11/14/24: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

Area students awarded NCC scholarships

Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon has released the recipients of over 70 scholarships that were awarded for the current academic year. The following area students are among the recipients.

Brennan Stoltz, of Hartley, is the recipient of the NCC Foundation Scholarship. The $2,500 scholarship is awarded annually to incoming students. Selection is based on academic achievement in high school and an essay written about themselves and how NCC can help them be successful.

Bradley Zamudio, of Ocheyedan, an Associate of Arts student, is a recipient of the NCC/Iowa Regents Transfer Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship was established to encourage students to use NCC as a bridge to continue their bachelor’s degrees at one of the State of Iowa Regent Institutions.

Zamudio and Cherrylenne Hibbing, of Hartley, were selected to receive a Thunder Scholarship. The scholarship encourages students to pursue the Associate of Arts program at NCC. As those students are not eligible for the Future Ready Iowa Last Dollars Scholarship, the NCC Foundation created this opportunity to fill the gap in their financial assistance.

The NCC Foundation awarded the Maintainer Corporation of Iowa scholarship to Ethan Diehm, of Hartley. A student in NCC’s Welding program, Diehm was selected for the $1,000 scholarship due to his academic achievement and potential for success.

Delaney Murphy, of Sanborn, is a recipient of the NCC President’s Scholarship. The full-tuition scholarship is awarded annually to incoming students who are selected based on academic achievement in high school and an essay written about themselves and how NCC can help them be successful.

One of the recipients of the Rodney Anderson Agriculture Scholarship is Taylan Elwood, of Sanborn. Each $1,000 scholarship supports the achievement of students who choose to attend NCC and enroll full-time in programs that support the agriculture industry.

Brenden Larson, of Hartley, was awarded a Vollink Trades Scholarship. He is a student in NCC’s Diesel Technology program. The $500 scholarship was created to recognize the instructional accomplishments of former NCC instructor Ron Vollink.

National cancer director, I-CAN visit Spencer Hospital

Spencer Hospital is a member of the Iowa Cancer Affiliate Network (I-CAN), a collaborative network of community hospitals dedicated to improving the quality of cancer care throughout Iowa. The network, facilitated by a team of accomplished researchers and clinicians at the University of Iowa, is working to improve cancer care across our state.

Kimryn Rathmell, native to the area and now director of the National Cancer Institute, visited Spencer Hospital on Oct. 14 as part of an I-CAN hosted tour to demonstrate the commitment that Iowa rural hospitals have in providing high quality cancer care and to share barriers that are experienced by patients and health systems in rural, and typically less resourced areas. Iowa has the second-highest cancer incidence rate in the United States, and rural areas have a higher cancer mortality rate compared to urban areas.

Through extensive collaboration and partnership building, I-CAN extends out the resources and expertise of the UI Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Iowa Cancer Registry to a network of rural hospitals dedicated to delivering high quality and comprehensive cancer care to give their patients the best possible outcomes.

“I am happy to be back in Iowa, and I visit rural hospitals across the country whenever I get the chance because I want to better understand the challenges of providing cancer care to rural populations,” Rathmell said in a news release. “I’m worried about the fact that Iowa’s cancer rates are growing, and these discussions help us at NCI to support research funding that can help address some of the barriers.”

While speaking about barriers that patients sometimes face, Mindy Sylvester, Abben Cancer Center Director, noted that receiving quality care closer to home can help alleviate financial, travel and stressful burdens associated with receiving cancer care outside of the patient’s community.

“The hospital’s participation in I-CAN expands access to accreditation resources, to state-of-the-science clinical trials and guidance to provide comprehensive care at Spencer Hospital,” she said.

Rathmell also visited Mahaska Health in Oskaloosa and provided the opening keynote address, “The State of Cancer in the US”, for the Annual Iowa Cancer Summit held in Des Moines on Oct 15.

NWI fishing report

Area buoys have been pulled for the season. The bite for most species has been good. Most fish have moved closer to shore as temperatures drop. Weedlines have been slowly fading back and most lakes have been clearing up. Most public docks can be fished from.

East Okoboji Lake: Lake level is just below crest.

Black crappie, good. Bluegill, good. Many bluegill seen; easily catchable around functional docks. Largemouth bass, fair. Bass are a ways off shore; you can find some around docks and structures. Yellow perch, good. Many perch seen; sorting most likely needed.

Ingham Lake: Walleye, fair. Morning and afternoon bite is best.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Lake level is below crest and experiencing a large algae bloom. Walleye, good. Bite hit-or-miss, but very good when bite is on.

Spirit Lake: Lake is a few inches below crest.

Black crappie, good. Anglers are finding quality-size crappie up to 14 inches. Bluegill, good. Walleye, good. Evening bite is best with leech and bobber from shore or crankbaits and slip bobbers by boat. Yellow perch, good. Sorting is needed; anglers are finding many of acceptable size.

West Okoboji Lake: Lake level is a few inches below crest.

Black crappie, fair. Bluegill, good. Largemouth bass, good. Pumpkinseed, good.

Dry October concludes with beneficial rainfall

After the driest September in 152 years of records, nearly all of October experienced similar record dry conditions, according to the latest Water Summary Update.

October’s preliminary statewide precipitation was 1.90 inches, or 0.79 inches below normal. Total rainfall for September and October was nearly 3.5 inches below normal. Increased rainfall during the last week of October helped prevent worsening drought conditions.

At the end of October, Iowa’s Drought Plan showed overall drought conditions have worsened slightly, with all of Iowa carrying a drought watch designation. Statewide temperatures for the month were nearly six degrees warmer than normal. The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) shows nearly all of Iowa in abnormally dry conditions or drought conditions, with areas of northwest Iowa showing severe drought.

Conditions have improved slightly due to recent rainfall over the past week. Precipitation forecasts from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center indicate a likelihood of above-normal rainfall in the upcoming month. If the outlooks hold true, Iowa should show continued improvement in conditions in November.

“Nearly all of October was quite dry, and coming after a record dry September there were real concerns for hydrologic conditions in Iowa,” said Tim Hall, Iowa DNR’s Hydrology Resources Coordinator, in a news release. “The rains that came during the last week of October, and rains that have continued into early November have really helped improve conditions. The state remains short of rainfall for the fall months, but National Weather Service outlooks are favorable.”

Hall noted continued normal or above normal rain in November and December will be critical as the state heads into the winter months.

“That will help get next year off to a good start,” he said.

ILCC maintains steady enrollment

Iowa Lakes Community College reported steady enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year, continuing a trend of consistent growth over the past three years.

From fall 2022 through fall 2024, the college has seen an average enrollment increase of 2.5 percent, demonstrating ongoing momentum and stability.

“Over the past three years, our enrollment numbers have been increasing steadily, reaffirming that we are heading in the right direction,” said Iowa Lakes President Scott Stokes in a news release. “As we continue to innovate and expand our educational offerings, we remain focused on the future of our students and the workforce they will lead.”

One area of particular growth was the Aviation and Airport Management program, where enrollment has nearly tripled since 2022. The program has seen increased demand and popularity, especially with the addition of a new cohort starting at the Spencer Campus.

In addition, the Iowa Lakes Nursing program has experienced substantial growth over the past year and is on track to exceed enrollment expectations, bolstered by the program’s recent accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). This prestigious accreditation ensures that the nursing program meets rigorous national standards, enhancing the quality of education and providing students with greater opportunities for success in their nursing careers.

Iowa Lakes offers over 60 nationally recognized degrees, certifications, and pre-professional programs. In addition, students can pursue two-year transfer degrees aligned with Iowa Regents universities.

Iowa Lakes’ graduation, success, and persistence rates remain above state averages. The college boasts a graduation rate of 49 percent, seven percentage points higher than the state average. Additionally, 77 percent of students continue their studies from fall to spring, and the overall student success rate stands at 58 percent, more than 5 percent higher than the state average.