Population Density Patterns

Winter predictions: Plenty of snow, ice ahead (01/25/10)
"Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice..." Le Mars readers of Robert Frost's famous poem might lean toward the latter with the latest bout of freezing rain, ice and blowing snow glazing the region. The predictions for February and March weather seem to pile on more evidence...

Supervisors amend joint urban renewal area (09/17/09)
No one attended a public hearing Tuesday to amend the joint urban renewal area along the Highway 75 Bypass. Following the hearing, the Plymouth County Supervisors approved a resolution re-designating property lines and clarifying legal descriptions in the joint urban renewal area...

Urban renewal area changes approved (09/01/09)
The Le Mars and Plymouth County zoning boards met Monday to approve small changes to the outline of the Joint Urban Renewal Area. That district, which allows the governing bodies to gather tax revenue from any new development and use it for set purposes, stretches from 1 1/2 miles north of Le Mars to 2 miles west of Le Mars to 1 mile south of the Wells' Dairy Corporate Center...

Le Mars population estimate rises (07/06/09)
By the numbers, Le Mars leads the county in population growth since 2007, according to estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week. However, Hinton, which showed little population change in the past year, actually shows a larger population increase since 2000...

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...

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...

Meals-on-Wheels provider low on dough (01/15/09)
Senior meals and Meals-on-Wheels services in the area are low on money. In the past year, 50,000 meals have been served to Plymouth County residents through Siouxland Aging Services, which coordinates the meal delivery program and the senior meal sites. In the five county area, 190,000 meals were served...

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...

'Celebrate Maturity' honors the over 90 crowd (09/30/08)
Plymouth County Senior Helpmate program's Celebrate Maturity event honored 10 county residents on reaching the age of 90 or older. The program celebrated those residents' longevity Saturday, Sept. 27 with a dinner and brief program at First Baptist Church in Le Mars...

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...

Housing unit numbers rise for Plymouth County (09/12/08)
The number of housing units in Plymouth County increased from 2006 to 2007, according to newly released estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The estimated number of homes grew by about 59 to 10,510 in 2007. In an earlier U.S. Census report on estimated population numbers for communities in Plymouth County, most cities showed a drop in population except for Kingsley and Hinton, which both showed increases...

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...

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...

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. ...

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...

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