Waste Management

Spencer project included in D.C. delegations (03/18/10)
Fifteen delegates. Eight projects. Four counties. Two days. Those numbers paint the picture of recent delegations between representatives of the Iowa Lakes Corridor Region and their representatives in Washington, D.C., last Thursday and Friday. The delegates representing Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet counties advocated for overall support as well as an estimated $10.4 million in assistance for eight projects. ...

Corridor delegates meet with Washington representation (03/13/10)
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) meets with delegates from the Iowa Great Lakes Corridor of Opportunity including Spencer City Manager Bob Fagen (seated to Harkin's left). The senator discussed upgrading Highway 86 during the Corridor's annual visit. The group also met with Sen. ...

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...

City council approves refinancing bond (03/02/10)
A high bond rating has allowed the city of Spencer to entertain eight different refinancing bond offers from 15 different underwriters.

Gude: The recycling educator (01/16/10)
Chris Gude knows he's the exception to recycling. ...

Cycle Country chairman resigns amidst allegations of misappropriated funds (01/12/10)
Cycle Country Accessories Corp. announced Friday that it uncovered a misappropriation of funds by its Chairman of the Board of Directors L. G. (Bob) Hancher, Jr. The discovery occurred in connection with the audit of the company's financial statements for the period ending Sept. ...

Governor appoints Clay County native IDED director (12/29/09)
DES MOINES -- Governor Chet Culver continued his efforts to reorganize state government by making two new appointments for key government positions. In addition, the Governor took further steps to streamline state government by moving a key housing program from the Department of Economic Development to the Iowa Finance Authority...

Freudenberg-NOK to close Spencer plant (10/14/09)

Group advancing Silver Lake improvements (10/09/09)
Although there are four Silver Lakes in Iowa -- in Dickinson, Worth, Delaware and Palo Alto counties -- a group interested in the 640-acre body of water in Palo Alto County formally organized this week, with intentions of making more improvements around their recently-developed lake. The group met until the late hours of Monday night, deciding it's time to incorporate as a nonprofit organization in order to see this goal through...

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...

Pheasants Forever banquet announced (09/26/09)
Plans are now under way for the annual Clay County Pheasants Forever Banquet, according to Jim Kitterman, chapter president. The fundraising event will take place at the Clay County Events Center in Spencer on Saturday, Oct. 3. Pheasants Forever is a tax-exempt, nonprofit conservation organization whose goal is to improve upland wildlife habitat and populations...

Bomgaars expanding, moving south in Spencer (09/24/09)
The former Kmart building in south Spencer is getting new life. Sioux City-based Bomgaars Supply announced plans to relocate its Spencer store from the current spot on the north edge of Spencer to the former Kmart location. Kmart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2002. The Spencer location, across from the Southpark Mall, was closed in July of that year. It reopened as a storage and distribution warehouse for a time, but has recently been vacant...

Lost at sea -- Kendall Carver's crusade (09/12/09)
The days of business cards and power-point presentations were supposed to be in the past for 72-year-old Kendall Carver, a member of the Spencer High School class of 1954. He retired to Phoenix 15 years ago after a successful career as an insurance executive in New York City. It's the stage of life when hobbies, grandchildren and travel should replace the appointment book...

Less E. coli in Little Sioux: Grant, loan to help treat Sioux Rapids wastewater (07/24/09)
Sioux Rapids is among 15 Iowa communities to receive more than $24 million in federal recovery funds under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The city received a $225,000 Community Development Block Grant and a $227,422 low-interest loan to improve the quality of treated wastewater going from Sioux Rapids into the Little Sioux River...

Check point stops cars, raises awareness (07/03/09)
Travelers heading north to Spencer or the Iowa Great Lakes may have experienced a moderate delay Thursday night. The Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force and Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Program organized a safety check on U.S. Highway 71 south of Spencer...

Briefs 5-23-09 (05/23/09)
Farmers Market is returning with an opening date of May 23. Early season vegetables available. Located in the parking lot of the Southpark Mall. --- Come learn about Global Positioning System (GPS) and the sport of geocaching. GPS units will be used to find hidden treasure at Huston Park. Located at the nature center at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 23. The event is sponsored by the Palo Alto Soil & Water Conservation District and the Palo Alto County Conservation Board...

Asher Motors spared in Chrysler restructuring (05/15/09)
Two kinds of letters went out to Chrysler's 3,200 dealerships Thursday. Asher Motor Company President Ken Kahley got the better one. "We are pleased to inform you on May 14th, Chrysler designated your Sales and Service Agreement(s) to be assumed and assigned to a new company that is purchasing the primary operating assets of Chrysler," it said...

Six pair of trumpeter swans released in northwest Iowa (05/12/09)
Six pair of trumpeter swans were released Saturday in the heart of Iowa's "prairie pothole" region. The hope of the release is that the swans will imprint on the six sites in northwest Iowa and continue to nest at them in future years. The weekend releases, which were part of a swan restoration project by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' Clear Lake wildlife unit, occurred in Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, O'Brien, Palo Alto and Kossuth counties...

City may end recycling contract (05/05/09)
Spencer City Council members voted to end a recycling contract and moved forward with a 3 percent pay raise for some city staff as part of its meeting Monday night. Last July, Complete Recovery, the city's recycling partner, agreed to take recycling materials at no charge and agreed to pay the city 40 percent of the cardboard revenues...

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."...

Spencer students compete at NASA (04/25/09)
With funding from the Spencer Schools Foundation, eight Spencer High School students and two teachers traveled to NASA in Houston, Texas. Abby Bedore, Aaron Brockshus, Craig Cunningham, Sara Dillard, Tyler Kramer, Mary Krull, Nick Lewis and Andrew Upah, chaperoned by teachers Dave Munson and Elli Wiemers, joined approximately 180 other students and chaperones from 24 northwest Iowa schools on a five-day trip to the Space Settlement Design Contest at Johnson Space Center in Houston...

Wings & Wetlands activities slated for May 9-10 (04/22/09)
The annual Trumpeter Swan release at Lost Island Marsh will kick off the Wings & Wetlands festivities at Lost Island Huston Park scheduled for May 9-10. The swan release is scheduled to take place at 11 a.m., and will be followed by a full day of actvities hosted by the Palo Alto County Conservation Board, Conservatiton Foundation and Soil & Water Conservation District...

Spencer Hospital narrows CEO search (04/17/09)
Board of trustees chairman John Rahn said Spencer Hospital could be less than two weeks away from naming its next chief executive officer. Rahn and Neal Conover are the board representatives on a committee that reviewed eight resum�s supplied by the executive search firm Witt/Kieffer, from a field of 130 prospects...

County to move on well head protection (04/09/09)
A meeting with Spencer Municipal Utilities reps, Leon Rodas, Steve Pick and Don Baxter during Monday's Clay County Board of Supervisors meeting prompted the county's governing officials to address well head protection for common water sources currently outside the city's protection guidelines...

Briefs 3-14-09 (03/14/09)
A bird house workshop will be held at 1 p.m. today at Lost Island Nature Center, north of Ruthven. To build a wren house, just bring a hammer. Call (712) 837-4866 for more information. --- A bake sale will be held today at the Southpark Mall. The groups will be: "People to People Ambassador Program" for Devan McCord Fund Raiser and DreamTeam...

City to consider West 18th storm shelter (03/14/09)
Fairgoers could have additional shelter and a safer route to the Clay County Fairgrounds under a proposal that will be considered by Spencer City Council members at their 6:30 p.m. meeting Monday night. Spencer City Manager Bob Fagen is requesting authorization to send a Notice of Intent (NOI) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a proposed storm shelter on West 18th Street...

Hospital CEO search narrows (03/14/09)
A search that began with about 130 inquiries for the Spencer Hospital CEO position appears to be narrowing quickly. Witt/Kieffer consultants Janet Oppenheimer and Beth Nelson, from the executive search firm's Oak Brook, Ill. office, presented eight resum�s to the hospital's search committee Wednesday night...

Briefs 3-13-09 (03/13/09)
A soup and pie fundraiser will be held from 5-8 p.m. tonight at DaySpring Assembly of God Church, 1410 W. 18th St., Spencer. Chef Dr. Darrel Forslund will be serving home-style chicken noodle soup, "27 Spice" chili, and an international selection: Mongolian hot pot soup. Many...

Briefs 3-12-09 (03/12/09)
Spencer City Councilman George Kruger will host a Ward 1 meeting at 7 p.m. tonight at the Spencer Public Library. Bob Fagen, Spencer's city manager, will be the featured guest speaker. --- Spencer Hospital will be holding classes for individuals considered to have "pre-diabetes" -- those with blood sugar levels higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be considered a diabetic. ...

Storm shelter, culvert route possible for Fair (03/11/09)
Emergency management officials may have an unexpected option for shelter space at the Clay County Fair. Ted Kourousis, executive director of Northwest Iowa Planning and Development is working with Iowa Department of Homeland Security about the potential of creating shelter space, under West 18th Street, for the fairgrounds...

City manager gets high marks from council (03/07/09)
City Manager Bob Fagen fared well in his annual evaluation, according to City Attorney Don Hemphill's memo to Mayor Reynold Peterson. The memo was released by the city Wednesday and Hemphill drew his findings from seven completed sets of evaluation forms filled out by Spencer City Council members in December...

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...

Board makes final budget decision (02/27/09)
With a few tears shed, a handful of harsh words exchanged and plenty of emotional public input, Spencer school board members voted to keep nine items above the cut line for 2009-10 Thursday night. At a cost of $348,176, these included an elementary classroom teacher, a vocational agriculture instructor and FFA sponsor position, the debate program, the mock trial and boys swimming programs, a high school social studies instructor, two middle school basketball coaches' salaries, a $103,593 package tied to full-time benefits for 15 teacher and library associates, and Activities Director Roger Johnson's position.. ...

Comin' at ya (02/27/09)
When Spencer's Southpark 7 Theatre General Manager Jarrad Black said the new Jonas Brothers concert event is going to be a real "in your face" experience, he wasn't kidding. The local theatre location is one of 10 in the Fridley Theatre chain to install the new Barco Digital Projection system featuring Real D technology. Friday's release of The Jonas Brothers Concert movie will be the first in a series of 3D films to hit the market this year using Real D...

Board suggests residents pay for some transportation (02/21/09)
Spencer school board members threw a late twist in their 2009-10 budget-cutting discussions Thursday night as they moved to reduce discretionary in-town busing and turn it into a pay-for situation. The very last motion made during the evening work session -- approved 3-2, with Todd Korbitz and Marti Bomgaars dissenting, -- moved the $25,127 discretionary transportation item below the proposed cut line...

STATE'S ISAC BOARD SWORN IN (02/07/09)
Gary Anderson, Appanoose County Sheriff, was elected to serve as the 2009 President of the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) Board of Directors during the ISAC Fall School of Instruction. Anderson's term as President began on Jan. 1, 2009. Iowa State Senator Paul McKinley (Senate District 36) swore in Anderson and other members of the ISAC Board of Directors during the association's January board meeting in Des Moines...

Residents to start tackling school budget cuts Monday (01/17/09)
The 25 "additional" budget packages being offered for consideration by community residents at 7 p.m. Monday night (See "2009-10 Spencer School Additional Budget Packages" on Page 2) total a potential $823,000 worth of staff positions and programs which could be trimmed from Spencer school district's 2009-10 budget...

RR Donnelley closing, Spencer to lose 160 jobs (01/14/09)
R. Scott Bigelow, the vice president of human resources at RR Donnelley, on Tuesday informed city leaders that the company plans to close its Spencer location. The decision will leave 160 employees out of work. "RR Donnelley regretfully has reached the decision to permanently close our facility located at 520 Second Avenue East," Bigelow said, in the company's letter to Spencer Mayor Reynold Peterson. ...

No more pets at Spencer Public Library (01/09/09)
Even though Spencer Public Library representatives have received numerous "offers, requests and inquiries" about hosting another potential resident library cat -- all of which have been turned down -- board members voted unanimously Thursday night to establish a "permanent prohibition against having pets in residence at the library."...

Amis inducted into Iowa Fair Hall of Fame (12/17/08)
The Board of Directors of the Association of Iowa Fairs inducted Everett Amis of Greenville in Clay County into the Association of Iowa Fair's "Hall of Fame". The honor was presented to the Everett at the Awards Banquet during the Association's 2008 Conference and Annual Meeting, which was held Dec. 5-7 at the Airport Holiday Inn in Des Moines...

Kirschbaum ready to embrace new opportunity (12/12/08)
Bob Kirschbaum, who's also known as Mr. K, isn't viewing Dec. 23 as an end or a goodbye. Instead, the retiring Spencer Assistant Elementary Principal sees it as an opportunity. "People have talked about me retiring and I say, 'I'm really not retiring. I'm graduating from the schools and now going out to the real world and getting a job,'" he said with a smile while seated in his office at Lincoln Elementary this week...

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...

Culver appoints Orr as guard's 28th adjutant general (11/26/08)
The Iowa National Guard's next adjutant general says he will continue the efforts of a 1961 Spencer graduate who is about to retire from the position. Gov. Chet Culver on Friday announced the selection of Col. Timothy E. Orr as the next adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard. Orr will become the 28th leader of the Iowa National Guard. The first adjutant general was appointed in 1839...

Public input sought on 2009-10 school budget cuts (11/25/08)
Alerted to the fact that the Spencer school district will face at least a $328,876 deficit this school year, as well as a projected $340,803 deficit again in 2009-10, school board members brainstormed about a budget-reduction process and the possibility of reinitiating an early-retirement incentive for district employees. ...

One good turn deserves another: Polson recycling wood, making works of art (11/15/08)
Perry Polson has made an art of making "something out of nothing." The Spencer-based wood turner is also becoming known for his unique style of recycling wood. Polson, a native of Hartley, recalls woodworking's appeal for him in high school shop class...

Red Cross garage sale raises funds (11/11/08)
The Iowa Great Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross held a garage sale Saturday at the Gateway North center in Spencer. The sale was aimed at raising funds for the local chapter's contribution to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The sale raised over $3,000, toward the local chapter's $30,000 goal. ...

Hospital Board begins CEO search process (11/07/08)
Members of the Spencer Hospital Board of Trustees began the process of filling its top vacancy Wednesday morning. At its Oct. 13 meeting, the Spencer Hospital's Board of Trustees voted to terminate the contract of Doug Doorn, who served four years as the hospital's President and Chief Executive Officer...

Local Red Cross chapter seeking support: Sale planned to help generate dollars toward $30,000 goal (11/06/08)
While the rest of the nation watched polls, listened to talk radio and tracked television coverage of Tuesday's general election, local Iowa Great Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross Director could be found pushing a rack of clothing and other miscellaneous items down the corridor at the Gateway North Mall Tuesday afternoon...

Liberalized fishing allowed at Dan Green Slough (11/01/08)
Members of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources have relaxed some rules as it continues to drain a Clay County slough. Dan Green Slough is about 4 miles east of Langdon along county road B17. Over the next two years, conservation officials plan to drain water from the area. The process will allow wetland vegetation to get a start in the mud flats. It will also eliminate rough fish, which contribute to murky conditions...

Briefs 9-11-08 (09/11/08)
The Clay County Farm Service Agency will host USDA informational meeting at 1 p.m. on Thurs., Sept. 11, at Frederick's of Royal, located at 303 Main St. in Royal. The meeting will provide information on SURE (Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program), which was enacted as part of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill), to provide supplemental disaster assistance...

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