Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
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The 100th edition of the O'Brien County Fair ushered in a new regime of royalty on Monday. Caden Wittrock, of Paullina, and Makenna Hofmeyer, of Granville, were named king and queen during the coronation ceremony. Wittrock will a be a senior at South O'Brien High School this fall while Hofmeyer is a recent graduate of MOC/FV High School in Orange City. Wittrock is involved in both FFA and 4-H, and is involved in showing cattle, swine and woodworking projects. Hofmeyer is also involved in 4-H...
A multi-million dollar resurfacing project reached Hartley city limits this month. Workers from Croell, Inc. milled the surface of M12 (Vine Avenue and South 8th Avenue West in Hartley) and repoured new concrete over the past week. The overall scope of the project spans the length of M12 from Hartley to Sutherland, and is hoped for completion by the end of August. Concrete pouring reached Highway 18 early this week. O'Brien County Engineer Dennis Clark said surface milling started in early June....
I wouldn't consider myself overtly athletic at age 33. Lately, I've been putting that assertion to the test. The parks and rec board this month started a kickball league here in Hartley. Being the spouse of a board member, I was put on a team without my knowledge. I was perfectly fine with it, however, as it's been four years since I've stepped foot on a ball diamond in any competitive fashion. I used to play slow pitch softball in Ashton every Wednesday night during the summer. Unfortunately,...
The O'Brien County Fair is gearing up for a celebration 100 years in the making this week. The local fair turns 100 in 2024, and organizers are thrilled to mark the occasion in style July 19-25. Fair board President Darwin Gaudian said he is proud of the O'Brien County staple and looked forward to the week ahead. "There have been just a lot of years of work to stay together this long and keep everything going," he said. "I've been a part of it for about 40 years, and seeing how it is today,...
It's not a matter of if; it's when. That's what Everly City Council members learned on Monday regarding the timeline for federal reimbursement for flood-related damages and other expenses. City Clerk Kristi Fliss reported Everly will be able to file claims through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance Program, but she was not sure when the check will be sent. "It could be a while," she said after the meeting. Fliss sat in on a FEMA meeting last week regarding the...
With the rain finally stopping and floodwaters receding, we've been left with rather healthy conditions for growing green things around these parts. I think you can both hear and see the corn growing these days if you concentrate hard enough. That also applies to the ever-healthy crop of weeds in my yard, particularly in my landscaping. I don't know how many hours I've spent yanking weeds and other unwanted vegetation this summer, but if my sore back is any indication, it's been quite a few....
O'Brien County on July 5 was approved for FEMA Individual Assistance, paving the way for those affected by flooding to seek federal financial help in their recovery efforts. O'Brien County Emergency Management Coordinator Jared Johnson said the approval was due to the large amount of damage data and information reported to FEMA by local residents. The county was not originally eligible for individual assistance following the June floods, which destroyed property across the region. "This...
June's torrential rainfall has area crops looking like a bad haircut. According to New Century FS agronomist Alic Mohni, a lot of fields are uneven this year because of heavy precipitation totals. Many area farmers have had to replant portions of their corn and soybeans multiple times thanks to double-digit rainfall totals that drowned out some fields "I feel like a lot of guys are trying to get something planted on these flooded areas to just get something on there," he said. "It needs to stay...
The City of Hartley is getting social. The council on Monday gave office staff members the go-ahead to create and maintain a city Facebook page. The move came after recent flooding, which put city officials in a bind when trying to share information about the sewer system and other emergency protocol. "There were legitimate reasons we didn't have one, but it's time to rethink it," said City Administrator Roxann Swanson. "We just need to be able to send a message." According to Swanson, the city...
An army of volunteers made light work of more than 34 tons of flood-damaged items in Everly on Friday. "It was amazing," said Mayor Ron Thompson. "Everyone worked their tails off." Working as a team, the group made its way around town removing furniture and other household items from curbs. The damage was done during a flood late last month which filled basements on the south side of town and elsewhere. Everly Fire Chief Brian Kahl, who also serves as the city's street superintendent, helped...
O'Brien County residents are being asked to self-report flood damage in an effort to get more federal assistance following last month's floods. O'Brien County Emergency Management Coordinator Jared Johnson is urging local residents to report damage to report-ia-state.orioncentral.com/ as soon as possible. On Tuesday, he said that around 100 additional submissions had been filed on the site from the county in the last few days. By reporting flood and storm-related damages, the Federal Emergency...
What an absolutely crazy two weeks it’s been here in northwest Iowa. I speak for the entire region when I say I’m sick of seeing soiled junk on curbs. Until it dries out for an extended period of time, everyone will remain on edge whenever rain is in the forecast. My heart aches for the thousands of people affected by devastating floods in Rock Valley, Spencer and elsewhere. The hopeless feeling of watching a river destroy your home is unimaginable, and the rebuilding process will be a monumental task. Seeing a unified effort to help those aff...
June's storms opened a tidal wave of support to people affected by flooding in Spencer and Everly. Officials at Clay Central/Everly orchestrated several outreach efforts in the wake of the disaster, including opening up the locker rooms for displaced people who need a shower. The district's Maverick Missions program also collected clothing for flood victims, which garnered 10 garbage bags full of youth and adult items. "It still didn't feel like enough," said Iesha Toft, CC/E's Beyond the Bell...
To say Mother Nature had the upper hand last week would be an understatement. A relentless onslaught of rain dumped more water on the region than it could handle, leading to widespread flooding that affected people across northwest Iowa. Locally, homes flooded and some people were displaced due to basement collapses and emergency evacuations; however, immediate damage paled in comparison to the devastation seen in places like Spencer and Rock Valley. "The resources are just very, very stretched...
An Illinois man was killed on Saturday while trying to cross floodwaters near Spencer. According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, William Schulze, of Elburn, Ill., was killed when his truck was swept away on 240th Avenue. Schulze's body was recovered Monday. The sheriff's office said in a news release that someone called 911 Saturday to report a red Ford F-150 was trying to cross "rapid flood waters" on 240th Avenue east of Spencer. The truck was swept away and floating in the Little Sioux...
Doug Hoaglund's quarter century of service on the Hartley Fire Department was worthy of a parade – so local firemen held one. Fire engines from five departments made their way around Hartley last Friday to honor the late chief, who died June 3 at the age of 70. Hoaglund logged 25 years at the Hartley Fire Department and served 15 as its leader. According to current Hartley Fire Chief Brad Meendering, it was the first such honor for a former firefighter in the City With a Heart. "Doug was a g...
Summer’s march continues in earnest. Father’s Day is now behind us, and it’ll soon be the Fourth of July. It seems like 2024 will be the fastest year on record – in my mind, anyway. My Father’s Day was a relaxing one. I went golfing with my dad at Meadowbrook to start the morning, and I think I’ll be sending a refund request for the dozen or so golf balls I lost. It was my first outing on the greens this year and my first ever at the rural Hartley course. I don’t golf often, but I can say it was the most challenging nine holes I’ve ever pla...
Nearly $30 million would be required in Hartley to improve infrastructure and mitigate flooding problems during heavy rain events, according to an engineer's report. The city council on Monday reviewed the final signed engineering report detailing flood mitigation infrastructure needs in town. Compiled by Bolton & Menk, it was the first part of a $100,000 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Project Scoping grant that will cover engineering expenses related to the...
O'Brien County landed an unwanted first-place designation last week. The county on June 5 was the first in Iowa to have a confirmed bird flu outbreak in a dairy herd. According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, a second detection was confirmed in a Sioux County herd on June 7. To date, there have been more than 80 confirmed bird flu cases on dairy farms spanning 10 states, including South Dakota. "Given the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza within dairy...
The Hap Ketelsen Community Center will be a happening place Saturday night when the Everly Heritage Museum hosts its annual fundraiser. This year's event, "Cruisin' On Main," will transport guests back to yesteryear. "Since it's a summer show this time, we wanted to choose a theme that would suggest happy, summery rock and roll music," explained Connie Goeken, one of the event's organizers. "Also, a lot of the songs are from the 60's and 70's, a time when 'cruisin' was a common teenage pastime."...
Big things are happening for preschoolers at Clay Central/Everly Elementary. The school board last month approved the purchase of new playground equipment to be installed in the Nature Learning Center, which is where preschool students play at recess. The new equipment will be delivered and installed by Boland Recreation, of Marshalltown, at a price tag of $58,950. According to Director of Student Services Michelle Huntress, the unit will be installed in September. "We look forward to having...
The Hartley City Council on Monday again debated better practices to deal with nuisance properties around town. The council first broached the topic in April. The city currently utilizes the services of Northwest Iowa Planning and Development Commission (NIPDC), which was hired several years ago to assess problematic residences, send abatement notices and attempt to mitigate violations. According to discussion, city officials have been disappointed in NIPDC's efforts, noting an alleged lack of...
There will be a shakeup at the O'Brien County Courthouse in January. Only one of three county supervisor incumbents – District 3's Nancy McDowell – won their respective GOP primary race on Tuesday. District 1 incumbent Supervisor Tim Overmire fell to Jim Thomas, while District 2 incumbent John Steensma was defeated by current county Auditor Barb Rohwer. Unofficial results are included below. • District 1: Thomas, of Hartley, defeated Overmire, also of Hartley, with 59.2 percent of the vote,...
People in southeast Sheldon were hit with a big surprise Friday afternoon. A small tornado tore through the area near Crossroads Pavilion Event Center, leaving damaged buildings and vehicles in its wake. The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls estimated the twister as an EF0 with wind speeds peaking at 85 mph. "Thankfully no one was injured from this storm system," said Jared Johnson, O'Brien County Emergency Management director. "There were multiple agencies and contractors working on site...
Connie Olhausen recalls the moment she decided to adopt a new way to quilt. "I had just finished a queen-sized one with 1,020 pieces that took 125 hours," she said. "That's when I decided this is kind of stupid. If we're going to do this, we're not going to make these kinds of quilts." An online search yielded more speedy methods of construction, and Olhausen never looked back. She made 75 quilts this year alone as part of a local charitable group at St. Paul's Lutheran Church that sends them...
