Legislative Process

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...

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...

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."...

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...

LCS board OKs allocation of state money for teachers (09/11/08)
An agreement between the Le Mars Community School District and the Le Mars Education Association provides for the distribution to teachers of more than $800,000 in additional state money for the 2008-09 school year. The Educator Quality Basic money is allocated by the Iowa Legislature in an effort to increase the average teacher salaries in Iowa and raise Iowa's ranking in average teacher salary in the United States...

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...

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 board members answer questions about ISL (08/26/08)
On Sept. 9, voters in the Le Mars Community School District will decide whether to approve a tax levy that would raise money for LCS teacher salaries, books, programs and transportation fuel. That Instructional Support Levy (ISL) has proved the source of much debate. Two LCS School Board members -- Patrick Murphy and Mark Stelzer -- sat down with the Daily Sentinel editorial staff to talk through some of the questions about the levy...

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)...

Senator Harkin plans Le Mars visit (08/04/08)
Senator Tom Harkin will be hosting a Le Mars meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 6 during a cross-Iowa tour. The Democrat plans to visit with local residents about his work in Washington to help Iowa's working families. The public is invited to attend the cafe stop, which will be held at 10 a.m. at Lally's Eastside Restaurant...

Sales tax holiday set for Aug. 1-2 (07/29/08)
Clothes and shoe shoppers on the first two days in August will get a tax break in Iowa. The ninth annual Iowa sales tax holiday on clothing and footwear is set for this Friday and Saturday. Qualified clothing and footwear priced less than $100 will be exempt from sales and local option taxes those two days...

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...

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...

Smoking in most public places will be extinguished Tuesday (06/30/08)
No Smoking signs started going up last week in preparation for the Iowa Smokefree Air Act which goes into effect Tuesday. Lally's East Side Restaurant, in Le Mars, sported homemade signs Friday telling customers the establishment, which previously allowed smoking, will be smoke free July 1...

Franke won't seek re-election to school board (06/11/08)
Two seats on the Le Mars Community School Board are up for election this fall. The seats held by Marjorie Franke, representing District 3, and Dan Smith, representing District 5, will be filled at the Sept. 9 school board election. At the board's Monday meeting, Franke announced to fellow board members she does not plan to seek re-election to her seat. Franke, a retired teacher with the Le Mars Community School District, has served on the board 18 years, since 1990...

Loutsch defeats Schneider in county supervisor race (06/04/08)
Republican challenger Mark Loutsch unseated incumbent John Schneider as the District 2 Plymouth County supervisor in Tuesday's primary election. Based on unofficial numbers, Loutsch brought in 682 votes compared to Schneider's 386. As he celebrated with family Tuesday night, Loutsch said he was surprised at the wide gap in the number of votes between himself and Schneider, but that the people had spoken...

Feenstra says focus on results would drive his work as senator (05/29/08)
Randy Feenstra traces his path to politics back to selling candy. Feenstra, of Hull, is running unopposed in the June 3 primary for the Republican nomination to the Iowa Senate seat vacated by Dave Mulder. The Dordt College graduate, now the Sioux County Treasurer, worked seven years as the head of sales at the Foreign Candy Company...

LCS board restarts process to adopt ISL (05/28/08)
The Le Mars Community School Board of Education has adopted a resolution to consider participating in the Instructional Support Program for five years and set a public hearing for 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 9. The instructional support levy (ISL) program allows the district a source of raising revenue with a mix of property tax and income surtax for the district's instructional support program...

LCS board looks at new ISL request (05/12/08)
A timeline prepared by Le Mars Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt indicates the board of education may soon begin the process to implement an Instructional Support Levy for the district. The Instructional Support Levy combines state funds, property tax and income surtax as a funding source for school districts. Le Mars Community School District voters defeated the ISL request in March...

Le Mars National Day of Prayer luncheon set at Convention Center (04/28/08)
The local National Day of Prayer luncheon will be held Thursday, May 1, at the Le Mars Convention Center under the theme, "Prayer: America's Strength and Shield." Doors open at 11:35 a.m. for the luncheon, with the program beginning at noon and ending at 12:55 p.m. A free will donation will be accepted for the lunch, catered by Timmy's Catering...

Absentee ballots for June 3 primary available (04/25/08)
Plymouth County voters who don't plan to be at the polls on June 3 for the primary election can apply now to get their absentee ballots. A registered voter may vote absentee in the auditor's office in the courthouse 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The auditor's office will also be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 24 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 31...

New truck owners will pay higher registration fees (04/22/08)
People buying pickups trucks 2010 models or newer will be paying more to improve Iowa's roads. According to a new bill passed by Iowa legislators last week, registration fees for owners of those new trucks will jump -- one of several vehicle registration changes that would take effect Jan. 1, 2009. Governor Chet Culver is expected to sign the bill into law this week...

Bids sought for Crescent Ridge property (03/26/08)
Bids are requested for the sale of buildings and land in Crescent Ridge. The Plymouth County Supervisors on Tuesday officially set a joint public hearing at noon on April 15 with the Le Mars City Council to review and discuss any offers. The property includes about 60 acres west of the Wells' Dairy corporate campus...