On April 10, the Mabel City Council held a regular city council meeting. Members in attendance included Adam Wilder, Gary Morken, City Clerk Karen Larson, Mayor Jim Westby, and Terry Torkelson. Kirsten Wyffels was absent. Kurt Marx, representing Davy engineering, addressed the council about the previously discussed situation of some areas in town that need larger water … [Read more...]
Rich Wicks
Reporter
rich@fillmorecountyjournal.com
What's an Iowegian doing writing for the Journal? That's a mystery. All
we really know is that Rich lives in Cresco (Iowa), and when he's not
working, he can often be spotted chasing his wife and kids around the
neighborhood, hollering, "Uff da, slow down!"
Ideas shared for Wykoff school building
At the Wykoff City Council meeting on April 8, possible uses for the vacant school building were discussed. Council members in attendance included Lyle Morey, Mary Tjepkes, City Clerk Becky Schmidt, Mary Sackett and Richard Gleason. Mayor Al Williams was absent, so the meeting was led by Gleason. Rod Thompson addressed the council, explaining what he and his brother Rick … [Read more...]
Ace Hardware’s dog a customer favorite
Todd Jones of Spring Valley Ace Hardware is a dog lover, and he especially loves Doberman dogs. But when his most recent pet Doberman died, fate had a change in mind for the Jones family. Todd said, “I’ve always had Dobermans in the past. And we had a fire, and the last one died in the fire.” So they bought a “fixer-upper” house, and fixed it up good as new. Then Todd … [Read more...]
This Dozer not for sale
Harrington Enterprises, located on Highway 63 midway between Chester (Iowa) and Spring Valley, sells and services lawn and garden equipment. But lately, a Dozer has been garnering the most attention at their location. But this particular Dozer is definitely not for sale, because he’s a dog. Chad and Camri Harrington, who operate Harrington Enterprises from their home, have … [Read more...]
James Gang gold found at Mystery Cave
Nels Isaacson of rural Spring Valley recently made an amazing find. He says he spent a lot of time doing his research, and did a lot of walking around, but in the end, dumb luck played a crucial role as well. “I’ve always been a student of history, and especially the 19th century American outlaws. Most people in Minnesota have heard that the Jesse James gang once tried to … [Read more...]
Kingsland approves 2019-2020 calendar
The Kingsland School Board held a regular meeting on March 18. Members present included Kyle Rader, Maranda Emig, Natasha Howard, Tiffany Mundfrom, Leah Stier, Superintendent James Hecimovich, and student representative Zachary Queensland. Board chair Jackie Horsman was absent, so Mundfrom chaired the meeting. Superintendent Hecimovich shared a summary of the proposed … [Read more...]
The dirt on Stealth Ag
For nearly a decade, Stealth Ag in Harmony has been involved in dirty deeds. Or more accurately, deeds having to do with the dirt that raises our local crops. Brent Hjelmeland recently gave a glimpse inside his work and company. Explaining how his company started, Hjelmeland stated, “It was 2010. My family and I had moved back to the area a couple years before that. I … [Read more...]
Mabel parking ticket crackdown
On March 13, the Mabel City Council held a regular city council meeting, with all members in attendance (Adam Wilder, Gary Morken, City Clerk Karen Larson, Mayor Jim Westby, Kirsten Wyffels and Terry Torkelson). As discussed at a previous council meeting, the city continues to have a number of citizens with unpaid parking tickets. Mabel has issued 22 parking tickets this … [Read more...]
Wykoff to upgrade water meter readers
The Wykoff City Council met in regular session on March 11. Members in attendance included Lyle Morey, Mary Tjepkes, Mayor Al Williams, City Clerk Becky Schmidt, and Richard Gleason. Also attending was Assistant Clerk Luann Hare. Mary Sackett was absent. One of the most significant issues discussed was the possible upgrading of the city’s water meter reading equipment and … [Read more...]
Kingsland eliminates some early outs
The Kingsland School Board held a “work session” on March 4, with all members present (Board Chair Jackie Horsman, Kyle Rader, Maranda Emig, Natasha Howard, Tiffany Mundfrom, Leah Stier, Superintendent James Hecimovich, and student representative Zachary Queensland. Because of the many days of school canceled due to inclement winter weather this year, Superintendent Hecimovich … [Read more...]
Ostrander mulls feed lot ordinance
March 5, the Ostrander City Council held a regular meeting, with all members in attendance (Stephanie Start, Dan Hellerud, DJ Start, Vernon Thompson, Mayor Pam Kunert, and City Clerk Wendy Brincks). The council heard from several parties regarding the Farm Animal Ordinance and related concerns. City Attorney Jennifer Gumbel stated, “Just to give a report from yesterday’s … [Read more...]
Serious horseplay in Spring Valley
A few miles outside of Spring Valley, Dave Genadek runs a small business called About The Horse, Inc. He primarily makes saddles, and he takes his vocation very seriously. As the company name would suggest, Dave focuses on making saddles that fit the individual horse’s anatomy, as well as the rider’s individual requests. On a recent snowy morning, Dave took a brief respite … [Read more...]
Kingsland sets operating levy
The Kingsland School Board met in regular session on February 20. Members present included Board chair Jackie Horsman, Kyle Rader, Maranda Emig, Natasha Howard, Tiffany Mundfrom, Leah Stier, and Superintendent James Hecimovich. Student representative Zachary Queensland was absent. The board discussed options for setting the “per pupil unit” operating levy amount. The … [Read more...]
Mabel-Canton snow options considered
During the regular monthly meeting of the Mabel-Canton School Board on February 19, snow days were a major discussion. Members present were Mark Weidemann, Jason Marquardt, Chris Miller, business manager Aimee Lake, Principal Michelle Weidemann, Board chair Cristal Adkins, High School Secretary Lynette Donald, Diane Wilder, Liz Hershberger, Traci Livingood, and Superintendent … [Read more...]
Wykoff to accept land donation
The Wykoff City Council met in regular session on February 11, with all council members in attendance: (Lyle Morey, Mary Tjepkes, Mayor Al Williams, City Clerk Becky Schmidt, Mary Sackett and Richard Gleason). Also attending was assistant clerk Luann Hare. The pending land transfer (ballfield and playground) from Kingsland School to the city was one of the main topics in … [Read more...]