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Board members, legislators mull over upcoming legislative session (12/17/09)
Spencer school board members have received predictions, as well as advance warnings, from three area legislators in regard to what challenges the district's coffers and local taxpayers' wallets may expect in response to Iowa's budget shortfall and across-the-board cuts ordered by the governor. During a nighttime work session held this week, Sen. David Johnson, Reps. Royd Chambers and Mike May told the locally-elected representatives that the upcoming legislative session will probably be a "compressed situation" that will be "all about budget and very little about policy." ...

Gas Leak fears empty Wal-Mart (12/15/09)
Don't blame a door-busting deal for the mid-morning commotion at the Spencer Wal-Mart Superstore over the weekend. The big box retailer had to be evacuated in the heart of the holiday shopping season Saturday. Wal-Mart staff became concerned about an odor near the west entrance, or grocery area of the store. The smell was similar to the kind of odor associated with a natural gas leak.

Holiday Family Adoption under way (11/10/09)
The Holiday Family Adoption program kicks off today with the first listing of families in The Daily Reporter. The Holiday Family Adoption Program, a Spencer-area holiday staple, allows generous area families, businesses and service groups to share in the holiday spirit and bounty...

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." ...

Iowa second in nation for highest average ACT composite score (09/11/09)
Iowa students earned the second highest average ACT score in the nation in 2009, according to results released by ACT. The average ACT composite score for Iowa students this year was 22.4, which is the same as last year. Iowa has the second highest average composite score for states testing the majority of their graduating seniors. Minnesota is again first with 22.7 out of a possible 36...

Plan to address school leadership structure change (06/12/09)
Classes may have dismissed for the summer, but some Iowa school officials still find themselves working to develop and approve new leadership structures for their districts. As requested by the Department of Education, the move marks one of the first requirements for the eventual statewide implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum. ...

Highly contagious 'scabies-like rash' reported locally (04/28/09)
Spencer Hospital officials have confirmed a suspected "scabies-like rash" in northwest Iowa.

Iowa Core Curriculum: A paradigm shift in teaching, learning (04/10/09)
Per Gov. Culver signing it into law on May 1, 2008, the Iowa Core Curriculum is a set of essential concepts and skills in literacy, math, science, social studies and 21st century learning skills -- including civic literacy, financial literacy, technology literacy, health literacy and employability skills -- that all Iowa students must know by the time they graduate from high school. ...

Property valuations can lead to questions (03/13/09)
While national statistics show otherwise, properties in Clay County and indeed throughout the state of Iowa have seen increases in value over the past two years. That contradiction could cause some extra headaches over this year for county officials charged with valuing your home or businesses for tax purposes. The public perception and the market realities can be very different...

Budget cuts concern district patrons (02/24/09)
Members of the Spencer School Board now have two hours of feedback to consider as they re-stack the priorities for another difficult round of budget cuts. Spencer School District Superintendent Greg Ebeling said the district needs to reduce its budget by about $700,000 due, mostly, to continued enrollment declines. He and the Spencer School Board identified 34 areas for potential reduction in a list handed out to district patrons at a public hearing Saturday morning...

Uptick in local library usage tied to economic times (02/14/09)
Many libraries are reporting usage spikes for the last half of 2008. Call it a sign of the economic times. While Spencer Public Library Director Kay Larson reported to board members this week that the local statistics were neutral, maybe even a bit down over the last six months, she noted Spencer is starting to see what other libraries are...

Library seeking replacement for Walk (01/14/09)
Spencer Public Library Director Kay Larson, who was authorized to purchase a laptop computer for patron use recently, is currently fielding a "pretty good list of candidates" for the position formerly held by Mary Walk. Walk, who officially shelved her last children's book as the Spencer library's children's librarian on Dec. 31, 2008, was recognized for her 33 years of service at the library with a come-and-go coffee held the afternoon of Jan. 6...

Holiday gifts distributed (12/23/08)
Spencer volunteer fire fighters and UPS drivers braved the elements Sunday to deliver Holiday Family Adoption gifts throughout Spencer. Ninety families in Clay County will have a merrier Christmas, thanks to the giving spirit of area residents. Spencer Rotary members delivered gifts to residents outside of Spencer. The program has been a part of Clay County Christmas seasons for nearly 30 years...

Spencer senior center representatives scrambling to answer: What's next? (11/07/08)
Representatives from the city of Spencer and the Spencer Area Activity Center (SAAC) brainstormed Thursday morning in an ongoing attempt to answer the looming question: What's next for the town's senior center? Last month, SAAC board members voted to close its doors on Dec. 31 if a feasible answer is not reached by then. Senior center board members have calculated the SAAC will have approximately $50,000 left in the center's money market account at that point...

Foreclosure looming? Hotline advice may help (07/09/08)
Foreclosures are up in Iowa. Contributing factors range from "subprime" mortgages slipping into default to wages not keeping pace with rising costs. While Iowa had the ninth-highest rate of home foreclosures in the nation during the first quarter of 2007 and has consistently ranked in the top five states in its number of subprime mortgages in default, officials claim thousands are currently struggling to pay their mortgages around the Hawkeye state...

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