12/26/24: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

Re-elected to Iowa State Fair board

Elections were held for positions on the Iowa State Fair Board of Directors during the annual State Agricultural Convention, held Dec. 15 in conjunction with the Association of Iowa Fairs Conference.

Two new board members were elected to serve two-year terms. Danny Olson, of Red Oak, replaces retiring board member Gary Van Aernam, of Exira (Southwest), and Jarrod Horning, of Ainsworth, replaces retiring board member Gary McConnell, of Bloomfield (Southeast).

Outlined in Iowa Code, county fair delegates representing six geographic districts elect two board members to serve two-year staggered terms on the state fair board. Among the directors re-elected by their districts was VerDon Schmidt, of Everly, representing the Northwest District.

Board officers for 2025 are President Curtis Claeys, of Grand Mound (Southeast); Vice President Deb Zumbach, of Coggon (Northeast); and Treasurer Jo Reynolds, of Indianola (South Central). Jeremy Parsons, of Des Moines, was re-appointed as board secretary.

Darwin Gaudian, of Primghar, also represents the Northwest District on the state fair board.

Morningside recognizes Dean’s List honorees

Morningside University recently announced the 475 students named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester of the 2024-25 academic year.

The Dean’s List recognizes Morningside students who achieve a 3.67-grade point average or better and complete at least 12 credits of coursework with no grade below a C-. Students that achieved a 4.0-grade point average are denoted with an asterisk (*).

Hartley: Jessica Riedemann*.

Fall scholarship recipients at NCC

The following are recipients of scholarships awarded this fall by the Northwest Iowa Community College Foundation. The foundation is able to award these opportunities due to generous support from various business, families, organizations and individual donors.

Recipients of the Hartley Community Memorial Health Center Scholarship are Keith DeBoer, of Hartley, Associate Degree Nursing; and Carrie Wiekamp, of Sanborn, Practical Nursing. The scholarships are in the amount of $1,000.

Brennan Stoltz, of Hartley, was awarded the Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association Northwest District Heavy Equipment Scholarship. The scholarship amount is $500. He is a Heavy Equipment Operation and Maintenance student.

Stoltz was also awarded a Sheldon Competition Park’s Legacy Scholarship in the amount of $250.

Cameron Van Ess named to USF Fall Dean’s List

Cameron Van Ess, of Sanborn, was named to the Fall 2024 Dean’s List at the University of Sioux Falls at Sioux Falls, S.D.

Van Ess, a Business Administration major, was among 550 students named to the Dean’s List. To qualify, students must be enrolled in at least 12 semester hours and earn a term GPA of 3.5 or greater on a 4.0 scale.

O’Brien Co. Farm Bureau honored for excellence

The O’Brien County Farm Bureau was recognized as an “Outstanding County Farm Bureau” during Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s 106th annual meeting, held Dec. 10-11 in Des Moines.

This designation is awarded to Farm Bureaus that connect with community members and elected officials about today’s family farm practices and engage in local, philanthropic activities.

“Our strength as an organization comes from the dedication of our county members,” said Brent Johnson, Iowa Farm Bureau president, in a news release. “Their advocacy and commitment to agriculture are the foundation of thriving rural communities and the essence of grassroots leadership.”

Karen Appleton, president of the O’Brien County Farm Bureau, accepted the award on behalf of the county board of directors. The presentation was made by Johnson and Matt Schuiteman, District 3 Director.

The O’Brien County Farm Bureau boasts over 1,100 members and has an office in Primghar. Additionally, there are two Farm Bureau Financial Service offices in the county with Agents Dani Rehder in Primghar and Randy Kruse in Sheldon.

Area Housing Trust Fund receives $547,948 award

The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors has announced the award of more than $12.5 million in grants to 27 Local Housing Trust Funds. The grant awards are made available through the Local Housing Trust Fund program and are expected to assist 2,636 families across all 99 Iowa counties.

“The State Housing Trust Fund is a crucial resource,” said Ted Kourousis, Executive Director of the Northwest Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund, in a news release. “These funds enable us to address local housing needs, whether it’s supporting those experiencing homelessness, assisting first-time homebuyers, preserving our area’s aging housing stock through home repairs or responding to urgent housing challenges, such as those our region faced this spring due to unprecedented flooding.”

Northwest Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund, which serves Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto and Sioux counties, received an award totaling $547,948.

Grant funds will support a range of initiatives aimed at developing or preserving housing for low-income households across the spectrum of housing needs. This includes the development and preservation of housing, assistance for persons experiencing homelessness, rental assistance, homeownership support, bolstering the capacity of local housing organizations and other efforts that directly address local housing needs.

The State Housing Trust Fund was created by the Iowa Legislature in 2003. The awards just announced will leverage an additional $4 million in other financing or $.32 for every dollar of Local Housing Trust Fund program funding.

The State Housing Trust Fund helps ensure decent, safe and affordable housing for Iowans through two programs. The Local Housing Trust Fund Program receives at least 60 percent of the SHTF allocation to provide grants for organizations certified by IFA as a Local Housing Trust Fund.

The remaining funding goes to the Project-Based Housing Program, which aids in the development of affordable single-family and multifamily housing. IFA administers both programs and provides technical assistance to housing-related organizations.

OCEDC board member honored for 16 years of service

The O’Brien County Economic Development Corporation honored longtime board member, Rodd Holtkamp, at their meeting on Dec. 17. Holtkamp became the Primghar representative on the OCEDC board in January of 2009 and will retire at the end of this year, completing 16 years of service.

Holtkamp has been very active in the community, having served in leadership roles at Grace Lutheran Church in Primghar and dedicating his talents to other community and county boards and committees, including the Baum Harmon Mercy Hospital Foundation and Primghar Advancement Corporation. He has been a great board representative for the City of Primghar and a solid supporter of the work of the corporation and its committees, especially the Value Added Ag Steering Committee, the Revolving Loan Fund Committee and the O’Brien County Tourism Committee.

Holtkamp was honored as a recipient of the O’Brien County Value Added Ag Hall of Fame Award in 2017. He has been very active in the community since moving to Primghar in 1989. From loan officer to currently serving as Senior Vice President and Trust Officer at the Savings Bank, Holtkamp has been instrumental in helping farmers, businesses and individuals receive adequate financing, whether it was a farm operating loan or a first home loan.

AgState annual report notes success

AgState in its annual report marked a successful year despite challenges posed by unpredictable weather, lower commodity prices, and personal losses caused by flooding.

For the fiscal year, AgState achieved total sales of $950 million with after-tax earnings of $18.1 million. The board of directors approved a patronage distribution of $8.3 million, with $2.5 million paid in cash. As part of its commitment to member success, AgState also utilized the Section 199 tax deduction, available to cooperatives, passing through $7.5 million in tax benefits to members – equating to 9.75 cents per bushel.

Additionally, a revolvement of 2012 preferred stock totaling $2.7 million was approved and issued in late October. This brings the total cash returned to members since AgState’s inception to $23,834,415.

The annual board of directors election concluded at the annual meeting on Dec. 5, welcoming two new directors: Mark Hinkeldey, of Alta, and Tammy Johnson, of the Marcus area. Incumbent directors Steve Recker, of Paullina, and Jim Wagner, of Primghar, retained their seats.