Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
OCEDC receives grant to explore agritourism
The Iowa Tourism Office recently announced over $300,000 in Iowa Tourism grants to 35 organizations across the state. The program funds tourism-related marketing initiatives, meetings and events that benefit both local and state economies.
Grant awards range from $2,500-10,000 and the recipient is required to provide a 25 percent cash match.
O’Brien County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC) applied for and received a $3,400 grant to fund O’Brien County Tourism’s Agritourism Influencer promotion in 2025.
“Over the past few years we have seen tremendous growth in tourism to our county. O’Brien County Tourism’s marketing efforts, partially funded by Iowa Tourism grants, have been a key element in driving that growth,” said OCEDC Executive Director Kiana Johnson, in a news release.
O’Brien County Tourism plans to combine tourism and agriculture in partnership with Jay Goodvin, The Iowa Gallivant, in a fun and educational Agritourism influencer campaign.
According to the Iowa Tourism Economic Impact report that was released in October, visitor spending in O’Brien County increased by 18.7 percent in 2023 as compared to 2022. Statewide, the increase was 5.1 percent over the same time period. Referring to key findings for Iowa, the report stated that the $7.3 billion spent by visitors generated $10.9 billion in total business sales, sustained 70,954 jobs and generated $1.1 billion in state and local tax revenues.
O’Brien County Tourism falls under the umbrella of OCEDC and is devoted to promoting tourism and improving quality of life within the county. For additional information contact Johnson at (712) 957-1313 or e-mail [email protected].
Iowa drought conditions return to normal with above-average rainfall
After several consecutive dry years, above-average rainfall in 2024 improved drought conditions across the state, according to the latest water summary update from the Iowa DNR.
Iowa ended the year with a statewide average total of 36.87 inches of precipitation, or 1.32 inches above normal. December’s preliminary statewide precipitation was 1.40 inches, or 0.03 inches above normal. This marks the eighth month of above-average rainfall for the year.
By the end of 2023, drought conditions were prevalent across much of the state. However, the 2024 growing season experienced unusually wet weather, leading to drought-free conditions in Iowa by July. This marked the end of 204 consecutive weeks of drought somewhere in Iowa, which was the longest drought since the 1950s.
Statewide temperatures for the year were just under three degrees warmer than normal. The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) shows by the end of 2024, some areas of Iowa had slipped back into abnormally dry conditions or drought conditions, with a small area of northwest Iowa showing severe drought.
DNR Environmental Specialist Jessica Reese McIntyre explained the dry start to 2024 subsided after the state experienced above-average rainfalls throughout the year. Initial concerns for hydrologic conditions eased and led to the removal of the Iowa Drought Plan Drought Watch designation state-wide for six months out of the year.
“The state saw above-average rainfall for 2024, but National Weather Service outlooks are stable,” she said. “Continued normal or above normal precipitation in January and February is important to maintain our average conditions in the winter months.”
Named to Fall Dean’s List at BVU
More than 560 students were named to the Fall 2024 Dean’s List at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake. The Dean’s List recognizes full-time students achieving a 3.5 grade point average or higher for the semester.
The following area students were named to the list.
Melvin: Dayana Bueso.
Sanborn: Delmer Lode, Natasha Schirmer.
Everly: Christian Voss.
Hartley: Tayler Webster.
Financial testing conducted at City of Everly
T.P. Anderson & Co., P.C., of Humboldt, has released a report on certain testing conducted at the City of Everly.
The firm reported that certain tests were performed on the city’s financial information for the year ended June 30, 2024. An audit was not performed, but testing covered areas such as bank reconciliations, debt compliance, disbursement and receipt testing, among other things.
The specific tests performed and the findings related to them are on file with the City of Everly, the office of the Auditor of State and the Auditor of State’s website at https://auditor.iowa.gov/audit-reports.
2 locals on Augie Dean’s List
Augustana University announced last week students who have been named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester of the 2024-25 academic year.
The Dean’s List recognizes 981 full-time students who have a minimum of 12 credit hours with grade-point averages at 3.5 or above (on a 4.0 scale). Local students on the list include Sierra Goyette, of Royal, and Adalyn Schoelerman, of Everly.
BCU Dean’s List announced
Briar Cliff University last week announced that 302 students were named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester of the 2024-25 academic year, including 91 students who achieved a perfect GPA of 4.0.
Full-time students who have a semester GPA of 3.5 or greater and part-time students who complete six or more credits in a semester with a GPA of at least 3.5 are eligible for the Dean’s List. Locally, Miranda Niemeyer, of Hartley, was included on the list.
NWI fishing report
Many larger lakes still have areas of open water or areas that have iced over very recently. Most area lakes have 10 or more inches of ice. The extended forecast calls for continued below freezing temperatures. Check ice often when going out and follow all necessary safety protocols to prevent an accident.
