Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
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Residents in Royal are ready to blow off a little steam. For the first time since 2019, the community is gearing up for Royal Fun Days. The celebration runs July 16-18 and features events for the whole family. Royal Fun Days was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however organizers were still able to hold the tractor pulls. "There's been quite a bit of talk on Facebook," said Anne Hagedorn, one of the event's organizers. "Everybody is excited to get out in the community and have...
The 2021 O'Brien County Fair is just around the corner. It kicks off on Saturday, July 24 with a tractor ride at 9 a.m. The ride will begin from the fairgrounds in Primghar, with dinner being served on the route. Open crafts will be judged on Saturday, and you can begin to bring those items to the fairgrounds at 7:30 a.m. Anyone from O'Brien County is encouraged to exhibit and the entry fee is only $1 per exhibitor. The special class in photography this year is "Barns." This must be an...
A tiny O'Brien County cemetery means the world to Hartley's LeRoy Steffens. In 1884 Michael Steuck, Steffens' great-grandfather, buried his mother, Anna Steuck, on the family farm in Center Township in O'Brien County. She was the first in the family to be buried in the privately-owned pioneer cemetery. Born in 1819, Anna became a war widow in Germany and later brought her children to the United States to build a life in northwest Iowa. Since then, 36 more family members have opted for burial in...
A memorial gift to the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn School District will benefit elementary students for years to come. Former Superintendent Stephen Litts was joined on Monday by district representatives and friends to commemorate the gift in memory of Dorothy Litts, which funded the purchase two benches and books for the elementary library. Litts had contacted former elementary Principal Cathy Jochims to ask if there was anything she would like to have for the school, but the budget did not allow...
• Traffic Beau Michael Roberts, Archer, Seatbelt Violation. Shawn Joseph DeBoer, LeMars, Seatbelt Violation. Jonathon Joel Garrett, Spirit Lake, Failure to Maintain Control. Paul E. McDonough, Sanborn, Speeding. Tyler Timothy Walker, Sheldon, Dark Windows. Eric Andrew Busch, Sanborn, Seatbelt Violation. Gino Lawrence Cecilio, Green Bay, Wis., Registration Violation. Elijah Duane Broesder, Sheldon, Speeding. Ahmednoor Atosh Abdullahi, Sioux Falls, S.D., Speeding. Kelvin Robert Lansink, Primghar, Speeding. Larry Dean Julius, George, Seatbelt V...
There's no guessing local farmers' biggest concern midway through the growing season. Dry conditions have stressed corn and soybean fields across northwest Iowa. Though recent rainfall has helped, more precipitation is needed as crops head towards the home stretch. "Corn has showed moisture stress for many days in a lot of fields so far this summer," said ISU Extension field agronomist Joel DeJong, who serves O'Brien County. "However, if it started raining and kept raining, the yield...
Hartley officials are hoping its better luck next year for a state grant that would help with the removal of a longstanding eyesore on Central Avenue. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources last week announced the recipients of its Derelict Building Grant Program. Though it applied, Hartley wasn't among the nine winners. City officials were hoping to land money for expenses related to the future demolition of the old Capitol Theatre building downtown, which has been deemed a health hazard by O...
There won't be a ribbon cutting, but a vital infrastructure improvement project is nearing the finish line in Everly. Engineer Brian Schmidt reported June 21 that upgrades to the city's sewage treatment ponds are almost complete. A few loose ends need to be tied up, but most boxes have been checked off. "They're really closing in on the project," said Schmidt. "There's a lot of stuff going on out there." Once completed, the multi-million dollar upgrades will bring the sewage ponds into...
Another big change is coming to the local ag market. Members of MaxYield Cooperative on July 1 voted to merge with NEW Cooperative, Inc., effective Aug. 1. MaxYield's membership vote met Iowa's state voting requirement for a successful cooperative merger with at least 50 percent (plus one) of its Class A membership voting, with at least two-thirds of those casting ballots voting in favor of the merger. "We look forward to being a part of NEW Cooperative and look forward to the opportunities...
A farmers cooperative with locations in Hartley and Royal will see its territory expand significantly later this summer. Members of Alceco voted on July 1 to merge with First Cooperative Association (FCA) effective Sept. 1. The merger process began in December 2020, with the boards of both cooperatives commissioning a unification study to examine the synergies between the organizations and make recommendations on a potential union. The combined boards voted unanimously in April 2021 to move forw...
• Semi-tractor destroyed near Sanborn The Sanborn Fire Department was paged for a semi-tractor fire near the corner of Roseland Cemetery, west of Sanborn, at 2:15 p.m. June 28. When firefighters arrived they found a 2002 Freightliner tractor fully engulfed in flames. According to the report, firefighters prevented the tractor’s fuel tanks from burning and also kept the grain trailer which it was pulling from being damaged. The driver did not notice any problems until smoke began to come out of the dashboard. A trail of diesel fuel on the roa...
Since May, state agencies, wildlife rehabilitators and animal control operators in the Mid-Atlantic United States have received a sharp uptick in reports of sick or dead songbirds. Grackles, starlings, robins and blue jays seem particularly vulnerable to this mystery ailment, which causes swollen and crusty eyes and neurologic signs, like disorientation, tremors and loss of balance. To date, a definitive cause has not been identified and the number of affected states has expanded west to...
Hartley's former swimming hole is now just a hole in the ground. The city's pool was completely removed as of Tuesday afternoon. Crews began tearing out all concrete and other infrastructure on June 23 to make way for the new aquatic center, which is hoped to be open by mid-summer next year. Removal went swimmingly, according to Hartley Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz. "I think everything went pretty well to plan," he said. "Things are moving and coming along nicely." A crew from...
A new endowment hopes to bankroll significant improvements to O'Brien County's Prairie Heritage Center. Local officials on Tuesday announced the creation of The Dan and Jean Struve Charitable Fund Benefiting Prairie Heritage Center and The Dan and Jean Struve Charitable Endowment Benefiting Prairie Heritage Center. The accounts were made possible by contributions from Gregg Struve in memory of his parents. "Dad felt very strongly that the center should exist, and he felt very strongly that it...
To expand outdoor play opportunities for students, retiring Principal Cathy Jochims suggested that additional space be created for both playgrounds at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary. In her final report to the school board, Jochims noted more green space is needed for students to play. She acknowledged that doing so will require planning and obtaining cost estimates before the project can be approved. "At this time I am just asking the board to think about offering this improvement to the pla...
For the past nearly nine years the Royal Post Office has had Carol Rumohr at its helm. The local woman has maintained her post during unlikely circumstances, including the COVID-19 pandemic, assuring that letters, bills, stimulus relief checks and packages were all received in an orderly fashion. Rumohr, a former hotel/motel traveling manager, will be bidding adieu to her post on Friday, July 2, and heading into the world of retirement. She already has her plans lined up. "Lots of traveling, I s...
• Traffic Manjot Singh, Cucamonga, Calif., Speeding. Joshua William Stanley, Paullina, Registration Violation. Destiny Alexandra Olvera, Hartley, Speeding. Ricardo Varra Alvardo, LeMars, No Proof of Insurance. Colleen Marie McGough Wood, White Bear Lake, Minn., Speeding. Mitchell Thomas Nasers, Paullina, Use of Electronic Device. Ethan Wade Sander, Sacred Heart, Minn., Use of Electronic Device. Ricardo Varra Alvarado, LeMars, Speeding. Joshua Daniel Prine, Lucan, Minn., Speeding. Matthew Mark Gagen, Bode, Violation of Restricted License; F...
With the end of June on the horizon, concerns about the timely completion of the new Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School and other facilities projects were voiced during Monday's school board meeting. Members of the building committee, Board President Scott Heetland and Board Vice President Scott Vollink, expressed frustration with several issues. Some of it was directed toward Boyd Jones, the firm which serves as project manager. According to Heetland, "Things are not getting done." "Timelines...
An Everly man is sparkling with anger over fireworks usage in town. Jim Hartmann on Monday expressed vocal concern to the city council about the prolific use of pyrotechnics in his neighborhood. He claimed to have found two spent aerial fireworks canisters on his roof last year, which burned the tar. He believed they fell onto his house during one of his neighbor's raucous displays and was worried issues would persist this summer. "I've got a neighbor that likes his beer, and he likes to shoot...
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more outgoing 100-year-old than Winnie Mack. The Hartley woman turns a century old on Friday, but she still doesn't know where the time has gone. It's really no bother to her, though, because she follows one guiding principle. "My motto is, 'Do the best you can with what you've got,' " she said. "I always say to take everything one day at a time, sweet Jesus." Mack still lives alone in her Hartley home. She wears a Life Alert necklace at all times and receives...
Christmas is coming early for tykes and toddlers at the Hartley Community Daycare Center. The local facility is in the process of installing new playground equipment and rubber mulch in the outdoor recreation area. Existing pea rock and other structures will be removed to make room for the improvements, which were made possible by grants and fundraisers. Daycare director Kaity Harms said she's been eyeing playground upgrades since she took the job in the summer of 2019. "I made a list of things...
• Traffic Kevin Lopez Berduo, Worthington, Minn., No Valid Driver’s License; Speeding; No Proof of Insurance. Marie Geraldine Jeppesen, Sibley, Use of Electronic Device. Katlynn Jeanne Letien, Milford, Speeding. Timothy Ertim, Sibley, Speeding; No Valid Driver’s License. Angela Michelle Heideman, Ashton, Speeding. Gordon F. Glade, Grand Island, Neb., Speeding. Steven Curtis Daniels, Sheldon, Hunting/Fishing License Violation. Travis Allen Arens, Sibley, No Proof of Insurance. Mason Glenn Nerness, Sheldon, Violation of Restricted License; Regis...
Hartley's old swimming pool is looking a little barren. A city crew last week removed five trees and knocked down the small structure that housed chemical equipment on the southwest side of the facility. According to Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz, the work completed the city's demolition obligations prior to the construction company's arrival. He expected things to really kick up within the coming week. "Demolition is tentatively scheduled for the first week of July, and that should...
The O'Brien County Community Foundation (OBCCF), an affiliate of the Siouxland Community Foundation, awarded grants totaling more than $81,000 to nonprofit organizations and units of local government in support of projects throughout the county. Grants were presented June 17 at the Primghar Community Building. One of the grant recipients was the Hartley Volunteer Fire Department, which was awarded a $5,000 grant for bunker gear. Other groups receiving grants, grant amounts and projects include:...
The City of Hartley will have almost half of a $1.1 million infrastructure project paid for before the first shovel pierces the ground later this summer. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) on June 3 announced Hartley was the recipient of a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The money will help cover expenses for upgrades to the lift station located at North Eighth Avenue East and Second Street Northeast that serves a large portion of the northeast quadrant of town....
