News

Local News
Have a Newstip? Let us know!
Call or Text 712-324-2597
Email to newstips@kiwaradio.com

Five File For Three Seats On Sheldon School Board

vote voting ballotSheldon, Iowa — Five individuals have filed nomination papers for three seats that will be up for grabs in next month’s Sheldon School Board Election.

Current School Board President Kecia Hickman will be running unopposed to retain her seat representing Director District 3.  Glen Goedken, who currently serves as the At-Large District Director will not be seeking reelection.  Two individuals have filed to run for the seat Goedken is vacating.  They are Dan Van Gorp and Jessica Brink.

Director District 2, Mark Brown, is currently filling out the unexpired term of Gary Ihnen.  Ihnen resigned his position in 2013 when he moved from the state.  Brown is seeking reelection, and will be challenged by Steve Holles.

The Sheldon Community Schools School Board Election will be held September 8th.

Primghar Farmer Receives Award

corn fieldPrimghar, Iowa — A Primghar farmer received the 2015 O’Brien County Value Added Ag Hall of Fame Award at a ceremony held Wednesday night in Primghar.

Darwin Gaudian of Primghar was honored for his contributions to agriculture in O’Brien County and beyond.  Gaudian began his farming career upon graduating form high school.  He has been a member of the O’Brien County Fair Board since 1984, serving as President since 2001.  In 2002 he was elected to the O’Brien County and State of Iowa 4-H Halls of Fame, and has served on the Osceola County Rural Water Board.

Gaudian spends a great deal of time during the summer months visiting various county fairs, as well as the Iowa State Fair, looking for ideas that he can bring back and use to improve the O’Brien County Fair.

Gaudian and his wife, Jan, have two daughters, both of whom returned to northwest Iowa following college, and married into farming families.

Gaudian was nominated for the award by Rod Holtkamp of Primghar.

Nursing Home Company Pays More Than $400,000 Over Medicaid Irregularities

MoneyO’Brien County, Iowa — The parent company of two O’Brien County Nursing homes has agreed to pay over $415,000 to resolve civil allegations that they submitted inaccurate cost reports for Medicaid payments for the 2008 and 2010 fiscal years, according to a release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.

The settlement agreement involves Signature Care Centers, LLC, the parent company of the Primghar Rehabilitation and Care Center and Sutherland Care Center, as well as a trio of other nursing homes.  The release says that the government didn’t allege any patient harm or jeopardy to patient’s conditions, and that there was no admission of liability or wrongdoing included as part of the settlement.

The release says that of the total amount recovered, approximately $231,000 is related to the conduct associated with facilities in the Southern District of Iowa, with the remaining $184,000 related to the conduct of facilities in the Northern District.

The matter was pursued jointly by the US Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa, working cooperatively with the Iowa Medicaid Enterprise, Iowa’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

Three Area Coops Merge Into One

Northwest Iowa — Three area agricultural coops will be merging effective September 1st of this year, forming a cooperative with nineteen regional CFE - FINAL approvedlocations.

Rob Jacobs, who currently serves as General Manager of Coop Elevator Association in Ocheyedan has been named CEO of the new coop, which will be called Cooperative Farmer’s Elevator.  He tells us about the merger.

Jacobs talks about what the merger will mean to area producers.

He says that the merger of the three cooperatives will bring together the power of nineteen locations throughout the region.

Jacobs says that this merger not only brings together three companies, but three companies with the same focus and the same principles.

Jacobs says that, despite the merger, customers will still be seeing the same faces they’re used to doing business with over the years.

In addition to Rob Jacobs serving as CEO, Rick Finck, the current GM of Farmer’s Elevator Coop will serve as CFO, with Jeff Christensen, the current GM of United Farmers Coop serving as VP of Grain for the new Cooperative Farmers Elevator.

The merger of Farmer’s Elevator Coop, Cooperative Elevator Association and United Farmers Coop which will create Cooperative Farmers Elevator will be effective Tuesday, September 1st.

Boat Capsizes, Dumping Two Into Big Spirit Lake

Iowa DNRSpirit Lake, Iowa — An accident in which a boat capsized on Big Spirit Lake Tuesday afternoon is being investigated by officers from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

DNR Officers say that, for an unknown reason, the boat took on water and capsized, dumping the two men occupying the vessel into Big Spirit Lake.  The two men, who were not immediately identified by DNR officials, were unharmed and were rescued from the water by another boat.

DNR officials credited the fact that the pair had life jackets as a big factor in the positive outcome of the incident.  The men’s boat was also retrieved from the lake.  The DNR says the incident remains under investigation.

Sibley Pool Fundraiser Continues

sibley poolSibley, Iowa — A fundraising campaign is underway in Sibley to replace the current Sibley Outdoor Aquatic Center.  This past weekend, the Pool Committee’s fundraising activities benefited from a Tractor Pull competition held at the Osceola County Fairgrounds in Sibley.  Committee Chair Shalynn Anderson says they’re still waiting for the final figures on how much their cause was boosted by that Tractor Pull.

Anderson tells KIWA that the existing pool in Sibley is well beyond it’s designed lifespan.

She says that the Pool Committee has set an ambitious goal in trying to raise the money to build a new outdoor aquatic center.

Anderson says the Pool Committee was formed late last year, and had their first major fundraiser in June of this year.

She says they’re very happy with the progress of the campaign, but that there is much work left to be done to see the new pool become reality.

Anderson says their next fundraising project is selling engraved pavers to be used at the new pool. She says that, for more information, you can visit the Sibley Outdoor Aquatic Center – Fill-It-Up page on Facebook.