Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Sorted by date Results 1151 - 1175 of 1379
• More charges filed against Sutherland man A Sutherland man faces additional charges following an investigation into several vehicle thefts and burglaries that occurred in October of 2020. According to the Sutherland Police Department, Bradley Tyler Kots, 24, was arrested on Jan. 13 and charged with four counts of Burglary-3rd Degree, a class D felony; two counts of Theft-2nd Degree, also a class D felony; Operating a Motor Vehicle without the Owner’s Consent, an aggravated misdemeanor; Trespassing, a serious misdemeanor; and Theft-5th Deg...
A local event center has asked the Hartley City Council to help with pandemic-related revenue shortages. According to discussion at the council’s meeting Jan. 11, the Hartley Community Center Board of Directors recently approached the city with a request for assistance. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it nearly impossible to host large events, which is the bread and butter of the facility’s revenue stream. The council expressed a willingness to pay for the community center’s insurance costs on a short-term basis. Members also believed the facil...
It may be a short read, but Vicky Treimer is hoping her new book can be a big help. The Hartley native recently published My Ultimate Hope. A victim of bullying growing up, she hopes the 42-page read will have an impact on children going through a similar situation. "I just want them to know they don't they have to live with the unforgiveness that I did," she said. "I carried that for 38 years. That's most of my life." The daughter of Eldon and Viola Treimer, Treimer grew up on farm south of...
Local residents can listen to state lawmakers discuss issues affecting northwest Iowa during the first Eggs & Issues forum on Saturday, Jan. 23. Unlike the traditional in-person format held in council chambers at Spencer City Hall, Saturday's event will have no audience due to COVID-19 protocols. Participants are being asked to email questions to programs@spenceriowachamber or drop them by the Chamber Office on or before Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. Each question will be asked to the legislators and...
COVID-19 positivity rates decreased in O'Brien and Clay counties over the past week. As of Tuesday evening, O'Brien County's 14-day positivity rate was 10.9 percent, down from 12.7 percent a week ago. Clay County's was down to 11.2 percent from 12.3 percent over the same time period. The statewide positivity rate was down from 14 percent to 12 percent. Coronavirus-related deaths were unchanged in O'Brien County at 54 and up one to 20 in Clay County. Statewide, there have been 4,332 COVID-19...
A lengthy review of the City of Royal’s 2021-22 budget was the major item of business during the Jan. 13 council meeting. Council members and City Clerk Barb Fletcher looked at projected revenues and each expenditure line item of the budget that goes into effect on July 1. Revenues are expected to increase due to higher property valuations and will total approximately $470,500. The majority of expenditure increases reflect higher wage and insurance costs. Council members also decided to budget additional expenditures from the local option s...
Okoboji/H-M-S crowned two individual champions and finished second as a team at the Nighthawk Invitational at Rock Valley on Saturday, Jan. 16. Dylan Jones placed first at 120 pounds and Caden Larue won the 145-pound title. Earning runner-up finishes were Bryce Sehman (113), Ryan Pyle (132) and Noah Strantz (152). A pair of wrestlers from H-M-S finished third while another placed fifth. Bryce Dodge won his initial match in the 160-pound bracket by fall over Isaac Van Beek, BH/RV, 3:23; lost by fall to Rylan DeGroot, Western Christian, 3:41;...
It may not look like it from the outside, but Clay Central/Everly's former 7-12 grade building is undergoing some big changes. The facility is getting new life thanks to Guardian Education and Athletic Services (GEA), a non-profit firm planning to open a post-secondary program for athletes who wish to continue both their athletic and education careers. The school district officially signed over the deed in October and renovation work got underway immediately. GEA co-founder Brent Koppie said...
The Hartley City Council on Monday officially moved forward with a $1.7 million bond issue to finance the construction of a new pool. Members unanimously approved calling for the referendum after a brief discussion. If passed, the bond would finance the bulk of construction costs for the new pool, which has an estimated price tag of $3 million. "It keeps going up the longer we wait," Council Member Mary Westphalen said of construction expenses. Assuming a 3 percent interest rate, the bond would...
A vestige of the not-so-distant past returned last Friday night. Gov. Kim Reynolds lifted spectator limits for sporting and recreational gatherings, including restrictions for high school-sponsored events. Reynolds in November issued an order that limited spectator attendance to two per athlete in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Her revised order last week still requires each group of spectators to maintain six feet of social distance, and everyone in attendance over the age of 2...
As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues in Iowa, healthcare officials are still waiting for a clearer picture to pinpoint when different groups of people can receive their first doses. Currently in Iowa, healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities are eligible to schedule and receive a vaccine. Those in the next priority groups are identified; however, a time frame has not been announced by the state for the next round of vaccination opportunities. The Iowa Department of...
• Traffic Devin Jae Heronimus, Sheldon, Violation of Restricted License. Cole Thomas Stofferan, Sheldon, Registration Violation. Luka Michael Norgaard, Sheldon, Violation of Graduated License. Glenn Thomas Perry, Colorado Springs, Colo., Failure to Obey Stop Sign. Randy Lewis Hanson, Rice, Minn., Use of Electronic Device. Kevin Thomas Ebert, Kingsley, Use of Electronic Device. Lowell Duane Vonholdt, Jr., Estherville, Speeding. Summer Mae Tilley, Paullina, Speeding. Jamie Lynn Shriver, Paullina, Speeding. Jesse Taylor Eldridge, Sanborn, S...
Residents and staff at a local nursing home reported few ill effects following the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations last month. Community Memorial Health Center and Assisted Living (CMHC) administered the first round of Moderna's two-dose coronavirus vaccine on Dec. 21 and Dec. 30. According to Administrator Dr. Janette Simon, all but four residents and tenants received a shot, as did 85 percent of staff members. She said rumors that some staff members were hospitalized following the...
Northwest Iowa will be represented by two fresh faces Jan. 11 when the Legislature convenes in Des Moines. For the first time in more than a decade, new faces will represent O'Brien County in the Iowa House of Representatives and Senate. District 3 Representative-elect Dennis Bush and District 2 Senator-elect Jeff Taylor will assume office next week, replacing predecessors Dan Huseman and Randy Feenstra. Huseman retired after the gavel sounded on last year's session and Feenstra is now...
With the calendar officially flipped to 2021, fundraising efforts for Hartley's new pool are ramping up in earnest. Local residents were recently mailed brochures to help drum up financial support for the planned swimming hole. Organizers are hoping to raise $500,000 this year, which will help offset the estimated $3 million price tag. Various naming opportunities are offered based on donation levels. For instance, a $250 contribution will get the donor an engraved brick at the pool and a...
Farmland values in O'Brien and Clay counties increased slightly over the past year due to more positive factors affecting the U.S. ag economy. The annual Iowa State Land Value Survey released last month reported a 2.4 percent increase in O'Brien County farmland prices in 2020 and a 2.2 percent increase in Clay County. The report noted that lower interest rates, limited land supply and higher commodity prices as reasons for the 1.7 percent statewide increase in farmland values last year. The stat...
Rep. Randy Feenstra, R–Hull, was sworn-in Sunday to serve as the next representative for Iowa's Fourth Congressional District. "I am truly humbled that Iowans in the Fourth District elected me to represent them in the halls of Congress, and starting today, I will work tirelessly to make sure they have a seat at the table when making decisions that affect our farmers and main streets," Feenstra said in a release. "I look forward to working with my colleagues in Iowa and throughout the country o...
• Arrested after pursuit in Spirit Lake A Royal man was arrested following a pursuit in Spirit Lake early New Year’s Day. According to the Spirit Lake Police Department, an officer clocked a Chevrolet Tahoe on Highways 9 and 71 traveling 49 mph in a 25 mph zone. The vehicle pulled into the Hy-Vee parking lot but as the officer got out of his vehicle, the Tahoe fled the scene and headed north on Peoria Avenue, reaching speeds reported in excess of 100 mph. As he approached 140th Street, the driver attempted to continue northbound on 240th Ave...
Northwest Iowans hoping for a white Christmas got their wishes answered with a vengeance on Dec. 23. A blizzard immobilized the region with freezing rain, snow and high-speed winds. Travel was not advised and many vehicles were stuck stranded after going in the ditch. On Thursday morning, there were six vehicles including one semi ditched along Highway 18 between Hartley and Everly. The day started with a freezing drizzle that gradually transitioned into snow. According to the National Weather...
Though in-person events may have been few and far between this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 still had plenty of storylines. The biggest ones revolved around buildings – Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn's new elementary school opened, Clay Central/Everly sold its former 7-12 grade building and a grain elevator exploded in Royal. Also gracing the pages of the Sentinel-News were more heartwarming stories, like the one detailing a viral video of the late Bonnie Linder's wave to school children i...
Anyone planning to change their properties in Everly will enjoy a streamlined permitting process if the city council gets its way. Mayor Brad Behrens on Dec. 21 proposed removing the requirement that makes building permit applicants submit a sketch of their project to scale. Behrens said several people have had issues with trying to draw out their plans on graphing paper, and he didn’t feel like it was necessary. “It’s the same problem all the time,” he said. “This policy was not made for a town of 600. It was made for a town of 10,000....
With more than 300,000 Americans dead and millions sickened, there's no denying the biggest story of 2020. The first local COVID-19 story to grace the pages of the Sentinel-News ran in the March 5 edition. Eventually, the virus shut down schools, canceled countless events and affected local residents in numerous ways, be they personally, economically or otherwise. The following timeline focuses on some of the biggest local headlines from the pandemic during the last nine months. • 'Prepping for...
• Vehicle struck from behind Whiteout conditions contributed to an accident that occurred on Dec. 23 at 1:35 p.m. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office reported that a 2021 Hyundai driven by Jeri Wescott, 61, of Hartley, was stopped in the 1200 mile of Highway 18 due to whiteout conditions. Her vehicle was struck from behind by a 2018 Toyota driven by Luis Martin Cota, 43, of Sibley. No injuries were reported. Damage to the Hyundai, owned by Kirk Wescott, was estimated at $5,000 and damage to the Toyota, owned by Dethmers Manufacturing, was lis...
It only seems appropriate that Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School musicians should go to Music City USA for their upcoming music trip. Nashville, Tenn. is the destination for the music department's trip that is scheduled for March of 2022. The announcement was made by vocal director Kristi Wingert during the holiday concert on Dec. 13 and the school board gave its official blessing on Dec. 21. It will be the third consecutive time that high school instrumental and vocal students will head to...
There's no doubting Jerry and Carole Klein's Christmas spirit. The couple's home has become legendary in Hartley thanks to its elaborate holiday displays each December. You can't miss it, either. A quick drive through the Kleins' First Street Southwest neighborhood will prove they're the perennial Christmas cheer champions in Hartley, a title in which they take pride. "I don't want to put it up the same exact way every year. I try to change it up," said Jerry. "I like to see if people notice."...
