News

Spencer Hospital has tightened visitor restrictions effective immediately following a surge of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. On Tuesday the number of inpatients ill with COVID-19 surged to 22, which is triple the number of COVID-19 patients from a week ago...

The Clay County Board of Health met via video conference Tuesday evening with the sole agenda item being a face-covering regulation in the county, with the board ultimately passing a resolution recommending the face-covering regulation to the Clay County Board of Supervisors for potential action, where it could become effective upon successful passage...

To the delight of many youngsters, Spencer Area Action Club visited Lincoln Elementary on Friday to deliver donations of new winter clothes for school children in need of new winter coats and snowpants. The action club's winter clothing project has been conducted in the community for more than a decade and a half, receiving support from the Spencer J.C. ...

In a year full of doom and gloom, art can be uplifting. For those needing a dose of positivity, it won't take long passing 101 E. Fifth St. to see bright, bold colors depicting nature's beauty, history and good times familiar to all Iowans and Spencer citizens...

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Department received 20 kits from the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation to help with policing efforts. Henry’s Heroes Law Enforcement Comfort Kits allow law enforcement officers to provide comforting items to children in distress. Compact in design, the kits are designed to be portable and easily tossed into an officer’s cruiser as part of their standard equipment...

The holiday shopping season is set to kick off and Shop Small Saturday will be in full effect all day Saturday. The Spencer Main Street event, originally started as part of the Small Business Saturday retail holiday, continues to grow each year with shoppers perusing Spencer’s small businesses numbering in the hundreds...

With the Spencer downtown receiving a major lighting upgrade it was only a matter of time before lights also returned to Thunder Bridge, an iconic fixture familiar to those traveling near Spencer’s west side. The new lights were commissioned by Spencer Main Street, and Main Street Director Nancy Naeve said Spencer Councilman at Large George Moriarty is heading up the effort to raise donations to cover the $13,000 cost. Donations for the project can also be sent to Spencer Main Street, by calling 262-7246.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a great disturbance throughout communities across the globe, but senior citizens and at-risk individuals in particular have borne much of the burden as far as interruptions to their daily lives. On Monday, Johnson Elementary School first-graders marched down a few blocks from their school to the Longhouse-Northshire long term care facilities armed with signs of support (DIRECTION), depicting rainbows, sunshine, Thanksgiving turkeys and kind words among many other things. The group snaked around the outside of the facilities (DIRECTION), waving and showing their signs to the windows of residents’ rooms, (DIRECTION) with residents waving back with smiles of their own.

The flood hazard mapping project for Clay County, administered through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and FEMA, has been an ongoing subject of discussion since 2018 but now the end of the process is within sight. Prior to the pandemic’s arrival in the state of Iowa, in December the DNR held a public open house inviting the community to review the just released preliminary flood hazard maps for Clay County, which revised 100-year and 500-year flood zones. ...

Clay County Conservation Board Naturalist Brianne Blom was named the winner of the Iowa Excellence in Education Award. She was nominated in the spring by many of the Spencer Community School educators that she works with. “This award is very prestigious as very few Iowa educators are nominated and only the finest educators are awarded,” said Will Horsley, director of the Clay County Conservation Board. ...

• This is the 10th piece of a multipart series looking at all the organizations and programs which benefited from special grant funding from the Clay County Community Foundation in 2020, and how those funds will in turn be a benefit to the community...

A Spencer-area holiday staple, the Holiday Family Adoption Program allows generous families, businesses and service groups to share the holiday spirit and bounty. Thanks to the generosity of families and businesses, approximately 75 area families will be gifted with items to help make this Christmas season a little bit brighter. ...

IOWA CITY — A Hawkeye view from the highest coastal mountain in Brazil. A celebration of international LGBTQ+ students living in the Midwest. A leap for joy in the Highlands of Scotland. These moments were experienced and captured in photos by current and former University of Iowa students-including U.S. ...

The Iowa 4-H Foundation announces its 2021 scholarship program for current or former 4-H members planning to attend college in the fall of 2021. Information and applications for the 4-H scholarships are now available through the Iowa 4-H Foundation at iowa4h.awardspring.com. ...

As bad as 2020 has been for everyone, it is exponentially worse for our beloved seniors. They have accounted for 80% of COVID-19 deaths, 27% of seniors live alone and in a normal year nearly one-third experience sadness during the holidays. This year, it is expected to be even harder with many unable to spend the holidays with their families because of COVID-19...

Spencer Area Activity Center will have fresh produce, when it’s available in the front entry. Feel free to come check it out. Bring your own bag. Open from 1-3:30 p.m. for produce Monday through Friday. --- Elderbridge Agency on Aging offices remain closed to public access but services continue to be provided by phone at 800-243-0678. ...

Long-term care facilities in Iowa will receive $14 million from the state’s share of federal coronavirus relief funds to help with staffing and testing needs, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday. The Iowa Department of Public Health issued new guidelines Nov. 3 for emergency staffing in long-term care facilities. In a staffing crisis, health care professionals who have tested positive for COVID-19 can be allowed to continue to work under certain criteria, the guidelines state...

URBANDALE — Iowa Poultry Association and Iowa Egg Council is pleased to announce the initial funding of their Iowa Poultry and Egg Scholarship Foundation. As Iowa is No. 1 in the nation for egg production, there is a need for Iowans to remain in the state, and work in poultry and egg production. ...

STORM LAKE — A hopeful light at the end of the long, dark COVID-19 tunnel — vaccine — is drawing nearer. Where that vaccine will go first, and who gets first dibs on the protection, is a playbook that public health and medical leaders are working to write now...

The Spencer Chamber of Commerce encourages consumers to “go local” by depending on locally-owned/independent businesses. “Shine The Light Bingo” will help out local businesses and organizations offering a chance for every participant to win Chamber Dollars this holiday season...

Warner Funeral Home, Hospice of Spencer Hospital, Abben Cancer Center and area churches sponsored a "Virtual Service of Remembrance" for anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. To assure the health safety of everyone who would like to participate in this service, this year's event was not be held in person. It will be rebroadcast on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 11 a.m., or visit the Warner Funeral Home or Spencer Hospital Facebook pages...

As dropping northwest Iowa temperatures make COVID-19 testing more challenging, Spencer Hospital and Avera Medical Group Spencer have jointly developed a covered drive-thru testing site, available to patients whose care providers have placed an order for them to receive a COVID-19 test...

During Tuesday evening’s Spencer Parks and Recreation Board meeting, board members listened to an update about one of Spencer’s most cherished pieces of playground equipment. Receiving some assistance from high schoolers through the No Boundaries group earlier in the year, the board hosted Eric Johannsen for an update on the numbers associated with refurbishing and returning the former West Leach Park icon known as “the rocket slide,” which was taken down in 2013...

Farmers Trust and Savings Bank announced phase two of the remodel is underway. “Our new drive up is ready to serve our customers with an added feature of a secure walk-in area next to the drive up for those customers who have coin orders and larger transactions,” said Mike Bryan, president and CEO of Farmers Bank...

The Clay County Board of Health will host a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, via WebEx to gather input and consider face covering regulations. The proposed regulations would require appropriate face coverings to be worn by people within Clay County in public areas when a distance of 6 feet or greater between people cannot be maintained...

The Clay County Board of Supervisors convened Tuesday morning and met with representatives from Spencer Hospital, Spencer Schools, Clay County Public Health, Clay County Attorney’s Office and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office to discuss the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Clay County and discuss potential actions the county may be able to take in the future to make an impact against the spread of the virus...

Due to rising COVID-19 cases in our community and throughout our staff, effective immediately, through Dec. 31, Spencer City facilities will be closed to the public. City staff will continue to serve the community through electronic means. The transfer station will remain open and mitigation strategies will be in effect. At this time, there will be no disruption to garbage and recycling services. Call City Hall with questions at 580-7200.

Clay County has had a long lasting association with the outdoors throughout history and Tuesday the Clay County Board of Supervisors met with Clay County Conservation Director Will Horsley to discuss participating in a new, statewide program surrounding birds and bird habitat...

Among those activities were the Festival of Trees holiday programs, Grand Meander and a Grand Avenue Community Outreach holiday concert to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Tangney Hotel in downtown Spencer. “With Governor Reynold’s new public health measures which went into effect Tuesday morning, the committee convened and we really decided some of our events couldn’t happen as a result of these measures,” said Stephanie Horsley, director of Clay County Heritage Center. ...

With Thanksgiving imminent, crews from Spencer Municipal Utilities and the city street division teamed up to prepare the city for the holiday season, putting up Christmas lights in the shapes of snowflakes, wreaths and Christmas trees throughout the downtown on Tuesday. (Pictured) Bucket trucks came in handy when crews needed to place decorations high above Grand Avenue...

Spencer Hospital President and CEO Bill Bumgarner spoke to the Hospital Board of Trustees Thursday morning to outline the changes brought by Gov. Kim Reynolds’ new proclamation adding additional mitigation measures against COVID-19 in the state. Key among them, was the new measure concerning elective inpatient procedures...

A Spencer-area holiday staple, the Holiday Family Adoption Program allows generous families, businesses and service groups to share the holiday spirit and bounty. Thanks to the generosity of families and businesses, approximately 75 area families will be gifted with items to help make this Christmas season a little bit brighter. ...

“Freedom Flight” Alan Van Ormer ISBN 9781952661082 $8.99 --- Have you read a good Western lately? The traditional Western, a genre that saw its height from the 1940s to the 1960s, seemed to go out of disfavor for various reasons. Regionalism, a trademark of many Westerns, somehow took on a bad name. ...

Grief recovery is a painful process. Grace United Methodist Church in Spencer will host a special one-time, two-hour seminar to help people face the holidays after the death of a loved one. Surviving the Holidays will be conducted at 1 p.m. Sunday. This program is available either in-person or online using Zoom...

Warner Funeral Home, Hospice of Spencer Hospital, Abben Cancer Center and area churches are sponsoring a "Virtual Service of Remembrance" for anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. To assure the health safety of everyone who would like to participate in this service, this year's event will not be held in person. ...

Spencer High School Principal Elli Wiemers, a member of Spencer Rotary, helped recognize Molly Crew, SHS senior, as the Rotary October Student of the Month. Crew plans to attend Iowa State University and major in premed.

When you think of a speech-language pathologist, you might think of specialists who help kids with speech issues. SLPs also handle a wide range of communication concerns that may affect success in school and in life. The SLPs at Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency serve in each of the 39 public school districts, and 11 accredited, nonpublic schools in its 14-county region. ...

The Board of Trustees of Iowa Lakes Community College met Tuesday afternoon via Zoom meeting and reviewed a wide variety of topics — including a new pledge and extension of financial commitment by the Donald R. Tietz Charitable Foundation in support of the Iowa Lakes Tietz Entrepreneurial Center located on the Algona campus...

Sioux Rapids PEO Chapter GJ announces that applications are being accepted from area post-secondary women students for scholarships of $300 to $500 to be awarded in February. To be eligible for a scholarship the applicant must be from, or living in, the Buena Vista or Clay County area. ...

DES MOINES — Dayton Brugman, of Peterson, was awarded the $500 Iowa State Fair FFA Blue & Gold Gilt Sale Scholarship by the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement. Dayton’s parents are Dan and Darcy Brugman. The IFAA established the Winner's Circle Scholarship Program in 1990 to provide incentives for college-bound youth seeking post-secondary education in an area of agriculture. Over $180,600 were awarded in scholarships to 98 youth this year by IFAA...

Good Eats & Good Beats is on tap at Century Farms Distillery in Spencer on Friday. Iowa Great Lakes favorite Scott Larsen will be playing acoustic sets from 5-8 p.m. Larsen is best known for his full group, the Scott Larsen Band, but also plays unplugged sets as a solo or with longtime duo partner Keifer Brandt. Larsen and his family live in Algona and he plays throughout the Midwest with a diverse set of solos and originals that span genres of rock, country, R&B, alternative and more. Providing the eats is Girl’d Cheese, a Milford-based food truck operation, voted Spencer Radio Group’s People’s Choice winner for best food truck and best sandwich for 2020. The truck specializes in grillers like Philly cheesesteak, chicken carbonara, jalapeno popper, Margherita pizza and others on locally baked bread, along with sides like chili and desserts.

ARNOLD PARK — The Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Music Association announced its decision to cancel their November and December Rock the Roof events held at the Roof Garden. According to Ralph Kluseman, president of the Iowa Rock ‘n' Roll Music Association, “Due to the recent governor’s announcement of new statewide COVID-19 protocols, our board of directors and staff has decided to postpone our November and December Rock the Roof events. ...

Messiah Memories will appear on “From The Vault” on SMU Channel 3. The Spencer Messiah Board working with SMU will be presenting some “classic” Messiah Memories this holiday season. They are: The Messiah from 2009: at 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, at 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 and at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 21. Festival of Lessons and Carols from 2016 will air at 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 25, at 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 27, and at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 28. Next year’s Festival of Lessons and Carols will be conducted on Dec. 5, 2021. For additional information visit “Spencer Messiah” on Facebook.

The Spencer Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors welcomed Vermeer Glass Art owners, Jim and Julie Vermeer, at a special Thursday morning visit with limited ambassadors as a result of COVID restrictions. They hosted their open house Thursday. For more information on Vermeer Glass Art visit vermeerglassart.com.

During Monday night’s Spencer City Council meeting, it was announced the city would be reverting their facility policy to close city buildings to the public — with the exception being the transfer station — effective Nov. 17 through Dec. 31 or until a new decision would be made. Additionally all city council, committee, and staff meetings will be held electronically during this period. City officials said like many other entities, city departments had been impacted by COVID but stressed services will continue unchanged...

In an effort to comply with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ call for COVID safe practices such as mask wearing, social distancing and working from home as much as possible, Spencer Public Library will be reducing its operating hours. Addressing the current case surge in Clay County, Spencer Library Director Mandie Muelhausen said the center is dedicated to continue providing its curbside service for book distribution as well as book returns...

DES MOINES — In a 7 1/2-minute address Monday evening, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a new series of mitigation practices to help slow the increasing number of positive cases which are overloading hospital’s statewide and creating a chain reaction of difficulties for the medical community and Iowans alike...

With positivity rates and cases of COVID-19 continuing to rise in Clay County and statewide, on Friday Spencer Mayor Kevin Robinson was joined by Clay County Board of Supervisors Chairman Dan Skelton, Spencer Hospital President Bill Bumgarner and Spencer Schools Superintendent Terry Hemann for a joint press conference broadcast via Facebook Live. All four entities are part of Clay County’s COVID-19 task force, which continues to meet daily...

The Iowa Golf Association has announced the winners of their 2020 Annual Awards, naming Spencer Golf & Country Club’s Adam Coates their 2020 PGA Pro of the Year. Coates started at the club in 2011 and is a graduate of University of Nebraska at Kearney, having played there collegiately. The golf professional said golf has always been “his thing.”...

Iowa Great Lakes Lutheran School became the first local institution forced to close its doors to students this school year as a result of COVID-19. The school was forced to send those enrolled home after the school’s principal Sarah Popp was diagnosed with the virus...