2024 Tama County Fair Queen Amaya Peterson (left) of rural Gladbrook pictured alongside 2023 Tama County Fair Queen Adelyn Sienkneckt on Tuesday
Peterson received her crown from Sienknecht during the grand finale of the fair’s Opening Ceremony
2024 Tama County Fair Queen has been representing Tama County at fair activities
parades and other activities throughout the year
Peterson is the daughter of Loni and James Droigk of Gladbrook
She attended Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School
and historian as well as FFA junior advisor and reporter and student council president
Peterson attended the 77th Iowa American Legion Auxiliary Girls State and was an active member of the Green Mountain United Church of Christ
She is currently finishing up her first year at Iowa State majoring in agriculture and life sciences
The Tama County Fair Queen Committee is taking applications for the 2025 Tama County Fair Queen
The contest is open to girls who are at least 16 years of age but not more than 21 on August 8
The Tama County Fair Queen Contest is judged in three distinct areas: Personality
Contestants do not have to be 4-H members but need to be active in at least one community group
Contestants will participate in a queen contestant workshop in June
Photos for publicity purposes will be taken at this time
The Tama County Queen will be crowned on Tuesday
The first-place winner will receive an all-expense paid
four-day trip to Des Moines to represent Tama County in competition with other candidates for the title of Iowa State Fair Queen
complimentary photos and gift bags for all candidates and a $500 scholarship for the Queen
The Tama County Fair Queen Committee would like to encourage young ladies in Tama County to participate in this competition for the chance to proudly represent Tama County at the Iowa State Fair
please contact Mandy Lekin at 641-751-3021
or any of the Tama County high schools’ guidance offices
Application forms must be completed and postmarked no later than June 1
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TOLEDO – Tama County 4-H is gearing up for an action-packed summer filled with exciting activities for youth of all ages
And you do not have to be a 4-H member to attend
Whether you’re eager to explore the great outdoors
With a variety of events designed to engage
at the Old Haven Schoolhouse south of Chelsea
Experience a day in an old-time schoolhouse with crafts
Open to youth who have completed grades K-5
Get ready to dive into the exciting world of epoxy as we create custom lazy Susans
Youth will explore design elements and principles to craft unique
Open to those who have completed grades 6-12
Adventures Unlimited – Overnight Camp
Get ready for an overnight adventure like no other
create lasting memories and dive into exciting activities like crafts
This camp is held at Pilgrim Heights on June 10-11 (5 p.m
to 5 p.m.) and is for those who have completed grades 4-6
Cost is $100 for enrolled 4-H members and $110 for non-members
Ocean Explores Engineering and Coding LEGO Camp
Dive into a day of fun and learning where kids will explore the wonders of ocean exploration through hands-on STEAM activities
and program LEGO® SPIKE creations while fostering teamwork and creativity
is for those who have completed grades K-3 and will be held at the Tama County Extension Office
June 23 is camp for those who have completed grades 4-6 and will be held from 10:30 a.m
fun art techniques and hands-on creativity
Held at the Tama County Extension Office on June 18
This camp is for those who have completed grades K-5
For all youth who have completed grades 3-6
There is a $10 fee and registration is due by June 20
Calling all young chefs who have completed grades K-5
at the Traer Public Library for a fun-filled time of cooking and learning
Make and eat delicious food (and take the recipes home)
Working with LEGO bricks to think like engineers and creatively solve complex problems
Perfect day for young engineers and programmers eager to learn and have fun
this camp will take place at the Tama County Extension Office from 9 a.m
Ready to be the best babysitter on the block
Whether you’re looking to start babysitting for extra cash or just want to feel confident watching younger siblings
Held at the Chelsea Public Library on June 30
this class is for those who have completed grades 5-12
Thanks to a Tama County Community Foundation grant
Join Tama County 4-H for a fun day at Critter Camp on July 2
Learn about flying creatures and expect stories
Cost is $10; registration is due by June 25
Held June 24-26 on the campus of Iowa State University
those who have completed 8th- 12th grade are invited for three days of speakers
You do not have to be enrolled in 4-H to attend
Contact the Tama County Extension Office for registration information
The fees for service will be used to offset direct expenses of the program
Full refunds will be issued if a camp is canceled due to low registrations or weather
No refund will be given for participants who cancel less than 48 hours in advance or do not show up
Find all these camps and the registration form on our website at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/tama/youth-programs
contact the Tama County Extension and Outreach Office at jhulme@iastate.edu or 641-484-2703
The Tama County Extension and Outreach Office is located at 203 West High Street
the trial in the lawsuit against former Toledo Police Officer ..
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TOLEDO — With an overcast sky abundant with heavy clouds
last Monday’s Tama County Board of Supervisors meeting was well attended
What was listed on the agenda as a possible closed session instead remained gaping open for the public to bear witness to the proceedings
the Tama County weed commissioner and Planning and Zoning administrator
sitting next to the titular head of Tama County’s outsourced HR management service
After taking umbrage at the wording of Greufe’s introductory sentence
Vokoun went into an explanation of what led him to make the decision himself to resign
I started making it known to people that I was planning on resigning the position because of the fact it was taking up so much time
I was very concerned about all of the items coming in
and taking up more time I expressed my concerns to you folks about a number of the items
and my concern about what it’s going to cost the county
and the time it’s going to be taking and I don’t see where it’s going to be taking less time we got right now with my hours and stuff I have,” he said
Vokoun then went on to talk about all of the hours that he has worked in the position
“It was based on when I was hired at 15 hours a week
right now I’m 26 hours away from having all the hours for the year
When I was hired I was informed to keep track of these
and if we were to start running into all these issues which you know were
I assume we have no idea what’s all gonna go on
then we would be looking at compensation for that,” he said
and I’m trying to do a job for the county
but I feel I’m very dedicated to this and wanting to have everything taken care of.”
Vokoun went on to talk about how people get angered waiting for responses and how the main hold-up is usually waiting on the attorneys to OK everything
He talked about how he didn’t care about wind or solar
he was just following the attorney’s instructions
treading carefully not to chance another lawsuit for the county
Vokoun also spoke about how much time he spends dealing with the lawsuits against the county and predicted more would be on the horizon
“This is starting to take up way more than what it should
but I don’t have the time to be taking all of that if I’m not being compensated,” he said
“I’m very concerned about some of these resolutions
I know that there’s more lawsuits coming
Vokoun made it clear that even though he was resigning
he was still happy to work until May 1 so that wheels would remain in motion
Vokoun also volunteered to show his replacement where things are and how things are done
The supervisors decided to accept Vokoun’s resignation effective immediately
but that he would still be paid until May 1
Vokoun wasn’t sure why he was being asked to leave straight away when he would be paid till May 1 and was willing to work untl then
The public was vocal after the meeting with many stating thanks for all of the work Bob Vokoun had done in the position
Others were bewildered by the supervisors’ decision
Some suggested that more hours should be added to the position
a special meeting was held in the morning in order to appoint an interim planning and zoning administrator and weed commissioner
the Environmental Health Officer and Sanitarian
The supervisors also approved posting the open position of weed and zoning commissioner
they did not extend the hours — currently
it will remain a part-time 15-hour-a-week position
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Iowa — Tama County wants to alert residents about a scam that surfaced on Sunday
Scammers are calling people and pretending to be from the Tama County Sheriff’s Office
claiming residents missed federal jury duty and are pressuring them to give out personal information
The sheriff’s office said it will never contact residents in this way or ask for payment or personal details over the phone
contact the sheriff’s office directly at 641-484-3760
share this message to help protect your friends
TOLEDO – Tama County is in need of a new Zoning Administrator
With an overcast sky abundant with heavy clouds
the weekly Tama County Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday
was well attended with a possible closed session on the agenda – a session that instead remained wide open for the public to bear witness
now former Tama County Zoning Administrator and Weed Commissioner
sitting next to the titular head of Tama County’s outsourced HR management
After taking umbrage at the wording of Greufe’s introductory sentence by stating that he was voluntarily resigning
Vokoun offered an explanation of what led him to make the decision
I started making it known to people that I was planning on resigning the position because of the fact it was taking up so much time,” Vokoun began
“I was very concerned about all of the items coming in
and the time it’s going to be taking and I don’t see where it’s going to be taking less time [than] we got right now with my hours.”
Vokoun went on to address the hours he has worked in the position
“It was based on when I was hired at 15 hours a week … [R]ight now I’m 26 hours away from having all the hours for the year
and if we were to start running into all these issues … then we would be looking at compensation for that
but I feel I’m very dedicated to this
and wanting to have everything taken care of.”
Vokoun went on to talk about how citizens get angry waiting for responses from his office and how the main hold-up is usually waiting on legal counsel for approval
treading carefully not to chance another lawsuit
Vokoun also addressed the time he has spent dealing with lawsuits against Tama County
but I don’t have the time to be taking all of that if I’m not being compensated.”
Vokoun again foreshadowed more litigation when he said
He made it clear that even though he was resigning
He also volunteered to show his replacement where things are and how things are done
The Supervisors decided to accept Vokoun’s resignation effective immediately
Vokoun appeared unsure as to why he was being asked to leave immediately while still being paid through May 1 – and willing to work until then
some members of the public were vocal in thanking Vokoun for all he had done in the position
while others were bewildered by the Supervisors’ decision
a special meeting was held to appoint an interim zoning and weed commissioner
the county’s environmental health officer and sanitarian
The Supervisors also approved posting the open position
the Board did not extend the hours – it will remain a part-time
Engineer Ben Daleske gave his report stating that they’ve finished hauling rock on Abbott Avenue south of 350th St
Blades were out working on Level B roads before the rain
last week and this week it will be done on the B Ave
The wind delayed getting the rest of the old shop torn down
They are also working on cleaning the culverts on E-66
A public hearing was held on the possible repeal of Tama County Ordinance VI.5(6.5)
the Wind Energy Conversion Assessment Ordinance
Some small comments and bits of discussion were had
the Supervisors approved waiving the second and third hearings
They then decided to put possible action on the repeal of the ordinance on next week’s agenda
A rather quick and rather quiet public hearing was held on the FY26 budget which was subsequently approved
the Supervisors approved a resolution to adjust the FY26 budget slightly by giving all elected officials a 2% raise excluding the supervisors
A liquor license for Backyard Vines was approved
Sheriff Casey Schmidt told the Board he attended a conference last week at the Iowa State Sheriffs’ and Deputies’ Association Civil School where two members of the Iowa Behavioral Health Department spoke
The main subject of this conference was the changes coming after July 1
Sheriff Schmidt said he learned that the jail will continue to be reimbursed for mental health medication for inmates
Members of the Tama County Turtles including (l-r) Wyatt Silhanek
and Levi Murty at the State Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) competition in Ames last month
AMES – The Tama County Turtles took first place in the State Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) senior team division
The State WHEP Competition was held on April 12 in Ames
The Iowa 4-H WHEP competition provides youth the opportunity to test their wildlife knowledge in a friendly competition
This year’s competition focused on tallgrass prairie and urban and wetland ecoregions
youth worked in teams to develop and write wildlife management plans at McFarland Park in Ames
The youth also spent time on campus at Iowa State University’s Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
where they tested their individual wildlife animal species identification skills in the portion of the event called the wildlife challenge
the youth and their coaches learned about microbes from ISU Extension and Outreach crop science specialist Maya Hayslett
They were able to examine soil and water microbes under a microscope
ISU Extension and Outreach education specialist Lynne Campbell shared the importance of conservation efforts to support the monarch butterfly’s population and how all Iowans can help monarchs by planting milkweed and other flowering plants
Wildlife extension specialist Adam Janke said
“The enthusiasm and dedication these young participants have for wildlife is truly inspiring
Their knowledge spans everything from habitat management techniques to identifying animal calls
It’s clear they’ve put in a lot of effort
showcasing the hard work they’ve invested in preparing for this contest.”
ISU Extension and Outreach Tama County office and programming assistant and Tama Turtles WHEP coach
“Tama County just wrapped up its second year of offering the Wildlife Habitat Education Program
and it’s quickly become a standout 4-H opportunity
Youth involved not only gain hands-on experience with wildlife and habitat management but also explore career paths and build a strong work ethic along the way
The team puts in the effort — but we make sure there’s plenty of fun mixed in
The team prepared for the state contest by meeting three times a month since December
The youth look forward to using the knowledge learned throughout this experience in future contests
“It’s been exciting to see how this program has sparked real interest in wildlife-related careers,” said Princehouse
“What is even more meaningful has been watching four youth from different parts of Tama County — who may never have crossed paths otherwise — come together over a shared passion for wildlife
they’ve built not just knowledge but genuine friendships.”
The Franklin Foxes Red Team placed second with Brylee Kline
Cayden Blau and Bryar Van Hove from Franklin County
The Franklin Foxes Green Team placed third
Morgan Stock and Ashton Stock from Franklin County
In the individual wildlife challenge junior division
Bryar Van Hove from Franklin County placed first
Clara Nelson from Clay County placed second and Brylee Kline from Franklin County placed third
David Roush from Clay County placed second and Wyatt Silhanek from Tama County placed third
Iowa 4-H Youth Development and the ISU Department of Natural Resource Ecology Management sponsored the event
contact your ISU Extension and Outreach county office
Iowa — A man from Waterloo who was reported to be in crisis and had made suicidal comments was found safe after an extensive search effort in Tama County
The Tama County Sheriff’s Office was alerted early Saturday afternoon about the situation
The man's vehicle was discovered near S Avenue and Highway V18
Authorities noted that he had taken steps to make himself difficult to locate
and involved several members of the Tama County Sheriff’s Office
Drones from the Sheriff’s Office and the Meskwaki Nation Police Department were deployed
and the Tama Police Department’s K9 Unit assisted in the search
no sign of the man was found in the immediate area
Based on interviews and information gathered
authorities believed he had left the area on foot
They contacted authorities in Waterloo to share their findings
the Sheriff’s Office received word that the man had returned to his residence in Waterloo and was taken to the hospital for evaluation
MCALLISTER - The entrance to Columbia Wildlife Area located southeast of Tama pictured in early spring 2022
Columbia is one of 14 public parks or wildlife areas managed by Tama County Conservation; the department is currently facing significant budget cuts
TOLEDO – Fallout from Tama County’s general fund shortfall has now cut deeper into the Conservation budget
meeting of the Tama County Board of Conservation
director Curtis Behrens told board members that in addition to the $100,000 the Board of Supervisors recently cut from Conservation’s current fiscal year budget (FY2025)
a further $150,000 must be cut from next fiscal year’s budget – equating to a roughly 17.5% cut
leaving the department with just over $731,000 for FY2026
One of the main areas affected would be the annual hiring of three to four seasonal workers: the new FY2026 budget proposal only includes hiring one position for the upcoming summer months
“It’s sad that we made it through the lake restoration and all the other things we’ve been through the last three years
now all of a sudden we have these budget cuts and we might have to let two-thirds of the parks go to weeds because we just don’t have the manpower,” Chairman Bryan Wacha said during the meeting held inside the nature center at Otter Creek Lake and Park
He went on to add that while he knows Conservation staff – which
Director Behrens and maintenance supervisor Dustin Horne – would keep Otter Creek Lake and Park maintained “the best
the longest,” other properties would more than likely not receive much attention due to budget cuts
“It’s things people take for granted until they see them not happening
And then that’s the phone call [from the public],” Wacha continued
“And I don’t know what to do about that
There’s only so many hours in the day for one-two-three people
If you lose two or three or four seasonals throughout the summer … that’s where the tough decisions start to happen
… We’re going to mow the camping at T.F
and we’re going to let two-thirds of the regular mowing spaces go wild
We’re going to have to make some of those decisions – it sounds like sooner (rather) than later
We start to really hit the wall when we’re working with the next fiscal cycle to reduce the budget.”
Tama County Conservation currently maintains 14 public parks/wildlife areas occupying well over 1,000 acres including Columbia Wildlife Area (160 acres) southeast of Tama
Duffus Landing along the Iowa River in rural Chelsea
Heritage Wetlands Wildlife Area (77 acres) southeast of Vining in rural Elberon
Iowa River Natural Heritage Area (100 acres) along the Iowa River adjacent to Duffus Landing
Izaak Walton Shooting Facility (17 acres) in rural Toledo
Lohberger Memorial Park (5 acres) northwest of Toledo
Longpoing Landing (3 acres) between Tama and Chelsea along the Iowa River
Manatt’s Landing (7 acres) on the south edge of Tama
McCoy Landing (3 acres) north of Montour along the Iowa River
Reinig Wildlife Refuge and Nature Study Area (46 acres) north of Toledo
and Wolf Creek Trail (12 acres) – a bike/hiking trail that runs northwest out of Gladbrook
“I think all the spots get utilized,” Wacha said while also admitting that Otter Creek Lake and Park was the “target spot.” Before discussion ended he lamented
“What projects and what things don’t get taken care of?”
“Hopefully people’s memories stay intact and they remember why it is this way,” Director Behrens said in reference to possible park property maintenance issues
“It’s going to be a rough patch for a while,” Wacha added
During an abbreviated Conservation Board meeting held on Wednesday
now-former Park Officer Riley Conrad’s resignation was acknowledged
Conrad was first appointed to the position on June 1
by then-Director Stephen Mayne after graduating from Iowa State University with a B.A
he graduated from Iowa Law Enforcement Academy
“He took a position over in Belle Plaine [with the police department]
You’ve done a fantastic job with us here,” Director Behrens said as Conrad sat next to him
said he had not been on the hunt for a new job and that the Belle Plaine offer had kept him up at night
but one that was made more out of necessity than anything else,” Conrad explained
“I will definitely still be using the parks
he’ll find me here in the spring turkey hunting and deer hunting in the fall
Conrad’s salary was addressed with Director Behrens telling the board he had been the lowest paid member of Conservation staff but that his skill set including his law enforcement badge was invaluable to the department
The board then briefly discussed possibly combining the naturalist with ranger duties but when asked for their opinion
Director Behrens and Horne seemed to balk at the idea
“I think we are under the consensus that a (park) tech-focused ranger is the highest need at the moment … Having the exact same set of arrangements (as Conrad) … a tech and patrol during the busy times
would be ideal,” Director Behrens said
Discussion also took place as to whether Conservation even needed a park officer with board member Jim Allen asking at one point
“How many times have we needed a law enforcement officer out here in the length that this place has been here
How many times have they been called out here?”
“I think there’s something to prevention,” Director Behrens responded
Board members also discussed the possibility of contracting with area law enforcement agencies for coverage but Director Behrens seemed hesitant due to the fact most law enforcement agencies are struggling to recruit and retain staff
“We lost ours (officer) at an inconvenient time while everybody else is losing their ability to help each other,” he said
expressed trepidation about contracting out for rural coverage
“My fear would be with budget cuts and everything else … when we call
if there’s life or death or any of those things
But if two drunk guys are having an argument in the campground
it’s quick and easy to have our staff … get their butt down there and take care of it.”
No action on how to advertise the park officer vacancy was taken during the meeting
Director Behrens said he planned to speak to the Board of Supervisors in the near future in regard to a possible hiring exemption for the position
Director Behrens told the board that on Monday
the Board of Supervisors had approved Conservation’s hiring exemption request for a new naturalist and that he planned to offer the position to Angela Tague to replace Raina Genaw who was terminated last December and received a severance package
Tague is an Iowa native who most recently lived and worked in Alaska
the Conservation board had agreed to set the new naturalist’s salary at $26 per hour due to experience
The board also discussed at length a proposal by Director Behrens to allow Tague to live free of charge for a year in the Conservation-owned trailer located at Otter Creek Lake and Park
Board members Danielle Dunning and Jim Allen both pushed back on the idea with Dunning asking that Tague sign a “very minimal rental agreement” and/or pay utilities
“[T]hat would show integrity and that we are being mindful of costs
… Everybody else in America has to pay their bills,” she said to which Director Behrens pointed out that when he accepted his own position in late 2023 he was allowed to stay in the trailer while selling his home (located in Jones County at the time) before relocating
“But if we weren’t in a (budget) crisis
I probably wouldn’t think twice about it,” Dunning responded before later stating
we don’t have that to offer to people that start next month.”
“If anybody wants to stay in that trailer
more power to them,” Wacha said in regard to the poor conditions of the trailer
“I’m going to make a motion to allow her to live there rent free and not pay utilities,” newly-installed board member Chris Behrens said a few moments later; discussion then continued with Director Behrens stating
“It currently rains in the living room if the rain is a particular direction so it is certainly not the nicest … it’s just this giant trade-off of
hope you’re ok with that’.”
The board also learned Tague will have a companion (pet) dog living with her in the trailer
Allen then asked board member Steve Kenkel
what the rent was for an efficiency apartment in Toledo to which Kenkel responded $650 monthly
The board eventually approved the motion 3-2 with Chris Behrens and Kenkel voting in favor of allowing the naturalist to live in the trailer rent-free
and Chairman Wacha voting to break the tie
Following further discussion on the conditions of the trailer and Tague’s dog
Kenkel made a motion to “allow the new naturalist to live in the trailer house on the premises rent-free or up until Nov 30
But in the event substantial repairs are needed or there is a termination of employment
The motion received a second from Chris Behrens and subsequently passed 3-2 with Chris Behrens and Kenkel voting in favor
the newspaper asked Director Behrens when Dague’s start date would be; he replied he was unsure at that point due to the need for Kenkel to draw up a lease for the trailer
Director Behrens said as part of her lease
Tague will be paying the electrical service on the mobile unit
He also indicated her start date with Tama County Conservation would be Monday
Monday’s Tama County Supervisors meeting went on like usual under the cloud of the day’s possible storms; at one point
the lights in the room flickered on and off
but this was just Sheriff’s Office Investigator Trevor Killian leaning against the light switch
The meeting started like usual with Tama County Engineer Ben Daleske’s report
which stated that they’ve been spot rocking in the last week
Spots listed on the dust control list will be reviewed
the department hydroseeded B Avenue and will move on to K Avenue this week
The Tama County Engineer and the road foreman’s will be attending the OSHA 10-hour course this week
A TIP rural electric coop utility permit was approved
10-hour day schedule for the road department
The Auditor’s quarterly report was approved
The supervisors approved a change to the Health Insurance dates
With this new change an employee’s insurance will start at the first of the following month after they start
and the insurance will end at the end of the month after they leave instead of the day of
and the supervisors went through the public hearing process for it
they decided not at this point to repeal the Tama County Wind Energy Conversion Ordinance VI.5 (6.5)
Yard clean-up at Union Grove Lake was approved
The supervisors approved Lori Johnson taking Shannon Zoffka’s spot on the Tama County Essential Service Advisory Council
and they also approved Chris Harris to be on the council as an alternate for Tama Ambulance
An exemption to the hiring freeze for a bridge crew laborer was approved
most were rather sparse as some meetings were still to be had
Supervisor Heather Knebel talked about participating in Tama County Government Day and that IT interviews are ongoing
Curt Kupka reported working on the calls that he had received
David Turner reported that the Emergency Services Association board is ironing out who is to provide services in what areas
He also reported from his meeting with the juvenile detention center that they are receiving more and more mental health patients
Chairman Mark Doland talked about the wind down of the local mental health services that are being taken over by the state
Tama County will be a part of a new behavioral health district more to the northwest
it is also hopeful that the state will continue to reimburse for different mental health medications
and transportation for inmates of the county jail
Doland said that many changes are to come within the mental health world and resources are limited
Doland also talked about talking to the public health board about what they can do to broaden and expand services before stating he had hoped that this reporter would have put more in last week’s article about Sheriff Casey Schmidt’s mental health update but that the article had instead been consumed by Bob Vokoun’s resignation and that mental health always seems to get shoved to the side
Editor’s Note: Chris Behrens submitted his resignation as interim Tama County Zoning Administrator/Weed Commissioner on Wednesday
His resignation is set to be addressed during a Friday
our Board of Supervisors has done it again
they were real quick to get Chris Berhens appointed interim Zoning Administrator
Straight up TCAT (Tama County Against Turbines) with no open mind on wind and solar
His letter to the Zoning Board (included below) proves that
Someone in the position of Zoning Administrator should have an open mind on ALL matters
but we all know this Board only wants people who fit their agenda in all positions
you can’t tell me they weren’t already looking
Behrens’ statement in his letter about ‘Love Thy Neighbor,’ it is obvious with TCAT that this is only if you see things their way
If you see things any differently than they do
he should not be employed by the County in any position (that is my opinion)
It was total disrespect to all the farmers who have signed leases for turbines
Thank you for the time and service you are giving in this matter
I support the current proposal to reapprove the Land Use Plan with 2 amendments (changing ‘CSR’ to ‘CSR2’ and changing ‘more than 60CSR’ to ‘an average of 60CSR’)
There is NO place for commercial solar and wind IMO in Tama County
the proposal is a fair compromise that protects valuable farmland and property rights
A statement was made in a prior meeting “…that just limits what people can do on their land…” is an attitude/display of entitlement and selfishness that has no place in Tama County or anywhere
“Do onto [sic] others as you would like done onto [sic] you” and “Love your neighbor” are much better attitudes for our county
Your neighbors have spoken and will continue to speak
They do not want industrial wind and solar
Bill Faircloth is a rural Toledo resident and former Tama County Supervisor (2021-2024)
he spent nearly four decades working for Fisher Controls in Marshalltown before retiring in 2012; he then worked part-time for Tama County for eight years
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Iowa (KCRG) - Tama County is projected to go so far over budget this year that it’s having to pull from other county agencies in order to make it through the next four months
The county is projected to be around $950,000 over budget this fiscal year
the Tama County Board of Supervisors approved using money originally allocated for emergency services telecommunications (e911) to supplement the county’s general fund
The previous board of supervisors had agreed to give the e911 board 1.6 million dollars
The e911 board agreed to not receive the remaining money and also transferred over 900,000 dollars to the county’s general supplemental fund
The e911 had extra funds in its account and will still end the fiscal year with a positive balance after transferring the money
We’ve enacted a hiring freeze at this point,” said Tama County Board of Supervisor Chairman Mark Doland
“Any travel would be foregone until the end of the budget year so that we can try to come in as healthy as we can going into the next fiscal year.”
This money will be used to pay the county employees
including the sheriff and people working in public health
the gridlock of not raising the debt ceiling so to speak
This is what is needed to keep the county going
TV9 asked Doland how the county got into this financial situation in the first place
we’re looking a little bit closer at some potential expenditures such as the e911,” Doland said
the board of supervisors last year appropriated money for a building project to the tune of between 400 and 750 thousand dollars depending on who you ask so that was sitting in their budget
It wasn’t allocated yet but it was to be appropriated to them and there isn’t a building project that’s in the near future
we know they need facilities but we’ll work down the road once we know we have enough money to pay our payroll to start discussing building projects
The county has agreed to fund e911 for no less than 1 million dollars every year so it can maintain its operating budget
The budget is just a portion of what the county is currently working through
An audit earlier this year also showed problems in the county’s human resources department
An HR employee was fired on February 3rd following a complaint that she didn’t pay sales tax on an item she purchased
Tammy Wise was found to have saved $500 on an item after not paying sales tax
Tama County PDF by zach.owenskcrg on Scribd
“In time there will be ability by this board to let information be released at this point there’s nothing additional I think just on the advice of our attorney that we should release,” Doland said
The audit also showed Wise failed to comply with state and federal laws
county policies and procedures and did not perform her job duties outlined in the job description
Tama County PDF by zach.owenskcrg on Scribd
This week’s Toledo City Council meeting only had two agenda items; the meeting was so short that the mayor played hooky as Mayor Pro-tem Boll ran the show
Up first was the authorization of a $1 an-hour pay increase for newly certified Toledo Police Officer Igor Dias
The council approved the raise for Officer Dias
who recently just graduated from the academy
The second and final agenda item was the date change for a May meeting
Toledo Police Chief Dan Quigley reported that between April 13 and 27
Quigley talked about Officer Dias’ graduation from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and his subsequent field training
Quigley also gave updates on nuisance properties
The public works department gave updates on the 300 Street Bridge project
It was also reported that they are going forward with fixing the cracks in the concrete floor of the park’s shelter house
The park’s fence is also soon to be fixed
Everything is the same as usual for the clerk
Former Tama County Zoning Administrator Bob Vokoun
pictured during the April 16 Zoning Commission meeting held at the Administration Building in Toledo
along with the County and Board of Adjustment are all named as defendants in a lawsuit filed April 16 by NextEra Energy Resources’ Salt Creek Wind
Tama County added two more lawsuits to its docket
bringing the total number of petitions filed against the County in recent months to at least four
In addition to a Feb. 5, 2025 petition for declaratory judgment filed against the Board of Supervisors by NextEra Energy Resources’ Salt Creek Wind
2024 lawsuit filed by Tama County resident Beverly Kay Espenscheid against the Board of Adjustment and then-Zoning Administrator Robert (Bob) Vokoun (SCW is also named as a defendant)
the County is now named in a second lawsuit brought by SCW along with a lawsuit filed April 18 by former Human Resources Administrator/Insurance Manager Tammy Wise
Wise’s lawsuit – which demands a jury trial and names Supervisors Curt Hilmer
and Heather Knebel along with Paul Gruefe as defendants – will be explored in a future edition of the News Chronicle
5 lawsuit – in which SCW seeks a decision clarifying that the Jan
2025 moratorium on development and construction of wind energy conversion systems (WECS) does not apply to their central Tama County project – was still in its early stages
SCW’s legal counsel submitted a filing in support of its resistance to the County’s motion to dismiss the Feb
SCW applied for a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging – used to measure and trace environmental changes
including wind measurements) tower zoning certificate with Vokoun (who resigned this past Monday) on March 17
SCW contends Vokoun had not acted on the application within the required seven-day window
Roughly one month after submitting the completed application
SCW was made aware (through NextEra Energy Resources project director Kimberly Dickey via Vokoun) that Supervisor Heather Knebel had sent an email on April 17 to Vokoun in regard to the LiDAR “permit.”
“I know you are already working with legal counsel you said on what to do with this permit
Since it was submitted after the moratorium was in place
we are asking you to not sign the permit at this time so more information can be gathered,” Knebel wrote in the email which SCW included as an attachment
despite Defendants’ protestations to the contrary,” SCW’s latest filing stated
“Defendants are actively engaged in efforts to use the Moratorium to stop ongoing construction of the Project
This matter is ripe for declaratory judgment.”
SCW filed another petition against Tama County plus the Board of Adjustment and Vokoun (in his official capacity) for writ of mandamus (force a legal obligation or duty) and injunctive relief (prevent further harm)
SCW addresses the March 17 LiDAR tower zoning certificate application
claiming Tama County’s ordinances require the issuance or denial of such certificates within seven (7) days
the Zoning Administrator has not issued a Zoning Certificate to SCW for the LiDAR tower or a denial of the Zoning Certificate
let alone a written explanation of such denial,” SCW states
SCW contends they attempted to contact Vokoun about the application “through phone
and in person” including on April 11 through an email sent to both Vokoun and Tama County Attorney Brent Heeren
SCW further reached out to Heeren on April 14 and April 15
Heeren had not responded to SCW’s counsel’s queries – either via letter
The petition also addresses an April 7 resolution unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors instructing the Board of Adjustment to reconsider a 3-2 decision made during a Nov
2024 public hearing to reaffirm Vokoun’s issuance in September 2024 of 60 zoning certificates to SCW
SCW requested an extension of its zoning certificates; two extensions were subsequently granted by Vokoun on Dec
including “an extension of time until Dec
2025 to make a substantial beginning on the issued Zoning Certificates” and “an extension of time until Dec
2026 for SCW to establish the use applied for in the Zoning Certificates.”
the Board of Adjustment was required to schedule a hearing on the appeal; on Feb
Vokoun contacted SCW’s counsel to inform them a hearing had been set for Feb
the Board of Adjustment announced the hearing was canceled with no reason given
SCW attempted to contact the Board of Adjustment to no avail
SCW’s counsel sent a letter to the county attorney asking that the Board reschedule the hearing
that such a meeting could not be set due to a “stay” resulting from Espenscheid’s lawsuit
no stay has been ordered in development or construction of the Project,” SCW states
“SCW has permitting to go forward with the Project which is a multi-million dollar project with a set timeline
Each day of delay and uncertainty compounds risk and cost to SCW and threatens to jeopardize the entirety of SCW’s investment.”
SCW is seeking judgment on three counts including: 1) requiring the Zoning Administrator issue a decision on the March 17 LiDAR tower application within seven (7) days; 2) requiring the Board of Adjustment set and hold a hearing on the extension appeal filed by Espenschied within 15 days; and 3) injunctive relief (expedited relief) on Counts I and II
SCW is also asking for its attorney fees and costs to be paid by the defendants
SCW writes in its application for injunctive relief (filed on April 18)
“Salt Creek Wind was granted an extension of the deadline to establish use of the Project until December 31
If that extension were reversed by the Board of Adjustment and an earlier deadline created
every day of delay in making that decision lessens Salt Creek Wind’s ability to meet an earlier deadline
even through maximum acceleration at far greater costs
… There should be no harm to the Defendants caused by requiring them to perform their existing legal duties.”
District Court Judge Elizabeth Dupuich denied
SCW’s application for temporary injunction/request for an evidentiary hearing due to the defendants not yet being served with the petition
Once the defendants have been served and given the opportunity to respond to SCW’s allegations
“the Court may reconsider whether entry of an injunction and/or an evidentiary hearing is appropriate.”
Tama-Grundy Publishing reached out to the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday for comment regarding Salt Creek Wind’s April 16 lawsuit and received the following statement: “From our perspective
we too would like to see the hearing move forward
a stay of the projects remains in place and the law must be followed.”
Marty Hardon found himself at a personal and professional crossroads
He was working his way up the corporate ladder at Lennox
and preparing for another likely move in the near future
the Class of 1991 South Tama County High School and 1993 Marshalltown Community College graduate felt compelled to return to where it all began and take over his father Ed’s plumbing
I was having a tough day at whatever I was doing
Do you want to buy me out?’ And I said ‘No
I really don’t know if I do,'” Marty said
“I said ‘I don’t know if I want to do this or not,’ but I’d be remiss if I didn’t give it a shot
and I was at a point with Lennox where I was being promoted about every two years… I just got to that point where I was like ‘If I’m gonna make the jump
I need to do it where I can do it with a clear conscience
and I need to do it where I don’t burn the bridge.’ So I gave six months notice.”
Hardon hasn’t just succeeded in growing the family business
but also in helping to bring life back to downtown Tama and making a broader economic impact on his community through his real estate purchases and redevelopments
he’s still connected to the company where he once worked
and they recently recognized Hardon’s Services with a Community Dealer Award
a Ben Franklin store that was closing and a hair salon
So we took it upon ourselves to start to revive the town,” he said
“The town just continued to decline as far as the way it looked
the way it was to be approachable as a place to live… It just seemed like moving back here was not appealing from somebody who lived in the city.”
and Marty initially worked under his late father for a year doing primarily commercial jobs at multifamily residential structures
he wasn’t sure if he wanted to grow the business
When he noticed that people were buying downtown buildings just to use them for junk storage while they continued to deteriorate
renovating apartments and renting out the main floors to new businesses
“The key is (that) you’ve gotta get the dwelling space on top moving
then there’s a need for other businesses to appear,” he said
“You’ve got a population center (where) they want to be able to shop for groceries
you’ve gotta build restaurants.”
Hardon’s branched into an outdoors focused retail store with a focus on Traeger grills
and Marty has recently ramped up marketing of his construction projects building new homes for local individuals
“A lot of our businesses have kind of grown out of necessity because no one else was doing it
Hardon’s has performed about three to four “Feel the Love” installations of HVAC units free of charge to deserving individuals or organizations in the area per year
some of which have been covered in the T-R
“There are a lot of dealers that don’t engage
They deliberately avoid it because you’re spending money
Whatever amount of money that you would charge for that job
which is a big piece of it,” Hardon said
“We’ve found cases where we just couldn’t say no.”
Hardon was also recognized as the 2024 Tama Citizen of the Year
but he was quick to note that he’s had some help in his endeavors along the way
the State Bank of Toledo for its willingness to lend even when a huge return on investment isn’t guaranteed
and the team of like minded individuals assembled when he first returned to help promote economic development in Tama and Toledo
“The truth of the matter is it takes partnerships
so for me to say that I did all this is completely false,” he said
Lennox leaders recognized Hardon’s and Marty Hardon himself for their extensive efforts within the community to make Tama a better place to live
and it won’t be stopping anytime soon
Hardon acknowledged the trial and error associated with figuring out which tenant businesses will succeed and which ones won’t — and
he and other Tama-Toledo property owners were forced to deal with the fallout from the devastating 2020 derecho — but he’s happy to lend a hand to aspiring entrepreneurs as they pursue their American dreams
“I don’t have the ability to finance people
but I will roller skate their business into solidity if they need me to,” he said
Hardon is in the process of adding five new downtown apartments with five more on the other side of the highway on Third Street next on the itinerary
He’s always looking for more dining options and would love to add another pub like The Tama Pump somewhere in the area
“It’s not necessarily that people need a place to go drink
They need a place to gather,” he said
TOLEDO — The winds of change are sweeping through Tama County government
It has been roughly three years since members of the local coalition Tama County Against Turbines (TCAT) first started asking the then three-member Tama County Board of Supervisors to enact a moratorium on commercial wind energy development in the county
TCAT — through its network of dedicated leaders
and supporters — not only managed to place hundreds of ‘NO WIND’ yard signs throughout the county and beyond but also drove out an early stage wind energy development project by Apex Clean Energy and spearheaded a successful ballot box campaign to move the county from three to five supervisors
the coalition’s persistent demands for a moratorium were seemingly granted by the newly-seated
who orchestrated a seismic shift in governance when they unanimously adopted separate resolutions to enact moratoriums on the development and construction of wind energy conversion systems (WECS) and utility scale solar in the county
“Moratoriums and updating ordinances have been the talking point of Tama County Board of Supervisor meetings for the last [two and a half] years,” District 3 Supervisor Heather Knebel (R-Traer)
the county’s first elected female supervisor and former member of TCAT
“Unfortunately it fell on deaf ears to the previous Board of Supervisors besides (District 1 Supervisor) Curt Hilmer
2024] election was a clear picture of what the majority of people want in the county on this topic
Getting a Moratorium for wind and solar on the agenda was a priority as soon as we took office.”
The previous three supervisors included Hilmer
Faircloth found himself embroiled in a brutal Republican primary for his seat against Mark Doland (R-Toledo)
Doland himself experienced an equally bruising general election race against Democrat Berleen Wobeter
over whom he narrowly prevailed for the District 4 seat by some 43 votes
The only member of the former board to remain in his seat following the switch from three to five members was Hilmer
While Hilmer has never identified publicly as a member of TCAT
he has been sympathetic to the coalition’s goals
going so far as to tell the newspaper in late May 2024 as part of primary election coverage: “My position
I do like to see them used to power individual homesteads
Landowner’s rights need to take a backseat to the leftist agenda
People need to realize these things are 100% subsidized by the taxpayer
We are making greedy people richer from the top to the bottom!”
The board’s decision to enact tandem wind and solar moratoriums on Jan
6 was thus not surprising with all five members – Doland
and David Turner – voting to adopt the resolutions
“A County Supervisor is elected to protect the people
“We are not ready to bring in industrial wind/solar projects under the old wind ordinance from 2010 and we do not have a utility solar ordinance
the Zoning Commission now has time to research and update the ordinances to bring them up to date.”
The wind and solar moratorium resolutions adopted by the board on Jan
WECS is defined as any “electrical generating facility comprised of one or more wind turbines and accessory facilities.”
Utility scale solar is defined as any solar energy system of 50 kW or greater “whose primary purpose is to harvest energy by transforming solar energy into another form of energy or transferring heat from a collector to another medium using mechanical
Both resolutions state the County “has an interest in protecting the County’s infrastructure
natural resources and property rights through adequate setback provisions.”
The moratoriums went into effect immediately upon passage on Jan
halting “development and construction” of WECS and utility scale solar “for an indefinite amount of time.”
The resolutions further state the moratoriums are necessary to allow time for “Tama County to review and update the language as necessary in the Tama County Comprehensive Land Use Plan
and to incorporate the information and concerns that have arisen through the public meetings held by the Board of Supervisors and Zoning Commission.”
The question of whether the moratoriums will also stop development of either the Salt Creek Wind project in central Tama County or Tyr Energy Development (TED) Renewables’ Draft Horse Solar project on the eastern outskirts of Traer were put to Supervisor Knebel by the newspaper
“We’re in the process of reviewing the impact on all projects and will be in touch with answers once we know more,” Knebel said
During discussion surrounding the resolutions
Tama County Zoning Administrator Bob Vokoun told the supervisors he needed guidance on how to advise his board going forward as well as how to advise Salt Creek Wind’s developer which is currently working on its $300 million Phase I project for which it holds 60 county zoning certificates
While some driveway cuts and culverts have been constructed as part of the Salt Creek project
According to Auditor Karen Rohrs’ minutes of the Jan
Knebel told Vokoun the resolution affects only those projects lacking a permit
“If a company has a CUP [conditional use permit] and a building permit this does not apply to them
If they don’t have any of that Knebel assumes then it would affect them,” Rohrs wrote of Knebel’s comments
Knebel also told the newspaper that those with “personal solar” such as on their farm or house or acreage are not affected
“This only pertains to 50kW or higher being put on several acres of land,” she said
NextEra Energy takes over Salt Creek Wind
the Salt Creek Wind Phase I project was recently purchased by NextEra Energy Resources — one of NextEra Energy’s two principal businesses with the other being the electric utility Florida Power & Light (FP&L)
The Fortune 200 company based in Juno Beach
Florida describes itself as “the world’s largest producer of wind and solar energy” with 119 wind farms/projects across the U.S
the company was valued at over $170 billion
NextEra is the majority owner of the Duane Arnold Energy Center north of Palo
The now decommissioned nuclear power plant ceased operations following the 2020 Derecho
NextEra helped develop the agriculture fields surrounding the nuclear plant into a utility scale solar project – the Duane Arnold Solar Project which is nearing completion of its second phase
“We have invested billions of dollars – with plans to invest even more – in energy infrastructure across North America
offering our customers innovative solutions to meet their energy needs,” NextEra’s website states
Much like the development of wind and solar projects in Tama County
FP&L – referred to by the news agency as NextEra’s “crown jewel utility” – has been involved in “questionable political and campaign finance-related activity” since 2020
Reporting by Reuters’ Laila Kearney in Feb
“The Miami Herald (newspaper) and others reported claims that company executives worked with a consultant to derail certain state senate candidates and surveil a journalist who wrote critically about the regulated utility.”
“An internal NextEra investigation found no wrongdoing.”
The T-R reached out to NextEra following the Jan
6 Tama County Board of Supervisors meeting regarding both the purchase of Salt Creek Wind and the wind/solar moratoriums
“We are pleased to share that NextEra Energy Resources
has acquired the Salt Creek Wind project currently under development in Tama County,” Sara Cassidy
“We believe we are well-positioned to advance the Salt Creek Wind project with the goal of seeing it become operational.”
She continued: “NextEra Energy Resources is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and the sun
our subsidiaries own and operate 13 wind facilities in Iowa
with additional wind and solar projects in development
having invested more than $3.1 billion in the state over the last two decades
we made $12.3 million in annual payments to Iowa landowners and paid $12 million in property taxes to Iowa municipalities.”
Cassidy said the company would provide “additional information as soon as it becomes available.”
Vokoun told the newspaper late last fall (2024) he was made aware NextEra would be taking over development of Salt Creek Wind
The project was previously in development by Eric and Robert Bergstrom with Conifer Power Company
“They are in a construction phase,” Vokoun said of NextEra on Jan
“They actually were ahead of schedule on the driveways
Vokoun also told the newspaper that TED Renewables has not yet applied for any utility scale solar permits in Tama County
“Technically they could have applied for conditional use permits
… They could have at any time [but] they wanted to just work with everybody and work on an ordinance and stuff
They’ve been very good to the county
They want to be able to work it out and have a nice workable ordinance.”
The newspaper reached out to several people familiar and/or involved with the discussion surrounding the development of commercial WECS and utility scale solar in Tama County including Kathy Harkema Krakfa
The newspaper also did not hear back from former Supervisors Bill Faircloth and Dan Anderson
a member of the Tama County Board of Adjustment
The newspaper also reached out to Elias Toshiro with TED Renewables but also did not hear back
When reached for comment on the moratoriums
chair of the Tama County Zoning Commission
“It’s going to allow us to take our time to get it done right in the best interests of our county.”
13 Tama County Board of Supervisors meeting
Kimberly Dickey with NextEra Energy Resources spoke during the public comment portion
requesting that the board amend the moratorium resolutions to ‘include a short statement saying that the moratorium does not apply to previously permitted projects,’ per Auditor Rohrs’ minutes
Tama County is home to only one operating wind project – Vienna Wind Farm operated by MidAmerican Energy and located in and around Gladbrook
The farm’s turbines are also located in adjacent Marshall County
When asked by the newspaper if she was worried at all that the moratoriums might have a negative effect on the county’s financials and/or discourage future investment
“Tama County is a great place to develop
We need to have ordinances to protect the people
and county now and for future generations to come
Having [five] supervisors who do their research
and negotiate will help to save the county money.”
TOLEDO — Those who entered the Tama County Public Health building for the joint Board of Supervisors and Board of Health work session on Monday likely noticed the hearts festooned around the office with numbers written in the center taped on the walls
with each heart representing a client TCPH has served since 2020
The number in the center of the heart stood for how many months they were patients
the largest number was inscribed on a heart towards the top of the wall
representing a patient they served for 204 months
This meeting came as rumors had been spreading that the Public Health Department was shutting down
but budget cuts are likely as the Board of Supervisors seeks to reduce overall general fund expenditures by nearly $950,000
Nothing regarding the public health budget is final
Public Health Assistant Director and CFO Lori Johnson stated in the meeting that they were asked to cut $372,881.50 from general basic fund dollars
Johnson went on to state that between positions remaining unfilled
Much of the meeting was made up of discussion and comment
Several speakers shared testimony regarding the good work that Public Health does in the community and how much their services are needed in the county
Board of Supervisors Chairman Mark Doland handed out a packet of information that he had compiled
which included a map from the Iowa Hospital Association that showed that Tama County is one of only a handful of counties without a hospital
A chart compiled from information in the ISAC county manual compared Tama County’s population and number of public health full-time and part-time employees to seven other counties
and public health has 13 full-time employees and two part-time employees
the closest county in population on the supplied chart
Crawford’s Public Health has 21 full-time employees and 10 part-time
Other information in Doland’s supplied packet included a map from an Iowa Department of Public Health 2023 survey showing the counties that did and did not have county-supplied home health services
Also from that survey was a chart showing what positions full-time public health employees occupied
the rest of the board has to determine whether
I put this report together over the weekend to try to sway their opinions
I think that’s pretty close,” Doland said
“For every five percent that we don’t cut
it costs us $75,000 and we’re trying to at least break even
and we need $150,000 to break even so I think that we could find that (in) other places
If we can pay some of this bill out of rural services
that will free up our general fund which will allow us to keep them funded at the level that they need to be.”
TOLEDO — A crowded room greeted members of the Tama County Zoning Commission on Wednesday
during their first meeting since the Board of Supervisors enacted tandem wind and solar moratoriums on Jan
And while very little action was taken during the nearly 90-minute meeting
incremental progress was made toward the commission’s goal of writing a new utility scale solar ordinance
After chair Doug Dvorak called the meeting to order
the Pledge of Allegiance was recited and both the night’s agenda and previous meeting’s minutes were approved
Zoning Administrator Bob Vokoun then gave a brief
introductory statement in which he said the only public comments (correspondence) he had received regarding the meeting were from TED Renewables
four solar energy easements were filed with the county recorder’s office between landowner Terry J
Kucera and the company TED Renewables — also known as Tyr Energy Development Renewables
LLC — involving some 960 acres located across Perry and Clark townships east of Traer near Hwy 8
TED Renewables has kept up a presence in the county
attending both Zoning and Supervisors meetings while also holding open houses at the Traer Memorial Building in an effort to bring the project Draft Horse Solar to fruition
“I haven’t heard anything else — any pros or cons on anything,” Vokoun said
pretty much all we’re hearing from is people who do not want wind or solar (development)
that’s just the comments that come in
there’s one for (wind and solar development)
Commissioner Steven Peterson then asked Vokoun to confirm that he receives “a lot of comments against” wind and solar development
“Most of the time that’s what it is
When all you’re hearing is the negatives
that’s what you tend to go with.”
The commissioners then dove into reviewing Tama County’s current ‘Land Use Plan’ which was signed on Feb
Dvorak kicked off the discussion by reading the plan’s Foreword
“Realizing that a long and wordy document is often put on the shelf
this document is being kept brief and to the point,” Dvorak read aloud to the room
“The Land Preservation and Use Commission of Tama County urges the officials of this county to heed these recommendations
and to take appropriate action to preserve our natural heritage for the present and all future generations.”
The document goes on to state the Land Preservation and Use Commission plans to meet at minimum once a year “for the purpose of reviewing” the plan
while special meetings could also be called
according to the plan’s signature page
The current Zoning Commission members then took turns providing their opinions on the Land Use Plan
the plan discourages “the use of prime agricultural land for anything other than agricultural production
generally this would be land with a corn suitability rating (CSR) of more than 60 … There is adequate land available in Tama County with a CSR of less than 60 for non-agricultural uses.”
CSR is an index used to rate the potential yield production of soil
Ratings range from 100 for soils with “no physical limitations
and can be continuously row-cropped” to as low as 5 for soils “with severe limitations for row crops.”
All the commissioners were in agreement that the Land Use Plan was still valuable today but felt at least one change should be made — moving from using CSR
to using CSR2 which was introduced in 2013 and removed the rainfall (weather) correction factor
“They wanted to protect the high quality Tama County farmland and I agree with that wholeheartedly
It’s something that God gave us and we need to take very
very good care of it,” Peterson said before adding he believed it was also important to take into account “modern technology” such as new solar panels that allow crops to grow in-between the panels
“I think we need to be cognizant of that also
What do we do if somebody comes in and says
I want to have crops and solar together on this.’ Does that change our stance
commissioner and farmer Craig Sash reiterated Peterson’s comments while also addressing the CSR restrictions
“Do I want to see solar panels cover farms
that’s the landowner’s decision,” Sash said
“I don’t like the low CSR restrictions
… That just limits what people can do on their land
I don’t really like to be into that position – I don’t think we should be into that position.”
vice chair Wade Mitchell said he supports the Land Use Plan as written with one “minor change” – changing the CSR requirement to “an average of 60.”
Dvorak asked for a motion to reapprove the Land Use Plan with two amendments: using CSR2 in place of CSR and replacing ‘more than 60 CSR’ to ‘an average of 60 CSR.’ While Mitchell did make the requisite motion
the motion was ultimately tabled to the next meeting – only Dvorak voted against tabling
“I’m ready to bite the bullet and move on it but my board isn’t,” Dvorak said
A brief discussion also took place regarding who exactly sits on the Land Preservation and Use Commission
“A simple google says ‘In Iowa
a land use plan commission is typically referred to as planning and zoning commission at the local level,'” District 3 Tama County Supervisor Heather Knebel
who was in attendance at the meeting as an observer
said at one point while seated in the very back of the room
Vokoun indicated he would clarify through legal counsel that the current Tama County Zoning Commission also constitutes the Tama County Land Preservation and Use Commission and thus has the power to make recommendations to the supervisors regarding the Land Use Plan
Permitting and review of road use agreement
the commission discussed and then adopted 4-1 using three pages of the Des Moines County (Iowa) Solar Ordinance as part of Tama County’s new utility scale solar ordinance
Des Moines County’s ‘Road Use and Mitigation of Damages’ section was adopted
Des Moines County’s solar road use agreement reads
oversized equipment during the construction of a Solar Farm Energy System is likely to cause substantial traffic disruptions along public roadways in the project area
It is also likely to cause serious damage to or deterioration of County roadways and other associated infrastructure
it is necessary to ensure that local residents and officials are fully prepared for the anticipated traffic disruptions
and that adequate mitigation efforts are undertaken for the damages incurred
without the placement of any financial burden on the County and its taxpayers.”
Only Sash voted against the motion although he indicated he was doing so mostly in solidarity with Dvorak’s earlier ‘nay’ vote on tabling the Land Use Plan
the commission set the next meeting time and date while also expressing a desire for area farmers to attend and weigh in on the Land Use Plan
The four-page plan contains 13 sections including a section on marginal land
“Marginal land that is in row crop production should be protected from excessive erosion and degradation by all possible means,” the plan states
fragile land should be removed from production and seeded to grass
Before marginal land is brought into production
owners and operators should be made aware of the consequences
We recommend an environmental impact statement be filed on any marginal land brought into production
… The County Supervisors should provide incentives to protecting land of this type and deny aid from all county land use programs to all owners and operators who are responsible for land degradation.”
The marginal land section also recommends Supervisors “allocate funds for protecting ditches and culverts.”
“A particular area that will become more critical in the future will be water supply and aquifers
Potential for pollution has increased greatly with advances in agricultural technology and increased sewage treatment demands of populated areas
Non point source pollution (soil erosion) will aggravate this problem
… All possible précautions should be taken to protect the water supply of Tama County.”
The practice of “stream straightening” is discouraged by the plan
while ditch spraying including “general spraying” and mowing on county roads should be “limited to areas where noxious weeds have become a problem.”
One of the plan’s final sections addresses “building sites in rural areas.”
“Resident building sites in good cropland (CSR above 60) should be discouraged by raising acreage requirements to 40 acres.”
Those with an interest in Tama County’s Land Use Agreement
are asked to attend the Zoning Commission’s next meeting set for Wednesday
Public comments on agenda items will be permitted during the Feb
Written comments can also be submitted in advance to the Tama County Zoning Administrator
TOLEDO – The usual constellation of civic minded citizens turned out for the Monday
meeting of the Tama County Board of Supervisors
Tama County Engineer Ben Daleske was up first to give his report
as well as hauling rock to 275th West of Hwy 63 and on Q & R Avenue West of Clutier
A culvert on N Ave just North of E29 has been finished and they are currently working on a culvert on 280th Street just West of Hwy 21
They will start the tear down of the old shop this week
The supervisors approved a resolution regarding litigation with Salt Creek Wind and procedural matters regarding the Tama County Board of Adjustment
Supervisor Chairman Mark Doland spoke about this matter at length before its approval
“This is a resolution that we worked with our attorneys on
there was a board of adjustment meeting that was scheduled at the end of February
had different reasons why that I had heard
and why and what attorney had advised to cancel
I never did quite have the understanding of why it was canceled
And through our lawsuits that (are) going on with Salt Creek Wind
there was a letter that was sent to the board of adjustment
asking for them to meet by the end of March
And we certainly were in favor of them meeting before March and or before the end of March to have that resolved
and nobody knew that they were in favor of that,” he said
this is kind of a resolution saying Salt Creek Wind’s in favor of them meeting before the end of March
we’re in favor of them meeting before the end of March
So we’re trying to stay independent of all of what the board of adjustment is doing
but we want to have an understanding and a clarification where we’re at because we’re in a lawsuit
and we have conflicting opinions about what’s going on within the board of adjustment
We’re being asked if a moratorium applies to this current project
We want to know if this issue is resolved and when it is going to be resolved before we can issue our opinion on
This resolution hopefully will clarify our position on where we stand as far as what this board of adjustment needs to do
We are not going to tell them how they should decide
but we think that they should also comply with the request from Salt Creek Wind to meet and decide on the previous action that was asked of them to be taken.”
The second and third public hearings to repeal ordinance VI.5(6.5)
the wind energy conversion assessment ordinance were set for April 22 and 23 at 8 a.m
The first public hearing to repeal this ordinance will be held on April 21 at 9:30 a.m
The Sheriff’s Quarterly report was approved
Supervisor Heather Knebel talked about her recent meeting with the Heartland Risk Pool
reported that the board approved giving $25,000 to Tama County to use for outside legal counsel for the current litigation with Salt Creek Wind
TOLEDO — Fallout from the wind energy moratorium adopted in early January by the new five-member Tama County Board of Supervisors now includes a lawsuit brought against both the board and Tama County by the developers behind the Salt Creek Wind project
LLC (SCW) — which was acquired within the last year by NextEra Energy Resources
LLC — filed a petition in Tama County District Court against the Board of Supervisors and the county seeking declaratory judgment on three counts including vested rights and bad faith
while also asking the court to annul and declare void the board’s Jan
2025 action approving a moratorium on the development and construction of wind energy conversion systems (WECS)
a commercial wind energy project going by the name of Salt Creek Wind has been in some stage of development in Tama County (occupying parts of Spring Creek
and Carroll townships) by either Wind Capital Group (prior to 2019)
or NextEra Energy Resources (2024-present)
Phase I project currently hold 60 zoning certificates – approved in Sept
2024 – to construct wind turbines in the project’s footprint
while also holding at least 60 conditional use permits (CUPs) dating back to December of 2020
“Since obtaining the CUP and Zoning Certificates
SCW has made significant progress on construction of the Project
including commitment of more than $150 million toward its construction
with expenditures ongoing,” the petition reads
To prove substantial expenditures in connection to the project have already been made while relying on the pre-moratorium ordinance (vested rights)
SCW’s petition includes a list of construction steps undertaken as of Feb
5 including the completion of “access road approaches at all 51 sites
with 47 of the 51 access roads approved” by the county’s engineer; contracts made for turbine materials worth over $150 million with more than $15 million paid before the moratorium went into effect; generators and substation equipment purchases totaling more than $5 million; the execution of 230 leases with Tama County landowners; and project development and design costs totaling more than $700,000
SCW also contends that prior to construction commencing
“significant work” was performed on the project
incurring expenses in excess of $12 million in connection with “geotechnical investigations
and soil and groundwater assessments.”
the petition states that before voting on the moratorium that day
members of the Board of Supervisors “stated the Moratorium was not intended to apply to projects that already have permits.”
6 comments made by both Board Chairman Mark Doland and Supervisor Heather Knebel that seemingly confirmed the moratorium would not apply to permitted projects
I would say if a company has a CUP and a building permit
I’m just assuming this applies,” the petition quotes Knebel as stating about the moratorium during the meeting
It “appeared clear that the Moratorium was not intended to apply to SCW,” the petition surmises
a project director for NextEra Energy Resources
sent an email to both Doland and Knebel requesting a “short
simple amendment to the WECS Moratorium to clarify this issue and confirm what was stated by the Supervisors at the meeting
that the WECS Moratorium does not apply to already permitted projects.”
Dickey asked the supervisors to amend the resolution by adding one sentence to the end of moratorium language: “This moratorium does not apply to previously permitted projects.”
the board declined to add the requested modification to the Jan
Meyer with Dentons Davis Brown PC of Des Moines
sent a letter to Tama County Attorney Brent Heeren again requesting the amendment
an article was published by the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle on Jan
17 titled “Winds of change.” As part of that article
the reporter (Ruby McAllister) questioned Supervisor Knebel as to whether the moratoriums (WECS and utility scale solar) would “stop development” of the Salt Creek Wind project (or Tyr Energy Development Renewables’ Draft Horse Solar project on the eastern outskirts of Traer)
“We’re in the process of reviewing the impact on all projects and will be in touch with answers once we know more,” Knebel is quoted in the petition as stating in the article – a statement that was made
On behalf of the Tama County Board of Supervisors on Jan
Reck responded to Meyer’s letter to Heeren without addressing the request for an amendment but rather
“raising a series of questions unrelated to the Moratorium.”
“As your clients have known for several months
the voters expressed their will in the Tama County Supervisor election and that will did not favor wind and solar farms
The recent moratoriums gave effect to the voters’ will in electing those with strongly stated views on the projects in question
the Supervisors certainly have every intention to follow the law in enforcing the moratoriums
I ask that you provide some additional information to support your client’s position so that it properly may be evaluated,” Reck’s letter to SCW’s counsel states
SCW’s counsel asked Reck via a letter for confirmation “by no later than Jan
31 at noon” that the Board of Supervisors intended to “vote on an amendment to the Moratorium at their Feb
3 meeting to make clear that the Moratorium does not apply to the project.”
SCW would “initiate litigation to assert its rights.”
5 when the petition was filed – and as of press time – the Board of Supervisors had not amended the WECS moratorium as requested by SCW
SCW is seeking a “declaration that the Moratorium does not apply” to its Tama County project currently under construction
“SCW’s expenditures were lawfully made pursuant to the CUP and Zoning Certificates and in reliance on the local law in effect prior to the passage of the Moratorium,” SCW’s petition states
and future rights of the parties need to be determined and declared in accordance with Iowa law.”
Under Count II which addresses “bad faith,” the petition states
“When a board acts in bad faith and/or with malice
Courts may apply the law that existed prior to the new ordinance,” and asks that the moratorium be declared illegal
“[T]he County and Board [of Supervisors] were aware of the Project and the significant expenditures made by SCW,” the petition contends
“The Moratorium appears to further the efforts of Supervisor Knebel and others who have long attempted to stop the project via prior litigation
… [the moratorium] was passed in bad faith and designed to frustrate ongoing development of the Project.”
Under Count III which labels the moratorium as “arbitrary
illegal and contrary to public policy,” SCW cites the Iowa Code: “It is the policy of this state to encourage the development of alternate energy production facilities and small hydro facilities in order to conserve our finite and expensive energy resources and to provide for their most efficient use.”
“fails to promote the express state policy favoring alternative energy development and is contrary to Iowa law and public policy.”
Count IV asks that the “Board of Supervisors’ action approving the Moratorium be annulled and declared void and for any such other and further relief as the Court deems just
equitable and appropriate under the circumstances.”
The newspaper reached out to both Doland and Knebel as well as NextEra Energy Resources via email for comment but as of press time had not heard back from any of them
a project schedule was submitted to the Court
beginning in May of this year and lasting through November
foundation excavation for the wind turbine sites is scheduled to take place
while installation of power lines from the sites to the substation(s) is scheduled for July through September
A Marshalltown woman who stands accused of misappropriating thousands of dollars from nonprofit organizations she ..
DYSART — Despite the event being billed by local organizers as a town hall to address economic issues
Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) spent the bulk of his roughly hourlong stop in Dysart Wednesday afternoon fielding questions and concerns about the world’s richest man
and his work at the helm of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
Well over 80 people turned up for the town hall sponsored by the Tama County Economic Development Commission and held at Norma Anders Public Library in downtown Dysart
Due to the unexpectedly large turnout – and with the library’s Learning Center maxed out at 50 occupants – organizers quickly made the decision to split the event into two
It was a solution that did not go over well with many in the first group who
after only some 16 minutes with the senior Senator from Iowa
were asked to leave in order to accommodate the second group waiting in the main library
Grassley started both sessions in much the same manner by stating that he had been advised against holding such events
“Some of my colleagues said you shouldn’t have town meetings because everybody’s mad,” he told the second group
“They don’t have to tell me people are mad.”
He then shared an anecdote about mail volume during President Donald Trump’s first term compared to today
we were about 35,000 letters behind,” he explained to the first group
it’s about 34,000 that we have received
we have received as much or more mail than we received in the first six months of all last year.”
Grassley briefly touched on his work as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a recently-passed
“We passed a fentanyl bill that should go to the President within the next couple of weeks after the House passes it again
so I hope that will help some of you that think everything in Washington is partisan,” he said
He also addressed the ongoing quest to reauthorize a new Farm Bill
“We should have had a five-year Farm Bill starting in 2023
So we basically have a seven-year Farm Bill,” Grassley said during the first session
“We [now] have what we call a Democratic framework and a Republican framework [for the legislation] from the last Congress that is a good starting point.”
Questions Grassley took during the first session were fairly evenly split between those in support of DOGE’s actions to shrink the federal government and those concerned about cuts to public services
“I heard that Trump and/or Musk proposed cutting research at Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Do you agree with that?” a man seated near the front of the room asked
they’re doing so much that there’s no way I could say I agree with this or that because you’re bringing up something I haven’t heard about,” Grassley responded
will put a hold on a lot of things.”
I want to make it very clear that Musk has no power,” – a comment that instantly drew loud
booming laughter from many in the audience
“Musk has no power and I say that from a Constitutional point of view,” Grassley said above the din
“Then what’s he doing in our White House?” a member of the audience interjected
“The Constitution in Article II says the executive power of the federal government is vested in the President,” Grassley continued after asking for calm
I always quote a sign that [President Harry] Truman had on his desk: ‘The buck stops here.’ So nothing can be done without the President either acceding to [it] or because the buck stops with him
I think they’ve learned some lessons from their first months in office
It may not appear to you – and I’m not totally satisfied that I can be conclusive on this – but they’ve learned that since [the President’s] got this power
that they ought to quit announcing things out of the Department of Government Efficiency and only the Cabinet people announce the changes.”
The next question addressed reigning in federal judges
“There’s only one thing you can do with judges that have a lifetime appointment and that’s impeachment
And you don’t want to impeach judges
and only eight of them have been convicted.”
told Grassley that as a business owner of over 30 years who has “made a hell of a lot of mistakes,” he understands that Musk and DOGE “are going to make mistakes” but that he remains thankful for their work
“There [are] hundreds of thousands of things that need to be cut
If we were $36 trillion (in the black in) our checking account
But our checking account is at least $36 trillion in debt,” Dahms said
“So tell them thank you for doing the cuts and
I will take them at their word – for now
I’ll be the first one to call them out.”
expressing concern about recent cuts to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and how they have directly affected him with planting season on the horizon
“I signed up for a cover crop cost-share for the first time,” the man explained
planted my cover crop … Then I get [notice] that I needed to cease all activities
probably not actually get paid for what was originally agreed to as a cost-share for cover crops
… It’s OK if we need to get rid of some of these things next year
but I think we need to live up to our obligations [this year].”
Grassley told the farmer that between USDA funds being “frozen” and then later “unfrozen,” he was probably going to need to hold tight for “90 days to see what the result is.” He then asked the farmer if he had signed a contract for the cost-share
but with a third-party working through the USDA
The Senator asked if he had reached out to the contract holder
they said the President froze [the funds] and recommended not spending anymore money on anything right now,” he replied
One of the final questions during the first session was from Dysart resident Laura Wilson
who expressed concern about possible cuts to the Social Security Administration (SSA)
“With only 19 cities in Iowa that have a Social Security office and many of the people that use Social Security … [lacking] access to internet … [SSA] currently [has] a month-long wait time already for appointments
Do you feel this will be affecting the citizens of Iowa?”
before later telling Wilson anyone experiencing issues with Social Security should contact one of his six regional offices
telling the audience that DOGE’s interest in SSA seemed to stem from the possibility of fraud in the system – a statement met by groans and general outrage from some in the room
“I think it’s got something to do with the feeling there’s an awful lot of fraud in Social Security
that there’s 12 million people on Social Security rolls that are at least 120 years old
… I think it’s a fact that they don’t check death certificates with people on the rolls,” Grassley said
The final audience comment before the session changeover was from a woman concerned about cuts to the federal workforce and how such cuts might disproportionately affect veterans
You are a very brave man,” the woman began
leading several in the audience to chuckle
“A lot of people that are walking away from jobs with the federal government are veterans
and I really object to calling federal employees ‘scum.’ That language is being perpetuated
“You won’t find me using language like that,” Grassley replied
During the second session – which lasted roughly twice as long as the first – many of the same issues were raised regarding Musk and DOGE
The first question turned out to be more of a statement than a query by a woman seated in the middle of the room
“I am very passionate about our democracy and our Constitution – I was raised that way,” she said
standing and clutching a piece of paper from which she read
“I just wanted to remind you that everybody needs to be heard
… I’m an independent [voter] and I am very passionate about standing up for those that are vulnerable and those that are the underdog
… [I’m concerned about] Donald Trump singledhandedly changing processes to dismantle our government with DOGE [and] Elon Musk in a position of power that he has no [right] to receive
Cuts need to be made at the federal level – they always have been
… But they need to be done appropriately
and they need to benefit the American people and that includes everybody.”
… DOGE should not have any authority
And they’re controlling what’s going on across the nation
And your role as a long-term senator is to speak up and remember those of us with little power
A loud round of applause swiftly followed her statement from a good portion of the audience
which included not only Tama County residents
but also those who had traveled from nearby Benton
but if you don’t read it in the local newspaper or see it on the local television or [on social media] …
The only way you’re going to know if I spoke up on something is if you read it or hear it
so I can be talking to 10 journalists every day
you don’t think I talk about anything
And this is why I put everything that I do [online],” Grassley said in response
A Dysart resident then asked about the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts
“What is happening with the tax reform
and when can we expect to see that come through?”
you’re going to see the 2017 tax bill repassed,” Grassley replied
Pastor Emma Peterson with the Cedar Valley Unitarian Universalists in Cedar Falls spoke
introducing herself as a former resident of Dysart who had spent eight years there
“Veterans are not a monolith,” the pastor began
“They make up 30% of the federal workforce
and I have many congregants that are federal workers and they are tremendously concerned about their jobs and their healthcare
I’ve heard a lot of talk about ‘sacrifice’ from Musk who is an unelected official and an oligarch
… Veterans and federal workers have already sacrificed for this country
… What are you doing to protect them?”
I vote for more money for VA,” Grassley said
Peterson then pushed for more of an explanation regarding Musk and cuts to the VA
“[Musk] can’t cut anything at the VA
Only the secretary of the VA can do it and he can only do it with the [President’s permission],” Grassley said before again bringing up Article II of the Constitution
“Musk can’t do anything without the President OKing it,” he added
“I think the President has OK’d it,” Peterson responded
with a clear emphasis on ‘has.’
which were also a focus of Grassley’s visit at MARSHALLTOWN Company earlier in the day
Grassley responded that while he couldn’t “draw any conclusions” yet
tariffs would be paid for by “one of three people.”
“The country sending them here could absorb them
or [tariffs] could be eaten up by the merchant,” he said
“How much is it going to hurt our farmers?” the man asked
“You’ll find most of the places where they want to retaliate is against agricultural products,” Grassley said as part of his answer
“I am a proud public school educator,” a special education teacher from Waterloo said in introducing herself with one of the final questions
“Since your students get help through the AEA [Area Education Agency]
I’m the ‘Father of the AEA [legislation]’ passed in 1974 – the last year I was in the state legislature,” Grassley said before expounding on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) “that still stands” and funding for talented and gifted education
“Don’t worry about what the President thinks about your program – Congress appropriates money every year for the IDEA program
And Congress is still going to continue to appropriate it regardless of who is president,” Grassley told her
“And you’re going to continue to support that?” she asked
Another positor then asked Grassley if he would vote against closing the U.S
Department of Education – if such a vote were to come before Congress
I’m going to vote to eliminate [the department] because I’m the only member of Congress [still serving] today that voted against establishing it in the first place,” Grassley
“I think that education policy needs to be decided at the state and local level.”
Grassley held a brief media scrum in a nearby study room before taking off for his farm in Butler County
he had been in Grundy County at Ritchie Industries
and at Belle Plaine High School in Benton County
Prior to his stop at Norma Anders Public Library
impromptu appearance at nearby Union Middle School (UMS) in order to visit with not only students but his granddaughter
he was seated in the corner of the room at a table
and while the day’s multi-county schedule could easily have been to blame for any fatigue – perceived or otherwise – there is no denying the mood of the country these days is disquieting
“Tama County is an angry place right now
and it just grew organically,” Katherine Ollendieck
executive director of the Tama County Economic Development Commission
told reporters following Grassley’s departure
“It was definitely not what we were anticipating as a town hall meeting.”
TOLEDO — After serving for more than 18 years at the helm of the Tama County Auditor’s Office — where she has handled everything from county budgets to elections to clerking for the board of supervisors — Laura Kopsa is set to retire
said her decision to retire has everything to do with family
“I just want to spend more time with my husband and family,” she said
to be able to help more with my young grandchildren.”
Kopsa has lived in Tama County her entire life
She was raised on a dairy farm near Montour and graduated from STC High School in 1979 before graduating two years later from Marshalltown Community College with a degree in business
Kopsa has worked in the Tama County Auditor’s Office since March of 1995 — first as the elections administrator and later in the real estate/tax position
Following her predecessor John Adams’ resignation
she was appointed by the supervisors to the auditor post on June 27
She went on to win elections in 2006 (to a partial term)
Prior to working in Tama County government
she worked for Tama State Bank and a local physician’s office
In the nearly three decades she’s been in the auditor’s office
many pertaining to Iowa’s election laws
I would say one of the biggest changes has been in elections
We used to bring all of the ballots to the auditor’s office and the supervisors and other county staff ran all the ballots through the counter and the results were available after all the precinct ballots were received and counted
Write-in votes were counted that night by county staff and volunteers
The results were written on a chalkboard in the hallway after each precinct was counted,” she said
Kopsa said the advent of computers coupled with the creation of the internet fueled many of the changes
“[T]he use of computers and email have greatly changed how we do business now
Because of this we now have four employees instead of five,” she said
One thing that has not changed is the fact that the office of county auditor in Iowa continues to be partisan
which means incumbent auditors must manage their own elections
According to the Iowa State Association of County Auditors
Iowa’s county auditors were given the additional title of Commissioner of Elections in 1972
With Kopsa’s retirement – coupled with Supervisor Dan Anderson’s decision not to seek reelection this year – Tama County government will be wholly controlled by Republicans beginning in January 2025
When asked if she ever considered running under a different political party
“[B]ut I do think this office should be non-partisan as this office does not set policy
The qualifications of holding this office should include a financial background and leadership skills along with being able to juggle many different things at once,” she said
“Our office is responsible for elections
GIS maps for all the property in the county
the Auditor has to wear many hats and be knowledgeable in all of these things.”
Of all the duties belonging to the auditor
Kopsa said interacting with the public has been her favorite part
“I grew up in the southern part of the county and getting to know more people from the north through elections and real estate has been great
all of my coworkers – past and present – have been great to get to know and work with
Part of that family includes Tama County Auditor-elect Karen Rohrs
She currently works as Assistant Tama County Auditor and Election Administrator
Rohrs said working with Kopsa for the past 14 years has been a pleasure
“Laura is not only a kind person outside of work
but she is also a kind and supportive boss,” Rohrs said
“She has always valued all her employees’ thoughts and ideas and has treated us with respect and fairness
and I hope someday I can aspire to be as confident and knowledgeable as she is.”
Kopsa did offer her successor and friend some advice
specifically to always strive to practice patience and to remember who you work for at the end of the day – the taxpayer
… I feel the county is so lucky to have Karen as their new auditor
She has worked in the office for [more than] 13 years and has a lot of knowledge,” Kopsa said
“She has been shadowing me for awhile and is prepared to take on this position
A lot of people know her from being the election administrator
so she knows a lot of people in the county
She will be a great asset to the county and auditor’s office.”
Kopsa highlighted the safety and security of Iowa’s elections
“Elections are very safe and secure here in Iowa
Our machines are never connected with the internet so they are impenetrable from being tampered with,” she said
the State chooses a precinct and race for each county to recount
the county was set to hold a retirement party for Kopsa at the Administration Building in Toledo from 3-6 p.m
Following her party and Rohrs’ subsequent swearing in at the end of the month
Kopsa said she plans to enjoy spending time with her family
which includes her husband Joel and their daughters Jillisa and Kaylea
She also hopes to do some volunteering and a little traveling
but no matter where she chooses to visit as a newly minted retiree
she said she has no plans to move elsewhere
“Tama Countians are great people,” she said
CONTRIBUTED GRAPHIC — The committee released designs of the project
The map lays out where new sidewalks would be connected to existing sidewalks
Proposed traffic lights are also highlighted on the map along with businesses and recreation areas
For more information regarding donations or the project
TAMA-TOLEDO — A major infrastructure project aimed at improving pedestrian safety and connectivity within the community is coming to fruition in Tama and Toledo
The Safe Routes to School Grant project seeks to address longstanding concerns about unsafe crossings
and limited designated walking paths for both students and residents
formerly known as the Tama-Toledo Visioning Committee
which has been in the planning stages for the past four years
its members are making a major push to secure funding and put the idea into action
The proposed project will establish continuous and accessible sidewalks along high-traffic routes used by students
The plan includes developing sidewalks that will link residential areas to schools and recreational spaces
as well as adding additional safety enhancements such as a pedestrian stop light at 15th Street and Highway 63
In order to receive the Safe Routes to School Grant
surveys had to be conducted painting a clear picture of the project’s value
The 2023 survey of South Tama County (STC) parents revealed that 94% of them do not allow their children to walk or bike to school due to unsafe road conditions
while 585 students are driven by car and 520 rely on buses
1,080 students live within two miles of a school
demonstrating a strong need for improved pedestrian infrastructure
The Safe Routes to School project aims to encourage more students to walk or bike by improving safety
thereby reducing reliance on cars and buses while promoting a healthier lifestyle for residents
The initiative consists of three key segments:
• McClellan Street Trail Connection: A sidewalk will connect to an existing trail near the Toledo Aquatic Center
providing a safer alternative to walking along the busy two-lane McClellan Street
• 15th Street Sidewalk Extension: A new sidewalk will be constructed along one side of 15th Street
ultimately connecting to the STC Elementary and High School
• Middle School Connection: A sidewalk will extend to the new STC Middle School
ensuring a continuous and safe pedestrian route between Tama and Toledo
the project aims to install a pedestrian stoplight at the Highway 63 and 15th Street intersection
pending approval of a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT)
The total cost of the sidewalk project is estimated at $752,856
with the DOT covering 80% ($602,284) and the local community responsible for coming up with a 20% match of $150,572
an additional $30,000 will be needed to cover engineering costs for the pedestrian stop light
Factoring in potential material cost increases
the total fundraising goal stands at $216,686 with a deadline of October 2025
the Hometown Action Team has launched a fundraising campaign
Two subcommittees are reaching out to local businesses and STC alumni
while school district leaders are organizing student-led fundraising activities
including an elementary school Step-a-Thon
a middle school dance and dodgeball fundraiser and a high school class fundraising challenge
with a special reward for the winning class at an assembly
The Committee has a three-pronged approach in place
The first is grant applications using resources from Iowa State University (ISU)
The team is also applying for grants from organizations such as the Black Hawk Gaming Association
A $5,000 grant was already secured from Lincoln Savings Bank
the group is approaching area businesses and service organizations
the group is asking individuals and alumni for contributions
The project has received endorsements from the City of Toledo
the Tama County Economic Development Commission
The City of Tama has agreed to serve as the project’s fiscal agent
with the expectation that the majority of the matching funds will be raised before signing contracts in October 2025
The project is a testament to the power of community collaboration
Tama and Toledo can take significant steps toward ensuring safer and more accessible routes for students and residents
To learn more or contribute to the fundraising efforts
Members of the Hometown Action Team include Lori Baier
Tama County Community Foundation 2025 grant awardees pictured on April 10 in Toledo
TOLEDO – The Tama County Community Foundation (TCCF) held its 2025 grant awards celebration at the Wieting Theatre in Toledo on April 10
announcing the distribution of $181,754.01 to 33 projects of organizations serving Tama County through its 2025 grant cycle
and grant amount is listed below by funding area
Historical Newspaper Preservation & Digitization
Tama County ISU Extension & Outreach Office
Pickleball Court Sport Surface and Fencing
Tama Fire Department Nonprofit Association
Program Area: Education & Youth Development
Quality Early Childhood Environments & Early Literacy
Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois
Girl Scout Leadership Program in Tama County
Tama County Daycare dba Kids’ Corner
Program Area: Environment & Animal Welfare
Website Building/PetPoint Software Subscription
Tama Opportunity Center & Tama County Consumer Needs
Healthy Families America (HFA) in Tama County
Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee
which consists of volunteers from Tama County
Committee members include Sara Forrester (Chair)
TCCF funds established by generous donors contributing to the discretionary grant process include the STC United Endowment Fund
TOLEDO — The Tama County Democrats will host a public conversation with Matt Russell on leadership and the future vision for rural Iowa on April 22 beginning at 7 p.m
at the Wieting Theater Event room in Toledo
Russell will join with concerned citizens to discuss current events in the agricultural landscape and where we go from here
This is an opportunity to share concerns and work together for a better future for all types of agricultural endeavors in our state with a focus on the leadership needed to move ahead
transformational leader and political writer working to create hopeful solutions for agriculture and rural America
He has a breadth of experience from hands on to past State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency in Iowa
Those concerned about the future of agriculture in Iowa will want to join this important conversation
Public is invited and encouraged to attend
TAMA — While plenty of work remains to be done
the leaders of the soon to be opened non-denominational K-8 Tama-Toledo Christian School (TTCS) are encouraged by the continued progress inside the former Catholic church at 600 Oswego St
in Tama and gave the public — whether they were parents considering enrolling their children there or simply visitors interested in witnessing the transformation — to an open house from 10 a.m
TTCS Administrator Tana Whitton and School Board President Dean Fisher pose for a photo together during the open house
Board President Dean Fisher estimated that at least 200 people walked through the doors over a three-hour time frame
and TTCS Administrator Tana Whitton and Builder/Contractor Eric Slagle were happy with the turnout
Whitton said the crowd was a mix of those who have a nostalgic attachment to the building itself
which had been empty for 22 years before renovations started last spring
and parents who were actively asking questions about enrolling in the fall
“Everyone wants to know how the structure’s gonna be and wants to know that God’s gonna be involved in these kids’ lives all day
so it’s gonna be amazing,” said Slagle
who has lived in the area for about 10 years and is married to a South Tama County High School alum
Our kids are gonna go to school here.”
with the classroom and offices framed on both floors and a basement area for activities like indoor recess still in progress
A large wooden cross is now prominently displayed in the sanctuary area
“We’ve got amazing support and an amazing amount of local contractors that support us
and many of them are involved all the way down to
hopefully enrolling their kids here,” Slagle said
and we’ve had a lot of generous donations and people who have given a better price than normal because of our cause
and we’re very grateful and very blessed.”
Slagle’s children were the first to enroll at the new school
they are slightly ahead of projections but still hope to have small class sizes — intending to start with about 30 kids across all of the grades and potentially putting two grades in the same classroom
“Now that the building is done and once (Education Savings Accounts) open
we know that there is gonna be greater interest
we’re completely on track with that,” she said
we’re accepting applications across the board
We have a lot of interest in the younger elementary age
my experience so far is there’s a lot more interest in the middle school.”
Whitton and the board are also in the process of hiring teachers and working with universities to find candidates with plans to continue posting and advertising for the positions until the middle of April
And while some of the details with both the building and staff of the school still remain to be finalized
Slagle feels that the support of the Tama-Toledo communities is “an absolute blessing” that keeps the people behind the project moving forward and gives them purpose
there’s people on the periphery that aren’t really Christian but believe that God is here
And it’s making a difference in their lives too because they see the purpose,” he said
“I feel like that’s evident as well
the fact that there has been so much support
There’s evidence that it’s filling the heart’s desire
It’s filling a need in the community because the response has been one of wanting to be engaged and asking how they can help and offering the discounts,” she said
Cousins Havynn and Tavia Rosenberger manned the face painting area during the Tama-Toledo Christian School open house on Saturday morning
the open house included perks like a face painting station and treats courtesy of Fisher’s wife Vicki
visit https://www.ttchristianschool.org/ or find the school’s official page on Facebook
TAMA COUNTY, Iowa — The Tama Co. Sheriff's Office issued a warning on Thursday about a dangerous phone scam targeting residents on Medicare and Medicaid
Authorities warn that Medicaid and Medicare will never call you out of the blue to ask for your card information
telling them there's something wrong with their card and asking for personal information to "fix" the issue
If you're concerned about your benefits
the sheriff's office recommends calling the number on the back of your card to speak directly with Medicare or Medicaid
Members of the City of Tama Emergency Services met the Easter Bunny last Saturday at the annual easter egg hunt on the courthouse lawn
The Tama EMS members handed out little treats and eggs to the smiling children at the hunt after meeting the infamous rabbit
Fresh off their 50th anniversary celebration
drum giant TAMA has just announced their TAMA2025 lineup
It consists of three new snare drums from their S.L.P Bubinga series
new colors for their beloved Starclassic models
They’ve also introduced a new glide system for the pedal series
There is also a new color for their cocktail drum series, Club-JAM, called Burgundy Elm. It’s dark red tone that fits into any Jazz bar. The kit consists of an 18″ x 12″ bass drum, a 10″ x 07″ tom, a 14″ x 07″ floor tom, and a 13″ x 05″ snare. It’s also available at Thomann*.
the S.L.P Mod Bubinga series has three additions
Each snare is 12″ x 07″ and made of a 9-ply
Tama has opted for Sound Arc Hoops and a MLS30A/MLS30B snare strainer
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and they are all available at Thomann right now
these compact snares work great for Hip Hop and Trap
Each stick bag offers room for up to six pairs of sticks – and a dashing look
bigger practice pads for working on your rudiments at home
TAMA is introducing a new glide system for its double pedal series called Mirror Rod
Its newly designed shaft drastically improves the running behavior between the main and slave pedals
Mirror Rod is available both individually and in a couple bundle with the three most popular Tama upper-class double pedal machines: Iron Cobra HP 900 Power Glide
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and/or widgets
When you buy a product via our affiliate partner
we receive a small commission that helps support what we do
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Iowa (KCRG) - Highway 63 is blocked for a second time Wednesday after another semi jackknifed just south of Traer
The Tama County Sheriff’s Office shared an image on social media
alerting drivers to the slick stretch of road that is temporarily blocked
it’s the same area that was blocked because of a previous jackknifed semi about an hour earlier
A tow ban is in effect in Tama County on Wednesday amid the hazardous travel conditions
“With blizzard-like weather and ongoing snow
it is NOT safe to be on the roads unless absolutely necessary or for an emergency," the sheriff’s office said
“We are currently under a tow ban until further notice."
The fallout from the controversial firing of former Tama County Human Resources Manager and Insurance Administrator Tammy Wise continued on Monday morning as the board of supervisors once again discussed reassigning the duties of the HR department at the top of the agenda
After the termination of Wise by a 3-2 vote at last week’s regularly scheduled meeting
the supervisors held a special meeting last Tuesday evening to temporarily reassign her duties to PJ Greufe & Associates LLC
was approved to conduct an audit of the county’s HR department
the supervisors set things in stone by placing the HR
and Title VI coordinator duties under the jurisdiction of the Auditor’s office and officially hiring PJ Greufe & Associates LLC for consulting services for one year at a rate of $1,500 a month
Greufe was also hired to conduct a staffing audit at no additional fee
“It’s something that we just wanted him to prioritize
to find out what positions potentially could be combined
and those kinds of things,” Board Chairman Mark Doland said
the supervisors issued a press release that listed the reasons for Wise’s termination
Wise was terminated following an audit of Human Resources policies and practices and a complaint from a member of the community that she may have personally benefited financially as a result of the purchase of an item without paying required sales tax
with the purchase of other similar tax-exempt County property,” the release reads
It then goes on to list the alleged Tama County Employee Handbook and Iowa Code violations Wise committed
Government Ethics and Lobbying — “Ms
Wise did not pay sales tax on the item in question resulting in a financial savings exceeding $500.00.”
Failure to comply with state and federal law; failure to have adequate knowledge of and to comply with the County’s policies and procedures; and failure to perform duties as outlined in the employee’s job description or to carry out reasonable assignments or instructions —
Wise was not administering the FMLA program in compliance with Federal Law
Wise was not administering the drug testing policy in compliance with Iowa Law
Wise was not administering the harassment policy in compliance with Federal and Iowa law
Wise negotiated a union agreement that violates the Fair Labor Standards Act
Wise was not administering the Veterans Preference Act in accordance with Iowa Law
Wise was not administering a recruitment policy in accordance with Iowa Law.”
The News Chronicle requested a copy of the full audit but has not yet received it
Wise declined to comment on the individual accusations contained in the press release at this time as she had not seen the release but offered a general statement on the situation
My county is top priority,” she said
Also on this week’s agenda was the discussion and possible action to conduct a financial audit of the HR department
conduct a financial audit of the Insurance fund
conduct a financial audit of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) fund
and make a referral to County Attorney Brent Heeren to investigate claims of employee misconduct
“We will remove those from the agenda; those processes are already in motion,” Doland said
He added that the Department of Management “strongly suggested” the county adopt a hiring freeze before reading a document on the issue
“An immediate hiring freeze has been authorized by the board of supervisors
Any offers that were extended and accepted
or actions already communicated to prospective employees prior to the hiring freeze being implemented will be processed as normal
Recognizing that it may be important for certain positions to be filled during the hiring freeze
an exemption to the process has been developed
The hiring freeze applies to new positions
and temporary positions regardless of funding source
Exemptions will be considered for essential staff and approved by the board of supervisors
A hiring freeze exemption form request would need to be completed
signed by the department head or elected official and submitted to the auditor,” it read
The countywide hiring freeze until June 30
A funding agreement with E911 was approved
“E911 holds control of a surplus of $2,028,230.85 of unused money from previous budget years and the radio project that was funded by a bond taken under the previous set of supervisors
E911 proposes that Tama County transfers from the surplus account the portion that was from the radio project in an amount of $909,778.70 in a surplus of $80,000 from fiscal year ’23 to total $989,778.70 back to the general supplemental fund
E911 also acknowledges that for fiscal year ’24-’25 we would not receive the additional $1.2 million of money from the county general supplemental fund as budgeted
Tama County Board of Supervisors acknowledges that in the future fiscal years E911 will be appropriated no less than one million dollars per fiscal year for operating cost as the surplus fund will be depleted and can not support operation of the communications center
This request is the bare minimum required to operate and is lower than what has been appropriated in previous fiscal years.”
A liquor license for the Traer Golf Course was approved
Next week’s meeting was moved due to the holiday to Tuesday
A public hearing on the deappropriation of funds was set for March 3 at 8:45 a.m
The supervisors formally approved the term limits for the newest Board of Adjustment members
Berleen Wobeter’s term is set to end on June 30
and John Wagner’s term is set to end on June 30
County Engineer Ben Daleske reported that they’ve been doing some brush cutting
and on Wednesday they were out after some freezing rain
The engineer will also be meeting with NextEra Energy to see if any updates are necessary for their road use agreement
The engineer was asked by the supervisors about a box for a dump truck which was an item approved by the previous supervisors
The box was a controversial matter because it cost $163,249
Roger Wacha quipped “$163,000 for a box
TAMA — When Flex Fitness Owner Ashley Hazen and her husband Justin bought the former Tama News-Herald and Tama-Toledo News Chronicle building at 220 W
they were excited about the opportunity to more than double their space and create a state-of-the-art workout center for local residents
They also knew they were taking on a major project and ended up investing around $250,000 in the property once all was said and done
who reside between Albion and Liscomb in rural Marshall County
are proud of the finished product and the transformation they’ve achieved
and they marked the occasion with a special grand opening event last Sunday from 10 a.m
who grew up in northeast Iowa and formerly worked for the Meskwaki Nation
started the business in 2019 two buildings over (she has since sold that space to El Gallito Grocery Store) and navigated her way through the thorny realities of the COVID-19 pandemic — which
was especially difficult for gyms — and the devastating derecho that ravaged Tama and Toledo on Aug
Hazen finalized the purchase of the building in July of 2023 and immediately got to work on removing dumpster loads of clutter and debris
gutting it and installing new epoxy floors
He had to grind everything off and just get that floor cleaned off
laid the epoxy and then there was a chemical smell
That was part of the reason it took a year and a half and not a year because we waited four months to try to cure that smell out,” she said
It was over 50 hours he spent on it.”
Local contractor Scharnweber completed all of the lighting and HVAC work
The other main contractors were Triple E Insulation and Megan Seymour Painting
but she wanted to make sure she had everything done
Because you’re building a building inside of a building
it was really hard to do,” Ashley said
While she’s been appreciative of the community support thus far
Hazen also hopes to get the word out to more residents about the larger
renovated space and some of the specialty classes and programs offered — pilates
weightlifting and senior citizens groups are a few examples — in hopes of attracting more members
She was encouraged by the strong turnout for the grand opening and wanted to stress that Flex Fitness is for everyone from diehards to newcomers
Hazen is also working on a Silver Sneakers program that can get gym memberships paid for through certain health insurance plans
As the downtown area continues to recover from the derecho
she is optimistic that the project can inspire other building owners to improve their storefronts as well
which still bears the old Tama County Publishing sign next to a new Flex Fitness one
will be the last phase of the renovation either this spring or summer
she’ll continue to advocate for the importance of health in general
and we try to keep our memberships low enough (in cost) — obviously
everything is expensive and getting more and more expensive
But we’ve never changed our pricing up until this year,” she said
Flex Fitness has four part-time staff members and is available for 24-hour access with a membership
Employees are on hand every day but Sunday
and the gym can be reached at (641) 481-7222
Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext
Tama County Conservation Director Curtis Behrens
fields a question from a Conservation board member (off frame) while presenting his department’s proposed FY2025-26 budget on Wednesday
during the regular monthly board meeting held at Otter Creek Lake & Park Nature Center in rural Toledo
OTTER CREEK – Tama County Conservation not only needs a new naturalist following last month’s termination of Raina Genaw
the department is now also on the hunt for a new board member
8 regular meeting of the Tama County Board of Conservation held at Otter Creek Lake & Park Nature Center
Conservation Director Curtis Behrens announced that John Keenan – longtime member of the board whose five-year term was up for renewal this month – recently elected to step down
“[Keenan] voiced he’s been doing it for a while [and] wants to pass the torch,” Behrens explained
Taking into account Keenan’s vacancy
the board is currently composed of Chair Bryan Wacha of Tama
and Danielle Dunning of Garwin who replaced Carolyn Adolphs on the board in September 2024
both Kenkel and Allen said they felt the new board member should be from the north end of the county in the Dysart/Traer/Clutier area
Anyone with an interest in serving on the Conservation board is asked to contact Behrens (641-481-3153; curtis.behrens@tamacounty.org)
Auditor Karen Rohrs (641-484-2740; krohrs@tamacounty.org)
or a member of the Tama County Board of Supervisors
a motion was approved to make Kenkel the new vice chair
had already assumed the role of chairperson in Keenan’s absence
Staffing was addressed several times during the meeting including as part of the public comment portion. Two members of the public – Extension and Outreach County Youth Coordinator Jenny Hulme and Lacy Starits with Miss Lacy’s Preschool in Toledo – both spoke about the termination of naturalist Raina Genaw
Genaw was first hired as naturalist in May of 2023 to replace Emma Bruck who resigned to take a job with Marshall County Conservation
Genaw was fired by Behrens and Tama County HR Administrator Tammy Wise on Dec
at Otter Creek Lake & Park Nature Center shortly after being hired by the county
“I am here to express my sadness of losing another naturalist with Tama County Conservation
I have been in my position for 10 years this January and Raina was the fifth naturalist that I have worked with.”
She then went on to list the numerous activities and events Tama County 4-H and the county naturalist partner on each year including the Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) which Genaw coached
“Raina partnered with us to create a 4-H team (Tama Turtles) for the WHEP competition with the team being selected to go to the national competition in Texas where they placed fifth in the nation (last summer)
… Having a partnership with Tama County Conservation has made a huge impact on the youth of Tama County.”
Hulme also told the board that while she was not speaking in order to “get Raina’s job back for her,” she was asking the board to “be aware of the impact that your naturalists have in their partnerships.” She asked that the board be “more attentive to staffing.”
“You as a board speak for all of Tama County
I am very disappointed that Tama County did not have the opportunity to speak up for Raina before she was fired
You as a board could have heard and stopped this before having to look for a sixth naturalist.”
telling the board that during her three-and-a-half years in operation
her preschool has been through three naturalists (Genaw
“They are a tremendous support to our program
but my kids grow attached to the naturalists and having this much turnover … is challenging for my kids.”
I miss Raina,” Starits said to end her comments
Later in the meeting during the director’s report
Behrens first addressed the naturalist vacancy
fielding multiple questions from board members regarding Genaw’s termination including her severance agreement which seemed to perplex some of the board members including Dunning and Wacha
“If it’s a legitimate termination
if it was in a contract that you had a severance package or something
then we pay a severance,” Wacha said at one point before asking Kenkel
Dunning also questioned why the county agreed not to contest Genaw’s (possible) claim for unemployment insurance benefits
“I was surprised to see that in addition to the severance package,” she said
The discussion eventually ended without Behrens providing much if any insight into the events leading up to and following Genaw’s termination
Toward the end of the meeting under new business
the naturalist vacancy was more formally addressed with Behrens telling the board he had received seven applications thus far for the position – four women along with three men
He felt three or four of the applicants “are probably worth our time” and planned to start interviews the following week
Kenkel volunteered to be part of the interview process
said she would help out as her work schedule allowed
According to the Tama County Auditor’s Office
Conservation has four employees on the payroll including three full time employees – Behrens
and Maintenance Supervisor Dustin Horne – and one seasonal
According to the minutes of the regular September board meeting
Ahrendsen was hired “to assist with forestry management,” Behrens said
Just prior to this month’s meeting adjournment
board members inquired as to which of the department’s four employees would be “loaned” to the county’s Secondary Roads Department under the Conservation Winter Agreement Resolution which was approved by the Board of Supervisors on Jan
Secondary Roads is currently short one motor grader operator for snow removal operations and Conservation is willing to loan an employee to help with such operations
Conservation will be reimbursed for both labor and benefits for the employee
Behrens said Horne would be shared with Secondary Roads as part of the agreement
earning no overtime pay but rather additional hours ‘like contract labor.’ He would only be working as needed
“Since we don’t have a huge amount of things going on right now
we’re just going to share Dustin,” Behrens explained before also stating that Horne was given the choice to participate or not
While giving the maintenance report early in the meeting
Horne indicated he had “picked up a handful of dead geese that had avian (influenza)” in Otter Creek Lake during the course of the last month
When contacted after the meeting about the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds at the park
of Natural Resources (DNR) is currently not testing wild geese for the virus due to “so many reports.”
“We are assuming the geese we found had avian influenza and we are treating all dead waterfowl as if they do,” Horne explained
symptoms of HPAI in wild birds can include nervousness; tremors or lack of coordination; swelling around the head
neck and/or eyes; lack of energy or movement; coughing; gasping for air or sneezing; diarrhea; or sudden death
state biologists along with federal partners have been monitoring for the presence of HPAI in Iowa’s wild birds since early 2022 with a sharp jump in affected waterfowl detected beginning in early December 2024 “spurred on by the stress of migration and the severe cold.”
Iowa’s state wildlife veterinarian Dr
Rachel Ruden said the presence of five or more sick or dead flocking birds found within a week should be reported to local wildlife biologists or state conservation officers (in Tama: Rodney Ellingson at 641-751-9767 and Officer Brett Reece at 641-751-0931)
Iowans are urged to stay away from sick birds especially waterfowl as the virus that causes avian influenza can remain viable in deceased birds for several weeks depending on environmental conditions
While mammals including humans can be infected with the virus
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “continues to believe the threat to the general public remains low.”
67 confirmed human cases of avian influenza have been reported in the United States since the beginning of 2024 (one in Iowa
attributed to poultry farms/culling operations exposure) along with one death associated with the H5N1 strain
Behrens provided the board with his proposed FY2025-26 budget
The new budget includes a 9% ($132,692) overall increase
The biggest increases include an 11% increase ($25,000) for Buildings-Permanent Improvement; a 275% increase ($11,000) for Tires and Tubes-Motor Vehicle; and a 50% increase ($10,000) for Minor Vehicle/Radio Repair
Conservation’s budget presentation to the Board of Supervisors is set for Monday
A brief mention was made at the very end of the nearly two-and-a-half hour meeting regarding the state auditor’s review of financial transactions by former Tama County Conservation Director Stephen Mayne who was put on administrative leave on Aug. 1, 2023, before subsequently resigning on Aug
This past October following a 14-month special investigation
the Iowa State Auditor’s office announced Mayne had improperly spent $1,570.93 of county funds while also making $75,293.32 in “unsupported disbursements” during his nearly two-and-a-half year tenure with Tama County
The bill for the investigation totaled $44,927.50 and was presented to the Conservation board by Behrens during the Oct
Behrens told board members that Conservation was solely responsible for the tab
Payment was subsequently tabled in order to give Behrens time to discuss the invoice with both the Tama County Auditor’s Office and the Board of Supervisors
the newspaper reached out to Auditor Karen Rohrs to determine if the invoice had been paid
Rohrs told the newspaper in an email that payment was made in full by Conservation on Dec
she determined the fund line Behrens had used to pay the invoice was not allowed
Rohrs told the newspaper Behrens would be “correcting the funds to come out of his Journals
Manuals & Books fund line.” Rohrs said she had confirmed with the county’s current auditing firm that such action was “acceptable.” And while that specific fund had a budgeted amount this fiscal year of $0
Rohrs said using the fund was OK to do as Behrens was “still within his overall budget.”
The newspaper spoke briefly with Behrens following the meeting about the possibility of charges being filed against Mayne
Behrens said such discussion by the board has ended with no charges forthcoming
Students pictured working in the mid-1960s at the new
14-classroom elementary building in Traer which was part of the reorganized North Tama County Community School District
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth in a series of articles documenting the history of the school buildings in North Tama County Community School District courtesy of the Traer Historical Museum
TRAER – School building programs in the early 1960s were tied to increased enrollment and school district reorganization
The Traer-Clutier High School building in Traer was crowded and improvements were needed to improve the educational program
Residents of the Dinsdale Consolidated School District voted on December 4
to continue to operate their school despite having been warned by the Iowa State Department of Public Instruction that Dinsdale must reorganize before the 1962-63 school year or operate without financial aid or high school accreditation
Traer-Clutier proceeded with building plans
The growing elementary enrollment created the need for more space
regardless of whether Dinsdale joined the district or not
Proposed plans called for the construction of a 14-classroom elementary building along with remodeling in the high school and an addition for the industrial arts department
The $500,000 bond issue passed in February 1962
Petitions asking for reorganization of a North Tama County Community school district were circulated in the Traer-Clutier and Dinsdale school districts in June 1963
The petitions needed to be signed by 20% of the voters of each district
The proposed district included all of the Traer-Clutier district and most of the Dinsdale district
The plan called for pupils from kindergarten through third grade from the Dinsdale and Buckingham areas to attend school in Buckingham
Dinsdale and Buckingham to attend Dinsdale
The Tama County Board of Education held a public hearing on Friday
to review the proposed plan and hear arguments for and against the plan
the county board voted to delete about one-third of the Dinsdale district from the plan
An appeal to the ruling was filed in the district court
A major concern was whether there were enough students left adjacent to the Dinsdale school to economically justify the elementary attendance center that had been planned
The school boards met on October 14 in an attempt to settle the differences and drop the appeal
the appeal was dropped to allow the reorganization to proceed
The measure passed overwhelmingly in the Traer-Clutier district while also passing in the Dinsdale district by a 103 “yes” to 47 “no” margin
The vote allowed the formation of the North Tama County Community School District effective July 1
The Clutier attendance center continued to operate as an elementary and junior high school
North Tama’s glass hallway pictured in the 1960s from the south
The hallway was built following the 1962 bond referendum to link the new elementary building with the 1917 three-story brick high school building (right side of photo)
An elementary school at Dinsdale was not feasible
with one-third of the Dinsdale district going to either Reinbeck or Gladbrook
Dinsdale and Traer pupils attended elementary school in the new elementary building in Traer
The elementary classes in Traer were large for several years
Larger classes were split into three sections for first and second grade
The Clutier class size was typically 15 to 20 students per teacher
A public open house was held in October 1964 to showcase the changes in the school building in Traer
The new 14-room elementary building allowed all of the elementary classes to move out of the three-story building
The two buildings were joined by a glass hallway
High school teachers now had dedicated classrooms and no longer had to lug materials from room to room
A dedicated audio-visual room with proper lighting was available for use by all teachers
a small conference room and school records were placed together on the third floor
they were housed at opposite ends of the building
The main office and Superintendent’s office were placed on the ground floor
One was dedicated to biology and earth sciences
Some classrooms were enlarged to accommodate more students
The home economics department was updated with modern appliances and equipment
the commercial department and even study hall areas
A spacious new industrial arts department and classroom allowed for an expanded program
and the former band room became the vocal music room
The high school addition included spacious boys and girls locker rooms
a wrestling room and coaches’ offices
The impact of additional space and remodeling on the new North Tama High School was much greater than the public realized
High school students had been jammed together on the third floor for most of their classes
congested hallways and providing adequate equipment for classes and laboratories provided a better learning environment
you’re on ‘license plate reader’ camera
Folks driving in and out of Traer via US 63 on the north side in recent weeks may have noticed a peculiar black camera aimed toward the highway
According to the Tama County Sheriff’s Office
the camera fitted with a couple of solar panels is an automatic license plate reader (ALPR)
“[T]hey are indeed license plate reader (LPR) cameras,” Chief Deputy Joe Quandt told the newspaper in an email
“They are non-revenue cameras for intelligence information only
They give us alerts on vehicles related to Amber Alerts
the camera is for demonstration purposes only
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa
ALPRs are high-speed cameras that “snap a photograph of every license plate that passes them
capturing information on up to thousands of cars per minute
The devices convert each license plate number into machine-readable text and check them against agency-selected databases or manually entered license plate numbers
providing an alert to a patrol officer whenever a match or ‘hit’ appears.”
While the ACLU of Iowa supports the use of ALPRs in the narrow
regulated manner of assisting law enforcement in the recovery of stolen cars and arresting people with outstanding warrants
the nonprofit civil rights organization is wary of the large amount of data the cameras are able to collect and store — possibly indefinitely
“The biggest problem with ALPR systems is the creation of databases with location information on every motorist who encounters the system
not just those whom the government suspects of criminal activity,” the ACLU’s website states
“Police departments nationwide are using ALPR to quietly accumulate millions of plate records
We want to make sure that Iowa law enforcement is not violating the privacy rights of Iowa citizens.”
As part of its advocacy work around the issue
the ACLU of Iowa is calling for “the adoption of legislation and law enforcement agency policies adhering to strict privacy principles to prevent the government and others from tracking our movements on a massive scale.”
In addition the camera on US 63 – which is attached to a pole on the west side of the road in front of the former North Tama Activity Center (212 North Main) — Tama County is also testing out an ALPR in the Gladbrook area on Hwy 96
responding to a report of an armed man threatening to kill family members
Home / News / Crime & Courts
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this week arrested a Tama teen on charges he stole a firearm
possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia
to return home to their shared residence on Oswego Street in Tama
He watched as Theissen unlocked his shed to put his work boots inside
Kurth entered the unlocked shed and stole Theissen’s AR-15-style rifle
Kurth later was arrested after Tama County deputies had responded to a report of a man armed with a stolen assault-style rifle who threatened to kill members of his family
according to a sheriff’s news release
The release and criminal complaints don’t state whether Kurth was the man who threatened to kill family members
He was one of three people detained in response to the threat
The stolen firearm was recovered by officers
A search warrant was performed on Kurth’s pickup truck
and officers said they found a methamphetamine pipe
a marijuana pipe and a small bag containing a crystal-like substance
He had his first appearance in court Tuesday
and was released Wednesday from the Tama County Jail after posting a $25,000 bail
Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com
I cover breaking news and trends related to public safety for The Gazette
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TOLEDO – With Christmas just around the corner
the usual grouping of locals gathered for last week’s Tama County Board of Supervisors meeting along with several others
With people packed into the meeting room like presents in a stocking
the main topic on everyone’s mind on Dec
23 was the proposed contract for Human Resources Manager/Insurance Administrator Tammy Wise
The contract was first discussed by the supervisors during their Dec
16 meeting before being subsequently tabled
Tama County’s employee handbook defines such employment as “voluntarily entered into … free to resign at any time for any reason.” The handbook also states the County is “free to end its employment relationship” with an at-will employee “at any time for any reason but a prohibited reason.”
The handbook further advises at-will employees: “While it is hoped that your employment with Tama County is long and mutually beneficial
neither you nor Tama County has entered into any contract of employment
The employment relationship between you and Tama County is and will always be one of voluntary employment at-will.”
Wise’s proposed contract would cover a five-year term; if she were to be terminated without cause in the first year after its signing
she would receive 21 months of severance pay among other provisions
Before the start of public comment time on Dec
the supervisors took the contract off the agenda altogether
but there was public concern about whether the contract would be adopted before the new board takes office on Jan
(Editor’s note: The contract was not part of the Monday
The first item on the docket after the meeting got going was the funding of Peoplerides
A Region 6 representative presented a three-way split between the county and both the cities of Tama and Toledo; a County contribution of $3,800 was approved
A representative of the Tama County Compensation Board recommended the attorney
while the supervisors receive no raise as the board will be changing
the supervisors approved 3% raises for the attorney
County Engineer Ben Daleske provided his report saying that a few minor things have been dealt with during the slight bouts of snow
and they have been refilling their cache of sand
The open Traer position was posted internally but received no takers so the position will be posted to the public
The department is working on an agreement with Conservation for the lending of an employee as needed during the winter months
A $1,000 lien for a nuisance property at Union Grove Lake was approved
The supervisors approved opening an account at Lincoln Savings Bank for the new EMS levy fund and they approved the authorized signers of the account
The meeting ended on a high note with Curt Kupka being sworn in as the new District 5 Supervisor
Tama County’s other newly elected officials will be sworn in following the Monday
30 meeting – a meeting Kupka was not available to attend
Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: Panick, TAMA
Daniel HDR and a 1:10 Tony Fleecs incentive variant
New comic book publisher Panick, who launched at San Diego Comic-Con last year
is lining up the launch of their first series
launching in August 2025 through Lunar via the Massive Indies program
And Bleeding Cool has the official incentive cover art for T.A.M.A
set to hit comic shops on the 6th of August
featuring artwork by Stray Dogs and Feral co-creator Tony Fleecs
We stopped feeding and caring for those creatures that only wanted our love
your long forgotten virtual pet returned for revenge
finding the companionship he desperately seeks in TAMA
But when mysterious and gruesome tragedies begin to pile up around him
the boy wonders if his digital furry friend could somehow be the "virtual" common denominator
How far are both the kid and creature willing to go to seek attention
and how many will be hurt by this deadly beast that can somehow interact with the real world
mixes the nostalgia of virtual pets with the generational phenomenon of Pokemon in this character-centered horror romp guaranteed to make you wanna kill 'em all
"Built by a collective of seasoned veterans from the comic and entertainment worlds
PANICK Entertainment aims to shake-up traditional horror genre storytelling with its bold
original titles and fearless narrative voice
T.A.M.A.—the story of a virtual pet with a deadly agenda—is penned by PANICK founders Adam Schlagman (Flashpoint: Abin Sur
former DC editor on Blackest Night) and Doug Pasko (CW's The Outpost
with art by Daniel HDR (Masters of the Universe)
It's one of three debut titles anchoring PANICK's inaugural publishing slate
launching in comic shops nationwide this year
Blending childhood nostalgia with creeping horror
asks a chilling question familiar to anyone who's ever forgotten an old toy: what if that neglected digital pet came back… and it wasn't happy
who stumbles across an outdated virtual pet system and unexpectedly finds emotional solace in a creature named Tama
unexplained deaths begin occurring around him
Kit starts to wonder: is his newfound companion more than just a comforting pixelated pal
What begins as a connection between boy and beast soon spirals into something far more sinister
as the boundaries between digital and real-world violence begin to blur
Series co-creator Schlagman drew inspiration for this incentive variant cover from one of his own childhood obsessions – the Nintendo Game Boy Pokemon games from the 1990s
"I've always been a massive fan of Pokémon
From the animated series to the video games to the card game
And now I get to share that joy with my kid
who's a pokémon fanatic in his own right
So how could we not pay homage to the multi-generational phenomenon?" And that brought one specific name to the PANICK team's wish list – the extraordinary Tony Fleecs
currently riding high with Image Comics' FERAL."The gang from PANICK was looking for someone to do a mix of adorable and frightening on these T.A.M.A
"and… that's kind of my specialty."
#1 cover will be a 1:10 retailer incentive variant available via Diamond
the Massive Indies section of the Lunar catalogue and Universal Distribution
alongside the previously-announced Cover A featuring the artwork of Dustin Nguyễn
More details to come on Black Diamond and Savager to come
and participated in some mild conversation in the main hall of the Tama County Assessors building on Monday morning while the Board of Supervisors held a closed session
After those who stayed and lingered about were let back in for the rest of the open board meeting
supervisor Heather Knebel made a motion based on the discussions had in the closed session
This motion was to end the employment and all appointments of Tammy Wise
Tama County’s longtime human resources manager and insurance administrator
with supervisors Curt Hilmer and David Turner voting nay
There were two public comments on this decision from former public officials
the first coming from former Tama County Supervisor Bill Faircloth
“All I can say is you people don’t have a clue
and just because she tries to keep you people in line
You’re about the most arrogant pieces of s*** I’ve ever seen,” he said
Another comment came from former County Auditor Laura Kopsa
“I think you’ve done a grievance to the county
dedicated employee with 25-plus years of experience
and she cared about the county,” she said
“I think you’ve done something very very bad
A special meeting of the supervisors was held on Tuesday evening in order to temporarily reassign Wise’s duties
It was approved that Auditor Karen Rohrs will take charge of the position’s emails
It was then decided that the duties of both the human resources director and insurance manager would be handled by PJ Greufe & Associates LLC
was approved to do an audit of the county’s Human Resources department
It’s not like it’s something new for him
He does all the risk pool counties and other people
he’s very experienced with all HR issues
it’s not like he’s just an auditor
he can also help us out in the interim,” she said
Public comments were opened up after these motions were approved
with the first speaker on the issue being Berleen Wobeter
who addressed the board’s decision to end Wise’s employment
“To hear that you terminated her (Tammy Wise) on a vote of three to two
surely if you’re terminating someone there’s some specific irrefutable reason that you all agree on
I have no idea what it could be based on that it wasn’t a unanimous vote
and I don’t think this smells right,” Wobeter said
Former Tama County Supervisor Kendall Jordan then spoke
asking questions and raising concerns about the Iowa Codes listed as reasons for why the supervisors went into a closed session at Monday’s meeting
Another big topic at the meeting was money
The agenda item to decrease the Secondary Roads transfer from the general fund saw much opposition from the public
Board Chairman Mark Doland made some opening remarks
“We had a discovery about a week ago that our financial situation is such that we’re not in a great financial position
2023 fiscal year according to the budget that was proposed and passed last year and published in the newspaper and then this is filed with the department of management,” he said
“We started out with an ending fund balance of 14,563,000 dollars
the projected balance from that $14 million that we’re projected to be at
that is a spending rate of over $6 million a year
there is some grave concern for our financial condition
We are trying not to end up with negative $948,000 this year
this board over the last week has been in discussions
We held a department head meeting last week to address and just ask that people if they don’t have any mandatory spending that has to be done
A few ways that we can alleviate some of the ongoing pressure for the budget
We have a payroll that goes through every two weeks for almost $400,000
Which is just barely enough to cover payroll that went out last Friday
and it prompted some quick action to try to figure out what are some ways that we could spend less money right now
Just to make it through to the end of the 2025 fiscal year
We don’t collect taxes again until April 1
“We don’t have a whole lot of detail as far as like
After some discussion about how much to decrease from the Secondary Roads transfer
It was approved to decrease the county’s monthly contribution to the health fund by approximately $300,000
A cap was put on how much is taken out so that the health fund does not dip under $2 million
and all money taken from the health fund will be paid back
“There are other avenues to try to recoup some of this money
to put us back on a better footing at least for now to the end of the year
Some of those discussions are happening,” Doland said
Citizen Richard Arp spoke during the public comment time
didn’t realize that the last two years we’ve been overspending by $6 million
not wait till this year when we’re in the red,” he said
she came in and talked to Laura and I guess what was the meeting was we need to tighten up
I don’t know how Dan and Bill looked at it
but like I said from the first year I was in
“When I left that meeting I didn’t understand how bad we were
and we should just tighten our belts a little bit
and I thought I was doing that as a representative keeping the budgets of the department heads in line
“This was planned to go in the hole $950,000
I don’t know why anybody would have approved this
And we don’t know the answer to that,” he said
new Sheriff Casey Schmidt spoke up himself
“It was nice having that department meeting on Friday
I don’t think it’s going to be beneficial at this point in time to point fingers
and then moving forward collectively is what’s best for everybody
we know what needs to happen as department heads,” he said
Tama County Engineer Ben Daleske gave his report saying that they continue cutting brush and have started stockpiling rock
Representatives from ITC were on hand to answer the supervisor’s questions about a line going through the county that was scheduled to be rebuilt
the utility permit for the project was approved
A resolution to create a trust fund for the Emergency Medical Services was approved
It was approved for the salary employees’ pay cycle to change from every two weeks to simply being paid on the 15th and 30th of the month
The committee released designs of the project
There’s a major infrastructure project aimed at improving pedestrian safety and connectivity within the community coming to fruition
The Hometown Action Team (formerly the Tama-Toledo Visioning Committee) has been spearheading this initiative
with a major push to secure funding and putting the idea into action
The 2023 survey of South Tama County (STC) school parents revealed that 94% of them do not allow their children to walk or bike to school due to unsafe road conditions
McClellan Street Trail Connection: A sidewalk will connect to an existing trail near the Toledo Aquatic Center
15th Street Sidewalk Extension: A new sidewalk will be constructed along one side of 15th Street
Middle School Connection: A sidewalk will extend to the new STC Middle School
pending approval of a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT)
Members of the Hometown Action Team smile with Sue Carnahan of Lincoln Savings Bank after receiving 5,000 towards the project
with the DOT covering 80% ($602,284) and the local community responsible for raising a 20% match of $150,572
the total fundraising goal stands at $216,686
while STC schools are organizing student-led fundraising activities
Middle School: Dance and dodgeball fundraiser
with a special reward for the winning class at a school assembly
The Committee has a plan in place for fundraising
The first is grant applications using resources from ISU
Registered voters in Spring Creek and Crystal townships cast their ballots at the Gladbrook Memorial Building on Tuesday
Voters in both Gladbrook and Traer (Perry Township) were responsible for electing the first woman to the Tama County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday night – Republican Heather Knebel who was running unopposed for the District 3 seat
More than 1,600 people cast their ballots for Knebel in the race
the Tama County Board of Supervisors – currently represented by two Republicans and a Democrat – will be firmly in GOP control
TOLEDO – History was made in Tama County this past Tuesday evening when voters elected a woman to the board of supervisors for the first time ever
5 general election ballot for Tama County Supervisor District 3
sailed to victory in her race with 1,645 votes
When contacted Tuesday evening for comment
Supervisor-elect Knebel was overjoyed but remained humble in her response
“Thank you so much to everyone that supported me this last year during my campaign!” Knebel said in a statement to the newspaper
I’m excited for January so I can get to work representing the people
Knebel’s district includes the communities of Gladbrook and Traer while encompassing the townships of Spring Creek
and Perry plus parts of far northern Carlton (excluding Garwin) and Howard
Tama County Supervisor-elect Heather Knebel
Knebel defeated Republicans Eli Hoskey of Toledo and Robert ‘Bob’ Vokoun of Gladbrook for her party’s nomination with 64.4% of the vote
With no Democratic candidate on the ballot in either the primary or general
Knebel all but ensured a trailblazing result on Tuesday
Republican Jean Kruse of Traer became the first woman to serve on the Tama County Board of Supervisors after she was appointed to fill a vacancy resulting from the unexpected passing on Oct
Kruse was a 36-year-old mother and small business owner
Kruse endorsed Knebel – also a young mother and small business owner – in her own District 3 race ahead of the June primary this year
District 3 is one of five new Tama County supervisor seats
voters overwhelmingly passed a public measure to move the county from a three-member board to a five-member board – a form of government the county has not utilized since 1934
2022 ballot as a result of a petition drive organized by members of Tama County Against Turbines (TCAT)
Republican incumbent Curt Hilmer of Dysart was reelected to District 1 for a second term after running unopposed; Republican David Turner of Tama
was elected to District 2; Republican Mark Doland of rural Toledo narrowly beat Democrat Berleen Wobeter of rural Toledo by 43 votes in a bruising race for the District 4 seat; and Republican Curt Kupka of Chelsea handily beat Democrat Bruce Lenhart of rural Tama for the District 5 seat
While Doland did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment in time for publication
Wobeter provided the following statement to the newspaper
“When I picked up my nomination papers for the June primary I was uncertain of what was to come but willing to meet the challenge,” Wobeter wrote in an email
“It is disappointing to lose by so few votes but I have absolutely no regrets and have been given so much more than the numbers indicate
Campaigning means stepping out in unfamiliar ways with the rich reward of new relationships
Friends and family supported my efforts in ways I didn’t anticipate but so gratefully acknowledge
‘You don’t know your community until you see who opens the door’ is my treasured new slogan
And my forever and always ‘nice’ husband was my rock.”
While Wobeter did not rule out running again and/or attending future board of supervisor meetings
she said she is currently unsure of the path ahead following defeat
“I am undecided about what my next steps might be but am considering continuing to visit folks in our community as a volunteer or offer to be a much needed ocassional ambulance driver
I think it might also be valuable to observe how various promises made by supervisor candidates play out in the Boardroom
There are bound to be some interesting new dynamics and even potential expensive litigation should certain decisions be made
Hopefully work will proceed with respect and dedication.”
Tama County’s general election canvass is set for 8:30 a.m
in the Tama County Board of Supervisors chambers on both Wednesday
Plans are to swear in the new five-member board during the last week of December
according to Tama County Auditor Laura Kopsa
Election workers at the Garwin Community Building including (l-r) Vicky Podhajsky
and precinct chair Steph DeSchamp pause for a photo on Tuesday during a brief lull in activity
DeSchamp said the polling site saw brisk turnout this election with voters motivated by not only the presidential race but also the county’s EMS vote and GMG’s bond referendum
A recent barn fire northwest of Garwin was an “eye-opener for people,” DeSchamp further explained
fueling the town’s nearly 78% support of the public measure to fund EMS as an essential service
Republican Karen Rohrs of Toledo – the county’s deputy auditor/elections administrator – won her race for Tama County Auditor after running unopposed
while Republican Casey Schmidt of Dysart – also running unopposed – won his race for Tama County Sheriff
Schmidt previously breezed to victory during the June 4 primary by taking nearly 54% of the vote share in a three-way race against detectives Lucas Dvorak of Gladbrook and Trevor Killian of Toledo
Rohrs will replace retiring Auditor Laura Kopsa (D-Tama)
while Schmidt replaces retiring Sheriff Dennis Kucera (R-Traer)
Tama County now a red wall in Iowa Assembly
In the race for Iowa Senate District 38 – an urban-rural district spanning parts of three counties and including the communities of Traer
and La Porte City – incumbent Democratic Sen
Eric Giddens of Cedar Falls lost his reelection to a second full term to Republican Dave Sires
Tama County is now solely represented by Republicans in the Iowa Assembly
Sires commented on his win via Facebook: “I’m overwhelmed with gratitude tonight
Giddens also addressed the outcome of the election while congratulating Sires on his victory
we came up short tonight,” Giddens wrote on Facebook just after 1 a.m
“Congratulations to Dave Sires on his victory
and I wish him all the best as our next State Senator
It has been an absolute honor to serve the Cedar Valley in the Iowa Senate
I’m grateful beyond measure to all of my supporters and my family for being there with me through thick and thin
I truly couldn’t have done this work without each and every one of you
With deep gratitude and best wishes.”
Derek Wulf of Hudson and Dean Fisher of Montour both won their reelection races by comfortable margins over their Democratic challengers
Wulf took more than 60% of the vote over Jarred Johnston formerly of Dysart and now of Centerville
while Fisher defeated Tommy Hexter of Grinnell in the House District 53 race with nearly 57% of the vote
Hexter won just two precincts including Tama with 388 votes – one more than Fisher – and Indian Settlement
a precinct where he garnered nearly 93% of the vote share
Annette Sweeney of Iowa Falls – who was not up for reelection this cycle – Sires
and Fisher now constitute a red wall in the Iowa Assembly for Tama County