Industries

Pioneer Cemetery could put curve in reconstruction plans (03/19/10)
With each road reconstruction project, Plymouth County Engineer Tom Rohe faces obstacles like driveways to work around or cut through. But the 2011-12 project to reconstruct 4 1⁄2 miles of C-60 going west of K-49 may put a curve in his plans -- literally...

Dean Foods: Few changes in contract other than wages (03/19/10)
After a 15-month wage freeze, Dean Foods employees are headed for a raise. This week, the employee committee from the Le Mars plant and distribution voted yes to a new contract with the dairy company that includes at least a 2.5 percent raise each year for the next three years...

L-22 railroad intersection soon to be safer (03/19/10)
Railroad signals and cross arms will be installed in the near future at the intersection of county road L-22 and the Chicago Central Pacific Railroad. The Plymouth County Supervisors learned this week the county will pay 5 percent, or $8,750, of the $175,000 cost...

Council tables acceptance of Highway 3 project (03/18/10)
The Le Mars City Council put off accepting an engineer's statement to the Iowa Department of Transportation on the completion and owners contract for the Highway 3 widening project. City Manager Scott Langel acknowledged that the city had already, due to state legislative direction, in essence accepted the $721,701 project when the widened portion of the highway was opened last November...

Supervisors to take on mailbox versus road debate (03/18/10)
Are mailboxes sitting too close to county roads? The Plymouth County Supervisors decided Tuesday to look into the matter more thoroughly, after hearing concerns from local farmer Del Kellen. Kellen, who lives and farms south of Le Mars, said there's a problem with sight distance when it comes to rural mail carriers stopped along the K-49 and other county paved roads...

Tentinger honored for speaking out for agriculture (03/17/10)
Even if you haven't met Bill Tentinger, you've probably heard or read his words in the news. The rural Le Mars farmer and pork producer has become a voice for agriculture in northwest Iowa and beyond. That's why he was honored Tuesday with the 2010 Outstanding Service to Agriculture at the Agri-Business Luncheon, sponsored by the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce...

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."...

No word from GM for Total Sales and Services (03/10/10)
A Le Mars auto dealership hasn't heard anything from GM regarding whether or not the business' Chevrolet franchise will be reinstated. Total Sales and Service is one of hundreds of dealers across the nation that lost GM franchise agreements in the automakers' bankruptcy dealings in May 2009...

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...

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...

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...

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."...

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...

Museum plans 'Spring Preview of Authors (02/16/10)
"Spring Preview of Authors" will put the spotlight on Kingsley during the Plymouth County Historical Museum's first 2010 program Sunday, Feb. 21. The book signing and program will begin at 2 p.m. in the museum's Music Room on the main floor. Doors to the museum will be open from 1-5 p.m...

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...

Local bright stars catch Food Network's eye (02/10/10)
It was lights, camera, action at the Le Mars Dairy Queen Tuesday. The Food Network was in town tracing the story of StarKiss Bars, a frozen treat at Dairy Queen. "The Food Network approached us and said they wanted to come to Le Mars to shoot a show on how StarKiss Bars are made," said Dean A. Peters, director of communications for the American Dairy Queen Corporation...

Ten Le Mars scouts honored with Pope Pius XII emblem (02/08/10)
Ten local boys will be receiving the highest emblem in Catholic boy scouting. Michael Brandenburg, Tim Burwitz, Mitchel Christoffel, Preston Freking, Matt Klein, Kyle Mangerson, Zack Nemmers, Jonathan Puhl, Ryan Sitzmann and Andrew Theisen were honored Sunday at a Mass in Le Mars for earning the Pope Pius XII Emblem...

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...

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...

Groomer keeps dogs happy in 'puppy salon' (01/29/10)
Tails wag with happiness as dogs get their pampering trim from Tricia Pippett, owner of Tail Trends, a new dog grooming business in Le Mars. Pippett opened her business Dec. 1, sharing space at Town and Country Veterinary Clinic, but has been doing grooming in Le Mars for 10 years...

�Habla espa�ol? :Plains Area staff trains to be multi-lingual (01/29/10)
Employees at Plains Area Mental Health are learning to say "What do you need?" and "How much does this piano cost?" -- in Spanish. It's all part of a new venture Plains Area is starting to help reduce cultural and language barriers. About 25 therapists and receptionists at the Le Mars mental health center and its Storm Lake counterpart are working on picking up another language and learning about that group's culture...

Job training program revision, could limit local businesses (01/28/10)
One-half million dollars for Plymouth County business could be at stake as the State of Iowa discusses adjustments in funding to the Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program. Plymouth County businesses that received job training funding in 2009 were Plymouth Energy - $250,612, Plymouth Oil - $153,000, Wells Dairy - $25,000 and Bodeans Baking Company - $63,403...

Are you missing anything? Yes you are! (01/28/10)
The answer to the question is yes you are! Only the brief highlights of news and activities are published. You are missing pages of news and information on local awards and recognition, business events and advertiser discounts and sales. Every page of the Daily Sentinel can be viewed by buying a newspaper or subscription and this can be done online!...

City squeezing its way to a balanced budget (01/27/10)
"Bare bones" and "lean" were the words used to describe the 2011 city budget during a Le Mars City Council workshop Tuesday. "We asked all the departments to make a 10 percent cut after we've had cuts the last two years," Assistant City Administrator Bill Cole said. "There is not a lot of cushion."...

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...

City leases Willow Creek Bar and Grill to Fiddelke (01/13/10)
In a 3-2 vote Tuesday, the Le Mars City Council chose Mike Fiddelke, of Orange City, to lease the bar and grill at Willow Creek Golf Course for 2010. The lease, at a rate of $30,000 per year, is tentatively set to begin March 1. The other candidate seeking the lease was Kathy Schwader, of Le Mars, who had been recommended for the lease by the Le Mars Park Committee at last week's city council meeting...

Transfer brings Chrysler back to Le Mars (01/13/10)
A Le Mars auto dealership is expanding. Le Mars Ford is adding Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep sales and service, according to owner Bob Jensen, of Sioux City. Jensen is transferring those franchises from Heartland Motors, which he owns in Hawarden, to his Le Mars dealership...

Akron senior living apartments to close (01/12/10)
An eight-plex of senior living apartments in Akron is closing. The Senior Village North Apartments, under the umbrella of the Akron Care Center, will be closed by the end of February due to a lack of interest and the money it would take to upgrade it for assisted living...

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...

Late harvest, early winter storms leave crops stranded (01/07/10)
Corn still stands in fields in northwest Iowa and nearby states -- and without a winter thaw it will likely remain there until spring. "Right now there's not much you can do. You can't physically get in the field," said Joel DeJong, crops field specialist with Plymouth County Iowa State University Extension...

City budget meetings set (01/07/10)
Le Mars City Council members are gearing up for the start of meetings to discuss the the 2010-2011 budget next week. Members of the finance committee, Councilmen Rex Knapp and John Rexwinkel, will be the first to meet with Assistant City Administrator Bill Cole at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Rexwinkel and Councilman Ken Nelson will meet at 2: 30 p.m. Wednesday to look at the budgeting picture for the public works, water and wastewater departments...

Extension staff settling in at new offices (01/05/10)
Freezing rain and snow didn't stop the Plymouth County Iowa State University (ISU) Extension Office staff from moving to its new office at the Le Mars Convention Center lower level just before Christmas. "We were ready to go," said Ann Schoenrock, 4-H County Youth Coordinator last Wednesday as she gave a quick tour of the new office space. It is in what was formerly known as the Vanilla and Chocolate Rooms, previously occupied by Wells' Dairy Inc...

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...

Northey: Budget cuts hit ag department hard (12/15/09)
Iowa's Department of Agriculture is now operating with funding comparable to what the department had in 1994 -- and with a staff of less people, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said Monday. Northey discussed the funding cuts during an appearance at the Farm Bureau Financial Services office in Le Mars...

Community Foundation award $142,169 in grants (12/14/09)
Twenty-seven organizations and groups in Plymouth County are recipients of grant money totaling $142,169 from the Community Foundation of Greater Plymouth County. The $142,169 represents the largest amount the foundation has been able to award in grants in the four years it has existed...

Racing the elements: Herbst and crew react to heavy autumn rainfall (12/11/09)
When the September harvest rolled around this year Darwin Herbst thought it would be business as usual. But that wasn't the case thanks to a very rainy October. Herbst, of Merrill, has been farming his whole life. This year was different for the Herbst farm and most farmers in the area...

When life was simple: Life on the farm was busy with work and fun times (12/10/09)
Editor's Note: This story is another in a weekly series looking back at life decades ago and remembering a time when people's lifestyle was very different than today. Life on the farm has many memories for Leonard Molzen. "I've lived on the farm all my life in the same township, Johnson Township," Molzen said. He moved to Good Samaritan Society-Le Mars in 2005...

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...

Northey plans Le Mars visit (12/09/09)
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey will be in Le Mars to talk with Plymouth County residents Monday, Dec. 14. Northey will be at the Farm Bureau Financial Services Office, 21 First Ave. NE, Le Mars, beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 14. Northey will discuss agriculture and the issues facing farmers in the state. The meeting is open to the public...

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