(Ringsted)--A Ringsted man is facing a felony weapons charge along with numerous other charges following a traffic stop earlier this week in Emmet County.

According to a criminal complaint filed by the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office, a 2001 Buck Regal driven by 41-year-old Anton Bejarano was stopped shortly before 9:55 pm Tuesaday on 240^th St. near Ringsted.  Bejarano was driving with a suspended license. The Emmet County Sheriff’s K-9 Bear conducted a free air sniff and alerted to the possibility of narcotics in the vehicle. During a probable cause search, a pipe for smoking methamphetamine was located in the vehicle. Also during the search, several 22-caliber rounds were located in the vehicle and on Bejarano’s person. Bejarano was transported to the Emmet County Jail.

A second deputy found a phone belonging to Bejarano on the road between his house and where the traffic stop took place. After additional searching, a 22 caliber pump action shotgun was located in the tall grass near the road.

Bejarano was charged with dominion or control of a firearm or offensive weapon by a felon, a class D felony, person ineligible to carry firearms, interference with officials acts, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to provide proof of financial liability, failure to carry a registration card and driving while license is denied, suspended, cancelled or revoked.

A preliminary hearing for Bejarano is scheduled for August 10^th at 4 pm in Emmet County District Court.

(Des Moines)--Swimming is not recommended at 16 of Iowa's public beaches this weekend, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The list includes Crandall’s Beach and Emerson Bay Beach in the Iowa Great Lakes.

Most of the beaches on this week's list showed high levels of E.Coli, which is an indicator of other potentially harmful bacteria in the water, or algal toxin.

The DNR tests 40-some beaches each week between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. Sampling and testing happen during the week, with the results posted online Friday mornings.

(KILR)--Democrat John Norwood is challenging Incumbent Republican State Treasurer Roby Smith in the November General Election. In an interview with KILR News, Norwood explains why he decided to run for State Treasurer.

Norwood details his qualifications for the position.

Norwood was asked why voters should make a change in the State Treasurer’s Office.

In 2022, Norwood ran for State Ag Secretary against incumbent Republican Mike Naig and lost by a margin of 61 to 39-percent.

(Estherville)--Iowa’s annual pheasant survey begins today(Saturday)and runs through August 15^th. KILR Outdoors Expert Steve Weisman says Iowa Department of Natural Resources staff will drive 225, 30-mile routes on gravel roads.

Weisman says the August roadside survey started about 90 years ago.

Weisman expects the numbers to be good around northwest Iowa.

Results of the survey will be posted online at iowadnr,gov/pheasantsurvey in early September. Iowa’s pheasant season begins October 31st.

(Estherville)—It’s the final day of Sweet Corn Days in Estherville and a couple of changes have been made to the schedule.

The Knights of Columbus Pancake Breakfast from 9 am to noon has been moved to the Estherville VFW. And the Des Moines River Float has been canceled due to low water levels.

The Sweet Corn Days Golf Tournament, originally scheduled for Friday will be held this morning. Registration is at 7:30 a.m.  with a Shotgun Start: 8:00 a.m.

Also today. the Disc Golf tournament will be held at 10 am at the Rivers Edge Disc Golf Course and a free swim party will be held at the Estherville Aquatic Center from 1 to 7 pm.

(Estherville)--Several Sweet Corn Days events scheduled for today have been canceled or postponed due to the weather.

The Little Miss & Mister Sweet Corn Pageant will still be held as scheduled, but it has been moved indoors to the Estherville Public Library. Families should follow the same arrival and start times previously communicated.

The following schedule changes:

Fireworks have been postponed to Saturday at 9:30 p.m.

Movie in the Park has been postponed to Saturday immediately following the fireworks in Library Square. This year's featured movie is Hoppers.

All other Friday evening Sweet Corn Days activities have been canceled or postponed.

The Sweet Corn Days Golf Tournament, originally scheduled for today has been rescheduled to Sunday. Registration is at 7:30 a.m.  with a Shotgun Start: 8:00 a.m.

Community members are encouraged to continue checking the Estherville Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page for the latest event updates throughout the weekend.

(Spencer)--The countdown is on for open class livestock exhibitors planning to compete at the 2026 Clay County Fair, powered by SMU, September 12-20. Exhibitors have just three days remaining to submit their entries before the Monday, August 3rd deadline.

Open Class entries for Beef, Dairy, Horse, Rabbit, Sheep, and Swine must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. on August 3rd. Participants from any county or state are eligible to compete.

Before submitting entries, exhibitors are encouraged to review their department handbook for important information regarding entry requirements, department rules, health regulations, schedules, and other department-specific guidelines. Department handbooks and entry information are available on the Clay County Fair website or may be picked up at the Fair Administrative Office.

Exhibitors who miss the August 3rd deadline will still have an opportunity to enter during the late entry period, which runs August 4^th-10th. A $25 late fee per entry will apply during this time. Livestock entries will officially close after August 10th, and no additional entries will be accepted.

(Estherville)--Republican candidate for Governor Zach Lahn will be making several campaign appearances in northwest Iowa next Thursday, August 6^th.

Lahn will begin the day with a meet and greet at the Estherville VFW from 11 am to noon.  To RSVP for the event go to zachlahn.com/events.

Lahn will then make campaign stops in Sibley and Sanborn before ending the day in Clay County with a meet and greet at 3025 210^th Ave, north of Spencer, from 6 to 7 pm.

For more information, visit zachlahn.com.

(Okoboji)--The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will host a public meeting next week to discuss plans to improve and stabilize the shorelines at Pillsbury Point on West Lake Okoboji. The meeting will be held on Thursday, August 6th at 6 p.m. at the Maser Monarch Lodge in Okoboji.  Michelle Balmer, DNR Lake Restoration Program Coordinator, says the Pillsbury Point shoreline was one of many in the lakes area damaged by the 2024 flood.

Balmer says the project will stabilize and protect nearly 1,200 feet of steep public shorelines along West Lake Okoboji.

She details the timeline for the project.

Balmer says those attending the meeting can find out what to expect during construction.

Again, the meeting will be held on Thursday, August 6 at 6 p.m. at the Maser Monarch Lodge in Okoboji.

(Lake Park)--The 43^rd annual Farmer’s Appreciation Days in Lake Park got underway Thursday evening and will continue today with a golf tournament at the Silver Lake Country Club. Jayln Clark with the Lake Park Town and Country Boosters says a full day of events is on tap for Saturday.

Clark says Fun at the Heritage Square Museum begins at 1 pm.

The day will conclude with a street dance from 8 pm to midnight featuring the group “She’s With Us.” Clark says a few more events are scheduled for Sunday.

A complete schedule of events can be found by going to lakeparkia.com and clicking on Our Town.

(Spirit Lake)–Two people were sent to the hospital after a fiery head-on collision Wednesday on Highway 71 about a mile south of the Iowa-Minnesota border.

The Iowa State Patrol says at around 12 noon, 20-year-old Brooklyn Holmes of Jackson, Minnesota was driving a 2012 Buick LaCrosse southbound and was attempting to pass two vehicles in a no-passing zone. At the crest of a hill she collided with a northbound 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse being driven by 18-year-old Geovani Rodriguez Gonzalez of Austin, Minnesota.

The patrol say Holmes was able to get out of her vehicle before it caught on fire and was destroyed.

Both drivers were taken by ambulance to Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake with minor injuries.

The vehicle driven by Rodriguez Gonzalez was also totaled.

Holmes was cited for passing in a no-passing zone.  Highway 71 was closed for about 90 minutes after the accident.

(Algona)--Minor injuries were reported after the crash of a spray plane Wednesday afternoon near Algona.

Shortly after 4:15 pm, the Kossuth County Law Enforcement Center received a 911 call regarding a spray plane that crash landed near the area of 1009 180th Street. The Kossuth County Sheriff's Office, Kossuth County Emergency Management, Kossuth County EMS and Algona Fire Department responded to the scene.

According to a news release, the  Cessna spray plane, registered to D and K Aviation lnc. of Milford lost power,  clipped power lines near the residence at 1009 180th Street and then crash landed. No one on the ground was injured and the pilot, whose name was not released, was treated at the scene by Kossuth County EMS for minor cuts and was not transported to a medical facility.

The Federal Aviation Administration was notified and will conduct their own investigation. Midland Coop was notified to repair the power lines and restore power in the area.

(Okoboji)--The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and partners at the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory recently discovered and treated a small, isolated population of Eurasian watermilfoil. The aquatic invasive species was found growing in the canal system south of Miller’s Bay on West Lake Okoboji. Iowa DNR Fisheries Biologist Andrew Carlson

Carlson details how the aquatic invasive species was discovered.

He says the Eurasian watermilfoil was quickly treated by the DNR.

Carlson says the treatment should be successful.

The DNR is asking boaters and other users in these areas to be extra vigilant to help prevent the spread of these invasive aquatic plants elsewhere in West Lake Okoboji or the other lakes in this chain.

(Estherville)—The Emmet County Veterans Office is bringing a special guest speaker to Estherville this fall. Veterans Affairs Director Casee Ross says Chickie Donahue will speak at a luncheon on October 28^th at the Estherville Elks Lodge.

Ross says the effort to bring Chickie Donahue to Estherville started with a dare.

She outlines the schedule for October 28^th.

Area veterans and are invited to attend the luncheon with a guest. You are asked to RSVP to the Emmet County Veteran’s Affairs Office at 712-362-4271 by October 7^th.

(Algona)--An Algona man is one of ten people that will be honored as an Iowan of the Day during next month’s Iowa State Fair.

John Emsweiler of Algona will be recognized on the first day of the fair on Thursday, August 13^th. Emswiler is being honored for his leadership of Moving Veteran’s Forward, an organization helps veterans transition to stable housing by coordinating furniture donations, organizing fundraisers, and building partnerships in the local community.

The Iowans of the Day are selected by the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation. Each honoree will be recognized during a special ceremony on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage. In addition to being celebrated before Fairgoers, each Iowan of the Day receives Iowa State Fair admission tickets, VIP parking, a cash award, overnight accommodations, and tickets to that evening's Grandstand concert.

(Granada, MN)—Fundraisers have been set up to assist the family of a Martin County teen who died after an accident at the family farm near Granada.

According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the accident that claimed the life of 18-year-old Leighton Hugoson occurred last Friday, July 24^th. The accident report says at around 9:20 a.m. Hugoson was found with his neck pinned between a metal cover and edge in the rear of a feed truck, around 15 minutes after he was last seen.

Leighton was taken to the hospital and after spending two days fighting to recover was declared neurologically dead on Sunday afternoon.

A Go Fund Me account has been set up to help Leighton Hugoson’s family pay for funeral expenses.

A benefit for the Hugoson family will be held this evening at 6 pm at the East Chain Evangelical Free Church, located at 507 280^th Avenue. More than 100 bales of hay will be auctioned off, with all proceeds going to the family.

(Graettinger and Ruthven)--The Board of Directors for the Graettinger-Terril and Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School Districts have announce that Jeff Dicks has been selected as the districts' new shared Interim Superintendent, pending final board approval.

Dicks brings more than two decades of proven educational leadership to the shared superintendent’s position. He retired from the Newell-Fonda Community School District in June 2024 after a distinguished tenure, and most recently served as the Interim Superintendent for the Estherville Lincoln Central Community School District during the 2024-2025 school year.

According to a joint news release from both districts, Dicks’ extensive background in Northwest Iowa school administration and deep familiarity with shared district operations make him exceptionally well-suited to guide Graettinger-Terril and Ruthven-Ayrshire through the upcoming academic year.

Dicks' appointment will be formally submitted for official board action at upcoming meetings for both districts. Upon approval, he will immediately begin working alongside administration, teachers, and staff to prepare for a seamless start to the school year.

Dicks replaces former Superintendent Marshal Lewis who was placed on administrative leave earlier this month.

(Lake Park)—The Cooperative Lakes Area Monitoring Project or CLAMP is warning residents about high levels of algal toxin in Silver Lake in Dickinson County.

Screening tests that were conducted Tuesday for the algal toxin microcystin indicate elevated levels above what are considered safe for recreation. According to a Facebook post, the screening test is not as accurate as a laboratory analysis, but people should use caution when recreating in Silver Lake.

Pets, children and the elderly are most susceptible to the algal toxin. Primary exposure is through ingestion. Rinse pets with clean drinking water if they come into contact with the water.

(Spirit Lake)--The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about a bond scam.

In a Facebook Post, the Sheriff’s Office says it has been made aware of scammers calling residents and claiming to be a “Sergeant” or a Bondsman, stating that a friend or family member is in custody and needs immediate payment for bond. The scammers request money to be sent electronically to them through PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, Apple Cash, etc.

The Dickinson County Sheriff's Office says it does not collect bond money electronically.

If you receive one of these calls hang up immediately and contact local law enforcement directly using a trusted number.

(Algona)—A Lakota man and two emergency dispatchers are being honored for the role they played in saving two young men after a fiery car-train collision in northern Kossuth County on July 14th. During a ceremony Monday in Algona, Sheriff Roger Fisher recognized the efforts of Alex Horak that likely saved two lives.

The sheriff says Horak quickly pulled 16-year-old Hunter Blocker and his 12-year-old brother Owen from the wrecked vehicle as it caught fire, putting himself in danger.

Fisher also recognized a pair of emergency dispatchers, Monica Preuschl and Terese Block, who were working that afternoon.

Both of the young men involved in the collision attended Monday's ceremony and are expected to make a full recovery.

(from Radio Iowa)

(Estherville)--The Emmet County Board of Supervisors Tuesday held a joint zoom meeting with Clay and Dickinson County Supervisors to discuss the proposed FEMA repair project for two drainage districts damaged by flooding in 2024.

The districts are Joint Drainage District 61 and Drainage District 61 Branch. The Drainage District 61 project has a total estimated cost of about $1.2 million with FEMA paying 75-percent of the cost. Ten percent will be paid by the state with the remaining 15-percent paid by landowners. The share for Emmet County landowners in the drainage district will be about $45,000.

The Joint Drainage 61 Branch project has a proposed cost of $62,748. All the work on both projects is in Dickinson and Clay counties.

All three boards unanimously approved a bid letting scheduled for August 27th at 2 p.m.  A bid approval meeting is set for September 1^st at 9:30 a.m. by Zoom. 

In other business, the board approved $3,000 in LOSST funds for the Emmet County Veterans’ Affairs Office. The funds will cover transportation costs for guest speaker Chickie Donohue who will be visiting Estherville for a luncheon with area veterans on October 28^th.

The board also voted to dissolve the county compensation board. Under a new state law, counties can dissolve their compensation boards with the Supervisors taking over the responsibility for determining salary increases for elected officials.

(Bancroft)—The Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge auto tour route will be open from this Saturday, August 1st through Monday, September 21^st.^. Wildlife Refuge Specialist Erich Gilbert says the auto tour route begins at the refuge headquarters east of Bancroft.

Sand hill cranes have nested at the refuge in the past but Gilbert says they have not been seen recently.

There is an observation platform toward the beginning of the tour route with two spotting scopes. Gilbert was asked about the best time to view wildlife.

Visitors of all ages are encouraged to come inside the headquarters building and check out the interpretive displays.

Again the phone number is 515-928-2523. Union Slough is located 6 miles east of Bancroft on County Road A-42.

(Estherville)--The 28^th annual Sweet Corn Days celebration will “Stalk this Way” this Thursday through Sunday in Estherville. Lexie Ruter, Executive Director of the Estherville Area Chamber of Commerce says Thursday begins with the Downtown Market from 4:30 to 6:30 pm.

Friday’s events begin at noon with the Sweet Corn Days golf tournament at Creed National Golf Club. A new event on Friday evening is the Antique Tractor show from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Ruter runs down the rest of the evening’s events.

Ruter says Saturday will begin with the annual Sweet Corn Days parade at 10:30 am with the serving of free sweet corn beginning at noon.

The day concludes with a street dance from 9 pm to 1 am featuring the Schmitt Brothers. Sweet Corn Days wraps up on Sunday with a Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast, a disc golf tournament, Des Moines River Fun Float, subject to river conditions, and free swimming at the Estherville Aquatic Center from 1 to 7 pm. 

(Spencer)--The 2026 Clay County Fair, powered by SMU, is again offering special days during this year’s fair September 12th–20th.

Monday, September 14^th is Veterans Appreciation Day. Veterans and active-duty military receive free admission with proof of military identification. Activities include a Parade of Honor around the Fairgrounds, and the Veterans Appreciation Program in the Events Center Ballroom.

Tuesday, September 15th is Senior Day. Guests ages 65 and older receive $9.00 admission. Activities throughout the day include the Vintage Tractor Parade around the Fairgrounds and the Antique Tractor Pull in the Grandstand.

Wednesday, September 16^th is First Responders Day. First responders receive free admission with valid identification. Fairgoers can also visit Central Park to explore a display of emergency response vehicles and meet local first responders.

Also, Saturday, September 19th is Science Saturday. Fairgoers can participate in hands-on STEM activities and experiments designed to engage fairgoers of all ages in Central Park and the 4-H Building.

For a complete list of special days, visit claycountyfair.com.

(Spencer)--Seasons Center is offering a free 90-minute virtual training designed to help foster, adoptive, kinship, and biological parents better understand how childhood adversity impacts behavior, relationships, and emotional well-being. The training will include practical strategies parents can use to strengthen connection with the children in their care.

The zoom meeting will be held on Thursday, August 6^th from 6:30 to 8 pm.

The training will explore how adverse experiences in childhood can shape attachment and influence behavioral responses in children and youth.

This training is ideal for biological parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, kinship caregivers, and anyone caring for children who have experienced adversity or trauma.

There is no cost to attend, but advance registration is required. For more information, visit seasonscenter.org/events.