Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
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Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn alumnus Jeremy Ten Kley's military service might span two decades, but the command sergeant major knows you don't need a uniform to be a good citizen. "Live your life as good Americans," he told the Veterans Day crowd last Friday at the H-M-S Event Center. "Then, all veterans will be proud their sacrifices were not made in vain." Ten Kley enlisted in the Army National Guard in October of 1995 while still in high school at H-M-S. His dedicated service has allowed him to...
The first significant rainfall in several months created a crappy situation for some homeowners in east Hartley. The sanitary sewer system backed up into a handful of homes Nov. 8 during a storm that dumped steady rainfall on the area throughout the day. According to Hartley Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz, a variety of factors – including the city's new lift station – caused the issue. "Had we known this was going to happen, obviously we would have attackled it a lot different," Benz...
A spike in calls has led members of the Hartley Emergency Ambulance Rescue Team (H.E.A.R.T.) to ask for another set of wheels and space to house it. Squad members Brian Myers, Candy Ruschmann and Pam Sease met with the city council Monday to request budgetary consideration in the coming fiscal year to help with unforeseen expenses. The ambulance team has seen calls increase by 25 percent each year for the past three years, Myers explained, which has necessitated a need for another used vehicle...
Iowa Republicans had a lot to celebrate Tuesday night. Not only did incumbent Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds breeze to re-election past Democratic challenger Deidre DeJear, GOP candidates Brenna Bird and Roby Smith knocked off Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller and Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald, respectively. Miller was first elected in 1978 and Fitzgerald in 1982. Only one incumbent Democrat holding state office had a chance of surviving as of Wednesday morning. With 97 of 99 counties reporting,...
A decorated soldier with local ties will greet area residents during Hartley's Veterans Day program on Friday. Command Sergeant Major Jeremy Ten Kley, a Hartley native, will give the keynote address during the program, which is slated for 9 a.m. in the H-M-S Events Center. The public is invited to attend. Ten Kley enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard in October of 1995 as a radio telephone operator in HHB 1-151st Field Artillery, in Storm Lake. He has earned numerous leadership honors and gr...
Blink twice and you might have missed it. Thanks to dry conditions, the corn harvest in northwest Iowa blitzed to completion earlier this fall. According to Growmark FS agronomist Alic Mohni, most farmers were out of the fields by Halloween. “I’ve never seen a harvest this fast,” he said. Mohni received varying yield reports during the corn harvest ranging between 140-250 bushels per acre. Around Hartley, averages landed in the 200-220 bushels per acre range, with some numbers skewing sligh...
Local residents can show support to America's veterans next week with the simple twist of a light bulb. O'Brien County Veterans Affairs Administrator Katie Ginger is asking government entities, businesses and residents to participate in Operation Green Light for Veterans Nov. 7-13. The special week is designated to recognize veterans for their service and sacrifice by displaying a green light on the exterior of buildings. "I feel that it is important that we as a county participate to show that...
Voters will put an end to the barrage of candidate commercials, mailers and other advertisements when they head to the polls on Nov. 8. Voting locations open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Voters in the Hartley area will cast ballots at the Hartley Community Center, while Everly-area residents will head to the Hap Ketelsen Community Center. Royal-area residents will vote at the Royal Community Building. Voters must vote in the precinct in which they reside. If you're unsure of where to go,...
A 3-year-old with local ties received a groundswell of support from near and far last Saturday. Camden Larsen, grandson of Jeff and Krista Wohlert, of Hartley, was adopted into the Shayla Bee Fund family. The local charity provides support to northwest Iowa families who have children dealing with medical issues, which was a welcomed surprise for Camden's parents, Brooke and Dane Larsen. "We all shed some tears when we found out we were accepted," she said. "It was something that we never...
Clay Central/Everly held Homecoming festivities Friday in Royal. It was the first time the elementary-only district held the celebration in three years, as the school closed the 7-12 grade building at the conclusion of the 2019-20 school year. Events this year featured school dress-up days, a parade and a pep rally....
There isn't a game on Friday night, but that likely won't dent school spirit among students at Clay Central/Everly Elementary. The district this week revived Homecoming after a three-year hiatus. Following the closure of the 7-12 grade building at the conclusion of the 2018-19 school year, CC/E officials shelved festivities as no events like football or volleyball games were on the schedule anymore. However, staff members wanted to spark a bit of school spirit this year inside the elementary...
Recent testing data has principals at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn feeling confident about the direction of student proficiency rates. All three principals commented on data derived from the 2021-22 Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) during the Oct. 17 school board meeting. The assessments are administered annually and are aligned with the Iowa Core standards to provide a clear and accurate assessment of student learning outcomes while also helping educators identify student growth,...
Spooks, goblins and ghouls of all kinds will be out in full force Monday for Halloween. Hartley, Everly and Royal will all hold trick-or-treating hours on Monday, 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 scheduled in Hartley prior to the door-to-door treat grab. The Hartley Chamber of Commerce is planning a Halloween Trunk-or-Treat downtown on Monday from 3:30-5 p.m. Local businesses are encouraged...
I watch a lot of YouTube cooking videos. I'd like to claim all these hours spent staring at a screen have made me a better cook, but that would be a lie. Sometimes, though, I'm able to plate a few palatable dishes. Some of them have even become hits among our family and friends, one of which is Smoked Shotgun Shells. I took this recipe from the YouTube channel Meat Church. Some of you may be familiar with the company's spice rubs in grocery stores, two of which can be found in my cupboard. This...
If Paige Dagel could do it again, she probably would. The rural Sanborn native recently wrapped up a year of service with the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) Youth Leadership Team. She spent 2021 traveling across Iowa promoting pork to consumers, building relationships with producers and closing the gap between farm and fork for youth. Though she ceded her seat during the 2022 Iowa Pork Congress, she said she would never forget the memories gained from the experience. Included below,...
A local women's club is still going strong almost 50 years after it was created. The IEF Women's Club has been helping various community groups in and around Hartley since 1974. It boasts a membership ranging between 20-25 ladies, and they definitely love to have fun. "IEF stands for Ideas, Enthusiasm and Fun," explained club member Tami Klein. "It's fun to meet people and get to know people you may not run in the same circle with. Some of these people are the funniest people I know." IEF...
Hartley's new postmaster is getting used to a whole new work environment. Nicole Wyman began her new role in Hartley Oct. 1 after spending the past 30 years carrying mail in Spencer. She succeeds Belinda Eppling, who served the local post office for less than a year before moving on to another position. "I was interested in this job to serve customers better, because I enjoy working with the public," said Wyman. "It was an opportunity to take a chance and move up the ladder." Prior to joining...
The fan experience at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn baseball and softball games will be a bit different next year. The school board on Monday agreed to purchase new baseball and softball scoreboards for $50,142 from Daktronics, Inc., of Brookings, S.D. Because there's a six-month lead time, Superintendent Patrick Carlin said it was important to get the scoreboards ordered now so they could be installed before the summer sports season begins. "We're not talking about anything extravagant," Carlin said....
Anton and Elly Klein are taking father-daughter bonding to a whole new level. The Kleins joined forces this year on the Hartley Fire Department. This is Anton's third stint with the local crew, but Elly is a rookie. The pair said they have enjoyed the experience so far even though they never thought they'd don fire helmets together. "If you would have told me four years ago that I would be on the fire department, I would have laughed in your face," said Elly. As far as Hartley Fire Chief Brad...
Hartley's new industrial park on Highway 18 has a new occupant. Doug Bootsma, owner of Bootsma Storage, recently purchased Lot 5 in the southwest corner of the industrial park for $26,000. He's planning a 20-unit storage facility on the site, which he hopes to open next year. "I doubt I'll be able to get things done by winter, so if I can't, we'll shoot for the spring," he said. Bootsma, who lives east of Sanborn, is hoping to start moving dirt and completing cement work this fall. He's no...
Ongoing efforts to mitigate flooding issues in Hartley received a boost recently. City Administrator Erica Haack announced during Monday's council meeting that Hartley received a Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Project Scoping grant worth $100,000. The grant is administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and will allow the city to retain engineering services to develop future flood mitigation strategies. "It kicks a lot of the beginning stuff into...
Members of the Hartley Recreational Trail Committee received a pleasant surprise last week. Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority announced Oct. 6 that Hartley was included in over $450,000 awarded to communities across the state as part of the Empower Rural Iowa Grant Program. Hartley netted $20,000, which will be used by the trail committee to purchase and install a system using Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) to cross Highway 18. "We were shocked," said...
A relatively ordinary harvest season is a good thing for local farmers, according to Growmark FS agronomist Alic Mohni. "It's been a pretty uneventful," he said. "Some guys are pretty happy, some others maybe not so much. But there hasn't really been anything unexpected this fall." Warm, dry weather has allowed local farmers to hit fields hard over the past two weeks. Mohni said most soybean fields around Hartley will be out by the weekend, with farmers soon shifting their focus to corn. Mohni...
An infrastructure upgrade project in Hartley has reached the finish line – sort of, anyway. The new force main and lift station on the city's east side went online last Thursday. The development capped several months of work, which required extensive construction along and under Eighth Avenue East. According to Hartley Public Works Superintendent Jaron Benz, things went well. In addition to flipping the switch at the new lift station, a manhole located at the intersection of South Eighth A...
The popularity of after-school clubs at Clay Central/Everly has the school board mulling funding options. TAG/Reading instructor Lisa Roti gave an update Sept. 28 outlining extracurriclar programs offered at CC/E. Participation has increased during the past two years alongside the number of activities made available to students. Roti suggested the school ask sponsors to donate money towards the purchase of items for these clubs. Those who contribute will help ensure these activities thrive by...
