Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Sorted by date Results 851 - 875 of 1412
An errant glove has caused headaches at Hartley's sewage treatment facility. Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz reported at Monday's council meeting that a pump motor at the lift station near the sewage plant burned out this fall and needs to be replaced. The culprit was a leather glove, which got caught in the equipment and rendered it useless. Benz said the motor cannot be rebuilt. He proposed replacing the equipment immediately while water flow is low during the winter, as the lift...
Residents in Hartley have seen marked progress recently at the site of the city's new pool. What was once a large hole surrounded by mounds of dirt has transformed into something much more tangible. The shell of the pool house has been erected and the outline of the pool itself can actually be deciphered from a short distance away. Hartley Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz has been pleased with progress so far. "I think everything has been going really well," he said. "They took...
Local public health officials are urging individuals who've put off their COVID-19 vaccine booster to stop procrastinating. With the emergence of the highly-transmissible omicron variant and holiday gatherings now over, Clay County Public Health coordinator Colette Rossiter is expecting COVID-19 infections to rise in northwest Iowa. She said vaccinated people should schedule their booster shot if they haven't received it yet to improve their odds at avoiding serious illness or death if they...
Iowa Republicans will be in a familiar spot Jan. 10 when the Legislature convenes for the 2022 session. GOP lawmakers will hold control of the House, Senate and governor's chair for the sixth-straight year. That grip on the majority has allowed Republicans to check several boxes off their legislative priority list over the past half decade, and they're primed to keep the ball rolling. Tax cuts have created a big buzz prior to the 2022 session. Gov. Kim Reynolds earlier this year signaled her...
• Correction In the court news published on Dec. 16, Beau Roberts was listed under OWI. That is incorrect. He was charged with a simple misdemeanor. We apologize for the error. • Traffic Donna Louise Hinds, Larrabee, No Proof of Insurance. Larissa Lynn Miller, Marcus, No Valid Driver’s License. Mark Alan Stone, Jr., Sheldon, Failure to Use Child Restraint Device; Registration Violation. Hannah Renae Rosentrater, Cherokee, Failure to Change Lanes when Approaching Emergency Vehicle. Brandi Marie Roslansky, Spencer, Speeding. Jesse Taylor Eldri...
5 will be remembered as the year things got back to normal. Thanks to COVID-19 vaccinations and reduced risk to public health, community celebrations and other gatherings returned full force after a yearlong hiatus caused by the pandemic. Back were crowd favorite events like Hartley Summer Celebration, Everly Community Day, Royal Fun Days and the Clay County Fair. People were able to visit loved ones in nursing homes once again, and mask usage and social distancing were mostly halted. The...
The Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn school board will be one member short soon. Board President Scott Heetland submitted his letter of resignation effective Jan. 1. The May City-area farmer served for 13 years, having first been elected in 2008 after defeating incumbent Merlin Sandersfeld by 20 votes. Heetland said the timing was right to step aside. "I probably wouldn't have ran last time, but wanted to see the facilities projects through because I was heavily involved in that process," he said. "Now...
One snapshot of performance by the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School's attendance centers has district officials smiling. Scores for all three buildings in the 2021 Iowa School Performance Profiles fall in the "Commendable" category. Overall results are based on scores in several categories, including assessment participation, average school achievement, conditions of learning survey, graduation rate, proficiency growth, actual proficiency and a post-secondary readiness index. Buildings...
• 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...
