Food Services

Clay County collector, retrofitter farms with 'working antiques' (10/03/08)
When Lindell "Pete" Petersen began combining Monday night, he was excited to also initiate the process of familiarizing himself with a new implement. The Clay County farmer, who had traded his combine in two months ago, was recently told his former piece of equipment is now harvesting crops in Mexico...

Ambassadors visit JT Toads (10/02/08)
Jim and Loretta Schooley welcomed the Spencer Ambassadors to their new business, JT Toads at 521 Grand Ave. Jim said the business has a goal to provide the best coffee beans that Iowa has to offer. The business is a micro-roaster, importing beans from around the world, using all organic beans, free from flavoring or chemicals. ...

Briefs 10-2-08 (10/02/08)
Join us at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) from 9-11 a.m. today at Hope Reformed Church in the Fellowship Hall. This year's theme "Adventure" will be featured at the meeting. Come find out what it is all about. There will be an abundance of fun and fellowship, with food and drinks provided by the Steering Committee...

The Farmers Bank gives $50,000 to SCT (10/01/08)
The Farmers Bank has committed $50,000 to the SCT Playhouse Capital Campaign. Representing The Farmers Bank are Bryan Harken, Deb Sundall, Dave Woodcock; while Deb Mechler, Merlyn Winther, and John Rahn represent the SCT Board.

People for Pets receives donation to purchase building (09/26/08)
People for Pets, a non-profit animal shelter and pet adoption center in Spencer, has received a $125,000 donation to purchase the building they had been renting. The donation was made by Steve Pearson and Lori Thomas of Spirit Lake. The donation was given in memory of Steve's sister, Maribeth Pearson, who loved all animals...

Bailout deal stalls as GOP lawmakers revolt (09/26/08)
WASHINGTON -- A Repub-lican revolt stalled urgent efforts to lash together a national economic rescue plan Thursday, a chaotic turnaround on a day that had seemed headed for a success that President Bush, both political parties and their presidential candidates could celebrate at an extraordinary White House meeting...

Reminder:Property taxes due Sept. 30 (09/24/08)
Clay County Treasurer Sande Geidl would like to remind property owners that the first installment of property taxes is due Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008. Property tax information may be obtained online at www.iowatreasurers.org or by calling the treasurer's office at (712) 262-2179. To avoid penalty on the first installment, payment must be received in the treasurer's office or postmarked by Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008...

New school board members welcomed, former SMS first-floor study approved (09/24/08)
The past service of two one-term Spencer school board members was recognized as two new people took their positions around the board table Tuesday night. In the presentation of the Sept. 9 election abstract for the two at-large board director positions up for grabs, it was reported that Dean Mechler and Les Zobrist received 274 and 210 votes respectively. ...

Spencer showcased in 'Great Places' presentation (09/23/08)
From strolls downtown to evenings of theatre, more than 200 Spencer residents wanted to show the Iowa Great Places Citizen Advisory Board what they have to offer. City leaders did that Monday afternoon at the SCT Playhouse. If their hour-long presentation was successful, Spencer could receive a state "Great Places" grant of $250,000-$500,000. The city would disperse the money to about six different projects...

Displays sought for Festival of Trees (09/20/08)
Festive displays are being sought for the fifth annual Festival of Trees sponsored by the Spencer Regional Healthcare Foundation. The events will be held at the Clay County Regional Events Center Nov. 13-15 with a Festival Tour of Homes on Nov. 15. Businesses, individuals and non-profit organizations are welcome to create a display for the Festival. ...

Spencer citizens called on for Great Places presentation (09/20/08)
The preliminary work has been done and Monday, a committee delegation comprised of Great Places Citizen Advisory Board members and Department of Cultural Affairs representatives will be in Spencer for a key step in the Iowa Great Places designation process...

LaBounty picked for community development program (09/18/08)
Doug LaBounty, president of Community Housing Initiatives, Inc., in Spencer, has been selected to participate in the Neighbor-Works Achieving Excellence in Community Development program at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. LaBounty is one of 47 leaders selected for this Achieving Excellence class -- a prestigious and highly selective training program offered by NeighborWorks America through the Kennedy School of Government...

Assessor leads off town meeting series (09/18/08)
Some county officials are taking on a night shift to help keep residents informed. Members of the Clay County Board of Supervisors have arranged a series of town meetings, featuring various branches of county government. Clay County Assessor John Lawson will lead off the series. He'll be in the board room at the Clay County Administration Building for a 7 p.m. meeting on Monday, Sept. 22...

Abben Cancer Center construction progresses (09/18/08)
Construction on an addition to Spencer Hospital's Abben Cancer Center continues to progress, but current work will require those receiving services at the center to modify their arrival a bit. "The project is right on schedule and we're excited as we move closer to completion; however, many times the progress of construction creates a little inconvenience," said Doug Doorn, Spencer Hospital president and CEO. ...

Deerfield Park grant application not funded for third time (09/17/08)
"We came close, but we didn't hit the money," Spencer Park and Recreation Director Delray Bredehoeft told Spencer Park Board members Tuesday night as he informed them a Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) grant application for the development of Deerfield Park was not funded for a third time...

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...

Mediacom's Big Ten Network launch includes northwest Iowa (09/12/08)
Viewers from the Iowa Great Lakes to Spencer and from Emmetsburg to Estherville will have a chance to see the Iowa State-Iowa football game after all. Mediacom Communications on Thursday announced that customers in 15 northwest Iowa counties will be able to see Saturday's intrastate football game on Mediacom, and that the company is moving forward on its next phase of a channel launch that will permanently place the Big Ten Network on its family cable line-up...

ILCC students aid in data collection (09/11/08)
Fairgoers will be able to offer their opinions on just how good the Clay County Fair is when they complete a survey at the fair this year. Iowa Lakes Community College, the Clay County Fair and the Clay County Auditor's office will be cooperating for the 11th year in a row to survey fairgoers about their opinions...

Iowa Lakes Corridor announces success attracting new residents (09/11/08)
One late night back in May, Aaron Schulz, former resident of Lakeville, Minn., sent an e-mail to Shaun Arneson, vice president with Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation inquiring about jobs here in the region. The next morning, his resume was sent to more than 70 employers. By the end of the day, Aaron had two job interviews scheduled...

Competitive markets group to host fair event (09/11/08)
A shrinking number of seed companies has some lawmakers and industry groups concerned about escalating costs in the seed industry. State Rep. Marcie Frevert of Emmetsburg is one of the hosts for an event titled "Taking it Back: Bringing Fairness and Competition Back to the Seed Industry for Our Farmers."...

ISU Extension Connections at the Clay County Fair (09/05/08)
The public is invited to make an ISU Extension Connection during the 2008 Clay County Fair, Sept. 6-14. Visit the Ag Learning Center (Stub's Stable Building) just west of the small animal barn and connect with ISU Extension staff from northwest Iowa. ISU Extension Field Specialist and County Directors will be on hand to share information, answer questions, and visit with you about what ISU Extension can do for you...

Briefs 9-05-08 (09/05/08)
Fair booster tickets will be sold individually for $5 each, a savings of $2 from the regular daytime gate admission price for adults. Individuals and businesses may take advantage of the savings by purchasing tickets from a fair booster ticket location or a fair booster representative prior to 5 p.m. ...

Tailgate raises funds for Tailtwisters (09/05/08)
Clark Cunningham, with Community State Bank of Spencer shakes hands with Dana Anderson, president of the Spencer Tailtwisters organization following a very successful tailgate party Friday night prior to the Spencer High School football team's home opener. The feed grossed approximately $1,250 for the club. Community State Bank picked up all the costs associated with the event, allowing all of the profit to be collected by the club...

BatschStein Salsa to add zest to fair (09/04/08)
Iowa's "fine home-made" BatschStein Salsa is now a limited liability corporation. Company founders Ethan Batschelet, 18, and Tyler Steinkamp, 20, began making their Clay County-based concoction when they amassed an extra-bountiful harvest of vegetables in 2006. Today's fine-tuned BatschStein Salsa recipe comes in mild, medium, hot and "super nova" varieties. The duo estimate they've prepared 600 pint jars of salsa between this spring and late summer...

Farm expo planned at Iowa Lakes Community College Farm Lab (09/04/08)
The Farm Lab of Iowa Lakes Community College will host its annual Farm Field Day and Expo on Thursday, Sept. 4. All area residents, as well as past alumni of Iowa Lakes, are invited to tour the Palo Alto Corn and Soybean Growers Association plot, various agricultural exhibits and the Farm Laboratory starting at 4:30 p.m...

Local group addresses housing needs (09/04/08)
A group of local residents and community leaders are banding together to help meet the need for affordable housing throughout Clay County. The Clay County Local Housing Trust Fund, Inc., was created to assist low income individuals, families and the elderly through grants and low- or no-interest loans to rehabilitate the county's aging housing stock...

4-H non-livestock projects displayed at the State Fair (09/03/08)
The following Clay County 4-H members had non-livestock projects selected to represent the county at the Iowa State Fair. The exhibits were judged in Des Moines and exhibited throughout the run of the event. They will also be on display at the 4-H Exhibit Building at the Clay County Fairgrounds during the Clay County Fair...

Business climate healthy in Corridor region (09/03/08)
The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation has released its second annual report of interviews conducted with 25 existing industries throughout the Corridor region. The conclusion from this year's interviews is that the region's business climate is healthy...

City commissions study to track retail trends (09/03/08)
What Spencer residents buy, and what they leave town to buy, are part of what could be a revealing study approved Tuesday night by the Spencer City Council. Council members approved a $45,000 "Customers Retail Analysis Project" by the market research firm Buxton. The company typically researches buying trends for companies with an interest to locate in a specific community...

ISU Extension Connections at the Clay County Fair (09/02/08)
The public is invited to make an ISU Extension Connection during the 2008 Clay County Fair, Sept. 6-14. Visit the Ag Learning Center (Stub's Stable Building) just west of the small animal barn and connect with ISU Extension staff from northwest Iowa. ISU Extension Field Specialist and County Directors will be on hand to share information, answer questions, and visit with you about what ISU Extension can do for you...

Council to consider "Historic Restoration" classification tonight (09/02/08)
A 5:30 p.m. Personnel and Finance Committee meeting, followed by a Committee of the Whole session at 6:15 p.m., and regular council meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. will make for a long evening for Spencer's governing body. The council will review the final filing of a proposed ordinance that will provide for a new section to the city code pertaining to substandard buildings; providing for an "Historic Restoration" classification...

CCF2008 COUNTDOWN: 5 days to fair! (09/02/08)
Ahh, the life of showbiz! Always "Hamming It Up." You might say these performers are known for "Hogging The Spotlight". But for good reason. Introducing the world's foremost trained pig show, The Pork Chop Revue. The most amazing stunts and tricks performed by the biggest and most talented pigs you've ever seen...

Former Congressman Bedell named chairman of Hubler's campaign (09/02/08)
COUNCIL BLUFFS -- Berkley Bedell, who served western Iowa in the U. S. House of Representatives for 12 years, will serve as General Chairman of the Hubler for Congress Committee, it was announced today by the Hubler campaign. Bedell, who founded Berkley and Company in Spirit Lake in 1945 after returning from World War II, will join Hubler on Wednesday on a six-city swing the campaign is calling the "Bringing Back Real Representation Tour." Hubler, the Democratic nominee for Congress in Iowa's 5th district, has used "Real Representation" as his campaign slogan.. ...

Lawson: No impact on Spencer cameras (09/02/08)
DES MOINES (AP) -- The Iowa Supreme Court, in a split ruling on Friday, upheld the city of Davenport's use of traffic cameras to catch speeders and drivers who run red lights. The ruling involved the case of a man who challenged the city's ordinance, which authorized the use of cameras and sensors to catch motorists who violate traffic laws...

OCM to host event at Clay County Fair (08/29/08)
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is sponsoring a major event to raise awareness about concentration of market power in the seed industry and the impacts on rural Iowa. The event, "Taking It Back: Bringing Fairness and Competition Back to the Seed Industry for Our Farmers," will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, in the 4H building at the Clay County fairgrounds in Spencer...

Briefs 8-29-08 (08/29/08)
A retirement coffee for Elmer Williams, city of Spencer street superintendent, will take place from 2-4 p.m. today in council chambers at City Hall. --- The Photography Department will be accepting entries from 12-7 p.m. today and from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30. The photography department is now located just east of the Pork Producers Chop Shop and directly south of the outdoor horse arena. Pre-registration is encouraged...

Cookies for camp (08/29/08)
Members of the T.T.T. Society, Chapter BP -- including, from left, Fae Lykke, Lorraine Lamport, Audrey Thiessen, Bonnie Foust, Gayle Simons, Carol Hansen and Marla Woelber -- gathered in the kitchen of Sacred Heart Church recently to bake 22 dozen monster cookies. ...

Clay County Growers annual field day (08/29/08)
Following a steak dinner, the 2008 Clay County Growers' "field day" featured Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, Iowa State University College of Agriculture Dean Dr. Wendy Wintersteen, Dr. Palle Pedersen, an ISU soybean specialist, plot manager Dave Hessman and Paul Kassel, an ISU Extension area agronomist, as speakers Thursday evening in the Clay County Regional Events Center. ...

National Anthem tryouts for Corbin Bleu concert (08/27/08)
Friday, Sept. 12, National Anthem tryouts for area high school students will be held in the 4-H Auditorium during the Clay County Fair. The winner of the competition will perform the National Anthem before the Corbin Bleu and Drew Seeley concert on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m...

City leaders break ground on golf course upgrade (08/26/08)
The current clubhouse at the Spencer Municipal Golf Course gets a little damp and a little crowded at times. Monday morning's golden shovels were the first step in doing something about that. City and golf course officials came out for the groundbreaking to launch a $290,800 clubhouse construction in south Spencer. It's the first major expansion at the site since the course was expanded from nine holes to 18 holes for the 2001 season...

Black Hills Energy begins Spencer upgrades (08/23/08)
The company formerly known as Aquila has begun work on a $120,000 natural gas system improvement project in Spencer. About 50 customers will see occasional service interruptions over the next four weeks, according to a statement the company released Friday. The project will include replacement of 2,100 feet of older gas main and 50 gas service lines...

Extra enforcement planned for Labor Day (08/22/08)
Area law enforcement agencies are once again stepping up patrols in advance of the Labor Day holiday weekend. Chief Deputy Duane Bates of the Clay County Sheriff's Office is coordinating the year's fifth and final wave of sTEP, the special traffic enforcement program. The enforcement effort is being held in conjunction with "Over the Limit. Under Arrest," a national drunk driving awareness campaign...

'Safe Routes to School' study underway (08/22/08)
Public reaction to recommendations to occur Sept. 17-18

Briefs 8-19-08 (08/19/08)
The Iowa Great Lakes Region Antique Automobile Club will be on display through Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Southpark Mall in south Spencer. Car enthusiasts and history buffs will enjoy this display. On Aug. 24 The Hands of Harmony Swinging Seniors will be entertaining us at 2:30 p.m. Come enjoy the display and entertainment...

Council approves breed-less animal ordinance (08/19/08)
After lengthy discussions at two previous city council sessions, followed by a meeting with Dr. Tom Beall of Homestead Small Animal Practice, Monday night the Spencer City Council passed the final filing of an amended amendment dealing with unrestrained vicious animals in public...

Briefs 8-14-08 (08/14/08)
St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Hartley, is sponsoring a community-wide benefit for the family of Jan Hall to help defray medical bills incurred during Jan's battle with illness. The free-will dinner and auction will be held at the Hartley Community Center today. ...

Living History Farms sells plot to developer (08/14/08)
DES MOINES (AP) -- Living History Farms has sold 40 acres of its land to create an endowment that would help finance the museum's operations. Polk County Recorder records show the sale was finalized at the end of July to S&S Heritage Park LLC, which paid nearly $7.2 million for the property...

SMS auditorium talks underway (08/14/08)
As Spencer school board members, Friends of the Auditorium representatives and a Sioux City architect met Wednesday morning to broach the topic of what will be done with the auditorium area of the old Spencer Middle School at 104 E. Fourth St., they negotiated costs and responsibilities, and, in the end, reconnected as potential partners in restoring the "gem" to its original historic state and making it a better-functioning facility...

McCain has invite to Clay County Fair (08/14/08)
State Rep. Mike May, a Spirit Lake Republican, said he has been in contact with the John McCain campaign and hopes the likely Republican nominee will include Spencer's biggest event in a post-convention victory tour. The 2008 Republican National Convention will take place Sept. 1-4 in Minneapolis. The 2008 edition of the Clay County Fair is Sept. 6-14. Along with timing, crowd numbers can't hurt the odds of a Spencer visit -- the fair drew more than 319,000 visitors in 2007...

Briefs 8-13-08 (08/13/08)
St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Hartley, is sponsoring a community-wide benefit for the family of Jan Hall to help defray medical bills incurred during Jan's battle with illness. The free-will dinner and auction will be held at the Hartley Community Center on Thursday, Aug. ...