Remsen Bell

Kevin Ortmann, a volunteer EMT and fire fighter, and Public Works Superintendent for the City of Remsen, is battling a very aggressive and fast-growing form of brain cancer called Glioblastoma. Recently during surgery to remove the mass, Kevin suffered a stroke, which is slowing down his recovery. He remains in the hospital with the hopes of moving to a rehab center to help regain his strength and begin chemo and radiation...

REMSEN - Author Tommy Murray is coming to the Remsen Public Library on Monday, April 30 at 7 p.m. to speak about his book, “Fathers, Sons and the Holy Ghosts of Baseball”. The night will comprise of a brief reading and a discussion of what it’s like to grow up in a town where baseball is a religion. The library does have the book available for checkout...

PLYMOUTH CO. — Bids were awarded on six Plymouth County road projects at Tuesday’s (April 17) board of supervisor’s meeting. The first project, grading of 150th Street past the county landfill, received four bids from area contractors. Those bidding were Midwest Contracting of Marshall, Minnesota, with a bid of $528,934.30; Joy Dirt Construction of Cushing for $510,843.38; Cole Excavating of Greene for $572,997.90; and Peterson Contractors of Reinbeck for $421,520.25...

PLYMOUTH CO. — Three more projects have been approved for bid letting with the Plymouth County Secondary Roads Department. It was at last Tuesday’s meeting (April 10) when the board of supervisors approved a May 1 bid letting date for culvert projects...

AKRON — The Akron-Westfield girls and Remsen St. Mary’s boys golf teams each came away with a pair of victories as the Westerners hosted a War Eagle Conference triangular which also included Gehlen Catholic on Tuesday, April 17. Conditions were sunny, but a stiff breeze out of the east provided a few challenges and led to some chilly conditions...

AKRON — The Akron-Westfield girls and Remsen St. Mary’s boys golf teams each came away with a pair of victories as the Westerners hosted a War Eagle Conference triangular which also included Gehlen Catholic on Tuesday, April 17. Conditions were sunny, but a stiff breeze out of the east provided a few challenges and led to some chilly conditions...

IDA GROVE — KP-WC and OA-BCIG have had a bit of a rivalry in girls track over the past few seasons as the two teams have traded off wins at the Western Valley Conference meet the past several years. In what may have been an early preview of this year’s WVC meet, KP-WC came away with the team title at OA-BCIG’s home meet on Thursday, April 19, outscoring the runner-up Falcons 145-88...

Mrs. Wimmer’s second grade class at Remsen St. Mary’s started learning about individual states across the United States of America about a month ago. The “States Project” is meant to allow students to learn about culture and history of different states, and this project provides students the opportunity to show their knowledge to their classmates by giving presentations over a States Book that they create...

IDA GROVE — Nick Phelps turned his attention to the shot put and didn’t compete in the discus on Thursday, April 19, at OA-BCIG. The result was a personal best in the event with a throw reaching 66 feet, 5 1/2 inches. That surpasses his previous best mark set at the end of indoor season at 66-00.25. The throw moves him into third place in Iowa history in the event...

LE MARS - For the first time in 16 years, weather forced the postponement of the Art Pahl Accordion Fest from April 8 to this Sunday, April 15, in “Old Central” Gym at the Plymouth County Historical Museum in Le Mars. The accordion players are to be on stage by 1:30 to practice their group numbers. The show will start at 2 p.m...

MARCUS - All community members, parents, and MS/HS students are encouraged to join the conversation on Internet Safety, Human Trafficking, and Pornography, Wednesday April 25, 2018 at the Sawyer Center in Marcus from 6:30-8:00 p.m. A light supper of hamburgers/chips served starting at 5:30 p.m. will be served by the Cattlemen’s Association. Volunteer babysitters are provided. There will be a free-will offering to help with food, speaker, and future speakers...

PLYMOUTH CO. — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors approved a bid letting date of April 17 for six secondary road projects to be started later this summer. The first project presented by County Engineer Tom Rohe was for a bridge replacement on 190th Street between sections 18 and 19 in Johnson Township...

PLYMOUTH COUNTY — The weather hasn’t exactly cooperated this spring for Plymouth County’s track and field teams. While the county teams had a few indoor competitions, it will be a few weeks in between the indoor and outdoor seasons, leaving plenty of question marks for how athletes and coaches will adjust to getting outside whenever Mother Nature decides to let that happen. ...

Although Mrs. Green may be gone on maternity leave, her substitute Ms. Miller has kept the agriculture program going. Two classes currently use the sparkling new MMCRU greenhouse, Intro to Ag and Horticulture. In the greenhouse, students are in charge of cleaning the pen, watering and feeding the chickens, and gathering eggs. ...

MMCRU student Connor Sand and his teammates had the best hockey season of their lives recently. Sand plays for the Sioux City Metros and this season, they set numerous records including being named National Champions. The team had a fantastic regular season, ending with a record of 25-2-1. ...

Ten accordion players, including three women who will appear for the first time, are registered for the 16th annual Art Pahl Accordion Fest this Sunday, April 8, at the Plymouth County Historical Museum in Le Mars. Another woman, Carla Drost of Sheldon, will return for her 16th year, having never missed a jam...

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — A Le Mars, farmer and the MMCRU school FFA program need your help to make a difference in the community. Shirley Schroeder is one of 10 finalists in the second annual Power to Do More contest, sponsored by Resicore® corn herbicide from Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDupont™...

KINGSLEY — Three fire departments responded to an explosion at 27552 Polk Avenue Friday morning, March 23. The call reporting an explosion came to the Plymouth County Communications Center at 6:58 a.m. Kingsley Fire-Rescue was dispatched at 7 a.m., with Remsen Fire Rescue called at 7:05 a.m...

Family of Fred Ahlers set up a memorial fund to help make a donation to the Remsen Fire Department and Remsen EMTs. Through funds donated to the Fred Ahlers Memorial Fund, $1,000 for the Remsen Fire Department and $1,000 for the Remsen EMTs was raised. Members of the Fred Ahlers family presented the donations to the Remsen Fire Department and Remsen EMTs during the Remsen Firemen’s Breakfast, which was held on Sunday, March 25, 2018...

SIOUX CENTER — Several Plymouth County athletes got to hit the hardwood one final time in their high school careers at the Defender Gold Club/American State Bank High School All-Star Basketball Games held Saturday. The game has taken place annually at De Witt Gymnasium on the Dordt College Campus since 1996...

The MMCRU track teams traveled to USD in Vermillion on March 20 for their third meet of the season. The girls’ track team was able to get three top ten finishes at the meet. Aspen Woodall placed 6th in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:06.51. Peyton Turner placed 8th in shot put with a heave of 33’10.75”. Kaitlyn Goth placed 10th in the 1600 meter dash with a time of 6:13.19...

One student from Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn/Remsen Union has been selected to participate in the 2018 Individual All-State Festival on March 26 in Cedar Falls. The opening ceremony was at 8:30 a.m. in the McLeod Center on the University of Northern Iowa campus...

GRIMES — The 42nd Annual Iowa Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Games were held Saturday, March 24 at Dallas Center-Grimes as a few Plymouth County players were represented at the event. Kingsley-Pierson’s Addison Hirschman represented the Northwest Iowa girls team while Le Mars Community’s Will Pottebaum and Remsen St. Mary’s Nicholas Ruden played for the boys squad...

The MMCRU archery club traveled to Des Moines to compete in the state 3D tournament. In addition to the 3D team, MMCRU brought a solo shooter, Brynn Jones. The 3D team was very nervous, because this was their very first time going to state. The 3D team competed against 479 shooters and 49 schools. The 3D team may have been nervous, but they ended up placing 19th. This is a pretty high rating, considering that this was the first year that MMCRU has had an archery team...

LE MARS - The Northwest Iowa Genealogical Society (NWIGS) will meet at the Le Mars Public Library, 46 1st Street SW, Le Mars, on Saturday, March 17. For this month’s program, the group will congregate in the genealogy collection area at 1:30 p.m. where society volunteers will demonstrate the use of the library’s microfilm viewer. ...