Civil Disorders

'Where's the flood?' (03/19/10)
On Wednesday, Governor Chet Culver signed a disaster declaration for the Army Corps of Engineers to provide assistance in Dickinson County. Thursday morning, representatives from the Corps' Omaha office were on site at Lower Gar, just northeast of Milford, meeting with potential contractors and local utility providers as a group of very unhappy Lower Gar area residents and Milford Mayor Don Lamb looked on...

Spencer building listed on National Register of Historic Places (03/09/10)
It's official. Spencer's former high school and middle school building at 104 E. Fourth St. is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Administered by the National Park Service, this program is the U.S. government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

Legislators discuss rising health care costs, texting while driving (03/02/10)
When the third Eggs and Issues legislative forum of the season began Saturday morning in Spencer, attendees were encouraged to not ask the three participating state legislators about same-sex marriage or right-to-work issues, common themes of the first two sessions held this year. Even with the majority party not represented at the gathering, Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan; Rep. Mike May, R-Spirit Lake; and Rep. Royd Chambers, R-Sheldon; addressed a variety of issues ranging from oversight of the Department of Natural Resources and texting while behind the wheel to health care concerns and statewide budget cuts. ...

Tea Party to Iowa legislators: You're not listening (02/19/10)
DES MOINES - Kris Thiessen used to get tired of people who talked politics. Now she's one of them. The Everly business owner was talking politics at the Capitol on Tuesday along with a couple of dozen fellow Tea Party activists. High among their talking points were legislative proposals they say will weaken Iowa's election laws, gun rights and other proposals that expand government and limit freedom...

Committee looks to promote census (02/18/10)
Stand and be counted. Or at least take 10 minutes to answer 10 questions for the 2010 U.S. Census. That is the message a committee of city and county officials will be trying to promote through public service announcements on radio and television as well as information posted on the Spencer and Clay County Web sites...

Will Iowans get "Fair Share"? (02/16/10)
Saturday's Eggs and Issues legislative forum at Spencer City Hall had a common theme threaded through it: unions. Sen. Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg; Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan; and Rep. Mike May, R-Spirit Lake discussed everything from same-sex marital unions to "Fair Share" Legislation, which would require all employees to pay fees to unions for negotiated benefits. ...

Quail named essay contest winner (01/16/10)
Spencer High School sophomore Chayton Quail, the son of Joe and Anne Quail of Spencer, has been named the first-place winner in a Martin Luther King Jr. essay contest. The contest, which was sponsored by the Iowa Department of Human Rights, the Iowa Department of Civil Rights, the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service and the Division on the Status of African Americans, challenged Iowa students to get involved and make a difference in their communities...

Linn recognized for service (01/05/10)
After more than three decades of public service, Clay County Deputy Sheriff Dennis Linn is retiring. The 53-year-old retiree was surrounded by family and friends Monday afternoon during a retirement reception held in his honor at the Clay County Administration building in Spencer. ...

The unbreakable bond of friends (01/04/10)
Before South Clay, there was Gillett Grove Consolidated School. Four students from the former school's class of 1939 remain steadfast comrades to this day. They've also stayed avid supporters of the northwest Iowa community they grew up in. ...

Snow emergency issued, holiday travel discouraged (12/24/09)
The second winter storm to hit Spencer this month is looking like a grinch for those who had Christmas travel plans. "We're asking you to be aware of this as holiday plans begin to unfold," said meteorologist Todd Heitkamp who issued a storm update through streaming video on the National Weather Service Web site in Sioux Falls, S.D. "Travel will be impossible and not recommended across much of the Upper Midwest this holiday season."...

Transportation projects roll on despite cuts (12/15/09)

Fourteen sentenced in lakes region meth ring (11/06/09)
"Drug dealers out there, we're coming to a town near you." This message provided courtesy of Clay County Sheriff Randy Krukow in the aftermath of sentencing that will result in over 2,000 months of combined jail time for 14 individuals associated with a drug trafficking ring in northwest Iowa...

Work on old SMS building progressing (11/03/09)
While lots of progress has been made at the old Spencer Middle School building, the general contractor acknowledges that all involved in the renovation project are entering a crunch time now. Demolition began in October 2008, reconstruction commenced in late January and tenants are expected to be able to move into apartments on the building's second and third floors by mid-January 2010. ...

Rep. King wades into Limbaugh, Rams ownership (10/30/09)
U.S. Rep. Steve King used a Capitol Hill appearance by Roger Goodell to press the NFL Commissioner about conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, who was removed from a group trying to purchase the St. Louis Rams. Goodell was testifying before a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday to examine the long-term effects of head injury among NFL players...

Spencer's second religious liberty draft policy (09/10/09)
Any discussion of the place of religion in public education must be grounded in the principle of religious liberty, or freedom of conscience, particularly as embodied in this nation's First Amendment to the Constitution, which states that: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or...

Spencer's second 'religious liberty' draft policy released (09/04/09)
Spencer Superintendent Greg Ebeling admits that portions of the district's second "religious liberty" draft policy have been taken from other sources and sample policies. The second draft's author also acknowledges it still needs some wordsmithing, which is currently occurring as feedback is being received from various groups throughout the community. ...

Teacher, student feedback received on draft 'religious liberty' policy (09/04/09)
***Community input to be sought on evening of Sept. 10

Grand Avenue enhancements to begin this month (09/01/09)
The $2.4 million Grand Avenue bridge and boulevard enhancement projects that are being rolled into one over the next construction year are a bit shy of funds to be truly grand, organizers told a group that gathered Monday night in Spencer City Hall's council chambers. Because of this, residents can expect to see modifications occur with the project, as well as be asked to help pay for a small portion of it. In particular, property owners along Grand Avenue will be asked over the next three weeks to chip in a tax-deductible contribution to assist with the replacement of all the area's sidewalks. ...

Grand Avenue set to become beautified (08/04/09)
Light will be shed on a Spencer beautification project that's been nine years in the making as it finally begins to see its first visible phase unfold within the next few weeks. Spencer Park Board and Spencer City Council members approved awarding a $1.4 million contract to Midstates Builders, Inc. Monday night. With the approved contract in hand, the local general contractor is scheduled to enhance the town's Grand Avenue bridge and Grand Avenue boulevards from Eighth to 18th Street over the next year.

Fourth time a charm? (07/16/09)
Spencer Park Board members are hoping the fourth time's the charm. This week they approved submitting a fourth $125,000 Resource Enhancement And Protection (REAP) grant application for the potential development of a shelter house, trails and "green" elements -- such as a rain garden, upland and hydric prairie areas -- in Deerfield Park.

City signs off on police dog proposal (07/07/09)
Fundraising continues, but Spencer Police Chief Mark Lawson said the department is ready to take on a K-9, or law enforcement dog. The four-legged officer may be an available resource for the Spencer Police Department by fall, Lawson told the Spencer City Council at its meeting Monday night...

Spencer to tackle religion in the public schools (07/03/09)
Is there a place for religious expression in public schools? Should history be taught to students via the Bible and texts dealing with Darwinism in a public school district's classrooms? Spencer school board members, with hoped-for input from members of the public, are planning to address issues such as these with a draft religious liberty policy currently under consideration...

Spencer grad touts skills learned in debate (06/09/09)
Mark Woolsey credits a Spencer High School teacher and his 1976 start in debate with opening several of the most important doors in his life. Several of those doors have extended onto the international level. The 49-year-old son of Joanne Woolsey, who formerly served as the director of nursing at Longhouse Nursing Home, and the late James Woolsey, who served as a podiatrist in Spencer, has worked the past seven years as a speech and debate instructor at Yavapai College in Prescott, Ariz. The 1979 SHS graduate also debated in college on scholarship. Woolsey met his wife, Denise, while both were members of the collegiate debate team. On his way to rebuild flood-damaged homes in Cedar Rapids this past weekend with Sara Krogshede, the foreign exchange student from Denmark the Woolseys have hosted this past school year, the two stopped at Mel and Jan Myers' place in Spencer. There, he fondly recalled the interaction he'd had with other high school students as a debater, deeming it a "great cultural learning experience" for him. ...

Spencer's industrial development breaks ground (05/28/09)
"Welcome to the celebration," said Kathy Evert, president of the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation, greeting those gathered for Wednesday's ground breaking at the site of Spencer's new industrial park. The project marks the city's first green development...

Rinehart: No need for new Fostoria four-way-stop (05/08/09)
Clay County Supervisors appeared to be in agreement with a request from the city of Fostoria representatives for placement of downtown stop signs, which would regulate traffic on the county road which serves as the main street in Fostoria. Scott Rinehart, the Clay County Engineer, however convinced that placement of the signs would not be a good idea during Tuesday morning's meeting...

City pauses to remember Schmidt (05/06/09)
Spencer City Hall will be closed from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday as staff members remember a longtime Spencer Airport Board member and public servant. Warner Funeral Home in Spencer is in charge of the arrangements for 84-year-old Al Schmidt, who passed away Sunday, May 3, at St. Luke Lutheran Home in Spencer. Visitation will begin at 11:30 a.m. today, with the family present from 6-8 p.m...

Bond package concludes 2009 session (05/02/09)
The best thing about the 2009 Legislative session? The adjournment, according to the state senator and state representative serving Spencer and the Iowa Great Lakes. "The winners are the Iowa taxpayers because we're now out of session," said Assistant Republican Leader David Johnson. "We can't do any more damage than we already did."...

Hundreds join tax protest at Clay County Courthouse (04/16/09)
Wednesday's national tax day, tea party government spending protests weren't limited to state capitols and major metropolitan areas. About 275 people filled in around a makeshift podium on the courthouse square in Spencer for a local version of the Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Party. The event was organized by Kris Thiessen of Everly, who co-owns White Glove, a janitorial business in Spencer...

Same-sex couple looking forward to marriage in northwest Iowa (04/14/09)
Lee and Tony are eager to celebrate their 15th anniversary together. Ecstatic about an April 3 Iowa Supreme Court ruling unanimously rejecting a state law restricting marriage to a union between a man and woman, the same-sex couple hope to formally mark April 18, 2010, with their wedding...

Gronstal: King 'chicken' to run for governor (04/10/09)
One of the state's leading Democrats raised some eyebrows Thursday when he found a provocative way to predict U.S. Rep. Steve King would sit out the 2010 governor's race "Steve King is too chicken to run for governor because he knows he'd get his butt beat," Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal said...

Council signs off on projects, resource officer (04/08/09)
The effort to re-establish a school resource officer in the Spencer School District took another step forward Monday night. The Spencer City Council authorized police chief Mark Lawson to apply for a grant to fund the position of a school resource officer in Spencer for three years. ...

East Milwaukee gets to stretch (03/11/09)
The city of Spencer is seeing the first drops of a $789 billion economic stimulus bill signed by President Barack Obama in February. The money was funneled through the Iowa Department of Transportation, to Spencer on Tuesday. The city will receive $422,500 for an extension of East Milwaukee Street through a Revitalize Iowa's Sound Economy (RISE) grant...

County, former employee settle federal lawsuit (03/05/09)
A former Clay County employee will receive a $105,000 settlement from the county's insurance provider to settle a dispute over her 2007 dismissal. Sally L. Becker, a former employee in the Clay County Treasurer's and Recorder's offices, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the county on Dec. 27, 2007, at the U.S. District Courthouse in Sioux City...

City budget on council's agenda (02/13/09)
The Spencer City Council will address the 2009/10 city budget at Monday's 6:30 p.m. session, with the intention of setting a public hearing for March 2. "You have to balance the need for basic core services with quality of life issues that set Spencer apart from other communities...There are several challenges facing the city. ...

Harkin, King disagree about talk radio (02/13/09)
U.S. Rep. Steve King on Wednesday chided U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin after hearing a exchange, about talk radio, between the senator and Bill Press on "The Bill Press Show." In one of the show's segments, Harkin complimented an op-ed piece by Press, which appeared in the Feb. 8 edition of The Washington Post....

Lincoln to commemorate 16th President's 200th birthday (02/13/09)
Stan DeHaan, impersonator of the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, walked in to the hushed gymnasium in a stately manner at Albert City Truesdale School last week; the resemblance was uncanny. He spoke softly, sharing bits and pieces of Lincoln's life, stressing his involvement in the Civil War and reciting the Gettysburg Address and a portion of the inaugural address and his farewell speech given as he left his home in Springfield, Ill. ...

West Beltway remains on track (02/12/09)
A meeting about efforts to direct truck traffic away from downtown Spencer drew about 50 people Tuesday to the Clay County Administration Building. The residents received an update on the West Spencer Beltway expansion project. It connects a recently-created road near Menards to the road system near the Clay County Sheriff's Office in west Spencer...

'Green Power Express' could come to area (02/11/09)
The Spencer, Storm Lake and Iowa Great Lakes areas could be in line to land a segment of a $10- to $12 billion network of wind energy transmission lines, according to officials at Michigan-based ITC Holdings Corp. The company on Monday announced plans to develop what it calls the "Green Power Express." The network of transmission lines would capture power from wind turbines in the Upper Midwest and carry them to load centers in places like Chicago, Minneapolis and southeast Wisconsin...

For Sylvia Schoer, the time has come (01/02/09)
These days, Sylvia Schoer would like to go down to Des Moines for a state tournament basketball game instead of a committee meeting on mental health. The proud grandparent thinks about the five players on the court more than the five people in a board room or the five terms she spent as a member of the Clay County Board of Supervisors. It was time, she decided, to swap out the meeting agendas for the high school sports schedules...

Culver touts wind energy in Philadelphia (12/04/08)
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver used a private meeting with President-elect Barack Obama to emphasize the need for wind energy as part of federal infrastructure packages. Culver met with Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden during a meeting with fellow governors in Philadelphia...

AREA SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES PROFILED - Okoboji school board race an uncontested one (08/28/08)
It's an uncontested race in the Tuesday, Sept. 9 school board election for the two seats available on the Okoboji Community School Board of Education. One-term incumbents Mark Hale, of 1408 15th St., and Christopher Stein, of 1407 14th St., both of Milford, have each expressed an interest in taking on the two at-large seats available. If deemed winners in September, both men would hold office until 2011...

Payne escapes prison time in conviction (08/27/08)
Despite an emotional appeal from the victim and her mother in court Monday, Kyle Dean Payne will serve no prison sentence for his conviction on three crimes related to an incident in which he partially stripped an unconscious fellow Buena Vista University student, photographed himself fondling her body, and later installed the images and video on his computer...

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...

Iowans protest at Terrace Hill (07/22/08)
As the election season heats up in Iowa, more than 200 Iowans gathered at Terrace Hill Saturday to rally, protest and deliver a letter to Gov. Culver, telling him to: "End his vacation and get to work on critical issues affecting thousands of everyday Iowans."...

Spencer council to meet Monday (05/31/08)
By Randy M. Cauthron Managing Editor Monday night's Spencer City Council meeting appears to have some pretty light lifting. When the council convenes at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at Spencer City Hall, Monday, June 2, it will consider a property sale, the establishment of a library reserve fund, and the retention of Kruse, Cate and Nelson as engineer for a local project, along with multiple items on the agenda...

Council holds off on hospital-area project (05/20/08)
Members of the Spencer City Council voted to table action on a storm sewer and paving project near Spencer Hospital as part of its meeting Monday night. The recommendation to table the agenda item came from city officials, who wanted to give hospital leaders a chance to review the bids before they were accepted. The hospital has upgrades that cover about a third of the cost of the project...

Council to review budget at city meeting (05/17/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff Land transactions, a $1 million loan and a budget amendment are on the agenda when the Spencer City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday in council chambers. State law requires that cities hold a public hearing to take action on amending the budget and City Manager Bob Fagen has asked for a change Monday night...

Spencer teachers' 2008-09 master contract ratified (05/09/08)
Spencer school board members placed the finishing touches on employee wages as they ratified teacher contracts for 2008-09 Thursday morning. The 4.26 percent, or $391,569 total package, increase approved for Spencer Education Association (SEA) members also includes a $630 increase on teachers' base pay, raising it to $27,035 for beginning teachers, and a $150 increase for family insurance...

Public meeting planned to discuss the Jemmerson Slough Water Quality Enhancement Project (04/23/08)
The Iowa DNR is requesting that people interested in obtaining information and discussing the Jemmerson Slough Water Quality Enhancement Project in Dickinson County, attend an information meeting at the Lakes Art Center in Spirit Lake from 7-9 p.m., Monday May 5...

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