Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Daycare fundraiser is March 4
The Hartley Community Daycare Center will hold its annual fundraiser on Saturday, March 4.
The evening will feature a prime rib meal and casino games. See the ad on Page 5 for more details.
Movies at HPL
A pre-Valentine’s Day showing of the romantic comedy “Ticket to Paradise,” starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, will be held at the Hartley Public Library on Monday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. Popcorn and Valentine-themed snacks will be provided.
The library will also host a screening of “Murder on the Orient Express” as part of the Book to Film Series, on Friday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. If you would like to read the book by Agatha Christie on which this movie was based, the library will have multiple copies available to be checked out. Also feel free to just come for the movie. Popcorn and drinks provided.
Crazy Bob’s V-Day specials
Crazy Bob’s in Hartley will be serving Valentine’s Day specials this Friday and Saturday. See the ad on Page 4 for more details.
Hartley snow ordinance reminders
The City of Hartley is reminding residents about snow ordiances regarding snow removal and street parking.
Property owners are also reminded to clear snow away from fire hydrants on their property. See the ad on Page 4 for more details.
Red’s carryout menu
Red’s Catering in downtown Hartley will be serving several carryout specials on Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.. See the ad on Page 3 for more details.
HLC food pantry
Current hours for the food pantry at Hope Lutheran Church in Everly are Wednesdays, 1-5 p.m. Everyone is allowed to come in and pick out their food, but masks are required.
Food distribution at Trinity UCC
The Food Bank of Iowa’s mobile pantry program will be conducted on Wednesday, Feb. 15, starting at 4 p.m. at Trinity United Church of Christ in Hartley. The program is available free of charge and geared toward individuals in need of food assistance.
Participants are asked to stay in their vehicles and line up on the east side of the parking lot. The food will be brought to you as you drive under the canopy.
Blood donors needed for Feb. 22 drive
Donors are needed for the Hartley community blood drive on Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 12:30-5:30 p.m. at the Hartley Community Center. New donors are especially needed.
Donation appointments are encouraged. Schedule yours by texting LIFESERVE to 999-777, calling (800) 287-4903 or visiting lifeservebloodcenter.org.
H-M-S menus
Monday, Feb. 13: Breakfast – Cereal, pop tart (9-12), fruit, juice; Lunch – Mini corndogs, baked beans, cucumbers, applesauce.
Tuesday, Feb. 14: Breakfast – Egg and cheese biscuit, fruit, juice; Lunch – Hamburger on bun, smiley fries, green beans, peaches.
Wednesday, Feb. 15: Breakfast – Breakfast pizza, fruit, juice; Lunch – Fiestada pizza, romaine salad, red peppers, apples.
Thursday, Feb. 16: Breakfast – Pancake and sausage bites, fruit, juice; Lunch – Chicken strips, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, roll (9-12), pears.
Friday, Feb. 17: Breakfast – Donut, fruit, juice; Lunch – Hot ham and cheese, baby carrots, chips (9-12), corn, grapes.
Milk is served with each meal. Fruit/veggie bar offered daily.
CC/E menus
Thursday, Feb. 9: Breakfast – Potato bowl, cereal, toast, fruit, yogurt, juice; Lunch – Cheesy chicken and pasta, breadstick, carrots, banana.
Friday, Feb. 10: Breakfast – Biscuit and gravy, cereal, toast, fruit, yogurt, juice; Lunch – Beef nachos, corn, rice, peaches.
Monday, Feb. 13: Breakfast – Cereal, toast, fruit, yogurt, juice; Lunch – Vegetable beef soup, baby carrots, dinner roll, fruit cocktail.
Tuesday, Feb. 14: Breakfast – Scrambled egg, cereal, toast, fruit, yogurt, juice; Lunch – Mr. Rib on bun, French fries, baked beans, peaches.
Wednesday, Feb. 15: Breakfast – Pizza, cereal, toast, fruit, yogurt, juice; Lunch – Chicken patty, waffle, corn, pineapple.
Thursday, Feb. 16: Breakfast – Blueberry muffin, cereal, toast, fruit, yogurt, juice; Lunch – Tater tot casserole, green beans, dinner roll, banana.
Friday, Feb. 17: No School – Teacher Comp Day.
Milk is served with each meal. Menus are subject to change at any time.
Regular hours at Royal library
Hours at the Royal Public Library are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 3-5 p.m .; and Tuesday and Saturday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Al Anon meetings
Al Anon meetings are held at the following locations each week:
Wednesday, 8 p.m., 511 Southmoor, Spencer; Thursday, 8 p.m., Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Royal; Sunday, 7 p.m., Sanford Medical Center, 118 N 7th Ave., Sheldon.
All are welcome to attend.
Online training for early childhood
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is teaming up with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR) to host a “Growing Up Wild” training online Thursday, March 9, from 6-9 p.m. Participants are required to complete pre-workshop activities online and attend the three-hour live workshop via Zoom.
“Growing Up Wild” is a workshop for early childhood professionals, childcare providers and teachers who work with children ages 3-7. Training focuses on reconnecting children with nature by building on their sense of wonder and exploring the world just outside the door.
“Discussion and activities will directly relate to advancing young children’s physical and intellectual development,” said Mackenzie DeJong, Extension human sciences specialist in family wellbeing, in a news release. “Growing Up Wild will feature activities and resources focused on age-appropriate practices and concepts in math, science, language, literacy, healthy living, play and creativity.”
The workshop is for adult participants only. Attendees can then take what they learn as well as the resources provided at training back to their own school or childcare center. They will receive a guide with 27 nature-based themes and lesson plans, as well as snack and take-home family activity ideas that can be done in conjunction with the themes.
Participants will also receive four clock hour credits for childcare license renewal approved by the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS).
To register for the program, visit https://go.iastate.edu/IKT9LW by Thursday, Feb. 23. For more information or assistance registering, contact DeJong at [email protected] or (712) 541-8737.
Farm Credit Services returns $341 million in dividends
Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica) is returning $341 million of its 2022 net income to farmers and ranchers in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. Cash-back dividend checks were mailed Jan. 26, and should be in the hands of the customer-owners shortly.
FCSAmerica is a financial cooperative that has returned more than $2.9 billion to eligible customer-owners since 2004.
This year’s cash-back dividend is equal to 100 basis points, or a return of 1 percent of a customer’s eligible daily 2022 balance with FCSAmerica. In Iowa, this equates to a 2022 payout of $124.5 million. This puts the total net income returned to Iowa farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses in the past 19 years at $1.2 billion.
The Board of Directors for FCSAmerica also approved a cash-back dividend to be paid from the cooperative’s 2023 net earnings. That amount will be determined in December.
Pesticide training date change
ISU Extension in O’Brien County has changed the date of the private pesticide training during March. The training will now be held on Wednesday, March 8, at 1:30 p.m. at the Primghar Community Center.
Another training is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, in Room 119 of Building A at Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon.
Contact the O’Brien County Extension Office at (712) 957-5045 with questions.
Program on pruning Feb. 23 at OC
Pruning is a concept that is often difficult to explain and may not even be easy to grasp after studying a book or looking at videos numerous times.
Northwest Iowa Master Gardeners will host a pruning program featuring two veteran pruners. Program leaders are Sarah Bell, an Iowa Department of Natural Resources forester, and Fred Hall, a longtime ISU Extension and Outreach employee who currently works with dairy programs. The program will be held in the Sioux County Extension Office at 700 Central Ave. NW, Suite 700 in Orange City, at 7 p.m. on Feb. 23.
Bell is the District 9 forester for the Iowa DNR. Her role involves helping Iowans improve woodland for wildlife, recreation, water quality and wood products through tree planting, selective harvesting and other means.
Hall has a wide range of interests and has filled several roles in and out of the Extension Service. He has worked in education and Master Gardener programs, with beef cattle, as a livestock photographer, and directing a robust dairy program in 23 northwest Iowa counties.
The speakers will talk about how the health of a tree is enhanced by cutting out branches, and explain the why, how and when of pruning.
The pruning session is free and open to everyone. To register, contact the Extension Office in Osceola County, (712) 754-3648, or O’Brien County, (712) 957-5045. Master Gardeners will receive education credit for attending the session.
DNR to discuss hunting seasons, rule changes
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting a series of town hall-style meetings where local staff provides updates on recently completed hunting seasons, discuss possible changes to hunting rules and regulations, and address other topics as requested.
Locally, the Iowa DNR will be at the Maser Monarch Lodge, 22785 Nature Center Road, in Okoboji, on Wednesday, Feb. 22. The meeting begins at 6 p.m.
“We want people to come out, listen to the hunting seasons reviews, ask questions and hear directly from our staff,” said Todd Bishop, chief of the Iowa DNR’s Wildlife Bureau, in a news release. “Part of the meeting will be devoted to discussing potential rule changes and collecting feedback as we work through the rules process.”
The meeting is open to the public. Comments collected from the public meeting will be considered along with other related comments received by the Iowa DNR prior to proposing changes to hunting rules and regulations. Proposed rules will be presented to the Natural Resource Commission during a regular public meeting for consideration and additional public comment.
Any person attending the meeting and has special requirements, such as those related to mobility or hearing impairments, should contact the Iowa DNR or ADA Coordinator at (515) 725-8200, Relay Iowa TTY Service (800) 735-7942, or [email protected], and advise of specific needs.
Regional pork conference planned
One-day educational conferences for Iowa pig farmers will be held across the state, Feb. 20-23. The conferences are planned and supported by the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) and the Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC).
Producers are invited to register for nearest conference, which will be held Monday, Feb. 20, at the Sioux County Extension Office, 400 Central Ave. NW, Suite 700 in Orange City.
In addition to the regional conference program that runs from 1-5 p.m., a separate morning session from 9 a.m.-noon will provide Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus® training. The PQA Plus training is sponsored by IPPA and provided by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Producers can attend one or both sessions.
There are four topics for the afternoon sessions. Producers and veterinarians will talk about African swine fever (ASF) herd management in different European countries. The information is the result of a trip that was organized by the National Pork Board last fall. Extension Livestock Economist Dr. Lee Schulz will give an overview of economic activity that will impact pig farmers.
In addition, Dr. Brett Ramirez, of ISU’s Ag & Biosystems Engineering, will talk about studies for improving barn ventilation as well as strategies to reduce heat stress. The area Extension Ag Engineer will discuss ISU’s manure research and information that can help you determine its value.
Check-in starts 30 minutes before the start of each part of the day. Pre-register for the conference and/or PQA Plus certification training to ensure adequate materials are available. To pre-register: go online to IowaPork.org/IPPA-Regional-Conferences; call IPPA at (800) 372-7675; or email [email protected].
