Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
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Anyone hoping to divert their attention from big-ticket races at the federal level on Nov. 5 will find few distractions in O'Brien or Clay counties. Competitive races at the state or local level are few and far between. With the exception of races for president and U.S. House, voters in O'Brien and Clay counties should be able to breeze right through their ballots next week. On O'Brien County's ballot, incumbent Iowa House District 5 Rep. Zach Dieken (R-Granville) is facing no-party challenger...
A hectic growing season culminated in a rather calm harvest for farmers in northwest Iowa this fall. The year started with record-breaking precipitation numbers and finished markedly dry. During harvest over the past month, there was little standing in farmers' way as they blitzed through area fields unfettered. "The main thing this fall is that everything went really quick," said New Century FS agronomist Alic Mohni. "We haven't had any weather breaks." Locally, Mohni reported corn yields...
New real estate listings are coming to downtown Hartley. The city council on Oct. 14 agreed to sell two parcels of land at 170 S Central Ave. and 176 S Central Ave. The now-empty lots previously housed Create-A-Craft and Real Reflections, respectively. The former was removed in 2023 and the latter was torn down in August of this year. The lots will be sold at auction during the November regular council meeting. Anyone interested in purchasing them may place a bid. Another city-owned property dir...
The Everly City Council on Monday moved forward with repairs to flood-damaged fencing at the sewage lagoons east of town. Council members approved a $35,069.21 quote from American Fence Company, of Sioux City, to repair the perimeter fencing at the lagoons. The item was tabled last month pending further investigation of bids. One other quote worth $112,000 was received for the project, and the council wanted to ensure American Fence Company's estimate was complete. According to discussion,...
Spooks, goblins and ghouls of all kinds will be out in full force next Thursday for Halloween. Hartley, Everly and Royal will all hold trick-or-treating hours on Thursday, Oct. 31. Hartley and Everly will hold theirs from 5-7 p.m., while Royal's hours are scheduled from 5:30-7 p.m. Additional activities are planned in Hartley prior to the door-to-door treat grab. The Hartley Chamber of Commerce is planning a Halloween Trunk-or-Treat downtown next Thursday from 3:30-5 p.m. Local businesses are...
Fall is typically my favorite season. The weather is great, the football is good, and there’s not much that bugs me this time of year. Afterall, my weeds and grass quit growing a long time ago. Unfortunately, though, this autumn has proved to be an outlier. There have been several things driving me nuts lately, and I’m not sure when my annoyance will cease. My kids’ bad attitudes have been out of this world in October. If one is in a good mood, the other is totally sour. I don’t have time for their arguments and their fits never make me cave...
The Hartley City Council on Monday agreed to investigate an issue that has plagued households across town for years. The council instructed Bolton & Menk engineer Wes Boyer to look into potential causes of brown tap water that sporadically affects homes in Hartley. Despite efforts to regularly flush water mains, the issue has persisted for several years. "I definitely want to look into it, because it's a problem," said Council Member Ron Hengeveld. "The public would definitely like us to find...
Hartley's downtown landscape underwent changes again last week, but it wasn't at the hands of a wrecking ball. A crew from EZ Acquisitions, LLC removed the metal from the front exterior of the old pharmacy building on Friday. Owner Elijah Zevenbergen, of Allendorf, purchased the property from Mari and Rusty Howard this fall, and he plans to renovate the ground level commercial space and create apartments upstairs. "The apartments will have a high-end downtown feel," he said. "It should look...
The anatomy of the former Capitol Theatre was questioned by the Hartley City Council on Monday. Members approved a proposal from Bolton & Menk for professional engineering services to assess the condition of the dilapidated building, specifically its north wall. The city has owned the property for the last four years after it was deemed hazardous due to years of neglect. "We need to know if the north wall is attached [to the abutting building]," said City Administrator Roxann Swanson. "We need...
Nobody has ever confused me with a farmer. My agriculture resume includes picking rock as a teen, riding in the combine with my grandpa as a youngster and sorting chickens once in college. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve driven a tractor, and I wasn’t in FFA nor did I win ribbons at the county fair. Because it’s important to try new things, I got out of my comfort zone last weekend. A friend asked if I’d help him with harvest, and I obliged. I warned him of my thin experience – the last time I piloted a tractor was nearly 20 years a...
The devastation from June's flood has been partially washed away by a tidal wave of support from the Clay County Community Foundation (CCCF). The organization last week announced that it has awarded $303,700 in Disaster Recovery Grants to 22 nonprofit organizations and two public entities since June 28. The contributions came in response to the flood that devastated Spencer, parts of Everly and other areas in Clay County. "We are overwhelmed and humbled by the generosity of donors who have helpe...
Open burning in O'Brien and Clay counties is prohibited indefinitely following requests granted Tuesday by the Iowa State Fire Marshal. The ban will be in place until dry and windy conditions dissipate. The respective requests were submitted to state officials by O'Brien County Board of Supervisors Chair Tim Overmire and Webb Fire Chief Tim Sylvester in Clay County, who did so with the support of all fire departments in both counties. O'Brien and Clay counties join more than 50 others in the...
School spirit was sky high last week during Homecoming at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn. Fans of the Maroon and Gold turned out in force Friday for a pep rally and parade in downtown Hartley. Later that night, the Hawks put the cherry on top during a 44-26 beat down of South O'Brien on the grid iron. This year's Homecoming King and Queen were James Gellerman and Kamryn Ebel....
There's new royalty reigning over the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District. James Gellerman and Kamryn Ebel were named king and queen during coronation Tuesday night. The duo was selected from the 10-member Homecoming court by their peers. Ebel, of Hartley, is the daughter of Korey and Jonna Ebel. She is involved in cross country, basketball, track, gymnastics, softball, band, jazz band, FCA and National Honor Society. She plans to go to college to major in child psychology....
The Hartley Fire Department recently received a breath of fresh air – more of it, anyway. The local squad was able to purchase eight new 6,000-psi air cylinders thanks to a $10,000 grant from the O'Brien County Community Foundation (OCCF). The new equipment replaces the department's old 4,500-psi cylinders. "This way we can fill more air packs with greater capacity," said Chief Brad Meendering. The cylinders are filled, put on a truck and used to fill firefighters' individual air packs. M...
Red and Gold highlighted downtown Everly last Thursday during the Clay Central/Everly Homecoming parade. The event was part of a long list of festivities that included dress-up days, pep rally and a student/teacher competition. Homecoming was revived at CC/E two years after a hiatus following the closure of the districts junior/senior high school in 2019....
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...
