The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News - Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties

2021 will be remembered as the year things got back to normal.

Thanks to COVID-19 vaccinations and reduced risk to public health, community celebrations and other gatherings returned full force after a yearlong hiatus caused by the pandemic. Back were crowd favorite events like Hartley Summer Celebration, Everly Community Day, Royal Fun Days and the Clay County Fair. People were able to visit loved ones in nursing homes once again, and mask usage and social distancing were mostly halted.

The ongoing global pandemic and reduced restrictions were hardly the only things that happened in 2021, though. Several big events impacted local residents during the last 365 days that will resonate well into 2022 and beyond.

What follows is a rundown of the biggest stories to grace the pages of the Sentinel-News during past year.

• Pool bond passes with overwhelming majority

Any doubts about support for a new pool in Hartley were crushed March 2.

Voters in the City With a Heart overwhelmingly supported a $1.7 million bond issue that will partially finance construction of a new aquatic center. Eighty-four percent of voters cast 'yes' ballots while only 16 percent voted against the measure.

Pool campaign committee spokeswoman Jackie Stoltz said the group was ecstatic about the big victory.

"The committee is really pleased with 84 percent," she said. "The committee felt that we had the community's support, and Tuesday's vote showed that we do."

Only 44 votes were cast against the measure compared to 228 ballots in favor. The new aquatic center will be located at its previous location in Neebel Park and have comparable square footage to the old one.

There was no swimming season in Hartley this summer to accommodate demolition of the old pool. Construction began immediately after it was removed, and work is slated to continue throughout the winter.

Once built, the facility will include a zero-entry play area with a family slide, four swimming lanes, deep water diving and swim area, basketball hoops and a volleyball net, new bathhouse, and a large deck area with shaded zones. It is hoped to be constructed and operable by the summer of 2022.

Aside from the bond issue, the rest of the pool's estimated $3 million price tag will come from donations and grants.

• Local businesses change hands, co-ops merge

Two family-owned businesses changed hands this year.

Greg Musch and Cathy Sweet-Musch sold Fiesta Foods in Hartley after 21 years of ownership. The couple sold the business to Casey and Julie Connor, who also own stores in Lake Mills and Northwood.

The Musches' final day as owners was March 31.

"We're very appreciative of every customer and our staff," Greg said. "We have around 25 employees, so when people shop here it's not only helping us, it's helping 25 other families."

Osceola County's only locally-owned bank also came under new ownership this year.

Vogel Bancshares, Inc. (Iowa State Bank) acquired Melvin Savings Bank from Benz Holding Co. The merger closed during the third quarter of 2021.

Melvin Savings Bank's roots date back to 1912 and was owned by the Benz family since its creation.

"My brothers and I will miss the close working relationship we have always had with our customers in a bank our great-grandfather started," said Melvin Savings Bank's Vice President Jim Benz.

Iowa State Bank has eight locations in northwest Iowa, including Sanborn and Paullina. It took control of Melvin Savings Bank's two locations in Sibley and Melvin once the sale closed.

Elsewhere on the local business scene, members of two grain cooperatives voted to merge with other entities.

Members of Alceco voted on July 1 to merge with First Cooperative Association (FCA) effective Sept. 1. The merger process began in December 2020, with the boards of both cooperatives commissioning a unification study to examine the synergies between the organizations and make recommendations on a potential union.

Alceco, commonly known by its solely owned subsidiary, Ag Partners LLC, operated 17 locations across the region including sites in Hartley, Sheldon, Calumet and Sutherland in O'Brien County and Royal in Clay County.

Elsewhere on July 1, members of MaxYield Cooperative voted to merge with NEW Cooperative, Inc., effective Aug. 1. Based in West Bend, MaxYield operated locations in Everly, Spencer, Greenville, Fostoria and Dickens in Clay County, and Milford and Superior in Dickinson County.

• 1 dead in Everly house fire

An Everly woman died March 23 after a fire broke out in her home.

Firefighters were called to 306 N Ocheyedan St., at approximately 3:20 p.m. According to Assistant Fire Chief Ray Savage, smoke could be seen coming from the house's vents. Emergency personnel entered the home and found its owner, Janice Erick, 91, who was transported to Spencer Hospital. She later died of injuries sustained in the blaze.

Erick's death was the third fire-related casualty in Clay County in three years. The two others occurred in Spencer in 2020 and 2019.

According to her obituary, Erick was born and raised in Royal. She and her late husband, William, farmed in the Royal area prior to their retirement in the late 1980s. They moved to Mesa, Ariz., and Janice also spent a short time in Las Vegas before moving to Everly in 2020.

• H-M-S administration sees changes

Two of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn's longest-serving administrators stepped down from their posts at the end of the school year.

Elementary Principal Cathy Jochims retired effective June 18. She had served the position since 2014 and held various teaching roles in grades 3-6 before that dating back to 1992.

"H-M-S Elementary has been an absolutely wonderful place to work. The collaborative support from the elementary staff for each other in and out of school makes coming to work enjoyable," she said. "The teachers and support staff all put our students first. I will miss seeing and working with this great group of people."

Middle school Principal Mark Dorhout also stepped down in June after serving the role for 17 years. Dorhout accepted a position teaching junior high science in the Panorama Community School District for the 2021-22 school year to be closer to his children. He said he enjoyed his time at H-M-S thanks to the atmosphere created by the middle school staff.

"To be part of a team like this has been so awesome," he said. "Nobody is afraid to get out of their comfort zones. They just go do it and everyone pitches in."

Corey Ramsey succeeded Dorhout at the junior high while Ashley Benz took over Jochims' post. Benz previously served as the elementary school's instructional coach.

• Former elementary school closes

The closing bell on the final day of school sounded the end of an era for one of Hartley's most well known buildings.

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn's old elementary school said goodbye to students for the final time on May 24. The multi-level building housed grades 5-8 during the 2020-21 school year so the junior high in Sanborn could undergo expansive renovations. With the new elementary open in Hartley, the halls went quiet for good in the 85-year-old facility.

Just like its counterpart in Sanborn, architects deemed the old elementary building "functionally obsolete" several years ago. A lack of handicap accessibility and other problems led the district to pursue four bond issues to pay for facility improvements, the last of which passed in April of 2018 with a price tag of $18.9 million. The main portion of the building was built in 1936 and an additional wing was constructed in 1955.

Attached to the high school on Highway 18 in Hartley, the new elementary opened in August of 2020. The middle school in Sanborn opened in August of 2021 to mark the end of the sweeping facilities project.

• Industrial park sees first business

Dust was flying this year at Hartley's new industrial park on Highway 18.

Backroads Express, LLC, broke ground on its new location this summer. Owners Wyatt and Monica Glime were the first to purchase space in the park, buying four lots this spring in the northwest corner for $100,000.

A 17,000 square foot building was built on the 4.69-acre property, which the Glimes plan to use as a shop to house and repair the company's trucks.

The 20-acre industrial park was constructed in 2020. Hartley Economic Development Corporation and the city council pursued its development due to a lack of space in Hartley's other industrial park on the southeast side of town.

• Royal teen named Clay County Fair Queen

Residents in Royal were able to say the city actually had royalty this year.

Gabbi Carpenter on May 2 was picked from a field of six candidates to serve as the new Clay County Fair Queen. She was the first fair royalty in the county since 2019, as the coronavirus pandemic canceled festivities last year.

Carpenter, 19, is the daughter of Mel and Rick Brichta. She attended Clay Central/Everly High School prior to its closure in 2019, participating in FFA, volleyball, basketball, track, choir, fall play, musical and 4-H. She then pursued her diploma online through Iowa Lakes Community College.

Carpenter's ties to the fair run deep. She has been involved in 4-H since she was in third grade, and has a strong passion for rabbits.

First runner-up in the fair queen contest was Shayler Van Gelder, of Spencer, daughter of Jay and Shantel Van Gelder. Other candidates included Jazmine Edwards, of Spencer; Lizzy Findling, of Royal; Kaylee Iedema, of Spencer; and Ellie Wallace, of Spencer.

• New H-M-S Middle School opens

A ribbon cutting in August marked the end of one era for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn and the beginning of a new one.

School administrators, staff, students and community members celebrated the opening of H-M-S's new middle school in Sanborn. The building had been under construction for a year and was part of a sweeping facilities project that saw a new elementary school get built as well as several upgrades to the high school.

"People were just really amazed. Everyone has been excited to go through and see that it is different," said Superintendent Patrick Carlin. "I think they kind of expected a traditional building in new colors, but when they walk through and see that it's a little different set up, it's been very well received."

The new 5-8 grade building welcomed students for the first time on Monday, Aug. 23. The facility emphasizes collaborative learning environments focused on engagement and movement. Carlin described it as "interactive and flexible," with the building closely resembling the layout in the district's new elementary school in Hartley.

"As far as interactive learning, you can do that in any environment," Carlin said. "This setup allows us to do that better."

The interior of the building doesn't resemble a regular school in the traditional sense. Instead of hallways with classrooms off to the side, the aesthetic is much more open.

Fifth and sixth grades have their own section, as do seventh and eighth grades. Classroom spaces are situated around a centered co-learning space and removable walls allow rooms to transform with ease. Like the elementary school, the building also features "da Vinci rooms" for hands-on lessons and art projects.

The district-wide upgrades were made possible by an $18.9 million bond issue approved by H-M-S patrons in 2018.

• Sewage pond upgrades completed in Everly

There was no ribbon cutting or parade, but a massively important infrastructure upgrade project in Everly was finished this year.

Work on the city's sewage treatment ponds wrapped after more than a year of construction. The project was years in the making, with momentum finally carrying it to the finishing line over the past three years.

Mayor Brad Behrens was happy and relieved to see the final product.

"My No. 1 main goal as mayor coming in was to get this done and see it through," he said.

The facility features two large holding cells for aeration to break down waste as well as four Sagr filtration units that clean wastewater more thoroughly before it is discharged.

A variety of other features like a massive storage basin and a UV disinfection unit improve water quality further. The $3.9 million upgrades will bring the city into compliance with Iowa DNR discharge standards, which is a change of pace. The old ponds would become inundated with water during large rain events, consequently forcing the city to prematurely discharge wastewater.

• Pipelines, pipelines, pipelines

Landowners in O'Brien and Clay counties became well versed in pipelines during the tail end of 2021.

Two pipelines carrying hazardous liquid CO2 were proposed to the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) this year. If approved, Summit Carbon Solutions' project and Navigator CO2 Ventures' pipeline would cut through O'Brien and Clay counties, with Navigator's intersecting itself near Hartley. In all, O'Brien County would have 97.05 miles of pipe running through it while Clay County would have 76.21. Both projects are hoping to break ground within a year or two and would connect to ethanol and fertilizer production sites across the Midwest.

The infrastructure would transport liquid CO2 to North Dakota and Illinois for underground storage. CO2 will be captured at participating facilities, compressed into liquid form and placed on the line. Once at the sequestration sites in North Dakota and Illinois, it will be piped underground. Unique geologic formations there will allow the CO2 to be stored for generations and eventually solidify.

The overall goal of these pipelines is to make participating facilities more "green." CO2 is a greenhouse gas and significantly contributes to global warming. By slashing emissions, ethanol and fertilizer plants would lessen their impact on the climate and theoretically make their products more sustainable and marketable long term.

The proposals have been met with pushback by landowners along the route, who fear they will be forced into land easement agreements via eminent domain procedures if the IUB deems the projects in the public use. Many have expressed safety concerns as well – CO2 is an asphyxiant and if a pipeline were to burst, it could endanger both animal and human life.

Both pipelines are in limbo right now as the developers check procedural boxes prior to the IUB's official decision.

• Stabbing in Royal leads to attempted murder charge

A Spencer man landed a hefty prison sentence following an incident in October that led to attempted murder charges.

Clay County Sheriff's deputies responded to an alleged stabbing in progress at 307 Grove St. in Royal on Oct. 24 shortly after 4 p.m. Upon arrival, responders found that Cassandra Bicking, 26, had been stabbed multiple times. The suspect, Matthew Young, 25, had fled the scene.

Bicking was transported to the Spencer Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Young was later located by the Spencer Police Department near his residence in Spencer. He was taken into custody and transported to the Clay County Jail, where he was held and charged with several crimes: Attempted Murder, a Class B Felony; Willful Injury, a Class C Felony; and Going Armed with Intent, a Class D Felony. A no-contact order between Young and the victim was also filed.

Young on Dec. 22 changed his not guilty plea on the Attempted Murder and Willful Injury charges to guilty in Clay County District Court. The charge of Going Armed with Intent was dismissed as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Young was sentenced to 25 years for the first charge and an additional five years for the second, with the sentences to be served consecutively. He must serve at least 70 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole or work release and pay a $1,025 fine.

• Several elections held

Local voters can't say they didn't have a chance to vote in 2021.

Four elections were held in the Sentinel-News' coverage area this year. The first was Hartley's $1.7 million pool bond issue, which passed with 84 percent of the vote. Next were the November city and school elections. Only one local ballot was contested – the Hartley City Council race saw five candidates for three spots, with incumbent members Mary Westphalen and Ron Hengeveld winning re-election and newcomer Nick Galm ousting incumbent Brian Myers. Greg Cotter also ran for council, while incumbent Mayor Rod Ahrenstorff won his uncontested race.

After that was the special O'Brien County Board of Supervisors election. Republican Tim Overmire, of rural Hartley, was elected Dec. 7 to succeed former District 1 supervisor Sherri Bootsma, who resigned in October due to an impending move. No other candidates were on the ballot.

The final special vote came the following week on Dec. 14. Republican Dave Rowley, of Spirit Lake, defeated Democrat Mark Lemke in the Iowa Senate District 1 race. Rowley succeeds Zach Whiting, who resigned the seat in late October due to an impending move to Texas.

District 1 includes all of Clay, Osceola, Dickinson, Lyon and Palo Alto counties.

• Everly Heritage Museum opens

Everly's history found a home in 2021.

After more than two years of planning, the Everly Heritage Museum hosted its grand opening in November. The building, located directly south of the library on Main Street, houses a variety of displays ranging from Everly Cattlefeeders memorabilia and trophies, collectables from former businesses, and tributes to local veterans.

Steering committee member Connie Goeken said the grand opening was a big day for Everly. The idea for the museum came following the closure of the Clay Central/Everly 7-12 grade school in 2019, and she believed its addition was a positive step for the community.

"A lot of a town's identity is centered on the school and we felt that even if the school didn't exist anymore, we could step in to help keep that identity alive," she said. "It's important for those of us who have lived here to see and hear those stories, but it's also important for other people to have that experience."

The pandemic slowed momentum for the museum. Organizers had hoped to have it open earlier than November, but COVID-19 made that impossible. Nonetheless, they persevered and got to the finish line.

Goeken called the museum's development "a remarkable experience."

"This project has really turned into a labor of love for those of us on the steering committee," she said. "I don't think any of us realized in the beginning how much pride we'd have in making this museum happen and, frankly, how much we'd learn about the place we've lived all our lives."

An evening of live entertainment at the Hap Ketelsen Community Center featuring local singers and other performers complemented the grand opening. All proceeds from the event were donated to the museum.

• H-M-S board sells old elementary for $100

A sizeable piece of real estate in Hartley sold for an incredibly low price on Dec. 1.

On a 4-1 vote, the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn school board sold the district's former elementary building for $100 to Michael Reese on behalf of Hestia Investments. Board Member Ryan Haack was the lone dissenter.

The board in October originally decided to move forward with demolition of the building after no substantial interest was shown by outside entities. However, Reese stepped forward with a plan for the facility, which was built in the 1930s and 1950s.

According to Reese, plans are to physically convert the building into a safe and efficient facility; implement and manage ventures so they can thrive; and execute initiatives that "complement needs of the community with an emphasis on children, students and families in O'Brien County." Renovations will be financed through a group of companies while Moving Mountains, a non-profit organization, will coordinate programming housed in the facility.

Uses of the building have been designated in three "zones." Youth-oriented programs will be housed in the west wing; apartments for professionals will be created on the second floor of the main building; and community/business oriented ventures would be housed on the first floor.

Demolition of the building was pegged at approximately $750,000. Hestia Investments took ownership of the 1.32-acre property on Dec. 3, according to online records.

• Stoplight Lounge reopens in Hartley

One of the most anticipated local business openings in recent memory came just in time for Christmas.

The Stoplight Lounge in Hartley reopened to patrons on Dec. 20 after being closed since February of 2020. New owners Ryan "Stitch" Brehmer and Ashley Reid were ecstatic to show off the completely renovated building, if not a little nervous.

"It's been a stressful process to get here and it's been hard on us, but hopefully it'll be a good thing for the town," Brehmer said. "We saved the building, which was my biggest concern. Everybody thinks I'm a little crazy doing this in downtown Hartley, Iowa."

SENTINEL-NEWS FILE PHOTO

Renovations at the Stoplight Lounge in Hartley created a buzz throughout the City With a Heart this year.

Brehmer purchased the building in the spring with the hope of giving it new life. Demo work on the bar's interior began almost immediately, and it was completely gutted and renovated.

White vinyl siding was removed to reveal the old brick exterior, part of which was repainted with grey and black paint. New arch windows were installed on the first floor, and second-story windows also got replaced. The building has a whole new kitchen and the basement was completely renovated with a prep-kitchen area and walk-in cooler.

There's also a new addition on the east side that houses the pool table and restrooms. Not a single inch of the building was left untouched, and Brehmer and Reid were proud of the finished product.

"It's been lots of work," Reid said.

The "new" watering hole features a full menu, which the owners hope to expand shortly after the calendar flips to 2022.