03/21/24: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

8 CC/E students named to Honor Choir

The annual Northwest Iowa Choral Directors Association Honor Choir Festival for grades 5-7 will be held on Tuesday, April 16, at Sioux Center Middle School. This year's festival will feature approximately 30 schools from around Iowa.

Clay Central/Everly Elmentary will be well-represented with eight talented singers in the 5-6 grade choir. This year's choir will be directed by Brett Gregory from Waukee Community Schools.

Spencer Hospital named among Nation's Top 20 Rural & Community Hospitals

Spencer Hospital recently received national recognition as a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital, yet this week the news became even sweeter.

The National Rural Health Association has shared that Spencer Hospital is one of the 20 highest-ranking rural and community hospitals in the country among approximately 800 mid-sized facilities.

"I am so proud of our healthcare community. Each day our healthcare team is committed to achieving the very best outcomes for our patients and community," said Brenda Tiefenthaler, Spencer Hospital president, in a news release. "The recognition is appreciated, yet even more valued is the dedication of our healthcare team, medical staff, volunteers and other members of our local healthcare community. They perform the work and extend the caring that has resulted in achieving this level of excellence."

Spencer Hospital has been one of the Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals for nine consecutive years, which is how long the Chartis Center for Rural Health has been using data to determine the ranking. Spencer Hospital is the only Iowa hospital to achieve this status each of those nine years.

Once the Top 100 are determined, the National Rural Health Association uses the analytics to recognize the Top 20 Rural & Community Hospitals. Spencer Hospital has earned the Top 20 distinction both in 2022 and 2024.

"This recognition not only highlights the outstanding efforts of the healthcare professionals and staff at Spencer Hospital, but also underscores the hospital's vital role as a cornerstone of our community's health and well-being," said Julie Christensen, chairman of the Spencer Hospital board.

The criteria for selecting the top hospitals uses data from several different categories, including patient satisfaction, patient outcomes resulting from their care, quality measures, market share, charges and costs.

Democrats certify 2024 Iowa Caucus results

Last week the Iowa Democratic Party State Central Committee voted to certify the results of the 2024 Iowa Presidential Caucuses.

Official results are as follows: Joseph R. Biden Jr., 12,337; Dean B. Phillips, 394; Marianne D. Williamson, 307; Uncommitted, 614.

Total preference cards returned were 13,652.

Iowa Democrats hosted a mail-in process, which allowed Iowans to fill out their Presidential Preference Cards from the convenience of their own home.

Keep Iowa Beautiful announces annual Pick-Up Iowa program

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 spaces during Pick-Up Iowa from March 11-July 31.

Pick-Up Iowa, a Keep Iowa Beautiful program, creates focused efforts to clean up trash along Iowa's roadsides, neighborhoods, streets, school grounds, parks, forests and streams. In 2022 and 2023, Pick-Up Iowa saw 48 pick-up events across the state, totaling more than 7,000 volunteer hours and resulting in over 3,000 trash bags of litter and debris collected.

Pick-Up Iowa's reimbursement program will continue this year, after a successful launch in 2023. The first 35 communities who sign up for Pick-Up Iowa will be eligible for a $50 reimbursement for purchases made to aid their pick-up event. Qualifying purchases may include trash bags, gloves, litter grabbers, or food and beverages for volunteers.

Community members or groups are invited to participate. Organizations that 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. City municipalities are also involved in Pick-Up Iowa.

Sign-up now at https://keepiowabeautiful.org/get-involved/community-outreach-opportunities/pick-up-iowa/. Applications to be considered for reimbursement are due April 30. Awarded communities will receive notification on May 6.

Audit report released on Solid Waste Agency

Williams & Company, P.C., has released the June 30, 2023 audit report on the Northwest Iowa Area Solid Waste Agency.

According to the report, the agency had total operating revenues of $2,659,345 for the year ended June 30, a 3.32 percent increase from the prior year. Revenues included gate fees of $2,585,626 and household hazardous materials fees of $28,148.

Operating expenses totaled $2,159,344, an 8.76 percent increase from the prior year, and included $650,854 for salaries and benefits, $618,016 for depreciation, $6,435 for closure and post-closure care costs, and $155,153 for tonnage fees.

A copy of the audit report is available for review in the Northwest Iowa Area Solid Waste Agency's office located at 4545 360th Street south of 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/.