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Clarke
• Handgun clinic
Russell Sportsmen’s Club will host a ladies-only handgun clinic 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8. All women are welcome, regardless of experience or nonexperience. The range is located at 41570 280th Ave., southwest of Russell. For more information, call Sue at 641-3401144.
football falls to West Central Valley page 6 www.osceolaiowa.com
154 YEARS • NO. 36
OSCEOLA, IOWA 50213
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013
SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
School board discusses acquiring new buses, student behavior on buses By AMY HANSEN
Bair, school board member, during an Aug. 26 school board meeting. Worst-case scenario The question is, what happens if more buses break down before new buses can be purchased? Perin said, many
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
With the new school year, Clarke’s school buses are getting back into action. However, there’s been a few snags along the way. On the first day of school, two school buses broke down. They were buses No. 2 and No. 10. During an Aug. 12 Clarke School Board meeting, Rick Perin, the school’s transportation director, recommended the school board purchase six new buses to replace the district’s six oldest buses. “It seems like, to me, that next board meeting, we better buy a couple of buses, at minimum. … You guys are really in a situation right now where we might not have enough buses to haul the kids around. So, let’s get some buses bought immediately,” said James
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Joella Perry with Clarke County Veterans Affairs Commission holds the current historical map of Clarke County. A new historical map will be presented at Clarke County Courthouse Sept. 16.
Map it out VA commission creating historical map to honor veterans, locate ghost towns By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
The graves of Clarke County veterans are getting mapped out. Clarke County Veterans Affairs Commission is creating a map of historical and current cemeteries, as well as ghost towns, in Clarke County. “Our goal is to get grave markers this year on every veteran in the county to identify them and give them the honors that they deserve,” said Joella Perry with Clarke County Veterans Affairs Commission. Some of the veterans’ graves even date back to the Civil War.
Presentation There will be a presentation at Clarke County Courthouse 11:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 16, for the new map. The map will be donated by Kale Funeral Home and White’s Woodworking. Clarke County Assessor’s and Emergency Management offices have done the mapping. The map will be donated to Clarke County Courthouse for the citizens of the county to view. Perry said commission member Doug Black did all the historical research for the map. Commission Chairman Jolleen Thacker
Please see BUSES, Page 4
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Please see MAP, Page 4
Simmers set up new chiropractic practice By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
Copyright 2013
“Just an additional comment, too,” said Gerard Linskens, school board president. “Yeah, we’ve spent how much money on technology, which is great, but if you’re looking at essentials, the logistics of just getting
There’s always the possibility of leasing a school bus for an event or borrowing one from another school district. Clarke Superintendent Benita Gonzales and Perin are currently working together on the issue of the school district needing new
Dr. Michael Simmer stands with chiropractic equipment at Simmer Chiropractic and Wellness.
By AMY HANSEN
years. He graduated from Life Chiropractic College in California in 1991. It was at school where the husband and wife team met. Most recently, Simmer sold his practice in Idaho. Simmer said he does “very traditional, specific, gentle adjustments.” For any new patient, there is a thorough consultation, detailed examination and X-rays. Simmer studies the results and formulates a treatment plan for the individual patient. “One of the things I don’t like is generic treatment plans,” he said. “Every patient gets a specific treatment, specific adjustment and a specific frequency for their care.” Common issues The common issues they treat are back pain, leg pain — sciatica — headaches, shoulder and arm pain, upper back and postural problems, carpal tunnel, fibro-
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
If an emergency should ever arise, Clarke Community School District is able to contact concerned citizens immediately. Clarke has a texting and email notification system for cancellations, early outs, districtwide emergencies, lockdowns, weather alerts or other announcements. “When you’re at work and Kious you get a text message saying school’s out early today … it’s pretty handy,” said Marcus Kious, Clarke’s juvenile court school liaison. Accessing it How do people access this messaging system?
buses. Perin said he can acquire used buses for the district to purchase, but they will be similar to the condition of buses the district already has in its fleet.
Time for an adjustment
Clarke implements text, email emergency-messaging system
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times, a school bus being “down,” doesn’t mean a major breakdown. Problems and equipment can often be fixed in a timely manner. The worst case scenario is an extracurricular activity, such as a football game,
could be canceled because there’s not enough buses for transportation. Perin said he would do everything for that not to happen.
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Clarke’s emergency-messaging system is available through the school’s website at www.clarke.k12. ia.us.
For those interested, they should go to Clarke’s website www.clarke.k12.ia.us and click on the link to “sign up for the news update” on the bottom of the front page. They can get the email and Please see MESSAGING, Page 4
Have you noticed Southern Hills Chiropractic is now Simmer Chiropractic and Wellness? “What really turned me on to Osceola was several of the business-community leaders,” said Dr. Michael Simmer. “It really encouraged me to start a practice here, or take over Dr. Heath’s practice here.” The business is owned by Simmer, 49, and his wife Dr. Shaun Simmer. Simmer will be available full-time and his wife will work part-time. “When you’re married this many years, you both own everything together,” Simmer said with a laugh. “Since we have six kids, she cannot practice full-time.” Get to know Simmer has been a practicing chiropractor for 23
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myalgia and migraines. Simmer said chiropractic has evolved throughout the years with teaching and continuing education. It has turned into a holistic profession using professional nutritional supplements, as well as lasers to stimulate healing and advance antiaging techniques to help people to become healthy. “We’re adding a whole wellness component to the office,” Simmer said. “My wife is going to do acupuncture down here.” Gonstead Technique When it comes to helping patients, Simmer said he focuses on the Gonstead Technique. He called it a precise, gentle technique and not a manipulation where the body is twisted just to crack a bone. Simmer gave an example of seeing a 98-year-old woman and 2-year-old child on the same day, and the technique was able to be
Hours The hours of Simmer Chiropractic and Wellness are: Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
applied to both of them. “We don’t manipulate the spine. We adjust the vertebrae,” he said. The Simmers are also focused on redoing the outside of their office building to create a nice exterior. Simmer was asked why
Please see CHIROPRACTOR, Page 4
Don’t Forget
Clarke FFA Thursday Night in the Park is scheduled 6 p.m. Thursday on the courthouse lawn in Osceola.
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