News

By KENT THOMPSON
Installing new traffic stoplights on Highway 3 (10th Avenue North) by Hy-Vee may not be warranted or economical, but the Iowa Department of Transportation threw out an idea that it thinks the city of Humboldt should consider.
Going from four lanes of traffic to three in the area between the intersection with Highway 169 (13th Street) and 5th Street North.
The change would have single east and west lanes of travel with a center turn lane over the eight blocks of Highway entering and exiting town to the east.
Iowa DOT District 2 Assistant Engineer Nickolas Humpal said the amount of traffic in the span of highway between 5th Street North and Highway 169 is an average of 5,600 vehicles a day. He said that number is well below what would be considered optimal for a four-way traffic control device and for a four-lane highway.

By KENT THOMPSON
To run a vehicle it takes fuel, to run a mind and a body, the same applies.
That’s why last May, the Humboldt Community School District started F.U.E.L. (Food Uplifting Essentials and Learning.) The program is a food pantry available to students in the district.
All of the food is provided free of charge from the Food Bank of Iowa. It is distributed on a weekly basis.
Megan Douglas, the district’s at-risk interventionist and student services director, supervises the program.
“We worked on developing a program all of last year. We saw the needs of students and wanted to find options on how we as a district could help,” Douglas said.
Read more about the program and how it will help students and families in this week's Humboldt Independent, your trusted source for local news and sports.

The first-ever Support Our Veterans Ride will begin and end at the Livermore American Legion Post 415 on Saturday, Oct. 8.
Sign-in is from 10-11 a.m. with kickstands up at 11:15. Cost is $25 per bike/vehicle. The ride will make a stop at the VFW in Dakota City, Rails at Eagle Grove, Blue Moose at Renwick, the American Legion in Corwith and the Flipside and HandleBar in Lu Verne before returning to Livermore for a meal at 5:30 p.m.
Jeremy Ober will perform from 7-9 p.m.
Sue Fevold is one of the organizers of the event. She knows first-hand the challenges veterans face after having served their country and then return to a normal life. "One hundred percent of the sign-in fee goes directly to a veteran,” Fevold said. “We want them to know we do not forget them."
If you are unable to attend and would like to donate: Venmo Christy Decker @Christy-Decker-23. For more information, contact Sue Fevold at 515-368-0248.

Jennika Beach and her brother, Trever, were crowned Queen and King at the Humboldt High School Homecoming coronation ceremony held Thursday night, Sept. 29 in the Humboldt High School gym.

Their parents are Tony and Kathi Beach of Humboldt.

Jennika is involved in volleyball, dance team, track, FCA, National Honor Society, Yearbook, Friend's Club and musical. Jennika's future plans are to attend a four-year college for education.

Trever is involved in football, basketball, soccer, FCA and National Honor Society. Trever's future plans are undecided.

See more photos of Humboldt homecoming in The Humboldt Independent. Subscribe today for print/digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started!

By Phil Monson
Renovations and improvements at R. Wesley Carlson Auditorium at Humboldt High School are proposed after action by the Humboldt School Board at their meeting on Sept. 19.
The board approved hiring ATURA Architecture Services of Clear Lake at a cost of $24,000.
“The auditorium, built in 1982-83, is ready for an update in a major way. We have some ceiling issues. It’s a beautiful auditorium but it needs attention in several areas, like lighting, electrical and others. ATURA is working with the hospital and has a good reputation and they will help us determine what needs to be done for the long-term,” Humboldt School Superintendent Jim Murray said.

By KENT THOMPSON
In a bit of a shocking development, the Reasoner Dam in Humboldt received a better condition rating than the Rutland Dam, according to an underwater inspection report released this past week by Humboldt County Conservation, and prepared by Brennan, a marine inspection company out of La Crosse, WI.
A dive supervisor and two dive team members conducted an underwater inspection and structural condition assessment of the two water holding structures in August. An assessment of the Reasoner Dam in Humboldt was conducted on Tuesday, Aug. 23, and an assessment of the Rutland Dam was conducted on Wednesday, Aug. 24.
The overall condition of the Reasoner Dam was assessed as “fair.”
Read more about the report in The Humboldt County Supervisors story in this week's edition.

By KENT THOMPSON
“We’re here to provide best care practices for the community. Humboldt County Memorial Hospital (HCMH) recognized what those practices are and they realized there was an untreated population,” said Patti Hartmann a registered nurse and clinical marketing manager with Ceribell, a California company advancing reporting on brain activity.
“That untreated population was those people having non-convulsive seizures,” she said.
The mobile EEG device uses a headband and software algorithm to provide brain wave activity in the field.
“It’s a huge, huge tool for us,” Humboldt EMS Co-Director Jordan Erie said. “We want to be the innovators in the EMS world and on the forefront with new equipment and leading that drive. This is going to be the core of that and we will continue to look for more pieces of equipment and more things we can do to drive that change."

One Humboldt man is dead and two others received injuries as a result of a single-vehicle accident that occurred early Monday morning, Sept. 26, in the 1100 block of Birch Avenue, about 2-1/2 miles southwest of Ottosen.
According to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), dispatch received a report of a single-vehicle accident on Birch Avenue. The accident was reported at 6:36 a.m.
An investigation at the scene determined that a 2005 Buick LeSabre was northbound on Birch Avenue when it failed to navigate a slight curve to the west and entered the east ditch. The vehicle struck a culvert, went airborne and landed in a cornfield. The vehicle flipped and rolled before coming to rest on its wheels in the field.

By KENT THOMPSON
The Humboldt City Council on Monday set the wheels in motion to perhaps remodel the old fire station north of city hall, expand the current Law Enforcement Center and close the alley between the two buildings.
It was part of a discussion started by Humboldt Mayor Dan Scholl.
“What brought the need to my attention was Humboldt County Emergency Management needed a staging area in the case of an emergency.
“I got to looking at the old fire station and the kitchen area needs updating, along with the restrooms and the meeting room area. This was on my radar when we had our strategic planning meeting last winter,” Scholl said.
“Then in discussions with the police chief, the sheriff and chief deputy, there is a need of a sally port (a safe, secure, enclosed area)” for the unloading and loading of prisoners," Scholl said.

By Phil Monson
Voters in the Lu Verne and Algona Community School districts overwhelmingly approved re-organizing the two districts.
In an election held on Sept. 13, voters in Lu Verne passed the re-organization with 121 yes votes and 45 no votes. Algona voters approved it by a 349-9 vote.
Lu Verne voters also approved the revenue purpose statement with 119 yes votes and 49 no while Algona approved the revenue purpose statement 338-18.
The final item approved by voters was the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy combination with Lu Verne voting 106 to 57. In Algona it was 305 to 44.
The two districts will join on July 1, 2023.
Read more about what's next for the two districts in this week's Humboldt Independent, your trusted source for local news and sports.