News

LE MARS — The Le Mars Area Chamber Golf Open tees off with a shotgun start on Tuesday, Aug. 9, at Willow Creek Golf Course in Le Mars. Registration forms are now available and hole sponsorships are available. “We have just started our quest for sponsors, we are hoping to fill each hole with a sponsorship. ...

LE MARS — Following its regular meeting June 21, the Le Mars City Council went into closed session to conduct a performance review for City Administrator Jason Vacura. A motion was made to enter closed session per Iowa Code Section 21.5i to evaluate the professional competency of an individual (city administrator) whose appointment, hiring, performance, or discharge is being considered when necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to that individual’s reputation and that individual requests a closed session.. ...

LE MARS — Being a parent is no easy task. Concerns consume them daily from raising their children with the right values, to keeping them safe and healthy, to nurturing them to become a valuable citizen in their community. And when their children aren’t with them they want to make sure they are being adequately cared for by people who carry the same beliefs they do...

LE MARS — The Rev. Dr. Michel O. Lundula has served as pastor at United Methodist Church of Le Mars since July 2016. On Sunday, June 19, he gave his last sermon as pastor of the church. Lundula has been appointed district superintendent of the Camp Clear Lake District by Iowa Conference Bishop Laurie Haller...

LE MARS — Two items on the agenda for the June 21 city council meeting involved setting public hearings for infrastructure projects. The first project discussed was the Hawkeye Avenue and 12th Street Southwest Intersection PCC Replacement Project. Portions of the area are showing severe cracking and failure. City Administrator Jason Vacura noted the project is not a complete removal and replacement of the entire intersection but a replacement of those areas that are failing...

PLYMOUTH CO. — Superintendents for the 2022 Antiques and Collectibles open class at the Plymouth County Fair have announced the classes for this year. Each year, the classes change to allow for different types of articles to be highlighted, according to superintendents Karen and Vern Harrington...

LE MARS — The Northwest Iowa American Legion Riders reached out to several veterans with a gift of money Sunday afternoon, June 12. The group gathered at O’Toole Park in Le Mars for their appreciation lunch and monthly meeting to make the presentation...

LE MARS — New staff organization for the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce was announced Monday by Chamber Board President Michaela Brown. “Lori French, current Main Street Director, has been promoted to the position of Chamber/Main Street Director. In this capacity she will oversee chamber and Main Street program activities,” Brown said...

LE MARS — Entries for the Le Mars 2022 Fourth of July parade are needed by Monday, June 27. Due to new parade rules established by the City of Le Mars, all entries must be registered in advance. Julie Arens of Le Mars is coordinating the parade entries...

LE MARS — A Le Mars business is one of five to advance to the state pitch competition of the Open4Business competition. Hardware Hank Owner Scott Pageler competed in a virtual interview on June 15 with a panel of judges who watched his video and then asked questions about his idea...

LE MARS — Amy Anderson says it’s “just time for a new adventure,” as she prepares to retire from her position as Le Mars Community Middle School art teacher. Anderson, who lives in Sioux City, has been with the district for 33 years. “Yes, I have commuted to Le Mars for 33 years in all kinds of weather,” she said. “I really did love the drives to prepare and debrief my brain to and from work.”...

REMSEN — The band departments of Remsen St. Mary’s and MMCRU Schools are the recipients of a donation from the Midwest All Music Association (MAMA). MAMA board members Dan Ruden and Dean Rhodes made the presentation recently. The checks were presented to Kathy Brandt, Remsen St. Mary’s Music Department head, and Emma Davis from MMCRU...

Le Mars Fire-Rescue and Emergency Services first responders held a special Haz-Mat training exercise at the Wells South Plant on Wednesday as part of their weekly training. The training was a joint simulated ammonia leak drill. In addition to the fire trucks and rescue vehicles that were on site Wednesday night, the training also featured the use of a smoke machine to simulate the ammonia leak...

REMSEN/MARCUS — The MMCRU FFA Chapter has five new FFA Iowa Degree awardees. Gunnar Grage, Sophie Hohbach, Matthew Kollbaum, Carson Loutsch and Kaden Neddermeyer were presented the honor during the Iowa FFA Leadership Conference in Ames. Students are selected on the basis of an application process in which they describe in detail their SAE (supervised agricultural experience). ...

LE MARS — Participants in the Le Mars Community Youth Theater have been busy preparing for their Ice Cream Days performance at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, June 18, on the Olson Cultural Events Center stage. Co-directors for the project are Melanie Sailer and Tina Laskie...

AKRON — Akron-Westfield High School junior Alexa Swoyer was recently awarded the FFA Iowa Degree at the Iowa FFA Leadership Conference in Ames. FFA members go through an application process which is reviewed to determine if they will receive the award, according to Akron-Westfield Agriculture Education/FFA Advisor JaCee Hogue...

LE MARS — There are many reasons for knowing when to make the decision to retire. Julie Theisen said it was her gut instinct telling her it was time for a change. Since 1990, Theisen has been the teacher at the Le Mars Alternative High School for the Le Mars Community School District...

LE MARS — The Le Mars Community School District Board of Education gave its approval to an agreement between the district and Mid-Sioux Opportunity, Inc. Head Start. The agreement allows for the LCSD to provide transportation to children of Le Mars Head Start who are within the district’s boundaries and neighboring school district boundaries...

REMSEN — The Remsen Police Department has welcomed a new member — Bear a K9 drug dog. Bear is a 2 1/2 year old black lab who makes his home with Police Officer Cain Junkman. “I re-homed Bear from a family in the Orange City area,” Junkman said. “I was working here and knew I wanted to eventually train a drug dog, and Bear fit the qualities for a drug dog. He has a very high drive.”...

LE MARS — What better way for a family to spend time together then taking in a movie? Total Motors is once again serving as the host site for the Ice Cream Days Festival’s drive in movie on Thursday, June 16. This year’s feature presentation, “Frozen,” will be shown at 8:30 p.m. in the Total Motors parking lot, 801 Hawkeye Ave. S.W...

LE MARS — Nine Le Mars Community High School FFA members were honored with the FFA Iowa Degree award during the Iowa FFA Leadership Conference in Ames. Students honored were Calla Langel, Ethan Lee, Jacob Harms, Wade Fisher, Larissa Sitzmann, Jamison Marienau, Bailey Brady, Sophie Beitelspacher and Juan Sanchez...

LE MARS — Le Mars Fire-Rescue and Emergency Services Chief David Schipper took time at the June 7 city council meeting to update members on firework sales in city limits. He said he had already received a couple of calls about fireworks and wanted the council and public to know the rules...

REMSEN — She began her teaching career 34 years ago when she took a job with the Remsen-Union School District as an elementary teacher in the fall of 1988. Now at the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year, Laurie Lamb is officially retired, ending her career as a third grade teacher...

LE MARS — The 2022 Primebank Ice Cream Social at 6 p.m., Thursday, June 16, will once again host a reunion of The Noteables, a group of Le Mars Community High School alumni musicians, band directors and friends. The Noteables were a high school stage and jazz band during the 1960s and 1970s, directed by Joe Brice, longtime LCHS band director, who returns to direct the band...

LE MARS — Scoopfuls of fun await at this year’s Ice Cream Days Festival, June 16-18 in Le Mars. The 2022 festival has been completely reimagined starting with shifting the number of days from four to three. “We felt that reducing from four days to three days and really jam packing all the events into three days would be the best for the people who are coming in from out of town to enjoy the event,” said Shannon Rodenburg, executive planning committee member, Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce vice-president of marketing, and Wells Visitor Center manager. ...