News

Thu
18
May

Proposed renovation planned for R. Wesley Carlson Auditorium


Many stage productions, musical events, concerts, speakers and public gatherings have been held at the R. Wesley Carlson Auditorium at Humboldt High School but after 40 years with some minor improvements, some major updating is needed, Humboldt School Superintendent Jim Murray said. He said the school will try to fundraise for the estimated $670,000 needed for the project. Humboldt Independent file photo by Kent Thompson.

By PHIL MONSON
R. Wesley Carlson Auditorium at Humboldt High School is 40 years old and in need of improvements.
During the regular monthly meeting of the Humboldt Board of Education Monday night, May 15, Humboldt School Superintendent Jim Murray unveiled plans generated from a recent committee meeting and begin fundraising for the project.
“The one facility area that we did not hit with our bond issue was the high school auditorium. The high school auditorium is functional and the sound system is of good quality, but it does need some updates and improvements,” Murray said.
Exterior and interior work is expected to cost $672,000, including contingencies.
“This is a project we are going to fundraise for. We are going to start gauging community interest almost like the sports facility when folks who are really interested in improving it went out and raised donations,” Murray said.

Thu
18
May

Trades courses and internships will replace BT program


Humboldt Building Trades class students pour cement recently on the home remodel they are completing on 6th Street South. It was announced on Monday that the longtime Building Trades program will be replaced by locally-taught trades courses and an internship program with local businesses. Humboldt Independent photo by Jim Sayers.

By PHIL MONSON
The building trades program at Humboldt High School will be replaced with a new initiative after action by the Humboldt School Board Monday night, May 15.
At the board’s regular monthly meeting, the board approved discontinuing the building trades program and re-purpose the funds into trades courses and internships with local business and industry.
The program, which has been in place for 25 years, has been taught by an in-school instructor or by an instructor shared with Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge.
“Building trades is a four-period course with an instructor at approximately $45,000. That cost is about $3,000 per student when you consider we have 15 students participating during the school year,” Humboldt School Superintendent Jim Murray said.
“We don’t have any program comparatively at that expense,” Murray said.

Thu
18
May

Residents want a dog park in Humboldt


Jordan Paeper of Humboldt walks her dog on 6th Street North. Because of the number of residents with pets and a desire to have an open area park where dogs can run and play off-leash, a group of citizens interested in a dog park in the city came before the Humboldt City Council on Monday. Humboldt Independent file photo by Phil Monson.

By KENT THOMPSON
A handful of residents attended Monday night’s Humboldt City Council meeting not with a complaint about dogs but a desire for more freedom for their pets.
A group wanting a dog park in Humboldt has formed and came before the Humboldt City Council on Monday to make their desires known.
Jenny Wyckoff served as the spokesperson for the group and addressed the Council.
“We are here to ask permission to put a dog park on city land. We are not sure where exactly to put this park but feel strongly that Humboldt needs one.”
Wyckoff said one thing the group would like is a fountain. Ramps, a plastic slide, tires and cones are some of the other amenities of many mentioned.
“We would ask all users of the park to have their dogs up-to-date on shots,” Wyckoff said.

Mon
15
May

New packing plant seeks investors

Legacy Beef Co-op has announced a new packing plant investment opportunity that would give family farm beef producers in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and South Dakota access to a larger portion of the retail beef dollar.
Legacy Beef Co-op is affiliated with Cattlemen’s Heritage Beef Company, a 2,000-head-per-day plant to be built east of Omaha-Council Bluffs in Mills County. Legacy Beef Co-op members will share in the processing plant’s profitability. In addition, members would become suppliers to the Cattlemen’s Heritage facility and enjoy pricing options typically available only to large corporate feedlots.

Thu
11
May

Murray Bridge replacement grant approved


The 118-year-old Murray Bridge over the west fork of the Des Moines River will be coming down after the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved action Monday to accept $2 million in grant funding to remove the bridge, which is load rated to three tons and is often closed due to flooding. Humboldt Independent file photo.

By APRIL KELLEY
After 15 years of attempts, Humboldt County has finally gotten approval for funding to replace Murray Bridge in Humboldt County.
“We applied for the last 15 years and have fallen just short of the criteria or just short of the top 3 that they use to select.
This particular year they had additional funding. So they are able to award more than just the top three,” Ben Loots, Humboldt County Engineer told the board at Monday’s meeting.
The bridge is located on Florida Avenue west of Rutland in Avery Township. It was constructed by A.H. Austin in 1905.
“Murray Bridge was selected for a county bridge construction fund for fiscal year 2024 for up to $2,000,000 for replacement,” Loots continued.

Thu
11
May

Pen Pals meet for play time


Jacobi Merritt (left), aids Springvale Assisted Living resident Marian Williams with her bingo card during a recent Pen Pal meeting between the senior housing residents and second graders from the Gilmore City-Bradgate School. Humboldt Independent photo by Kent Thompson.

By KENT THOMPSON
“I think they like us,” said Delores Telford.
“I think it’s wonderful. It’s just great,” added Marian Williams.
The Springvale Assisted Living residents didn’t seem to mind the 80-plus year difference in ages.
The 7- and 8-year-olds in Annie Schreier’s second grade class at Gilmore City-Bradgate (GC-B) didn’t give it a thought either.
Young students and retirees who all averaged over the age of 90, had a bond. One built through a pen pal program started by Schreier, the second grade teacher at GC-B.
“The residents just love the little ones,” Springvale Senior Living Assisted Living Manager Tammy Kuehnast said.
Read more about the program in this week's Humboldt Independent, your trusted source for local news and sports.

Thu
11
May

McPeak family purchases longtime Renwick business


Chris and Rachel McPeak, along with their children Victoria (and her husband Foster and their daughter Ellianna) and sons Nathan and Benjamin, stand in front of one of their many hot tubs for sale at their store Palmer - McPeak Pools and Spas in Renwick. Humboldt Independent photo by April Kelley.

By April Kelley
The end of a long hard winter can get anyone to think of summer sun and swimming in a nice cool pool or sitting in the hot tub, sipping a cool refreshing drink.
Chris and Rachel McPeak decided not to buy just one pool or hot tub, they decided to buy the store. The McPeaks purchased Palmer Pools and Spas in Renwick from Penny Palmer in March of 2023.
“We have never been in the pool business but Penny was thinking about retiring and it just seemed like the perfect time,” Chris said.
Penny Palmer and her daughter, Katie Cameron, have been a lot of help during the transition.
“Since we didn’t know a lot about pools and spas, Penny and Katie have been instrumental in helping to teach us, there is so much to learn,” Rachel said.

Thu
04
May

Saturday is new burn date

This Saturday, May 6, will be the rescheduled burn date for the city of Humboldt. Open burning could not be held on April 15 because of Humboldt County being in a burn ban.
Open burning of landscape waste (grass, leaves and vegetative matter) only will be allowed from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. All burns must be controlled and attended and residents should have a ready source of water available on the scene.
The city appreciates the public’s cooperation in adhering to the burn date rules.

Thu
04
May

Finances or farming is part of life for Dan and Carl DeWall


Carl (left) and Dan DeWall (right) are comfortable on their Pocahontas County farm near Gilmore City. While the DeWalls no longer milk, they do raise Holstein beef cattle, buying them as calves and finishing them out at around 1,300 pounds. Humboldt Independent photo.

By KENT THOMPSON
Holstein cattle have been part of the DeWall family farm for a long, long time.

Only now rather than milking Holsteins, Dan and Carlton (Carl) DeWall are raising them for meat.

The father/son combination not only farm and raise cattle together, they are in a business partnership as well. The DeWalls recently relocated their financial planning business from Fort Dodge to Gilmore City.

“We’ve had dairy for a long time,” Dan DeWall said. “The bloodlines date back to my grandfather’s time.”

Read about their family story in the Salute to Area Beef Producers section exclusively in this week's Humboldt Independent.

Thu
04
May

$2.48 million runway project for airport approved


The Humboldt City Council has approved an Ida Grove contractor to rehab and overlay the runway at the Humboldt Municipal Airport. Construction could begin later this year. The runway at the airport could be closed for up to 80 days during construction. Humboldt Independent file photo.

By KENT THOMPSON
The Humboldt City Council on Monday approved a contractor for a major runway rehabilitation project at the Humboldt Municipal Airport.
The Council unanimously approved a resolution accepting a bid and awarding a contract in the amount of $2,487,095 to Godbersen-Smith of Ida Grove to conduct rehabilitation of the airport runway. The resolution is contingent on receipt and execution of a grant agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Other bids received were $2,466,392 from Wicks Construction of Decorah and $2,525,690 from Croell Inc. of New Hampton.
The engineer’s estimate of probable cost was $2,395,605, $52,430 below the final bid.
“This project covers taking the existing asphalt runway and milling it in place and adding a binder that will serve as a base for a six-inch concrete overlay. This is a pavement that should last the airport for a very long time,” Project Manager Joshua Dank with Clapsaddle-Garbert said.

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