February 2025

Tue
11
Feb

Humboldt boys over Algona, 71-56

Elliot Carlson and Jackson Dodd each scored 14 points to lead the Humboldt boys over Algona, 71-56 on Feb. 11 in Algona. Coen Matson added 13 and Mason Van Pelt had 10 for the Wildcats.

See full story in the Humboldt Independent. Subscribe today for print and digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started.

Tue
11
Feb

Sleiter signs with Iowa Western


Humboldt High School senior Parker Sleiter (seated-center) last week signed a national letter of intent to attend Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs and play football for the Reivers. He is shown with his father, Ross (left) and his mother (Michelle), right, along with his y0unger brother, Dawson (front-right). Grandparents Alecia and John Sleiter are pictured in back. Independent photo.

Parker Sleiter, another fast-improving Humboldt High School senior who flourished under the Wildcats and head football coach Derrick Elman and his staff, last week signed a national letter of intent to attend Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs in the fall and play football for the Reivers.

Sleiter has been recruited as a long snapper, a position he has become an intense pupil of as he honed his craft and earned accolades attending camps across the country. He was selected to play in a national all-star game back in mid-December in Dallas.
“It feels great to make my decision and sign today. It’s a lot less stress coming off a month of January where a lot happened. It’s good to get this decision out of the way and move forward,” Sleiter said.

See full story in the Humboldt Independent. Subscribe today for print/digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started.

Tue
11
Feb

Keegan Groat signs with Grand View University


Humboldt High senior Keegan Groat (front-center) signed a national letter of intent to attend Grand View University in Des Moines and play football for the Vikings. Keegan is pictured with his family, front row (l-r): Mike Groat (father), Keegan Groat, Joy Konvalinka (mother) and Griffin Groat (father). Back row: Katie Coleman, Humboldt coach Derrick Elman and Dave Konvalinka. Independent photo. To buy this photo and more from our gallery, visit our website at www.humboldtnews.com.

Keegan Groat, a two-time all-state football player at Humboldt High School has made his collegiate choice.

Last week Groat, with his family members all on hand, signed a national letter of intent to attend Grand View University in Des Moines and play football for the Vikings, a perennial NAIA national power.

“I’m super excited about signing with Grand View. I was down there for a school visit a few weeks ago and I just loved it down there. I love the coaching staff, the atmosphere, the facilities, the players and everything about it. I’m excited to get down there and get to work,” Groat said.

See full story in the Humboldt Independent. Subscribe today for print/digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started.

Tue
11
Feb

Van Pelt signs with Wartburg


Humboldt High senior Mason Van Pelt (center) is shown here with his parents, Rhonda (left) and Doug Van Pelt, after he signed a national letter of intent to attend Wartburg College in Waverly and play football for the Knights. Independent photo.

Mason Van Pelt, a standout four-sport athlete and student at Humboldt High School, last week signed a national letter of intent to attend Wartburg College in Waverly and play football for the Knights.

Van Pelt is looking forward to furthering his education and playing football for the NCAA Division III Knights.
“It’s a good feeling and definitely a huge relief to sign today, having everything decided and know what you are going to do with the next four years of your life,” Van Pelt said.

See full story in the Humboldt Independent. Subscribe today for print/digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started.

Tue
11
Feb

Humboldt County Fair set for July 22-28

By PHIL MONSON
HUMBOLDT - The Humboldt County Fair will take place July 22-28 at the fairgrounds in Humboldt.

Jeff Haselhuhn, fair board president, and Kevin Cordray, board secretary, made the announcement last week.

One of the changes that will take place this year will be the crowning of the queen along with the Little Miss and Mister Contest, which have been moved from Wednesday evening to Tuesday evening.

“This will allow for our queen to be able to be there for the whole fair,” Haselhuhn said. “We are trying to get people into the grandstand that night and so we came up with a unique thing. We are going to give away free carnival wristbands for kids, age 16 and under, that come to the queen contest.”

“When they leave, they will get a wristband for two hours of free rides that night,” Haselhuhn said. “We are going to move up the time so the queen contest will begin at 6 p.m.”

Tue
11
Feb

Humboldt Rotary celebrating 100 years


The 2024-2025 Humboldt Rotary Club. (Front Row, L-R) Amber Allen, Bruce Watnem, Cheryl Rhead, Sierra Vorland, Secretary Amy Nostrom. (Top Row, L-R) Treasurer Kevin Marso, Bret Davis, Jeff Gargano, Jim Murray, President Elect Travis Sprague, Brittani Sohn and President Austin Vrzak. Submittd photo.

By KYLIE PORTZ
HUMBOLDT - It began in 1905 with a Chicago attorney named Paul Harris, who gathered a group of business acquaintances, all from different backgrounds, to share ideas and create connections amongst each other.

While the group met for the first time at one of Harris’s friends' offices, the group would rotate between each other’s offices for weekly meetings. Hence, this is where they got their name “The Rotary Club”. However, within a year the club had grown so substantially that it became necessary to find a more permanent meeting place. But the name stuck.

Word spread quickly, and soon there were Rotary Clubs established in San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, and Los Angeles. By 1910, the National Association of Rotary Clubs in America was formed. And in November of that same year, the first international Rotary Club was founded in Canada.

Mon
10
Feb

PAUL H. FARBER

Paul H. Farber, 76, of Cedar Falls, died on Jan. 31, 2025, at Bickford of Cedar Falls after enduring Alzheimer’s disease for four years. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at 11 a.m. at the Faith United Methodist Church, located at 107 4th Street North in Humboldt. A reception will be held in the church hall following the service, with private family burial at Indian Mound Cemetery near Humboldt.

Mon
10
Feb

TAMI N. PETERSON

Tami Noreen Peterson, 63, of Humboldt, passed away suddenly on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 at the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital.
Tami was born on March 17, 1961, in Rice Lake, WI, to Thomas and Kathleen (Hardgrave) Glaze. Growing up, she lived a vibrant and adventurous life, traveling with her mother, a migrant worker, and her father, a truck driver. She often shared cherished stories of those travels, filling hearts with laughter and wonder at the many places and people she encountered.

Mon
10
Feb

MARION H. LYNCH

Marion H. (Becker) Lynch, 81, of Humboldt, passed away on Sunday morning, Feb. 2, 2025, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN.

Mon
10
Feb

JERRY E. LARSEN

Jerry E. Larsen, affectionately known as “Flip,” passed away peacefully at the age of 85 on Feb. 4, 2025, one day shy of his birthday, surrounded by his beloved family. Born on Feb. 5, 1939, in Racine, Wisconsin, to Helen V. Plauske and Edward L. Haberski, Jerry’s life was a testament to resilience, humor, and an unwavering love for sports, education, and most of all, his family. Jerry was a member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Humboldt.
Jerry’s childhood was marked by challenges that shaped his lifelong passion for teaching and mentoring. From the ages of 6 to 9, he lived at the Taylor Home Orphanage during the week, returning home to his mother on weekends. It was there at the orphanage that Jerry’s love for sports blossomed. He not only played sports with older boys but began coaching younger ones at just nine years old, planting the seeds for what would become a distinguished career in coaching and education.

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