News
TOURNEY:
Russell Sportsmen’s Club will conduct recreational handgun matches at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 28. Matches will be for center-fire revolvers or pistols in all calibers. There will be divisions for long and short-barrel handguns. The range is located at 41570 280th Ave., southwest of Russell. The public is invited to participate and youths ages 14 and older are welcome. For more information, call Dan at 641-203-5296.
MSM beats I-35 in Subway Tournament final page 1B www.osceolaiowa.com
155 YEARS • NO. 25
OSCEOLA, IOWA 50213
THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015
SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
Frustrations spew forth about new bill during CCRC meeting By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
“I fail to understand how we have two bills against this lake. We got two representatives that represent us here, and they were elected to represent the ‘we the people.’ I’m having a tough time understanding how this gets out of the committees and in the votes. I really have a problem with that. When we elect somebody, they represent us. I don’t care if it’s their interest or somebody else’s. They’re there to represent ‘we the people.’ I’m having a problem with that.” This is a statement from Robert Johnson, who attended Clarke
County Reservoir Commission’s (CCRC) meeting Thursday, June 18, and spoke during public comment. The CCRC is in the process of building a reservoir project located in northern Clarke County. The reservoir is to provide a water supply for Osceola and Southern Iowa Rural Water Association (SIRWA) with an 816-acre lake, which could provide 2.2 million gallons of water per day. West Lake, the current water source, doesn’t meet the needs of Clarke County and SIRWA. The new bill At the end of the Legislative session in early June, Senate File 510, the “standings bill,” was passed by
both the Iowa House and Senate on the last day of the session. It contained language that changed the law on use of eminent domain for the creation of public water supply surface water reservoirs. Eminent domain is the government’s power to take private property for public use by a state. The bill is now in Gov. Branstad’s office being evaluated by his staff. The bill limits the size of a reservoir “… to provide the amount of drinking water to meet the needs of a population equal to the population of the county where the lake is
Official statement Sandy Kale, Clarke County Reservoir Commission (CCRC) member read a statement from the CCRC during the beginning of the Thursday, June 18, meeting. “The reservoir commission and the individual commissioners continue to work on increasing the water supply for Clarke County and southern Iowa. The April 10 decision by the supreme court caused the commission to evaluate options in order that the planned project could proceed in compliance with the existing law. On June 5, political trade offs were made in the closing hours of the legislature. Within Senate File 510, commonly called the standings bill, there is language that would modify the current Iowa eminent domain law, with respect to Please see OFFICIAL STATEMENT, Page 4
Please see NEW BILL, Page 4
On the download Explore Osceola app enhances city’s promotions, current events through technology By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
If you’re ever curious about the current events or best deals in town, well, there’s an app for that. Earlier this year, Osceola Chamber Main Street (OCMS) debuted the Explore Osceola app. It allows users to “explore” all of Osceola’s businesses, events and more. “As we get the word out, more and more people seem to like it,” said Derek Lumsden, O C M S executive d i r e c t o r . Lumsden “That’s one of the issues we’re still working on is trying to get word out a little more. We’re trying to have informational booths at our events to remind people that it’s out there.” Explore Osceola is a free app that can found on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. It can go to the smartphone or iPad. To go live The idea for the app evolved from questions local businesses had and the visitor’s guide OCMS used to do. One problem with the visitor’s guide was OCMS couldn’t access the utilization, analytics and data of the public usage. A decision was made to develop an Osceola app through a Texas-based company called Bar-Z. Lumsden said Bar-Z had produced apps for Orange City and other ones the chamber utilized. SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
Copyright 2015
Several of Osceola’s businesses have deals and loyalty programs people can only get exclusively through the new app. This ranges from shopping, dining and lodging to community events and attractions, including Osceola’s Fourth of July celebration. Three levels For businesses, the app offers three different levels of sponsorship. The first level is a general business sponsor, which gets the business name, address, telephone number and website. The second level is a point of interest (POI). This next level offers turn-by-turn directions to the selected location. The third level is loyalty level, which offers the point of interest coverage and a loyalty program. Lumsden said the loyalty program is similar to an “old-fashioned punch card system.” “Say you go to Iron Horse (restaurant) and you buy 10 sandwiches, you get your 11th one free. Any of the businesses at POI level or above can do deals or coupons,” he said. Lumsden said the cost for businesses to be in the app averages out at the highest level to approximately $30 a month. Working it out Since the app made its debut in January, Lumsden said, overall, it’s been good for the first half of the year. “One of the problems we ran into selling it to the businesses, we didn’t have a prototype of Osceola to show them,” he said. “So, we have probably a couple of hundred different people on it
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
The first reading of amendments to the city’s grass and weeds ordinance was approved during an Osceola City Council meeting Tuesday, June 16.
Growing nuisance Council approves first reading of new weeds, grass ordinances By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
now through our analytic, and we have them from all over the country and all over world. We have some in Europe that have even downloaded it.” The Explore Osceola app has also been successful with promoting and reminding
Index Church Directory....... 3B Classifieds................ 6-7 Editorial.........................4 Neighbors.................. 4B
Obituary........................3 Public Notices.......... 5-6 Record..........................2 Sports................... 1B-2B
people about community events, especially updating when an event is coming up or cancelled because of the weather. “Our first event we did Please see APP, Page 4
Weather Your Local Weather Thu
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There’s been a lot of rain during the month of June, and that means one thing — grass and weeds are going to be sky high. For anybody who has to deal with mowing lawns, there are changes to the grass and weeds ordinances going through the city. During a June 16 Osceola City Council meeting, the city council held a public hearing and approved the first reading of the various amendments to the grass and weeds ordinance. What’s new The first amendment was a change to eliminating the months where enforcement
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of weeds and grass occurs. Currently, it reads April through October. Now, it will eliminate the time window and state all weeds and brush shall not exceed a height of 8 inches, period. “That will be enforced y e a r round,” said Ty Wheeler, city administrator/clerk. There’s also a new Wheeler subsection that states every owner shall cut, mow and maintain grass, weeds and brush to the center line of any undeveloped Please see GRASS, Page 4
Don’t Forget Back in Time
Check out a new “Back in Time” editorial column on page 4.
Highs in the low 80s and possible. per 70s and lows in the lowsUPDATED in the mid 60s. upper 50s. CHECK OUT OSCEOLAIOWA.COM FOR DAILY NEWS, DEATH NOTICES AND SPORTS.