News

LE MARS — The Le Mars Arts Center is geared up for the holidays with its Holiday Gift Shop. This year, the arts center has more than 20 area artists with unique art pieces on sale from now until Dec. 26. “We have more than 20 artists from Le Mars and the surrounding area,” said Le Mars Arts Council President Nancy Thoma. “While this is not our first time, it is the largest one by far.”...

LE MARS — Do you have a business or citizen in mind who you feel deserves recognition for the contributions they have made to Le Mars? If so, then make sure to get your nominations in for the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year and Citizen of the Year honors...

MARCUS — Administrators at Marcus-Meridan-Cleghorn will head back to the drawing board following the Nov. 5 election that left the district’s needs unsupported by voters. The MMC School District had three measures on the ballot — educational needs, community needs, and a change to the tax rate levy — which each required a 60 percent supermajority to proceed...

ARNOLDS PARK — The Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association has announced their Fall Rock the Roof Concert Series, held on Thursday, Nov. 21, will be a ROCK 4 VETS concert at the Majestic Pavilion in Arnolds Park. GALAXY with Glenn Henriksen will entertain. All veterans and current military personnel are admitted free. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show is from 6-8:30 p.m...

SIOUX CITY — “Music from the Harp” will introduce audience members to the 1,000 or so working parts on a harp. Mary Watts, symphony harpist, will present a program at the Betty Strong Encounter Center at 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 24. Admission is free; reception to follow...

SIOUX CITY — Briar Cliff University is proud to welcome former faculty members, Candice Coffin and Herbert Kuehne into emeriti status. Candice (Candi) Coffin (Ph.D) was a professor of biology from 1988 before retiring in 2018. While at Briar Cliff, Candice taught one-credit courses which included microbiology (designed primarily for nursing majors), principles of microbiology (designed for biology majors), genetics, nutrition, molecular and cellular biology, human biology and a variety of 1 credit courses.. ...

SPENCER — The Clay County Fair & Events Center announces the 2020 Winter Event Series, which will be held in the Clay County Regional Events Center: “PJ Masks Live!” on Saturday, Jan. 11; Arch Allies on Saturday, Feb. 8; Family Fest on Saturday, March 7; and Rock’n Bac’n Brew’n featuring The Dweebs on Saturday, March 28...

ORANGE CITY — Students from Northwestern College and Dordt University will display their artwork in Northwestern’s Te Paske Gallery Nov. 18 through Dec. 6. A public reception is scheduled for 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 20, in the gallery, which is located in the Korver Visual Arts Center...

VERMILLION, S.D. — Richard Seivert, director of Mission Honduras (MH) and Then Feed Just One (TFJO), announced on Wednesday, Nov. 13, ‘TFJO-University of South Dakota (USD)’ set a new record with this year’s packaging event. “They blew the lid off their previous high by packaging food for 22,680 children this year,” he exclaimed...

HAWARDEN — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey on Friday announced USDA has invested $7.2 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for rural households and farms in the Akron and Hawarden areas of Iowa and South Dakota...

PLYMOUTH CO. — Thirty-two members of the Plymouth County Vietnam Era Veterans Last Man’s Club, along with spouses and guests, gathered at the American Legion Hall in Le Mars Saturday, Nov. 9, for a time of honor and remembrance. This year marked the 20th banquet for the club, which was organized in November 2000. At Saturday’s banquet, 13 charter members were present...

LE MARS — Le Mars Fire and Rescue Chief David Schipper was recently named president of the Iowa Fire Chiefs Association. It was during the association’s annual conference on Saturday, Nov. 9, in Sigourney, that Schipper received the appointment. “It was a proud moment,” he said of the honor. ...

LE MARS — Le Mars Community High School will have 19 instrumental musicians be a part of the Northwest Iowa Bandmasters Association 2019 Honor Band Festival. Students auditioned for a place in the band on Nov. 9 at Storm Lake High School. LCHS Band Director Michael Pritchard said he was pleased with the number of students chosen...

LE MARS — It’s time to get into the holiday shopping spirit with the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce’s Shop, Save, Give promotion. Leading up to the holidays, the chamber has several different opportunities to support their local businesses while maybe reaping a few benefits along the way...

LE MARS — The Le Mars City Council heard from Le Mars Fire-Rescue Chief David Schipper concerning the Insurance Services Organization, or ISO, person who was in town Tuesday morning to do an evaluation of the city. “ISO is what several insurance companies use to evaluate fire insurance for properties for both businesses and homes,” Schipper said...

LE MARS — Dallas-based milk processor Dean Foods announced it and substantially all of its subsidiaries have initiated voluntary Chapter 11 reorganization proceedings in the Southern District of Texas. The company intends to use this process to protect and support its ongoing business operations and address debt and unfunded pension obligations while it works toward an orderly and efficient sale of the company...

LE MARS — After winning local, regional and state American Legion Auxiliary Poppy Poster Contest on Monday, Nov. 11, Cathy Popp, education chair for the Le Mars American Legion Auxiliary #241, announced Gehlen Catholic 7th grader Emerson Schmidt’s regional, state and national honors in the annual American Legion Auxiliary Poppy Poster Contest...

LE MARS — A man injured in a fire at the end of September has died from the injuries sustained by the accident. Jorge Orozco, 38, of Sioux City, died at Nov. 9, at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska, according to a press release issued by Le Mars Fire-Rescue...

PLYMOUTH CO. — Veterans across Plymouth County will be honored over the next several days. Veterans Day, originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938...

PLYMOUTH CO. — There will be some new faces on city councils and school boards across Plymouth County following Tuesday’s city/school election. In Plymouth County, a total of 2,526 ballots were cast, according to the Plymouth County Auditor’s Office. That represents 14.28 percent of the total 17,683 registered voters in the county...

LE MARS — What’s nicer then five? Six, of course. That is the number of Main Street Iowa Challenge Grants, the Le Mars Main Street Program has received since 2011. The sixth being awarded to Chris Ward, owner of the Hotopps building at 26 Central Ave. N.W., in a ceremony held by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) in Des Moines on Thursday afternoon...

LE MARS — Keeping a Main Street alive and thriving, while maintaining its historical identity, can be challenging, but once it is achieved the benefits are endless. Thanks to the Main Street Iowa Challenge Grant, offered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Le Mars is one of those communities who have been able to capitalize on revitalizing their downtown...

LE MARS — A World War II veteran from Le Mars has been honored with a Quilt of Valor. John Hart was presented with the quilt by quilter Ginny Freyermuth during a small ceremony at the American Legion Club on Oct. 28. Wayne Schipper, past commander of American Legion Wasmer Post #241, spoke briefly about Hart’s service to several legion members, legion friends, Hart’s wife Gwen, and other friends...

MERRILL — A Veterans Day Dinner and Dance in Merrill will serve as a fundraiser for the Midwest Honor Flight organization. Oleson-Halweg Post 125 at Merrill will host the event at the Kissinger Community Center Saturday, Nov. 9, starting with a dinner served from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Cost of the meal is $10, and includes ham, potatoes, baked beans, etc...