The
Ogden Reporter
DEDICATED TO MAINTAINING A VIBRANT COMMUNITY VOLUME 138
OGDEN, IOWA 50212 - WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2013
NUMBER 20
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Local man leads police on chase, is later arrested An Ogden man was arrested and charged with eluding and assault following an incident early last week. Ronnie Paul Dickerson, 50, allegedly threatened an officer with a large knife then led law enforcement officers on a chase that ended in a vehicle rollover with the subject being tasered. According to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, officers responded to a car weaving in and out of the ditch on E-26 north of Ogden around 5:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9. A deputy and Ogden Police of-
ficer located the car. That’s when the subject reportedly pulled a knife then fled the scene in his vehicle. Dickerson lost control when a tire blew out and rolled into a ditch. Officers pushed the vehicle back onto its wheels and towed it to the road. Authorities said Dickerson continued to threaten officers, who eventually subdued him with the use of a taser. Dickerson was taken to Boone County Hospital for treatment of injuries, then transported to Boone County Jail.
School election Wade Sundell continues to night results Ogden Community School Dis- win big trict held its school board election
NW Fourth Street railroad crossing - one of four crossings involved with the quiet zone project. -Ogden Reporter photo
City council presented with petition supporting quiet zone There has been a major effort in the community encouraging city officials to move forward with a proposed project that will silence train whistles through town. The Ogden City Council held its regular meeting Sept. 3. On the agenda was discussion of the proposal to develop a quiet zone for Ogden. Matt Van Sickle of Ogden presented “A petition to the council and mayor of the City of Ogden, Iowa in support of a Quiet Zone in Ogden, Iowa” for a group of Ogden residents interested in implementing a quiet zone. He also presented seven letters in support of a quiet zone signed by business persons. What is a Quiet Zone? According to the Federal Rail Administration, a quiet zone is created in a community when the railroads have been directed to cease the routine sounding of horns when approaching public highway-rail grade crossings. The community desiring to establish a quiet zone is required to mitigate the increased risk caused by the absence of a horn with safety improvements that are approved by both the railroad and the FRA. Train horns may still be used in emergency situations or to comply with other Federal regulations or railroad operating rules. What is Ogden’s Quiet Zone proposal? Ogden developed the first quiet zone proposal in 2011. A public hearing was held in June 2011. The engineering firm Bolton & Menk was hired to develop a proposal that included safety improvements to quiet the train horns at Ogden’s four railroad crossings. Another public meeting was held in June of 2013 and in response to concerns raised by affected businesses, the plan was modified. The plan includes installing a non-mountable median, widening of the pavement and new signage at the four crossings, Below is a summary of other changes that would need to be implemented at each location. NW 7th Street Improvements include: • The north median would be 2 feet wide and 100 feet in length • South median would be only 80 feet in length to allow unimpeded traffic flow on to W. Walnut Street. • The pavement width will need to widen in areas where the median is installed to accommodate the current traffic demand. • Curb and gutter should be installed south of this crossing to aid in drainage and access control near the crossing. The curb and gutter improvements will take into account providing access to the lumber yard from NW 7th Street. • Provide turning improvements for a WB-50 semi-truck/tractor • Add an entrance to the school
bus barn and the lumber yard NW 4th Street The improvements recommended for NW 4th Street include restripping the downtown parking area. Improvements include: • North and south median would be 2 feet wide and 100 feet in length. The full median length will have minimal impact on traffic while providing a significant positive impact to the safety of the crossing. • The pavement width will need to widen north of the crossing to allow adequate space for vehicular traffic. The pavement width south of the crossing is sufficient; however, curb and gutter should be installed for a portion south of the crossing to limit access to NW 4th Street near the crossing. • Re-stripe the parking area south of the crossing to allow for angle parking. The installation of the median in this area will limit the ability to park vehicles using the current configuration. The spacing recommended for the parking will provide the same amount of stalls N 1st Street Improvements include: • South median to be 2 feet wide and 100 feet in length on the south side of the crossing • North median to be 2 feet wide and only 80 feet in length north of the crossing to provide to allow WB50 trucks to enter and exit Locust Street west of 1st Street • Shift the Locust Street approach to the north to line up with the street to the east. • Widen pavement in areas where the median is installed as much as practical without requiring improvements to rail crossing to accommodate semi truck and farm equipment traffic. • Remove the west sidewalk, which would contain all pedestrian traffic to the east sidewalk crossing. This would limit the conflicts with pedestrians at the crossing and reduce construction costs and future maintenance concerns. NE 3rd Street Improvements include: • South median would be 2 feet wide and 100 feet in length • North median will be only 60 feet in length to allow traffic to utilize NE Locust Street unimpeded. • Widen pavement in areas where the median is installed to provide adequate room for all types of vehicles currently using this crossing. • Add a sidewalk on the north side of this crossing to allow pedestrian traffic to cross at this location to contain pedestrian traffic to provide for fewer conflict points and a safer crossing. QUIET ZONE please turn to page two
Tuesday, Sept. 10. A total of 190 voters cast ballots to fill the two director at large seats. Pete Bergstrom and Camille Sloan Schroeder were elected to four-year terms. Following are the unofficial results. Pete Bergstrom.................99 Chet J. Hollingshead ..........6 Camille Sloan Schroeder ..81 Others .................................4
Saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell of Boxholm is having another great year in the rodeo circuit. The Ogden Reporter will be keeping you updated on his recent success. Watch future issues.
Planning a fun-filled Oktoberfest, Oct. 6 Ogden will be having its annual Oktoberfest festival Sunday, Oct. 6 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at the city park. This festival is a thank you from the businesses to the community. Oktoberfest is traditionally a day filled with simple family fun, food and entertainment for all. It also provides a chance to showcase the business, church, recreation and service organizations we have in the community. Anyone interested in planning an activity, a game, a contest, a food stand or in sponsoring some entertainment, is asked to contact either Pat Dobelis (275-4529) or Donna Ohlson (230-0253) co-chairs of the 2013 Oktoberfest planning committee. Crop Walk for Hunger Ogden will be walking to fight hunger here and around the world with a Crop Hunger Walk Sunday, Oct. 6 during Oktoberfest. The walk begins at 1 p.m. at the city park. Twenty-five percent of all donations will go to Ogden Food Pantry. To register as a walker, make a donation or for more information, contact Immanuel Lutheran Church (515-275-2164) or Community United Methodist Church (515-275-4015). Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will match up to $400 of all funds raised.
Voters were also asked to support two DMACC levies. The Equipment levy passed county-wide by a vote of 908 in favor and 288 opposed. The Plant levy passed countywide by a vote of 876 to 322.
See inside: A special tab featuring Courtesy coffee is planned
your Ogden Bulldog football, volleyball and cross country teams.
Seeking members for school advisory council
The Ogden Community Women’s Courtesy Coffee will be held Wednesday, Sept. 25 at McGraw Senior Citizen Center in downtown Ogden. Coffee and assorted rolls and muffins will be served from 9 a.m. to noon. Everyone is welcome.
Keeping our students safe The Ogden school district staff members gathered last Wednesday afternoon for special violent incident survival training known as ALICE. The goal of the training was to prepare them with knowledge should they be in a situation such as an active shooter scenario. The school district and local law enforcement conducted mock intruder drills during the 2 1/2 hour training session at the high school after students had left for an early dismissal day. In light of recent school and workplace shootings, school districts are re-examining the traditional lock-down protocol that takes place when there is a violent situation on the premises. Emphasis is leaning towards taking a more pro-active response. The Ogden Reporter will be talking with school administrators, local police as well as other participants for a more in-depth story next week.
One scenario during ALICE training at the high school had Police Chief Mick Bailey, pretending to be a gunman, roaming the halls and shooting at people. Discussion ensued about how best to respond in that situation. -Photo provided
Kingham’s new ocean racing Surfski kayak was developed in Australia as a lifesaving vessel, then later modified for racing.
The 18’ long 21” wide carbon/kevlar/fiberglass body is designed to cut through the ocean waves. -Photo provided
The Ogden Community School District is looking for parents, students, teachers, local business, industry and labor representatives to serve on the district’s School Improvement Advisory Council. This council will be looking at major educational needs in the district, student learning goals and long-range state indicators that address reading, math and science achievement. The recommendations from this committee are then directed to our Board of Education. The meetings for this year will be on the 3rd Monday of the month. The first meeting of the year will be Monday, Oct. 21, beginning at 7 p.m. in the High School Cafeteria. If you are interested in serving on this committee please contact Brad Jermeland, Superintendent, at our district office: 275-2894. Please consider being part of this dedicated team.
Gary Kingham is silver medalist at nat’l. championship Newago, MI hosted the USCA National Canoe & Kayak Championships on the Muskegon River Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 8-11.Competitors were from 16 foreign countries and 38 states. The course included four miles on Croton Lake a portage over a dam
and re-entering Muskegon River for eight winding miles of downriver rocks and rapids. Kingham led his Sea Kayak division from the start until the last half mile when a rock damaged his rudder, slowing progress just enough to be overtaken at the finish by 12
seconds. “I saw this guy coming up on me and we raced ‘boat-to-boat’,” related Kingham. “I tried to sprint to the finish but just couldn’t get any more speed out of the boat. My GPS was reading seven to eight miles per hours. I thought maybe I was tapped
out. After we finished and lifted the boat out I saw the bent rudder and thought ‘oh boy.’ Well there is always next year.” The following weekend at the nine-mile Great Iowa River Race in Iowa City, Kingham won gold in the Sea Kayak division.