News

LE MARS — Monday was filled with meeting after meeting discussing preliminary plans for the arrival of RAGBRAI 2020 in Le Mars on July 17-18. It was announced at the end of January, that Le Mars was selected to be the host city for the start of the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) which will be held July 19-25...

LE MARS — The Le Mars Historic Preservation Commission will host “Restore, Replace Protect: How to Decide,” a workshop for owners of historic properties on March 7. The free workshop is open to owners of properties over 50 years old, with special focus on, but not limited to, Le Mars’ three historic districts — downtown, Foster Park and Municipal Park. It will focus on how to protect your property, and, how to decide between restoring or replacing historic features...

LE MARS — The Le Mars Community High School Jazz Band has qualified for the Iowa Jazz Championships set for April. The band qualified with a Class 3A first place finish at the Northwest Iowa Jazz Band Festival held Feb. 17 in Le Mars. There were seven bands in competing in Class 3A. A total of 31 bands competed in the four classes...

LE MARS — The City of Le Mars is looking forward to roadway improvements, including a whitetopping project on Seventh Avenue East (K-49) from 18th Street South to 24th Street South. That project is in the city’s five-year plan. At the Feb. 18 council meeting, the council approved an application to Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBS) for the Seventh Avenue East (K-49) project for fiscal year 2024 construction...

LE MARS — A dream that started when Charlie Mohning was a kindergartener was realized when he became a firefighter 12 years ago. Now today, another dream became reality when Mohning was named the new battalion chief for Le Mars Fire and Rescue. It was on Wednesday, Feb. 19, when Le Mars Fire and Rescue Chief David Schipper made the announcement...

LE MARS — 1 in 3 teens are in an abusive relationship. That statistic, was shared recently with Le Mars Community Middle School students by Cathy Van Maanen, Plymouth County domestic abuse advocate with CSADV, during a monthly assembly. Each month, students at the middle school have an assembly under the theme, “Be Different, Be Nice, Be an Upstander.”...

LE MARS — During the Feb. 18 Le Mars City Council meeting, several items were approved under the listing of consent items. One had to do with staffing at the Le Mars Police Department. Minimum staffing at the department has been at the level of 14 officers since September 2017...

LE MARS — The Le Mars Community School District’s Board of Education reviewed a request from Gehlen Catholic to seek a Title I third party service provider. LCS Curriculum Director Rachel Leavitt explained, “Every year our district receives Title I funds. ...

DES MOINES — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced the Sioux County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) will receive state funding to expand the water quality improvement (WQI) projects happening in the Floyd River watershed. The district will receive a grant for $872,700 over the next three years to help implement additional conservation practices to protect the West Branch of the Floyd River...

SPENCER — The Clay County Fair announces Herman’s Hermits featuring Peter Noone with special guest Gary Lewis & The Playboys as part of the SRG Concert Series in the Sleep Number Grandstand at the 2020 Clay County Fair at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 13...

SIOUX CITY — The Morningside College School of Visual and Performing Arts presents the All-America Concert Band in a concert to remind listeners of favorite childhood memories, “A Childhood Remembered,” at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, March 1, in Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Ave...

LE MARS — Floyd Valley Healthcare and Northwest Iowa Diagnostics continues to provide stroke screenings. The next screening will be offered from 12:30-2:30 p.m., Thursday, March 4, at Floyd Valley Healthcare. The public is asked to enter the hospital through the east entrance. Participants are offered three separate screenings at $40 each, or sign up for all three for $95...

MILFORD — The Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach Dairy Team will host a dairy design and management field day from 1-3:30 p.m., March 31, at Jones Dairy located at 2508 270th St., Milford. The program will specifically focus on design and ventilation of calf and heifer facilities, new research related to paired-calf management and the economics of heifer housing...

DES MOINES — The Mid-Iowa Council of the Boy Scouts of America will bring together central Iowa’s advanced manufacturing sector and government leaders in a first-of-its-kind effort to expand ways to prepare more Iowa youth for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related job fields...

LE MARS — The start of Lent is right around the corner and that means the return of the Knights of Columbus - Le Mars fish fry. Ash Wednesday, Feb. 26, will kick off this year’s community dinners from 5-8 p.m., at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 120 First Ave. N.E...

LE MARS — Le Mars Community High School will send five Large Group Speech entries to the Iowa All-State Large Group Speech Festival, with two of the groups performing on Saturday, Feb. 22. The five entries are: Group Mime - Dorothy’s Oz Adventure - Emily Carlson, Hailey Plueger, Madison Olmstead, Caleb Slattery, Chloe Calhoun and Adriane Stamer-Fuentes...

LE MARS — A call about a domestic assault at 5:33 p.m., Wednesday, turned into a search for the suspect that ended at about 10 p.m. According to a Le Mars Police Department press release, officers were requested to come to the Casey’s General Store for a female who was recently assaulted...

LE MARS — Traffic and turning at the 18th Street Southwest and Highway 75 intersection was a topic of discussion at Tuesday’s city council meeting. Council member Rex Knapp said he was still getting calls about it. City Administrator Jason Vacura reported on what has been discussed at the Public Safety Committee and what steps are and may be taken...

LE MARS — Get your ticket punched for a train ride in the snow as the Le Mars Community Theatre presents, “Murder on the Orient Express” beginning Friday, Feb. 21. The Agatha Christie novel, adapted for stage by Ken Ludwig, will run from Feb. 21-27, with shows at 7:30 p.m., each night and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m...

(Sentinel Photo by Allen Hamil) The Le Mars Community girls bowling team earned their sixth consecutive trip to the state tournament by shooting the top score of 2,830 at the state qualifying meet held at Sweet 16 Lanes on Tuesday. The Lady Bulldogs edged Fort Dodge by 12 to secure the automatic bid to the state tournament. The team advances to the Class 2A state tournament which will be held at Cadillac Lanes in Waterloo on Tuesday, Feb. 25...

LE MARS — Last Wednesday, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office swore in the newest member of their department. Gehlen Catholic first grader Boston Kneip took the oath and became the department’s first-ever Junior Deputy of a Day. Kneip received the experience after his parents, Troy and Noelle Kneip, had the winning bid on the silent auction item at the Floyd Valley Foundation’s recent fundraiser...

LE MARS — A third amendment for engineering services for the Water System Improvements project was on the city council agenda Feb. 4. The amendment included the design and construction of a sanitary sewer main as part of the project. City Administrator Jason Vacura explained the additional work is to extend a sewer line out the length of Lincoln/Lake Avenue on the south edge of Le Mars, to the proposed Well #14 site...

PLYMOUTH CO. — Several Plymouth County Historical Museum volunteers attended the museum board’s Feb. 11 meeting to voice their concerns about the conduct of some of the board members. During the open forum time, Eva Mouw read a prepared statement to the board and others attending, starting with, “There is a shadow hanging over this museum. I, and other museum friends, some of whom are here, are deeply concerned.”...

DALLAS, Texas — The Le Mars facility of the Dean Foods Company is amongst the list of entities which are a part of an asset purchase agreement. On Monday, Dean Foods Company announced it and certain of its subsidiaries have entered into an asset purchase agreement with Dairy Farmers of America (“DFA”) through which DFA will acquire a substantial portion of Dean Foods’ business operations...

(Family Features) — While family history and age cannot be changed, there are everyday steps men can follow to take charge of their health, including prostate health, and maybe even prevent problems down the road. Consider these tips to help lead a healthier lifestyle...