News

CORRECTION! In an article published in the Sept. 12 Independent, the date in the program in the article entitled Experience Egypt with Kathy Rhodes was incorrect, it should have read Monday Sept. 16th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

On Sept. 9 at about 9 a.m., the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a house explosion at 606 110th Street, which is east and south of West Bend. The caller advised there was debris all over the acreage and roadway and it appears the house had exploded.

The west Bend Fire Department and Ambulance Service, Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office and Kossuth County EMS responded to the call. Upon arrival, it was determined that two of the three residents were home at the time of the incident.

Catherine Fleischhacker, age 44, was located within the west side of the residence under the debris. Fire and EMS personnel were able to remove her, and she was transported to the Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona by Kossuth County EMS and then by Mercy Life Flight to Mercy Hospital in Mason City with undetermined injuries.

The Humboldt High School Music Department has cast and began rehearsing their fall musical, Broadway’s “The Music Man.”

“The Music Man” is a 1957 musical with book, music and lyrics by Iowa native Meredith Wilson.

The Tony Award winning show follows fast talking, salesman and con-artist Harold Hill who arrives at River City, Iowa convincing the locals to start a band by purchasing uniforms and instruments from him. Despite Hill’s intention to flee as soon as he receives the money, he meets, and falls in love with, the fastidious Marian Maroo.

Tickets for the Humboldt High School Production of “The Music Man” will be available at the office starting Oct. 1. Performances for the show will be Nov. 7, 8 and 9 at 7 p.m.

By APRIL KELLEY
Demetrius Foy will be spending the next 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of burglary in the second degree, a class c felony and one count of harassment in the first degree, an aggravated misdemeanor.

According to documents obtained from the Humboldt County Clerk of Court’s office, the charges stem from a string of domestic incidences culminating on Tuesday, May 15.

Foy was arrested on Wednesday, May 16 at his residence in Fort Dodge by Humboldt County Sheriff Deputies aided by the Webster County Sheriff’s Department and the Fort Dodge Police Department after a search warrant was issued.

Kurt J. Stoebe, District Court Judge for the Second Judicial District of Iowa, sentenced Foy to an indeterminate term not to exceed 10 years for the charge of burglary in the second degree and an indeterminate term not to exceed two years for the charge of harassment in the first degree. The sentences are to run concurrently.

By PHIL MONSON

At their special meeting held on Aug. 22, the Humboldt City Council gained input on steps moving forward with their search for a new chief of police.

At the start of the meeting, the council approved one action item on a short agenda, a 24-hour temporary premise license for a downtown Humboldt business, Knotty Pine.

The council then went into closed session to discuss personnel issues as per Iowa Code Chapter 21.5. They were joined by city legal counsel online as well as in person by Jon Thomas of Workforce Solutions. After the 40-minute closed session, upon returning to open session, engaged in an in-depth question and answer session with Thomas, who also serves as chief of police for State Center.

By APRIL KELLEY
Most people have a party thrown for them on their birthday, but this year, Shay Fiddler plans to throw her own birthday party. One that she has been working towards for longer than she can remember. Fiddler’s birthday party this year will include the grand opening of her store, Night Owl Books on Friday, Aug. 30, from 1 pm. to 9 p.m.

The store, located at 605 Sumner Avenue, has a varied history. At one time it has been a bank, a barber shop, a photography studio, an outlet store for frozen meals among other things.

Fiddler has gone through a few changes in her life as well. She grew up in Humboldt and graduated from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). She originally planned to study English to pursue a career in publishing but later decided to major in interactive digital studies and minor in journalism.

On August 6, at approximately 6:10 a.m., a Humboldt County deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a flatbed pickup observed speeding and driving recklessly through Humboldt on Highway 3.

The driver failed to stop which led to a pursuit into Pocahontas County. The pursuit ended near Highway 3 and 290th Avenue when the driver drove through several farm fields trying to avoid capture.

The vehicle was recovered stuck in a dredge ditch, but the driver was not located.

It was determined that the truck had been reported stolen that morning near Collins, IA.

Evidence found inside the stolen truck and a joint investigation involving the Story County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Daniel Ray Coonfield, 39 of Des Moines. On Aug. 9, an arrest warrant was granted in Humboldt County charging Coonfield with eluding, a class C felony.

By PHIL MONSON

Dodgen Industries was a manufacturing staple in Humboldt for many years – 48 to be exact. The company made many products, including the high-quality Born Free Motorcoach until the company ceased to exist in 2017.

Last Saturday (Aug. 17) at Rutland City Hall, employees of the company gathered to look back on the company’s run and renew friendships and work acquaintances.

“I worked 41 years and my last title was vice-president of the commercial division,” said Dennis Day, one of the organizers of the event.

“Three of our former employees contacted each other and wanted to get together and have a reunion of employees. The company closed in 2017 and these folks have gone on to other jobs and careers and some of us retired. We wanted to catch up on everybody since we worked together for a long time,” Day said.

By PHIL MONSON
Amy Zeman is coming home.

Zeman, who grew up on a farm south of Livermore, is the new city clerk and finance director for the City of Humboldt. Zeman’s hiring was approved at the Humboldt City Council meeting on Monday night, Aug. 5.

“I’m really excited to be back home in Humboldt County where I grew up,” Zeman told the Independent in an interview after Monday’s meeting.

Zeman replaces Gloria Christensen, who is retiring this month after serving in the position for the past 30 years.

“My father still lives on the family acreage, which was my grandparents’ place, just south of Livermore. My younger sister and I have been talking about building on the acreage for a few years. This move happened quicker than I had anticipated, but the job opportunity was too good to pass up,” Zeman said.

BY APRIL KELLEY
Everyone who could possibly have a say in the Rutland quarry has had their chance to talk. The townspeople affected, local businesses, the Supervisors, the attorneys, except for one person, Cole Anderson, the owner of the quarry.

Anderson, 24, bought the quarry in July of 2023 with the hopes to reopen the site. He applied for a special use permit from the Humboldt County Zoning Board and was denied in October. In November, Anderson’s lawyer Ernest Kersten found a flaw in the zoning ordinance. Zoning ordinances which changed the area around Rutland from an area for mineral extraction to farming in both 1996 and 2015 were done incorrectly, thus making those zoning ordinances unenforceable.