Transportation Accidents

Council tables acceptance of Highway 3 project (03/18/10)
The Le Mars City Council put off accepting an engineer's statement to the Iowa Department of Transportation on the completion and owners contract for the Highway 3 widening project. City Manager Scott Langel acknowledged that the city had already, due to state legislative direction, in essence accepted the $721,701 project when the widened portion of the highway was opened last November...

Supervisors to take on mailbox versus road debate (03/18/10)
Are mailboxes sitting too close to county roads? The Plymouth County Supervisors decided Tuesday to look into the matter more thoroughly, after hearing concerns from local farmer Del Kellen. Kellen, who lives and farms south of Le Mars, said there's a problem with sight distance when it comes to rural mail carriers stopped along the K-49 and other county paved roads...

Floyd River floods, Big Sioux still rising (03/16/10)
The Floyd River overran its banks Monday, rising beyond flood stage of 20 feet by mid-day. "The current stage is 20.8 feet," said Mike Gillispie, hydrologist with the Sioux Falls National Weather Service. "I would anticipate that probably you're looking at another half foot rise in Le Mars," Gillispie said. "That shouldn't cause any huge additional problems."...

Big Sioux flooding, Floyd River could be next (03/15/10)
The Big Sioux River spilled over its banks in Akron Sunday and the Floyd River is threatening the Le Mars area. "We just hit major flood stage there (Akron)," said Mike Gillispie, a hydrologist with the Sioux Falls National Weather Service. "Major is where we really start impacting buildings, roads and things like that."...

Weinrich Truck Lines turns 50 (03/15/10)
Odds are you've bought or eaten something transported by Weinrich Truck Line. The Hinton trucking company turns 50 this year, marking half a century of transporting everything from oats for race horses to syrup for Coca Cola. The business started out with an agricultural focus and grew to meet needs with a fleet of 50 trucks, both dry vans for hauling dry goods and tankers for liquids...

LOST dollars could rebuild laundromat, buy laptops for school (03/15/10)
Twenty-nine area groups are vying for grants from Plymouth County's $100,000 Local Options Sales Tax grant pool. The requests range from $50,000 to demolish and rebuild the fire damaged Kraft Kleaners in Kingsley to $1,928 for the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department to buy rope rescue equipment to use with the aerial ladder fire truck...

Stelzer leads charge to gather donations for Haiti orphanage (03/11/10)
The congregation of St. John's Lutheran Church in Le Mars and member Kathy Stelzer are hoping they can make a difference for an orphanage in Haiti destroyed by the January earthquake. "After the earthquake, I wanted to find an orphanage in Haiti that needed some help," said Stelzer...

Vehicle drives into Education Station (03/11/10)
One employee said it sounded like a sonic boom. At about 4:15 p.m. Wednesday a van crashed into the glass front of The Education Station, according to the store's owner John MacGregor. "We were in the store, but no one was injured," he said. The driver, Bridget Ann Overman, 31, of Le Mars, was pulling into a parking spot in front of the education store and mistakenly hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes, according to a report from the Le Mars police...

Cyclists hope bike safety bill pedals through Legislature (03/04/10)
Last year a Plymouth County woman was hurt after being struck by a beer can while riding her bicycle along a country road. Erin Schroeder still gets butterflies in her stomach when she climbs on her bike. She hopes a proposed bicycle safety bill in the Iowa House of Representatives moves forward to help protect cyclists on the roadways...

Fire rips through roof of Le Mars home (03/02/10)
No one was injured in a Le Mars house fire that left a 6-by-8 foot hole in the home's roof Monday night. Police notified the Le Mars Fire Department at about 10:15 p.m. after receiving calls about a smokey odor in the neighborhood and seeing smoke coming from a house at 315 Sixth St. N.W...

Fire chief to hang up helmet after more than 40 years (02/26/10)
Le Mars Fire-Rescue Chief Wayne Schipper is about to start a new chapter in his life. Retirement. "I've had a pretty rewarding time," Schipper said. He will retire in June after 27 years as fire chief. He's been with the department 41 years. He started with the Le Mars fire auxiliary in the 1960s while still in high school, and since then rules for becoming a firefighter have evolved, Schipper said...

Proposed texting and driving ban receives local support, criticism (02/26/10)
As soon as this summer, Iowa drivers who text and drive might see flashing blue and red lights in their rear view mirror. The Iowa House and Senate have both passed their own versions of a bill that would ban texting and driving. However, they have to come to an agreement before the law can move forward...

Outlet malfunction likely cause of Remsen house fire (02/24/10)
A malfunction of electrical equipment in an outlet likely caused the fire that heavily damageda rural Remsen home last Friday. No one was injured in the fire at the home of Chad Homan, 45183 C-44 south of Remsen, but damages are estimated to be more than $100,000...

Fire chief retires this summer (02/24/10)
A man who has served 43 years with fire and rescue and 27 years as the Le Mars Fire and Rescue chief will be retiring this summer. Wayne Schipper, of Le Mars, submitted his letter of retirement in mid-January, giving his retiring date as June 30, 2010...

Outlet malfunction likely cause of Remsen house fire (02/23/10)
A malfunction of electrical equipment in an outlet likely caused the fire that heavily damaged the home of Chad Homan in rural Remsen last Friday. No one was injured in the fire at 45183 C-44 south of Remsen, but damages are estimated to be more than $100,000...

Kingsley fire ruled accidental (02/23/10)
The fire that burned Kraft Kleaners in Kingsley Saturday was likely caused by a natural gas leak in a supply line to a heater, according to the state fire marshal. "The building is considered a total loss and all of the dry cleaning equipment and laundromat equipment may possibly be a total loss also," Deputy State Fire Marshal David Schipper said in a news release...

Kingsley fire ruled accidental (02/22/10)
The fire that burned Kraft Kleaners in Kingsley Saturday was likely caused by a natural gas leak in a supply line to a heater, according to the state fire marshal. "The building is considered a total loss and all of the dry cleaning equipment and laundromat equipment may possibly be a total loss also," Deputy State Fire Marshal David Schipper said in a news release...

Kingsley cleaners burned but not beaten (02/22/10)
A 63-year-old Kingsley business went up in flames Saturday night but owners say they're staying in business. Fire crews were called to Kraft Kleaners and Laundromat at about 9 p.m. after a 911 call and were on the scene for about three hours. "There was a lot of smoke coming out of the building and you could see flames inside," Kingsley Fire Chief Scott Bohle said. "We had the main fire knocked down in about 30-40 minutes."...

Neither sleet, snow, or police prevent Milne from walking to work (02/17/10)
The postal service isn't the only thing that keeps going through all the winter elements. Nothing, not even traffic or police, keeps Richard Milne, of Le Mars, from walking to work. At age 62, Milne chooses to lace up his walking shoes to transport him on the nearly 3-mile one-way route to his job as engineering technician at the Plymouth County Engineer's office just north of Le Mars...

Potholes open up challenges for crews, drivers (02/17/10)
Warm winter weather does more than melt snow -- it helps create potholes. And they multiply every time the ground freezes and thaws creating more this year than ever. That's what makes it hard for street crews like Le Mars and the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) to keep up with temporary pothole repairs...

County working to make new disaster hazard plan (02/11/10)
The Plymouth County Supervisors is taking disaster preparation one step further in case of future disaster. The supervisors approved the county's participation in a Local Hazard Multi-Jurisdictional Grant Program Tuesday. "It's a FEMA requirement if we have a disaster and we're going to apply for state and federal assistance this plan has to be done," said Gary Junge, county emergency management coordinator...

Snow days adding up for Le Mars Community and Gehlen Schools (02/08/10)

Officials seek residents with yardsticks and rain gauges (02/08/10)
Needed: volunteers to measure snowfall, rainfall and other precipitation daily. In Plymouth County there are two National Weather Service Cooperative Observer stations, in Le Mars and Akron, where volunteers measure precipitation and temperatures daily...

Calling all newbies: Group welcomes people to Le Mars (02/04/10)
Newcomers to Le Mars -- you're not alone. Locals and other newcomers are waiting to meet you and welcome you to the community. Misty Szczech, a Le Mars transplant herself, started hosting meetings for newcomers in August 2008. Since then her ideas have grown and caught fire with others...

MidAmerican Energy calls for safety, continues storm restoration (01/26/10)
MidAmerican Energy reminds customers to take additional safety precautions as work continues to restore service to thousands of customers impacted by this week's ice storm. Today (Tuesday) MidAmerican Energy reported only one outage in Plymouth County...

Travel not advised on Highway 75, 60 north (01/25/10)
The Iowa Department of Transportation is reporting that travel conditions in northwest Iowa are extremely hazardous. Multiple roadways are being temporarily closed due to a high incidence of traffic crashes, including those involving high-profile vehicles...

Students to hold book sale for Haiti (01/22/10)
A group of eighth graders is working together to make a difference for earthquake victims in Haiti. The Le Mars Community Schools students in Tina Gray's last-period study hall are planning a used book and movie sale Tuesday. "It's to raise money for the people in Haiti and the Red Cross," explained eighth grader Margarita Waldman...

County declares Christmas blizzard a state of emergency (01/20/10)
The snowstorm that pummeled Plymouth County between Dec. 22 and 27, 2009 is officially a disaster. The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors approved a disaster declaration Tuesday, a formal step toward securing state and federal dollars to help pay for the blizzard cleanup...

Haitian visits change Le Mars woman's outlook (01/18/10)
Plymouth County is more than 2,000 miles from the epicenter of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated Haiti Jan. 12. But the aftershocks have traveled that distance to the hearts of people like Linda Kleven, of Le Mars. "When I heard this, my first reaction was that I have to go back," she said...

Le Mars KCs celebrate 100 years of service (01/18/10)
A Le Mars organization with a history of service in the community will observe its 100th anniversary this month. The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic, family fraternal organization which support services programs in their churches and community. The Le Mars council, Trinity Council 1466, was instituted Jan. 23, 1910, with the first meeting held Feb. 4, 1910, in the office of Dr. Fitzgerald in Sioux City. Sponsoring council was Epiphany Council in Sioux City...

Plymouth Oil safe after fire call (01/18/10)
It was probably the best-case scenario for a fire at Plymouth Oil near Merrill. There was minimal damage and no one was injured. Fire crews were called to the corn oil plant at 4:30 p.m. Saturday after plant manager Jim Cobb noticed smoldering corn germ in a building...

Plymouth County declares snow emergency (01/13/10)
Based on the amount of snowfall during the 2009 Christmas blizzard, a preliminary estimate for cleanup costs and damages is several hundred thousand dollars for Plymouth County. To receive state money to help pay for those damages, Plymouth County is in the process of declaring a snow emergency with the State of Iowa...

Fire damages Le Mars home (01/12/10)
No one was injured in a house fire in western Le Mars Monday morning but fire and smoke caused extensive damage to parts of the home. The Le Mars Fire Department responded to the fire at 105 Broadview Dr. in the Parkview Terrace subdivision near Highway 3 west after a passerby noticed smoke coming from the house...

Hinton school digging out after partial roof collapse (01/08/10)
Hinton Community School officials are dealing with the aftermath following the collapse of a 45-foot by 30-foot section of roof due to heavy snow. "It collapsed over our computer technology center," said Sue Martens, the school's high school principal. "There were 5- to 6-foot drifts up there, and that was a tremendous weight."...

Highway 3 west widening, city signs on 2010 project list (01/08/10)
Adding a lane to Highway 3 west of Le Mars will likely be one of the City of Le Mars' top projects in the works in the new year. Le Mars City Administrator Scott Langel sketched out the 2010 priority projects with the Daily Sentinel this week, noting the finalized list is yet to come...

Plows to be pulled, Highway 3 west down to one lane (01/07/10)
Iowa Highway 3 from Le Mars west to Highway 12 at the Akron/South Dakota border is limited to one lane, according to an advisory from the Iowa Department of Transportation. The DOT has also issued a warning that travel is currently not advised in all of western Iowa including Interstate 29 because of treacherous road conditions and blowing snow...

From drifts to piles: Cleanup continues after final flake falls (01/05/10)
Snow mounds dividing city streets and huge piles of snow in parking lots are diminishing -- but where's all that snow disappearing to? It's being scooped up with loader backhoes, with buckets that hold about a yard a quarter, put into trucks and taken to a dump site across Highway 3 west from the Le Mars Vet Clinic...

Budget time: Money sought for park ranger, emergency management, WIC (12/31/09)
County conservation, emergency management and Mid-Sioux Opportunities' directors made 2010-11 budgets requests Tuesday. The Plymouth County Supervisors did not make any decisions stating, instead, they will discuss all department's requests next week when they begin digging into budget preparation...

White Christmas: Le Mars gets wrapped under 13-17 inches of snow (12/28/09)
Pounded with more than a foot of snow and whipping winds, Le Mars hunkered down for a very merry blizzard this Christmas. "The snow just kept coming and coming," said Fire Chief Wayne Schipper, who also serves as the city's chief of emergency operations. "But everything went smooth here."...

Man catches Remsen house fire before too late (12/23/09)
By the time fire crews arrived, Will Peirson of Remsen already had the fire in his house mostly out. Remsen Fire Chief Doug Owens said the fire in Peirson's residence at 201 W. Fourth St. started before 6 p.m. Monday in a bedroom. Owens said the cause was a heater or an electrical short that started a fire...

Snow emergency?: Powder Players: Thinking outside the car (12/16/09)
A Plymouth County snowmobile club is teaming up with the local authorities, offering help in case of extreme weather. When a sheriff's vehicle can't get to a stranded motorists, the Powder Players might be able to, explained D.J. Kellen, the club's president...

Le Mars man killed in icy crash (12/09/09)
A Le Mars man was killed Tuesday morning in a pickup versus semi-trailer crash on icy roads. Juan Chagolla, 46, was pronounced dead on the scene after losing control of the pickup he was driving and crashing into the semi-trailer one mile north of Merrill on Highway 75...

City seeks state input on 12th Street crosswalk (12/02/09)
The idea of spending $9,000 for four push-button traffic pedestrian lights for student safety at the 12th Street and Third Avenue Southwest intersection prompted considerable discussion Tuesday for the Le Mars City Council. Council members plan to turn to the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) for help in answering the question before making their decision...

Jury finds Robinson not guilty in traffic death (11/27/09)
A Merrill man charged with vehicular homicide was found not guilty by a jury Wednesday. Danny Clyde Robinson, 50, faced the felony charge after being in an August 2007 collision on Plymouth County roads just north of Merrill that claimed the life of 78-year-old Fern Nielson, of Lake Norden, S.D...

Train safety project Tuesday (11/23/09)
Watch the railroad crossings Tuesday. Law enforcement officers will be watching at the tracks in Le Mars for crossing violators during an "Officer on the Train" project with the Union Pacific railroad. Tickets issued to motorists for failing to stop at the red crossing signals will cost a total of $195...

LCS board appoints negotiating team, purchases vehicle (11/13/09)
Opening negotiation sessions between teachers and the Le Mars Community School District will be held in December. In a letter to the school board president, the Le Mars Community Education Association (LCEA) notified the board of its intent to bargain, with the first bargaining session for the 2010-2011 master contract to be held at 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7...

Blaze destroys top of Hinton corn dryer (11/12/09)
Burning corn took out one of the Hinton Co-op's grain dryers Wednesday. The Hinton Fire Department responded to a 3:15 p.m. call reporting smoke coming from one of the two grain dryers at the Hinton Co-op. "There was a pretty good fire in the upper third of the grain dryer," Hinton Fire Chief Chad Beck said. "Corn in the dryer was burning and we don't really know why yet."...

Couple plans to build semi trailers at former grain site (11/10/09)
A Le Mars couple will be transforming a former grain mill site west of Le Mars into a manufacturing business for semi trailers. Clint and Leslie Chapman, now owners of the 3.59-acre property about 2 miles west of Le Mars on Highway 3, received approval Monday from the Plymouth County Board of Adjustment for a conditional use permit to manufacture live-bottom trailers at the site...

Moving house: Rectory leaves churchs ground for new home (11/05/09)
It's a strange feeling watching your house move down the road. That's what Donna Bliek said Wednesday after seeing her new 220,000 pound home lumbering down Highway 3. In August, she and her husband Ken Bliek purchased the former St. Joseph Church rectory -- a massive brick house located in northeastern Le Mars -- with plans to move it to land near Hinton and make it their family home...

Police to use text messages, e-mails to alert public (11/05/09)
You can now get free alerts from the police on your cell phone and e-mail. The Le Mars Police Department recently signed up for Nixle, a free program that allows community groups like law enforcement agencies to provide up-to-the-minute updates to the general public...

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