Technology Issues

The Browns plan for Le Mars concert (10/02/08)
The Browns will be singing in Le Mars this weekend. The musical family is performing in concert at their home church, Le Mars Bible Church, 6:00 pm. Sunday, Oct. 5. The Browns will perform old favorites and songs from their brand new compact disc release "A New Day."...

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...

Speakers urge local leaders to consider possible threats (10/01/08)
Maybe it will be an ice storm. Maybe a pandemic flu. Or maybe a terrorist strike with chemical weapons. Disaster is always on the horizon -- at least that was the message at a "Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail" videoconference that brought together local leaders from Le Mars and in six other states...

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...

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."...

Orange City woman to step into library director's shoes (09/23/08)
Sue Kroesche enjoys books and library technology. She will put those interests to use along with her experience and education as new director of Le Mars Public Library, effective Oct. 6 pending final approval by the library board of trustees at the end of this month...

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...

New feeding clinic may help children eat (09/19/08)
Some children don't like to eat or have difficulty eating. Floyd Valley Hospital's new children's therapy services will try to determine why and how to overcome those problems through its feeding clinic using sensory and motor equipment. Erin Schroeder, OTR/L, an occupational therapist, said those tools, like a trampoline, an obstacle course, a slide and a large ball, can help settle a child down in preparation for eating...

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...

Supervisors delay decision to repair floors at Pride Group home (09/17/08)
The Plymouth County Supervisors put the matter of restroom floor repairs at a residential facility operated by Pride Group Inc. on hold Tuesday. The supervisors directed Mike Porter, CEO of Pride Group, to obtain a firm cost estimate to fix floors in four showers and two bathrooms at the residential care facility (RCF) on Highway 3...

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...

Landfill amnesty days set for next weekend (09/12/08)
The City of Le Mars is offering three more days of free dumping for certain items at the Plymouth County Landfill next weekend Sept. 18, 19 and 20. For these days, the city is declaring an amnesty from the landfill disposal cost for up to 1,000 pounds per household of "throw away" material...

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.

Work on GIS website puts Plymouth County on the map (09/02/08)
Plymouth County's success with owning and operating a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) website will soon be known around the world. Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise, owner of AutoCad Map 3D software used on the county's GIS website, wrote a customer success story that will be published in the company's trademark magazines, displayed at GIS conferences and on its website...

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...

Users need to protect computers against security threats (08/29/08)
Experts say there are no foolproof methods to keep home or corporate computers safe from security breaches, but taking precautions helps deter attackers. "The best practice is to keep everything up to date, anti-virus and anti-Spyware programs, and use it (computer) responsibly," said Jerry Christiansen, owner of Computer Crossing. "That's not a hundred percent guarantee that it won't get hit with something, but it does decrease the odds."...

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...

Cell phones beat landlines in Iowa (08/21/08)
Will cell phones eventually replace landline telephones? In Le Mars, store managers from Verizon Wireless/Wireless World and Frontier Communications, are on opposite sides of the debate. "The future is wireless," said Steve Harrington, Verizon manager. "People now are carrying cell phones. They all say this is their main form of communication."...

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."...

Wind blows Texas oilman in to Le Mars to talk energy (08/15/08)
He may be 80 but an audience member still called T. Boone Pickens a "rockstar." The Texas oilman and billionaire landed his jet at the Le Mars airport Thursday afternoon to spin to Iowans his plan for reducing U.S. dependency on foreign oil. His idea: shift to using more wind energy and natural gas -- two things in which the nation is rich...

Japanese students learn Iowa life from local families (08/13/08)
Brian and Sarah Kehm have an extra sister in their house for a month. She's 16. She likes to shop. She likes pop music and video games. And she's a black belt in karate. Shoko Harashima, a Japanese teen, is living with the David and Janet Kehm family for most of August. She's part of a group of 26 Japanese students living with 4-H families in Iowa from July 24 to Aug. 21. Five of those 4-H families are in Plymouth County...

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...

Building on education: LCS addition nearly complete (08/07/08)
With only two weeks until school starts, teachers and staff at Le Mars Community High School and Middle School are busy putting the finishing touches on moves to new classroom space and computer labs and looking forward to the new middle school gymnasium...

Sen. Harkin suggests alternatives to combat oil prices facing country (08/07/08)
Americans are addicted to oil. Sen. Tom Harkin told Plymouth County residents gathered Wednesday at Lally's Eastside Restaurant that addiction is the reason for the continued increase in oil prices. "When you're addicted to something, you just continue to feed the addiction," Harkin said...

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 searches for solutions to indoor pool problems (08/06/08)
alse alarms on the fire alarm system. Temperature spikes. Ventilation system running non-stop. Computer lock ups. Since it opened in March 2007, the Le Mars Indoor Aquatic Center has been plagued with heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) problems...

SRTS will offer rides to country music festival (08/06/08)
Those attending the country and bluegrass festival later this month can catch a ride with the Siouxland Regional Transit System (SRTS) at its regular fee rate. Supervisor Don Kass told the Plymouth County Supervisors Tuesday a SRTS bus will be available within Le Mars to take people to and from festival, which will be at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds...

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...

Le Mars composer makes musical notes come alive (07/30/08)
David Moore began writing melodies as a teenager. "I started dabbling when I was in high school just kind of messing around," the Le Mars man said. "I actually did a couple of arrangements for my jazz band experimenting a little bit." Since then, a band instructor by day, Moore has composed full concert band and smaller solo, piano and ensemble pieces...

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."...

Landfill amnesty days added this weekend (07/28/08)
The City of Le Mars is offering two more days of free dumping for certain items at the Plymouth County Landfill Aug. 1 and 2. For these days, the city is declaring an amnesty from the landfill disposal cost for up to 1,000 pounds per household of "throw away" material per household...

Plymouth Oil may receive $1.2 million in tax benefits (07/22/08)
The State of Iowa pledged about $1.2 million in tax incentives to a plant near Merrill that will make corn oil for food and cooking. The $30 million Plymouth Oil plant is planned next to the 50-million-gallon Plymouth Energy LLC ethanol plant near Merrill. The projected completion date is July 31, 2013, according to an Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) spokesperson...

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...

Grassley gives his take on fuel crunch at Le Mars meeting (07/01/08)
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley praised ethanol and drilling for more oil in the United States during his stop at a Le Mars town hall meeting where concern about energy and food prices was the prevailing mood. Speaking to a crowd of about 50 people at the American Bank Monday, Grassley responded to questions about fuel prices by presenting his idea for an energy program...

After 30 years: Meyer will pass torch to new auditor (06/19/08)
Mentor, friend, boss, elected official, community leader. K. Kae Meyer has carried a variety of titles throughout her 30 years in the auditor's office. That will come to an end Dec. 31 when she hangs up her hat as Plymouth County auditor and passes the torch to the next person elected...

Corn oil plant seeks property tax relief from county (06/18/08)
A proposed $30 million corn oil plant near Merrill inched closer to reality this week. The Plymouth County Supervisors on Tuesday approved five years of property tax relief for Plymouth Oil L.L.C. The first year will be a 75 percent break declining to 15 percent in the fifth year...

LCS administration makes the move (06/17/08)
Now there's a cornfield between the Le Mars Community Middle and High Schools and the district's new central office. The LCS administrative staff moved last week to the former Wells' Dairy headquarters on Lincoln Street Southwest. Along with the district superintendent's office and business office, the schools' technology and printing will also be based there...

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...

You Docs Podcast: Wear your sunscreen (06/05/08)
The YOU Docs -- Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz -- are authors of the best-selling "YOU: The Owner's Manual" and "YOU: On a Diet." var inlinePlayerParameters = {"f":"IALEM","mk":"en-ap","containerId":"inlinePlayerContainer","type":"ByUUIDS","prop1":"b7447592-1bfd-4262-919d-a8e88bde5b44","prop2":"IALEM","skin":"0","headlineColor":"#AB0110","borderColor":"#BBDDEE","padding":"4","sort":"Default","sortdir":"Descending"};. ...

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...

Landfill amnesty days this weekend (06/03/08)
The City of Le Mars is offering a free dumping for certain items at the Plymouth County Landfill June 5, 6 and 7. For these Spring Clean Up days, the city is declaring an amnesty from the landfill disposal cost for up to 1,000 pounds per household of "throw away" material per household. The garbage must be delivered to the landfill. The City of Le Mars will pay the bill for that garbage, and it will not billed to the household...

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...