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• Santa Clara Vanguard
The Santa Clara Vanguard drum corps will rehearse today on Clarke’s practice field, football field and soccer field. The practice is to prepare for their performance in Waukee for the Celebration in Brass that evening.
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Ridgely resigns from Clarke’s curriculum director position By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
Clarke Community School District is looking for a new curriculum director. Lance Ridgely, the district’s curriculum director, accepted the position of East Union Ridgely ( E U ) Community School District superintendent Tuesday, June 16. His resignation was approved during a Clarke Community School Board meeting Thursday, June 25. In a resignation letter to the school board, Ridgely stated, “Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Clarke schools this year as your curriculum director. My time with the district this year will add a valuable chapter to my educational experience. Clarke is headed in a positive direction and I’m proud to say I’ve been a part of the positive changes that have been made.” Ridgely stated he was resigning from his position effective June 30. Ridgely was in the Clarke school district for one calendar school year. Superintendent goals It was no secret his career aspirations were to be a superintendent one day. In April 2014, Ridgely was named one of the top three candidates in the search for the Clarke superintendent position. The position was awarded to Steve Seid. When the curriculum di-
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, former Republican governor of Arkansas, left, greets the Stalcup family during a campaign stop at Nana Greer’s Family Table restaurant Wednesday, June 24.
Conservative ideals Huckabee makes presidential campaign stop in Osceola By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
Campaigning Huckabee made a point of trying to shake everybody’s hand and introduce himself. His wife Janet was also in attendance at the event. The presidential hopeful isn’t new to political stumping throughout the state of Iowa. Huckabee was the winner of the 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses, but he lost the eventual nomination to John Mc-
Cain. Huckabee said he will travel to the 99 counties in Iowa, just like he did in his 2008 campaign. Governor experience The pro-life Arkansas native touted his political experience, which included
It has begun again, even in Osceola — presidential campaign stops. On Wednesday, June 24, presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, a Republican from Arkansas, visited Nana Please see Greer’s Family Table restaurant. HUCKABEE, Page 4 Huckabee is campaigning in Iowa in advance of the state’s caucuses for the Republican nomination for the 2016 election. So far, there are 14 major candidates vying for the top spot in the Republican primaries. “Yes, I want to be quarterback of the team, so do they,” Huckabee said. “But, I don’t want to be the quarterback because I broke the legs of all the other people trying out. I want to be the quarterback of the team by playing a better game and convincing people that I would be the best person to take our team to the Superbowl and win.” At the restaurant, it was packed with OST photo by AMY HANSEN about 45 to 50 people in attendance, Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, former Republican governor of mostly middle-aged people, but there Arkansas, gives a campaign speech during a stop at Nana Greer’s Family were also a few young families, too. Table restaurant Wednesday, June 24.
rector position opened up at Clarke last summer, Seid recommended Ridgely to fill the administrative position starting Aug. 12. The contract last August was only a one-year contract. At Clarke, Ridgely’s annual salary and days were prorated for the 2014-15 school year based on $80,000 and 240 days. By the time this article is published, Ridgely will have stepped into the East Union position held since 2008 by superintendent Pam Vogel. His superintendent duties were scheduled to start July 1. On Tuesday, June 16, Ridgely tweeted, “Excited to be given the chance to serve the East Union Schools as Superintendent! Looking forward to getting to work, #GoEagles.” The East Union School Board made their superintendent decision during a work session, in which it discussed the three finalists for the position with the superintendent search firm Leadership Associates. “He’s a very personable individual. He basically has a plan in place of what he would do in the first 90 days,” said Mark Weis, EU high school principal. “I think he was a candidate that everyone all the way around felt was a good fit for East Union.” Send off During Clarke’s board meeting, Ridgely thanked the board members for the opportunity to serve the district, even for a short period of time. “I won’t be that far away, Please see RIDGELY, Page 4
Officials discuss dealing with animal abuse in Clarke County By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
You might recall the recent story of the puppy named Caitlyn whose snout was grotesquely taped shut by its owner. The dog from South Carolina was in critical condition for a long time and could have lost part of its tongue. Luckily, Caitlyn’s story has a happy ending, but that’s not the case for all animals. If you think animal abuse can’t happen here, you’d be wrong. Animal abuse is prevalent, even in Clarke County. Joy Durham, manager of Clarke County Animal Shelter, said there’s a lot of animal torture and cruelty in the state of Iowa, and laws are too vague to adequately provide help. “There’s not a lot of reSINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
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course for the police because the laws say it needs to have food, water and shelter,” Durham said. “It doesn’t say what the shelter needs to look like. It doesn’t say what’s adequate shelter. It doesn’t say when it needs to be fed, when the water needs to be refreshed. It can be tied out 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” She said none of the offenses are felonies because they are “ticketable” misdemeanors. Durham said, with an animal torture charge, one of the punishments is the offender doing community service at an animal shelter. “You wouldn’t want to take a kid that’s been abused, and then have a child abuser go and volunteer at the orphanage,” she said. Hands are tied According to Durham, many times the police and local animal officials’ hands
are tied because there’s not a rule or law for action against a perpetrator and help for an animal. Osceola Police Chief Marty Duffus said the biggest issue for the department is the Duffus definitions of the laws. He said people will often call law enforcement and give complaints of abuse. However, when officials will go out and look at the situation, they “maybe don’t agree.” “So, therefore, it looks like we didn’t do anything,” Duffus said. “When really, we’re just acting on how the code has interpreted over many years, and exactly what it is Please see ANIMAL ABUSE, Page 4
Index Church Directory ...... 3B Classifieds ............... 6-7 Editorial ........................4 Neighbors ....................5
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Joy Durham, Clarke County Animal Shelter manager, holds a pit bull outside the shelter.
Obituary .......................3 Public Notices .............5 Record .........................2 Sports.................. 1B-2B
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Don’t Forget Fourth of July
Festivities for Osceola’s Fourth of July celebration begin today and continue until Sunday.
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