03/10/22: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

Trever Dodd graduates from Morningside

Trever Dodd, of Hartley, was one of 43 undergraduate students at Morningside University in Sioux City to graduate in December 2021.

Dodd was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree and graduated summa cum laude (with highest honor) with a grade point average of 3.81 or higher. He is the son of Chris and Tammy Dodd.

H-M-S Middle School honor roll

The following Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School students were named to the honor roll for the second trimester.

A Honor Roll

Grade 5: Hunter Ahrenstorff, Alayna Benz, Aubrey Dodge, Jaxsen Rieck, Slayde Sanculi, Alex Vogt.

Grade 6: Addily Benz, James Carlin, Dallas Greer, Ruby Overmire, Ellie Pals, Adillyn Postma, Victor Rodriguez, Lexi Schmillen, Carolina Van Beek, Kenadie Van Loon, Laura Vargas, Jackson Vogt, Olivia Williams.

Grade 7: Charlenne Hibbing, Graham Lux, Nathan Schreur, Kamrynn Visser, Camryn Wilson.

Grade 8: Natalie Daggett, Payton Diehm, Jordan Lux, Moriah Otto, Lawton Schiphoff, Hannah Tessum, Owen Tifft, Lindsey Van Es, Lillian Van Loon.

A- Honor Roll

Grade 5: Reed Baker, Ella Bleeker, Treyton Block, Wyatt Brigham, Jax Butcher, Ryen Conaway, Righardt De Winnaar, Viviana Delacruz, Beau Funk, Kallie Jederberg, Elijah Lee, Alexis Myers, Kaylee Neumann, Zoila Ramos, Kate Rodriguez, Kyli Rose, Kambrie Sadler, Kellan Shaughnessy, Aubreyana Stallman, Ema Stofferan, Emma Vander Berg, Audra Vollink.

Grade 6: Stella Anderson, Braxton Ball, Emilio Brown Martinez, Lily DenBeste, Caden Douma, Keely Ebel, Kate Gellerman, Jenna Hengeveld, Addison Huffman, Santiago Ibarra, Riley Mattingly, Brayden Moore, Mallory Pearson, Thalia Rodriguez, Hunter Schomaker, Kaidence Shaffer, McCoy Smith, Mason VerHelst, Ava Vogt, Owen Werkmeister, Kaelyn Wingert.

Grade 7: Emery Cammann, Reese Croatt, Luke Dagel, Kynlee Dolphin, Grant Kunzman, Madalynn Lauer, Eli Mastbergen, Jenna McCallum, Brody Meendering, Mykle Meyers, Thomas Moore, Braden Niichel, Josiah Nitzel, Caroline Ramos, Jacob Roelfs, Tre Rohlfsen, Ava Shriver, Amelia Tait, Easton Teal, Briely Tewes, Alyssa Tifft, JW Van der Merwe.

Grade 8: Ashyia-Cherie Betz Murphy, Carter Dolphin, Clara Funk, David McIlroy, Lily Nellis, Hadlee Rohlfsen, Abigail Rons, Isaac Schierholz, Grace Shaughnessy, Evelyn Steffen, Jozelyn Torres.

B Honor Holl

Grade 5: Alessandra Cibrian, Natalia Diaz, Niemi Radtke, Caleb Tripp, Tatum Wiersma.

Grade 6: Hunter Daggett, Charlie Galm, Anthony Olvera, Jorge Ramirez, Teagan Simkins, Allee Walker, Bentley Wallinga.

Grade 7: Nevaeh Almager, Nathaniel Ball, John Buhrmann, Jessica Diaz, Taylor Dykstra, Blake Essing, Mason Johnson, Mahkenzie Mattingly, Kathleen McDaniel, Noah Niichel, Joannah Romero, Parker Russell, Riley Wiersma, Kloe Wolthuis.

NWI fishing report

The walleye season for the Iowa Great Lakes chain is closed. The season opens back up May 7. Most area lakes have 16-plus inches of ice. Ice conditions are relatively safe in most areas; access around many lakes has diminished. Be sure you know a safe route on and off the ice. Bring safety essentials like flotation, ice picks and a friend. Area lakes have -2 inches of snow coverage.

Center Lake: Ice thickness is around 13 inches. Caution – the lake aeration system is currently in operation, creating a large open hole.

East Okoboji Lake: Most of the lake is fully iced with an average of 18-plus inches of ice allowing for safe ATV traffic in most areas. Be cautious of the open holes and seams that still persist. Panfishing has been good out from the Ritz; some sorting is needed. Try heavy tungsten jigs, plastics and baits.

Black crappie, fair. Bluegill, fair. Try jigging with tube jigs or a tungsten jig and live bait. Yellow bass, good. With a little movement on the basin, you should be able find a decent bite and also catch a few other species.

Ingham Lake: Ice conditions vary heavily around the lake; most areas have 16-plus inches. Caution – the lake aeration system is currently in operation.

Lost Island Lake: Ice conditions vary with an average of 17-plus inches. Caution – the aeration system is currently in operation on the east side of the lake out from the nature center. This creates a large open hole in the ice. Yellow perch, fair. Lots of sorting may be needed.

Minnewashta Lake: Ice conditions are safe enough to venture with ATVs with an average ice thickness of 18-plus inches. The panfish and crappie bite has been fairly good.

Black crappie, fair. A nice crappie bite can be found with a little movement around the lake. Bluegill, fair. Try jigging with tube jigs or a tungsten jig and live bait. Pumpkinseed, fair.

Scharnberg Pond: Trout were stocked this winter; fish should be biting well. You need a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout.

Brook trout, good. Rainbow trout, good. Trout are biting on a variety of different baits. Try a worm or lure that imitates a minnow.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): The lake has a large open hole along the eastern side, with an average ice thickness of 16-plus inches. Walleye, fair.

Spirit Lake: Ice thickness is 18-plus inches in most places. There is a large open hole on the southwest side due to strong winds and a few days of warmer temperatures. The Marble Beach access is in very poor condition due to ice heaving along the shoreline.

Black crappie, fair. Mostly being caught along with perch; use tube jigs with wigglers or pilkies. Bluegill, fair. Mostly being caught along with perch; use tube jigs with wigglers or pilkies. Yellow perch, fair.

West Okoboji Lake: Ice thickness is 18-plus inches in most places; there still are a handful of seams usually running from points. Know where trouble areas are before you venture on or off the ice. Panfishing has slowed a bit; with a little movement on the north end near Triboji, Emerson and Smiths Bay you may be able to catch a good amount of fish. Try heavy tungsten jigs, plastics or baits.

Black crappie, good. Try jigging with tube jigs or a tungsten jig and live bait. Bluegill, good. Many anglers have been successful off Triboji on the north end of the lake. Try jigging with tube jigs or a tungsten jig and live bait.

Great American Cleanup planned

Keep Iowa Beautiful invites Iowans to join the Great American Cleanup and an estimated 3 million volunteers across the nation by removing litter from public areas and nature reserves during Pick-Up Iowa from April 1-July 31.

Pick-Up Iowa creates focused efforts to clean up trash along Iowa's roadsides, neighborhoods, streets, school grounds, parks, forests and streams. Many littered items can take hundreds, thousands, or even millions of years to decompose, such as plastic bags at 500-1,000 years and glass bottles at 1-2 million years. Clean up events have a positive and lasting impact for Iowa's landscape.

Community members or groups are invited to participate. Organizations who often host clean up events include civic associations, schools, church groups, local sports teams, college clubs, groups of families and friends, businesses, Scouts, and others. Groups can host one or more events and choose dates that work best for their members.

City municipals are also involved in Pick-Up Iowa. Mayors, city council members or county supervisors can call for or announce several days or a week for community pick-up.

Events held for Pick-Up Iowa are encouraged to register with Keep Iowa Beautiful. Registered events are eligible for a limited amount of free cleanup supplies such as bags, grabbers, safety vests and gloves donated if requested by March 15. Registered events are also recognized for their contribution and commitment. Register at https://bit.ly/PickUpIowa2022.

CC/E snow make-up days

The following dates are now dates Clay Central/Everly will have classes: April 18 and May 26.

Master Gardener training registration is open

The application window is open for this year's Summer Master Gardener training which will be offered in 25 counties or Extension regions in Iowa.

Iowans wishing to complete Master Gardener training register with a local county Extension office, participate in online learning modules and attend at least four in-person training sessions organized by their local Extension office.

According to Alicia Herzog, Master Gardener Statewide Coordinator, applicants have until March 25 to apply for the summer session. Training begins May 16 and runs through July 22.

Local Extension staff can help with questions about joining Master Gardener training, including details of when and where in-person meetings will take place in their county or Extension region. For more information contact O'Brien County Master Gardener Program Coordinator Kate Stewart at (712) 957-5045 or [email protected]. In Osceola County, contact Sandy Lamfers at (712) 754-3648 or [email protected].

Apply for the summer session at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener/become-master-gardener.

Those unable to participate are encouraged to watch for the fall session. Applications for that session will open in June.

Learn more about the program at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener/ or contact your county Extension office.

Robert D. Blue scholarships available

Applications for the 2022 Robert D. Blue Scholarship are available online at RDBlue.org. According to State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald, students of any Iowa high school who plan to pursue, or are currently pursuing, higher education in the state for the 2022-2023 academic year are eligible to apply.

The Iowa Centennial Memorial Foundation awards the Robert D. Blue Scholarship to multiple students. In the last five years, 25 outstanding students received the scholarship, totaling $16,000. Recipients went to various colleges and universities across the state. All that has to be provided is an original essay, two recommendations and the application.

Robert D. Blue Scholarship applications are only accepted online and must be submitted by May 10. Winners will be announced during the summer. Visit RDBlue.org to apply and learn more.

Audit report on NWI Solid Waste Agency

Williams & Company, P.C., of Spencer, has released the June 30, 2021 audit report on the Northwest Iowa Solid Waste Agency.

According to the report, the agency had total operating revenues of $2,465,147 for the year ended June 30, 2021, a 4.57 percent decrease from the prior year. The revenues included gate fees of $2,443,008 and household hazardous materials fees of $10,698.

Operating expenses totaled $1,646,760, a 5.16 percent decrease from the prior year. Expenses included $471,973 for salaries and benefits, $379,419 for depreciation, $135,018 for closure and post-closure care costs and $145,370 for tonnage fees.

A copy of the audit report is available for review in the Northwest Iowa Area Solid Waste Agency's office at 4540 360th Street, Sheldon, 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/.