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Rock Rapids, Iowa — A building that started as an automobile dealership over 100 years ago in Rock Rapids has undergone some major renovation and will soon house some upscale downtown offices.

The building, on the corner of Story Street and South Second Avenue, across from the courthouse, was originally built as Watson’s Garage in about 1907. The Lyon County history book Buncombe to Twenty-Two says Watson’s was a dealer of the Mitchell automobile line.

The building has housed a number of businesses over the years. In fact some of them have some historical significance. Building owner Doug Van’t Hof says at one time it was owned by C. W. Swanson — they believe that’s the same Swanson that developed Swanson’s Foods, of TV dinner fame. For a time it was owned by a Campbell’s Creamery and Produce that was related to Campbell Soup, which had a facility in Worthington, Minnesota in past years. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, it was the Worthmore Creamery. Many Rock Rapids residents still refer to it as “The Worthmore Building.”

Van’t Hof says it was rumored that the freight elevator in the building was used to transport cars to the second floor when it was Watson’s Garage. But he says they discovered a tag on the elevator that said it was manufactured in the 1940’s. Plus, Van’t Hof says they don’t think even the early, small automobiles would have fit in the elevator.

In more recent years, it has been a farm supply store, a Coast-to-Coast hardware store, a Family Drug store and a production facility for Simply Said, among several other things.

He tells us that among the first projects in the major renovation of the building were gutting the old renovations and working on the roof.

He says they would have liked to leave the building concrete color, but he says they would have had no way to match the color of concrete that’s over 100 years old when they did repairs and renovations, so they decided to use a dark grey concrete stain.

Van’t Hof says they wanted to return the outside of the building to as much of the original form factor as they could, and that included the big windows, which over the years had been boarded up or reduced considerably to make the building more energy-efficient.

He says the tint accomplishes several purposes. It protects the contents of the building from fading, eliminates the need for window treatments, and provides privacy, especially for their ground floor tenants, which will be DeNoble, Austin & Company Certified Public Accountants.

Van’t Hof says the upper level will be occupied by his business, Home Warranty, Incorporated. He tells us what they do.

He says many people also extend the warranty after the first year.

Van’t Hof gave local dignitaries, the media, and Congressman Steve King a tour of the facility on Wednesday, July 27th.

Van’t Hof says his business plans to move in by the end of August or early September. Dave DeNoble of DeNoble, Austin says they hope to move in by September 1st.

Sioux City, Iowa — Ranae Harriet Van Roekel, 48, from Hull, Iowa, pled guilty Thursday in federal court in Sioux City and was convicted of one count of mail fraud and one count of filing a false tax return.

Evidence produced at the plea hearing revealed, from about January 2008 to about June 2012, Van Roekel, used the internet, phone networks, and the United States Mail, to claim to have access to tickets to various events (including Super Bowl XLVI) at steeply discounted prices because of some claimed personal relationship, membership, or association with the events or related organizations. For example, she claimed to have come by access to discounted Super Bowl XLVI tickets by fraudulently claiming she was a member of the Super Bowl Planning Committee. She then collected money from victims, through the United States Mail purportedly for the purpose of obtaining these tickets, hotel rooms, and other goods and services, but then claimed she could not fill most of the orders. Defendant paid some victims “refunds” with money from newly acquired victims to prevent detection of the scheme.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Van Roekel remains free on bond previously set; Van Roekel faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, $100 in special assessments, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment on the mail fraud count, and up to 8 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, $100 in special assessments, and up to one year of supervised release following any imprisonment on the filing a false income tax return count.

Rock Valley — There’s going to be a snowmobile race in Rock Valley. That sounds like something we should be announcing in January. But there’s a twist. These snowmobiles are going to be racing on WATER.

We talked with Kelly Roder, who’s one of the individuals helping with what they call the “Rivers Bend Shootout”, and he tells us what’s happening.

He says there will be plenty of racing action, with cash payouts for the winners.

And the action continues the next day, he says.

He says the venue is the Rivers Bend Campground ponds. He says the area used to be the Van Zee gravel pits, and the City of Rock Valley has transformed it into a nice campground and some ponds.

He says most of the riders are from up north, but one of their club members is taking part.

Roder says there will be food vendors available on-site, and there isn’t a bad seat anywhere around the pond. Again, that’s the Rivers Bend Shootout this weekend at Rivers Bend Campground northwest of Rock Valley. Check out their Facebook page for ticket prices and other details.