Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Sorted by date Results 276 - 300 of 871
Robins, cardinals, blue jays and finches will be the only birds making their way to Everly anytime soon. The city council on Monday voted unanimously to uphold current rules that ban laying hens and other poultry from town. The move came a month after resident Janice Nielsen approached the group about changing rules to allow small flocks of laying hens in town. "Chickens are done now," Mayor Ron Thompson said after the vote. The decision came following extensive research by Thompson and the...
Residents will be raising the roof with laughter Saturday night during the Hartley Community Center's Annual VIP Supper. This year's entertainment features Improv Falls, a comedy group whose performance style resembles the hit comedy show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" "We wanted to try something different than what we've done the past years but stick with a fun comedy theme," said Brittany Dolphin, community center manager. "They are very interactive and get the crowd involved." While jokes will...
Sewer pipes in east Hartley are having their "big moment." A crew from Wisconsin-based Visu-Sewer has been televising lines over the past week and a half in the area serviced by the city's new lift station. Once the lines are mapped, workers will return to complete the cure-in-place-pipe (CIPP) lining portion of the project. Engineer Wes Boyer, of Bolton & Menk, told the city council on March 13 that the video will give Visu-Sewer a better grasp of what they're dealing with for the relining...
A proposal that would bring chickens to backyards in Everly received both support and scrutiny during a special gathering Tuesday at City Hall. Members of the urban chicken committee listened to residents' opinions on allowing laying hens in town. The proposal was first floated in front of the council last month, but members wanted to seek community input on the matter before making a final decision. Supporters of the plan, which was suggested by resident Janice Nielsen, iterated many of the...
The City of Hartley's willingness to enforce ordinances was called into question during Monday's council meeting. Resident Tim Hilbert was in attendance to complain about snow-covered sidewalks, which he believed are a big problem in town. He claimed it's nearly impossible to walk a single block during the winter without running into a sidewalk that isn't scooped. "Nobody [scoops] because you don't enforce it," Hilbert said. "As a city council, do you think it's acceptable? I can't even go to...
Five cents may seem like a drop in the bucket when staring down a multi-million dollar project, but members of the Hartley Recreational Trail Committee are unfazed. The group has been collecting cans and bottles from its downtown Hartley drop-off location since last June. It was previously operated by Keith and Jackie Stoltz, who processed more than $30,000 worth of can donations for Hartley's new pool over a four-year span. "It's been going well so far with strong community support," said rec...
Brothers Stephen and Matt Embrey were tired of working for somebody else. After discussing their options, they decided to bet on themselves. The duo opened SK Repair+ late last fall. The business is located in the former D's Auto Repair building on Eighth Avenue Southeast in Hartley and bills itself as a full-service automotive shop. "We were tired of having the big thumb on our backs all the time working for someone else," said Matt. "You can't beat being your own boss, but you've still gotta...
The O'Brien County Veterans Affairs Office is a trailblazer in Iowa. Director Katie Ginger last fall opened a food pantry for local veterans at her office in the courthouse – the first of its kind for a VA office in the Hawkeye State. Since then, the pantry has been used by as many as 21 households totaling 45 individuals in one month. "We were seeing a need that wasn't being met," said Ginger. "Oftentimes, a veteran has a sense of pride and is unlikely to ask for help even when they may need i...
It's often said the simplest things in life bring the most joy. At Community Memorial Health Center, that joy is brought in with a leash and a collar. Walker the dog has been visiting residents at the facility once a month for the past year. His owner, CMHC office manager Arin Miller, previously brought her other dog on visits prior to his death last April, and she wanted to continue that outreach after she adopted Walker. "Walker has his own personality and he is very smart, loving, quirky and...
The Clay Central/Everly school board on Tuesday was all smiles following the district's annual audit report. Murray Stanley, of Schnurr & Co., LLP, gave CC/E a passing grade with few critiques, noting the district's revenue in FY22 tallied $4.87 million while expenditures were $4.43 million. "It was just a fantastic year," he said. "Everything worked out well." While finances are trending positive, enrollment is an entirely different story. Superintendent Kevin Wood said after the audit report t...
Living to 100 might seem like an incredible feat to some, but Harlan Goetsch isn't impressed. "I'm just an ordinary man who has tried to live an ordinary life," he said. "I'm nothing special." Folks may beg to differ. Not many 100-year-olds still drive, live in their own home and play golf. Goetsch does all three, and though he's not completely sure what the recipe is to make it to 100, he has one main tip. "Stay active," he said. "That's something I've always tried to do. It's important, and...
The Everly City Council on Monday fielded a proposal that could ruffle some feathers throughout town. Resident Janice Nielsen gave a short presentation about urban chickens. She said around 10 households are interested in having fowl inside city limits, which she admitted would present both pros and cons. "I know you guys get a lot of complaints about dogs and cats, and I don't want this to cause more complaints," Nielsen said. "But I think this could be a benefit to Everly. I didn't realize...
The Hartley City Council is hoping an issue that caused the sewer system to back up into homes last fall is nearing a resolution. Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz reported Feb. 13 that sewer lines extending southward to the sewer treatment plant on the east side of town had been jetted and televised recently. The pipes will eventually be relined this year in an effort to prevent future issues from arising. "They looked as clean as they can get," said Benz. Around a half-dozen...
Classes may be months away from dismissing, but it's already been a memorable year for new Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn FFA advisor Lindsey Meyers. The first-year instructor took the reigns of the local chapter in August. She succeeds Michele Wagner, who left the post for a new job with Iowa State University Extension & Outreach. Meyers has liked what she's seen so far in Hartley. She is a native of Indianola and a 2022 graduate of Iowa State University, where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in...
Another hole in Hartley's public works department has been filled. The city council on Monday hired Curtis Conaway as the new public works superintendent. He will succeed Jaron Benz, who is leaving the post next month for a job in the private sector. City officials interviewed three finalists for the position. Conaway's salary was set at $85,000. "I want to try to keep things moving in the right direction, and I feel like I have a good idea of how things work and what's going on," Conaway said...
The New Year brought with it hopes for wetter conditions in Iowa, and so far, it's delivered. The latest water summary update by the Iowa DNR reported precipitation totals in January nearly doubled their typical average in the Hawkeye State – 1.82 inches. Still, much of northwest Iowa remains dry, with both Clay and O'Brien counties suffering "severe drought" and "extreme drought" conditions, according to the U.S Drought Monitor. ISU Extension agronomist Gentry Sorensen, whose territory c...
A dozen years hold a lot of memories. Just ask Jeremy Parsons. After leading the Clay County Fair since 2011, Parsons will wrap up his tenure as CEO and fair manager next month. Soon, he will head south to Des Moines to take the reigns of the Iowa State Fair. "It's the culmination of a lifelong dream," Parsons said. "My 'fair roots' were started at the Iowa State Fair." Parsons listed several accomplishments as highlights of his tenure in Spencer. Combining the Fair & Events Center into one orga...
The new owner of the old meat packing plant in Hartley says progress is on track to reopen the facility sometime this spring. Stephane Comtois, owner of Hartley Cold Services, said preparation work is ongoing with the hopes of opening in May. A 10,000 square foot addition was recently built to house more services, and Comtois has been excited to watch progress unfold this winter. "We called the place Hartley Cold Services for a good reason – we're going to be offering service to the local p...
Maroon and Gold will always have place in Nate Hemiller's heart even after his "colors" change. The Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School principal will swap titles this summer when he officially becomes shared superintendent at East Sac County and Ar-We-Va. Hemiller, who's been with H-M-S since 2016, recently accepted the new position after careful consideration. "I have really enjoyed serving the H-M-S district and knew that someday I would make the transition from principal to superintendent,"...
Just as it has for the lifetime of every local resident, the old Capitol Theatre in downtown Hartley continues to stand sentinel over South Central Avenue. City officials are still hoping that changes, too. Updates on the decrepit property have been few and far between over the past year. According to City Administrator Erica Haack, the council is still planning to knock the building down; however, making that a reality has been easier said than done. "There are no updates on the old theater...
Mardi Gras is coming to Everly. The Everly Heritage Museum is inviting area residents to celebrate New Orleans-style at its "Mardi Gras on Main" concert fundraiser slated for Saturday, March 11. The musical event is the second annual fundraiser staged by the museum, and promises to be just as much fun as the first. "We're hoping to see a big crowd again to support the preservation of Everly's history," said museum steering committee member Connie Goeken. "We have received great support from the...
There were eggs on the menu, but education was the main dish Saturday morning at the first Eggs & Issues forum of 2023. Four local lawmakers fielded questions from patrons during the first of three gatherings planned this winter in Spencer. The main topic of discussion was the Students First Act, a new law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds last week that will bring sweeping changes to education funding in Iowa. The law will allow taxpayer dollars to be used for tuition at K-12 private schools....
An abundance of snow days this winter garnered significant discussion Jan. 25 by the Clay Central/Everly school board. Snowy conditions have kept students out of the classroom multiple days since December. Board members debated how to make up the lost classroom hours, but ultimately tabled a decision until a future meeting. Board Member Allyn Heikens noted the district must keep in mind the staff's contracted workdays and professional development hours. After a lengthy discussion about potential...
The Hartley City Council on Jan. 24 filled one of two key vacancies in the public works department. Members voted to hire Isaac Molendorp as the city's new gas superintendent. He succeeds Adam Lux, who resigned from the post in December. Molendorp's starting wage was set at $22.50. According to Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz, Molendorp has been a resident of Hartley since last summer and currently works in the plumbing industry. He is a graduate of Sibley-Ocheyedan and attended...
While most Iowans were sleeping, the Legislature on Monday night and Tuesday morning passed sweeping changes to K-12 education funding that will allow taxpayer dollars to be used for tuition at private schools. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who made the proposal a key campaign issue during her successful 2022 re-election bid, signed the legislation on Tuesday. With overwhelming GOP majorities in both the House and Senate, the Students First Act faced little chance of rejection. It passed 55-45 in the...
