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

And just like that, the sun has set on 2022 and we're on to the New Year.

Though the pages of the Sentinel-News were filled with hundreds of stories over the past 365 days, some stood head and shoulders above the rest. They commanded multiple headlines throughout the year and impacted the community in unique ways.

With the page about to flip to 2023, it's time to fill the 2022 scrapbook. What follows is a rundown of the biggest stories to grace the pages of the Sentinel-News during past year.

• McCarter fills vacancy on H-M-S board

A rural Melvin man was appointed to fill the District 4 seat on the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn school board.

Kyle McCarter was appointed to the seat on Jan. 17. He was one of three individuals who expressed interest in filling the position. Preston DeBoer, of rural Hartley, and Sara Otto, of rural Ocheyedan, were others considered for appointment.

McCarter immediately took his seat on the board. He replaced Scott Heetland, who recently resigned after serving for 13 years, including eight as board president.

• Public health disaster emergency expires

A state-ordered pandemic declaration ended in mid-February, one month shy of its two-year anniversary.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Feb. 3 signed the final extension of the state's public health disaster emergency proclamation, announcing it would expire at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15. It was first issued in accordance with the governor's executive authority on March 17, 2020 to enable certain public health mitigation measures during the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over time, it included hundreds of provisions aimed at addressing the pandemic.

The remaining 16 provisions focused primarily on lingering workforce issues exacerbated by the pandemic that were best addressed outside of emergency executive powers, according to the governor's office.

"We cannot continue to suspend duly enacted laws and treat COVID-19 as a public health emergency indefinitely," Reynolds said in statement. "After two years, it's no longer feasible or necessary. The flu and other infectious illnesses are part of our everyday lives, and coronavirus can be managed similarly. State agencies will now manage COVID-19 as part of normal daily business, and reallocate resources that have been solely dedicated to the response effort to serve other important needs for Iowans."

The expiration of Iowa's Public Health Disaster Emergency Proclamation resulted in operational changes related to the COVID-19 response. The most noticeable change was how data is reported publicly.

• Eminent domain bill dies

A bill that would have effectively killed two controversial pipeline projects in Iowa died in mid-February at the Statehouse in Des Moines.

Senate File 2160, which would have gutted the Iowa Utilities Board's (IUB) power to grant eminent domain for projects of private companies, failed to pass out of committee. Though it received bipartisan support in the subcommittee and was supported by many landowners across the state, the Commerce Committee canned it during "funnel week," when the Legislature cuts off debate for bills that have not made enough progress to get out of committee.

SF2160 was introduced by Sen. Jeff Taylor (R-Sioux Center) in response to complaints from farmers and local governments in northwest Iowa regarding two proposed carbon dioxide pipelines that would cut across private property and require the use of eminent domain.

"The bill is dead, which is a disappointment to me," said Taylor. "More importantly, it's a defeat for landowner protection and constitutional rights."

Taylor's bill was viewed as a trump card against two CO2 pipelines, one by Summit Carbon Solutions and the other by Navigator CO2 Ventures. If approved by the IUB, both projects would pass through O'Brien and Clay counties, and both companies would need to use eminent domain procedures if they fail to receive voluntary land easements from 100 percent of property owners along the route.

• Rec trail proposed in Hartley

A group of local residents began taking steps this year to bring a recreational trail to the City With a Heart.

A quintet comprised of Dave Vander Broek, Dan and Justin McCarty, Nicole Shaffer and Laura Mohni started investigating building a trail around Hartley last winter. If constructed, the 14-foot wide trail would encompass Hartley starting at Neebel Park for a total distance of approximately four miles. It would be paved with cement and ideally have a gravel shoulder, which is a better surface for joggers.

The rec trail committee has been writing grants and holding fundraisers for the project. The group also took over operation of the can and bottle receptacle downtown, which was previously used to raise funds for the city's new pool.

• Ash borer arrives

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in March confirmed that an infestation of the emerald ash borer (EAB) was discovered in rural Paullina and in Spencer. O'Brien and Clay counties were previously two of only a handful of Iowa counties without confirmed infestations.

The beetle is the No. 1 threat to North American ash trees. Originally from Asia, EAB traveled across the ocean and was first discovered in Michigan in 2002. Experts believe the bugs hid in wood packing material or other shipping containers.

The adult beetles feed on ash leaves, causing very little damage. It is the cumulative damage by larval feeding on the inner bark that eventually kills ash trees. The feeding cuts off the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients, typically killing a tree within two to four years.

The beetle is expected to lay waste to nearly all of Iowa's ash trees.

• Bad year at Sunrise Farms

A massive poultry operation near May City fell on hard luck in 2022.

Sunrise Farms in late March was hit with a bird flu outbreak for the second time in seven years. Five million birds were euthanized as a result, completely emptying the facility in the process.

A control zone spanning a radius of 10 kilometers was implemented around the property after the virus was confirmed on March 31. The order regulated movement at the affected site as well as poultry facilities inside the zone.

Once all dead birds were removed from the buildings, cleaning and disinfection immediately commenced. The site was required to sit empty for five months, as per state and federal regulations.

The virus affected millions of birds at dozens of poultry sites across the state this year. The last bird flu outbreak occurred in 2015.

Later this spring, Sunrise Farms dealt with a massive fire that burned for nearly two full days.

Fire departments from May City and Harris were paged to the poultry facility on White Avenue around 11 p.m. on May 9. A large stockpile of cornstalk bales had caught fire, and it would wind up taking 44 hours before the final flames flickered out.

May City Fire Chief Nick Shaffer called it a "once-a-decade type of fire." Approximately 3,000 bales were lost during the incident, but no injuries were reported and no accidents occurred.

Shaffer suspected the fire began via spontaneous combustion in a pile of ground up cornstalk bales. It spread rapidly, as first responders had limited access to the flames thanks to a muddy field and inadequately equipped vehicles. Strong winds also aided the fire.

In addition to May City and Harris, other responding fire departments came from Hartley, Lake Park, Melvin, Milford, Ocheyedan and Sibley.

• New pool never opens

What was slated to be the biggest accomplishment of the year in Hartley instead turned into the biggest disappointment.

The new aquatic center could not pass a state electrical inspection due to errors made during the construction process. In light of the developments, the pool never opened.

Issues at the facility were uncovered in late spring. According to information presented at city council meetings, Eriksen Construction and the pool's subcontracted electrician, Phillips Electric, of Spirit Lake, didn't follow inspection rules mandated by National Electric Code 680 (NEC 680). The state couldn't allow the facility to pass safety inspection, thus forcing the doors to remain indefinitely locked.

A solution to issues is still being sought between all parties involved. No new information regarding the situation has been released in several months.

• Another derecho decks NWI

Fireworks continued in northwest Iowa the day after Independence Day.

A massive thunderstorm system slammed the tri-state area on July 5 leaving downed trees, damaged property, bent crops and power outages in its wake. In Hartley, electricity was out for approximately three hours. Several homes and vehicles also received heavy damage due to felled tree limbs, which snapped power lines throughout town.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Sioux Falls classified the storm as a derecho, which was at least the second to hit the area in the previous six months. The storm is defined as a widespread, long-lived windstorm associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms.

The NWS reported wind speeds at Hartley reached 79 mph, while Spencer topped out at 80 mph. Numbers were greater farther west, as the South Dakota cities of Huron and Howard tallied 96 mph and 99 mph, respectively.

O'Brien County was later included in an emergency disaster declaration by Gov. Kim Reynolds. The governor's proclamation allowed state resources to be utilized to respond to, and recover from, the effects of the storm.

• Pack is back in Hartley

The meatpacking industry is returning to Hartley.

Hartley Cold Services, LLC, this summer took ownership of the building formerly owned by Beef Specialists of Iowa on Second Street Southeast. The facility most recently housed American Natural Soy, and was officially sold as of July 26.

Hartley Cold Services will specialize in a variety of services that large-scale packing plants can't, or won't, do.

"Even the big guys can't do everything," said plant manager Jeff Knowles. "They are very, very good at doing the 98 percent they do. The 2 percent is where we survive."

Knowles explained the business will specialize in making overrun from larger packing plants consumer-ready as well as custom cold storage and defrosting. Additionally, the plant will make pork pellets out of ham skins, which eventually become pork rinds.

The company will primarily handle pork products. Hartley is strategically located between eight larger packs, which made the facility here an enticing acquisition for owner Stephane Comtois, who lives in Florida.

Updates at the facility are ongoing. Tentatively, a crew of 25 employees will run the plant, which is hoped to be operational sometime in 2023.

• Royal standoff ends peacefully

A rowdy night in Royal ended with a trip to jail for a local man who engaged in a six-hour standoff with law enforcement on Sept. 2.

According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, at approximately 4 p.m. deputies were informed of a federal warrant for Timothy Steinbeck, of Royal, for a narcotics violation. Deputies located Steinbeck at his residence, but he fled into the home before they could make contact with him.

Steinbeck barricaded himself inside the dwelling, which necessitated the Iowa State Patrol Tactical Team to assist in his removal. After numerous attempts to make contact with Steinbeck were unsuccessful, pepper spray gas was introduced into the home. Steinbeck eventually exited the residence and was taken into custody at approximately 10:43 p.m.

The suspect was transported to Spencer Hospital, where he was evaluated and released to the Clay County Sheriff's Office. He was held at the Clay County Jail and later released into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

• Clay Central/Everly revives Homecoming tradition

Students at Clay Central/Everly Elementary received a blast from the past this fall.

The district revived Homecoming in late October after a three-year hiatus. Following the closure of the 7-12 grade building at the conclusion of the 2018-19 school year, CC/E officials shelved festivities as no events like football or volleyball games were on the schedule anymore.

However, staff members wanted to spark a bit of school spirit this year inside the elementary building. Homecoming was promptly saved from the grave, and young Mavericks put their school pride on display during the weeklong celebration.

"We noticed the importance of building that school spirit and having children see that their community supports them and is excited that they are Mavericks," said Director of Student Services Michelle Huntress. "We want to celebrate our students learning to be great leaders at our school in academics, sports and good citizenship."

Several activities were held to mark the occasion. Dress-up days made each day more interesting, and students and staff also received new T-shirts to mark Homecoming 2022. A parade and pep rally were also held to cap festivities on Friday, which was highlighted by a visit from 2018 CC/E Homecoming Queen Marty Schmidt.

• Plans unveiled at former elementary school

New hope was injected into the former Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary school in mid-December when the building's new owner unveiled sweeping renovation plans.

Michael Reese, whose firm Hestia Investments purchased the school in 2021, released the outline of renovation plans for Phase 1 of the project. Architectural renderings call for huge changes at the Hartley building, which has sat empty since classes dismissed for the final time in spring of 2021.

The main focus of the renovated building will be childcare programming and residential apartments.

"After acquiring the property it became clearer that there is a greater opportunity, one that should make the former school one of the crown jewels in the area," Reese said.

FILE PHOTO

A fire at Sunrise Farms near May City burned for nearly two days in May.

Phase 1 of renovation plans call for construction of a two-story steel structure to be built around the existing one-story portion on the west side of the building. Reese explained the addition would allow Hestia to build new apartments instead of retrofitting living space from classrooms. Plans call for approximately 30 apartments ranging from studio to three-bedroom units.

The existing one-story portion of the school will house childcare programming. Renderings also call for an addition to the north that will provide tenants access to the building without interacting with children on the first floor.

Hestia Investments bought the building for $100 from the H-M-S school board last December. Immediately, light demo work will take place inside the building and construction windscreens will be installed along the fence, according to Reese.

He noted more announcements would be made in the near future.