The
Graphic - Advocate Wednesday
| january 8, 2014|Volume 125| Issue 02
Rockwell City Office 712-297-7544 • advocate@iowatelecom.net - Lake City Office 712-464-3188 • lcgraphic@iowatelecom.net SCC Sports on page 5
www.thegraphic-advocate.com
Welcome the First Baby of 2014
$100
Scott Jacobs named supervisors chairman By Ken Ross Graphic-Advocate Editor Scott Jacobs was named chairman of the Calhoun County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 2, during the organizational meeting of the supervisors that always takes place on the first working day of the new year. The official newspapers for legal publications remain the GraphicAdvocate and the Calhoun County Journal-Herald. Regular weekly meetings will continue to take place on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. with adjustments as needed with notice to the public. Special meetings take place every year during the process of establishing the annual budget. The supervisors traditionally rotate the position of chairman each year. Gary Nicholson, who served as chairman in 2013 was appointed vice chairman at the Jan. 2 meeting. “Now my kids can eat meat, rather than just macaroni and cheese,” Jacobs joked, referring to the $300 extra per year paid to the chairman
The Calhoun County Board of Supervisors shifted positions at their table in the county courthouse as Scott Jacobs (left) took over as chairman from Gary Nicholson (center) during the organizational meeting on Jan. 2. If the makeup of the board remains the same at the start of 2015 and the tradition of rotating the chairman position continues, Dean Hoag (right) will be named chairman at that time. (Graphic-Advocate photo by Ken Ross) of the board. Due to a posting error, an article about the purchase of motor grader at a December meeting did not appear in the Jan. 1 Graphic-Advocate. The board approved purchase of
a 140H Caterpillar motor grader for a net cost of $186,000, which is $288,000 minus a trade-in allowance of $102,000 for a 2001 model. Trevor Dielman, Ziegler cat territory manager, told the board that
this tier 4 intermediate model will be discontinued in a matter of weeks. The final model will be $14,000 to $15,000 more expensive with little or no future added trade-in value.
2013 was year of loss and of victories
Pictured are Allison, Kelli, holding Ava Lou, Chad and Caitlin Stokes with a basket of gifts from Stewart Memorial Community Hospital and its employees. Ava was the New Year Baby, born on Jan. 1, 2014 in Lake City.
2014 New Year Baby arrives at SMCH
Contributed by SMCH The first baby of 2014 at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City has arrived. Ava Lou Stokes was born to parents Kelli and Chad Stokes of Lake City. The New Year baby entered the world at 11:48 PM on Wednesday, Jan. 1, weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches long. She was delivered by Dr. Pablo Amado, Family Practice and Obstetrics Physician. Ava Lou was welcomed by big sisters Caitlin, who will be 11 on Jan. 8, and Allison, age 9, and grandparents Lloyd and Nancy Corey and Jim and Nancy Gebhart, all of Lake City. To celebrate the birth of the New Year baby, the family was given a basket full of gifts. Items included diapers, baby wash and baby wipes all donated by Stewart Memorial Community Hospital. Gifts given by SMCH employees included a book and Tooth Fairy pillow from Jenni Macke, a laundry basket from Mary Ludwig, a hand crocheted baby hat from Julie Wilson, a sleeper outfit from Ashley Smith, a hand crocheted baby hat from Carmen Schamel, a teething toy and baby on board sign from Lee Vogt, a free sitting and 8x10 portrait from Sherry Lampe, a Huggable Friend from Casey Wetter, a TWIG, GRASS, socks, blanket and hair bow from Holly Wuebker, a blanket from Maurine Thieszen, and a blanket and baby wash from Sheila Remsburg. The SMCH Auxiliary donated a plush teddy bear.
Firing up the crowd
The South Central Calhoun pep band entertained the crowd as the Titans basketball teams returned to action in Rockwell City Friday, Jan. 3.
Coach Birks talks to his team
South Central Calhoun head girls basketball coach Dave Birks instructs his team during a time out as the Titans hosted Carroll High Friday, Jan. 3, in Rockwell City. The Titans improved to 9-0 on the season with a 65-18 win. (Photos by Doug Dornath)
Dramatic events in 2013 changed lives in the communities served by the Graphic-Advocate. Some were tragic and others offered signs of hope for the future. Following are some of the stories appearing in the Graphic-Advocate, organized by the month that each article appeared, not necessarily when all the events described in an article occurred. January * U.S. Census officials acknowledged that Rockwell City was undercounted in the 2010 Census and the officials established a base estimator number for 2010 that is 507 people more than the census. However this type of error is not the kind that can be corrected in the official census, according to the officials. An adjustment to the numbers used for distributing road use funds (state gas tax revenue) would require an act of the state legislature. * On Jan, 10 at Emmetsburg, SCC Titan wrestlers won the 2013 Twin Lakes Conference Dual title and on Jan. 12 at Laurens, the Titans won the Twin Lakes Conference title. * After being arrested and charged for alleged multiple counts of harassment of an adult female in Greene County, Lukas McCollough, age 30, was dismissed from the Lake City Police Department. * Because of the SCC Titan Girls’ Basketball team’s successful season, SCC was chosen to host the first two post–season games. February * Tina Meth-Farrington took the oath of office as the Calhoun County Attorney on Feb. 5. The county
board of supervisors appointed Meth Farrington to replace Cynthia Voorde, who resigned for health reasons. Voorde recommended Meth-Farrington for the position. Voorde was honored for her years of service at a reception that same day. * Cynthia Voorde died at her home on Feb. 18, following a struggle with cancer. She was 51 years old, a wife and mother. Voorde served as county attorney for 18 years and was Webster County assistant attorney 7 1/2 years before that. * Six SCC wrestlers qualified for district competition - Tyler Kutz, Chase Goodman; Aron King, Trey Eddy, Zayne Barrett and Rylan Richardson. Goodman and Richardson would later qualify for state competition. * By an overwhelming margin, voters in the Rockwell City/Lytton and the Southern Cal School Districts approved consolidation of the two districts into the South Central Calhoun District, as of July 1, 2014. * Brett Nicholson and Andrew Van Hulzen qualified to perform at the Iowa High School Speech Association All-State Festival on Feb. 16 in Ames. * The South Central Calhoun Girls Basketball Team ended the season 19-5, with a regular season record of 17-4. March * Less than two months after an announcement of the dismissal of a police officer from the Lake City Police Department, Chief Bobby Rist announced the dismissal of a second officer, Dana R. Cook. Rist explained that the two dismissals were unrelated except that the investigation of the officer dismissed earlier, Lukas McCollough, raised questions that led to the investigation of Cook. * For the 2nd year in a row, the SCC Academic Decathlon team has won the small school state championship. This was the 14th consecutive year that (SCC or Southern Cal) has won its regional competition and advanced to the state competition. * Doug Dornath joined the Graphic-Advocate team to cover South Central Calhoun High School sports for the Graphic-Advocate. Dornath is a seasoned pro with experience in Forest City, Kalona, and Marengo before returning to the family farm southeast of Pocahontas to operate the farm and to work parttime as a sports correspondent. * Mandy Reis (now Mandy Meyer, as a result of her marriage to Steve Meyer) joined the GraphicAdvocate staff to work part time in the Lake City Office. April * Jerry Jondle, manager of the newly opened Champion Body Shop in Rockwell City, showed off his shop during an open house on April 10. Jondle has 50 years of body work experience. * After 27 years working in the computer science field in Denver, Colorado, Michele Deluhrey returned to the area where she grew
up and began a new career as a librarian. Recently she was named Lake City Library director. May * The planned truck stop at 4 & 20 is a ‘Go’. Land has been purchased and plans have been drawn for a truck stop to be built on the northwest corner of the Hwy 4 and Hwy 20 interchange, expected to open in 2014. * Leah Rosado was named the new Lake City Betterment director. * Both houses of the Iowa legislature passed a bill that will correct an error in the 2010 census count of Rockwell City for purposes of distributing road use funding, The bill was initially introduced by State Senator Daryl Beall and was sponsored in the House by Rep. Tom Shaw. The correction will increase street project funding an estimated $45,000 per year. * South Central Calhoun’s state track meet qualifiers for 2013 included Jake Petzenhauser (110 high hurdles, 400 hurdles), Sam Spencer (high jump), Ashley Henkenius (100, 200) and Tyffaney Toms (shot put). * Two bids were presented for the Lohrville School building and surrounding property at a joint school board meeting in Lake City. The building had been closed as a result of whole grade sharing. There were also separate bids for part of the property (the bus barn would eventually be sold separately). The Fort Dodge Youth Development program planned on building a residential, educational and mentoring facility for 400 disadvantaged youth between the ages of 16 and 18. (This would later be changed to a seminary and a much smaller residential youth facility.) George Duncan, of Missouri, a contractor who purchases old buildings, placed separate bids for just the building and for the entire package. No action was taken during the May meeting on the bids. June * In what would be an extensive process of exploring the eventual fate of the former school building in Lohrville, a large number of citizens from Lohrville and from other communities in the whole grade sharing Southern Cal and Rockwell City/Lytton districts as well as representatives from Fort Dodge Youth Development gathered at the Lohrville Community Center. Concerns were expressed about having a large juvenile facility in the small town of Lohrville (the downsizing of the youth center proposal was described at the meeting) and about the potential for the new property owners to eventually abandon the project, passing on a demolition expense to the city that would otherwise be a responsibility of the school district. The Lohrville City Council later voted to recommend that the Southern Cal School Board reject both building bids. * David and Wendy Wooldridge, owners of Affiliated Foods in Manson, purchased Jubilee Foods
in Rockwell City from Gary and Janet Nobbe, with the transfer of operations taking place on July 1 and the new store to be called Southside Grocery. * The Calhoun County Board of Supervisors approved final details on a social host ordinance. The ordinance prohibits the owner or person responsible for a property from knowingly allowing consumption of alcohol on the property. The supervisors directed County Attorney Tina MethFarrington to set the fine for a first offense at $750 and for a second offense at $1200. July * Jordan Ukena was crowned 2013 Calhoun County Queen. Hannah DeMoss was named first runner up and Shelby Quade was named second runner up. Ashley Westering was named 2013 Little Miss Calhoun County. Kalie Buenting was named first runner up and Tyjah Sease was named second runner up. * A crime spree that started in Carroll County on or before Sunday, July 7, continued into Calhoun County and culminated in the arrest of two 19-year-old men in Greene County on July 9. Zachary Michael Wailes of Breda and Josey Michael Wilson of Carroll were apprehended in Grand Junction at 9:45 p.m. on July 9. Both Wailes and Wilson are suspected in a string of crimes in Carroll, Calhoun and Greene counties. Inititial charges included theft in the first degree and burglary. * The 2013 South Central Calhoun baseball team won the Class 2A, District 3 baseball title with a 4-2 victory over Maple Valley-AnthonOto, July 20, in Mapleton. August * Four charges, including attempted murder were included in a trial information filed on Aug. 9 against Robert Turner, 44, Rockwell City, who allegedly shot Joseph Hankey, 29, Rockwell City, early in the morning on Aug. 4. Hankey was later released from the hospital. * Football player Nathan Christensen was selected to represent South Central Calhoun High School in the 41st Annual Iowa Shrine Bowl Game. Cheerleaders Lexy Kritenbrink and Hannah DeMoss also represented SCC as two of sixty cheerleaders from the state at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. * Delmer Zinnel of Rockwell City was inducted into the 2013 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair. September * Rockwell City Police Officer Jamie Buenting, 37, was shot at about 1:40 a.m. Sept. 13, during an attempt to arrest a man sought on charges of felonious assault. Buenting was taken to Stewart Memorial Hospital in Lake City where he subsequently died of his wounds. Corey Trott, 32, of Rockwell City, subsequently surrendered to law enforcement and has been charged with first degree murder. YEAR IN REVIEW continued to page 5