Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
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The Iowa Department of Education last month announced 2023 fall certified enrollment numbers for public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools and certified participation in the Students First Education Savings Account program for the 2023-24 school year. Public school district certified enrollment was 483,699, down only approximately one-half percent (0.57 percent) from last year, as projected from population patterns. Certified enrollment at Iowa accredited nonpublic schools was 36,195, up from 33,692 last year, an increase of 7.4...
BY NICK PEDLEY Just like last year, education reform proved to be the main dish during the first Eggs & Issues legislative forum held last Saturday in Spencer. Reps. Megan Jones and John Wills, along with Sens. Lynn Evans and Dave Rowley, answered a smorgasbord of questions regarding the governor's plan to reform the state's nine Area Education Agencies (AEAs). The proposal has been the headlining piece of legislation thus far in the 2024 session. Evans, a Republican from Aurelia, served more th...
The Clay Central/Everly school board on Jan. 24 approved the resignations of three elementary teachers effective at the end of the current year. Tierny Rutt, Joan Kimball and Melissa Loving submitted their resignations to the board. Rutt teaches first grade, Kimball teaches fifth grade and Loving teaches fourth grade. Rutt applied for early retirement, which was approved by the board. She was the only CC/E teacher who applied for the board's package this year. Kimball and Loving are also retirin...
Iowa House District 5's freshman representative announced his bid for another term earlier this month. Rep. Zach Dieken will run for another two-year term representing the district, which includes all of O'Brien and Osceola counties as well as parts of Cherokee and Buena Vista counties. The Republican from Granville was first elected in 2022 after defeating Dennis Bush and Tom Kuiper in the GOP primary election. "I am thankful for the honor and opportunity to represent [District 5] in Des...
• Traffic Majdi S. Daifa, Columbus, Ohio, Hours of Service Violation. Travis Linn Souder, Russellville, Ohio, Speeding; Following Too Close. Wade Aaron Ulmer, Fremont, Neb., Speeding. Marcus David Ballou, Spirit Lake, Failure to Obey Stop Sign. Shelby Marie Case, Primghar, Speeding. Maria Petronilia Morales Lopez, Sheldon, No Valid Driver’s License; No Proof of Insurance. Robert Scott Wilson Carson, Sutherland, Failure to Maintain Control. Reid McClaren, Primghar, Seatbelt Violation. Arthur Lewis Grives, Hartley, Registration Violation. Cry...
Summit Carbon Solutions has reached an agreement to nearly double the number of ethanol facilities that will connect to its proposed carbon dioxide pipeline system in Iowa, the company announced Monday. The agreement with POET – which says it is the world's largest biofuel producer – would add 17 ethanol plants to the proposed system in Iowa and South Dakota, including Ashton in Osceola County. A dozen of those are in Iowa, which gives Summit a total of 25 in the state. Those sites would ext... 
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With warm temperatures forecast for the next week, Iowa DNR officials are reminding people to be aware of deteriorating ice conditions. Last week several events at Winter Games at the Iowa Great Lakes had to be moved off the ice out of an abundance of caution. Ice conditions rebounded last month during a cold snap, however, recent warm temperature are expected to make thickness fluctuate. The DNR recommends a minimum of four inches of quality ice for fishing and at least five inches for...
The state of the former elementary school in Hartley remains unchanged more than two years after it switched ownership. Michael Reese, whose firm Hestia Investments in 2021 purchased the school from the H-M-S Community School District, this week offered few details about progress and current state of the facility. Reese in December 2022 unveiled elaborate plans for the building, which closed in May of 2021 following the construction of the new elementary school and junior high. Reese issued a...
A Sanborn man is behind bars after allegedly robbing Sanborn Savings Bank on Monday. According to the O'Brien County Sheriff's Office, a 911 call was received at 1:02 p.m. reporting a robbery at the bank. Bank officials reported a black male entered the building and handed a teller a note. The note said that this was a robbery and demanded cash. No weapons were displayed or referenced during the robbery. An undetermined amount of cash was taken from the bank at that time and the subject left...
A Hartley family is picking up the pieces after a fire significantly damaged their home early Sunday morning. Hartley Fire Chief Brad Meedering said the department was called to Mike and Christina Larson’s residence on Highway 18 at around 2:20 a.m. Upon arrival, responders could see flames around the chimney and east area of the residence. Firefighters engaged in an exterior attack and then moved inside. Several walls were damaged in the fight, and the home sustained significant water and smoke damage. Meendering suspected the fire started in...
Just a week after the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn School Board's decision to have the district continue to cover the costs of student lunches came word that it will not be doing so. In a communication sent on Monday, Superintendent Patrick Carlin informed H-M-S families that student lunch costs cannot be covered by the district. "It is with much disappointment that I must announce that the H-M-S Community School District will not be able to extend the covering of lunch cost as previously announced...
• Traffic Noah Charles Parmelee, Sioux City, Minor in Possession, Tobacco. Yardao Junco Diaz, Sheldon, No Valid Driver’s License. Randall Alan Chamberlain, Sioux City, Dark Windows. Dominick Petitt, Paullina, Speeding; No Proof of Insurance. Terry Randall Hilton, Jr., Colquitt, Ga., Seatbelt Violation. Landyn Richard Vossberg, Akron, Use of Electronic Device. Cheyenne Joyce Niemeyer, Doon, No Proof of Insurance. Nathanial James Frazer, Hartley, No Proof of Insurance. Jesus Lopez Lopez, Worthington, Minn., Use of Electronic Device. Ethaniel Davi...
Any debate about whom Iowa Republicans want in the White House next year was put to rest Monday night. Former president Donald Trump breezed to victory during the Iowa GOP Caucus with 51 percent of the vote statewide. Participants braved frigid temperatures to cast their ballots during the event, which officially kicked off the 2024 presidential nominating process. "It's been a long road getting here, but we're finally here," O'Brien County GOP Central Committee Chair Denny Werkmeister told the...
The cost of lunches for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn students will continue to be covered by the district through the end of the current school year. H-M-S began covering the cost of student lunches in December on a two-month trial basis. That was done, in large part, due to the balance in the district's Nutrition Fund. With that balance still in excess of $600,000 as of Dec. 31, board members decided on Monday to continue covering student lunch costs. "We certainly have the capacity to continue it...
A new director is leading services at the Hartley Public Library. Casey Mason, of Hartley, took the reigns at the local facility in late November. She started at the library as an assistant in September before taking over following the resignation of her predecessor, Angie Heikens. "I've liked that it's in town, and I've enjoyed getting to know and serve the kids and other patrons," Mason said. In addition to her duties as director, Mason also serves as the children's programming director. She...
The City of Everly's real estate portfolio shrunk once again Monday night. The council accepted two bids of $1,000 apiece from Stephanie and Derrick Nestvold for a pair of lots located by the railroad tracks. Barring any hiccups, the Nestvolds will take ownership in March once the required notice is published and a public hearing is held. The lots sit at the intersection of East Fourth Street and Rumsey Street. The Nestvolds were the only bidders on the properties. The minimum bid for each lot s...
The process of getting Royal’s Main Street repaved has hit another bump in the road. During discussion in December, council members indicated interest in having the city take on the project. It was hoped that excessive costs for engineering and upgrades to intersections, sidewalk approaches and street lighting could be avoided. Mayor Josh Toft reported at the Jan. 10 council meeting that he was told by an engineer that any municipal project costing over $100,000 must be engineered and open to public bid. “I guess maybe we’re back to squar...
• Arrested on drug charges An O’Brien County man faces felony drug charges after officers carried out a search warrant in Sutherland. According to the Sutherland Police Department, eight sealed bags of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a digital scale were found on Jan. 11. Dean Swanson, 58, of Sutherland, was charged with Drug Stamp Violation and Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver or Manufacture, both class D felonies; and Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, misdemeanors. Also arrested was...
The national spotlight will blind the Hawkeye State Jan. 15 when Republicans select their top choice for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination during the Iowa Caucuses. The highly-anticipated event will cap more than a year of campaigning. O'Brien County GOP Central Committee Chair Denny Werkmeister is looking forward to the big event and anticipated great attendance. "I'm predicting a big crowd," he said. "If things turn out the way they usually do every four years, there should be a lot of...
The moment northwest Iowa residents have been dreading finally arrived Monday. A winter storm delivered the area's first significant snow accumulation of the season. The weather cancelled classes and other events Monday and Tuesday, which marked the first snow-related shutterings of the current school year. Pictured above and below, Hartley residents dig out Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls reported totals ranging between 4-8" in O'Brien and Clay c...
A familiar slate of business greeted the Hartley City Council on Monday during its first meeting of 2024. Annual reports and appointments topped the short agenda. Up first were library board members Carolyn Rubsam and Kathy Wacker, who reported 8,761 books and 1,569 movies were checked out last year. The duo also noted the director and adult programming director positions have been filled. Next up was ambulance team member Darla Meyer, who reported the team responded to 289 calls in 2023. That...
Kevin Virgil, a former Army Ranger and CIA operations officer, announced last week that he is running for Iowa's Fourth Congressional District as a Republican. Virgil, who grew up near Sutherland and graduated from South O'Brien High School, said his campaign was founded on the principles of true conservatism and emphasized Iowa's need for a "representative who will fervently defend these values in Washington." The Fourth District is currently represented by Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull), who...
• Traffic Kayla Danae Koster, Paullina, Speeding. Edgar Tarango Pasillas, Hartley, No Proof of Insurance; Speeding; No Driver’s License. Patricia Baldelamar, Hartley, Permitting Unauthorized Driver. Raul Lopez Solis, Sioux City, Defective Tires; No Driver’s License; Speeding. Henry Richard Thalen, Ponoka, OC, Speeding. Morgan Leigh Gongaware, Germantown, Use of Electronic Device. Tyler Jacob Kauffman, New Richmond, Wis., No Proof of Insurance; No Valid Driver’s License; Speeding. Jaury M. Perez Rucu, Storm Lake, Speeding; No Valid Driver...
With strong majorities in both the House and Senate, Iowa Republicans are once again hoping to keep Gov. Kim Reynolds' desk piled high with bills to sign during the 2024 legislative session. The 90th Iowa General Assembly kicks off Jan. 8 with a target end date of April 16. GOP lawmakers are eyeing changes to the tax code as well as other top priorities when the gavel sounds in Des Moines. Local lawmakers include: Rep. Zach Dieken, House District 5; Sen. Lynn Evans, Senate District 3; Rep....
The composition of some classrooms at Clay Central/Everly Elementary will look different in August. The school board on Dec. 27 voted unanimously to shift to multi-grade level classrooms next fall. According to discussion, the change will only affect certain grades and not all K-6 levels. "Moving forward, CC/E is going to be here," said Superintendent Kevin Wood. "It's just going to look a little different." The board and administration had been discussing the move since August due to low...
