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• Community Christmas Cantata
The Community Christmas Cantata is planned 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, and hosted by United Methodist Church, 130 W. Grant St., in Osceola. There is no admission fee.
ASB’s Mobile Deposit
Four Cardinals earn INA recognition
americanstatebank.com
page 6 www.osceolaiowa.com
154 YEARS • NO. 48
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014
1000 Jeffreys Drive, Osceola, Iowa (641) 342-2175 101 North Main, Osceola, Iowa (641) 342-2191 801 East Main, Lamoni, Iowa (641) 784-3120 113 South John Wayne Drive, Winterset, Iowa (515) 462-5090 Member FDIC • Equal Housing Lender
OSCEOLA, IOWA 50213
SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
Up in smoke
Fire department’s gear ruined after Osceola Farm & Home blaze By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
Weeks after the devastating fire at Osceola Farm & Home, the losses keep adding up. Ty Wheeler, Osceola city administrator/clerk, reported the fire department’s gear became saturated with chemicals and oils while combating the fire. He said the gear was sent to be cleaned in Minneapolis, Minn., but the damage was too great. The gear is reportedly ruined. “Those chemicals can’t be extracted out of the equipment ... they just couldn’t be cleaned,” Wheeler said. The fire at Osceola Farm & Home began approximately 5:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 26. No injuries were reported with the fire, which is fortunate since the inferno was severe enough to have eight area fire departments respond to the call for mutual aid. Those eight departments were Murray, Creston, Woodburn, Weldon, Osceola, Truro, New Virginia and Leon. The farm and home building, which also housed a tire
“Those chemicals can’t be extracted out of the equipment ... they just couldn’t be cleaned.” — Ty Wheeler
City administrator/clerk
shop, was considered a total loss after the fire. Jeff Edwards, owner of the long-standing Osceola business, said they will rebuild the store. Losses As for Osceola Volunteer Fire Department, the cost of buying new gear could be as high as $40,000, or more. According to Osceola Fire Chief Mike Fry, the oil products from items in the building got into the hoses, coats and pants of the volunteer firefighters. Wheeler said it’s all classified as “bunker gear.” The gear Osceola firefighters were wearing at the scene of the farm and home
OST photos by AMY HANSEN
100-year anniversary: Above, Danny and Lucy Stubbs stand by the old photo they have loaned to Clarke County
Courthouse, which is now on display inside the building. The photo, which is dated Dec. 2, 1914, shows students from Eastward and Westward elementary schools, as well as high school students. It also shows what the original Clarke County Courthouse used to look like before it was torn down. The historic photo will be on display for the public until this March. Top photo, this is a closer side view of the 100-year-old photo temporarily donated by Danny and Lucy Stubbs.
Please see RUINED GEAR, Page 4
Train depot park receives grant for plant restoration, work already in progress By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
There’s a new venture chugging along at the Osceola Train Depot right now. Recently, local officials received a grant for the park at the train depot. The grant is an agreement
between the city of Osceola as the lead local government partner, and Trees Forever as approved by Iowa Department of Transportation. Pursuant to the agreement, Trees Forever agrees to providing funding for the purchase and establishment of plant materials for reimbursement of the total proj-
ect cost up to a maximum of $10,135.85. A cash match is required of $4,380. “The long range plans are to have a gathering place in the center,” said Ann Diehl, president of Friends of the Osceola Depot. “So, when you look at it, you’ll see kind of circular area that’s got tall
grasses, it’s got rose bushes, it’s going to have iris, which is the official city flower. And, then a lot of little shrubs and things. But, it’ll be kind of open so it will try to invite people in to sit. Eventually, we’ll have benches in there, and that kind of thing.” Another long range plan is to have a walkway and the train depot’s historic bricks in a circular shape in the gathering area, Diehl said. Iowa’s Living Roadways According to a state press release, new landscaping through Iowa’s Living Roadways Project Program will help beautify Osceola, as well as reduce storm water runoff and pollutants entering Iowa’s waterways and improve the habitat for butterflies, birds and other wildlife. Iowa’s Living Roadways provides funding for landscape enhancement projects along transportation corridors. Program partners include Trees Forever, the Iowa Department of
Contributed photo
Please see DEPOT PARK, Page 4
This is a conceptual landscape plan for Osceola Depot Park. SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
Copyright 2014
Your Local Weather
Index Church Directory .........9 Classifieds .................13 Editorial ........................4 Obituary .......................3
Weather Public Notices ..... 11-12 Record .........................2 Sports....................... 6-7
Thu
11/27
32/23
Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s.
Fri
11/28
45/36
Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the mid 30s.
City council looks into potential Newbury Living senior housing project By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
New housing options could be on the rise in Osceola. A huge topic of discussion at the Nov. 18 Osceola City Council meeting was the Newbury Living Osceola Senior Housing project. “This is an exciting project that w e ’ v e got on our doorstep,” said Ty Wheeler, Osceola city ad- Wheeler ministrator/clerk. “It’s something that’s coming together quite quickly.” Recently, Clarke County Development Corporation commission completed a housing study, and work has been done with housing opportunities in Osceola. Some of the positives of the community were the close proximity to vari-
Sat
11/29
45/20
Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the low 20s.
ous amenities such as drug stores, grocery stores, seniors centers and more. This now has emerged into a potential Newbury Living project. According to the Newbury Living website, Newbury Living manages more than 50 apartment complexes throughout Iowa and one in southern Minnesota. Locally, it provides senior citizens with a retirement experience at 3801 Grand in Des Moines and Melrose Meadows in Iowa City. What/where? The site being pursued for the project is where the Main Street Attractions building and old White Way cafe are located, as well as the vacant parcel of land behind the buildings currently owned by the development corporation. This used to be where the meat locker was located. The proposed concept is of a four-story structure, which will have retail on
Don’t Forget
The Osceola Sentinel-Tribune office will be closed Thursday, Nov. 27, for the Thanksgiving holiday.
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Please see NEWBURY LIVING, Page 4