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...
From carbon paper to computers, Barb Fletcher has seen many changes during her 40-year career as Royal's city clerk. Now she is ready to focus on other things in her life, so she is retiring on July 31. "It's just time," Fletcher acknowledged. Her husband, Randy, retired a few years ago, so both can devote more time to family, which includes three children and four grandchildren. "My husband and I do a lot with our grandchildren," she said. "Our family is all around here so I feel I can keep...
FEMA on Wednesday opened a Disaster Recovery Center in O'Brien County to provide one-on-one help to people affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding this spring. Recovery specialists from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration will provide information on available services, explain assistance programs and help survivors complete or check the status of their applications. The Disaster Recovery Center is located at Sheldon City Hall, 416 9th St., and is open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. To...
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....
• Traffic Maxwell Kenneth Weinke, Woodbury, Minn., Speeding. Lukas Robin Lane Johnson, Hospers, Seatbelt Violation. Ashley Victoria Roberts, Coon Rapids, Minn., Speeding. Olivia Abigail Kelly Evans, Cherokee, Registration Violation. Robert Burdell Rolfes, Sibley, Seatbelt Violation. Todd Matthew Helmers, Sheldon, Seatbelt Violation. Gregory William Hatfield, Swea City, Seatbelt Violation. Brandon James Postma, Sanborn, Registration Violation. Jason Miles Evans, Sanborn, No Proof of Insurance. Jose Alonso Flores, Jr., Primghar, No Valid D...
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...
Just as one street improvement project was nearing completion, Royal city officials looked forward to developing a new street on the east side of town. Blacktop Services, Inc. was finishing the Main Street paving project as the city council met on July 10. Mayor Josh Toft and council members were pleased with the initial results. "The new street looks good. I'm happy with Blacktop Services," Toft said. The bid for the paving project was $215,816. Maintenance Superintendent Sherman Nielsen said...
Revisiting the matter of whether to charge fees for use of district facilities, the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn School Board on Monday voted to assess a charge to for-profit school entities. Superintendent Patrick Carlin suggested requiring groups that are covered by H-M-S's liability insurance to pay an annual fee. They include booster clubs, Parents In Education, gymnastics and dance. "There's not really a clean way to pick or choose groups," Carlin acknowledged. "In my mind it's fair to charge gro...
• Traffic Abdi Mohammed Dwid, Moorhead, Minn., Speeding. Dustin Gene Kraft, Cherokee, No Proof of Insurance. Adrianna Marie Florke, Nemaha, Speeding. Kyle R. Fertwagner, Omaha, Neb., Speeding. Todd Allen Meyeraan, II, Sheldon, Seatbelt Violation. Patricio Marvin Jiro, Sheldon, Seatbelt Violation. Kelly Marie Cabanas, Archer, Speeding; Seatbelt Violation. Shannon Lee Chindlund, Sanborn, Failure to Use Child Restraint Device. Jessie J. Crouch, Hartley, No Proof of Insurance. Esli Rosendo Aguilera...
Momentum for Hartley's new daycare reached a fever pitch on Tuesday thanks to a huge donation. The Heerde family, of Spirit Lake, officially contributed $500,000 to the Hartley Community Daycare Center's fundraising efforts. The donation was orchestrated by the United Way, which was one of 10 area non-profits to receive funds generated by the sale of the Heerde family's farmland. "It was phenomenal," said daycare Director Kaity Pedley. "We couldn't even think of building without these types of f...
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...
• Traffic Samuel Clay Brandt, Spencer, Speeding. Angela M. Van Beek, Sanborn, Registration Violation; Seatbelt Violation. Dennis Lee Sikma, Sheldon, No Valid Driver’s License; Seatbelt Violation. Lissette Cruz, Clymer, Pa., Seatbelt Violation. Thomas A. Cruz, Ann Arbor, Mich., Seatbelt Violation, 2 counts. Raymundo Antonio Islas, Garden City, Kan., Speeding. Maria M. Morales Chavez, Sioux Center, Failure to Use Child Restraint Device; No Valid Driver’s License. Wakeelah Yasmeen Wilkins, Algona, Dark Windows. Alisa L. Lewchuk, Sheldon, Seatb...
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...
You may receive a recorded call promising a government grant, flood insurance or help with applications for assistance. Do not respond or provide personal information or payment to these callers. They may be scams trying to get your credit card or checking account information. "Scammers often try to take advantage of you during a crisis: when you may be vulnerable and looking for help, particularly when you don't have phone or internet service to do research," said Carol Ehlers, human sciences...
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...
Royal residents could have something extra to celebrate when Fun Days are held this month, as Main Street is expected to have a new surface by the end of next week. Blacktop Service Co. was awarded the contract during a special city council meeting on June 25. Their proposal calls for milling four inches of existing surface from Main Street and repaving it with asphalt. Their bid was $215,816. Fuller & Sons Paving proposed milling the entire street width down four inches and repaving with two...
• Traffic Aniyah Marie Williams, Sheldon, Minor in Possession, Tobacco. Justin Richard Evans, Hawkins, Texas, Speeding. Hayden Steele Lee, Sanborn, Minor in Possession, Tobacco. Jason Lee Krob, Sheldon, No Valid Driver’s License. Kiesen Paul Vanderweide, LeMars, Speeding. Alexander John Olsen, Sioux Falls, S.D., Speeding. Gary Lynn Hassebroek, Sheldon, Seatbelt Violation. Ryan Mark Vollink, Archer, Seatbelt Violation. Zachary Floyd Hohbach, Paullina, Speeding. Lewis Abram Schaeffer, Sheldon, Violation of Instruction Permit. Troy Allen Jen...
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...
Discussion regarding whether any changes should be made to district policy governing community use of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn school facilities was held during the June 17 board meeting. Superintendent Patrick Carlin requested the discussion in response to increasing use of district facilities by various groups. "Our building usage has gone through the roof," he said. Carlin noted it was not the district's intent to discourage use of school facilities, but he has concerns about building...
• Traffic Brandon Lee Espeland, Sibley, No Proof of Insurance; Seatbelt Violation. Triven Phillip, Ashton, Minor in Possession, Tobacco. Natnael Fishaye Kahsay, Sioux City, Speeding. Alyssa Violet Marie Keffer, Sheldon, Minor in Possession, Tobacco. Mark Edward Joshua Crow, Columbia, Mo., Improper Passing on Right. Isaiah Joseph Anthony Ochoa, Sheldon, No Valid Driver’s License. Kenneth W. Embrey, Hartley, Speeding. Benjamin Noah Barritt, Cleghorn, Speeding. Nathaniel James Frazer, Hartley, Failure to Maintain Control. Olivia Florinda Lop...
