Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
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The future of Royal's water system was a major item of discussion during the city council meeting on Feb. 8. Royal currently purchases water from Iowa Lakes Regional Water (ILRW) and distributes it through its own system. Council members have been discussing the need to replace aging water mains, update meters and modernize the city's billing system. The possibility of turning Royal's water system over to ILRW was discussed during a recent meeting with CEO Brad Veit. From those discussions,... Full story
A Spencer company was awarded the contract for a major improvement project at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School. Graves Construction Co. submitted the low bid of $2,272,238 for the project. According to John Hight, of Beck Engineering, Inc., the successful bid was $35,000 lower than the engineer's estimate. "We got a really good bid," Hight said during Monday's board meeting. "That contractor has experience in that line of construction." The project is divided into three phases. The first... Full story
The Everly City Council on Monday fielded a proposal that could ruffle some feathers throughout town. Resident Janice Nielsen gave a short presentation about urban chickens. She said around 10 households are interested in having fowl inside city limits, which she admitted would present both pros and cons. "I know you guys get a lot of complaints about dogs and cats, and I don't want this to cause more complaints," Nielsen said. "But I think this could be a benefit to Everly. I didn't realize... Full story
• Traffic Hannah Kristine Sleight Hylemon, Royal, Registration Violation. Luis O. Alvarez Carrillo, Oklahoma City, Okla., No Valid Driver’s License. Gustavo Zamora Cendejas, Sioux City, Registration Violation; Seatbelt Violation; Dark Windows. Alexandr David Vlietstra, Orange City, Registration Violation. Thad Daniel Hawkins, Granville, Failure to Obey Stop Sign. Medwin Saul Juarez, Grand Island, Neb., Dark Windows. Kelton Lee Schulz, Primghar, Failure to Yield. Rylan David Hersom, Ruthven, Speeding. Trevan Michael Schrader, Sheldon, Fai... Full story
The Hartley City Council is hoping an issue that caused the sewer system to back up into homes last fall is nearing a resolution. Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz reported Feb. 13 that sewer lines extending southward to the sewer treatment plant on the east side of town had been jetted and televised recently. The pipes will eventually be relined this year in an effort to prevent future issues from arising. "They looked as clean as they can get," said Benz. Around a half-dozen... Full story
The Clay County Fair this week announced eight nights of Grandstand events – including five shows that are part of the SRG Concert Series – for the 2023 Clay County Fair powered by SMU, Sept.9-17. Jimmie Allen with special guest Parmalee Saturday, Sept. 9 Jimmie Allen launched his career with two consecutive No. 1 hits off his 2018 debut album Mercury Lane – the first being his two-time Platinum debut single "Best Shot" and second being Platinum-certified "Make Me Want To." He won the both... Full story
Classes may be months away from dismissing, but it's already been a memorable year for new Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn FFA advisor Lindsey Meyers. The first-year instructor took the reigns of the local chapter in August. She succeeds Michele Wagner, who left the post for a new job with Iowa State University Extension & Outreach. Meyers has liked what she's seen so far in Hartley. She is a native of Indianola and a 2022 graduate of Iowa State University, where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in... Full story
Another hole in Hartley's public works department has been filled. The city council on Monday hired Curtis Conaway as the new public works superintendent. He will succeed Jaron Benz, who is leaving the post next month for a job in the private sector. City officials interviewed three finalists for the position. Conaway's salary was set at $85,000. "I want to try to keep things moving in the right direction, and I feel like I have a good idea of how things work and what's going on," Conaway said...
The New Year brought with it hopes for wetter conditions in Iowa, and so far, it's delivered. The latest water summary update by the Iowa DNR reported precipitation totals in January nearly doubled their typical average in the Hawkeye State – 1.82 inches. Still, much of northwest Iowa remains dry, with both Clay and O'Brien counties suffering "severe drought" and "extreme drought" conditions, according to the U.S Drought Monitor. ISU Extension agronomist Gentry Sorensen, whose territory c...
A dozen years hold a lot of memories. Just ask Jeremy Parsons. After leading the Clay County Fair since 2011, Parsons will wrap up his tenure as CEO and fair manager next month. Soon, he will head south to Des Moines to take the reigns of the Iowa State Fair. "It's the culmination of a lifelong dream," Parsons said. "My 'fair roots' were started at the Iowa State Fair." Parsons listed several accomplishments as highlights of his tenure in Spencer. Combining the Fair & Events Center into one orga...
• Traffic Sarah Ellen Waldner, Sioux City, No Proof of Insurance. Ethan John Radtke, Sutherland, Failure to Yield. Troy Earl Duskin, Sibley, No Proof of Insurance. Travis Robert Broesder, Little Rock, Registration Violation. Michael Mertes, Sheldon, No Proof of Insurance. William Robert Winter, Ionia, Speeding. Blaine Alexander Finster, Hartley, Speeding. Tristin Kay Saarie, Okabena, Minn., Speeding. Andrew W. Castillo, Hospers, Minor in Possession, Tobacco. Debra S. Tifft, Sanborn, Registration Violation. Tyler Jay Fischer, Archer, Seatbelt V...
The new owner of the old meat packing plant in Hartley says progress is on track to reopen the facility sometime this spring. Stephane Comtois, owner of Hartley Cold Services, said preparation work is ongoing with the hopes of opening in May. A 10,000 square foot addition was recently built to house more services, and Comtois has been excited to watch progress unfold this winter. "We called the place Hartley Cold Services for a good reason – we're going to be offering service to the local p...
Maroon and Gold will always have place in Nate Hemiller's heart even after his "colors" change. The Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School principal will swap titles this summer when he officially becomes shared superintendent at East Sac County and Ar-We-Va. Hemiller, who's been with H-M-S since 2016, recently accepted the new position after careful consideration. "I have really enjoyed serving the H-M-S district and knew that someday I would make the transition from principal to superintendent,"...
• Traffic Joey Thomas McMath, Olivia, Minn., Speeding; Following Too Close. Abdirizak Noor Mohamed, Minneapolis, Minn., Speeding; Hours of Service Violation. Jose Manuel Duenas Topete, Hawarden, Speeding; No Proof of Insurance. Juan Viltres Ramos, Louisville, Ky., Open Container. Johnny Anthony Bandomo, Albert City, Registration Violation. Micah Roy Powers, Paullina, Failure to Maintain Control. Effie Lavinia Jackson, Archer, No Valid Driver’s License. Ethan Anderson, Sheldon, Careless Driving. Scott C. Anderson, Otsego, Minn., Reg...
Just as it has for the lifetime of every local resident, the old Capitol Theatre in downtown Hartley continues to stand sentinel over South Central Avenue. City officials are still hoping that changes, too. Updates on the decrepit property have been few and far between over the past year. According to City Administrator Erica Haack, the council is still planning to knock the building down; however, making that a reality has been easier said than done. "There are no updates on the old theater...
Mardi Gras is coming to Everly. The Everly Heritage Museum is inviting area residents to celebrate New Orleans-style at its "Mardi Gras on Main" concert fundraiser slated for Saturday, March 11. The musical event is the second annual fundraiser staged by the museum, and promises to be just as much fun as the first. "We're hoping to see a big crowd again to support the preservation of Everly's history," said museum steering committee member Connie Goeken. "We have received great support from the...
There were eggs on the menu, but education was the main dish Saturday morning at the first Eggs & Issues forum of 2023. Four local lawmakers fielded questions from patrons during the first of three gatherings planned this winter in Spencer. The main topic of discussion was the Students First Act, a new law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds last week that will bring sweeping changes to education funding in Iowa. The law will allow taxpayer dollars to be used for tuition at K-12 private schools....
An abundance of snow days this winter garnered significant discussion Jan. 25 by the Clay Central/Everly school board. Snowy conditions have kept students out of the classroom multiple days since December. Board members debated how to make up the lost classroom hours, but ultimately tabled a decision until a future meeting. Board Member Allyn Heikens noted the district must keep in mind the staff's contracted workdays and professional development hours. After a lengthy discussion about potential...
The Hartley City Council on Jan. 24 filled one of two key vacancies in the public works department. Members voted to hire Isaac Molendorp as the city's new gas superintendent. He succeeds Adam Lux, who resigned from the post in December. Molendorp's starting wage was set at $22.50. According to Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz, Molendorp has been a resident of Hartley since last summer and currently works in the plumbing industry. He is a graduate of Sibley-Ocheyedan and attended...
• Traffic Karen Ann King, Sanborn, Open Container. Kayloni Ann Mitchell, Sioux City, Speeding. Matthew Jonathon Gerdts, Bayfield, Wis., Dark Windows. Kyle Andrew Hisken, Willmar, Minn., Speeding; Seatbelt Violation. Gregory Sean Richardson, Burnsville, Minn., Speeding. Luis Lopez Lopez, Worthington, Minn., Speeding. Madeline Marie Wankum, Milford, Registration Violation. Chase Matthew Fuhrman, Paullina, Seatbelt Violation. Gabriella Lee Carpenter, Royal, Speeding. Jacob Matthew Reiser, Sheldon, No Proof of Insurance. Nevaeh Hope Vos, Des M...
While most Iowans were sleeping, the Legislature on Monday night and Tuesday morning passed sweeping changes to K-12 education funding that will allow taxpayer dollars to be used for tuition at private schools. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who made the proposal a key campaign issue during her successful 2022 re-election bid, signed the legislation on Tuesday. With overwhelming GOP majorities in both the House and Senate, the Students First Act faced little chance of rejection. It passed 55-45 in the...
Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of a fire Sunday that damaged several businesses and upstairs apartments on Grand Avenue in Spencer. According to a news release from the Spencer Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched to 215 Grand Ave. Apt. #5 at around 12:30 p.m. The occupant called 911 and advised that she had just gotten home and that there was a lot of smoke in the apartment. On arrival, firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the second floor windows on the fr...
An agreement for scheduled service of HVAC systems in all three Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn buildings was approved by the school board on Jan. 16. Superintendent Patrick Carlin described the one-year service agreement with Trane as "preventive/proactive maintenance." "It's a proactive step. We have a lot of units and a lot of filters to maintain," he noted. The agreement divides Trane's services into three scopes of service. The first calls for spring and fall service inspections of all 23 rooftop...
The status of the old water plant in Royal is being further investigated following discussions with the city's water supplier. Mayor Josh Toft reported at this month's council meeting that Iowa Lakes Regional Water (ILRW) has agreed to provide cost estimates for exposing lines under the former plant. Doing so will help determine what should be relocated or eliminated, and what must remain. The old plant is located adjacent to the city maintenance building and fire station. According to discussio...
• Traffic Gabriela Gonzalez Lemus, Hartley, Speeding. Bo Thomas Struve, Paullina, Speeding. Jose Manuel Duenas Topete, Hawarden, No Valid Driver’s License. Alicia Elizabeth Cortez, Sioux City, Speeding; Registration Violation. Pedro Ralios Pablo, Sheldon, No Valid Driver’s License; Failure to Maintain Control. Andrew John Purcell, Hartley, Registration Violation. Dawson James Arrick, Sutherland, Minor in Possession, Tobacco. Cesar Constantino, Sheldon, No Valid Driver’s License. Inmer Abisai Solis Morales, Sheldon, No Valid Driver’s License....
