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Veteran’s Day Program The Sheffield Veteran’s Day program will be held at the West Fork High School Gym on Monday, Nov. 11 at 8:30 a.m. The speaker will be Bill Pick, Captain ARNG Ret. Bill is a Sheffield resident and member of Harlowe Ray Massee American Legion Post 277. The West Fork High School band will be performing “The Star Spangled Banner� and “ Where Eagles Soar.� The West Fork High School chorus will be performing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.� American Legion Posts from Thornton and Meservey will also be participating in the program. There will also be a brief program at the Sheffield Care Center at 10 a.m.
Auxiliary Soup Supper November 11, Soup Supper for the Sheffield American Legion Post, hosted by the Sheffield American Legion Auxiliary. Anyone who has served in our armed forces but have not joined or registered with our post are invited. Also, any women who would like to be an auxiliary member. If you had a spouse, father, grandfather or son who served in the military, you can join, contact Lou Brown at 892-4404.
Junk dropoff at Hampton Shopko The Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a used appliance drop off on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 7-10:30 a.m., at the southwest corner of the Shopko parking lot in Hampton. Dennis Swieter is a licensed appliance de-manufacturer and will handling the pickup. Residents can bring any of the following appliances and he will haul them away for free: refrigerators/freezers, air conditioning units/dehumidifiers, water heaters/furnaces, washers/dryers, dishwashers/microwaves and ovens/stoves.
Little Brown Church featured in film The historic Windsor Theatre in Hampton, IA will be one of the few locations in IA to showcase the new film “The Little Brown Church in the Vale: The Movie�. The movie is produced and directed by Oskaloosa, Iowa native Brian Hanson, now of Franklin, Tenn. The Little Brown Church in the Vale: The Movie is the delightful story of the The Little Brown Church, the “Church in the Wildwood� song that made it famous, and the people whose lives have been touched by this “little brown church� in Nashua. To date, it has been the home to nearly 74,000 weddings in the last 100 years. It is truly a national treasure. Share the laughter, the tears and the heart warming stories of people that have made the church the destination for their wedding and left with a memory to last forever. The film will be shown one night only, Monday, Nov. 11, at the Windsor Theatre, 103 North Federal Street, Hampton, IA. The show starts at 7 p.m. Brian Hanson will be there to talk about his new film. Seating is limited. For further information, contact Jim Davies via email at jim@coachdavies.net or call the Windsor Theatre at 641-456-4389 and leave a message.
November Old Fashioned Sing-Along Windsor Theatre’s Old Fashioned Sing-Along is Sunday, Nov. 10, 4 to 5 p.m. in Hampton. Please join Dawn Groszkruger, who will lead a variety of songs, including some holiday tunes. Margaret Smith of Hampton will be the accompanist. Some small folks will join us on stage to sing “Jesus Loves Me.� Forty-two people, including some newcomers from Mason City, joined Dawn and Melba for a fun hour of singing in October. Each month seems to being more talent; animal noises seemed to come from all corners of the theater! There is no admission charge. However, if you wish to donate to the theater, a basket is provided. A lyric book will be handed to you as you arrive and you may purchase a treat at the concession stand if you like. For more information, call Dawn at 641-425-8716.
Community Calendar
Monday, Nov. 11 Sheffield American Legion Auxiliary Soup Supper. Tuesday, Nov. 12 AA Meeting at Zion St. John Lutheran Church, Sheffield, at 8 p.m. The Sheffield American Legion Harlo Ray Massee Post 277 meets the second Tuesday of each Month Monday, Nov. 18 West Fork School ol Board, 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19 AA Meetingg n at Zion St. John Lutheran Church,, Sheffield, at 8 p.m.
In this issue: Courthouse/Obituary ........... page 6, 7 Public Notices ....................... page 6, 7 Area Sports .......................... page 9, 10 Classifieds ................................... page 8
Wilson wins Sheffield mayor; McKee, McCaslin council All results are unofficial until the votes are canvassed on Nov. 12 in both Franklin County and Cerro Gordo County.
Sheffield
341 votes cast, 40.31 percent turnout Mayor Nick Wilson, 215 Sheri Bogue, 99 Dennis Kingery, 25 Write-ins, 0 City council (two at-large) Mike McKee, 164 J.C. McCaslin, 161 Sean Cameron (write-in), 96 Karl Sorenson (write-in, 71 James Hagarty (write-in), 62 Shirley Meints, 43 Scattering of write-ins, 9
Rockwell
271 votes cast, 34.39 percent turnout Mayor William Sheldon, 150 Donald Brown, 113 Write-ins, 5 City council (three at-large) James Bills, 169 Tom Worley, 130 Tim Brown, 121 Larry Wentz, 74 Lee Gossweiler, 60 Tonia Rurup, 60 Mark Waite, 56 Mark Lowe, 54 Tony Furbush, 40 Nicole Meyer, 12 Write-ins, 1
Thornton
53 votes cast, 17.15 percent turnout Mayor
West Fork presents two comedies in one night The West Fork drama students will present two oneact comedies on Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in the North Gym. Cost of admission is $4 for adults, and $2 for students. The first comedy, written by Rand Higee, is Crush! Have you ever suddenly found yourself fantasizing about that great-looking person across the room? That’s the situation Tom Algren finds himself in one night in the library when he spies Rhonda. All of Tom’s daydreams come to life on stage as he becomes the cool Bogie, the tough Rambo, and the all-American Superman. The cast includes Alex Jirak, Britta Becker, Taylor Snow, Micayla
Schulz, Brittany Starr, Florencia Frias, and Hailey Lock. C. Robert Jones is the author of the second comedy called The Blabbermouth. What would you do if somebody made you a bet you couldn’t tell the complete truth for the entire morning? Lanky Loosebottom finds himself in this sticky situation until he is put to the test again and again by a devilish and spoiled Pruella Rankin whose meddling causes Lanky much grief and trouble. Who wins the bet? The cast includes Seamus Sullivan, Collin Schoning, Briana Carroll, Keylie Weydert, Katlyn Hill, Brittany Starr, Sydney Kingery, and Sam Hanig.
County assessor sends information about business property tax credit By Jeff Forward Franklin County Assessor Gwana Wirtjes wants to keep the lines of communication open with county businesses and has mailed out a letter to all commercial, industrial and railroad business property owners detailing the new State of Iowa’s Business Property Tax Credit. Wirtjes said she mailed out letters to all business-related property owners in the county on Nov. 1 with details of the tax credit, instructions, and an application to submit. “It’s a big tax credit they’re giving,� Wirtjes said of the tax credit. “It’s kind of complicated for them (applicants). Instead of having people hear about it through the grapevine, I have chosen to send out a letter to all commercial, industrial, and railroad property owners.� Wirtjes said that in simple terms, the tax credit is designed to reduce taxes underneath Gov. Terry Branstad’s campaign promise in 2012 by offering a credit for eligible business property owners in the state. Businesses that lease land as well as landowners can both get credit, Wirtjes said. However, Wirtjes emphasized, the tax credit does not apply to residential or agriculture classified property. The tax credit is part of the largest tax cut in Iowa history, PROPERTY TAX to page 6
Brian Crowell, 51 Write-ins, 0 City council (two at-large) Shelby Steenhard, 43 Randall Bohman, 41 Write-ins, 6
Swaledale
(no candidates on ballot) – 45 votes cast, 34.35 percent turnout Mayor (most write-ins win seat) John Drury, 34 Other write-ins, 11 City council (top two votegetters win seats) Roger Myhre, 28 Darwin Hanson, 17 Yvonne Reicherts, 16 Other write-ins, 2 Library levy Yes: 24 (55.81 percent) No: 19 (44.19 percent)
Meservey
28 votes cast, 17.72 percent turnout Mayor Richard Miller, 25 Write-ins, 3 City council (two at-large) Patrick White, 25 Scott Brown, 22 Write-ins, 5 Public measure – library Yes: 24 (88.89 percent) No: 3 (11.11 percent)
Dougherty
17 votes cast, 37.78 percent of votes cast Mayor Lynn Nagel, 17 Write-ins, 0 City council (two at-large) Amy Noss, 17 Nikki Nagel, 13 Write-ins, 3
Hampton
808 votes cast, 30.35 percent turnout Mayor Brook Boehmler, 566 Diane Weldin, 235 Write-ins, 2 Council – At-large Richard Lukensmeyer, 701 Write-ins, 19 Council – Ward II James Davies, 204 Write-ins, 3 Council – Ward IV Jay Hickman, 183 Write-ins, 7
Franklin County Sheriff’s Dept. gets new drug-sniffing dog By Jeff Forward The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department has a new drug-sniffing dog – Sarge – and is asking the public to help fund the canine officer with donations. Sheriff’s Deputy Adam Blau got Sarge on Oct. 28 and was in the initial stages of becoming acquainted with his new canine partner last week. This week, the duo will be in Cherokee, where they will undergo intensive officer-dog training exercises to further acclimatize each other to their mission of working together to find illegal drugs. “Basically, we go through every scenario you have; to put the dog through every scenario in case they’re not used to it,� Blau said of the week-long training. “We’ll set up a bunch of boxes in a room and he’ll have to go through them and find the drugs.� Blau will be the only handler for Sarge in the department and will keep the dog at his personal home with his family. The dog will be used to locate illegal drugs in cars, buildings, schools or other locations deemed to be suspicious. Sarge can detect nine different illegal drugs: marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamine, heroin, black tar heroin, hash, “ice� methamphetamine and crack cocaine. “It pinpoints each one of those odors,� Blau said of the illegal drugs. “It’s a very strenuous activity for the dog.� The sheriff’s department is actively seeking donations from the public to help fund
“Sarge� and his handler, Franklin County sheriff’s Deputy Adam Blau, have some fun time outside the Franklin County Law Enforcement Center on Oct. 29. (Photos by Jeff Forward) Sarge. “We’ve made a downpayment on him,� Blau said of the purchase of Sarge, who cost $6,000. “Anybody that would like to donate can come into the Sheriff’s Office and ask to donate to the canine fund.� Franklin County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Linn Larson, who is the department’s canine supervisor, said that law enforcement service dog expenses do not come from taxpayer dollars and the “canine fund� the sheriff’s department keeps is based on donations. “It helps fund the on-going costs of dog training, state and federal certification, upkeep such as food and medical
bills,� Larson said of the fund. “It comes out of the dog fund. It’s kind of a living, growing fund.� Sarge is a two-year-old Golden Retriever and is what is termed in law enforcement as a nine-scent, non-aggressive drug-sniffing dog. Sarge replaces the old sheriff’s department canine officer – Blue – who has been retired due to old age and health problems. Blau has taken possession of Blue and is keeping him as a family dog. Sarge is not an attack dog, Blau noted, and will not ever go after anyone in an aggressive manner. DOG to page 6
Swaledale boy killed in grain truck accident By Nick Pedley Area residents are morning the death of a young boy following a grain truck accident Nov. 1 near the Five Star CoOp on Main Street in Swaledale. Devlin Obregon, 7, was playing alongside the road with friends around 6:43 p.m. when the accident occurred. According to a preliminary investigation by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Obregon and other children were running alongside grain trucks and attempting to get them to honk their horns as they pulled into the elevator. Cerro Gordo County Sheriff Kevin Pals said Obregon apparently got too close to a truck driven by Robert Quinlan, 37, of Rockwell, and was hit when Quinlan turned into the elevator from the north. The investigation is ongoing, but Pals said it appears Obregon was running in Quinlan’s blind spot and wasn’t visible to him when he made the turn.
“Everyone’s going to want answers about why this seven-year-old in Swaledale died after getting hit by a grain truck,� Pals said. “But that’s why they call them accidents. It’s just a terrible situation to even be in.� The Rockwell-Swaledale EMTs, Swaledale Fire Department, Mercy Air Life, Iowa State Patrol and Mason City Fire Medics assisted the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office at the scene. A release from the sheriff’s office said Obregon was transported to Mercy Medical Center North Iowa where he was later pronounced dead. Pals said the Iowa State Patrol is assisting with the accident investigation. However, he said criminal charges against Quinlan were unlikely. “We don’t expect any at this point,� Pals said on Monday. “Our preliminary investigation at the scene didn’t give us any reason to think there will be any later, either.�
Submitted photo courtesy of Major Erickson Funeral Home and the Obregon family. Rockwell-Swaledale EMT Service Director Adam Wedmore was unable to comment on the accident, but said it was a difficult call for the local group to receive “When something like this happens in a small town, it’s tough,� he said. Pals said the accident was
tragic, and something he hasn’t experienced during his career in law enforcement. “It was just kids playing around,â€? said Pals. “I’ve never had anything like this. First time ever.â€? Obregon was described as a fun-loving boy in his obituary. He loved animals and had many pets, enjoyed playing sports and liked cheering for the West Fork Warhawks and Iowa Hawkeyes. He also enjoyed PokĂŠmon, Bay Blades, hiking, riding bike and being a good brother to all of his sisters. “Devlin was a loving, happy and smart boy with an infectious smile. He had a huge heart and never hesitated to help anyone,â€? read his obituary. Obregon was a second grader at West Fork. The district didn’t have classes on Monday due to a scheduled faculty development day, but Superintendent Darrin Strike said workers from the AEA
267 Crisis Response Team were on hand to help faculty and district patrons cope with the tragedy. He said a note was sent out welcoming both students and parents to the use the AEA’s services if they needed help. Strike said the district was thankful for the team’s assistance. He explained the agency helps people work through grief, and said they planned on being there to assist students and faculty when classes resumed Tuesday. “Our district has been saddened by this event. I’ve observed a lot of people supporting one another,� said Strike. “It’s something that’s never happened in my seven years here. It’s one of those things that once it happens, it’s one too many.� Funeral services for Obregon were held on Wednesday at Faith Baptist Church in Mason City. Memorials may be directed to the Devlin Obregon Memorial Fund.