01/21/21: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

Herrig named to BSC President’s Honor Roll

Tyler Herrig, of Greenville, has been named to the President’s Honor Roll with a 4.0 grade point average for the fall 2020 semester at Bismarck State College, N.D.

Students must maintain at least a 3.50 grade point on a 4.0 scale while enrolled in at least 12 semester hours of classes in order to qualify.

Audit report released on solid waste agency

Williams & Company, P.C., of Spencer, released the June 30, 2020 audit report on the Northwest Iowa Area Solid Waste Agency.

According to the report, the agency had total operating revenues of $2,583,255 for the year ended June 30, 2020, a 9.72 percent increase from the prior year. Revenues included gate fees of $2,557,261 and household hazardous materials fees of $21,248.

Operating expenses totaled $1,736,419, a 13.07 percent increase from the prior year, and included $530,070 for salaries and benefits, $323,407 for depreciation, $224,164 for closure and post-closure care costs and $153,675 for tonnage fees.

A copy of the audit report is available for review in the Northwest Iowa Area Solid Waste Agency’s office, in the Office of the Auditor of State and on the Auditor of State’s website at https://www.auditor.iowa.gov/reports/audit-reports/.

Kirkwood announces Dean’s List

Kirkwood Community College recently released its Dean’s List for the fall 2020 semester. These students have achieved a 3.3 grade point average or higher after completing 12 or more credit hours at the college.

Kirkwood students from the area earning this distinction include Brooklynn Heneman, of Hartley.

NCC employees receive longevity awards

Employees of Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon were recently recognized with longevity awards for their service to the college.

Those receiving awards included: Steve Pearce, Hartley, Tutor/Specialist – Learning Center, 20 years; and Mark Bohnet, Sanborn, Instructor – Electrical, 30 years.

Top 150 ranking makes NCC eligible for Aspen Prize

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program named Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon as one of 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, which is the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among community colleges.

Based on impressive and improving student outcomes, including learning, completion rates, employment rates and earnings, and equity, 15 percent of community colleges nationwide have been invited to apply for the Aspen Prize.

According to President Dr. Alethea Stubbe, out of 1,047 community colleges in the country, NCC is one of only 15 colleges that have been recognized as Top 150 Aspen colleges all six times since the inception of the competition (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021). This places NCC in the top 1.43 percent of the highest performing colleges in the nation.

The 150 community colleges named as eligible to compete for the 2021 Aspen Prize were selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 public two-year colleges across the nation using publicly available data on student outcomes. Located in 39 states in urban, rural and suburban areas, and serving as few as 500 students and as many as 75,000 students, these colleges represent the diversity and depth of the community college sector.

Data shows that over the last two years student retention, graduation rates and degree completion have improved at the top tier of 150 Aspen Prize-eligible colleges.

A distinguished jury will make award decisions in the spring of 2021.

Elderbridge expands effort to help Medicare beneficiaries

Elderbridge, Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging and Connections Area Agency on Aging have partnered with the National Council on Aging to expand assistance to people with Medicare in 66 of Iowa’s 99 counties in order to improve their financial security.

Nationally, half of all people with Medicare live on incomes less than $26,200 per year and often lack the resources needed to meet basic living expenses. Several benefit programs exist to help these individuals with the costs of health care, prescriptions, food and more.

“These programs can be real lifelines for people on Medicare, but often they don’t know that assistance in making ends meet is out here,” said Angela Martens, of Elderbridge, in a news release.

Elderbridge is one of 87 Benefits Enrollment Centers (BECs) funded by NCOA to serve low-income Medicare beneficiaries. The centers use NCOA’s free online Benefits Checkup® tool (www.BenefitsCheckUp.org) to screen lower income older adults and younger adults with disabilities for a number of benefits, including Medicare Savings Programs, Part D Extra Help and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and to help them apply for and use those benefits.

“We welcome people with Medicare, their caregivers, and family members to contact us for a comprehensive benefits screening,” Martins said.

People can find out if they qualify for assistance by calling Elderbridge at (800) 243-0678 or visiting http://www.elderbridge.org.

NWI fishing report

Iowa Great Lakes are fully iced up with conditions ranging from 10-12 inches. There are still many spots in the main basins that are somewhat thinner; use caution when going out. The use of full-sized vehicles is not recommended.

Center Lake: Caution – winter aeration system is currently in use. Ice thickness is around 12.5 inches.

Dog Creek (Lake): Fishing has been fair to good.

East Okoboji Lake: The walleye season is open. Ice conditions vary across the lake with around 11 inches with some bad spots that have more recently frozen over in recent weeks. Bluegill, good. Easily catch lots of bluegill; a lot of sorting may be needed with many 7.5- to 9-inch fish. Yellow perch, fair. Black crappie, fair.

Ingham Lake: Caution – winter aeration system is currently in use. Ice thickness is around 8 inches with two major open holes caused by geese and the lake aeration unit. Yellow perch, fair. Anglers are catching larger yellow perch, but with low frequency.

Lake Pahoja: Bluegill, fair. Use small jigs tipped with waxworms. Black crappie, fair. Try small jigs tipped with waxworms.

Lost Island Lake: Caution – winter aeration system is currently running on the north east side near the nature center. Ice thickness is 10-13 inches. A good amount of fishing pressure has been seen recently. Yellow perch, good. Walleye, fair.

Minnewashta Lake: Bluegill, good. Lots of 4- to 6-inch fish are being caught. Black crappie, good.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Caution – winter aeration system is currently in use. Ice conditions are around 10 inches, but can be variable. Use caution; a side-by-side went through the ice the last week of December. Walleye, fair.

Spirit Lake: The walleye season is open. Ice conditions vary across the lake with 10-13 inches. Yellow perch, fair. Perch fishing has been tough, but once you find them, many quality 9- to 10.5-inchers have been caught. Walleye, fair. Walleye bite has been tough, but anglers have been able to limit out.

Trumbull Lake: Ice thickness is around 11 inches with an open hole on the north end caused by geese.

West Okoboji Lake: The walleye season is open. West Okoboji was the last lake to fully ice up. Ice thickness varied last week from 9-11.5 inches in the bays (North Bay, 10 inches; Millers Bay, 9 inches; Emerson Bay, 10.5 inches; Smiths Bay, 11 inches). Pan fishing has been spotty in many of the bays where many anglers have been able to sight fish in around 10 feet of water along weed lines. Yellow perch, fair. Bluegill, good.

Drought remains in Iowa following a dry 2020

Drought and abnormally dry conditions remain across Iowa with drought boundaries remaining status quo, following a 2020 that ranked as the 36th driest year on record in Iowa, according to the latest water summary update by the DNR.

In December, statewide precipitation totaled 0.94 inches, or 0.4 inches below normal. Multiple winter systems moved through Iowa, leaving behind measurable snow statewide. In 2020, precipitation was below normal for 8 of the 12 months of the year, and was significantly below normal during the summer months of July and August. Year-end precipitation totals showed a statewide average precipitation accumulation of 28.92 inches, 6.18 inches below normal. A drier year last occurred in 2012.

Iowa began 2020 free from any drought or dryness, with the first indication of dryness appearing in the U.S. Drought Monitor on May 12, progressing through June and July. The worst of the conditions formed in west central Iowa, where areas of extreme drought appeared in early August. By Sept. 8, the state experienced its worst drought conditions of 2020, with almost 15 percent of the state designated as being in extreme drought. By early October, that designation had shifted to northwest Iowa, where about 4 percent of the state remained in extreme drought heading into 2021.

Temperatures in December averaged 27.2 degrees, or 4.3 degrees above normal, tying 1975 as the 48th warmest December on record. Lamoni reported the month’s high temperature of 66 degrees on Dec. 10, while several locations across the state reported the month’s low temperature of -7 degrees on Dec. 25. For 2020, Iowa temperatures averaged 49.2 degrees, or 1 degree above normal.

Streamflow conditions across most of the state remain normal. Flows in the Des Moines and Raccoon river basins continue as below normal.