The Kingsland School Board met on June 20 for a regular meeting. Members present included Pam Freet, Cindy Seabright, Maranda Emig, and Jackie Horsman. Also participating were interim Superintendent Gary Kuphal, Principal Scott Klavetter, Laurie Hendrickson, and Business Manager Amber Herbrand (Herbrand participated via remote technology). The board returned to a discussion … [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!"
Wykoff chooses office space downtown
A regular meeting of the Wykoff City Council was held June 13. Council members in attendance included Lyle Morey, Barb Fate, Mayor Ryan Breckenridge, and Kaleb Himli. City Clerk Becky Schmidt and Deputy Clerk Luan Hare also attended. Mary Sackett was absent. Mayor Breckenridge led a discussion on the options available for more office space. Barb Fate voiced her suggestion to … [Read more...]
Spring Valley to patch streets and fill potholes
The Spring Valley City Council held a regular meeting on June 13. All council members were present (Mayor Tony Archer, John Dols, Chris Danielson, Luan Ruesink, and Greg Brooks). City Administrator/Clerk Deb Zimmer was absent, so Chris Hahn participated in her stead. The council discussed a price quotation from RCM Specialties, for filling potholes and other patchwork needed … [Read more...]
Kingsland discusses handbooks and meal prices
The Kingsland School Board met on June 6 for their monthly “work session,” which stretched for four hours from 6-10 p.m. The topics of Kingsland handbooks and meal prices generated significant discussion. Regarding handbooks, interim Superintendent Gary Kuphal shared his overall opinion that, “There are too many handbooks,” and Principal Scott Klavetter agreed. Currently, … [Read more...]
Ostrander balks at chickens
During the Ostrander City Council meeting on June 7, with eight visitors in attendance, the council held a “secret ballot” vote on whether or not to adopt a proposed draft ordinance to allow residents to keep chickens, with certain limits and stipulations. Each council member used pen and paper to record their vote, and the papers were then given to City Clerk Wendy Brincks, … [Read more...]
Spring Valley 100 Bike Race a success
The Spring Valley city council held a brief regular meeting on May 23. All council members were present (Mayor Tony Archer, John Dols, Chris Danielson, Luan Ruesink, and Greg Brooks). City Administrator/Clerk Deb Zimmer also participated. No visitors had signed up to address the council. Greg Brooks talked about the Spring Valley 100 bicycle race, which was held May 21. … [Read more...]
Spring Valley council voices speed concerns
The Spring Valley City Council held a regular meeting on May 9. All council members were present (Mayor Tony Archer, John Dols, Chris Danielson, Luan Ruesink, and Greg Brooks). City Administrator/Clerk Deb Zimmer also participated. No visitors had signed up to address the council. The agenda was light, and the meeting lasted only 12 minutes. The item garnering the most … [Read more...]
Wykoff mulls office site options
A regular meeting of the Wykoff City Council was held May 9. All council members were in attendance (Lyle Morey, Barb Fate, Mary Sackett, Mayor Ryan Breckenridge, and Kaleb Himli). City Clerk Becky Schmidt and Deputy Clerk Luan Hare also attended. One item of discussion was what to do about the city’s need for more office and training space. Basically, two options are being … [Read more...]
Mabel names Geving as new fire chief
Mabel’s City Council met on May 11. Council members in attendance included Adam Wilder, Mayor James Westby, Kirsten Wyffels, and Cory Wilson. Also participating were City Clerk Karen Larson and Jeff Rein. The city’s new ambulance was on display outside the community center, and Larson pointed out that Janet Sanden (JWS Graphix) had designed the graphics shown on the … [Read more...]
Ostrander talks trash, chickens, and dogs
During the Ostrander City Council meeting on May 3, the council discussed the city’s garbage and recycling contract with Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS). City Clerk Wendy Brincks explained that, after years of contracting with Waste Management for the city’s services, the city recently entered into a contract with Sunshine Sanitation, but Sunshine was then bought out by … [Read more...]
Administrative changes continuing at Kingsland
The Kingsland School Board met on May 9 for their monthly “work session.” One of the main topics was the status of administrative changes that resulted from the resignation of Superintendent Jim Hecimovich. Principal Scott Klavetter has been named to take over as superintendent when Hecimovich’s tenure at Kingsland ends at the end of June. Due to Hecimovich’s current leave … [Read more...]
Spring Valley hears concerns about street project
The Spring Valley City Council held a regular meeting on April 25. All council members were present (Mayor Tony Archer, John Dols, Chris Danielson, Luan Ruesink, and Greg Brooks). City Administrator/Clerk Deb Zimmer also participated. No visitors had signed up to address the council. Two citizens addressed the council on a concern they have in their neighborhood. Cindy … [Read more...]
Urbaniak era ending at Mabel-Canton
Later this spring, the Mabel-Canton baseball team’s season will come to an end. And with it, the career of Karl Urbaniak will end, after decades of coaching student-athletes and teaching in the classroom. When asked to reflect on his career, Karl shared details on the twisting path that eventually led him to Mabel-Canton. He recalled, “I graduated from high school in 1970. I’m … [Read more...]
Mabel-Canton preps for summer facility upgrade
The Mabel-Canton School Board held a regular monthly meeting on April 19. Members present included Jason Marquardt, Diane Wilder, Traci Livingood, Chris Miller, and Mark Wiedeman. Superintendent Gary Kuphal, Principal Michelle Wiedemann and Lisa Halverson also participated. Cristal Adkins was absent, so Chris Miller led the meeting. Kuphal gave an update on plans for the … [Read more...]
Kingsland appoints Freet to rejoin school board
The Kingsland School Board met on April 18. Members present included Cindy Seabright, Maranda Emig, Kyle Rader, and Jackie Horsman. Superintendent Jim Hecimovich and Natasha Howard were absent. Mabel-Canton’s Superintendent, Gary Kuphal, participated in the meeting, as he is filling in as interim Superintendent during Hecimovich’s leave of absence. Due to the recent … [Read more...]