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Le Mars Students find positive side of H1N1 in Costa Rica (06/30/09)
Who would have thought that anything good could come from H1N1? The influenza outbreak closed one door in front of 11 Le Mars Community High School students and their Spanish teacher, but it opened another. Those students and teacher Gale Horan were set to visit Mexico with two other travelers for an educational trip in June, but all that changed in mid-May...

County says OK to TIF district extension (06/03/09)
The Plymouth County Supervisors Tuesday gave their stamp of approval to extend the duration of a Tax Increment Financing district near Akron another five years. The City of Akron's timeline to receive TIF revenue from the Akron Urban Renewal Area, which includes the Akron Portlandville Heights Subdivision, is set to expire June 2010...

Council agrees to suggested Crescent Ridge price guidelines (05/20/09)
The Le Mars Business Initiative Corporation (LBIC) got the go-ahead Tuesday from Le Mars City Council members to market the approximately 60-acre Crescent Ridge property south of Le Mars with a price now set. The land is formerly known as the Winter farm and feedlot...

Locals back Extension to seek regional office for Le Mars (05/18/09)
Support from community leaders has encouraged the Plymouth County Extension Council to apply for the county to be the site of Regional Extension Education Director's office as part of Iowa State University Extension's reorganization plan. In a restructuring plan announced April 30, Iowa State University Extension will eliminate the 97 county education directors and replace them with 20 Regional Education Education Directors (REED) to serve counties which are grouped into regions...

County budget changes won't affect taxpayers (05/06/09)
Expenses increased but so did revenue since the 2009-10 Plymouth County budget was approved earlier this year. The Plymouth County Supervisors Tuesday looked at a $266,463 amendment to the $18.2 million budget. Taxpayers won't be affected by changes as all funds within the budget have reserves to cover any additional expenses...

BoDeans plans expansion with city help (04/09/09)
A planned addition of $5.7 million in new equipment at a local company that bakes ice cream cones and wafers is getting the help for the project from the City of Le Mars. BoDeans Baking, of Le Mars, is set to receive up to $15,000 in a zero-interest loan from the city for a five-year period to help them secure a state grant...

City tree-clearing near end (03/24/09)
Branches and roads blocked off -- it's been hard to miss the tree-clearing operation city workers have been doing around Le Mars in the last few weeks. As part of the city's annual clean up, the crew is taking down a total of 49 trees this year. "We usually bounce between 30-50 trees every year," Public Works Superintendent Steve Hansen said. "Our standard is if they are dead, diseased, or dangerous -- split or damaged by wind or lightning -- or if they're breaking up a driveway or sidewalk."...

Tucker to serve as Hawarden's city administrator (02/27/09)
Plymouth County's former economic development director has been offered a new position -- that of Hawarden city administrator and city clerk. Gary Tucker, who worked with economic development in Plymouth County for nine years, will officially begin the Hawarden position on March 16, according to Sharole Rens, finance director and interim city clerk for Hawarden...

Seed Treatment course set for Feb. 18 (02/13/09)
Plymouth County will offer the Seed Treatment Continuing Instructional Course (CIC) for commercial pesticide applicators, Wednesday, Feb. 18. The prerecorded videotape program will be shown at locations across Iowa through the Iowa State University Extension Pest Management and the Environment (PME) program...

City will expand railroad tracks for industry (12/17/08)
The city is working on a need-to-have basis for a planned rail addition in Le Mars' industrial park. The railroad addition is a line of tracks that will extend to the new $5 million IML Containers Iowa which is in progress in the southern part of the industrial park. Earlier this year, the council committed to building this rail spur...

Crescent Ridge work may carry into 2009 (12/08/08)
The work to transform a cattle feedlot into a site for residential development may not be finished by the end of this year, according to city officials. Crescent Ridge, previously the Winter family's farmsite and feedlot, was purchased by the Le Mars Business Initiative Corporation (LBIC) by October 2007...

Final design plans may cut city's cost for rail spur extension (12/03/08)
Le Mars City Administrator Scott Langel said Tuesday he's "hopeful" the city's cost can be cut for a rail spur track extension. Le Mars Public Storage, IML Containers and Nor-Am Cold Storage each need a siding track. The project, which was presented to the Le Mars City Council last month, came with a nearly $1 million price tag...

Rail project costs jolt city council members (11/19/08)
Le Mars City Council members wore sticker shock expressions after getting their first look Tuesday at a nearly $1 million cost for new rail spur track extensions in Le Mars Industrial Park. The council earlier this year gave its commitment to add the rail extensions to IML Containers Iowa, which is constructing new facilities in the industrial park...

Supervisors give stamp of a approval to Merrill urban renewal (11/19/08)
An urban renewal area around and in Merrill became a reality Tuesday. Following a public hearing, the Plymouth County Supervisors approved an urban renewal district to encompass the entire city of Merrill and around Plymouth Energy ethanol plant, Plymouth Oil, a food-grade oil plant and Midwest PMS, the liquid cattle feed mill...

Hinton School hopes to secure land without eminent domain (11/11/08)
Hinton School Board members agreed Monday to look at building an elementary school on 20 acres near the school with the possibility of obtaining that land through eminent domain. The resolution, which was approved with a 4-1 vote, will allow board members to continue negotiations with Kevin and Annette Held to purchase 8 acres adjacent to the existing school building and 12 acres west of the school...

Veterans honored today (11/11/08)
Those who served, we salute you. Tuesday, Nov. 11, marks Veterans Day, a day to remember the sacrifice of many. President George W. Bush issued a proclamation in honor of the day: "From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation's ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe."...

Roadblocks coming down on rec trail progress (09/23/08)
The completion of the 9-mile recreation trail around Le Mars is on the horizon after being pushed back more than a year. The walking and biking trail, which stretches from the south near Wells' Dairy's corporate campus north beyond the little league ball diamonds, then east around the golf course, still has a segment to be completed...

Industrial Park sewer line extension approved (09/19/08)
Le Mars City Council members gave their OK for the extension of a sanitary sewer line running parallel and adjacent to a future IML Containers' rail spur south of 24th Street in the industrial park. The 500-foot extension, at a cost of $35,000, will enhance sanitary sewer line capabilities in areas both east and west of this location and should be sufficient for future development needs, City Administrator Scott Langel said...

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...

City works with IML Container to prepare for expansion (09/05/08)
The Le Mars City Council approved buying a piece of railroad equipment to assist an expanding Le Mars business that relies on rail for shipments. IML Containers is currently depending on rail to bring in materials for their planned expansion in southern Le Mars, according to City Administrator Scott Langel...

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...

Bypass interchange work may light up next council agenda (08/21/08)
The probability of lighting the Highway 75 Bypass interchanges into Le Mars may well be among agenda items in the near future for the Le Mars City Council. Councilman Rex Knapp Tuesday shared with fellow council members the issue, which the joint urban renewal board addressed at its meeting earlier this week...

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...

Trail paves the way for recreation (08/08/08)
Delores Lancaster regularly walks on a recreation trail looping around Le Mars. And she's not the only one. People jogging, walking, biking, exercising dogs, in-line skating -- all use the trail. Even though it isn't complete yet, officials are working to finish its final section, which will complete the nearly 9-mile circuit...

Council concerned with one-lot development (08/08/08)
Le Mars City Council members Tuesday put their stamp of approval on the final plat of the HJK Addition along 12th Street Southeast. But they followed that decision by discussing concerns on one-lot development areas. One-lot development happens, Mayor Pro Tem Rex Knapp later explained, when a developer seeks approval on a plat for a single site taken out of a larger area...

Hotel/Motel Tax special meeting next week (06/09/08)
A meeting next Tuesday will offer information for groups seeking Hotel/Motel Tax dollars. The Le Mars Hotel/Motel Tax Advisory Board is hosting a special meeting to learn about proposed improvement options for tourism and community development in the City of Le Mars...

LBIC gets city land project reimbursement (06/06/08)
The City of Le Mars is reimbursing the LBIC for costs of two economic opportunity activities the corporation said "do not fit" under the current development agreement between the LBIC and the city. Both projects, Le Mars Business Initiative Corporation's (LBIC) Neal Adler said, took place with prior knowledge of the city. ...

Feller's hard work yields promising future (06/05/08)
This is the third story in a series looking at what plans and dreams local members of the graduating class of 2008 hope to pursue. At 6:30 in the morning, most high school graduates are only concerned with one thing -- sleep. While they study the inside of their eyelids, Brandon Feller is hitting his alarm clock and getting dressed for a full day of work on the farm. ...

O'Toole property returns to city ownership (06/05/08)
It now appears likely that Le Mars's O'Toole Park has the opportunity to welcome back a temporarily absent "neighbor" -- the property that was previously the site of the old water reservoir. Al and Rosalie Lade, Le Mars, who purchased the property from the city last winter for the site of a new home, have now sold the property back to the city. ...

Brunsville's new TIF money will improve town's overall looks (04/24/08)
Brunsville's roads, utilities and other infrastructure need a facelift. That's why the Brunsville City Council earlier this month created an urban renewal area that will encompass the entire town and designate a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district...

Earth Day: Learning what it means to save the planet (04/23/08)
Saving the world doesn't necessarily require wearing a cape and blue tights. That's what elementary students from Hinton learned while tromping around Hillview Park Tuesday in honor of the 38th annual Earth Day. At one station, students picking chocolate chips out of a cookie to learn about how coal is mined. ...

Not just a number: Drivers choose message with specialized plates (04/21/08)
GODLVSU, SKI BUG, 3 LTL PGS, MAN CAVE, HUMMMMR -- they're all license plates with meaning. Personalized and specialized license plates allow drivers to express themselves, support a cause or send others a message. Duane McLay, owner of Emily's Home Furnishings in Le Mars, drives a car with GODLVSU, which translates into "God Loves You," license plates for almost 20 years...

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