Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
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Homecoming festivities at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn kick off next Monday and run through Friday, when the Hawks take on rival South O'Brien at Peterson Field at 7 p.m. Coronation is slated for Tuesday, Oct. 1 in the H-M-S Event Center at 7 p.m. The pep rally is set to begin Friday, Oct. 4 at 12:45 p.m., with the parade to follow at 2:15 p.m. in downtown Hartley. The community is invited to participate. Ten seniors are vying for the king and queen crowns next week. QUEEN CANDIDATES Jamie Diaz, of...
Students at Clay Central/Everly Elementary are keyed up for one of the biggest weeks of the year. Sept. 23-27 marks Homecoming at CC/E. Though it may look different than when the district still had grades 7-12, Maverick pride is pulsating. "We are so excited about Homecoming, because keeping our school spirit and the pride of being a Maverick alive matters greatly to the generations that have come before us and those that will follow," said CC/E Director of Student Services Michelle Huntress....
One more structure in downtown Hartley hit the ground last week. The garage behind the old Capitol Theatre was demolished by James Vogt and crew. Vogt earlier this month demolished the former Real Reflections salon and remaining front portion of the former Create-A-Craft building. A cistern was revealed during demolition of the garage, which has since been filled in. City officials hope to remove the condemned Capitol Theatre next year if grant funding is secured through the state. Recent...
A changing of the seasons is upon us here in northwest Iowa. Though my grass quit growing a long time ago, I’m noticing more leaves in the yard each morning. There’s an occasional bite in the air and the days are shorter now, too – fall has arrived. I’m pretty happy about it. I know that’s an unpopular opinion, as summer is usually most folks’ favorite season. I’m a fall and winter guy through and through – mainly because I can be a hermit. I’m tired of having an itinerary all the time. That doesn’t mean I have nothing to do. I keep making e...
Dr. Emma Coburn has been all smiles since returning to northwest Iowa to pursue her dream. The new dentist joined Van Hofwegen & Munter Family Dentistry in July. A Hartley native and 2016 H-M-S High School graduate, Coburn has felt right at home thus far. "It's nice to be around people who know you, care about you and say hi in the grocery store," she said. "It's been awesome seeing all the familiar faces." After graduating from high school, Coburn attended Minnesota State University in Mankato...
Ongoing discussion about flood-related repairs and future mitigation efforts highlighted the Everly City Council's meeting on Monday. The council reviewed two bids for fencing work at the city's sewage treatment ponds. The chain-link fence that surrounds the perimeter of the ponds was severely damaged during the flood in June, which necessitated repairs. Action was tabled on the two submitted bids due to discrepancies in estimates. Mauer Company, of St. Paul and Omaha, submitted a bid of...
Though floodwaters receded two months ago, disaster recovery continues to progress in O'Brien County as autumn nears. Emergency Management Director Jared Johnson reported last Friday that O'Brien County has had 757 valid registrations for FEMA Individual Assistance since June's floods. With the application deadline recently extended to Oct. 22, he expected that number to grow slightly as appeals get settled and late applications are filed. "It was just so widespread, and every community in the c...
September's arrival has area farmers eager to harvest corn and soybeans that faced their fair share of adversity this year. Torrential rainfall early in the growing season hampered fields across northwest Iowa. Many farmers had to wait longer than normal to get their planting completed, while others had to replant portions of their fields altogether due to drown outs. Once the deluge stopped, an extended dry spell moved into the area. Even with the hardships, local ag experts are expecting a...
Hartley finances received a passing grade during its annual review. Accountant Tim McCartan on Monday highlighted the yearly audit with Hartley City Council members. He reported good numbers with few issues noted. "All in all, you're in very strong cash positions," he said. 2024 Fiscal Year receipts totaled $6,295,015, with expenditures tallying $6,188,508 for a cash basis financial position of $106,507. McCartan reviewed specific funds in addition to overall revenues and expenditures. He also...
A brief glance at the calendar this week had my eyes popping. We’re nearly halfway through September and the calendar shows no signs of slowing down. Snow will be flying before we know it. The arrival of fall was welcomed in my house. While I know it’s still technically summer, school has started, which means it’s fall. My kids were more than ready for classes to begin and so were we – summer break had certainly run its course. The school year started out rough for kindergartener Cece, but it had nothing to do with the classroom. She fell of...
Area residents will be able to take a much-needed breather over the next week thanks to The World's Greatest County Fair. The Clay County Fair begins Saturday and runs through Sept. 15. In the wake of this year's devastating floods that slammed Spencer and the surrounding area, Fair Manager Jerome Hertel believed everything is a little more important in 2024. "This year, the Clay County Fair is more than just an event; it's a celebration of the resilience and community spirit that define...
A long list of open enrollment requests created debate for the Clay Central/Everly school board on Aug. 28. Twenty applications were submitted for approval prior to the meeting. Of that list, four students had attended CC/E last year. The rest either recently moved into the district from another, were older than sixth grade, or lived in the district but did not attend CC/E in the past. "It's a big number," Superintendent Kevin Wood said of the list. "We knew we'd be having that discussion here....
Christmas came early last week for Everly residents affected by recent flooding. Members of the library board handed out gift cards across town to people who experienced water damage in June. The gifts were made possible by disaster recovery grants from the Clay County Community Foundation (CCCF), which has been doling out funds to local non-profit organizations in the wake of the flood. Everly Public Library Director Christie Seivert applied for money to buy gift cards for Everly residents....
James Vogt was busy Tuesday afternoon demolishing the former Real Reflections building in downtown Hartley. Also demolished that afternoon was the front of the former Create-A-Craft building directly to the north. A majority of the structure was removed last fall, which uncovered irreparable issues with the hair salon's adjoining wall. Also on Vogt's slate was the garage behind the former Capitol Theatre. The rest of the condemned building is hoped to be removed next year. Each property is...
School only started last Friday, but big changes have already taken place at Clay Central/Everly Elementary this year. The 2024-25 school year marks the first at CC/E with combined grade levels. This fall, the fifth and sixth grade classrooms are combined, as are the third and fourth grades. Though the year is young, CC/E Director of Student Services Michelle Huntress has been pleased. "Our two multi-grade classrooms are going super well," she said. "We are a team at CC/E. We help each other so...
Several new teachers greeted students at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn last Friday when they entered their classrooms for the 2024-25 school year. Seven instructors joined the H-M-S staff roster this year. Though some have a few years of teaching under their belts, others in the group are logging their first semester this fall. Haley Bonin is the new fourth grade teacher. She recently graduated from Buena Vista University with an Elementary Education License and Special Education Endorsment. Bonin was...
The Everly City Council on Aug. 19 discussed additional grant opportunities to purchase flood mitigation equipment and emergency supplies. City Clerk Kristi Fliss was instructed to investigate grants through the Clay County Community Foundation's (CCCF) emergency funds. According to discussion, the city needs an extra trash pump and supplies at the Hap Ketelsen Community Center for displaced residents. "I think you go for all of it," said Mayor Ron Thompson. Everly was slammed by flooding in...
Local residents peppered Sen. Chuck Grassley with a variety of questions during a town hall meeting Monday afternoon in Ocheyedan. The 90-year-old Republican from New Hartford greeted a dozen guests during the event, which was held at the Senior Activity Center. Many of the questions centered on agriculture issues like the Farm Bill. The quinquennial piece of federal legislation was last passed in 2018 and is due for an update. Grassley expected another extension this year as the new bill...
Dr. Zachary Ney had a pretty good idea where he wanted to end up when he graduated from optometry school. Right back where it started. "I wouldn't necessarily say I always knew I would work with Jill, but deep down I probably did," he said. "Ultimately I wanted to come back home and serve the community that I have a lot of respect for." Ney joined Dr. Jill Kunzman at Sibley Eye Care and Northwest Iowa Vision Therapy late last month. The son of Beth and Kelly Ney and a 2016 graduate of...
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 Aug. 16-18. Like years past, the annual event once again features a variety of attractions to entertain the masses. "We've got a lot going on and lots of stuff for all ages," said City Clerk Kristi Fliss, who is one of the event's organizers. "We invite everyone to come see what we've got going on around town." New this year is a...
Officials at Clay Central/Everly and Sioux Central are slamming the brakes on a new sharing agreement between the two school districts. CC/E Superintendent Kevin Wood, who also serves the same role at Sioux Central, said a sharing agreement would not be in place for the 2024-25 school year. The CC/E school board in April signed off on a whole-grade sharing plan with Sioux Central while keeping its existing whole-grade sharing agreement in place with Spencer. “The holdup was drawing a line or b...
Three more structures will hit the dust in downtown Hartley later this year. The city council on Monday approved a bid of $7,500 from James Vogt to remove the front of the former Create-A-Craft building and tear down the former Real Reflections salon next to it. Additionally, the bid includes removal of the garage behind the old Capitol Theatre. "It's a great price for all three," said Council Member Nick Galm. Vogt's bid for the beauty salon included backfill dirt for the basement. It also incl...
A packed schedule loaded the plate for Hartley Summer Celebration attendees last weekend. "It might have been a million degrees out, but it did not rain," said Summer Celebration Committee member Rachel Wilson. "At least we were able to hold everything on the schedule." Though the temperatures soared, that didn't stop folks from showing up. "I think it was a pretty good turnout," Wilson said. "People had plenty to eat and plenty of things to participate in." Things kicked off Thursday night...
Sweeping changes will limit health care access in O'Brien County by October. MercyOne announced on July 26 that it plans to shutter its Primghar Medical Center by the end of September. Additionally, MercyOne clinics in Paullina and Sutherland will be closed and consolidated into its existing clinic in Primghar – Primghar Family Medicine – which is located directly south of the existing hospital. "We will focus our resources on clinic care to continue MercyOne's mission to provide hig...
Hartley's highly-anticipated new pool experienced no large issues during its first summer of service. Hartley Water Superintendent Terry Hilbert said the 2024 swimming season was a successful one. The pool was slated to open in 2022, but errors made by the contractor during its construction pushed back the ribbon cutting to May of this year. "You know how it is with something new. Issues come up here and there, but there hasn't been anything major," Hilbert said. "It's been kind of a learning...
