Religious Issues

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...

Gehlen parade set for Friday (10/01/08)
Gehlen Jay fans will take to the streets Friday for the 2008 Homecoming parade to rally their team to "Stuff the Eagles." The parade follows coronation, which will be held at noon in the Gehlen Catholic School gym. The parade starts at 1:30 p.m. with participants lining up at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds. The parade will make its way to Central Avenue and follow that street south to Foster Park...

Local marching bands shine at StarFest (09/30/08)
In a field of 16 schools, the two high school marching bands from Le Mars represented the community well Saturday at the StarFest marching competition in Sioux City. Gehlen Catholic Schools' Marching Jays placed first in Class 1A, at the competition Sept. 27 in the Olsen Stadium...

Gehlen Catholic celebrates Homecoming 2008 (09/29/08)
Gehlen Catholic Schools' 2008 Homecoming 2008 theme is "Stuff the Eagles." A full week of activities is planned culminating in a coronation ceremony and the football game Friday when the Gehlen Jays host the Marcus-Meriden Cleghorn Eagles. The week began with the Homecoming Liturgy service at 8:45 a.m. today (Monday), with special guests The Rev. Gene Sitzmann and the Rev. Rick Sitzmann, priests who graduated in 1953, the last class at St. Joseph School...

Saggau shares stories of inspiration to motivate students (09/26/08)
"Make good choices" was the message Bernie Saggau shared with Le Mars students in grades four through 12 Thursday. "The freedom of choice is to be what you want to be," Saggau said. "The more education you have, the more choices you have." Saggau, past executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSSA), was invited by Le Mars Community Schools (LCS) to talk about his life experiences to inspire LCS and Gehlen Catholic School students...

Young to be comissioned for ministry in ELCA (09/26/08)
When Marcia Young graduated from high school, she wanted to attend seminary to become a pastor. There was only one roadblock: the Lutheran church was not yet ordaining women as pastors at that time. Instead, she went to college, majoring in business and theology, married and became a mother, and always remained active in her church...

Group wants to address dangerous pedestrian spots (09/26/08)
Colleen Bortscheller spends a lot of time biking. She likes cycling to work or heading to the recreation trail for a ride. But one place she doesn't like to bike is 12th Street Southwest in Le Mars. "I think it's very hazardous, not only for students walking or biking to school, but also adults," Bortscheller said...

Gehlen Catholic opens homecoming week with special mass (09/26/08)
Students, staff, parents and alumni at Gehlen Catholic Schools will start their 2008 homecoming activities with a special Homecoming Mass at 8:45 a.m. Monday, Sept. 29, at St. Joseph Church in Le Mars. Presiding at the mass will be two priests, both 1953 graduates of the last class from St. Joseph School, Father Gene Sitzmann and and Rick Sitzmann...

Iowa native earned students' trust teaching on reservation (09/25/08)
Maria Valen remembers her former Crow and Cheyenne students fondly, especially this week -- Native American Heritage Week. Valen, a new high school English teacher at Gehlen Catholic School, spent two years prior to coming to Le Mars educating American Indian students in Montana...

School sends message: no bullies allowed (09/24/08)
What may start out as joking or teasing could turn into bullying. Bullying may be physical, verbal or emotional in nature and is seen as an aggressive behavior that is intentional and that involves an imbalance of power or strength and is typically repeated over time, according to information from the program, "Stop Bullying Now."...

LCS Homecoming parade set for Friday (09/24/08)
Le Mars Community Schools will be parading their school spirit down Central Avenue Friday. The LCS 2008 Homecoming Parade kicks off at 2:15 p.m.. from Eighth Street Southwest heading north on Central Avenue through the downtown area. LCS and Gehlen Catholic School bands will be marching Friday...

Negotiations begin on new Wells' Dairy labor contract (09/22/08)
Negotiations are underway on a contract that impacts about 1,400 hourly manufacturing employees at Wells' Dairy in Le Mars. "A corporate team is sitting down and meeting with an employee team," said Dave Smetter, spokesman for the ice cream and novelty company...

Le Mars native to speak on behalf of National Education Association (09/19/08)
A Le Mars native who is now president of the National Education Association will be speaking in West Des Moines at the end of this month. Dennis Van Roekel, who was elected to the position in July, will be talking at an IowaPolitics.com forum about the November election and answering questions educational issues...

Group seeks people to 'Think outside the car' (09/19/08)
More than half the students at Le Mars schools drive or ride in a car to school every day, according to a recent survey. But a group of locals are looking into other options, and they want your help. Locals are invited to a Safe Routes to School meeting 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23 at the Le Mars Convention Center to talk about the possibility of starting a Safe Routes to School program in Le Mars...

The drinking age debate: locals speak (09/12/08)
While a national group is urging university and college leaders to sign onto an initiative calling for a lower drinking age -- 18 years old -- locals aren't gung-ho about the idea. A project known as the Amethyst Initiative, launched this summer, is a group of more than 125 university and college presidents and chancellors urging elected leaders to support debate on the 21-year-old drinking age and reconsider laws related to that rule...

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...

Community Foundation accepting grant applications (09/09/08)
Applications for grant funding from The Community Foundation of Greater Plymouth County are due Oct. 1, 2008. The foundation is calling for grant applications from all communities in Plymouth County. Areas of emphasis include: Children, Youth & Families, Community Betterment, Health & Human Services, Education, Environment, and Arts & Culture...

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.

Offices closed for Labor Day (08/29/08)
Americans will celebrate the country's 126th annual Labor Day, the three day-weekend that marks the unofficial end of summer. There will be several closings in Le Mars for the day. The first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, after the Central Labor Union came up with the idea and planned a demonstration and picnic for that day...

'Pride Night' promotes school activities Monday (08/22/08)
"Pride Night" will be shining with school colors Monday as students, parents, and fans from Le Mars Community and Gehlen Catholic Schools celebrate their schools and extra-curricular activities students participate in. "Pride Night will kick off the new school year and promote school unity. Pride Night is a great way for Le Mars area residents to show their support for Gehlen Catholic and Le Mars Community students," KLEM Radio operations director Dave Ruden said. There is no admission charge...

When mommy is arrested: Police plan for children on the scene (08/18/08)
Patrol cars pull up to a house, looking for an adult suspect. They enter the house to make an arrest. There, on the couch, an eight year old is reading a book. Suddenly, the plan changes. "Kids are so impressionable," said Le Mars Police Chief Stu Dekkenga. "It's a big deal, removing a parent. You don't want to traumatize the child."...

New teachers prepare for first day at Gehlen Catholic School (08/14/08)
Gehlen Catholic Schools are welcoming three new faces to their faculty for the 200-2009 school year. A new Spanish teacher, a math teacher and an English teacher are preparing their classrooms for students' first day next week. Elizabeth Rogers Elizabeth Rogers of Blair, Neb. will start her teaching career at Gehlen Catholic High School this fall. A recent graduate of Northwestern College in Orange City, Rogers will teach high school Spanish levels 1-4...

Saving lives one night at a time (08/11/08)
Keith Garner, once retired, has an interesting nightlife. He saves people's lives. Garner isn't a caped crusader or masked marvel, but when the M.D. slips on his white jacket and steps into Floyd Valley Hospital's emergency room, he becomes a man of action...

Pedal power: How bike-friendly is Le Mars? (08/08/08)
Around the nation, store managers are reporting that more people are picking up bikes to get around. At Wal-Mart in Le Mars, demand has increased for bicycles lately, according to Don Terry, toy department manager. "More people are wanting to get a bike to bike to work and do in-town riding," he said...

Registration open at Gehlen until Aug. 13 (08/04/08)
Registration is underway at Gehlen Catholic Schools for the 2008-09 school year and will continue through Aug. 13. Families may stop at the school during regular office hours of Monday through Thursday, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., to purchase lunch tickets, bus passes, activities tickets and pay tuition...

Merrill's before- and after-school program on hold (07/31/08)
What began as a great opportunity for the Merrill may not be ready in time when classes resume this fall. Throughout the past year, the town has been working to develop a before- and after-school program to provide activities and supervision for students whose parents work longer than school hours...

Sign theft could mean jail time (07/29/08)
When Mark Sturgeon looked out his window Sunday morning, his lawn looked a little emptier. The sign he put up two days earlier, supporting a candidate running for office this fall, was missing. He was not alone. "We have had some energetic people taking signs from all over the place," said Le Mars Police Chief Stu Dekkenga. "We had a call this morning on missing real estate signs, too."...

School's out forever (07/10/08)
A Le Mars landmark for more than a century was demolished Wednesday. St. Joseph School, completed in 1905, was torn down to make way for a new Catholic church. A handful of the more than 2,000 students that studied in the building's classrooms gathered Wednesday to take pictures and watch the school be reduced to a pile of rubble...

Meals packed in Le Mars reach Honduras (07/08/08)
Two containers full of dry meals, many packed at the Kids Against Hunger event at Gehlen Catholic School in May, are reaching their destinations in Honduras. The first container of 285,000 meals was delivered at the end of June to Montana de la Flor, a remote region populated by a group of native Hondurans...

Couple hopes musical notes carry in dollars for prison church (07/07/08)
Foot stompin' country and gospel music will be featured in concert this Sunday in rural Remsen to help raise money for The Church of the Damascus Road. The congregation of The Church of the Damascus Road Evangelical Lutheran Church of America ministers to inmates of any denomination within the prisons in Fort Dodge and Rockwell City...

Former Le Mars teacher has 'Great Expectations' for musical (06/06/08)
Remember orphan Pip's antics in the novel "Great Expectations?" A former Le Mars teacher, Margaret Hoorneman, liked Charles Dickens' classic story so much she transformed it into a musical -- writing its first script when she was 80 years old. Now Hoorneman's musical has been on stage and she is hoping it will eventually hit Broadway...

School the latest hit in string of graffiti vandalism (06/05/08)
Spray paint on the new construction at the Le Mars Community Middle School and the football stadium may cost the school nearly a thousand dollars. Le Mars Police Officers arrived on the scene to find graffiti on some of the new cement sidewalk and new brick of the middle school addition plus on the concession stand, ticket booth and stop sign near Jim Lorenzen Field...

Le Mars United Way awards funding to area agencies (06/03/08)
A teen pregnancy prevention program, meat vouchers for families in need, a fine arts after-school program and addiction recovery services are among 14 projects receiving grant money from the Le Mars United Way this year. Fourteen local agencies will be receiving a total of $58,500 from the nonprofit organization to provide area families with basic needs and services...

Six county residents on the ballot June 3 (05/30/08)
Voters will go to the polls for the primary election Tuesday, June 3, to pick candidates from their party to face off in the November general election. Six Plymouth County residents are running for county offices. On the Republican side, Mark Loutsch and incumbent John Schneider are competing for the District 2 seat on the county board of supervisors. ...

Velarde pleads not guilty in stabbing (05/28/08)
The man charged with stabbing one person and injuring another downtown Le Mars in April pleaded not guilty last week. Christopher Velarde, 23, of Maurice, now face a July 22 trial for willfully causing serious injury, a class C felony, and assaulting someone, causing injury, an aggravated misdemeanor...

American Legion Auxiliary announce winners of Poppy Poster Contest (05/21/08)
Sixth grade students at Gehlen Catholic School showed their support of veterans of all wars by participating in the American Legion Auxiliary's annual Poppy Poster contest. Poppy Week is usually observed as the week that ends on the Saturday before Memorial Day. However, Gehlen Catholic sixth graders learned about it earlier as part of a unit on good poster design in art class in preparation for the American Legion Auxiliary Poppy Poster Contest, under the direction of Beth Schlichte...

Mayor observes School Board Recognition Week (05/16/08)
With May 11-17 set as Iowa School Board Recognition Week, Le Mars Mayor Dick Kirchoff made sure he did his part to honor the local school boards. On Monday, May 12, he signed and presented a proclamation to members of the Le Mars Community Schools board of education. This year's theme --"Helping Students Reach New Heights" -- recognizes that Iowa's volunteer school board members are local leaders working to help students succeed...

Meals packed in Le Mars will meet immediate need (05/12/08)
Three weeks ago, a national food crisis was declared in Honduras. On Friday, students, volunteers and staff at Gehlen Catholic Schools worked for 12 hours straight on a project that will put nutritious meals in the hands of Hondurans. At the third-annual Kids Against Hunger (KAH) food packing event, they bagged and sealed about 200,000 dry rice and protein meals that will arrive in Honduras within weeks...

Failed bottle bill means uncertainty for Can Farm (05/12/08)
The Can Farm's future hangs in the balance after legislation to double redemption handling fees failed again this year. Owners Mark and Cheryl Juhl may have to close their doors after 15 years of service. "We don't know what we're going to do," Mark Juhl said. "We're going to take a look at everything and see if we can make it work."...

Gehlen Catholic spring band concert is Thursday (04/29/08)
With an eclectic mix of traditional concert band music and Disney tunes, Gehlen Catholic Schools' band students will present their annual spring instrumental music concert this week. All the band students in grades 4-12 will present their concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 1, in the Gehlen Gymnasium. The concert will also be a time to say "farewell" to 13 graduating seniors...

Volunteers needed for food-packing event (04/25/08)
Two hours of your life can translate into hundreds of meals for malnourished people around the world. Gehlen Catholic School is seeking volunteers and sponsors for this year's Kids Against Hunger food-packaging project, planned for Friday, May 9. Volunteers will work alongside students and staff to pack, weigh and seal bags of dried rice and protein meals which will be shipped overseas, mainly to Honduras...

LCS students will compete state National History Day competition (04/24/08)
Le Mars Community Schools will send 11 students to the National History Day state competition in Des Moines on April 28. Forty-seven Le Mars Community Middle School students and one Le Mars Community High School student participated in the Northwest AEA National History Day district contest held on March 14, with the 11 chosen for advancement to the state competition...