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Voters in Storm Lake and Sergeant Bluff-Luton will vote tomorrow on school bond issues. School officials say growing enrollment means the districts will run out of space. The bond issues require a 60 percent "supermajority" to win approval. In Sergeant Bluff, the $33 million bond issue is smaller than three previous referendums and those failed overwhelmingly. The proposal calls for $26.6 million for a new lower elementary school and around $4.7 million for a new athletic complex. About $1.6 million, would go for site improvements.
The Storm Lake measure calls for a $15 million plan to construct a new early elementary school. Part of the money would be used for a new middle school gymnasium.
And, today Wells Enterprises of Le Mars announced another acquisition. The company that makes Blue Bunny ice creamed signed a purchase agreement with Eden Creamery to acquire the Halo Top brand. Halo Top provides a high protein, low sugar, and calorie dessert.
Wells is now the number two ice cream maker in the country and produces more than 200 million gallons of ice cream per year with distribution to all 50 states. They recently announced the purchase of a manufacturing facility in Henderson, Nevada from Unilever.
The University of Nebraska system's enrollment dropped again this fall.
Officials announced Monday that the total across the five campuses is down 1.4% from last year, to a little more than 51,000.
System officials say enrollment is up only at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
