Automotive Accidents

Bailout passes Senate, House foes soften (10/02/08)
WASHINGTON -- After one spectacular failure, the $700 billion financial industry bailout found a second life Wednesday, winning lopsided passage in the Senate and gaining ground in the House, where Republicans opposition softened. Senators loaded the economic rescue bill with tax breaks and other sweeteners before passing it by a wide margin, 74-25, a month before the presidential and congressional elections...

Prairie Fire Children's Theatre, LCT present "The Wizard of Oz" (09/25/08)
Join our Dickinson county children in a wonderful journey through the Magical Land of Oz, as they take the stage this weekend along with two professional actor/directors, Ben Ratkowski and ErinRose Sincevich, in Prairie Fire Children's Theatre's original musical production of "The Wizard of Oz"...

Green Plains announces grand opening ceremony (09/19/08)
Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. will host a grand opening celebration at its ethanol plant in Superior on Saturday, Sept. 20. The festivities will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and include food and refreshments, courtesy of local livestock producers...

Fire chars insulation at RR Donnelley (09/18/08)
Employees had to be evacuated and firefighters were at the scene for more than an hour after a fire broke out at the RR Donnelley printing facility in Spencer. The Spencer Fire Department was called out just after 5 p.m. Wednesday to the plant near East Seventh Street and Third Avenue East in Spencer...

Faulty light fixture causes smoky scene (09/17/08)
Staff members at a regional housing agency arrived to find a smoky start to the day in south Spencer. But the damage should be minimal and clean up was already under way Tuesday at the Northwest Iowa Regional Housing Authority offices. Firefighters were called at 7:53 a.m. ...

Sparks may have caused fire (09/13/08)
The Clay County Sheriffs Office and the Iowa State Fire Marshals Office have concluded a fire investigation and listed the official cause of a structure fire north of Spencer as undetermined. Dickens and Fostoria firefighters were called out at about 1 a.m. Thursday to a fully-engulfed building at the Bill and Lisa Elliott farm, located at 3115 240th Avenue in rural Spencer...

Spencer council to discuss use of city's railroad spur (09/13/08)
By Randy M. Cauthron Managing Editor When the Spencer City Council comes together for its first meeting of September, at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 15 at city hall, a full agenda will greet it. The city staff has been working with an existing company to explore the possibility of utilizing the city's railroad spur that would allow it to expand its services. One of the challenges to accommodate it request allowing them to utilize the spur could potentially reclassify the spur as a short line...

Fire claims rural Spencer farm buildings (09/12/08)
Fingers of fire still emerged from piles of charred hay and debris more than 12 hours after a fire was called in at a farm north of Spencer. The hay will continue to smolder for a day or two, according to Fostoria Fire Chief Tim Kelsch. Letting fire under piles of hay burn itself out is easier than trying to spread the material out to extinguish the buried heat sources...

Briefs 9-11-08 (09/11/08)
The Clay County Farm Service Agency will host USDA informational meeting at 1 p.m. on Thurs., Sept. 11, at Frederick's of Royal, located at 303 Main St. in Royal. The meeting will provide information on SURE (Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program), which was enacted as part of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill), to provide supplemental disaster assistance...

Briefs 9-10-08 (09/10/08)
The Clay County Farm Service Agency will host USDA informational meeting at 1 p.m. on Thurs., Sept. 11 at Frederick's of Royal, located at 303 Main St. in Royal. The meeting will provide information on SURE (Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program), which was enacted as part of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill), to provide supplemental disaster assistance...

Prather enters 'not guilty' pleas (09/03/08)
A Spencer man has entered not guilty pleas to charges associated with a fatal motorcycle crash earlier this summer. James Owen Prather was scheduled for a court appearance Tuesday but instead entered his not guilty pleas in writing. The 57-year-old Spencer man faces charges of vehicular homicide, serious injury by a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death...

Parkersburg tornado survivors to attend Clay County Fair (09/03/08)
It will be easy to spot the 50 people from Parkersburg who attend this Saturday's opening day of the 2008 Clay County Fair. They'll be wearing this black accessory. Paul Daniels, who has managed the U.S. Cellular stores in Spencer and Storm Lake since October, thinks the busload of tornado survivors Spencer resident Ted Cate is lining up to attend the celebrated annual event are in need of the getaway. ...

Spike in fire deaths alarms state officials (08/22/08)
State Fire Marshal Jim Kenkel is concerned.

Arraignment set in vehicular homicide case (08/22/08)
A Spencer man will have a chance to respond to amended charges for his possible role in a traffic fatality earlier this summer. James Owen Prather faces a charges of vehicular homicide, serious injury by vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. The vehicular homicide charge is a Class B felony and carries a penalty no more than 25 years in prison...

VeraSun to fire up Hartley plant (08/16/08)
VeraSun Energy Corp. on Thursday announced the startup of its 110 million gallon per year ethanol biorefinery near Hartley. The Hartley plant is the 13th VeraSun biorefinery in operation. The opening pushed the company's annual production capacity to more than 1.3 billion gallons. "We are pleased to bring our Hartley ethanol biorefinery into production," said VeraSun CEO Don Endres, in a statement. "It is one of the largest and most efficient facilities in the nation...

Milford woman wins Iowa Lottery promotion (08/13/08)
DES MOINES -- A northwest Iowa woman drove away from the Iowa State Fair in a new, 2008 four-wheel drive Chevy Tahoe Hybrid®, the grand-prize in the Iowa Lottery's "Set of Wheels" promotion. Nancy Fear of Milford was selected as the grand-prize winner in the promotion drawing Thursday on the Susan Knapp Amphitheater stage at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Fear said she was excited to share the news with her adult children...

Corridor presents 'Priority Road Projects' to IDOT Commission (08/13/08)
A delegation of 18 people from the Iowa Lakes Corridor region traveled to Sioux City today to present priority projects and updates to the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) commissioners during their public input meeting. The delegation consisted of representatives of each of the four counties -- Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet -- as well as Sen. David Johnson and Rep. Mike May...

Monsanto Mobile Technology Unit stops in Spencer (08/13/08)
Monsanto's unique Mobile Technology Unit made a stop in Spencer and will remain in town through today as part of its tour through the United States, showcasing innovations in plant breeding and biotechnology to support farmer success. The new 53-foot-long traveling unit, (top right) with 1,000 square feet of exhibit space, will remain in place just west of the Clay County Regional Events Center in the parking lot through today, extending tour offers to groups throughout Clay County. ...

Chicago theater unites four Spencer grads (08/12/08)
In what seem to have been several "fated" coincidences, four Spencer High School graduates, all of whom were bitten locally by the theater bug, have connected in Chicago. Known for its intimate "storefront" theaters that seat between 30 and 100 people, Josh Odor, Ben Fuchsen, Aaron DeYoung and Eric Van Tassell can all testify to the inner workings of the "The Windy City's" theaters...

Pilot walks away from 'gear up landing' (08/12/08)
The pilot of a 1960 Beachcraft Bonanza walked away from the scene of a plant crash at the Spirit Lake Airport, located in Okoboji, Sunday night at approximately 7:30 p.m. Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the airport at approximately 7:36 p.m. for an airplane that had crashed upon landing. Upon arrival of the department, it was determined that pilot, Bill McGinn of Council Bluff's, the only person on board the plane at the time of the accident, was not injured...

Accident near Sioux Falls kills Spencer man (08/07/08)
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- The driver was killed Wednesday when his car went into the ditch, overturned and then rolled over a second vehicle stopped at an intersection. The Highway Patrol identified the victim of the accident on Sioux Falls' west side as 76-year-old Myron Voss of Spencer. The patrol said the Voss vehicle was traveling at a high speed on the 45-mph street...

Crash leads to vehicular homicide charge (08/07/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff Assistant Clay County Attorney Chuck Borth said a Class B felony charge of vehicular homicide will be filed against a Spencer man involved in a fatal crash. The Spencer Police Department responded to a hit-and-run crash at 7:16 p.m. Monday involving a sports utility vehicle, which rear-ended a motorcycle as both vehicles were traveling east on U.S. Highway 18 near the area of Del's Garden Center...

Ambassadors tour new Audio/Video Connection (08/06/08)
The Spencer Ambassadors visited the new location of Audio Video Connection, and met with owner Randy Swanson. Swanson, who ran the business for 11 years at his South Grand Avenue location, moved to the downtown district, operating now out of the former Northwest Aging building, directly south of the Spencer Fire Department. ...

Spencer man faces charges in hit-and-run (08/06/08)
The Spencer Police Department responded to a hit and run crash at 7:16 p.m. on Monday involving a sports utility vehicle and a motorcycle. Witnesses told responding law enforcement officers a dark-colored SUV rear-ended a motorcycle as both vehicles were traveling east on Highway 18...

Briefs 8-06-08 (08/06/08)
Losing a loved one is indescribable to someone who has not felt the loss of death. Hospice of Northwest Iowa's professional team understands the tragedy of losing a loved one and they identify with the difficult decisions and emotions that the person left behind faces. To help people cope with the death of a loved one, Hospice of Northwest Iowa is offering an 8-week Understanding Grief Support Group. The group will meet each Wednesday evening through Sept. 24 from 6:30-8 p.m...

Clay Mutual supports Royal fire truck purchase (07/29/08)
Jeff VanWesten with Clay Mutual Insurance Association presented Jarod Olson, fire fighter for the Royal Fire Department, a check towards the purchase of a new fire truck.

Rare Boeing 40C crashed in Oregon in 1928 (07/26/08)
By Jim Camden Spokesman-Review staff writer When the big Boeing biplane lifts off from Felts Field this afternoon, its open cockpit and wood-paneled passenger cabin will carry the history of American aviation back into the skies. It will fly again after nearly 70 years on a mountainside, a few years in a horse trailer, and nine years in a hangar at Felts, where some 61 volunteers spent about 18,000 hours meticulously restoring it to life...

Briefs 7-25-08 (07/25/08)
The Spencer Family YMCA will be hosting its annual carnival today at the YMCA. It is open to all Spencer kids in kindergarten through sixth grades only. All playground parks will be closed that day and will meet at the YMCA. Also, any child in Kids Kamp or childcare at the YMCA will be able to attend. Kids can purchase tickets at the YMCA or through any park counselor...

Piper's 90 minutes in heaven shared with Spencer audience (07/24/08)
An overflowing crowd heard Don Piper explain how his decision to turn right instead of left on his way home from a 1989 church conference, and the ensuing fatal head-on collision he endured with a semi-trailer truck, is his enduring testimonial of hope and healing today. The best-selling author of "90 Minutes in Heaven -- a True Story of Death and Life" relayed his death-defying tale to an estimated 1,200 people Wednesday night at the Clay County Regional Events Center in Spencer...

King touts domestic energy solutions (07/22/08)
On a Friday afternoon when travelers were planning their weekend getaways, U.S. Rep. Steve King also was on the road. The congressman included Spencer in a series of stops around the region. "I need to put my ear to the ground constantly to pick up the voice of the people," he said...

Weekend poker ride nets ILCC scholarship dollars (07/22/08)
Over 200 participated in the sixth annual Iowa Lakes Foundation Scholarship poker ride. Saturday's event traversed from the college's Algona campus to its Emmetsburg, Spencer, Spirit Lake and Estherville campuses. "We raise anywhere from about $7,000 - $10,000 from this; so it's a nice fundraiser for us," said Shan Ray, Iowa Lakes Community College's executive director of institutional advancement. ...

Briefs 7-19-08 (07/21/08)
Young people and their families are invited to "Bee" at the library on Tuesday, July 22 at 6:30 p.m. for the "Pockets Full of Fun" program. Join Lisa Laird of Orange City, and her friends from "Pockets Full of Fun" as they learn about some interesting creatures in the insect world. ...

Fire claims Spencer couple's home (07/19/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff The Iowa Great Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross has been contacted to help a Spencer couple who lost their home in a trailer fire Friday afternoon. An officer with the Spencer Police Department spotted smoke and called for assistance at 2:41 p.m. Friday. The officer saw flames as he approached the trailer on lot 4 of the trailer park at 317 West 18th Street...

Briefs 7-18-08 (07/18/08)
The Fifth Annual Cruise In will be held from 6-9 p.m. tonight in the McDonald's parking lot at the Southpark Mall in Spencer. Plaques for the first 75 cars. Registration from 6-7:30 p.m., with awards given at 8:30 p.m. Trophies for the top three "peoples choice." Prizes also. Rain day has been set for Friday, July 25...

Arson fire injures Primghar man (07/18/08)
Authorities say a resident of a group home for adults near Primghar was burned in an arson fire. The Primghar Fire Department was called out at 12:23 a.m. Wednesday to the Pride Group Home, which is at 6059 390th Street and east of Primghar. The fire began in the center part of a storage building. It is believed a liquid accelerant was used to start the fire...

Trustees learn about fire facility (07/16/08)
The Board of Trustees of Iowa Lakes Community College held their monthly meeting Tuesday in Emmetsburg and learned about the recently completed Regional Emergency Response Training Center. Steve Dobbins, Fire, EMS and Health programmer, thanked the advisory committee on this project by offering their insight into the needs of area emergency services personnel...

Thrivent calls on county groups to help with tornado relief effort (07/16/08)
The Clay County Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Chapter is challenging the communities and the congregations of Clay County to help those with lost homes and property near the tornado-ravaged vicinity of Parkersburg. Thrivent will leverage any community donations with supplemental funding. All funds raised will stay in Iowa to be used by Lutheran Disaster Relief to help the families who are still trying to piece their lives back together after the storm...

Piper to bring firsthand account of hope and healing to Spencer (07/16/08)
Don Piper has experienced another place beyond this world. The best-selling author, speaker and minister will share his message of hope and healing, a testimonial, beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 23 at the Clay County Regional Events Center in Spencer...

Scam e-mails seek donations to help Chinese earthquake victims (07/15/08)
Scam E-Mails Seek Donations to Help Chinese Earthquake Victims The FBI is asking people to beware of e-mails claiming to be raising money to help victims of the recent earthquake in China. Tragic incidents such as 9/11, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Minnesota Bridge collapse, the Virginia Tech shootings and the victims of the horrific tornados have all prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions for a charitable organization and/or a good cause. ...

Trooper hurt in Spirit Lake crash (07/09/08)
A trooper with the Iowa State Patrol is back at work after a fender-bender and medical evaluation Monday afternoon. Tropper Bob Subbert transported fellow trooper Brian Lee Axford, 30, Spirit Lake to Lakes Regional Healthcare after the collision, which occurred at 11:59 a.m. Monday at the multi-lane intersection of Highway 9 and 71, near Wal-Mart, in Spirit Lake...

Environmental protection commission to meet July 8 (07/08/08)
DNR will update the Environmental Protection Commission on the status of flooding events in Iowa and summarize its response efforts to the flood at the monthly EPC meeting July 8. They will also discuss how land use practices can contribute to flooding...

MOVIE REVIEW: Will Smith...to the rescue? (07/07/08)
What if you had super powers, had no idea who you were, had no one like you to understand your problems, and felt a need to play the role of super hero whether Los Angeles likes it or not. Oh ya, in addition to having overwhelming super hero depression, you're also an alcoholic. If this sounds familiar, then perhaps you're Hancock...

'Project Alert' unveiled (06/24/08)
The goal of Project Alert, a pilot program taking shape in Clay County, is to ensure that individuals, especially those with special needs, are better prepared for emergencies. By taking part in this program and providing some critical information, emergency personnel coming to aid a program-enrolled person will also be better prepared to assist with whatever greets them...

Fire destroys Tweeter's Bar and Grill (06/24/08)
An early morning fire gutted a popular Lakes area restaurant yesterday. Tweeter's Bar and Grill, located just north of the Highway 9 bridge in Okoboji, was declared a total loss. "It looks like it was an electrical malfunction in the dining area of the bar, probably from an electrical circuit that fed three TVs in a trophy case," said Deputy State Fire Marshal David Schipper of the Iowa State Fire Marshals Office. "It's probably going to be a total loss."...

Fire creates smoky scene near Fostoria (06/20/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff The Heikens family is due for a little luck -- the good kind. First came the tornado outbreak of June 2004, which took out a barn on the farm. Another storm, two years later, took down half of their garage. And there's the December burglars who broke into the house a couple of years ago...

City Info 6-5-08 (06/05/08)
The City of Spencer has numerous boards and commissions that serve the citizens of Spencer. The mayor would like to keep on file a list of persons who would be interested in serving on a city board or commission. From time to time positions become vacant and are filled by appointment of the mayor, with council approval...

The Parkersburg tornado:Former Royal woman's family starts again (05/30/08)
Home can't be home again until a structural engineer says it's OK to go back in. The family's show cattle are a source of pride -- and more than half of them are lost Dirt and water have likely ruined the furniture. The garage is gone. The in-laws, a mile away, lost their home completely...

Lively looking to better serve needs of area RIDES recipients (05/21/08)
Hugh Lively, who's marking his one-year anniversary as the RIDES--Regional Transit Authority (RTA) executive director and CEO today, admits he's fallen into two passions in his life -- helping people and working within the transportation field -- "purely by accident"...

'Click it or Ticket' enforcement begins this week (05/19/08)
Iowa law enforcement announced today that they will be joining with hundreds of other law enforcement agencies across the country in renewing a pledge to save lives by intensifying efforts to enforce seat belt laws amongst all motorists around the clock during the 2008 Click It or Ticket mobilization, which runs from May 19 - June 1...

City Info 5-17-08 (05/19/08)
The city has gone to regular pick up on tagged bags of grass and brush on the following days: Thursday -- west side of Spencer, and Friday -- east side of Spencer. --- Open burning within the corporate limits of Spencer is not allowed by ordinance. To dispose of leaves, grass clippings, other lawn waste or any household waste by burning is illegal. You may be subject to a fine...