Diet Plans And Programs

Mayor, council disagree on tree-trimming refunds (03/16/10)
Of 125 individuals who were not compliant with Spencer's tree-trimming ordinance last fall, 45 have filed affidavits for refunds and another 38 citizens notified the city they wanted their fees canceled, for a total of $7,337.50 in reimbursements, City Manager Bob Fagen said during a Committee of the Whole meeting Monday...

Tree-trimming revisions to be reviewed by council (03/13/10)
Community feedback caused the Spencer City Council to rethink a tree-trimming ordinance last fall. On Monday, the council will meet during a 5:45 p.m. Committee of the Whole meeting to receive updates on the situation. When the council began enforcing the ordinance, many residents disagreed with the process...

Vegas headliner Fator to perform at 2010 Fair (03/02/10)
One of the top grossing acts in Las Vegas will be making a stop in Spencer at the Clay County Fair as part of his very limited late summer tour stops. Terry Fator, season two winner of the popular reality show America's Got Talent, will bring his entire Las Vegas Show to the 2010 Clay County Fair at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept.14, at 7:30 p.m...

Early-retirement package approved by school board (02/12/10)
As Spencer school board members approved offering a new early-retirement package to eligible teachers Thursday night, they stressed it will be a one-time offer that could help "make ends meet" if enough apply. The benefits authorized would give qualified teaching staff a severance payment of 30 percent of their 2009-10 teaching contract, to be paid in November, and single medical insurance coverage for a maximum of seven years, or until the applicant is eligible for Medicare. ...

Paycheck reductions approved by board (01/28/10)
Local teachers will be seeing a cut in their paychecks beginning next month. The reduction, which was approved unanimously by Spencer school board members Tuesday night, is in response to Gov. Chet Culver's 10 percent across-the-board spending cut imposed last month and a declaratory order issued by the Iowa Department of Education (DE) in regard to the cut's impact on teacher salary supplement (TSS) funds. ...

Mediacom: No Insight Bowl after all (12/30/09)
Iowa State-Minnesota bowl game blacked out The Mediacom customers in Spencer and Iowa Great Lakes won't be able to see the Insight Bowl at home on New Year's Eve after all. The 5 p.m. game matches Iowa State and Minnesota and is only being carried in central Iowa -- with permission from NFL Network...

Steinkamp, Barnett taking the work out of gardening (12/22/09)
Tyler Steinkamp has enjoyed gardening and producing vegetables since second grade. Michael Barnett, who grew up with not a lot of conducive gardening space available, realized last summer while helping his friend pick produce from his yard that he also truly enjoyed the hobby. The two Spencer High School alumni, now South Dakota State University (SDSU) students, have co-partnered to form Personalized Produce LLC. The aim of their business venture is to allow Spencer residents the fruits (or vegetables) of their labor this upcoming growing season. ...

DHS program changes to save millions (12/11/09)
In order to slash over $132 million from its budget this fiscal year, Iowa's largest service agency is looking at sizable cuts to jobs, provider rates and service delivery. While an Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) spokesperson describes the impact of the cuts being made as "drastic" and "quite severe," Roger Munns is also trying to assure state residents and DHS clients that the state will make it through and the situation will turn around eventually...

Church brings nativity to life in "One Quiet Night" (12/11/09)
"One Quiet Night" begins a four-performance run tonight at 7 p.m., followed by three more performances through Sunday. The spectacular show will feature drama, music and Christmas' impact on the modern world. A story on the original production appears on page 7 of the Daily Reporter....

36 ag jobs saved by union vote, department to look at program cuts (12/08/09)
As he trudges through the mud at his farm east of Spirit Lake, one has to wonder if Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey is drawing comparisons to the muddy condition of Iowa's finances. "We'll do what we have to do," he says with a glint of optimism. "Our businesses and citizens in the state are hurting because of the current economy, so obviously the state has less money as well."...

State cuts taking a toll on NW Iowa (12/05/09)
"The first cut is the deepest," muses a classic song. The global economic crisis has hit home belatedly, but with full force, in Iowa and local communities this season. The bleeding can be felt from the slashes in school budgets to the trauma of sudden job losses...

Storefront initiative reaches 100th project milestone (12/05/09)
The changes range from a new facade at the Southpark Mall to restored, original brick at the Godfather's Pizza parlor. Spencer's Storefront Initiative is in the final month of a three-year program intended to encourage investment for business district upgrades. Property owners who apply now still have until the end 2010 to complete work on the grant-eligible portion of a project...

Hospice: 'There is help available' (11/14/09)
Ron Ricketts' cancer started in his lungs, but has metastasized to his brain and into his bones. He was told following a biopsy earlier this year, "There's nothing we can do to help, so you'd be better off just leaving it alone."

Local dentists take part in statewide effort (10/30/09)
A pair of local dentists and members of their support teams joined other dental professionals recently to take part in the second-annual "Iowa Mission of Mercy." Drs. Gary Van Hofwegen and Josh Munter, along with portions of their dental teams, traveled to Iowa Speedway in late September to take part in a two-day program serving 1,500 patients free of charge. The volunteer efforts of the 1,200 dental professionals involved was valued at over $800,000...

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 Schooley among 'Great Places' winners (10/27/09)
Jim Schooley volunteers his time promoting the arts for a variety of reasons. Winning an award at a banquet in Des Moines isn't one of them, but it happened nonetheless. He was one of 19 groups or individuals from around the state to receive a merit award for volunteer work at the inaugural Iowa Great Places Awards and Recognition Banquet...

Attendees request full REAP funding (10/08/09)
Residents from the nine-county area gathered in Spencer this week to voice their individual thoughts on how Iowa's REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection) program might be made better. The 49 people who gathered at Tuesday night's assembly in the Clay County Regional Events Center unanimously expressed a desire for the program to receive full funding, allowing it to more fully enhance and protect Iowa's natural and cultural resources...

Nine counties to meet in Spencer (10/03/09)
SPENCER -- The welfare of our local natural and cultural resources is riding on the number of people who attend an Oct. 6 gathering in Spencer, according to Iowa DNR Director Richard Leopold. The meeting, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Clay County Regional Events Center, concerns the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program. ...

Jesse James is a travelin' man (09/17/09)
The more things change for Jesse James, the more they stay the same. At least that's the way it seemed for the reality television star as he conducted a telephone interview from Long Beach, Calif. Fame hasn't altered what he wants to accomplish on a Wednesday morning...

Krause stumps for Grassley's seat at fair (09/15/09)
U.S. Senate aspirant Bob Krause (D-Fairfield) campaigned Saturday at the Clay County Fair. The 59-year-old, who acknowledges he faces stiff odds in his bid to defeat Iowa's senior senator, readily recited the handful of colorful statements his foe has made over the last few months, recited the incumbent's voting record and then forecast "that the winds they are a changing." ...

Spencer among 'Great Place' grant recipients (08/08/09)
Gov. Chet Culver and Lt. Gov. Patty Judge recently announced funding for a pair of local projects as part of the five-year-old Iowa Great Places program. The city will receive $85,000 for a Spencer Community Theatre remodeling and expansion effort. Another $80,000 grant will go toward boulevard and bridge enhancements along the Grand Avenue corridor...

As Senate debates, local dealers wait for 'clunkers' payments (08/06/09)
Local car dealership managers acknowledge a bit of confusion and a lot of red tape through the "cash-for-clunkers" stimulus program. They also see a little more traffic on their lots, suggesting at least some aspects of the federal incentive program are gaining traction...

RIDES awarded $1.6 million in federal stimulus funds (08/06/09)
RIDES fared well in the recent doling out of federal stimulus dollars. The Spencer-based Regional Transit Authority was awarded $1.669 million in stimulus funds. Of this amount, $1.519 million is earmarked for the purchase of 23 new vehicles, ranging from minivans to light duty buses. ...

Wilkerson heading to American Legion Boys Nation in Washington, D.C. (07/10/09)
Matt Wilkerson has been deemed the "cream of the crop." The Spencer teenager will join Daniel Rediske, of Waverly, to represent the state of Iowa during the upcoming American Legion Boys Nation summer session. The citizenship and government program, scheduled from July 17-25, will provide participants with a week of government training in Washington, D.C., and will be comprised of lectures and forums with visits to federal agencies, institutions, memorials and historical sites.

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. ...

County approves Royal Beef expansion request (03/25/09)
A construction application hearing went smoothly for Royal Beef LLC. Jim Christensen, doing business as Royal Beef, submitted an application for an 11,200 animal finishing building -- which would involve modification of an existing animal feeding operation by adding four manure compost buildings to his operation n Royal. Tuesday morning, the Clay County Board of Supervisors approved the resolution after the plan was found compliant with regulations...

Trustees name Newhouse new college president (02/19/09)
Less than a week after former President Dr. Harold Prior tendered his resignation to the The Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees in a specialy scheduled meeting, the board members named a new college President at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday afternoon...

Area FFA programs recognized (02/19/09)
Spencer's FFA program received top honors at Ag Outlook Tuesday, recognized as Clay County's Top FFA Program for 2009. In addition to the plaque the club received, Spencer also received a $250 check for the club. South O'Brien was named the top out-of-county program for 2009, and also received the plaque and $250. ...

Governor sets Great Places plans into motion (02/18/09)
A delegation of community leaders were on hand as Gov. Chet Culver signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support community development projects through the Iowa Great Places Program. The city of Spencer was one of four communities to receive the "Great Places" designation in 2008. The program encourages Iowans to develop proposals that make their community stand out culturally...

Budget cuts have abuse shelters in peril (01/09/09)
The journey from victim to survivor is long enough. Rhonda Dean, the executive director of CAASA, the Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault, would at least like to minimize the windshield time. CAASA serves eight northwest Iowa counties, with its main office in Spencer. Agency directors around Iowa, including Dean, are concerned about their agency's place, or lack of a place, in a shrinking state budget...

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...

South Korean student enjoying his Clay County stay (12/24/08)
Sanghun Yang, who's called "Shawn" by friends at Clay Central-Everly High School, wants to set the record straight. First, the 17-year-old South Korean wants it known that he "loves" it here. Second, Yang wants northwest Iowans to know that he is outgoing and funny...

SHS German: Broadening student, classroom horizons over the ICN (09/27/08)
By Kris Todd Daily Reporter Staff When Spencer school board members slashed approximately $1.1 million from the 2008-09 school year budget, they introduced a new manner of instruction for Spencer students. The long-distance alternative has been received very well, in turn, by Spencer High School (SHS) students and staff alike...

Worlds unite at SHS (09/19/08)
With the arrival of a German, Brazilian and a Tanzanian student, boundaries are being broken in the hallways of Spencer High School (SHS) this year. Carl Hieronymi, who hadn't visited the United States before arriving on July 31, said his stay in Dickens as a foreign exchange student will not only allow him to expand his English, it will also give him the opportunity to play football. The outgoing 17-year-old German currently plays tight end and tackle for the SHS Tigers...

Swiss educator returns to Spencer (09/12/08)
A former German teacher visited with Spencer High School (SHS) students this week, minimizing the distance between northwest Iowa and Switzerland. Michele (Keller) Rogger, a former flight attendant and teacher, is a stay-at-home mother today to her 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter. ...

Helpful tips on how you can lose weight and keep it off (05/20/08)
Losing weight seems to be everybody's goal. We all want to look better, feel healthier and ward off illness. However, for most people losing weight is a huge struggle and keeping it off is an even bigger problem. Research shows that almost 95 percent of repeat dieters fail and ultimately regain any weight they initially lost...

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