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• Thursday Night in the Park
Clarke County Democrats will host Thursday Night in the Park 5:30 p.m. today on the courthouse lawn in Osceola.
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155 YEARS • NO. 32
THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2015
1000 Jeffreys Drive, Osceola, Iowa (641) 342-2175 101 North Main, Osceola, Iowa (641) 342-2191 801 East Main, Lamoni, Iowa (641) 784-3120 809 North John Wayne Drive, Winterset, Iowa (515) 462-5090 Member FDIC • Equal Housing Lender
OSCEOLA, IOWA 50213
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Clogged up? OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Pictured is the circle drive by Clarke Community Elementary School.
Council approves first reading of one-way street ordinances by elementary school OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Fred and Ann Diehl stand by their plaque after a dedication ceremony at an Osceola City Council meeting Tuesday, Aug. 4.
In their honor
Train depot park dedicated as Fred and Ann Diehl Depot Plaza By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
It was the surprise of the evening, and it left Mayor Fred Diehl and his wife Ann almost speechless. Almost. During the end of the Osceola City Council meeting Tuesday, Aug. 4, the council unanimously passed a resolution to dedicate the train depot park as Fred and Ann Diehl Depot Plaza. As a big plaque was brought in for the dedication, Fred could be heard murmuring in the background, “What is this?” “Where’d you get that picture?” Ann added. “I said you should never do this,” Fred joked and shook his head while laughing. Indeed, the goal of the night was to make sure the Diehls didn’t hear any word of the plaque and dedication in their honor before it happened. Came about SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
Copyright 2015
A few weeks ago, Ty Wheeler, city administrator/clerk, and Bill Trickey, Clarke County Development Corporation executive director, were discussing the amount of work that has gone into restoring the train depot, and the Diehls have spearheaded the effort. “It is in recognition of all of your hard work and contribution, not only this project, but to the community in general,” Wheeler said. A plan was put in motion to name the depot park Fred and Ann Diehl Depot Plaza. On the agenda for the city council meeting, there was an item for the dedication of “Parcel “A” lying in the portion of lots 2 and 3 in block 3 of original Osceola,” which actually is the train depot park. “I worded this agenda item to be, though, technically right, as complicated as possible,” Wheeler said. Please see PLAZA, Page 4
By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
City officials are trying to fix the congestion problem that happens at the end of the school day at Clarke Community Elementary School. During a Tuesday, Aug. 4, Osceola City Council meeting, there was a proposal to establish a one-way road south down the 100 block of South Dewey Street and then one way west on the 400 block of East Jefferson Street. This is right next to the circle drive at Clarke Community Elementary School, where children are dropped off. Congestion The purpose of the proposed oneway streets is meant to alleviate the congestion that occurs during the afternoon at pickup time at the end of the school day. For some reason, congestion problems occur only in the afternoon, especially with school buses parked on the south and west sides of the school. “The buses can’t turn west,” said
ing to have the streets permanently as one ways, 24 hours a day, especially if a driver is new to town. Notify The council also had concerns that not all of the residents on the selected streets had been notified about the potential one-way streets. Council members had the opportunity to waive the second and third readings of the ordinance, which was a recommendation because school starts in a few weeks and signage needs to be up on the streets. “If we don’t waive any of the readings, we won’t have this in the ordinance before school starts,” said Ty Wheeler, city administrator/clerk. The school start date is Aug. 24. Final approval The council approved the first reading of the ordinance for the one way streets on South Dewey and East Jefferson Streets, 24 hours a day, with proper signage and one-way parking. A special session was scheduled Aug. 11 for final approval on the oneway ordinances, and to make sure residents were notified in advance.
OST photo by LARRY PETERSON
Hall of Fame:
Murray coach Danny Jensen stands with his family during his induction into the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Softball Hall of Fame on July 27 at Waukee High School. Accompanying the 35-year coach of the Lady Mustangs are granddaughters Alexa Rasmus and Aubri Rasmus (standing) along with wife Dorothy and daughters, from left, Jennifer Jensen Rasmus, Julianna Jensen Hartwell and Jocelyn Jensen.
Index Church Directory .........8 Classifieds ...................9 Editorial ........................4 Neighbors ....................5
Osceola Police Chief Marty Duffus. “They can’t, nobody can move, is essentially what we have. It’s just absolutely plugged.” The situation has been monitored for a period of time with the police, elemen- Duffus tary principals and district superintendent. A potential solution was the one-way streets. 24 hours? There was a lengthy discussion on the one-way streets during the city council meeting. A problem with making the streets one way only for a period of time during the day is sometimes school is let out early for different reasons, including regularly scheduled early outs and inclement weather. “I still think you’ve got to have it, that set up that way, 24 hours, or people are going to be confused and there’s going to be accidents,” said Councilman Dennis Page. Duffus said it would be less confus-
Obituary .......................3 Public Notices .............7 Record .........................2 Sports....................... 6-7
Weather Your Local Weather Thu
8/13
87/65
Mainly sunny. Highs in
Fri
8/14
89/66
Sunny. Highs in the up-
Sat
8/15
89/67
A few clouds. Highs in
Don’t Forget Farmers market
Clarke County Farmers Market is planned 8 a.m. to noon on the courthouse lawn in Osceola.
the upper 80s and lows per 80s and lows in the the upper 80s and lows CHECK OUT OSCEOLAIOWA.COM FOR DAILY UPDATED NEWS, DEATH NOTICES AND SPORTS. in the mid 60s. mid 60s. in the upper 60s.