Ungulates

Spencer voters elect three new board members (09/10/09)
With 996 ballots cast, just over 11 percent of Spencer's total registered voters elected three new school board members Tuesday night. The men elected to serve four-year terms around the Spencer board table include: Bob Whittenburg, Bill Zinn and Dean Mechler. While Whittenburg earned 746 votes, Zinn garnered 698 and Mechler amassed 600 votes. The three men are expected to be officially seated during a Tuesday, Sept. 22, board meeting...

South Clay residents invited to attend public hearings (08/07/09)
Three public hearings are scheduled next week to address the South Clay school district's dissolution following the 2009-10 school year. The gatherings will serve as an opportunity for area residents to have their questions answered, as well as a chance to receive additional information about the six contiguous school districts their children and property are expected to fold into in 2010-11. ...

Area school board candidates file papers (07/31/09)
The nomination papers have been filed, creating a four-person race for three seats around the Spencer school board table this fall. While Ruthven-Ayrshire currently has three people vying for three school board seats, the neighboring districts of Clay Central-Everly and South Clay will undergo a search for write-in candidates to fill positions around their board tables.

South Clay dissolution process outlined for Spencer board (07/23/09)
As they look to dissolve their school district following the upcoming year, South Clay Community School District patrons have two primary factors to weigh. Those questions currently being placed before them include: Which of six contiguous districts would they most prefer their children to attend classes, and which district would they want their property and assets to transfer to...

South Clay committee sets dissolution timeline (07/02/09)
A tentative timeline for bringing patrons and neighboring districts into the South Clay dissolution process has been established. The Clay County school district's dissolution is scheduled to take effect following the 2009-10 school year. As an organizational meeting of the Dissolution Commission Committee for South Clay School District was held Tuesday in the Gillett Grove school building's board room, Barry Anderson was appointed to serve as the committee's chairperson. ...

South Clay district planning to dissolve following 2009-10 (05/28/09)
A longtime area school district will see its last students next fall. A group of area residents finds itself preparing to advance through a dissolution process for South Clay School District. The district's dissolution is scheduled to take effect following the 2009-10 school year...

Graduation weekend arrives for area schools (05/16/09)
It's a weekend for punch bowls, sheet cakes and maybe a few tissues as diplomas are handed out to the Class of 2009. The Spencer School District is one of four area schools set to hold commencement Sunday. The 155 seniors in Spencer's 122nd graduating class will be recognized at the Spencer High School Fieldhouse. Doors will open one hour before the 2:30 p.m. event...

ACM award winner Adkins returning to fair (04/21/09)
The 2009 Clay County Fair will feature a night with a pair of country's hottest stars on Sunday, Sept. 20. Louisiana-native Trace Adkins, burst onto the county scene in 1996 with his debut album Dreamin' Out Loud. The album garnered his first Billboard number one hit with "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing." Other hit singles produced from that album including "Every Light in the House" and "I Left Something Turned on at Home."...

Pony Express gallops again on Good Friday (04/11/09)
State roadways and county blacktops resembled the Old West Friday as Pony Express riders galloped throughout Iowa raising money. The network of volunteer riders have been collecting money for Camp Sunnyside since 1968, when Stub Johnson, Leo Gray and Wayne Nielson first masterminded the idea to ride "Pony Express style" county-to-county to help Iowa children and adults with disabilities. Don Essick has been involved since the ride's second year, when it expanded and became a statewide ride...

Deputies take driving safety sTEP by sTEP (03/13/09)
Clay County Deputy Jesse Rustad doesn't know what a late-morning patrol is going to bring. On Thursday, it delivered some dry traveling conditions, good seat belt use and drivers who didn't flaunt the speed limit on U.S. Highway 18 between Dickens and Spencer...

School site visits deemed 'valuable process' (01/23/09)
A recent two-day Iowa Department of Education (DE) site visit to an area school district has its superintendent confidently proclaiming: "From all indications, things went real well for us as a district." For those district representatives who do not enjoy such visits, Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District Superintendent Ervin "Erv" Rowlands added/assured, "For other communities, as this comes up, try to be a part of it. ...

Preschoolers celebrate the reason for the season (12/19/08)
First English Lutheran Church hosted an innkeeper, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, wise men, angels, a cow and a donkey Thursday morning as 17 (below) 4- and 5-year-old students at First English Christian Preschool celebrated "The Savior of the World," complete with songs and lively choreography, for friends and family members. ...

Olson charged in 'Mama Moose' fire (12/09/08)
Thirty-three-year-old Alicia M. Olson, of Wallingford, was arrested by Palo Alto County Sheriff's on a valid warrant, Saturday, Dec. 6, at 10:15 a.m., following an investigation into a fire that caused extensive damage to the "Mama Moose" restaurant in Ruthven on Christmas Eve in 2005...

Deer season opens Saturday (12/05/08)
Iowa's roadways and designated public areas are sure to become busier this Saturday as the first segment of shotgun deer season begins. The first season, which will continue through Wednesday, Dec. 10, will be followed by a second shotgun deer season scheduled from Dec. 13 through Dec. 21. While many more individuals have requested licenses than have been issued, an estimated 130,000 orange-vested hunters are expected to participate in the two seasons...

Rural dentist morphs into nationally-known author (12/02/08)
While working on patient's teeth during the work day, Dr. Nathan Jorgenson finds himself recanting a comment he used to make to his wife: "Why would anybody want to be a writer? What a dumb thing to want to do." Jorgenson, who grew up on a farm near Jackson, Minn., is a Fairmont, Minn. dentist who can chuckle today as he vividly remembers working in Spencer's former packing plant as a college student. He deems the two summers a "quite memorable" time...

Briefs 11/08/08 (11/08/08)
A bake sale will be held by the Friends of Collin Hanson as a fundraiser at Southpark Mall today. --- The First Christian Church at 701 E. 18th St., Spencer, is hosting the Angel Food Ministry. Boxes of food may be ordered containing fresh meats, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, and staple items. ...

Time to pick a president (11/04/08)
Polls open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. today, in Clay County for the 2008 General Election. Voting will take place at 13 voting precincts as follows: - Lake/Freeman -- at Dickens Community Center, 302 Main St., Dickens - Meadow/Sioux -- at VFW Club, 15 East 21st St., Spencer...

Multi-faceted musician gives students sneak pear at concert (09/20/08)
Multi-instrumentalist Todd Green, scheduled to open the Spencer Area Concert Association's 2008--09 season with a 2:30 p.m., matinee performance Sunday, Sept. 21 at the Clay County Regional Events Center, arrived in town a bit early as part of a week-long residency that included performances for schoolchildren in the Spencer, Clay Central/Everly, Sioux Central and Ruthven-Ayrshire school districts. ...

Vote Tuesday! (09/06/08)
Tuesday is school board election day. You don't have to serve on the board or run for school board, but you might think a bit harder about at least casting a ballot for your candidate or candidates of choice. Of the five surrounding school board elections, Spencer is hosting the only contested race. ...

AREA SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES PROFILED - Two vie for two Ruthven-Ayrshire board seats (08/29/08)
It's an uncontested race in the Tuesday, Sept. 9 election for the two seats available on the Ruthven-Ayrshire school board. Incumbent Dave Forey, of 1809 Carr St. in Ruthven has filed for re-election. Matthew Graves, of 1408 Rolling St. in Ruthven, is seeking the second available seat around the board table, left vacant by current board member Jill Williamson. If deemed winners in September, both men would hold office until 2011...

Democrats rally local troops on eve of national convention (08/26/08)
Clay County Democrats gathered at the Oneota Park shelter house Sunday evening for their annual fundraising steak fry. The meeting, coming just a day after Barack Obama named Sen. Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate via a much hyped text message to supporters, had County chairman Bob Whittenburg's stressing organization to his fellow Democrats...

Vicious dogs back on a agenda (08/18/08)
The Spencer City Council will consider a more defined ordinance to deal with vicious dogs as part of its 6:30 p.m. meeting Monday in council chambers. But committee work suggests specific breeds won't be singled out in the ordinance language. Some residents were concerned about language that specifically mentions the Staffordshire terrier breed, American pit-bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, or any dog which has the appearance and characteristics, or being predominantly of those breeds.. ...

Local competitors 'fair' well (08/16/08)
Several Clay County residents participated in judged events at the Iowa State Fair. Here are some of the local results: Breeding Beef Dustin Biedenfeld, Peterson, Limousine, Purple- Reserve Champion and Blue; Jenna Biedenfeld, Peterson, Limousin, Purple;...

DNR officials pleased with Milford turnout (07/18/08)
About 60 area residents attended a wide-ranging public forum hosted by the state's top conservation official Wednesday night. Richard Leopold, director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, held the forum at the Gull Point State Park lodge. "I think the tone was pretty positive for the most part," said Tammie Krausman, the public affairs coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. "Sometimes those public meetings can be quite contentious."...

Werk to join the Clay County Fair Staff (05/28/08)
Robyn Werk, a West Central Minnesota native and recent South Dakota State University graduate, will take on the position of assistant to the secretary manager of the Clay County Fair. Werk graduated with a degree in agriculture journalism and a minor in animal science...

Meetings 5-10-08 (05/12/08)
The Northwest Iowa Airport Board of Trustees will meet at 3 p.m. Monday, May 12 in the conference room at the Terminal Building. --- The Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m., Monday, May 12 in room 211. ---...

BEAT THAT DONKEY (05/06/08)
Cyro Baptista and Beat the Donkey got the fourth and final season of the SPOT/Hancher Family Arts Adventure program started with a bang over the weekend with several activities geared for children and families on Sunday, followed by grade school specific programming at the old Middle School Auditorium during the day on Monday. ...

SPOT enters its final year in Spencer (05/02/08)
By Randy M. Cauthron Managing Editor Cyro Baptista and Beat the Donkey will be in Spencer this weekend, performing a unique blend of music and offering a variety of special sessions for the public to kick off the fourth and final season of the SPOT/Hancher Family Arts Adventure series...

Mailbox case returned to Clay County (03/25/08)
Federal authorities are going to loosen their grip on a local "MacGyver bomb" case, according to Clay County Attorney Michael Houchins. Seventeen federal felony charges of destruction of letter boxes were originally filed on Saturday, March 8, after a group of teenagers were suspected of planting explosive devices in the mailboxes in and around Spencer. Seven state felony counts of destruction of letter boxes with an explosive device also were filed...

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