02/25/21: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

NCC selects next president

In a unanimous decision the Northwest Iowa Community College board of trustees approved the hiring of Dr. John Hartog, III, of Boyden, as the 10th president of NCC.

The decision was announced during the board's regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Feb. 22.

Dr. Hartog is currently the Vice President for Student & Academic Services at NCC, a position he has held since 2011. Prior to that, he had served as president of Faith Baptist College and Seminary in Ankeny. Over the course of his 18 years at Faith Baptist, he held a variety of other administrative roles including that of a program director, dean of the seminary, academic vice president and provost.

"Dr. Hartog's education, experience and passion for the college's mission made him a natural choice. We were lucky to have a candidate of Dr. Hartog's caliber ready for the next step in his career," said Board President Adam Besaw in a news release. "As a Board we are excited and confident that he will provide the right energy, expertise and collaborative leadership for NCC."

Dr. Hartog holds a master's degree from the University of Minnesota in Classical and Near Eastern Studies and a doctorate from Central Seminary in Systematic Theology. He has completed the coursework for a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University. He has several other degrees and a number of recognitions.

Hartog succeeds Dr. Alethea Stubbe who is retiring June 30. Stubbe has been president of NCC since May 2011 and retires with 32 years in higher education, 30 of which were at NCC.

Mini grant awarded to area Master Gardener projects

A record number of Iowa communities are slated to receive Growing Together mini-grants through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach's SNAP-Education program. A total of 32 projects are being funded, with the goal of increasing food security and promoting healthy food access.

Osceola County and O'Brien County received grant funding to maintain and expand the community donation gardens in Sanborn and Sibley. Master Gardeners will also work to encourage youth participation in the gardens and coordinate drop sites for community members to leave produce donations for delivery to area food pantries.

Growing Together mini grants have been funded by the United States Department of Agriculture's SNAP-Education since 2016. Over the past five years, the mini grants have resulted in food donations of over 434,729 pounds.

The projects took on renewed importance in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic and economic challenges. Master Gardener volunteers planted donation gardens with partners, supported their community with plant-a-row programs to get more produce into food pantries, and gleaned fresh produce from farmers markets.

Northwest AEA to certify substitute teachers

With the increased need for substitute teachers in schools across northwest Iowa, Northwest Area Education Agency (AEA) will host more substitute authorization classes beginning on March 15.

This course is designed to meet the requirements for the Substitute Authorization Program. Receiving a substitute authorization will allow an individual who holds an associate's degree or has completed 60 semester hours through a regionally-accredited institution to substitute in grades PK-12. An individual who holds a paraeducator certificate without an associate's degree and completes the substitute authorization course will be authorized to substitute in any classroom except driver's education.

Classes will be held via Zoom on March 15, 16 and 17, and March 22, 23 and 24 from 9 a.m.-noon. Registration fee is $125. Additional fees will be required after successfully completing the course.

To register, go to https://bit.ly/3dpu7vG. Contact Dr. Judy Sweetman at (712) 222-6088 or Joyce Vander Wilt at (712) 222-6105 for more information.

Restoration of Anglers Bay Wildlife Area enters final phase

The final phase of the multi-year restoration of a 104-acre section of Anglers Bay Wildlife Area will begin this winter when a contractor will begin removing invasive and non-target trees on a 17-acre section along the shoreline of Anglers Bay.

The goal is to create an oak savanna which involves removing the competition for the bur oaks and restoring a high-quality prairie. This opens the canopy allowing for natural regeneration of oaks in the area and removes shading from the hardstem bulrush beds which allows aquatic plants to thrive.

"Our long-range plan for this area was first to protect it, then to restore the upland habitat and finally to restore the shoreline by replacing low quality invasive trees and shrubs with a high-quality oak savanna," said Mark Gulick, northwest district supervisor for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Bureau, in a news release.

This section was acquired in 2006 by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation with assistance of many partners, both local and non-local, and then turned over to the Iowa DNR to manage. With the restored native prairie and wetlands on the upland areas completed, the focus turns to the final land management action of restoring the shoreline and associated wooded uplands.

This final phase of the long-term management plan was presented during a public meeting at Gull Point State Park Lodge on Oct. 7, and has been part of numerous local discussions. This project is supported by the Spirit Lake Protective Association and was approved by the Natural Resource Commission of the Iowa DNR on Feb. 11.

The project focuses on shoreline stabilization which includes tree and brush removal with follow up treatments using prescribed fire, mowing and spot chemical treatment to prevent trees and shrubs from regaining a foothold. It may take up to four years to complete. The result will be the beginning of a rare oak savanna ecosystem returning to the landscape.

The oak savanna will have an open canopy resulting in less shading to the Anglers Bay hardstem bulrush beds. While these bulrush beds are considered the largest of Iowa's large natural lakes and the healthiest based on aquatic plant species diversity and abundance, only about half of the original pre-settlement species remain, and some are stressed due to a number of factors including shading from the invasive shoreline trees.

Removing this shading allows the aquatic plants to thrive, which helps protect the lake by removing nutrients from the water and protect the shoreline from erosion, and provide exceptional habitat for fish and wildlife.

The area will remain open to all compatible forms of outdoor recreation and provide exceptional views from land and water of a rare ecosystem type that was once common in Iowa. It will also support common wildlife species such as deer, turkey, eastern bluebirds, black crappie and bluegill, as well as species that need this critical habitat such as red-headed woodpeckers, Cope's gray tree frogs, silvery blue butterflies, banded killifish, tiger salamanders, leopard frogs and others.

Agencies on Aging respond to COVID-19 vaccine scheduling

Iowa's Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) can provide information to older Iowans about the scheduling process for securing a vaccine and information about transportation and other services they may need. However, Iowa's AAAs do not have access to scheduling systems maintained by providers or county public health offices, and cannot standardly provide scheduling support across the state.

According to Elderbridge Agency on Aging, 93 percent of COVID-19 related deaths are of individuals over the age of 60. Obtaining the vaccine, along with public health practices guided by the CDC, is essential to preventing serious illness and premature deaths among older Iowans during this pandemic.

Iowa's AAAs will continue to collaborate with local public health offices regarding individuals who have exhausted all of their options for scheduling a vaccination or who have been unable to access or navigate the confusing technologies required by some vaccine scheduling processes. Older Iowans are asked to be patient as vaccines are currently in short supply and, if available, have a trusted person help with scheduling.

There should be no cost to obtain a vaccine. Scammers are attempting to get private information (credit cards, Social Security numbers) and money to save you a place on vaccine waiting lists. Do not provide personal information to callers you do not know.

Spencer Hospital converting health record system

Spencer Hospital is converting to a new electronic health record on March 1, which could result in non-care related service delays in some instances for a short period of time.

"It's typical for a hospital to periodically complete a comprehensive update of its information technology system, to include its electronic medical record," said Spencer Hospital president Bill Bumgarner in a news release. "Preparations for this transition have been occurring for over a year. On March 1 the actual change from the old system to the new system will occur."

Bumgarner said that during the first couple weeks of the transition, some patient registration processes and other systems that are highly reliant on computerization could be slower than normal as the healthcare team becomes more familiar with new system's functionality. Additionally, extra steps will be taken to ensure the accuracy of each patient's demographic and insurance information.

It's suggested to arrive 30 minutes prior to an appointment to help ensure timely access to a test or procedure as scheduled. The hospital is adopting the same electronic health record as Avera, the health system used by most patients when seeking local family medicine services and also higher levels of care not offered in Spencer.

In addition to Spencer Hospital, Northwest Iowa ENT will also be implementing the new health record system on March 1.

Jayde Bastman receives academic achievement award

The Clifford A. Rae Academic Achievement Award was given to nine business students and nine science students at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake for the 2021 calendar year.

Jayde Bastman, of Greenville, a financial decision making, accounting and management triple-major in the Harold Walter Siebens School of Business, is a fourth-year winner.

The awards, which range up to $5,000, are annually given to three pre-qualified, academically high-performing BVU business and science students in each of the second, third and fourth years of school. In many instances, the awards allow a student to help defray costs associated with living arrangements through the course of an internship. The awards may also assist with expenses related to travel and lodging in an experiential learning initiative.

In addition to enhanced undergraduate learning experiences, fourth-year students can also use the funds for graduate school applications, entrance/exam costs or professional certification. Upon graduation, students can also use the remaining award funds to help pay down student loans.

NWI fishing report

Iowa Great Lakes are fully iced up with thickness ranging from 18-22 inches. Recent temperatures have created safer ice conditions, allowing the use of some full-sized vehicles; use caution and check conditions before driving out. Caution – there are still many seams throughout area lakes, as well as a few holes that have been kept open due to geese activity. The extended forecast calls for warmer temperatures again, so fishing should pick up.

Center Lake: Caution – winter aeration system is currently in use. Ice thickness is around 16.5 inches.

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

East Okoboji Lake: Ice conditions vary across the lake with averages around 18 inches or more. 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 16 inches or more with a major open hole from the lake aeration unit. Yellow perch – fair. Anglers are catching larger yellow perch, but with low frequency. Some good-sized perch have been seen recently.

Minnewashta Lake: Ice thickness varies around 19 inches. 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 18-22 inches, but can be variable. Use caution; a side-by-side went through the ice the last week of December. Walleye, fair.

Spirit Lake: Ice thickness across the lake is around 19 inches or more. Caution – holes created by small springs have developed or iced over recently. 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.

West Okoboji Lake: Ice thickness varies, starting around 19 inches. Caution – there are many seams across the lake. Panfishing 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. Many fish are headed to the basins with the latest cold front. Yellow perch, fair. Bluegill, good.