Industrial Machinery And Equipment

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...

Weinrich Truck Lines turns 50 (03/15/10)
Odds are you've bought or eaten something transported by Weinrich Truck Line. The Hinton trucking company turns 50 this year, marking half a century of transporting everything from oats for race horses to syrup for Coca Cola. The business started out with an agricultural focus and grew to meet needs with a fleet of 50 trucks, both dry vans for hauling dry goods and tankers for liquids...

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."...

Merrill industry is model for Iowa's future, Judge says (03/09/10)
If Iowa is going to recover from the recession that has plagued the nation, recovery is going to come from the ground up. That's what Lt. Gov. Patty Judge said Monday during a visit to the Plymouth Oil, a food-grade corn oil plant just north of Merrill...

Apartments officially on national historic register (03/04/10)
A building which first was home to a hospital and is now apartments is Le Mars' newest listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Floyd Valley Apartments, at 110 Sixth Ave. N.E. has been named to the National Register of Historic Places. That confirmation was made Feb. 3, 2010, according to Iris Hemmingson, president of the Le Mars Historic Preservation Commission...

Ice cream parlor will bring life to historic Le Mars building (02/25/10)

From field to table: Plymouth Oil begins production (02/22/10)
The food-grade corn oil plant just north of Merrill is making liquid gold. After weather and financial delays, the $30 million Plymouth Oil plant is completely constructed and pumping out gallons of crude corn oil, according to Dave Hoffman, chairman of the Plymouth Oil Company board...

Neither sleet, snow, or police prevent Milne from walking to work (02/17/10)
The postal service isn't the only thing that keeps going through all the winter elements. Nothing, not even traffic or police, keeps Richard Milne, of Le Mars, from walking to work. At age 62, Milne chooses to lace up his walking shoes to transport him on the nearly 3-mile one-way route to his job as engineering technician at the Plymouth County Engineer's office just north of Le Mars...

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...

Peters pays it forward with Habitat for Humanity homes (02/11/10)
Rob Peters knows how much a Habitat for Humanity house means to a family. He and his three children moved into their home, the first built by Habitat for Humanity in Le Mars, just before Christmas 2006. Now he's even more involved and paying forward what he has received, serving as construction foreman for Habitat houses going up in the Riverside area of Sioux City...

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...

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...

Water for Life Honduras (02/03/10)
A local group is about to change the lives of people of five villages, plagued with parasites and other water-borne diseases. The Le Mars Rotary Club spearheaded fundraising for water projects in Honduras, pulling together more than $35,000. That's enough to build a water system in each of those five villages, bringing clean, potable water to more than 1,000 people's homes...

From biomedical engineering to watercolors: Artist's journey winds its way to Le Mars (01/26/10)
A teacher told Jean Weiner she was born to paint. This affirmation came not during the Le Mars woman's high school career or even her college or graduate studies. It came after Weiner was in her early forties, had worked successfully in biomedical engineering, had two children and had battled a rare form of cancer...

Le Mars KCs celebrate 100 years of service (01/18/10)
A Le Mars organization with a history of service in the community will observe its 100th anniversary this month. The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic, family fraternal organization which support services programs in their churches and community. The Le Mars council, Trinity Council 1466, was instituted Jan. 23, 1910, with the first meeting held Feb. 4, 1910, in the office of Dr. Fitzgerald in Sioux City. Sponsoring council was Epiphany Council in Sioux City...

Highway 3 west widening, city signs on 2010 project list (01/08/10)
Adding a lane to Highway 3 west of Le Mars will likely be one of the City of Le Mars' top projects in the works in the new year. Le Mars City Administrator Scott Langel sketched out the 2010 priority projects with the Daily Sentinel this week, noting the finalized list is yet to come...

Remembering the decade: At home and beyond (01/04/10)
Ten years ago, as the decade turned, we were waiting to see if the Y2K threat was real. While that turned out to be the biggest non-news event of the Aughts (the first decade of the 2000s), there was plenty of headline material to come, tragedy and triumph alike...

Rewind 2009: The worst of times and the best of times (12/31/09)

Rewind 2009: The good, the bad and the blizzard (12/30/09)
Editor's note: This is the first of two stories recapping 2009's top stories in the Daily Sentinel. Mother Nature put a wet (or white) blanket on Plymouth County's Christmastime plans, nailing northwest Iowa with more than a foot of snow and winds that lowered visibility and drifted roads shut. ...

The Bridge: When the water's too deep to cross alone (12/22/09)
There are three days until Christmas, and a blizzard is blowing its way toward northwest Iowa. Can you imagine having no warm, safe place to go? That's the reality two Plymouth County women and their children recently faced before they were introduced to The Bridge, a transitional living home in Orange City...

The stimulus dollars and you: Have you been touched by recovery money? (12/10/09)
More than $8 million worth of federal stimulus dollars has been quietly sliding through the IV of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and into Plymouth County's veins. That injection meant some schools could keep a teacher one more year. It meant replacing a worn bridge and repaving some roads. It meant some families will have money to weatherize their homes...

New airport funding requests being made (12/03/09)
Le Mars City Council approved an application this week for $204,476 in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) money to house that snow removal equipment for the Le Mars Airport. This application, for Fiscal Year 2011, comes following a FY 10 application for $120,000 in similar federal dollars for snow removal equipment for the airport...

Merrill Fire Department to build a fire station that fits (12/02/09)
To fit a new fire truck in the door at the Merrill Fire Station, the truck has to be cut down in size. "For the last engine we bought, downsizing it cost us an extra $30,000," said Merrill Fire Chief Bill Merchant. That's the problem the Merrill Fire Department is working to fix by building a new fire station...

Finish date uncertain for Highway 3 bridge (11/30/09)
A Highway 3 bridge near Westfield is still under construction although the expected mid-November completion date has come and gone. "We're hoping we can get it open in the winter, but it's not likely," said Dwight Jenkins, Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) construction tech. supervisor...

Family brings new life to former church (11/25/09)
The former St. Catherine Church in Westfield has a new calling -- to become a family's home. In September, Chris and Joni Vondrak purchased the former Catholic church and along with their children Emily, 14, Joe, 10, Frankie, 9, and Molly, 6, are working to make it into a home...

Train safety project Tuesday (11/23/09)
Watch the railroad crossings Tuesday. Law enforcement officers will be watching at the tracks in Le Mars for crossing violators during an "Officer on the Train" project with the Union Pacific railroad. Tickets issued to motorists for failing to stop at the red crossing signals will cost a total of $195...

LCS board appoints negotiating team, purchases vehicle (11/13/09)
Opening negotiation sessions between teachers and the Le Mars Community School District will be held in December. In a letter to the school board president, the Le Mars Community Education Association (LCEA) notified the board of its intent to bargain, with the first bargaining session for the 2010-2011 master contract to be held at 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7...

Couple plans to build semi trailers at former grain site (11/10/09)
A Le Mars couple will be transforming a former grain mill site west of Le Mars into a manufacturing business for semi trailers. Clint and Leslie Chapman, now owners of the 3.59-acre property about 2 miles west of Le Mars on Highway 3, received approval Monday from the Plymouth County Board of Adjustment for a conditional use permit to manufacture live-bottom trailers at the site...

Moving house: Rectory leaves churchs ground for new home (11/05/09)
It's a strange feeling watching your house move down the road. That's what Donna Bliek said Wednesday after seeing her new 220,000 pound home lumbering down Highway 3. In August, she and her husband Ken Bliek purchased the former St. Joseph Church rectory -- a massive brick house located in northeastern Le Mars -- with plans to move it to land near Hinton and make it their family home...

New ruling gives county green light on annex building (10/23/09)
The Le Mars Board of Zoning Adjustment reversed its earlier decision Thursday and approved variances allowing the county to move forward with plans to construct a courthouse annex building. Zoning board members voted 3-0 to approve a conditional use permit to build in a residential district and within 17 feet 9 inches off Fourth Avenue Southeast instead of 25 feet...

Plymouth Energy seeks $10 million to position for future (10/20/09)

Council delays awarding bid on Blue Diamond Drive, white-topping (10/08/09)
While it appears Steve Harris Construction, is to ultimately be the successful low bidder for two future Le Mars street projects, the Le Mars City Council has delayed awarding bids until a special Oct. 13 council session. The delay is the result of the city's awaiting formal word on its RISE (Revitalize Iowa's Sound Economy) application for the Blue Diamond street construction and Harris's acceptance of a start date next year for the white-topping project...

Le Mars firefighters head into the danger zone (10/07/09)
Oct. 4-10 "Stay Smart! Don't Get Burned" In a house fire, the temperature can reach more than 1,000 degrees. Inside, smoke can turn a lit house pitch black in four minutes. Odorless toxic fumes can swirl through the rooms, making anyone inside sleepy, weak and confused...

Road construction in seasonal race against time (09/30/09)
The Highway 3 project in eastern Le Mars is behind schedule, City Administrator Scott Langel said. Officially, the completion date was supposed to be Aug. 31, Langel said. His prediction is the Highway 3 work will be finished in the next week. "It's definitely functional at this point," Langel said. "Everything that needed to be paved is paved."...

Station in the sky: How to view the ISS (09/24/09)
Even though it is flying 220 miles above our heads at the speed of 17,000 miles per hour, the International Space Station can still be seen from earth by the naked eye. In fact, through Sunday the International Space Station (ISS) can be seen from our backyards in Le Mars and the surrounding area...

City approves adding lights at five intersections (09/17/09)
Five intersections will be somewhat brighter in the near future as the result of action Tuesday by the Le Mars City Council. The new lights will be installed at the intersections of Second Street Southeast and 14th Avenue Southeast, 12th Avenue Southwest and 12th Street Southwest, Lee Drive and Fourth Avenue Southeast, Schafer Avenue and 15th Street Southeast and North Lynn Drive and Seventh Avenue Southeast...

Council approves work on Business 75 north, Blue Diamond Drive (09/16/09)
Le Mars City Council members continued with the next step for two city road projects: curb and gutter along Business Highway 75 north and the creation of Blue Diamond Drive. The first project, improving current curb and gutter problems along Business Highway 75 from Highway 3 north to the Floyd River Bridge, is scheduled to get underway next year...

Locals would pay price if Cherokee MHI closes (09/15/09)
Closing the Cherokee Mental Health Institute (MHI) would be damaging for Plymouth County, according to area mental health professionals. Transportation costs for both the county and patients having to travel greater distances to other facilities to receive treatment and related agencies that rent space on the institution's campus could face hardships...

Presbyterian UCC celebrates 125 years of sharing faith (09/11/09)

Maass honored with Farm Bureau Ag Award (09/10/09)
A retired Remsen farmer is the 2009 recipient of the Plymouth County Farm Bureau's Service to Agriculture Award. The award was presented to Kenneth Maass and his wife, Bethene, at the 91st annual meeting of Plymouth County Farm Bureau Tuesday evening at the Le Mars Community Middle School Auditorium...

Singer, songwriter's career grows during CIA service (09/01/09)
Francis Hahn has worn many caps in his lifetime from CIA operative to shoe store repair owner to airport manager. His most fulfilling career -- his music. "I've enjoyed song writing more than anything I've ever done," Hahn said. The Mapleton man sang his tunes on the Church of Jesus stage at the 34th Annual National Old Time Country Bluegrass and Folk Music Festival Monday afternoon...

Face of the Phonothon: Brannan shares her Life Skills story (09/01/09)
The Annual KC Phonothon for persons with disabilities has benefited a number of Plymouth County residents who receive services at Life Skills Training Center in Le Mars through the years. The 30th annual phonothon this Wednesday will be no different...

Then and now: Remodeled building showcases 4-H projects (07/28/09)
Plymouth County 4-H members entering their 4-H projects got a good look at the new 4-H Display Building on the Plymouth County Fairgrounds Monday afternoon. Formerly the Hall of '84, the building has been remodeled to house all the 4-H static entries, from food and clothing, to mechanical arts and visual arts, and consumer management to home improvement...

Smoother ride ahead for rough railroad crossing (07/27/09)
Help is on the way for the Highway 3 railroad crossing next to Fareway. "Rough Crossing" signs went up recently to warn drivers. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad Company (CC) are aware of the situation and working together on a solution...

2009 fair truck recognizes fair board and swine show (07/27/09)
The 10th annual edition of the Plymouth County Fair collectible truck recognizes the swine show judging and members of the Plymouth County Fair board. The series of trucks is designed to recognize activities and scenes that make up the Plymouth County Fair...

Delivering more than fuel (07/24/09)
From the ground, all you might hear is the rumble of a jet engine. But 29,000 feet above you, a work of aerial art is taking place. Locked in a delicate ballet, a KC-135 tanker airplane is pumping thousands of gallons of fuel into a B-2 stealth bomber...

City seeks grant dollars for road to truck wash (07/22/09)
Blue Diamond Drive might appear on your next Le Mars street map. The drive, a connecting road between Business Highway 75 and Holton Drive to allow traffic into Blue Diamond Truck Wash, moved a step closer to reality Tuesday. The Le Mars City Council approved submitting a RISE local development grant application to help pay for the project...

Repairs will close county roads (07/22/09)
Portions of four county roads will close this week. Bridge replacements with box culverts will close two roads Thursday: 270th Street from Polk Avenue east to Quest Avenue and 200th Street from Hickory Avenue east to Impala Avenue. Asphalt resurfacing will close C-12 from K-22 east to K-30 at Craig and K-30 from C-12 north to the Sioux County line Friday...

It's finished...almost: Manager gives nod to CAT grant completion (07/20/09)
The manager for the program that granted the City of Le Mars $650,000 in 2005 gave her stamp of approval Friday to the completed recreation updates. Alaina Santizo, program manager for Vision Iowa/CAT (Community Attractions and Tourism), said the multimillion dollar project, as proposed in the grant application, is finished...

Highway 3 work to close main hospital entrances (07/10/09)
The two main entrances to Floyd Valley Hospital will be closed during Highway 3 road work likely starting Monday. To get in and out of the hospital, as well as Medical Associates, Park Place Estates and Park Village, traffic must come from the south...

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