November 2012

The Humboldt County Memorial Hospital (HCMH) Board of Trustees made no decision on renewing its management contract with Trinity Regional Health System on Monday, but the board did have a healthy debate about the matter and some changes and adjustments it would like to see in the contract. The discussion started with Board President Tim Anderson saying he would like a management agreement that would help target operations (operating margin) at HCMH. “For the past five or six years we have been dealing with a declining operating margin. I’d like to have (the management agreement) help point us in the right direction,” Anderson said. Ralph Heasley, affiliate liaison with Trinity, said that having management fees linked to operating expenses is a concern throughout the hospital affiliate system in Iowa. According to the 2011-12 audited financials, HCMH showed total expenses of $12,891,084.

With just 11 students in their grades 7-8 middle school, the Gilmore City-Bradgate School Board is exploring the possibility of sending those students to West Bend-Mallard. The GC-B board met in joint session with the WB-M board on Oct. 15 in West Bend to discuss the possibility for the 2013-2014 school year. The two school districts are currently in their second year of a three-year sharing agreement in which GC-B students in grades 9-12 attend classes in West Bend and participate in WB-M activities. Bollmeyer says roughly 10-12 high school-age students attend classes in West Bend. “We’re considering sending our students in grades 7-8 to West Bend because our numbers are getting lower,” GC-B Superintendent Ron Bollmeyer said. “Nothing definite. We’re just starting to look into the possibility and weigh the pros and cons of doing so.” “Presently we have 11 students in both grades. We’ll discuss it as a whole group again at our next joint meeting,” Bollmeyer said.

Class 3A District 3 champion Humboldt placed 10 players on the coaches’ post-season all-district football team. Wildcat head coach Greg Thomas and his staff made the announcement at the team’s dinner banquet held Monday night (Nov. 19) at the school cafeteria. The event paid tribute to the Wildcat program, which went 7-4 overall in 2012, including 5-1 and first in district play.

Humboldt's girls tipped off their new season in impressive fashion Tuesday night (Nov. 20) with a 59-27 non-conference victory over Pocahontas Area in the Humboldt gym.The Wildcats pulled away in the second quarter and never looked back to open the season 1-0. Lauren Friesth scored 13 points and Erica Lane added 11 to power the Wildcats. Lindsey Johnson netted nine while April Jones, Sarah Peters and Kinzie Wright each had five. Madison Thomas and Brittney Nilles each had four. Maggy Duffield added two and Kessa Kuyper one.Humboldt returns to action at home on Nov. 27 when they host Hampton in a JV/varsity doubleheader starting at 6:15 p.m. See complete story and more photos in the Nov. 29 issue of the Independent.