Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Sorted by date Results 1226 - 1250 of 1412
Patrons of the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District are being called on to spread a little Christmas cheer. The H-M-S Giving Tree project has returned for a second year and is in need of donors. Those who'd like to contribute can do so by snagging an ornament off a tree at designated locations in Hartley, Melvin or Sanborn, then purchasing gifts and returning them for those in need. The project is once again being led by H-M-S High School counselor Kim Spier and Jenna Hemiller, wife...
Whether it's with a homemade sign or a loud holler, local children will have to get creative to share their wish lists with Santa Claus this year. Lap visits with the jolly ol' elf have been canceled in Hartley due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Good boys and girls need not fret, however, as Santa and Mrs. Claus will be traversing the City With a Heart Saturday during the Hartley Chamber of Commerce's first-ever light parade. "Since kids can't visit him, this was kind of a last-minute way to bring...
Clay County residents are now required to wear a face mask in public settings to prevent the spread of COVID-19 following a split vote Tuesday by the board of supervisors. The order applies only if individuals cannot maintain six feet of distance between one another, both indoors and outdoors. Legal counsel noted townships and municipalities in Clay County can opt out of participation by passing their own ordinances. There is no penalty for those who violate the regulation. Supervisors Burlin...
It's official – last month's general election was a record breaker. The Iowa State Canvassing Board on Monday officially certified the results of the Nov. 3 election. Turnout was the highest in state history, with more than 1.7 million voters casting ballots. Iowa's turnout percentage of 76 percent was one of the highest in the nation. "I'm proud of all the work our election officials and poll workers put in and of the way Iowans showed up in record numbers to make their voices heard," Iowa S...
Correction: In recent weeks, Mark Donkersloot was listed as having a felony. That was an error. Donkersloot was the victim of a felony. We apologize for the error. • Traffic Miguel Angel Lucas Ajeatas, Worthington, Minn., No Valid Driver’s License; Speeding. Daniel Cuellar, Storm Lake, No Valid Driver’s License. Jeremy Joseph Kenkel, Spencer, Speeding. David Chavez Olivas, Ocheyedan, Dark Windows. Dominic Keith Vant Hof, Granville, Seatbelt Violation. Kimberly Ann Grzeslo, Washta, Speeding. Heather Salzkorn, Sanborn, Speeding. Eliseo Marti...
As dropping northwest Iowa temperatures make drive-through COVID-19 testing more challenging, Spencer Hospital and Avera Medical Group Spencer have jointly developed a covered drive-through testing site available to patients whose care providers have placed an order for them to receive a COVID-19 test. "It's important to emphasize that this testing site is only for people who have an order placed by a local healthcare provider for that individual to be tested," explained Jordan Reed, Spencer...
It's safe to say Kelly Jo McDonnell is the only Royal native with four Emmy Awards under her belt. The 1988 Clay Central alumnus snagged a coveted gold statue for producing Minnesota Bound's "Boundary Waters At Risk" program. Minnesota Bound has aired on KARE-11 NBC in Minneapolis for 24 years and is a "magazine-style show," according to McDonnell, that focuses on stories of the great outdoors in and around the Land of 10,000 Lakes. "Boundary Waters At Risk" was a three-part breakdown of the...
The coronavirus pandemic has affected Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn students in a variety of ways since it began. One impact on high school students is the fewer opportunities they have to complete their community service requirements. During the board meeting on Nov. 16, Principal Nathan Hemiller said that fewer opportunities are open to students trying to complete the required number of service hours. The board voted last spring to waive the requirement for the Class of 2020. Despite efforts by...
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...
