Hatten chosen
Veterans’ Appreciation
as Emerging Woman of influence
day set for this Sunday Pg. 8
Pg. 7
Ida County’s Official Newspaper
Courier Ida County
Vol. 42, No. 33 Ida Grove, Iowa
w ww.idacountycourier.com
Wednesday,, August 16, 2017 Wednesday
IG council looks at recrea on project, endorses no parking ordinance
News GLIMPSE
❚ by MIKE THORNHILL
Ida Legion dedicates Freedom Rock Page 2
Horn offers opioid ed. to community Page 7
Upcoming Events Farm to Fork Dinner Friday, August 18 6-8 pm Old Town Vineyard Ida Grove
Cushing Firemen’s Dance Saturday, August 19 8 pm
Photo by: Deb Loger | Ida County Courier
Registration: Parents of O-A/BC-IG students were busy registering their kids for the upcoming school year Aug. 7 in Odebolt. From left, Ashley Petersen helps mom Amber Callahan, daughter Camryn Ludwig and dad Brian Ludwig register.
Cushing Fire Sta on
Cushing Firemen’s Barbecue
Classes resume Aug. 23—
Sunday, August 20 5:30-7:30 pm
Area schools ready for students
Cushing Fire Sta on
Kiron Heritage Days August 19 & 20
Steak Night Thursday, August 24 7-9 pm Firehouse, Holstein
IG Kiwanis Grill Out Thursday, August 24 4:30-6:30 pm Godbersen Park Ida Grove
3-Day Forecast Wed 8/16
78° | 61° Thunderstorm
Thurs 8/17
80° | 59° Partly Cloudy
Fri 8/18
81° | 60° Chance of a Thunderstorm
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Area school of icials report that they are ready has been selected and includes; Stephanie Konrafor classes to resume and highlight some changes di - president, Brad Lundell - vice president, Tony students will experience on the irst day of school. Bennett, Crystal Endrulat, Myra Meek, Stacy RaClasses begin Wednesday, Aug. 23, for Odebolt- asch and Jeff Rasmussen. The OABCIG Board certiArthur/Battle Creek-Ida Grove students and Ridge ied 510 valid petition signatures and called for a View, Galva-Holstein Elementary and Schaller- $16,400,000 general obligation bond referendum Crestland Elementary students. be placed on the school board election ballot on O-A/BC-IG Tuesday, Sept. 12, to fund upgrades to the elemen“As we prepare to begin the 2017-18 school year tary/middle school building in Odebolt and the let me irst welcome everyone to the Odebolt-Ar- high school building in Ida Grove. thur and Battle Creek-Ida Grove Community School “Information about the proposed project will be District. It has been a very busy couple of months posted on the district website at www.oabcig.org,” for the school districts said Kenealy. “Informawith the passage of the tion will also be availspecial election vote on able at a number of soon June 27 to merge the to be scheduled comtwo districts beginning munity meetings, open with the start of the houses with building 2018-19 school year. tours and other events The 2017-18 school designed to provide payear will be the inal trons the opportunity year for the Odeboltto become informed on Arthur Community the proposals and what School District and for they all entail, how the the Battle Creek-Ida project would be fundGrove Community —Terry Kenealy ed and what impact the School District and we project would have on O-A/BC-IG Superintendent are committed to make the property owners of this a fantastic year for the school district. The our students, staff, famschedule for the meetilies and patrons. It will ings and building tours be a special year for everyone involved,” said O-A/ will be published in the near future and informaBC-IG Superintendent Terry Kenealy. tion will be distributed in various formats beginKenealy said in addition the initial board of di- ning the week of Aug. 14.” (continued on page 3) rectors of the OABCIG Community School District
We are excited about the beginning of the 2017-18 school year and we hope that you are too. Working together we can make this a fantastic school year.
G-H/S-C boards approve staff contracts ❚ by MIKE THORNHILL
The Galva-Holstein and Schaller-Crestland school boards approved staff contracts and shared staff positions Aug. 7. Both boards approved the following shared positions— Bret Warnke, high school principal; Scott Mitchell, athletic director; Jarod Mozer, middle school principal and middle school athletic director; Craig Fox, maintenance director; Dale Tokheim, high school
social studies instructor; Clay Drenth, high school Ag; Amanda Schnuckel, elementary music; Angie Lussman, ESL; Angie Kohn, high school art; Susan Kalin, guidance counselor; Jeanne Bell, TAG and Linda Mentzer, teacher librarian. The G-H board approved contract modi ications for Jessica Christensen and Shannon Tesch who both requested lane and salary advancements based on credit hours accumulated. Christensen moved
from BA + 15 Step 4 ($39,893) to BA + 24 Step 4 ($40,574). Tesch moved from BA + 24 Step 12 ($50,521) to MA Step ($51,824). The S-C board approved a contract with Mozer, elementary and middle school principal and middle school athletic director at wage of $76,005, which is a 1.34 percent increase from $75,000. His athletic director salary will increase to $2,535 from $2,500. (continued on page 2)
The Ida Grove City Council discussed a possible recreation development project and set limits on front yard parking at its meeting Monday, Aug. 7. City Councilman Doug Clough brought an idea to the council relating to recreation in the community suggested by former Ida Grove resident Tim Albrecht, who now serves as an aide to Governor Kim Reynolds. Clough said the idea is to form the Ida Grove Recreation Valley, which would market the combination of the trails in Moorehead Park and the Pleasant Valley Trail in Ida Grove and all of the recreation opportunities that are located near the trails, including camping, ishing, etc., in Moorehead Park and Cobb Park, the golf course, Ida Grove Rec Center and the new Kiwanis ball ields that are near Pleasant Valley Trail. Clough also noted the Odebolt Creek could possibly be developed for use as white water rafting or tubing. Clough said he wasn’t sure how the water sports feature would be developed, or if it is at all possible, but three or four other communities in the state have developed similar projects. Clough added Department of Natural Resources (DNR) grant funds may be available to help pay for the water project. Clough noted, “If the council is interested in this, I’ll continue to explore what is possible. I think we need to come up with ways
to attract people to the community and to keep the community viable.” The council gave Clough the go ahead to ind out what options may be available to the city to develop the recreation valley. The council adopted a resolution amending the city ordinance to prohibit vehicle parking in front yards. A front yard is de ined as anywhere between the front of a house or other building and the street, except on a driveway. A corner lot is considered to have two front yards, one facing each street. Grass or dirt areas are not considered as driveways. A driveway is de ined as a paved area designated for the purpose of parking a motor vehicle. Rock or gravel driveways with or without a curb are considered a valid driveway if installed prior to the effective date of the ordinance. Exceptions are granted for the sole purpose of actively loading or unloading contents to or from a vehicle and building. The duration of the loading and unloading may not exceed four consecutive hours and is not permissible between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Unless a curb has been cut for the purpose of accessing a driveway, driving over a curb to park in the city right of way or front yard is prohibited. Parking a vehicle where a portion of the vehicle is in the street and a portion of the vehicle is in (continued on page 3
Holstein council votes to sell property ❚ by DEB LOGER
The Holstein City Council approved selling properties at 123 and 125 South Kiel Street Aug. 7 following a public hearing and a closed session. City Attorney Thad Cosgrove’s suggestion to approve a motion to employ a realtor/auctioneer to consult on the method of sale of the property to not include sealed bids was approved. Councilman Rod Regennitter abstained from both votes. Cosgrove will draft a resolution pertaining to the sale of the property. Prior to going into closed session (5:43 to 6:15 p.m.), VT Industries Chief Financial Of icer Randy Gerritsen spoke during the public hearing, stating VTI was interested in purchasing the lots for multi-development housing. Gerritsen said VT is in the process of adding on to its Holstein facility and, in the near future, will hire 40 to 50 individuals to staff this new addition. “We aren’t looking at low-income housing;
we are considering multi-development housing, such as apartments or town houses. We have nothing laid out. We understand the zoning states 2.5 stories, and we were thinking three stories with underground parking. Something like this would bene it us and the community.” Pastor Dori Collogan of the United Methodist Church commented the church’s concern was that the property stay residential, not be zoned commercial. Rita Frahm of Ida County Economic Development was present to discuss the Iowa Economic Development Site Certi ication Program. Frahm said, “Companies looking to build new facilities are searching for sites that are suitable for development and relatively risk free. Certi ied sites ill the demand for project-ready industrial sites - making the decision to locate in Iowa easy. Certi ied sites are marketed at no cost by various statewide (continued on page 5)