Iowa State Bank To Expand

ISB LogoNorthwest Iowa — An Orange City based bank has announced the purchase of what will be their ninth location in northwest Iowa.

Iowa State Bank Chairman Frank Vogel, along with the bank’s President and CEO, Leroy Van Kekerix, have announced the purchase of the former Great Southern Bank building in Le Mars.

Vogel called the addition of a location in Le Mars a strategic opportunity for Iowa State Bank to extend their service area in northwest Iowa.  He says Le Mars and Plymouth County provide a natural extension of Iowa State Bank’s footprint, and will benefit area customers.

Van Kekerix says Iowa State Bank looks forward to welcoming new customers to their bank, and providing the community of Le Mars with their brand of full-service banking products and services.

The bank is planning to open their Le Mars office early this fall.

Iowa State Bank currently has locations in Hull, Orange City, Craig, Ireton, Sheldon, Paullina, Sanborn, and Remsen.


Area Livestock Hit Hard By Recent Heat Wave

cattle feedlot cow cows beef manure_extensionRock Valley, Iowa — Last week’s heat wave hit area livestock hard, according to a Rock Valley rendering company.

Tim Post, of Sioux Valley Rendering in Rock Valley, says many cattle producers in the area lost animals due to the triple-digit heat index in our area.

Post says they also had to haul dozens of hogs that succumbed to the heat.

He says last week’s livestock losses from the heat are the worst he’s seen in some time.

Post says the livestock losses during last week’s heat wave were the most business he’s had since he opened his rendering company.


ISU Extension Shooting Sports Camp Is Next Week

ISU ExtensionOcheyedan, Iowa — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach of Osceola County is planning a Shooting Sports Camp, coming up on Wednesday, August 3rd.

Sandy Lamfers, of ISU Extension and Outreach of Osceola County says the camp will run from 5:00 to 8:00 pm next Wednesday, at Willow Creek County Park near Ocheyedan.   The Shooting Camp, which will be conducted by conservation specialists, will involve slingshot, air rifle, archery, and shotgun.

This camp is for children that have completed 4th grade, and up. Lamfers says the date for the Shooting Sports Camp was misprinted in the iCamp book as July 27th, but the correct date is, in fact, August 3rd.

The camp is free, but you’ll need to register online, if possible.  You can find the registration by visiting www.extension.iastate.edu/osceola/.


New Business Building To Get First Tenant Soon

Top Notch 2Sheldon, Iowa — A new commercial building that’s been under construction for the past few weeks will soon house it’s first business inhabitant.

Top Notch Rentals in Sheldon is building the structure, which is located on 9th Street, one half block east of the Sheldon Community Services Center, in downtown Sheldon.  The main tenant of the building will be Top Notch Stitching.  One of the partners in Top Notch Stitching, April Schaeffer, says Top Notch Stitching’s current location isn’t really big enough to fit the needs of their business.

Schaeffer says the new, two-story building will house more than just Top Notch Stitching.

She says the first occupant of the building, Knights of Columbus Insurance, will be moving in very soon.

Tim Dagel is the Knights of Columbus General Agent in Sheldon, and he says he is excited to be moving into the new location, saying it will provide them with considerably more space than was available in their old location.

Top Notch Stitching is owned by a group of local investors who purchased the business, then called What A Stitch, in March of last year.


Rock Rapids Man Jailed On Weapons Charges

Jail Door2Rock Rapids, Iowa — A Rock Rapids man was jailed Tuesday (July 26th) on weapons-related charges.

Lyon County Sheriff Stewart Vander Stoep says the arrest of 45-year old Bryian Keith Hamilton came as the result of a search warrant served on his Rock Rapids residence earlier this month.  The Sheriff says deputies obtained that search warrant after they were given information that a person had seen Hamilton, and others, outside his residence, holding firearms.

Vander Stoep says a background check on Hamilton showed him to have a felony conviction for burglary in the state of Colorado, as well as two convictions for Domestic Abuse, one in Texas, and one in Colorado.  Iowa law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms, and persons with Domestic Abuse convictions are prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms, according to the Sheriff.

Vander Stoep says evidence obtained during the execution of the search warrant led to an arrest warrant for two counts of Possession of a Firearm By a Felon, and one count of Possession of a Firearm By a Domestic Abuse Offender.

At last report, Hamilton was lodged in the Lyon County Jail, with bond set at $10,000.


A Schnepf Is O’Brien County Fair Queen Again

Primghar, Iowa — It’s a family affair when it comes to the O’Brien County Fair for one O’Brien County family.
O'Brien Fair Royalty 2016
Krayton Schnepf was crowned Monday evening as the 2016 O’Brien County Fair Queen. But it’s certainly not the first time a Schnepf has received honors. Her older sister Paris Schnepf was not only crowned the O’Brien County Fair Queen, but she also was selected as the 2011 Iowa State Fair Queen. He sister Sterling was the 2012 Iowa Pork Princess.

Krayton Schnepf graduated from Gehlen Catholic this spring. She will represent O’Brien County at the Iowa State Fair, and will compete for the title of Iowa State Fair Queen. Krayton Schnepf plans to attend the University of South Dakota this fall.

Also crowned on Monday night at the fair were King Garret Wagner and Fair Princess Tristan Haag.

Photo Caption: Front row: King Garrett Wagner, Queen Krayton Schnepf, Princess Tristan Haag
Back Row: Haley Wagenaar, Claire Solsma, Savanna Sickelka, Alexa Sickelka, Lily Friedrichsen

Yet this week at the fair:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27
1:00 pm – Rising Star Cooking — Open Class Craft Building
3:00 – 3:30 pm – Livestock Judging Registration
3:30 pm – Livestock Judging Contest
3:30 pm — Quilt Turning Program — Open Class Craft Bldg
5:00 pm — Share The Fun Entertainment and Evaluation and 4-H Style Show, Citizenship Club project awards
5 – 7:00 pm – O’Brien Co. Farm Bureau Watermelon Feed
7:30 pm – Auto Races sponsored by Primghar Jaycees
8:00 pm – All 4-H Livestock may be released

THURSDAY, JULY 28
8:30 am – Awards/Announcements and Livestock Sale
9 -12:00 – 4-H Non-livestock exhibits may be released. 4-H’ers & parents are EXPECTED & ASSIGNED places to help with cleanup.Lunch will be provided after cleanup.