Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Sorted by date Results 826 - 850 of 1379
• Sentenced in connection with incident in Royal Matthew Alan Young, 25, of Spencer, has pled guilty to two charges in connection with an incident that occurred in Royal. Young was arrested on Oct. 24 after stabbing Cassandra Bicking, 26, multiple times at a residence in Royal. He was originally charged with Attempted Murder, a class B felony; Willful Injury Causing Bodily Injury, a class C felony; and Going Armed with Intent, a class D felony. He entered an initial plea of not guilty to all charges. Records indicate that Young changed his p...
Hartley is once again a one-Stoplight town. After months of hard work and anticipation, the Stoplight Lounge opened its doors to patrons on Monday night. Though they admitted to being a little nervous, owners Ryan "Stitch" Brehmer and Ashley Reid were ecstatic to show off the completely renovated building. "It's been a stressful process to get here and it's been hard on us, but hopefully it'll be a good thing for the town," Brehmer said. "We saved the building, which was my biggest concern....
Zak Schnack knows how to earn $1,500 the hard way. The Hartley man just wrapped up a fundraising campaign fed by food challenges broadcast on his YouTube channel, Iowa Retro Gamer Dad. He admits it was pretty gross at times, but it was all for a good cause. The money generated by his gastronomical feats helped buy toys for local families in need this Christmas. "It was really fun to do," said Schnack. "Not only was it showing off my YouTube channel a bit, but it was cool to see that most of the...
There's a new face greeting customers at the Hartley Post Office. Belinda Eppling, of Le Mars, took over the postmaster position on Dec. 4. She previously served the same role in Sanborn for four years and has been with the U.S. Postal Service for 23 years overall. So far, she's liked what she's seen in the City With a Heart. "I am enjoying meeting the residents of Hartley and helping them with their delivery, mailing and shipping needs," she said. "There are very friendly people here." Eppling...
With funds remaining from the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn School District's facilities project, the question now is how to best use them for other purposes. The school board met virtually on Monday with Tim Oswald, managing director of Piper Sandler, to learn the district's options for using approximately $367,000 in funds not required for the facilities project. Business Manager April Hengeveld said any remaining project costs would be final contractual obligations and bond fees. According to...
• Traffic Jewell Lara Flores, Sheldon, No Valid Driver’s License. Shannon Kazumi Techur, Sheldon, Open Container, Passenger. Dakota James Allen Clark, Sheldon, Dark Window. Thaddeus Ryan Mertz, Humboldt, Minor in Possession. Jeremiah Timothy Hilston, Sioux Falls, S.D., Speeding. Duanenisha L. Jackson, Sheldon, No Valid Driver’s License. Joshua A. Bottjen, Primghar, Speeding. Austin Vernell Jurgensen, Sutherland, Seatbelt Violation. David Allen Wren, Watertown, S.D., Improper License. Paul Arlen Siebrands, Sanborn, Failure to Maintain Contr...
Folks in the Midwest can say they witnessed weather history on Dec. 15. The National Weather Service (NWS) declared the massive system that caused thunderstorms, tornados and high-speed winds a derecho. It was the second derecho to hit the Hawkeye State in as many years and the first ever derecho recorded in the country during the month of December. A derecho is a widespread, long-lived windstorm associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. Several schools across northwest...
The location of a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline near Hartley is making some folks in eastern O'Brien County anxious. Concerns were raised about the line's route Dec. 1 during an informational meeting in Sheldon. Navigator CO2 Ventures' Heartland Greenway pipeline would run along the south edge of city limits en route to connect with Valero's ethanol plant west of town. The pipeline, which will be carrying hazardous liquid CO2 compressed at pressures ranging between 1,300-2,100 psi, will...
The Hartley City Council on Monday moved forward with plans to add to an existing infrastructure upgrade on the east side of town. Members unanimously approved a design services agreement with Bolton & Menk for cure-in-place-pipe (CIPP) lining related to the lift station replacement project. The lining work was added to the construction itinerary after bids for the lift station came in much lower than anticipated last month. "CIPP is a relatively simple way to repair lining," engineer Wes Boyer...
A contested special election in Iowa Senate District 1 on Tuesday ended up nowhere close to competitive. Republican Dave Rowley defeated Democrat Mark Lemke with 75.6 percent of the vote. Both men hail from Spirit Lake and were vying to succeed former District 1 senator Zach Whiting, who resigned in October due to an impending move to Texas. "I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the people of northwest Iowa. The work begins now," Rowley said in a news release. "As the legislative...
As a follow-up to last month's discussion regarding ordinances regulating weight limits and truck parking, the Royal City Council on Dec. 8 agreed to language changes that address those issues. The council in November tabled approval of the first reading of Royal's revised code of ordinances after hearing public input regarding regulations that would limit load weights and truck parking in the restricted residential area. One suggestion was to have the city issue permits that would allow semi tr...
• Traffic Khader Mohamed Abdinour, Columbus, Ohio, Failure to Yield to Emergency Vehicle. Nora Lee Caraveo, Estherville, Defective Muffler System. Joe Edward Ripka, Hartley, Registration Violation. Andrea Lynne Lundberg, LeMars, Speeding. Heather Salzkorn, Hartley, Speeding. Lloyd Kendall Sprague, Jr., Manter, Kan., Use of Electronic Device. Justin Tyler Bryan, Arvada, Colo., Speeding. Joshua Anthony Armfield, Remsen, Speeding. Juan Antonio Martin Guevara, Marshalltown, Speeding. Jeffrey Wade Hamlin, Springfield, Minn., Failure to Obey T...
Lettering on stone insets at either end of the south front will still read "Hartley Public School," but the longtime landmark on First Street Southeast is about to be "reinvented." The sale of the former Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn TK-4 building was authorized by the school board following a public hearing on Dec. 1. A bid of $100 was submitted by Michael Reese on behalf of Hestia Investments. After submitting the lone bid for the building, Reese summarized information from the presentation he made...
Though it's not anywhere close to finished, Hartley's new pool made a big splash last week. City officials were notified that the pool received a $350,000 Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant to help finance its construction. The city in August applied for CAT funding, which is administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and assists projects that provide recreational, cultural, entertainment and educational attractions in Iowa communities. A group from Hartley traveled to...
A successful can and bottle fundraiser in Hartley is closing up shop for the winter. Keith and Jackie Stoltz, who've volunteered their time running the donation bin located at the intersection of South Central Avenue and Second Street Southeast, are taking a breather until spring. They said there's a stockpile of cans and bottles worth approximately $10,000 to process and redeem yet, and they need to gain some ground. "The response has been overwhelming and we've been thankful, but we need to...
The details of a proposed pipeline that would cross portions of both O'Brien and Clay counties became a little clearer last week. Representatives from the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) and Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC held an informational meeting Dec. 1 in Sheldon. The presentation outlined the intent and scope of the Heartland Greenway pipeline, which would carry liquid CO2 from ethanol and fertilizer plants in five Midwest states to an underground sequestration site in Illinois. Locally, the pipel...
Republicans in the new Iowa Senate District 3 will face a contested primary election ballot next June. Anthony LaBruna, of Storm Lake, announced his candidacy in the new district on Dec. 1. He most recently served as former President Donald Trump's White House Liaison to the United States Department of Commerce, where he worked alongside senior policy personnel to advance Trump's "America First" initiatives in a variety of governmental agencies and departments. LaBruna pointed to his former...
Voters in Clay and Osceola counties will have a rare opportunity Dec. 14 to cast a ballot in a contested state senate race. Republican Dave Rowley, of Spirit Lake, and Democrat Mark Lemke, also of Spirit Lake, will square off in the special Iowa Senate District 1 election. The winner will succeed Republican Zach Whiting, who resigned from office in October due to an impending move out of state. There is one year left on the term. The special election marks the first time a Democrat has run in...
• Traffic Hugo Rodolfo Mejia Arita, Chicago, Ill., No Valid Driver’s License; Speeding. Michael Schmit, Hospers, Use of Electronic Device. Devon Russell Hohbach, Sioux Falls, S.D., Minor in Possession. Gavin Thomas Strain, Thor, Minor in Possession. Jada Spencer, Everly, Minor in Possession. Jaylyn Marie Vandervort, Cherokee, Minor in Possession. Kent James McNiece, Exeter, Calif., Speeding. Isaac Norton, Sanborn, No Valid Driver’s License. Janet Lynn Puhrmann, Paullina, Speeding. Jeremiah Timothy Hilston, Sioux Falls, S.D., Speeding. Gusta...
As expected, Tim Overmire won the special O'Brien County District 1 Supervisor election on Tuesday. Overmire, a Republican from rural Hartley, was the lone candidate on the ballot. He received 117 total votes, according to unofficial results. Overall voter turnout was 1.42 percent. Justin McCarty, also of rural Hartley, received 19 write-in votes. There was a scattering of two other write-ins to bring the overall tally of ballots cast to 138. Overmire will succeed Sherri Bootsma, who resigned...
One of the most refreshing and nostalgic elements of the Christmas season is the beauty of holiday music. Nothing can bring a smile to a grownup's ear than hearing the cheer of Christmas sung by children. Last Thursday evening the students at Clay Central/Everly Elementary came together for the annual Winter Concert. Kicking off the evening was the Maverick band. Small but mighty, the students proudly played classics that warmed up audience members for more music merriment to come. Following...
After a year on semi-hiatus, the holiday season is back in full swing this weekend. Several events are planned in Hartley and Everly to get everyone in a merry mood. Folks in the Royal area need not wait long – the city's holiday events are slated to take place next weekend. The full slate of Christmastime magic returns after the COVID-19 pandemic pushed most events off the calendar last year. One 2020 improvisation, the Hartley Chamber of Commerce's Light Parade, is back by popular demand t...
Voters in O'Brien County will have a quick experience in the voting booth when they hit the polls Dec. 7. Republican Tim Overmire, of Hartley, will be the lone choice on the ballot aside from the write-in slot. If all goes according to plan, he will succeed former District 1 Supervisor Sherri Bootsma, who resigned in October due to an impending move. Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Voting locations include: Crossroads Pavilion in Sheldon, Sanborn Community Building, Hartley Community...
Transportation policy once again took center stage Nov. 22 during the Clay Central/Everly school board's regular meeting. For the second time in six months, board members were approached about granting a variance to the district's transportation policy. Trevor and Courtney Engeltjes and Bill Follon, parents of elementary-age students in the northern part of the CC/E district, open-enroll their children to Okoboji. An Okoboji bus had been picking them up and dropping them off at their rural...
Remaining members of the Everly Commercial Club plan to pound the final nail in the coffin on the community service group today. In an email to members, former president Chris Dodd outlined plans for the dissolution meeting scheduled today at the Everly Public Library at 2 p.m. The club has been looking to officially disband for the better part of a year due to dwindling membership and interest, but legal hurdles prevented it. "The purpose of this meeting is to properly approve to dissolve the...
