "I think those are some qualities I could bring to Hinton School District."...

Westergard and Schilmoeller reign as fair queen and king (07/30/09)
It may have been raining outside, but the smiles were shining bright in Century Hall as the 2009 Plymouth County Fair royalty court was announced Wednesday. Ben Schilmoeller was crowned king and Caine Westergard was crowned queen of the 2009 fair. Their royalty court includes Princes Ryan Schroeder and Brian Kehm; Mr. Personality Chris Erickson; Miss Congeniality and Princess Stephany TenNapel and Princess Angie Breuer...

Heavy rain, winds cause chaos in northwest Iowa (07/08/09)
Heavy rain and gusting winds brought down tree branches and limbs Tuesday night in Le Mars and across northwest Iowa. As Ryan Richardson, 1005 Central Ave., cut up a large tree that had fallen on his pickup in his driveway Wednesday morning, he said lighting had struck the tree causing it to split during Tuesday night's storm...

LCS board hears request to sell Camp Quest property (06/11/09)
A Le Mars resident is asking the Le Mars Community School Board to consider selling property it owns east of Le Mars. Clark Goodchild asked the board to consider selling the property known as Camp Quest for several reasons. As he has passed by the property in the last few years, Goodchild said he sees it "as one big liability," referring to the terrain and condition of the facilities...

Interns add new perspective in print (05/28/09)
The Daily Sentinel will have two more writers on staff as college has concluded and interns have been hired. Newcomer Kelsie Anthony, of Le Mars, and second-year intern Luke Widbin, of Sioux Center, can be seen and read all summer as they hone their newswriting skills...

LCS board acts on terminations, resignations (05/12/09)
The Le Mars Community Schools Board of Education took action on one of three teacher contract terminations on its agenda Monday night. The terminations are the result of action taken earlier by the board to reduce two middle school positions and one elementary position due to budget reductions needed for the 2009-10 school year...

Man injured in motorcycle accident (04/27/09)
An Ames man was injured when a gust of wind pushed his motorcycle off the road in Plymouth County. Korey Andrew Brooks, 22, was eastbound on Highway 3 at Jet Road at 5:19 on April 24 when, according to a witness' statement to the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office, a gust of wind blew the 1979 Kawasaki 800cc he was driving off the road and into the south ditch...

Seven LCS seniors recognized at Foundation Honors Banquet (04/22/09)
Seven Le Mars Community High School seniors, the top 5 percent of the graduating class of 2009, were recognized for academic excellence at the 14th Annual Foundation Honors Banquet April 17. Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt made the presentation of the students, who he said are not only outstanding students, but also involved in so many activities that make Le Mars Community, in his opinion, one of the the top high schools in the area...

Man to run 61 miles through Plymouth County (03/26/09)
He couldn't bake a pie. He couldn't throw pottery. And he couldn't strum a beautiful melody on a guitar. But Jim Ellis wanted to help. So he ran. Ellis was running while his friends from Northwestern College hosted the first annual Red Letter Festival -- all to raise money for The Bridge in Orange City...

Honored students add names to NHS book (03/25/09)
Scholarship, service, leadership and character are qualities 49 National Honor Society inductees at Le Mars Community High School pledged to uphold Tuesday. Those four qualities are the backbone of the National Honor Society (NHS) and all members are expected to live by them, Spencer Vore, NHS president, said during the initiation ceremony...

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...

Crimson & Black takes on the competition (03/10/09)
"Awesome" is how director Randy Ewing describes this year's Crimson & Black Show Choir at Le Mars Community High School. Since performing at the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce dinner in late January, the show choir has kept a busy schedule with the state contest and invitationals...

Potential cuts at LCS include teachers, coaches and services (02/24/09)
Potential budget reductions totaling $268,000 for Le Mars Community Schools 2009-10 school year were presented to the board of education Monday night by Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt. The potential cuts and savings are: "In our estimation, there's not anywhere to cut to generate the type of money you talked about a year ago," Wendt told the board. The reductions come from consulting with building administrators and suggestions received from board members...

LCS dancers plan Friday exhibition (02/23/09)
The Le Mars Community School dance team is hosting a dance exhibition Friday night at the high school gym. The performance, which begins at 7 p.m., will include performances of their dances this year, a co-ed dance with guys from the high school, and dances from four other schools' dance teams...

Coaches earn recognition for 'Coaching Boys into Men' (02/23/09)
During last year's football and cross country season male athletes learned not only how to throw a ball or run a mile but how to respect girls. Le Mars Community Schools' Jim Boyd, head football coach and counselor, and Al Engebretson, head cross country middle and high school coach and a math teacher at LCMS, participated in a nationwide program "Coaching Boys into Men."...

LCS Quiz Bowl team competes in KTIV tournament (02/13/09)
Four members of the Le Mars Community High School Quiz Bowl team will compete in the KTIV Quiz Bowl program Saturday, Feb. 21. The show airs at 5 p.m. on Channel 4. The team of senior Anna Powell (captain), juniors Chris Clay and Tim Burwitz, and sophomore Will Becker will face the team from Galva-Holstein. Luke Bendlin and Becca Clay are alternates for the KTIV competition...

LCS students gear up for large group speech contest (01/23/09)
Le Mars Community High School is one of 16 schools across Iowa serving as a district site for the Iowa High School Speech Association Large Group Speech Tournament Saturday, Jan. 24. Le Mars Community High School students have been preparing for this tournament since mid-November, according to coach Erin Ohrlund...

Think safety when snowplows are out (12/26/08)
Plowing snow, whether on city streets, highways or county roads, is no easy job, and drivers need to take safety precautions for both themselves and the snowplow drivers. "Keep back and give us some room," advised Steve Hansen, Le Mars public works director...

Untreated sleep apnea could be life threatening (12/05/08)
Does your snoring wake you up at night? Do you get nightly jabs from your bed partner for interrupting his or her sleep? Do you fall asleep driving? If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, you may be 1 of 15 million Americans that suffer from obstructive sleep apnea...

Le Mars football alum part of winning tradition at Iowa Central (12/02/08)
No local high school football teams advanced past the first round of the recently completed state tournament, but one local athlete made it to the UNI Dome this season. Kyle Koth, a 2008 Le Mars Community alum, was a member of the Iowa Central Community College football team that defeated Dean College of Massachusetts 20-10 to win the annual Graphic Edge Bowl on November 23...

Local coaches encourage players to respect women (12/01/08)
Two Le Mars Community Schools Coaches and athletes participated in a research project, "Coaching Boys into Men," a worldwide program intended to teach athletes to respect women. The program was sponsored by both the Family Violence Prevention Fund and the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention, in North Sioux City, S.D...

Saggau shares stories of inspiration to motivate students (09/26/08)
"Make good choices" was the message Bernie Saggau shared with Le Mars students in grades four through 12 Thursday. "The freedom of choice is to be what you want to be," Saggau said. "The more education you have, the more choices you have." Saggau, past executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSSA), was invited by Le Mars Community Schools (LCS) to talk about his life experiences to inspire LCS and Gehlen Catholic School students...

AmeriCorps team preps Loess Hills for bison (09/11/08)
Men and women ages 18-24 from across the nation are building fences, restoring grasslands and helping with research in the Loess Hills through Oct. 2. The 10-member AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team, has been working in the Broken Kettle Grasslands and Five Ridge Prairie in Plymouth County since August...

Building on education: LCS addition nearly complete (08/07/08)
With only two weeks until school starts, teachers and staff at Le Mars Community High School and Middle School are busy putting the finishing touches on moves to new classroom space and computer labs and looking forward to the new middle school gymnasium...

Fairgrounds get a touch-up from Boy Scouts (08/07/08)
For Boy Scouts, Eagle Scout is the highest rank they can achieve. Zack Gaul and Zack Nemmers, of Troop No. 184, decided to spruce up parts of the Plymouth County Fairgrounds to obtain that rank. Eagle Scouts must demonstrate they live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives, earn a total of 21 merit badges, and serve actively in a position of responsibility for six months...

Iowa athletes compete in Beijing for 2008 Olympics (08/05/08)
Iowa may be about 6,000 miles from Beijing, China, but starting this week, Iowa will have a presence in the 2008 Olympic hub. More than 10 athletes from Iowa or with Iowa connections are arriving in the Chinese capital this week to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics, which run Aug 8-24...

Out of the ring: Behind the Scenes of Impact Pro Wrestling (07/24/08)
What do you do after your "nine to five" job is over? Let's say instead of just heading home, you traded your work boots or suit and tie in for some spandex or a mask. For the members of Impact Pro Wrestling, this scenario is reality. Wednesday evening before their electrifying show at the Plymouth County Fair, I was given a taste of what it takes to be wrestler on the lower professional circuit...

LCS middle school principal hired (05/16/08)
The Le Mars Community Schools board of education approved the hiring of a new middle school assistant principal for the 2008-09 school year. Christopher Schmit, a middle school instructor at Waterloo, was recommended from the candidates interviewed for the position. He will replace Amy Johnson, who resigned the position this spring...

Inventor helps players build the "perfect arc" (03/25/08)
Making free throws can mean the difference between winning and losing. And to make those undefended shots more often, the shooter has build strong muscle memory to arc the basketball the same each time. That's why Alan Marty, a former Le Mars resident, invented the Noah Select System to help players create the "perfect arc." The system measures the angle of the arc to help players improve their skills when it comes to shooting baskets...

Cold weather doesn't stop Easter Egg Hunt (03/24/08)
Despite the cold and cloudy Saturday morning, the Community Easter Egg Hunt was a success with children quickly gathering up the 25,000 colorful eggs on the Le Mars Community High School practice football field and baseball field. The hunt, sponsored by Hy-Vee Food Store, Hy-Vee Rx, KLEM and the Le Mars Daily Sentinel, was split into two age groups, with children first through fifth grade on the practice football field while the younger children gathered eggs inside the confines of the baseball field.. ...

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