Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
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Though down from the previous year, farmland values in O'Brien County once again earned the label of priciest in the state in 2024. The annual Iowa State University Land Value Survey found the average price per acre of O'Brien County farmland dipped from $16,313 in 2023 to $15,921 this year. The average was the most expensive in Iowa in 2024 and marked the second time in the last three years that O'Brien County topped the list. Last year, Sioux County took home first while O'Brien was tops in...
A Paullina youth was killed in an accident that occurred at 12:11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, southwest of Paullina. The O'Brien County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call from OnStar reporting a possible collision near 5454 500th Street. Their system showed that airbags had been deployed and there was one occupant in the driver's seat. It also indicated the vehicle had possibly rolled over. Emergency services were immediately dispatched and upon arrival, located a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The...
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday the state's first human case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza. According to a press release from the department, the individual is a commercial poultry worker who was exposed by a flock in northwest Iowa. Earlier this week, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced the 11th detection of the virus in poultry flocks this year, following a string of detections that began in early December. The press...
• Traffic Treasonous Shawnee Fetlock, Primghar, Failure to Obey Traffic Control Device; Speeding, No Proof of Insurance. Seth T. Johnson, Omaha, Neb., Speeding. Denise Michelle Hill, Sikeston, Mo., Speeding. Michelle Ann Essing, Royal, Speeding. Lucas Delvin Jurek, Kimball, Minn., Dark Windows. Benito Camacho, Jr., Brownsville, Texas, Open Container. Peyton Avery Klein, Sheldon, Speeding; Permitting Minor Consumption. Cheryl Lynne Ginsburg, Omaha, Neb., Speeding. Johanna Lizbeth Martinez Ramirez, Sheldon, Minor in Possession, Alcohol. A...
After the abrupt closing of its bar and convenience store this summer, the Everly community was not only down two businesses, but its heart was broken. "The community was feeling lost," said Hap Ketelsen Community Center Manager Christie Seivert. "Both entities were places that people gathered and not only enjoyed good food, but also good company." Quik Spot and The Ranch both closed immediately in July following the untimely death of owner Shaun Iske. Gas station gossip and steak nights were...
A lot can change in four decades – just ask Barb Rohwer. The longtime local official will wrap up 42 years of service to the O'Brien County Auditor's Office when the calendar flips to January. From election rule changes to counting gopher feet, the job has thrown several curveballs at Rohwer over the years. "It just seemed like it was the right time for me to retire," she said. "I'm ready to slow down a little from the daily work." After obtaining her associate's degree in accounting, Rohwer w...
The plight of the Hartley Community Daycare Center became a philanthropic opportunity of a lifetime for one local family. Franklin Mett, owner of the Mett Family Trust, recently donated 1.16 acres of his farmland for a new daycare building in Hartley. With two great-grandchildren in the current facility, he felt it was an issue worth contributing to. "The dilapidation of the current building and premises called for a new course of action," Mett said. "I felt that if we could do something to...
The process of marketing and developing video scoreboards for athletic facilities at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School took another step forward with establishment of the project timetable. The timetable developed by Daktronics was reviewed by the school board on Monday. It outlines responsibilities of the company and the district, and sets a target date of the fall of 2025 to have video scoreboards ready for use. Daktronics will provide quotes for equipment desired by the district and price po...
The process of replacing hail-damaged roofs on buildings owned by the City of Royal took another step forward during the council meeting on Dec. 11. Council members reviewed claim summaries from Iowa Communities Insurance Pool (ICAP) for actual cash value and recoverable depreciation for roofs on the community building and city maintenance shop. Metal roofs on both buildings were damaged during a hail storm on May 20. “I’m pretty impressed with how high it is on the ICAP side,” said Council Member Jeff Van Westen. Actual cash value is the a...
• Traffic Hayden Andon Robak, Indianola, Failure to Obey Stop Sign. Kent Evan Van Veldhuizen, Sheldon, Speeding David J. Karnopp, Oakland, Neb., Speeding. Sierra Josephine Merley, Terril, Registration Violation. Nora Patricia Miller, Sheldon, Speeding. Seth Dean Gustoff, Milford, Registration Violation. Charles Austin Poole, Grayson, La., Dark Windows. Jane Elizabeth Olson, North Sioux City, S.D., Speeding. John Edward Schierholz, Hartley, Speeding. Shamali A. Dennery, Frederiksted, Virgin Islands, Speeding. Katie A. Ries, Sutherland, R...
Clay Central/Everly 1-4 graders Dear Santa, I have been good some of the time. I'm wishing for Robux, PS5, and Xbox. Stay safe Santa! Love, Emmett Dear Santa, I have been good some of the time. I'm wishing for heelies and mini kermit, and squishmallow. I'll keep trying to be good! Love, Vera Dear Santa, I have been good all of the time. I'm wishing for a Mini Foxy Box, American Girl Doll, 50 Baxs of Robux. Thank you for this stuff. Stay safe Santa. Love, Jenna Dear Santa, I have been good some...
The City With a Heart celebrated the holidays in style Sunday during Hartley's Hometown Christmas. The event featured open houses, a vendor fair, festival of trees, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and other fun events. Festivities conlcuded with a lighted parade parade through town with vehicles adorned with Christmas lights. Volunteers from the Hartley Chamber of Commerce and other groups organized the day's events....
H-M-S Dance Attack added more hardware to its trophy case last week. The team competed in the 49th annual Iowa High School and College State Dance Team Championships in Des Moines, earning three new trophies in the process. Coach Brittany Dolphin said that despite injuries and other hurdles, her dancers exceeded expectations. "None of us felt that we had been able to put in the time needed for each routine," she said. "After performing for Hoopla and the girls dancing the best they ever had, I...
The Hartley City Council on Monday rezoned a parcel of land north of Highway 18 to accommodate a new daycare facility. "Whatever the decision that the council makes tonight, there's going to be hard feelings from one group of people to the other group of people," said Mayor Rodney Ahrenstorff. "Hopefully we can manage to agree to disagree. It's just one of those things." Council chambers were packed for the public hearing, as multiple residents had previously expressed concerns over increased...
• Traffic Haley Jo Wagenaar, Archer, Seatbelt Violation. Teodoro Aponte Palma, Fort Worth, Texas, No Proof of Insurance; No Valid Driver’s License. Jamie L Ingersoll, Lincoln, Neb., Speeding. Gustavo Israel De La Rosa Hernandez, Shakopee, Minn., Speeding; No Valid Driver’s License; No Proof of Insurance. Thomas Albert Eilghuk Aghusalik MC, Sheldon, Failure to Obey Stop Sign. Richard Allen Borgman, Sheldon, Speeding. Ethan Arlyn Schemmel, Canton, S.D., Violation of Safety Regulations. Justina Marie Dee Ann Keasling, Hartley, Registration Viola...
While students' report cards may be a priority for parents, Iowa K-12 schools also get graded for performance on annual basis. Both Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn and Clay Central/Everly received passing grades in the latest Iowa School Performance Profiles released by the Iowa Department of Education. The annual assessment reviews schools' growth and proficiency rates in math, language arts and other facets like chronic absenteeism. "I am pleased with the collective effort of the district," said H-M-S...
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Hartley, Everly and Royal. Several holiday events are planned in all three communities this weekend and next weekend. From Santa visits to lighted parades, even the grinchiest of grinches will be able to get in the Christmas spirit. HARTLEY The City With a Heart's big day is this Sunday. Things kick off with the Hartley Chamber of Commerce's annual holiday vendor fair at the community center from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Visitors should come with empty...
After a delay of nearly two weeks, the Hartley Planning and Zoning Commission agreed to recommend a change of zoning classification for a parcel located north of Highway 18. The commission had conducted a hearing on Nov. 14 regarding a request from Hartley Community Daycare that the zoning classification of a parcel located between North 2nd Avenue W and N 3rd Avenue West be changed from A-1 Agricultural District to R-2 Multiple Family Residential District. The 1.16-acre site extending to the...
A lawsuit over millions of dollars in damages allegedly caused by water contamination in the city of Sanborn has escalated with a new defendant added to the case. The Minnesota dairy cooperative Associated Milk Producers Inc., or AMPI, is suing the City of Sanborn in federal court, as well as the company the city hired to clean its municipal water tower, Maguire Iron of South Dakota. AMPI operates an 80-year-old plant in Sanborn where each day, it produces 280,000 pounds of cheese. As part of... 
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The Hartley Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday recommended rezoning a portion of land in the north part of town to accommodate a new daycare. The rezoning request came from the Hartley Community Daycare Center, which is planning to construct a new facility between North 2nd Avenue W and N 3rd Avenue W, extending from the north boundary of the Terpstra Addition to the north corporate limits. The request was tabled from a previous meeting on Nov. 14. Daycare officials requested that the...
Ongoing enrollment concerns highlighted Superintendent Kevin Wood's mid-year report Monday night during Clay Central/Everly's school board meeting. Wood shared K-6 enrollment figures from the past four years, which showed an 18-student decline from 61 in 2021-22 to 43 this year. The district recently combined grades 3-4 and 5-6 due to small class sizes in an effort to give those students better peer-to-peer interactions and bank General Fund savings on staff salaries. Wood called the move to...
Members of H-M-S Dance Attack are hoping to add to their trophy case next week. The team will perform at the 49th annual Iowa High School and College State Dance Team Championships in Des Moines Dec. 4-6. More than 600 routines will be performed at the event, which is held in Wells Fargo Arena and Hy-Vee Hall. H-M-S Dance Attack will perform in four categories: Hoopla Class I, Lights, The M.I.X. and Hip Hop Class III. Coach Brittany Dolphin was excited for the opportunity to compete among the...
A pursuit through Spencer on Nov. 19 resulted in property damage and the eventual death of the driver being chased. According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, a deputy attempted to stop a stolen vehicle near the intersection of 11th Street SW and 11th Ave. SW. The driver of the 1998 Chevrolet pickup was identified as Andrew Phillips, 30, of Spirit Lake. Phillips failed to stop for law enforcement and continued driving through the city limits. He is reported to have displayed a firearm and...
• Traffic Nikolle Mae Bell, Sheldon, Failure to Obey Stop Sign; No Proof of Insurance. Easton Teal, Hartley, Failure to Obey Stop Sign; Failure to Maintain Control. Timothy Jason Mann, Fort Worth, Texas, Seatbelt Violation; No Valid Driver’s License. Javon L. Murry, Omaha, Neb., Speeding. Todd Michael Sohn, Sioux Falls, S.D., Failure to Maintain Control. Sergio Alfredo Godinez, LeMars, Registration Violation. Larry Dion Norrington, Milwaukee, Wis., Registration Violation. Jeffrey Allen Burdette, Jr., Sheldon, Seatbelt Violation. Lucas Jeff Dah...
The Hartley Planning and Zoning Commission did not take action on a request for a change of the zoning classification of land located north of Highway 18. That decision was made during a hearing on Nov. 14 that was attended by several residents. Hartley Community Daycare requested that the zoning classification of the 1.16-acre parcel be changed from A-1 Agricultural District to R-2 Multiple Family Residential District. The daycare wishes to construct a new facility on the site which is located...
