Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 871
Representatives from two local telecommunication companies had the ear of Gov. Kim Reynolds Aug. 30 in Hartley. Officials from Evertek and TCA hosted the two-term Republican governor at Savings Bank, where they gave an update on a joint fiber internet project that's ongoing in the area. Evertek Assistant General Manager Chris Dodd said Reynolds' visit gave both companies a unique opportunity to share ground-level observations regarding the installation of fiber in rural Iowa. "We got quite a...
Organizers of "The World's Greatest County Fair" are once again planning to give its slogan meaning. The Clay County Fair kicks off this Saturday and runs through Sept. 17. New Fair Manager Jerome Hertel is thrilled to welcome guests during his inaugural year. "We're looking forward to putting on a colossal celebration for everyone," he said. "Come out and enjoy the last big event of the summer." Hertel was hired by the fair board in March to succeed Jeremy Parsons, who left Clay County to becom...
Residents wishing to earn a spot on their local school boards and city councils have until mid-September to get their name on the Nov. 7 general election ballot. The filing period opened Aug. 28 and runs until Sept. 21 at 5 p.m. Residents can pick up nomination papers at their respective city hall, county auditor's office or by visiting the Iowa Secretary of State's website. Candidates must turn in all nomination materials to their city clerk or county auditor for council elections and board...
A familiar face is Hartley's new water superintendent. The city council on Aug. 31 agreed to hire Terry Hilbert for the open position during a special meeting. His wage was set at $31.25/hour. Hilbert succeeds Andrew Petty, and was the lone applicant for the open position. Hilbert previously served as superintendent of public works in Hartley for three years before retiring in 2018. Prior to that, he was water superintendent from 1995-2015 and also worked for the street department and police...
Progress took the form of demolition this week in downtown Hartley. A crew from Schmillen Construction tore down the garage in the back of 170 S Central Ave., on Tuesday. Across the street at the old Capitol Theatre, a crew from Site Services, of Algona, began removing all asbestos-affected material from the building's interior. Eventually, the building at 170 S Central Ave., which formerly housed Create-A-Craft, will be demolished. Hartley officials hope the theatre can be removed next year....
Clay Central/Everly Superintendent Kevin Wood on Monday said school board members should start considering the current state of enrollment numbers. As of Aug. 28, 50 students were in grades K-6 at CC/E. Wood noted that the kindergarten, second and third grade classes had five students apiece. "We kind of set a number at a work session awhile back, and we thought that magic number at the time was six," Wood said. "One thing we probably want to continue to talk about is what that is going to look...
Valero Renewables' plant in Hartley played host to a VIP on Aug. 25. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, stopped by the facility as part of his 99-county tour leading up to January's Iowa Republican Party Caucus. DeSantis was given a tour of the facility and chatted with Valero employees, including company Chairman Joe Gorder, who made the trip north from San Antonio. Hartley plant manager Kraig Kruger said the governor's visit was an "unbelievable...
Some ash trees in Everly are officially on borrowed time. The city council on Monday agreed to take down at least 34 ash trees in city rights-of-ways, with potentially more to come. City staff will review the condition of ash trees at Everly Community Park to determine if more need to be added to the list. "It sounds like we might need to pull that trigger and get rolling with it," said Mayor Ron Thompson. The 34 trees were determined to be in the worst condition. Gas Superintendent Josh...
Students at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn were greeted by several new teachers when they entered their classrooms on Wednesday. Eight new instructors and two new principals joined the H-M-S staff roster this year. Though some have an extensive background in education, others in the group are enjoying their first year in the classroom. Angela Berg is the new high school business teacher at H-M-S. She received her B.A. in Business and Marketing from Iowa State University, and her M.B.A. from Drake Univer...
Hopes for a usable new pool in Hartley are riding high. Work began this week to address issues that led to a failed inspection prior its planned opening last year. Crews from Eriksen Construction, of Blair, Neb., and Midwest Concrete Cutting, of Algona, were on site Monday to begin demolition of the pool deck. Work had progressed steadily as of press deadline, with several mounds of broken concrete and piles of rebar visible around the facility's perimeter. Side dumps had arrived Wednesday...
A scourge of water main breaks in Hartley last week caused headaches for both residents and city workers alike. According to Superintendent of Public Works Curtis Conaway, the first burst main occurred on First Street Southeast on Aug. 8. Four others were discovered on Aug. 10, the first of which happened in front of United Community Bank. Later that same morning, another was discovered by the Post Office and City Hall. Conaway on Monday said he was unable to comment on the suspected cause of...
Perfect weather and a busy schedule greeted visitors to Everly Community Days last weekend. Saturday featured kids' games at the park, vendor fair, food trucks, a bags tournament and the Cookie Memorial Mini-Golf Tournament. The contest was started in 2021 in memory of the late Kevin Cook, who died in 2020 of cancer. This year 173 participants registered to try their hand at 18 different holes located at residences and businesses across town. The night concluded with a street dance sponsored by...
Though Mother Nature tried her best to dictate otherwise, organizers of Hartley's Summer Celebration found a silver lining. "We had the biggest crowd we've ever had for the meal and dance on Friday night, and everyone had a lot of fun," said committee member Rachel Wilson. "Saturday was wet, but we were able to pull almost everything off that was on the schedule." The party started Friday night without a hitch. Visitors packed Neebel Park for the Lions Club supper and stayed for the youth...
It may have taken a lot of hard work, but the big smile on Emily Trojahn's face proves that everything was worth it. The owner of the Daily Grind in Hartley has been grinning from ear to ear this summer following the opening of her new coffee shop. Located in the former d-Lux Drive-Inn on Highway 18, the business has been thriving thanks to a steady customer base eager to sample the vast selection of drinks and treats it has to offer. "It's so refreshing to have people being appreciative and...
With classes about to resume and the sun setting earlier each evening, Everly is gearing up for one last summer party this weekend. Everly Community Days will be held Saturday, Aug. 12 and Sunday, Aug. 13. Like years past, the annual event yet again features a variety of attractions to entertain the masses. Saturday's full schedule kicks off with Bossy BINGO and a vendor fair, which will be held at the Hap Ketelsen Community Center. Visitors are encouraged to come check out the spread and get a...
Passersby at Hartley's new pool on Tuesday saw a rare sight. A small crew was on hand to install a temporary construction fence around the perimeter of the facility. According to City Administrator Roxann Swanson, any excitement about the activity should be met with caution. She said the temporary fence was being installed for potential removal of the permanent fence. Swanson did not say whether work to repair issues at the never-opened new pool was forthcoming in the near future "We're still...
I love college football. Specifically, I love the stupidity of it. I love watching a PAC-12 game at 1 a.m. on Sunday morning. I love that Iowa can win a football game 7-3 with two safeties and a field goal. I love watching Kansas beat Texas in overtime on a two-point conversion. I love watching a pointless game between Western Michigan and Central Michigan on a Wednesday night during a blizzard. It’s all so beautifully stupid. Last week, however, things became the bad kind of stupid. The PAC-12 collapsed in a day when Utah, Arizona and Arizona...
The most anticipated weekend of the year in Hartley is about to ignite. Summer Celebration kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday. A variety of new attractions and old favorites will have guests buzzing, and organizers are excited to welcome the masses. "We try to keep a basic schedule so people know what to expect, and then sprinkle in some new things to keep everything interesting," said Summer Celebration Committee member Rachel Wilson. "We're hoping there's a little bit for everyone this...
If it's happened in Hartley during the past 52 years, either Keith or Jackie Stoltz probably had something to do with it. The Hartley couple has been involved in nearly every local committee or cause spanning the last five decades, from the Thresher's Bee to the pool drive to the Lions Club to city council. Through it all, their love for the City With a Heart has only grown. "When we go away to places, it's always nice to come back home," said Keith. The Stoltzes came to Hartley as newlyweds...
Whether or not it's open next year is anyone's guess, but there's apparently some joint discussion happening among the entities behind Hartley's never-opened new pool. "The city, contractor and engineer are working together on a remediation plan," City Attorney Brandon Krikke said on Tuesday. "At this time that is the only update we have." Krikke on June 29 said the city council had not yet had a chance to discuss a decision by the Iowa Electrical Examining Board (IEEB) that approved a proposal...
Northwest Iowa crops are hitting the home stretch as harvest season creeps closer to the horizon. Local producers are reporting few major complaints thus far. Alic Mohni, an agronomist with Growmark FS, said things will be looking even better this month if the region gets well-timed precipitation. "If we can catch some moisture pretty soon here, I think things are going to be really good in the fall," he said. "We're kind of borderline right now and lacking a bit on reserves. So if we can get...
Father Kevin Richter is home. The O'Brien County native this month returned to the area to serve Catholic parishes in Spencer, Hartley and Primghar. He's been getting acquainted with the new faces in his flock, even though they may already be acquainted with him. "One of the things I like about coming to Spencer and O'Brien County is that it's back in the home territory," he said. "I was amazed on my first weekend already how many people knew me, knew my family, my parents, or aunts and uncles....
The yellowed clippings in scrapbooks at the Everly Heritage Museum may be frail, but they carry the weight of a significant period in the town's history. More than a dozen books filled with news clippings donated by former basketball players, their families and fans help tell the story of the community's stellar girls' basketball teams in the 1960s and 1970s. Museum volunteer Bev Rinehart spent more than a month this summer cataloguing the articles into an Excel spreadsheet to better organize th...
If anyone left Neebel Park dry on July 12, they should have received an award. The Hartley community's "No Pool, Big Problem" event was well attended for the second-straight year, drawing youngsters to the park for water-related fun. The event was hosted by the Hartley Fire Department, Hartley Emergency Ambulance Rescue Team and Hartley Parks & Rec. Featured were water fights, Slip n' Slides, sprinklers and other wet fun. Kids also had the chance to ride the fire department's vintage truck on a...
There's a unique story behind every item in the Patch-Eeten House Museum's military exhibit – just ask Howard Borchard. The Hartley man knows every detail behind each photo, uniform, gun, sword and patch in the upstairs display. After all, he spearheaded its creation and has spent 11 years overseeing its growth. "It's pretty well filled up now," Borchard said. "There are tons of stories here." Borchard passed the torch on Monday to Roy Wohlert, who will now head the exhibit with his p...
