09/16/21: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

 

September 16, 2021

SUBMITTED PHOTO

HHS Class of 1956 gathers for reunion: The Hartley High School Class of 1956 met at the home of Dan and Janet Shinkle in Okoboji for dinner. The day was spent visiting and reminiscing. A good time was enjoyed by those present. Pictured front row, from left to right: Dan Shinkle, Larry Albrecht, Peggy Tesch, Evelyn Bruns and Ardine Dillingham. Second row: Darrell Denny, Milo Peters, Cliff Muilenburg, Harold Wills, John Schuett and Richard Olhausen.

Solsma's Punkin Patch now open

Solsma's Punkin Patch is open now through Halloween, with Food Truck Weekends starting Sept. 25.

The business is located 4 miles west of Hartley on Highway 18. See the ad on Page 3 for more details.

Volunteers needed to deliver meals

Community Memorial Health Center is looking for volunteers to help deliver Meals on Wheels to local residents. If interested, call Linda at (712) 728-2428.

Regular hours at Royal library

Hours at the Royal Public Library are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 3-5 p.m .; and Tuesday and Saturday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

NWI fishing report

Offshore fishing for bass has been very good lately. The panfish/perch bite has been excellent. Area lake levels are low, making launching and loading boats more difficult. Many boaters are already taking their boats out for the season, making the lakes less congested and allowing for better fishing opportunities. Lake temperatures have been slowly cooling down and are in the low 70's.


East Okoboji Lake: The water temperature was 72 degrees last Thursday. Many anglers have had success with slip bobbers/spoons and vertical jigging and drop shot fishing. A great bluegill/crappie/yellow bass bite can be found trolling weed lines. Many anglers have observed high catch rates with a lot of sorting.

Black crappie, fair. Crappie are hard to target specifically, but can be caught mixed with other panfish. The bite has improved in and around docks and hoists. Bluegill, good. Bluegill are biting like crazy. Leeches or worms and a simple bobber setup work well. Pumpkinseed, good. Fun and easier to catch from most docks. Use a small hook, bobber and piece of worm.


Lost Island Lake: Anglers report they have started to catch yellow bass in shallow water amongst the vegetation.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Walleye, fair. Try using slip bobbers and finding weed lines.

Spirit Lake: The water temperature was 72 degrees last Thursday. The yellow perch bite has been slower, but the walleye bite has picked up. Use lead core and tadpole baits. Walleye, good. Bite is hit or miss at dusk, but the day bite is improving. Many anglers have started to fish in shallower with slip bobbers along weed edges. Yellow perch, fair. Best bite is morning till 11 a.m. and mid-afternoon. Depths vary depending on the time of day. Move often to find fish – schools are smaller and sporadic.

West Okoboji Lake: The water temperature was 72 degrees last week. Many anglers have been most successful with trolling, but jigging and casting has also been very good. Use lead core and tadpole baits. Offshore fishing for bass has been great.

Black crappie, good. Crappie have been very picky lately, but can be easily caught if you aren't afraid to switch things up. Can also be caught frequently while picking through other panfish or have been found around weed edges. Bluegill, good: Bluegill are biting like crazy with fish up to 10-inches seen. Jigging, casting and slip bobbers are working well. Leeches or worms and a simple bobber setup work well. Walleye, fair. Walleye have been hard to target, but many anglers have been catching them while fishing for other species.

August rainfall improves drought conditions

August was the first of the summer months to bring above-normal precipitation to the state, providing significant relief to the ongoing drought conditions, according to the latest water summary update by the Iowa DNR.

Average precipitation for August totaled 4.64 inches, or 0.51 inches above normal, with especially high precipitation occurring in northeast Iowa at the end of the month. Monthly precipitation totals ranged from 0.23 inches at Fairfield to 20.65 inches at Ionia, where 11.25 inches of Ionia's total monthly rain fell over a 24-hour period ending on Aug. 29. Despite the above normal rainfall for the month, statewide 2021 rainfall totals are more than four inches below normal for the year.

Streamflow and soil moisture levels have improved over most of the state as well. Drought conditions, as reflected in the U.S. Drought Monitor, have also improved. The area of extreme drought in Iowa has been eliminated, and the area of severe drought has been reduced to less than 13 percent. The total area of the state covered by drought conditions remains above 70 percent, but the severity of the drought conditions has been significantly reduced.

"The above-normal precipitation we received in much of Iowa is exactly what was needed," said Tim Hall, Hydrology Resources Coordinator for the Iowa DNR, in a news release. "As we move into the fall season, continued above normal monthly rainfall should continue to improve conditions across the state."

Iowa's youth deer season begins Sept. 18

The Iowa youth deer season opens on Sept. 18. This season is designed as a mentor-styled hunt, matching young hunters with a licensed adult to teach proper deer hunting techniques, wildlife behavior and safe hunting practices without the added pressure of other hunters in the field.

The youth season coincides with the disabled hunter deer season for hunters who meet certain criteria. Each season runs Sept. 18-Oct. 3. Each youth must be under direct supervision of an adult mentor, with a valid license and habitat fee (if required). The youth license is valid statewide and for any legal deer.

All deer taken must be reported using the harvest reporting system by midnight the day after the deer is recovered. Harvest reporting is a very important part of the deer management program in Iowa, playing a vital role in managing deer populations and hunting opportunities. Hunters can report their deer on the DNR website at http://www.iowadnr.gov, by calling the toll-free reporting number 1-800-771-4692, or at any license vendor.

Most accomplished class at UI includes H-M-S grads

This fall, the University of Iowa welcomed the most academically accomplished class in its history for the fifth year in a row. The incoming undergraduate class again topped previous records in achievement with a higher average high school grade-point average (GPA) than any previous class.

This fall's incoming undergraduate has an average GPA of 3.81. The average high school GPA for the classes of 2024 and 2023 were 3.78 and 3.76, respectively.

The Class of 2025 is composed of 4,521 students, up slightly from last year. About 60 percent of the class (2,702) are Iowa residents. They represent 94 of Iowa's 99 counties.

Incoming freshmen who are Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn graduates and their majors are listed.

Hartley: Noah Adams, Pre-Business; Gabriel Bronstad, Pre-Medicine; Desyre Martinez, Open Major.

Sanborn: Taylan Elwood, Pre-Business; Bennett Haack, Statistics; Samuel Heyn, Statistics; Kayl Jacobsma, Enterprise Leadership.

 
 

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