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Ida County’s Official Newspaper

Courier Ida County

Vol. 42, No. 36 Ida Grove, Iowa

w ww.idacountycourier.com

Wednesday,, September 6, 2017 Wednesday

Ida County supervisors approve wind turbine rules

News GLIMPSE

❚ by STEVE PETERSON

OABCIG building improvements’ vote Page 2

O-A, BC-IG open school board seats Page 3

G-H, S-C open school board seats Page 5

Upcoming Events Pancake/Sausage Breakfast Sunday, September 10 11 am-12:30 pm First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall Ba le Creek

IG Fire Department Community Barbecue Monday, September 11 4:30-7 pm Fire Sta on, Ida Grove

IG Library Fundraiser Friday, September 15 11 am-1 pm Food Pride Parking Lot Ida Grove

Omelet Brunch Sunday, September 17 10:30 am-1 pm St. John’s Lutheran Church, Ba le Creek

3-Day Forecast Wed 9/6

68° | 46° Mostly Sunny

Thurs 9/7

74° | 51° Partly Cloudy

Fri 9/8

76° | 50° Sunny

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ GoingsOnInTheGrove

Follow us on Twi er @IdaCoCourier

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Butcher inducted: Robert “Bob” L. Butcher of Holstein was inducted into the 2017 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair on Sunday, Aug. 20, as Ida County’s inductee. From left, Butcher, Emily Saveraid, Iowa 4-H Foundation executive director, and Tillie Bell Good, volunteer development specialist.

4-H Hall of Fame inducts Bob Butcher Robert L. Butcher of Ida County was inducted into the 2017 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair on Sunday, Aug. 20. Ninety-four Iowa counties participated this year and selected 121 inductees for their outstanding service and dedication to 4-H. Inductees or their surviving family members were presented a certificate by the Iowa 4H Foundation President Doug Den Adel and State 4-H Program Leader John-Paul Chaisson-Cárdenas, as they were introduced on stage. Butcher was raised on the family farm south of Holstein. Butcher followed in the footsteps of his parents, Robert J. and Betty, who were very active in 4-H as well as his two siblings. He was a nine-year member of

the Battle Badgers 4-H Club. Some of his key accomplishments included attending State 4-H Youth Conference, National 4-H Club Congress and had many award winning cattle and pigs. He has such fond 4-H memories of showing livestock at the county and state fairs and Ak-Sar-Ben. He also enjoyed being on the county livestock judging team and participating in contests around the state. After graduating from Iowa State University in 1974 with a degree in animal science, he began his career in banking but never lost touch in staying involved with the family farm. He encouraged and supported his four children (Katie, Wendy, Andrew and Ben) in their 4-H activities over a span of 17 years. He enjoys helping at the hog show each year (continued on page 3)

At an Aug. 28 meeting, with about 40 interested members of the public in attendance, Ida County supervisors voted two to one to move forward with the planning and zoning board of appeals’ recommendations on any future proposed wind turbine projects. Voting in favor of the recommendations were supervisors Rhett Leonard and Creston Schubert. Supervisor Ray Drey voted against. The recommendations include: the minimum separation distance shall be 1,500-feet from an occupied residence; the purchaser of the wind farm shall make accommodations for a call-complaint hotline and present a log of complaints, responses and actions taken to the county on a monthly basis and the developer shall place turbines so that there is a maximum of 30 hours of light licker on an occupied residence per year. The existing ordinance already states noise shall not exceed 50 decibels at an occupied residence. Supervisors voted in the same manner to accept the planning and zoning recommendation’s decision Aug. 3 to disapprove a citizens’ petition. At the two-hour meeting’s outset, opponent Mason Fleenor said that the planning and zoning recommendations do not go far enough. “The 1,500-feet is way too low. This does nothing to ix phase one. They should be

one mile away,” said Fleenor. He also mentioned the negative impact on his and others’ quality-of-life. What is new information is there will be lawsuits. Iowa State University has estimated a 15 to 30 percent drop in property values,” said Fleenor. “Of the 134 towers, less than 80 of the property land owners want them who have signed leases and it took a year for that 80. If you put it to a vote of the whole people in the county, it would be a lot different than just 7 percent who signed the petition,” said Drey, who called for a moratorium against wind turbines in the county. Drey said some landowners would have more than one tower on their land. Plus, they may actually live out of Ida County. “If you made it a requirement that people live where the turbines would be going up, how many would be built?” said one audience member. Drey said that would make it impossible for wind turbine proposals to make a pro it. “They don’t know who the majority is. A total of 78 people want them, but more than 500 people publicily signed a petition saying they don’t,” said Deb Bagenstos of Citizens for Ida County. A concern of those in attendance at the courtroom meeting was if the county would get the windfall from the turbines or if the state legislature would spread the wealth (continued on page 2)

Sept. 12—

School board elec ons Tuesday Area voters will go to the polls Tuesday, Sept. 12, from noon to 8 p.m. to vote for open seats on area school boards. OABCIG voters will also vote on a $16.4 million general bond referendum for improvements to the OABCIG Elementary/ Middle School and OABCIG High School. O-A/BC-IG and OABCIG polling places are as follows: Odebolt-Arthur: Odebolt Fire Station—Sac and Crawford Counties; Arthur Community Building—Ida County voters. BC-IG: Voters from the City of Battle Creek and Battle, Gar ield, Grand and Maple Townships in Ida County, Crawford County and Woodbury County will vote at the Battle Creek Community Building, 115 Main St. Voters from the City of Ida Grove Wards 1, 2 and 3 and Blaine, Corwin, Hayes, Logan and Silver Creek Townships in Ida County will vote at the Ida

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Grove Rec Center, 311 Barnes, St. BC-IG and G-H voters will also vote for a Western Iowa Tech Community College District 2 director seat. Curtis Johnson is running unopposed for the seat. G-H/S-C polling places are as follows: Galva-Holstein: Voters from the City of Galva, Galva and Silver Creek Townships in Ida County, Diamond Township in Cherokee County; Sac County and Buena Vista County will vote at Galva City Hall, 116 S. Main St. Voters from the City of Holstein, Battle, Douglas, Griggs, Logan and Maple Townships in Ida County and Silver Township in Cherokee County will vote at the LohffSchumann Memorial Community Center community room at 301 Lohff-Schumann Dr. Schaller-Crestland: Presby(continued on page 3)

Photo by: Mike Thornhill | Ida County Courier

Doggie dip: Renee Fritz of Ida Grove and her husky puppy, Oreo, took part in the annual doggie dip at the Ida Grove swimming pool Aug. 27. Oreo wasn’t as excited about being in the water as some of the other dogs. Here, he tries to escape the water by climbing as high on Fritz as he can.

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