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Retelling their stories

Camp Algona POW museum expands

By HAILEY BRUESCHKE editor@messengernews.net

ALGONA — The Camp Algona POW Museum strives to preserve and share the story of the German POW camp that was located in Algona from 1943 to 1946.

Recently, the museum added a new section that is dedicated to the Kossuth County men and women who served during the war.

Kossuth County, like most around the country, played a huge role in World War II. Individuals from the county were there from the attack on Pearl Harbor to D-Day, from the Battle of the Bulge to the Japanese surrender on the battleship USS Missouri and everywhere in between, said Brian Connick, museum director.

our country’s role in World War II had become increasingly difficult over the years,” Connick said. “The solution for us was to increase our display space so we could dedicate a section of our museum to the men and women who served during the war.”

During World War II, Algona was the site of a base camp for prisoners of war. The camp was home to 10,000 German prisoners.

In addition to explaining the camp, the museum tells the story of the 2,600-plus men and women from Kossuth County who served in World War II. It specifically honors the 114 that gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

“The idea that we could tell the story of Camp Algona without also telling the story of

In the new section, visitors will be able to view physical artifacts, documents, artwork and poetry. There is a 1943 military Jeep and trailer on display, along with a replica of a camp staff car.

“I believe there is something for everyone to enjoy,” Connick said. “Visiting is a great way to learn about and remember that when given the task of caring for our enemies, the folks here treated them with respect and humanity, which also reminds us that the lesson of doing the right thing cannot be taught too many times.”

The museum is located at 114 S. Thorington St. in Algona. Its hours are 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends from April through December and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays from Memorial Day through August.

Admission is $5 for adults; children age 12 and under are admitted free.

-Messenger photos by Hailey Brueschke

A 1943 MILITARY JEEP and trailer are on display in the expanded Camp Algona POW Museum, along with a replica of a camp staff car (below left) and other artifacts.

-Messenger photo by Hailey Brueschke THE CAMP ALGONA POW MUSEUM strives to share the story of the German POW camp that was once located there. In addition, it has expanded to include a section dedicated to Kossuth County men and women who served during World War II through displays like this one.

Rockwell

Following in his footsteps

New leadership works to honor former mayor, advance projects

By BRET HAYWORTH editor@messengernews.net

ROCKWELL CITY

—

As ongoing community projects continue in varying stages, new leadership has taken shape in Rockwell City.

Phil Heinlen, who had been mayor for more than 20 years, died in late 2024. There is also a new city clerk, as Kelly Smidt resigned and Deputy Clerk Samantha McFarland was elevated to clerk.

For the mayor post, the Rockwell City Council members used the appointment process to promote Jeff Fistler, who was three-fourths of the way through his council term, to take the post.

Fistler said it was a shock to lose Heinlen.

“He had been mayor for a long time and did a great job,” he said. “We are trying to do our best to follow in his honor.”

Overall in the Calhoun County town of 2,200 people, Fistler said, “Things have been on the upswing.”

However, there have been some situations in need of a rebound, such as the loss of the nursing home.

Another need is more housing to keep the town growing. The new residential subdivision on the west edge of Rockwell City will help meet that need. In fact, that subdivision with six lots in the vicinity of High Street has been renamed the Heinlen Addition.

“It was already started and (the former mayor) had a lot to do with it,” Fistler said. “We are hoping to get it filled up.”

Since two lots are already sold, he feels good about that. Once a lot is sold, people have three years to build a home.

The Heinlen Addition was paid for in part with $600,000 that remained after the water treatment plant project was completed. Fistler said the

council is already having initial discussions on another possible housing addition.

-Submitted photos

ABOVE: Rockwell City Mayor Jeff Fistler said the Fareway store has been a “huge draw” for the town.

LEFT: The Heinlen Addition on the west edge of Rockwell City, which has six lots available, will help meet the town's housing need. Fistler said initial discussions on another possible housing addition are already underway.

On the opposite side of the town, the Fareway grocery store is going well in its first years of operation, Fistler said. The town had lost its grocery store, and after working with Fareway officials on programs like tax abatement, Fareway chose to build the store.

Fareway is placing some

stores in select smaller towns in facilities of 11,000 square feet that are half the size of regular stores. Fistler said the momentum is going well.

“It went up quick … that has been a huge draw for us,” he said. “We are getting people from Webster County and Carroll County.”

Also on the edge of Rockwell City, city officials are aiming to find a new successor to move into the former nursing home facility after Sunny Knoll closed in November 2024.

“We are working hard to get someone in that building,” the mayor said.

Other city projects for 2025 include adding water lines since some are past their useful lives. Fistler said that piping will go over about three blocks near Lake Street. Work may also be done near the town airport. In the area of recreation, the city swimming pool needs a water heater, which may cost $250,000. Fistler said a few organizations are looking into fundraising and other ways to improve the Rockwell City pool. He said the last major work on the pool was done in 1989.

“It also needs cosmetic work on the lifeguard stands and things like that,” Fistler said.

Two of the three South Central Calhoun Community School District buildings — the elementary and middle school — are in Rockwell City, while the high school is in Lake City. Fistler said that school leaders have approved a new gymnasium to be added to the elementary building. He said it is important to keep good school facilities in Iowa communities.

Webster County

Making room for more

Badger continues to add homes, Dayton builds Events Center

By HAILEY BRUESCHKE editor@messengernews.net

Badger

Badger’s housing development began in 2017 and has created 16 lots for sale.

“At this time we have I believe 13 of the 16 lots of houses with them,” said Glenda Rasmussen, Badger’s City Clerk.

The new housing addition is a 24.5-acre site on the southeast side of the city in northern Webster County. It’s called Badger Ridge.

Ground was broken for the new addition in September 2017.

The plan calls for 35 lots for homes there.

Other developments for Badger include repairs to the water plant facility and lagoon lift station as well as new control systems at both places. Pumps have also been replaced at the lift station along with some gate valves in the lagoon station with the rest of the valves budgeted to be replaced in 2026.

dayton Dayton is still busy with the construction of the new Events Center. The building will be located south of the current Oak Park Golf Course Clubhouse.

“My dream is that this Events Center will bring in people from throughout the area,” said Dayton Mayor Dave Bills. “I want the Events Center to be able to host weddings, receptions, graduations, and birthday parties. We’re hoping that it will serve a whole new menu than what we currently do. We want this Events Center to draw people into Dayton.”

The city of Dayton and the Dayton Community Club were awarded a Destination Iowa grant by the Iowa Economic Development Authority in March 2023 for $800,000 to be used for improvements to Oak Park and the Events Center.

That total is 34 percent of the total project investment of $2,372,703, according to the IEDA.

“We have a great City Council and they’ve been very supportive,” said Bills. “The Webster County Board of Supervisors have been a great help with the bike trail and they’re helping to support this. They see the importance of having a nice place like this in a small town like Dayton.”

“My dream is that this Events Center will bring in people from throughout the area. I want the Events Center to be able to host weddings, receptions, graduations, and birthday parties. We’re hoping that it will serve a whole new menu than what we currently do.”

— Dave Bills Dayton mayor

-Messenger file photo by Kelli Bloomquist

ABOVE: Dayton Mayor Dave Bills stands next to the ground broken for the new Dayton Events Center. The new building will be located near the current Oak Park Golf Course Clubhouse and will be able to be used as a meeting and party space.

-Messenger file photo by Hans Madsen LEFT: The annual Badger Fest parade gets underway in August with the color guard leading the way.

Downtown with flair

By BRET HAYWORTH editor@messengernews.net

LAKE CITY — This Calhoun County town is making more moves to continue to provide an atypical downtown with flair, including the rebirth of one of the few specialty organ building businesses in the world.

City Administrator Jacob Matthews said he’s very enthused that Dobson Pipe Organ Builders leaders decided to rebuild in downtown Lake City, after a prior building burned down. Dobson gets orders from all over the nation and internationally.

“Their organs are all over the world,” he said. “We are just thrilled that Dobson was able to rebuild. It is another of the gems of our town square. It is truly iconic.”

A town of almost 1,700 people with the wry motto of “Everything but a lake,” Lake City has a very distinctive downtown city square that is a big source of pride, Matthews said.

There is a city fountain that has splashes of international influence in its appearance, sidewalks that extend outward in four diagonals, a gazebo, and more. Around it on all four sides are a host of businesses, including the community-run Capri movie theater, and early 1900s Carnegie building that formerly was the library, plus city hall, the succeeding library and the Lake City Community Memorial Building that dates to 1920.

Matthews is 41 and has lived in four other states all across the U.S. He said he quickly saw Lake City as distinctive.

“There is a special abundance of goodness and kindness that is unrivaled,” he said. “This is a vibrant community that is engaged in goodness and growth. We are preserving the past, but also growing.”

He pointed to the improvement projects that will come from two big bequests from the estate of a Lake City native who moved elsewhere and did well in investment businesses.

The Marion and Carol Bradley Estate last year directed two bequests of $580,000 each, with one to update the library that’s about 20 years old and one to the Lake City Community Memorial Building.

“We are just so grateful to Marion and Carol Bradley,” Matthews said. “He thought so highly of Lake City. For a city our size to get this is incredible. This is a gift that ensures the community center and library can serve well into the future.”

Some of the Bradley money will be spent soon on improvements, while some will be maintained for later improvements in perpetuity. The

community center has a grandeur that can’t be imagined until people step inside, with elegant crystal chandeliers and custom woodwork, Matthews said.

“This is like a palace to the people,” he said. “It is so gorgeous.”

Additionally, the water supply in Lake City will soon be improved. The two existing city wells have degrees of problems, with one pumping at only 35 percent of capacity, Matthews said.

The city worked with Mid Iowa Development Associa-

tion Council of Governments to secure a $500,000 grant to pay toward the $1.7 million cost for new wells. Other good financial news was $600,000 in loan forgiveness for the project.

“The new test well, the water looks great,” Matthews said. “We are probably going to be done by fall 2025.” In other pieces ahead for 2025, he pointed to a major sewer lagoon project that will take place, plus residential developments in a few places for affordable housing once the development agreements are worked out.

Poised for growth Manson

Manson working to connect with Fort Dodge water system

By BRET HAYWORTH editor@messengernews.net

MANSON — Manson has a degree of acclaim due to a meteor that struck an estimated 74 million years ago, creating what’s known as the Manson impact crater.

The NASA website says the crater, which is about 35 kilometers in diameter, is the largest impact crater recognized in the United States. That crater gives a point of pride that is shown in such ways as the annual June town festival dubbed Greater Crater Days.

However, it also impacted access to ground water that people can drink, and a long saga of Manson city officials trying to land a reliable water source seems to be nearing an end.

“We have started our water project, which will connect with the Fort Dodge water system,” said Manson Deputy Clerk and Economic Development Coordinator Macie Schoon. “It has been a long time coming.”

terment Group.

Schoon said those groups have had successes, but in some ways were siloed from the others. She pointed to a late January meeting with lots of people, where the Manson Betterment Group identified gaps of where the other two had holes.

“We (three) have been talking about where Manson needs to go,” Schoon said.

That resulted in signing with Emerge Marketing, of Manning, to craft a city communication plan. That plan will aim for more online and social media promotion, or perhaps a website that groups all three entities’ efforts together.

That long time of having inadequate water and digging test wells that didn’t pan out, due to the crater remnants that are underground, dates back nearly 20 years.

Schoon says finally contracting for the water via Fort Dodge is both an exciting and a bit of a nervous step, as people have waited so long.

“I think we will be connected, possibly by 2026, or 2027,” she said. “Once the water is hooked up, the town will be set up for more growth.”

Like many communities, Manson has a few longstanding organizations that work toward the betterment and promotion of the town of nearly 1,700 people.

In Manson, that list includes the Manson Chamber of Commerce, the Manson Economic Development Corporation, and, most recently, the Manson Bet-

“Everybody is excited to see where we may go (with this) in 2025. There is a common goal with all three of us. We want to move Manson forward,” she said. “All these groups had been siloed for so long. We have so much opportunity.”

One ongoing endeavor in Manson is an incubator building on the high-traffic Iowa Highway 7. That facility serves as a large place where start-up businesses can be located.

Some businesses in Iowa towns have trouble finding modern buildings where they can begin, so the incubator building solves that problem, Schoon said.

“It has super-low rent as they get off the ground,” she said. “The City Council and mayor are very forward thinking; things like this really show that.”

In 2024, Double D’s Ice Cream Company opened on Main Street, and Lucky 7 Coffee Shop opened in the incubator.

In addition, a new December holiday event called Countdown to Christmas was held for the first time. Schoon said that turned out to be a popular event, with a lighted parade downtown and more.

“It had a lot of nostalgia,” she said. “It is coming back.”

-Submitted photo

-Messenger photo by Deanna Meyer

THE CITY OF MANSON has contracted with Fort Dodge to connect with the neighboring city’s water system, solving the longtime problem of having inadequate water. Construction crews have been working throughout the fall and winter in preparation for the new water line in Manson (above and left).

TOP LEFT: Maggie Sturgis stands near the entrance of the Lucky 7 Coffee Shop in Manson. Sturgis opened for business on Dec. 13, 2024, on Iowa Highway 7, which runs along the southern edge of Manson.

-Submitted photo

A NEW DECEMBER HOLIDAY EVENT called Countdown to Christmas was held for the first time in 2024, featuring a lighted parade (above), tour of homes and more.

A vote of confidence

Cookie manufacturing business chooses Webster City for its home base

By ROBERT E. OLIVER

WEBSTER CITY — Gerald and Joel Peterson run successful, Webster City-based businesses in the construction and electrical contracting industries.

So it was a surprise to most local people when they announced a significant diversification of their business last fall, when their newest venture — Tic Tac Dough, a cookie manufacturing business seven years in the making, opened in Webster City. The reality is, they could have located the factory anywhere; and any city in Iowa would consider a new manufacturing industry a prize catch. But the factory came to Webster City.

Tic Tac Dough’s General Manager, Marcus Lundberg, said, “We did consider putting the factory elsewhere, but to be honest, when a very suitable facility, directly across the street from the rest of the Peterson companies on Webster City’s west side, became available, we saw many advantages to locating here.”

Lundberg explained it wasn’t the existing 15,000-square-foot former auto dealership building that attracted the company, “but the surrounding land that offers us serious room for expansion of the business going forward.”

And make no mistake about it: expansion is definitely in the company’s plans. The business will be developed in three phases.

In phase one, which Lundberg calls “a small operation with a local brand,” the company is making cookies on a small scale to perfect its recipes and baking processes, and to develop a customer base. At press time, the only place you can buy the company’s cookies is at the factory store at 1971 W. James St., Webster City.

On opening day, Sept. 24, 2024, Tic Tac Dough offered eight cookie flavors, all named for Webster City area landmarks and other assets. The company’s newest flavor, a lemon cookie honoring Kendall Young Library, debuted in early February.

Where did that product line growth come from in just four short months?

As called for in its phase one growth plans, it came from Webster City. A big trend recently is offering local businesses custom cookies featuring their own name and logo.

All you have to do to get a dozen Goodlife cookies is buy a recreational vehicle from the Webster City dealership. In keeping with what most people use RVs for — travel — the Goodlife cookie has a s’mores flavor, suggesting an evening around the campfire in some gorgeous location in the mountains, by the seashore or along a lakefront.

Buying a new home in 2025?

If you work with Abens Real-

ty, you can expect a dozen white chocolate and cranberry cookies at closing. Or, if your New Year’s resolution includes getting your financial house in or-

der, by opening an account at Boone River Financial, you’ll be the proud owner of a dozen peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. The local financial

-Messenger photos by Robert E. Oliver

ABOVE: At present, the only place you can buy Webster City cookies is at this counter in the reception area of Tic Tac Dough, Webster City's new cookie factory which opened in September 2024. Fourteen varieties (flavors) of cookie are now available with more on the way. The company, which is in phase one of a three-phase development plan, expects to grow significantly in 2025.

LEFT: Heavy-duty commercial mixers like this one are used to mix dough for Tic Tac Dough's Webster City cookies. The development of commercial customers and/ or collaborators in dough production and marketing is a priority for 2025. The company's factory is located at 1971 W. James St., Webster City.

planning firm suggests, tonguein-cheek all the way, they can help you “grow your dough.”

Two more promotional cookie flavors are in the works, according to Lundberg, and he predicts more beyond those. Lundberg says cookies are the perfect promotional item as

“We’re here to make what people want in a cookie. We’re not going to run out of potential recipes anytime soon.”

— Marcus Lundberg General manager, Tic Tac Dough

“they’re edible, consumable and memorable.”

After four months of sales, Lundberg says there’s no clear volume leader among the company’s flavors, but “definitely no laggards either.” As to more flavors in the future, Lundberg said, “We’re here to make what people want in a cookie. We’re not going to run out of potential recipes anytime soon.”

In phase two, the company plans to scale-up its ability to make cookie dough in commercial-sized batches. It already owns large mixers, capable of making 1,200 pounds of dough at a time.

Other phase two products include pails of premade dough consumers can buy, scoop and bake at home; and pre-portioned “cookie pucks” that even eliminate the need to scoop. These could be sold in grocery stores and direct to consumers, from the company’s website.

Phase three will see mass production of baked, packaged cookies through several possible channels, including grocery stores, restaurants and franchising opportunities.

The company’s 45,000-square-foot plant in Webster City has plenty of room to accommodate success in all phases of the business’ growth. A giant “tunnel oven” will be required to take Tic Tac Dough fully into phase three expansion, and when the time comes, the company will be ready. Space on the factory floor is already reserved for the 100-foot oven in which cookies will move on a conveyor, and an adjacent 250-foot conveyor to allow them to cool down. At the end of their journey, they’ll be cool enough to package and ship.

For 2025, Lundberg says the company has two immediate growth goals: find more cookie sponsors in Webster City, and begin working with a yetto-be-named collaborator on larger production batches. Of the latter, he said, “We have very strong leads nationally, and if any one of them comes through, it could ramp us up very quickly.”

By KELLI BLOOMQUIST editor@messengernews.net

GOWRIE — The Gowrie Development Commission alongside the Webster County Board of Supervisors and Webster County Conservation Department are “putting the go in Gowrie” with a new trail project that will allow travel residents to bike, walk, and run from one side of Gowrie to the other, and soon to other communities as well.

The Gowrie Trail project is one of four quality-of-life projects that the supervisors approved in order to enhance communities throughout Webster County.

“(The supervisors’) generosity has allowed the trail funding to go farther,” Cosgrove said of the landowners.

The other three qualityof-life projects include the Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center, the Badger Trail, and the Dayton Trail.

The Gowrie Trail began in 2022 with an agreement between the supervisors and the Gowrie City Council. That agreement created a trail project that developed a master plan for the trail and community, with the county providing funding for the first phase of development.

Construction by

“The route was made possible through generous land donations from private landowners and on properties owned by the city and county.”

— Matt Cosgrove Webster County Conservation director

Howrey Construction on the first phase of the trail started in fall 2024 and focused on the highest priority of connecting the northwest portion of town to the northeast neighborhood. The trail borders the northern city limits along crop fields, Gowrie neighborhoods,

the Lindquist Wildlife Sanctuary, and provides connections to the Gowrie Skating Rink, Laurel Park, the Gowrie Swimming Pool, and Southeast Valley’s stadium and track.

“The newly constructed trail consists of approximately two miles of 10-foot concrete trail and on-street routes that connect a variety of Gowrie’s community assets, neighborhoods, and recreational offerings,” added Cosgrove.

A ribbon cutting is anticipated to be held in the spring to celebrate the new Gowrie Trail.

According to Cosgrove, the project is complete with trail signage, pavement markings, and seed establishment occurring in the spring of 2025.

“The route was made possible through generous land donations from private landowners and on properties owned by the city and county,” said Cosgrove.

The long-term goal of the quality-of-life initiative is to connect Gowrie and Dayton with trails and then tie those trails to the Raccoon River Valley Trail in Jefferson, according to Cosgrove.

Iowa Central offers more at Webster City campus

By CHRIS FULLERTON

WEBSTER CITY —

Over the past 10 years, students from ages 17 to 70 have taken advantage of the free High School Equivalency Degree (HiSED) program offered at the Iowa Central Community College Webster City campus. Two instructors lead the classroom instruction. Paula Persell-Brain, who

has been with the program for eight years and also serves as a career navigator, and John Hughel, whose teaching career in the GED and HiSED programs has spanned more than 40 years. Studying for the HiSED is no small task. Students must pass five subject area exams: reading, writing, math, science and social studies. The HiSED program

uses a self-paced, computerized curriculum that is tailored to each student’s needs. Students take assessment tests and the curriculum adjusts to the student’s knowledge base, so students only study what they do not know. The instructors work one on one with students in all subject areas to ensure student comprehension and confidence in the

subject matter.

Upon completion of the program, students who enroll at Iowa Central part time receive a $250 scholarship. Those attending full time receive a $500 scholarship.

The program currently graduates an average of 20 students per year.

Instructors assess the needs of the students and assist interested students with enrollment into non-

credit integrated career pathway programs after the completion of the HiSED program. These non-credit classes include CNA — Certified Nursing Assistant, welding and

CDL — Commercial Drivers License — programs.

Once enrolled, the career navigators help students remove barriers to continuing their education by finding solutions for daycare, transportation and program material costs.

Maria Gomez is a recent graduate of both the HiSED program and the integrated CNA program. She started the HiSED program with trepidation after being out of traditional school for a number of years. Yet with perseverance and guidance from her instructors, she not only completed her HiSED, but also her CNA and has gone on to become a phlebotomist.

Looking ahead, Melissa Vorrie, director of adult education and literacy, said, “The goal is to increase integrated classes to serve the region and to increase HiSED enrollment.”

To learn more about all of the education opportunities in this program, text Paula Persell-Brain at 507-2001319.

The next orientation sessions are March 4 and March 6.

www.messengernews.net

Maria Gomez

Brushy Creek state reCreation area

Enhancing camper experience

Campground updates coming to Brushy Creek

By HAILEY BRUESCHKE

editor@messengernews.net

LEHIGH — Brushy Creek State Recreation Area will be the site of renovations at the North, South, and Beach campgrounds in the upcoming months.

“We are planning to start construction in April or May this year, and hopefully have everything done by October,” said Amber O’Neill, park manager. At the North Equestrian Campground, the plan is to upgrade multiple areas, which include: n an electrical upgrade to 50-amp service for 87 campsites.

n additional gravel pads for parking areas.

n a 15-foot wide, oneway road bisecting the west grass loop.

n new grills and picnic tables.

n 5,000 feet of new water lines.

n upgraded layout of the north cul-de-sac with new camp pads having both 50-amp electrical and water hookups.

n upgrading 25 sites to full hookups.

“The North is having the most work done,” said O’Neill. “All the old water lines are from the 1980s and are leaking, so we need new water lines and new main power lines since the current ones will

not support all the upcoming upgrades.”

At the Beach campground, the plan is to ex-

pand parking by adding a 40-space parking area east of the campground entrance and upgrading

20-sites to full hookups.

AMBER O’NEILL points out some of the planned renovations at Brushy Creek State Recreation Area to Gene and Linda

The retired Webster City couple are frequent campers and came out to hear about the plans at an open house in April 2024.

“We are planning to start construction in April or May this year, and hopefully have everything done by October.”

Lastly, at the South Equestrian campground, the plan is to construct a 15-foot-wide, one-way road bisecting the east grass loop and to install approximately 12 pullthrough campsites with full hookups.

“Camping standards have changed immensely over the last two to three decades,” she said.

“People have much larger campers now. Some even have two or three air conditioners, and water and sewer hookups are in high demand as well.

With all the upcoming updates, we will bring in more campers for longer stays when they have the convenience of utilities on site.” Other updates expected include a new dock and solar lights at the South Boat Ramp. Park officials would also like to convert the rest of the non-electrical sites to 50-amp electric and full hookup sites as well. State parks have also received funding to make

—Amber O’Neill Park manager

Americans With Disabilities Act improvements.

“At Brushy Creek we will be repairing some uneven sidewalks and obtaining accessible picnic tables and charcoal grills at the shelters,” O’Neill said.

All of the upgrades and construction will affect campers. There will be no camping available in the North Equine campground this summer.

“Depending on the contractor timelines, the South and Beach campgrounds may be open for part of the summer,” added O’Neill. “Reservations are not currently being accepted until we know more.”

-Messenger file photo by Deanna Meyer

FIRST DAY HIKERS follow Park Manager Amber O’Neill around the edge of the frozen lake and into the woods at Brushy Creek State Recreation Area on New Year’s Day.

-Messenger file photo by Lori Berglund PARK MANAGER

Timmons.

Moving forward

By ROBERT E. OLIVER editor@messengernews.net

WEBSTER CITY — Urbandale-based developer

Kading Properties received approval from the City Council of Webster City to build a 218-unit apartment community north of Wall Street on the city’s far southwest side.

The majority of the apartments will be built in single-story four-plex and sixplex buildings; there will be a few two-story six-plexes, and 24 semi-detached units.

If fully built, Kading would invest $28 million in the project, which will cover 26 acres.

Chase Hauschilt, development specialist for Kading, told the City Council, “We have the land under contract now.”

The apartment complex isn’t a new idea. Kading first approached the city council with a proposal to develop apartments on the same land on Oct. 19, 2020. The council referred the plans to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission, which approved it, with the understanding Kading would alter its plans to meet the following four conditions:

First, storm sewers serving the new development should discharge separately to the south rather than through two small ponds owned by residents of 1300 Wall St. and 2109 Beach St.

Second, Kading must deed the half of Wall Street it owns to the City of Webster City on a fee simple basis. Fee simple ownership means the street would be owned outright by the city, with no restrictions or limitations.

Third, to improve movement of traffic, Planning and Zoning recommended the city extend Lynx Avenue to provide a north-south connection between Wall and Locust streets.

Finally, it suggested land be reserved to extend Locust Street to serve the new complex, thereby providing more access and taking some of the expected traffic off Wall Street.

Planning and Zoning held a public hearing on the project Dec. 18, 2024. As there were no objections to the project from the public, it recommended the City Council approve the project. Although not spelled out in detail in the council memorandum, the city would have to extend both Lynx Avenue and Wall Street, and related utilities to support the development. These improvements would, over time, pay the city back with higher utility and sales tax revenues.

A housing study completed by the city in 2021 projected a need for 235 rental and owner-owned units through 2030. If all 218 units of the Kading complex are built, it would represent a large increase in the number of rentals in Webster City. In her resolution memorandum to the City Council concerning the project, Development Director Ariel Bertran said: “This development addresses a significant portion of the city’s housing needs, particularly workforce housing, as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan and Housing Study.” Developers often use the term “workforce housing” in place of “middle-income” or “market rate.”

A quick check of its website at press time shows Kading’s 1,008-squarefoot, three bedroom, one bath, one-car attached garage units renting for $920

in Perry; $995 in Storm Lake; $1,045 in Boone; and $1,150 on Des Moines’ east side.

The Webster City development will include similar units. Kading calls its units townhomes rather than apartments. Seeking to give renters the feel of a traditional, detached home, Kading’s designs in other Iowa cities include private entrances, a small yard, and a door leading from an attached garage directly into the unit. Most also include hookups for a washer and dryer in a small, dedicated laundry room.

Kading owns 26 developments in cities and towns across central Iowa.

Presently, it has new housing complexes under construction in Boone, Corydon, Knoxville and Pleasant Hill. It has been in business since 1976, and is family-owned.

Kading plans to build out its Webster City development over three years, beginning in fall 2025 with completion of the entire project by fall 2028. John Harrenstein, Webster City’s city manager, talked about the prospect of new housing in Webster City.

“It’s no surprise to residents or employers in Webster City there’s a shortage of available housing for existing and new residents,” he said. “If you’re not growing as a city, you’re dying.”

“There is no standing still for cities,” he added.

“Webster City experienced population loss in the last 10 years and must reverse that trajectory to ensure the community remains vibrant. The Kading development will positively affect this, and hopefully stabilize the population forecast for the next census.”

LEFT:

By ROBERT E. OLIVER WEBSTER CITY

— It’s a familiar story in Iowa. People raise families on farms or in Iowa’s small towns and cities, but their children, whether by necessity or choice, often leave the state for college or employment.

But what about the older generation left behind in Iowa? Most of them cherish the idea of staying in their homes. How, actually, is that done, when the rest of the family is spread out between two coasts and two borders?

Enter Webster City’s Life & Health Care.

“Staying in your own home as you age improves your ability to thrive,” said David Everson, Life & Health Care’s chief executive officer. “We help you meet that goal, whether it’s for another six months or another six years.”

Ideally, you’ll get some help from family and friends, but when the kids are 500 to 1,000 miles away, things can get complicated. Everson’s company provides a wide variety of services “for those who are somewhere between optimum health and those needing institutionalized care.”

The company has a long menu of services from the simple and every day, to on-site nursing care.

If you need help making up a grocery list, going to the grocery store, help with housekeeping or doing the laundry, Life & Health Care will arrange it. Is your home safe for you to age in place?

L&HC’s experts will visit your home, identify potential hazards, and suggest improvements. It sounds simple, but steps like these can help you stay in your home longer.

Many chronic illnesses or injuries can leave an older person unable to bathe and dress themselves. Life & Health staff come to your home to help with even these once-simple tasks.

Maybe you’ve just had a surgery and need some help while you recover your strength. Maybe you have new medications and it’s important to keep them all straight and take them at the appropriate time. Maybe you need help scheduling and keeping those critical follow-up medical appointments. In the absence of family or friends to help, L&HC will be there for you.

As a member of the Board of Trustees of Van Diest Medical Center, Everson is in a good place to see the bigger picture of health care in rural America.

“In the last 30 years everything has moved toward larger cities,” he said. “Young doctors and nurses want to live and work where there’s more infrastructure to raise their families.”

And, if the last 30 years’ trends are in sharp focus, Everson isn’t sure what the next 30 years might bring.

Of one thing, though, he is in no doubt: home-

based care will continue to grow. That’s good news, both for his company and his clients.

Like almost everyone, you can’t see a time when you won’t be able to drive a car. But you’re wrong.

“Transportation is a big problem, and driving people to medical appointments or just helping with everyday errands is something we’ve always done,” Everson said.

In fact, 80% of L&HC’s clients aren’t competent or comfortable driving. Some no longer even own a car. In rural America, this can be a major cause of isolation and loneliness, and can contribute to depression.

Everson’s staff do everything from picking up prescriptions or shopping for clients, to taking them to church, weddings and funerals. In one instance, Everson recalled, “One of our staff actually flew with a client so they could attend an out-of-state wedding.”

Life & Health Care’s present service area is Hamilton, Webster and Wright counties. With the existing and growing need for the company’s services in this region, Everson said further expansion isn’t part of his current plans. The company’s staff of 22 range in age from 16 to 70. Presently, it has one registered nurse, and two nurse’s aides who oversee all care. Everson stressed that 100% of patient care plans are set and signedoff by physicians. The company’s nurses then oversee the care to ensure the doctor’s orders are strictly followed.

Life & Health Care receives no public funding for its services. It does not accept Medicare or Medicaid. Everson advised those with long-term health insurance to check details of their coverage; some cover services such as those offered by L&HC. It was Benjamin Franklin who famously said, “Out of adversity comes opportunity.” His words are an apt description of the founding of Life & Health Care.

150 years ... and counting

Pocahontas prepares to celebrate its founding

By BRET HAYWORTH editor@messengernews.net

POCAHONTAS —

There were notable projects that occurred over several parts of Pocahontas in 2024, but one that continues to draw a lot of attention is the large statue of the indigenous woman for whom the town is named.

The Pocahontas princess statue that was erected in 1952 was refurbished last year.

Pocahontas City Administrator Laura Holmes said when there are projects that come to the fore, people in the town of almost 1,900 people will step up.

“You can’t ask for a better community,” said Holmes, a native of the town who moved away for a few years and later returned, taking the city job in 2024.

“It is a good little town,” she said. “The long-time residents of Pocahontas really have a lot of pride. We have so many people who will help with community projects.”

Another visually arresting project is being carried out by the Pocahontas County Foundation as large, spinning, colorful kaleidoscopes will be placed in all nine county towns. So far, six are up, with the city of Pocahontas getting one in late 2024.

“We are nationally known for those,” Holmes said.

Other important additions in Pocahontas revolved around health care and housing options.

Pocahontas Community Hospital added a helipad for emergency helicopters. Moreover, a cardiac center of the hospital has returned after some years without one, Holmes said.

She said the center for heart conditions was paid for by some community fundraising and also hospital revenues after people wanted to stop having to drive to Fort Dodge for cardiac care.

“It is a good little town. The long-time residents of Pocahontas really have a lot of pride. We have so many people who will help with community projects.”

— Laura Holmes Pocahontas city administrator

“People are glad it is closer and that they don’t have to drive to Fort Dodge,” she said. “We have an elderly population.”

A second phase of Prairie Estate Addition on the northeast side of Pocahontas was finished. The city put in water and other infrastructure, and streets will come when houses fill in.

Phase One began in about 2020 and all the lots have houses, so Holmes said city leaders knew it was time for Phase Two. The new lots sell for $30,000 and up, and already about onethird have been sold.

“Phase Two is selling faster because people can see what happened in Phase One,” she said. Additionally, 2025 will have the city of Pocahontas hold big sesquicentennial events. However, the celebration won’t come 150 years after the founding in 1870, but in the 155th year.

The sesquicentennial was all set for 2020, but the international coronavirus pandemic squashed it. City leaders at first pushed back the date later into 2020, but saw that wasn’t in the cards well before vaccines became available.

Holmes said people are ready to carry out the sesquicentennial fun and it will overlap on July 18-20 with the annual summer Heritage Days and the Pocahontas County Fair. There will

be an all-school reunion, a parade, live bands and fireworks.

“This is going to be big, big,” Holmes said. “It is going to be a whoop and a holler. It will be a packed place.”

Looking ahead in one more area, the Pocahontas Area Community School District will have a new superintendent in July 2025.

The school board in late January hired Robert Boley, previously with the South Tama School District, after deciding among 10 applicants.

Superintendent Joe Kramer has headed the school district for many years.

-Submitted photo

THE POCAHONTAS PRINCESS STATUE, which was erected in 1952, was refurbished last year. Now she stands ready to welcome visitors to the town's sesquicentennial celebration this summer.

-Submitted photo

LARGE, SPINNING, COLORFUL KALEIDOSCOPES are being placed in all nine Pocahontas County towns. So far, six are up, with the city of Pocahontas receiving one in late 2024. “We are nationally known for those,” said City Administrator Laura Holmes.

A ‘banner year’ for Humboldt

Bockelmann: 2024 saw four major projects either started or completed

By BRET HAYWORTH editor@messengernews.net

HUMBOLDT — City leaders in Humboldt carried out four sizable projects in 2024 that set up the town for future business growth, modernized the main road through town and continued to boost recreational pieces.

“We really had a banner year last year with

capital improvement projects,” City Administrator Cole Bockelmann said. “It was a $10 million-plus year.”

Bockelmann, who has been in that position for three years, said that was a much larger batch of projects than a typical year. They were well received by residents in the town of 4,700 people, he said, even if the road

work at times meant people had to change travel habits.

“It has all been positive,” he said. “Two of the projects are quality-of-life pieces and that’s what you need to stand out.”

It was also an exciting year for Humboldt Community School District supporters as the high school football team played in the Iowa Class 3A championship in November, falling to Dubuque Wahlert Catholic.

The primary street through Humboldt is the highly-traveled Sumner Avenue that also runs through downtown. Sumner Avenue was resurfaced over its entire length and more decorative lighting pieces were added to some prior lights.

“We really made it a notable area,” Bockelmann said. “It has really modernized our downtown in terms of infrastructure and aesthetics.”

The Sumner Avenue paving and lighting project cost $1.7 million, with $900,000 of that coming from a grant and the remainder coming from sales taxes.

“We really had a banner year last year with capital improvement projects. It was a $10 million-plus year.” * * *

“Our existing trail gets a lot of use, and I think that will be expanded with this addition.”

There were two projects of $3 million each. One involved an overlay rehabilitation of the entire runway length at Humboldt Municipal Airport. Bockelmann reported that 90 percent of that runway project was paid for by the Federal Aviation Administration.

—Cole Bockelmann City administrator

and sell the lots.

The other $3 million capital improvement project endeavor took place at Three Rivers Industrial Park in what is Phase One of a public-private partnership of the city with the Partnership for Economic Growth of Humboldt County. Three Rivers Industrial Park is located on the northwest edge of Humboldt, and includes infrastructure on four commercial lots where businesses could locate with ease, Bockelmann said.

More recreationally, 2024 saw the beginning of the $2.2 million Eagle Ridge Nature Trail, which extends Cottonwood Trail and adds a substantial pedestrian bridge across the West Fork of the Des Moines River.

Eagle Ridge Nature Trail was paid for in part with a $950,000 grant.

“There is a lot of tree cover, and with the grade change, you feel like you are in the country,” Bockelmann said. “Our existing trail gets a lot of use, and I think that will be expanded with this addition.”

“These are shovel-ready,” he said. “It gives us a product we had not had for future industries.”

The arrangement is that the city, through borrowing, paid for the water and other infrastructure, while the partnership for Economic Growth of Humboldt County will own, market

He said carrying out four projects meant for a challenging 2024. As for what lies ahead, Bockelmann said it will be a more typical year for project scopes, as the trail will be finished by early summer and water main and street projects will be completed.

“It will definitely not be as big as last year,” he said.

2024 SAW THE BEGINNING of the $2.2 million Eagle Ridge Nature Trail, which extends Cottonwood Trail and adds a substantial pedestrian bridge across the West Fork of the Des Moines River.

Recovery looks like this

Community & Family Resources opens the doors to new men’s unit

By JANE CURTIS

WEBSTER CITY —

From a young age, drinking alcohol was normal for Todd Taylor because his grandfather owned a bar.

Taylor was about 12 when he first started drinking.

Unfortunately, that translated to addiction, and that addiction, he told an audience last summer, eventually led him to CFR.

“I’ve been through the recovery houses, so I kind of know how it is,” he said.

“I’ve battled addiction my whole life.”

Taylor, of Fort Dodge, spoke at the open house in 2024 hosted by Community & Family Resources as it introduced Webster City to its new 14bed men’s recovery suite in the 500 Fair Meadow Drive building the agency bought from Hamilton County early in 2024. It is expected to begin accepting clients later this fall.

“It was just normal to start drinking at a young age,” Taylor told the visitors gathered in CFR’s conference room. “And that progressed until I was a teenager, when drugs were offered to me. They just kind of overwhelmed me and took my life over.”

But with help, he found he was determined to not let addiction define him.

“I’ve been in and out of institutions, prisons, jails. In between, I’ve always been an active member of the community. Good job, you know? But I just could never keep that monkey off my back long enough to get my mind right, and so one of the things I like about this place is the recovery house.”

While a residential recovery unit is new to Webster City, it has been an established service in Fort Dodge, where Taylor said he became a familiar face.

“I went through treatment. It started a spark in my head where I know all the right from wrong.

You know what I mean?

But through all the years it’s just instilled in my brain to do things a certain way — and that's not the right way — and it took me probably a year before my

mental capacity changed, or I knew how to talk, to communicate with people, how to do my job right. How to just do all this, all this normal stuff that people take for granted,” he said.

CFR’s residential recovery unit gave him the time, and a place, to work on himself.

“It’s because it was what I needed. I kind of work better when there’s somebody over me. You know what I mean?” he said. “Even my family knew that that’s where I needed to be because I do function better with somebody kind of poking me. And that’s what this recovery house is all about, giving guys a chance to slowly, not just get pushed out the door, you know? And I love that I could never have made it without CFR’s help, without my friends’ help, the community.

“Now I’m an active member of the community. I have a great job. I’ve helped other guys get jobs and now they’re active members of the community. They got jobs, houses, you know, starting families, all because of one spark that I got here at the CFR.”

According to CFR, residential recovery is also referred to as a “halfway house,” a place “where they may gain additional personal freedom and more responsibility. Client recovery is reinforced and strengthened while they hold jobs and prepare to rejoin their families and communities. Individuals participate in five or more hours of programming each week.”

In Webster City, the new unit encompasses a large communal kitchen and dining hall, a lightfilled great room, and several outdoor spaces.

Though CFR has referred to the unit as a halfway house, it is not to be interpreted as a halfway house as in the penal system. CFR serves clients whose impetus to recover comes from within.

“Community and Family Resources is

dedicated to proactively assisting individuals, families, and communities achieve healthy behavior and lifestyle through advocacy, prevention, and treatment of substance use, problem gambling, and mental illness,” according to its web presence. “We have locations in Ames, Boone, Clarion, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Humboldt, Iowa City, Marengo, Rockwell City, Tipton, Washington, and Webster City.”

“That’s what this recovery house is all about, giving guys a chance to slowly, not just get pushed out the door, you know? And I love that I could never have made it without CFR’s help, without my friends’ help, the community.”

—Todd Taylor

On the opening of the new recovery house

—Messenger photo by Jane Curtis

TODD TAYLOR talks about his addiction recovery during an open house at Community & Family Resources in Webster City in September 2024. The open house featured the new 14-bed men's recovery unit at CFR's 500 Fair Meadow Drive building. Michelle De La Riva, CFR executive director, is pictured in the background.

-Messenger photo by Jane Curtis THE COMMUNAL KITCHEN is adjacent to the dining hall at the new recovery unit.

A place of hope

Hamilton High is not your average alternative high school

By CHRIS FULLERTON editor@messengernews.net

WEBSTER CITY —

Whatever stereotypes you may have about alternative schools, leave them at the door when you step inside the classrooms of Hamilton High at the Webster City Iowa Central campus.

Walking through the doors, the space resembles a cozy cafe with a variety of comfortable seating options, walls lined with books, a kitchenette and coffee at the ready. This warm welcoming environment is a refuge for students who are willing and ready to complete their work on their own terms in a quiet, supportive environment.

Jeremy Brown, head teacher at Hamilton High, explained what makes this school unique.

“It is not a school for students with behavior issues.”

Rather, it is a place for students at risk of not graduating on time due to any number of circumstances to obtain rapid credit recovery through selfpaced and traditional classroom learning.

An average day may include a blend of independent work, where students use the online curriculum, e-2020, which guides them through lessons with text, video and assessments as well as in-person instruction from Brown.

A traditional classroom

setting is used for in-person lessons. Classes last about an hour per subject. Currently, students are

learning about astronomy, business math, pop fiction, government, applied science and geometry.

Brown is a teacher with 27 years of experience and has worked at Hamilton High for the past seven. In that time, he

has seen an increased demand for the program. The school is able to accommodate up to 25 students per year. Students graduate throughout the year, so enrollment numbers constantly vary.

Regardless of when students finish the program, they all walk together at commencement in May and receive their high school diploma from Webster City High School.

“Students who come into the program at risk of not graduating, then graduate early, go from a place of hopelessness to hope,” Brown said.

The main priority of Hamilton High is to have students graduate on time.

Students are selected for the program based in part on their ability and willingness to work independently. Overall success in the program is student-driven. Students work in a smaller, quieter, self-paced environment where their motivation is key to completing the program. They are often eligible for dual enrollment at Iowa Central and are able to earn college credits while still attending Hamilton High.

Parents or students that are interested in this option should speak with their high school counselor to see if the program would meet their needs.