Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Sorted by date Results 1201 - 1225 of 1379
New residents to Royal will be receiving information about the community from someone who is a relative newcomer herself. Sara Ricke plans to pass out information packets to new residents of Royal as a way of welcoming them. The packets would include information about the city and local businesses. Ricke asked the city council earlier this month for cooperation in getting information about the city and addresses of new residents. Ricke and her husband, Matt, purchased the former St. Louis Catholic Church property two years ago and renovated...
• Traffic Elizabeth Ann Dereus, Des Moines, Contempt Failure to Pay. Cody Aaron Lewchuck, Sheldon, No Proof of Insurance, No Valid Driver’s License; Registration Violation. John Joseph Nelson, Granville, Registration Violation. Froilan Moniz, Sheldon, No Valid Driver’s License. Miguel Angel Sanchez, Blythe, Calif., Speeding. Justice T. Sickles, Sheldon, Unsafe Backing. Jeffrey David Nelson, Arnolds Park, Hazardous Materials Transportation Violation. Zachary Michael Gazafy, Remsen, Speeding. Yisah Hailu Gebre, Sioux City, Failure to Yield to Em...
Just in time for the holiday season, Clay Central/Everly Elementary and Home State Bank of Royal recently completed their annual tradition of The Giving Tree Project. Students and staff completed this project of caring and sharing during American Education Week, Nov. 16-20. Non-perishable grocery items were collected, sorted and distributed to families within the CC/E communities. This honored tradition of giving was started more than 20 years ago by Judy Eckard, former Home State Bank...
Effective Tuesday, the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District is now requiring that facemasks be worn whenever social distancing is not possible. School board members voted on Monday to remove language in the district's return to learn plan recommending optional use of face coverings and replace it with a requirement that they be worn. "I would entertain the idea of continuing that for grades K-12 when unable to social distance until the January board meeting, and then revisit it,"...
In a primetime address Monday, Gov. Kim Reynolds issued stricter public health measures in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 as infection rates soar and hospitalizations set records across the state. Masks now must be worn indoors when individuals are within 6 feet of one another for 15 minutes or longer. Additionally, no more than 15 people can be gathered indoors and no more than 30 can be gathered outdoors. These restrictions apply to wedding receptions, family gatherings, conventions...
A commercial space in downtown Hartley is stocked to the gills with apparel, but none of it's for sale. That's because it's all free. Hartley Community Outreach opened its doors last month in the former Med-Equip Pharmacy building located at 141 S Central Ave. Mari Howard, who owns the building with her husband, Rusty, spearheaded the idea for the charity along with Holly Myers, Mindy Jo Alesch and Louise Fennell. So far they've been offering clothes, toys and baby items to families in need....
Positive news about a COVID-19 vaccine has Community Memorial Health Center Administrator Dr. Janette Simon seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. "I just hope it's not a train," she said with a laugh. The fact that Simon has been able to keep her sense of humor throughout the pandemic is a small miracle in and of itself. According to public health officials, CMHC is the only long-term care facility in O'Brien County to have zero COVID-19 infections among its residents. That's a testament...
• Traffic Brooklynn Paige Radloff, Primghar, Failure to Change Lanes Approach to Emergency Vehicle. Skylar Marie Forbes, Harris, Speeding. Harmony Jene Cooley, Archer, Registration Violation; No Proof of Insurance. Barry Jacob Arends, Little Rock, No Valid Driver’s License; Use of Electronic Device. Dominic Keith Vant Hof, Granville, Speeding. Rahel Z. Jemaneh, Clarkston, Ga., Speeding. Ashely Marie Monroe, Ashton, Use of Electronic Device. Marvin Jay Whittington, Aurora, Mo., Open Container. Sara E. Oltrogge, Omaha, Neb., Speeding. James Mar...
Changes in the health insurance plan and employee salaries for next year were approved by the Royal City Council at its Nov. 11 meeting. City Clerk Barb Fletcher provided health insurance and wage information to the council. The city pays for a single health insurance policy for Fletcher and Sherman Nielsen, the city maintenance superintendent. According to Fletcher, the premium for the current Wellmark plan will increase approximately 34 percent next year. The Iowa Municipal Benefits Plan found another Wellmark Gold plan with similar...
Members of the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn school board could not reach consensus on a district facemask mandate or how it would be implemented during a meeting on Nov. 5. Board Member David Vander Broek made a motion to require grades 5-12 to wear masks during school hours whenever social distancing could not be achieved. No other board member seconded the motion, so it was not brought to a vote. Board Vice President Scott Vollink asked if the mandate would apply to activities outside the school...
Gale Vetter's signature laugh and warm presence will be greatly missed by members of Hartley's ambulance team. "You knew Gale was around when you could hear him," said Jake Moermond, an EMT on the squad. "He'd start laughing, and it was like oh, Gale's here!" Vetter lost his battle with COVID-19 on Nov. 4 after a two-week fight. His death left members of the Hartley Emergency Ambulance Response Team (H.E.A.R.T.) reeling, as it marked the third time since 2017 they lost one of their own. "It's...
Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday announced new COVID-19 mitigation protocols that include a facemask mandate under certain circumstances. The rules require individuals in groups of more than 25 people gathering indoors to wear masks. Exceptions are granted to children under the age of 2, and to people who are eating or drinking. Reynolds has pushed back against a facemask mandate since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming they are unenforceable. Several states have mandates in public...
The Hartley City Council dusted their brief meeting Monday with discussion about snow ordinance enforcement prior to Tuesday's storm. Council Member Mary Westphalen broached the topic last month after an unseasonably early snowstorm passed through the area. Though accumulation melted within a day or two, Westphalen received complaints from residents who said their neighbors didn't remove snow from their sidewalks, creating a hazard for pedestrians. Westphalen supported adding a date to Hartley's...
Janet Prins is trying to bring some old-fashioned, two-wheeled fun to the physical education curriculum at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary. The longtime PE teacher is working to bring the All Kids Bike Kindergarten PE Program to the elementary school. The program equips schools with everything they need to teach children how to ride a bicycle, which would be new territory for Prins. "This would be something that's totally different for the kids and for me," she said. "I think they would love...
• Traffic Nikki Day Mortimore, Des Moines, Speeding. Anali Cazares, Sanborn, Speeding. Lukas Peter Bakker, Granville, Permitting Minor Possession/Consumption Alcohol. Steven Haines Roselli, Jr., Spencer, Speeding. Ethan Allen Lewis, Jefferson, S.D., Speeding. Raymond John Atsma, Hospers, Seatbelt Violation. Adam Larry Timmerman, Cherokee, Speeding. Heather Lynne DeJong, Ankeny, Speeding. Brett Michael Engelkes, Sheldon, Minor Using Tobacco. Alinoor Abdi Adam, South Sioux City, Neb., Speeding. Bradly Robert Kremer, Sheldon, Registration Violatio...
The COVID-19 pandemic may have canceled the Valero Texas Open, but it didn't stop the tournament's legacy of giving back. Business partners, sponsors and individual donors of the tournament and related events, including the Valero Benefit for Children, still contributed more than $14 million in net proceeds for charitable organizations across the United States, including those in northwest Iowa. The Valero Hartley ethanol plant distributed $20,000 to local charities with funds raised through...
Local voters sided with most of the state during Tuesday's general election when they overwhelmingly supported Republicans in the big-ticket federal races. Republican President Donald Trump, Republican Sen. Joni Ernst and Republican congressional candidate Randy Feenstra received a groundswell of support in O'Brien and Clay counties Nov. 3. With the exception of Feenstra in Clay County, each candidate carried both counties by more than 30 points. Trump carried Iowa with 53.1 percent of the vote...
O'Brien County was the winner of a dubious title last week. According to state public health data, the county on Friday had the highest two-week COVID-19 positivity rate in the Hawkeye State with 23.4 percent. The rate is derived from the number of coronavirus-positive tests in a county over a 14-day time period. O'Brien County Public Health issued a plea to local residents to adhere to CDC guidelines and slow the spread. "There is significant community spread of COVID-19 occurring in O'Brien...
Eighth Avenue West in Hartley was abuzz with activity this week, but it wasn't because of an influx of traffic. The road was closed at the Highway 18 intersection so crews could connect water lines from the city's new industrial park to the main. The job marked the last large piece of water line construction, according to Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz. "It is my hope that the main contract work is done by the end of the month with only electric and gas utilities to be finished in...
Students at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School weren't exactly conflicted when they voted in a mock election last week. By an 80-20 margin, Republicans swept races for president, U.S. Senate and U.S. House District 4. Just under two-thirds of high school students cast ballots – 64.2 percent – with the highest turnout recorded in the senior class at 85 percent. Only 41 percent of freshmen voted, which was the lowest of all four grades. Jim Thomas' American Government class organized the mock ele...
• Traffic Alissa Ann Ladenthin, LeMars, Contempt. Aaron Michael Delgado, Minneapolis, Minn., Failure to Use Child Safety Restraint. Devin J. Hunt, Sutherland, Registration Violation. Mark Raymond Pruismann, Sioux Center, No Valid Driver’s License. Lucas James Carlson, Hartley, No Proof of Insurance. Mickelle R. Bobzien, Primghar, Speeding. Rene Johnson, Paullina, Seatbelt Violation. Jason Alexander Hernandez, Marshall, Minn., No Valid Driver’s License; Speeding. Crystal Rodriguez, Estherville, Failure to Use Child Safety Restraint; Speed...
Nine students were inducted into the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn chapter of the National Honor Society on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The 2020 initiates are senior Emily Sindt and juniors Connor Dodd, Lydia Harders, Jasmine Lux, Kaley Pearson, Lily Rons, Brenton Thomas, Anna Vander Veen and Christian Voss. President Ben Haack led the initiates in the pledge and the chapter officers highlighted each of the values held in high esteem by NHS. Vice President Gabe Bronstad spoke on character, Secretary Sam Heyn...
The Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn football team made history last Friday with a big 38-6 win over Gehlen Catholic at Peterson Field. The victory marked the first time in school history the Hawks won a second-round postseason game to advance to the next game. In addition to earning themselves a chance to play again, the Hawks received a new banner for their efforts. H-M-S (7-2) will have a chance to keep the momentum rolling this Friday against a tough West Hancock (8-1) team. The game will be played...
Anyone hoping to divert their attention from big-ticket races at the federal level won't find any distractions in O'Brien or Clay counties. There are no competitive races at the state or local level in either county. With the exception of races for president, U.S. Senate and U.S. House, voters in O'Brien and Clay counties should be able to breeze right through their ballots next week. There is one public measure on the ballot, however. Voters will decide if there should be a convention to...
Generous students at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary received a hotdog of deal last Friday during the school's annual cancer awareness day. Students and staff members contributed $1,197.96 to help find a cure for cancer. The money collected will be sent to the American Cancer Society and the June E. Nylen Cancer Center to help fund their fight. "The elementary staff and students love doing this event every year and will continue to do so until a cure is found," said physical education teacher...
