News

The groundhog in Pennsylvania that predicts an early spring or extended winter recently emerged and didn’t see his shadow. That would suggest that spring will arrive early this year. Statistics indicate that Phil the groundhog is right about 40% of the time. If recent weather is any indicator, it would appear that the groundhog is going to be right this year...

Northwest Bank, an affiliate of Northwest Financial Corp., was recently announced as the winner of the 2020 Healthiest State Medium Workplace Award, presented by the Healthiest State Initiative. The award recognizes Northwest Bank for efforts to improve the physical, social and emotional well-being of its employees. ...

1ST QUARTER The following students are on the first quarter honor roll for Spencer High School. The students must earn a 3.0 or higher GPA to qualify. 9TH GRADE Erika Amendt, Ashton Archer, Ethan Baartman, Quinn Baker, Jose Beck, Parker Bergstadt, Kaylyn Bibler, Charlotte Booth, Colin Boyd, Caine Boyd Crabtree, Kael Brandt, Shaylee Brown, Avery Bruning, Chloe Bumgarner, Emily Campbell, Tateum Casey, Kaden Castro, Gabriel Cauthron, Aiden Chaffin, Mattie Chase, Kaleb Cline, Travis Crabb, Monroe Daniels, Aubrie Davis, Andrew Dean, Paris Dean, Riley DeWitt, Grace Dietrich, Ariah Eade-Musser, Brock Edington, Aliza Edwards, Lucas Edwards, Mersadies Eldridge, Gracy Elsenbast, Dallas Engelkes, Autumn Erdman, Sydni Faulkender, Samuel Feldmann, Dawson Glawe, Noah Goeken, Jacob Goss, Jayna Graettinger, Mallory Graves, Cooper Griffin, Gavin Gross, Brennan Guerttman, Andrew Haack, Jacob Hallett, Ivy Hamilton, Emma Harle, Elliana Heisinger, Aneli Hicks, Gavin Honkomp, Grace Honkomp, Reese Hough, Ashlyn Housley, Hunter Iverson, Chloe Jackson-Krieg, Ashley Jewell, Roselyn Jimenez-Altamirano, Gracie Keith, Owen Kierscht, Owen Kies, Katelyn Kivela, Mallory Klemme, Leilana Kollasch, Dalton Kramer, Sarah Kreck, Kiersten Krogman, Benjamin Kroll, Kaitlynn Lawson, Lillianna Lindahl, Tahlia Loera, Susan Malchow, Mackenzie Manwarren, Isabel Marlow, Jenna Mart, Mary Matthiesen, Gabriel McCrea, Maureen McDermott, Jerra Merchant, Kaden Miller, Anna Mixon, Thobe Moeller, Kayla Mol, Taylor Monnahan, Emma Morey, Oliver Morris-Mcewan, Ashton Musser, Raven Neuman, Matthew Nolin, Xainder Norgaard, Megan O’Brien, Easton Ohnesorge, Owen Olson, Izak Peterson, Madison Pick, Jada Piercy, Hailey Pippert, Ebonee Poulsen, Colby Quail, Devon Rees, Ryan Reineke, Mia Robles-Vaquero, Mariana Rosales, Olivia Ruden, Jadey Salton, Dylan Samsel, Dylan Santage, Aliyah Schon, Laci Seymour, Anna Shine-Johnson, Elizabeth Sipress, Trenton Sirovy, Paris Spencer, Sydney Stanley, Corinne Stave, Grace Steffen, Ellie Steuben, Makenna Stevens, Leilani Stratton, Joselyn Thompson, Reid Tigges, Brett Tighe, Gavin Timmer, Isabella Valverde, Kennedy Warburton, Tessa Watkins, Campbell Wessels, Carys Whitaker, Bohdan Wigen, Aaron Zinn.. ...

There were plenty of spectators inside the Spencer City Council Chambers Saturday for the Spencer Chamber of Commerce’s first Eggs and Issues forum of 2020. Legislators U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron; state Rep. Megan Jones, R-Sioux Rapids; state Sen. ...

A time of rampant epidemics, angry demonstrations, “fake news” and anti-immigrant sentiment — sound like 2020 America? No, rather it was the a mirror era in which the “Greatest Generation” grew up — and an era which will soon to be featured in and examined in a new, traveling exhibit titled “Hidden or Forbidden No More: Prequels to the ‘Greatest Generation.’”...

SIOUX RAPIDS — One employee was killed in the collapse of a cage system at Rembrandt Foods Friday morning. The body was recovered Saturday afternoon and the fatality was confirmed Sunday night by Buena Vista County Emergency Management. The collapse was reported around 6:30 a.m. Friday within a company layer barn in Rembrandt. After the incident, one person was unaccounted for. An urban search and rescue team was called in from Sioux City along with Iowa Homeland Security...

The Spencer Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in regards to a robbery investigation at the Casey’s General Store located at 800 S. Grand Ave. in Spencer. At approximately 4:11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 14, an armed suspect approached an employee whom was opening the store. The suspect displayed a pistol and forced the employee inside where an undetermined amount of cash was taken. The suspect then made the employee drive him to a secondary location in Spencer where he then fled on foot.

The 36th Annual Northwest Iowa Ag Outlook Conference and Trade Show is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18, at the Clay County Regional Events Center featuring an industry trade show and agricultural forum. The show will open its doors at 8 a.m. with coffee and doughnut holes until 9:30 a.m. sponsored by Community State Bank and Spencer Auto Parts...

When the Spencer Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 Eggs and Issues legislative forum launches in council chambers at Spencer City Hall at 9 a.m. Saturday, Iowa 4th District U.S. Rep. Steve King (above), R-Kiron, will join local state legislators on the panel. Also scheduled to appear are regular participants Rep. Megan Jones, R-Sioux Rapids, and (pictured with King above) Sen. Zach Whiting, R-Spirit Lake. The public is invited to attend and participate in the question and answer session.

For the second time in four months, a residential fire has resulted in a fatality. The victim of Thursday morning’s fire has been withheld pending the autopsy by the state medical examiner and family notification. With temperatures at minus 15 degrees Friday morning, Spencer Fire and Rescue personnel responded to a reported fire at 528 E. First St. shortly after 8 a.m. The report included a notification regarding the possibility of a resident still in the home...

Legislation requiring communications devices used by drivers to be in hands-free mode or face a potential moving violation has recently made some headway as legislators prepare for the field of viable bills to narrow. State Sen. Zach Whiting, R-Spirit Lake, said this week the full transportation committee unanimously approved a hands-free bill he’s managing, and said the piece of legislation is the most likely of a number of “vehicles” which could survive the legislative process...

The driver of a 2016 Chevrolet Express who witnesses allege ran a red light, reportedly admitted to Spencer Police investigating a four car collision, which sent one to the emergency room, that he was responsible for the incident. Spencer Police Department officers responded to the scene of the accident at approximately 3:10 p.m. Wednesday as weather conditions began to deteriorate under a winter weather advisory for the region...

The Spencer Police Department responded to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of U.S. Highway 71 and 18th Street at approximately 3:58 p.m. Wednesday. According to the police report, Paul Poulin, 63, of Spencer, was northbound in a tan 2001 Ford Crown Victoria and attempting to make a left turn onto West 18th Street drove into the path of Grant Adams, 38, of Bronson, who was southbound on Highway Boulevard in a black 2018 Nissan Maxima. Both vehicles suffered disabling damages in the collision, no injuries were reported. Damages to the Ford were estimated at $3,000. The Nissan was estimated to have received $7,000 in damages. Poulin told police the stoplight was changing and thought it was safe to turn left, while Adams said the light was still green. Poulin was cited for failure to yield upon left turn.

Arts on Grand and Carey’s Electronics present the late winter edition of Films for the Cinematically Disadvantaged. For more than 20 years interested audiences have been able to enjoy a wide variety of foreign language films thanks to this collaboration. The viewing takes place upstairs at Carey’s on five Mondays beginning with Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. A freewill offering is requested, and there is always plenty of popcorn, coffee and tea...

DES MOINES — Iowa legislators are advancing a bill that would require women who have a miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy to obtain a fetal death certificate and choose whether they want to bury or cremate the fetus. The proposed legislation was discussed Thursday at a meeting of the House Human Resources Subcommittee...

As the 61st anniversary of “The Day the Music Died” passed on Feb. 3, a retired flight expert is taking his crusade to Iowa to clear the name of the 21-year-old from Alta who piloted that Beechcraft Bonanza in the flight that claimed the life of rock 'n’ roll pioneer Buddy Holly...

MILFORD ― It was only a 2-mile trip from the Milford Fire Station to a structure fire northeast of the city Monday morning, but crews from Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire and Rescue were soon headed south to aid their neighboring department. Milford firefighters were called at about 11:08 a.m. to one of Oak Hill Marina's storage buildings in the 2100 block of 230th Avenue. Milford Fire Chief Jim Carpenter said the call for assistance went out even before his crew arrived at the fire...

MILFORD — Whether a new beekeeper or simply exploring interest in the subject, the Northwest Iowa Beekeepers Association is inviting the public to sign up for an introductory course on the subject. The course will be split between Feb. 15-16 at the Milford Community Center. Tim Olsen, president and lead educator for the association, will be instructing the course, along with fellow association members Sean Johnson and Dr. Jodie Pettit...

The Graettinger-Terril and Ruthven-Ayrshire school boards have offered the shared superintendent/elementary principal position to Marshall Lewis. Marshall verbally accepted the job offer and will return to serve the district he calls his alma mater. His hire will become official after a formal background check and contract approval.

Shawn Kierscht, of Spencer, had a close call on Feb. 1 while driving his pickup on U.S. Highway 71 near 480th Street. While driving in the area, he heard something strike his truck but continued on his trip. When he eventually stopped, he discovered a bullet hole in the side of his vehicle...

The city is doing their part to ensure growing damages to the public art mosaic, “The Gathering: of Time, of Land, of Many Hands,” are minimized as the art piece nears its 20th anniversary and a future restoration effort is currently being planned. The main challenge facing the artwork are pieces of mosaic separating and falling apart, although some of the fallen pieces have been located and saved due to dedicated efforts by local volunteers. ...

The Spencer School Board on Tuesday approved the tentative purchase agreement and the setting a hearing for the purchase of property located at 608 10th Avenue E. in Spencer to take place at 5 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Spencer Schools Central Administration Building. The purchase would allow the school district to expand their bus barn, an opportunity Spencer Superintendent Terry Hemann said the district “couldn’t pass up.”...

Public opinion will help weigh whether or not commercial air service is viable in the city of Spencer. More than a year into the municipal effort exploring options to establish a commercial air service in the community, which has included discussions with the St. Louis, Missouri-based company Air Choice One, both the city and company have released a survey to the public to help outline their options...

The men and women of the Spencer Police Department, Spencer Fire Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Spencer Hospital were busy responding to multiple accidents Wednesday afternoon as high winds and snow began to pummel the area causing road conditions to deteriorate. ...

Tuesday night, Spencer Hy-Noon Kiwanis and Spencer After Kiwanis members served three-course valentine meals to residents at St. Luke Lutheran Home and Riverview Terrace Assisted Living respective dining areas. (Above) Hy-Noon Kiwanian Kelsie Baccam and her daughters posed for a photo after serving St. Luke resident Beryl Reed...

The Food and Drug Administration plans to begin enforcing limits on the sale of flavored electronic smoking cartridges as of Thursday. President Donald Trump instructed the FDA in September 2019 to clear the market of flavored e-cigarette products in an effort to curb use among young people. The habit is commonly known as vaping, and retailers, manufacturers or distributors of vape products were given 30 days to comply after the FDA finalized its enforcement policy in early January...

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host two soil fertility workshops to help agriculture producers interpret soil test results and determine fertilizer needs and recommendations. The first workshop will be held Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the ISU Extension and Outreach Sac County office location at 620 Park St. ...

Spencer Chamber Ambassadors visited Community State Bank Tuesday morning to welcome the financial institution’s new agriculture and commercial loan officer, Brant McKibben. McKibben is a Marshalltown native who started with the bank in early January after completing his agriculture business major at Iowa State University in 3 1/2 years. He noted Spencer has been very welcoming and was familiar with the area growing up with trips through the region when he was younger. He is anxious to become actively involved in the community and is looking forward to pursuing the fishing, golfing and hunting opportunities the area has to offer. McKibben met CSB President Clark Cunningham at a job fair.

The Spencer Daybreakers Kiwanis donated 312 packages of macaroni and cheese along with six cartons of oatmeal to Upper Des Moines Opportunity. The food was purchased from Hy-Vee. (Above) Hy-Vee Store Operations Manager Tim Umbreit; and Daybreakers Dennis Holck and Mike Patten.

Spencer Hy-Noon Kiwanis President Bill Phelps and sponsor Mindy Gress welcomed a new member into the service club, Katie Techen. Techenn grew up in Ocheyedan and graduated from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. She and her husband, Aaron, lived in the Lincoln-Omaha area for 10 years, where the couple’s three boys Aaden, 11, Maxx, 9, and Nolan, 7, were born. The family moved to Spencer five years ago to be closer to family. She began working for Community Insurance in September as their operations manager. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, visiting Spirit Lake and spending time with Aaron and the boys, as well as our extended family.

During the colder months it is extremely hard to collect blood due to so many factors like, sickness, weather and those who go away for the winter months. Donating is such an important task, if one more percent of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages would disappear in the future. ...

During the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 9, and Monday, Feb. 10, the Spencer Police Department received more than 20 reports of unlocked vehicles that had been entered and property stolen. An investigation into the vehicle burglaries led to the arrest of three suspects -- all of Spencer. ...

The Clay County Fair announced Darci Lynne & Friends: Fresh Out of the Box Tour, with special guest Renata as part of the SRG Concert Series in the Sleep Number Grandstand at the 2020 Clay County Fair at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18. ...

A total of 10 high schools were represented in the Iowa High School Music Association State Jazz Choir Contest hosted at Spencer High School Monday evening, which also featured performances by Spencer’s Chromatic Jazz and Pieces of Jazz groups. “It’s been a pretty busy couple weeks here with large group speech and jazz band and jazz choir,” Director Katie Kardell said. “Hosting contests is a fast turnaround, the kids have been troopers. They pitched in every which way they possibly could, helped run it and had a wonderful time. The judges love the space that they’re in, the other schools all commented on how nice it is to come to Spencer. It’s definitely nice to be on your home turf with your own sound system and getting to finish the night off as the final performance. I think the kids had a great day.” Spencer’s varsity group, Chromatic Jazz (Above), garnered a division I rating, and Pieces of Jazz performed for comments only by the night’s judges. (Below) Carly Izard, Kyle Goeken and some of the members of Chromatic Jazz perform their final piece, “Prime Time Blues.”

In conjunction with the fiscal year 2018-19 financial audit presented by Winther, Stave & Co. being accepted and approved by the Spencer City Council, the city of Spencer’s audit report has been released. The city’s receipts totaled $27,068,754 for the year ending June 30, 2019. ...

CLIVE — Of the many titles Tom Vilsack has had in his life, including mayor, state senator, Iowa governor and U.S. secretary of agriculture, he now has another he admits he never expected: big Powerball winner. Vilsack, of Waukee, claimed a $150,000 Powerball prize Monday at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive...

The 2020 Large Group All-State Program will start at 8 a.m. and close at 4:45 p.m. at Iowa State University's Stephens Auditorium in Ames. Spencer was recognized for multiple all-state large group speech honors following Saturday’s state competition, but none of them were chosen to be showcased at the event in Ames later this month...

DES MOINES — The best-of-the-best of the Iowa newspaper industry were honored Friday night at the Iowa Newspaper Foundation Better Newspaper Contest Banquet and Awards events at the Des Moines Marriott. The Northwest Iowa Publishing papers — Spencer Daily Reporter, Dickinson County News and Storm Lake Pilot-Tribune — had an outstanding showing...

The Spencer Police Department and Spencer Hospital were called to a two-vehicle accident at the West Ninth Street and First Avenue West intersection near Hy-Vee and Hope Church, at 4:37 p.m. Friday. The collision resulted in one motorist being transported to the Spencer Hospital emergency room...

Growing older is the greatest risk factor for acquiring Parkinson’s disease and many people live with symptoms for several years before being diagnosed. To provide more resources on the topic, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host the three-session: “A Journey Through Parkinson’s Disease” on March 4, 11 and 18 from 11:15 a.m. to noon at the Spencer Family YMCA...

Marcella Yender Brodersen is a quiet woman who is hardworking, joyful and helpful. Her always ready, beautiful smile tends to illuminate any room she occupies. Raised on a farm near Early in northwest Iowa, Marcella had two older brothers and an older sister. She was 4 years old when her sister married, so Marcella is similar in age to her nieces: Helen, Ruth, Mary and Bonnie...

SPRINGDALE, Ark. ― On Feb. 6, over 30 community members and environmentalists rallied outside Tyson’s annual shareholder meeting in Springdale, Arkansas, voicing concerns that the company has not shown progress on its promise to reform farming practices that are causing widespread water pollution and climate change...

The initiative to match each student with a Chromebook in the Spencer school system has been completed. Starting the 1-to-1 initiative at the high school back in 2017, Spencer Schools Director of Technology Landon Allen credited a fast-paced approach with the quick turnaround to completion...

CLAY COUNTY — Local law enforcement are continuing to search for a semitruck and trailer involved in a collision near the intersection of U.S. Highway 18 and Clay County Road M-50 Friday morning. Vicki Colon, 43, of Ruthven, was eastbound in her 2014 Chevy Traverse on Highway 18 when a westbound semitruck allegedly had its trailer lose control and strike the driver's side of the Traverse. The semitruck did not stop following the accident and has not yet been located...

Lumbering into the field house with canes and walkers, what first appeared to be elderly cowgirls turned out to be the Spencer Tiger Pas, who to the delight of the crowd crushed their dance moves in two routines while donning dresses and makeup during Friday night’s girls and boys basketball halftime intermissions. The 24 dancing dads also crushed their fundraising goal, raising $15,220 for the Spencer Community School Foundation. (DIRECTION) While there were some classic western dance moves, the routine also tapped into recent trends (DIRECTION).

There was plenty of foot traffic in Spencer’s downtown Saturday morning as more than 170 people participated in Spencer Main Street’s third annual “Shop, Dine, Be Mine” chocolate walk event, stopping into area stores and sampling their unique chocolate offerings. “This has been a great family friendly event and you have an opportunity to be inside 24 different businesses while you’re downtown,” Spencer Main Street Executive Director Nancy Naeve said. “If you want to shop while you’re there, great, if you want to dine while you’re there, great, but if you just want to get your head inside a door and see what downtown Spencer is about, this is the perfect event for that.”

More than a dozen young anglers were joined by family, friends and volunteers from the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club for the Clay County Iowa State University Extension Spin event at Stolley’s Saturday. After learning the basics of fishing when things are frozen, many caught a fish through the ice for the first time. “We had 13 kids show up, a pretty good turnout and we have lots of volunteers for one-on-one mentoring,” said Paul Daniels, member of the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club. “It’s a beautiful day, we’re really fortunate with the weather and really fortunate to have this beautiful body of water right here in Spencer to be able to fish on.” (DIRECTION) With a little help from Kelly Cook, Adrian Hass is all smiles as he reels in a fish Saturday.

The lanes were full for the Spencer Chamber of Commerce’s 17th annual bowling fundraiser at Liberty Lanes Friday afternoon, as teams of friends and coworkers enjoyed a number of different bowling games, raffles, prizes and food. “We appreciate the enthusiasm throughout the community and our supporters,” Chamber Executive Director Sheriffa Jones said. “It is one of our larger events and certainly helps support the chamber all year-round. It’s great for me especially being new in this role to see all of those businesses that support us through their membership and also it’s an opportunity for them to get out of the office, kind of breakaway and maybe do some team building. It’s been a great day so far.” Chamber Program Director Becky Fear-Hatting, who founded the event, said she was pleased the event continues to be popular each year. “I could put six more teams in here if we could knock a wall out and put six more lanes in,” Fear-Hatting said. (DIRECTION) In one of the early bowling games played during the fundraiser, bowlers had to vary their throws to get points.

The self-billed “ultimate six pack of rock,” Arch Allies, brought down the house at the Clay County Regional Events Center Saturday night as a throng of rock fans were on hand to hear the band perform classic rock hits inside the events center arena, with the crowd miming along to the guitar shredding and singing along to favorites like Styx’s “Come Sail Away.” (DIRECTION) Arch Allies started into the Styx catalogue early, playing the self-titled track from the 1977 record, “The Grand Illusion” to get the crowd fired up and on their feet.