Water Bodies And Features

'Where's the flood?' (03/19/10)
On Wednesday, Governor Chet Culver signed a disaster declaration for the Army Corps of Engineers to provide assistance in Dickinson County. Thursday morning, representatives from the Corps' Omaha office were on site at Lower Gar, just northeast of Milford, meeting with potential contractors and local utility providers as a group of very unhappy Lower Gar area residents and Milford Mayor Don Lamb looked on...

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. ...

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.

DNR specialists explain stream assessments (02/04/10)
What is in the water? Iowa Department of Natural Resources environmental specialists Chris Spoelstra and John Warren have personally evaluated many of Iowa's streams and Lee Wagner has written National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits for entities discharging into those streams...

Work on old SMS building progressing (11/03/09)
While lots of progress has been made at the old Spencer Middle School building, the general contractor acknowledges that all involved in the renovation project are entering a crunch time now. Demolition began in October 2008, reconstruction commenced in late January and tenants are expected to be able to move into apartments on the building's second and third floors by mid-January 2010. ...

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...

Ribbon cutting Tuesday for newest Clay County green facility (09/26/09)
With the assistance of Iowa Lakes Resource Conservation and Development, J&G Regional Services, Inc. and its owners, Julie and Gary Hoefling, will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29. The event celebrates J&G Regional Services, Inc., located at 1601 35th Ave. W. in Spencer, the newest green facility in Clay County...

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...

Board to ready for 2009-10 school year Tuesday (07/18/09)
The Spencer Community Schools Board of Education will convene its monthly meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, in the board room of the central administrative offices, located at 23 E. Seventh St. Approval of consent items, including minutes from the June 30 and July 8 board meetings, bills, a teacher employment and sharing agreement for a 2009-10 swimming program with the Spencer Family YMCA for $3,740 if the district provides school year busing for the YMCA or for $5,280 if it doesn't, and personnel recommendations will then be sought.. ...

Scharnberg Park hosts conservation board's 50th summer (06/05/09)
When the sun is out Saturday, Dan Heissel expects a large crowd at Scharnberg Park for the conservation board's 50th summer in Clay County. If the sun isn't out, well, there will be plenty of tent space and beach umbrellas on hand for the large crowd, too...

Cleaning the Little Sioux: Wal-Mart employees, volunteers sweep river for junk (05/30/09)
If you're going to plan a cleanup project, why not plan it on a beautiful day and include canoes and a river as two of your key tools. Starting from two different points, Wal-Mart employees from the Spencer and Storm Lake stores worked together to help cleanup one of northwest Iowa's main waterways. ...

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...

DNR Issues first annual Environmental Report Card (05/08/09)
DES MOINES -- Iowans are making great strides to improve their state's natural resources, but they still have some homework to do, according to the state's first Environmental Report Card, released recently by the Department of Natural Resources. The DNR graded the health of the state's natural resources in eight subject areas. ...

Agenda set for Clay County Wings and Wetlands (05/07/09)
The 15th Annual Wings and Wetlands weekend is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday May 9-10, 2009. Explore our unique "Prairie Pothole" region of Northwest Iowa and celebrate National Wetlands Month. Six counties in Northwest Iowa will be offering a great selection of programs and activities for people of all ages and interests. ...

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...

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...

Council signs off on projects, resource officer (04/08/09)
The effort to re-establish a school resource officer in the Spencer School District took another step forward Monday night. The Spencer City Council authorized police chief Mark Lawson to apply for a grant to fund the position of a school resource officer in Spencer for three years. ...

Off to Washington, D.C.: Economic development effort takes flight (03/26/09)
The quest for better roads and sewer systems begins with support from members of Congress. A delegation led by the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is in Washington, D.C. to get that support this week. Twelve community leaders have set up a series of meetings with Iowa's representatives in the nation's capital. ...

Scharnberg beach to be refurbished (03/13/09)
The little, plastic shovels and pails probably aren't going to do the trick for this beach sculpting project. Clay County Conservation Director Dan Heissel told members of the Clay County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the county park has received a $7,000 Community Foundation Grant to refurbish the beach at Scharnberg Pond...

City budget on council's agenda (02/13/09)
The Spencer City Council will address the 2009/10 city budget at Monday's 6:30 p.m. session, with the intention of setting a public hearing for March 2. "You have to balance the need for basic core services with quality of life issues that set Spencer apart from other communities...There are several challenges facing the city. ...

City completes EPA, billboard negotiations (01/20/09)
The city of Spencer cleared a major hurdle in negotiations to separate its storm water from the sewer system as part of Monday's Spencer City Council meeting. The vote to approve an Environmental Protection Agency administrative order to eliminate combined sewer overflows capped negotiations that began in late 2007...

Little Sioux River on impaired waters list (12/24/08)
Nearly 200 rivers, lakes and streams, including two major rivers in Clay County, have been added to Iowa's list of impaired water bodies since 2006, state environmental officials said earlier this month. Bacteria levels in the Little Sioux River and Ocheyedan River placed both waterways on the impaired list, according to Jeff Berckes of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources...

Expect changes at Spencer Family Aquatic Center in 2009 (12/11/08)
In the Spencer Park Board members' review of two Spencer Park and Recreation Department proposed budgets -- the 2009-10 operation budget and the 2010-14 capital improvement plan (CIP) -- Spencer Park and Recreation Director Delray Bredehoeft outlined two very different plans this week. While the operation budget's 3 percent growth model is what other city departments have been assigned, the CIP has been deemed "a pretty aggressive" five-year plan...

Iowa Lakes RC&D adds Osceola, O'Brien counties (11/25/08)
Des Moines -- Iowa Lakes Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) is adding Osceola and O'Brien Counties to its existing five northwest Iowa counties. Iowa Lakes RC&D is one of 17 councils in Iowa that works to create jobs, protect the environment and improve the quality of life in rural communities...

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...

Bailout passes Senate, House foes soften (10/02/08)
WASHINGTON -- After one spectacular failure, the $700 billion financial industry bailout found a second life Wednesday, winning lopsided passage in the Senate and gaining ground in the House, where Republicans opposition softened. Senators loaded the economic rescue bill with tax breaks and other sweeteners before passing it by a wide margin, 74-25, a month before the presidential and congressional elections...

Obama, McCain argue over taxes, federal spending (09/27/08)
OXFORD, Miss. -- Barack Obama accused presidential rival John McCain of supporting Bush administration policies that produced the current economic crisis Friday night in their first debate of the campaign for the White House. Both men readily agreed Congress must act soon to prevent millions of Americans from losing their jobs and homes...

Harkin calls for close look at bailout plan (09/27/08)
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin on Thursday cautioned Congress against being "stampeded" into a massive bailout of the nation's financial system. His concerns came as an Iowa legislative leader said he was worried that a severe economic downturn could hurt a state budget already under pressure...

King to appear before Rotary (09/27/08)
U.S. Repre-sentative Steve King, representing Iowa's Fifth District in the United States Congress, will be in Spencer for a 12 p.m. meeting with the Spencer Rotary Club and other service organizations at the Clay County Regional Events Center. Among the topics that King will be discussing, the $700 billion bailout legislation...

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...

3rd Annual Buddy Walk Sunday (09/23/08)
The Northwest Iowa Down Syndrome Society will host its Third Annual Buddy Walk Sunday, Sept. 28 at Call State Park, located just south of Algona off of Hwy 169. Registration and silent auction begins at 1:30 p.m. with the Buddy Walk starting at 2:30 p.m...

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...

Weapon use closes down highway (09/23/08)
Members of the Spencer Police Department and deputies with the Clay County Sheriff's Office were among numerous agencies to respond to shots fired along Iowa Highway 86 in Dickinson County. The highway begins for northbound traffic on the north edge of Milford and takes travelers along the west side of the Iowa Great Lakes...

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...

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...

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...

Briefs 9-10-08 (09/10/08)
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...

Candidate for Congress makes fair stop (09/10/08)
Congress "doesn't look at the problems, they don't answer the problems," according to Rob Hubler, the Democratic nominee who will challenge U.S. Rep. Steve King for the 5th District seat serving western Iowa in Congress. Hubler made his remarks Tuesday morning during a visit to the Clay County Democrats booth on the Clay County Fairgrounds...

Police catch break in car theft probe (09/09/08)
Members of the Spencer Police Department said they were able to recover more than 50 items that were stolen from cars in late August and early September. Officers began following up on information regarding several car burglaries in the Spencer area late last week. Investigators used the information to issue warrants for 18-year-old Jeff Martin, Jr. of Tulsa, Okla...

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...

Obama sketches promise of America (08/29/08)
DENVER -- Barack Obama cast his presidential nomination as proof that no dreams are too high, savoring a historic moment for himself and the nation Thursday before setting out on a difficult struggle to break another barrier for a black American. Obama's success in obtaining the Democratic nomination was indeed a remarkable achievement, reached despite the misgivings of some Americans uncomfortable with electing the son of an African immigrant -- not "the typical pedigree," as he put it...

Cocaine trafficking suspected in Spencer (08/29/08)
Three home searches revealed an apparent cocaine distribution ring in and around Spencer, according to a statement from the Spencer Police Department. Members of the Spencer Police Department conducted the searches on Aug. 22. The search at 3610 290th Avenue in rural Dickens led to the arrest of 51-year-old Don Mobley. ...

Dems choose Obama in thunderous acclamation (08/28/08)
DENVER -- Barack Obama swept to the Democratic presidential nomination Wednesday night, a transforming triumph that made him the first black American to lead a major party into the fall campaign for the White House. Thousands of national convention delegates stood and cheered as they made history...

Payne escapes prison time in conviction (08/27/08)
Despite an emotional appeal from the victim and her mother in court Monday, Kyle Dean Payne will serve no prison sentence for his conviction on three crimes related to an incident in which he partially stripped an unconscious fellow Buena Vista University student, photographed himself fondling her body, and later installed the images and video on his computer...

Biden no stranger to Spencer Democrats (08/26/08)
U.S. Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware hoped for the top spot on the ticket less than a year ago when he stopped at the Clay County Fair. Friday he was selected as presumptive nominee Barack Obama's running mate. Democrats hope Biden's expertise in foreign policy and his blue-collar appeal will be a draw for voters in the Nov. 4 general election...

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...

Official: Obama picks Biden for veep (08/23/08)

Related subjects