Adams County Drivers License Change Of Address

Season shines ​with Light Of Hope By Mark Saylor Free Press The Mercy Health Care Foundation Board at CHI Health Mercy Corning spon­sors an annual event during the Christmas season. It’s the Light of Hope and Marilea Mullen, Foundation coordinator at CHI Health Mercy Corning, said the event has been ongoing since 2000. “It is a fundraiser for the foundation and was started after seeing a similar program at Bergen Mercy in Omaha,” she said. “Our board members felt like this was a great pro­gram to give people the chance to remember and honor loved ones. It has been a very successful program providing much needed sup­port for special projects since it started.” The Light of Hope tradition is designed to honor special people in one’s life such as family members, a newborn child, godchild, good neigh­bor, church family, home­bound friend, or military or emergency personnel.

It’s also designed to be in remem­brance of someone who has passed away. Every Light of Hope contri­bution of $20 or more pro­vides a light that is tagged with the donator’s wishes to honor a loved one. Each year the Light of Hope Tree is in the Mercy Corning lobby. This year will remain lit until Jan.

Mullen said the foun­dation receives an average of $7,000 to $8,000 in donations every year. This year the foundation received a special significant one-time gift from the Corning Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) after the congregation disbanded. Each year the foundation chooses a need of the hospital to receive all the proceeds from the Light of Hope after receiving requests from the various hospital departments. Mullen said this year founda­tion board members decided the gifts would assist the Out­patient Specialty Clinic and Therapy Department.

“This year foundation board members determined the do­nations would be used to pur­chase an additional recliner and television set, which were purchased,” she said. “And through the outpouring of generosity this year the foun­dation was also able to pur­chase a total gym for physical therapy patients to utilize.” The recliner and television will be used in support of patients getting treatments and tests to helping staff members provide a comfort­ing environment of care. The equipment for the therapy department will be used often for patients with hip and/or knee replacement recovery therapy.

In the past the foundation has funded several special projects through the Light Of Hope program. Some of these include supporting patients needing rides to hospital, wound care equipment, a spe­cial needs patient room, a healing garden, Taylor County Medical Clinics, and electronic door openers for Corning Clinic and Specialty Clinic. It is not too late to make a contribution for the 2017 Light of Hope. Tags are still being added to the tree and on display until Jan. Contribu­tion to the Mercy Health Care Foundation may be made by sending them to Mercy Health Care Foundation, 603 Rosary Drive, Corning, IA 50841.

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For more information, call (641) 322-6276. County maintenance super­visor to resign By Mark Saylor Free Press The Adams County Board of Supervisors accepted the resignation of county mainte­nance supervisor Stan Grebner at its Dec.

Grebner has been with the county for 12 years. His last day on the job for Adams County will be Jan. Grebner and his family will be staying in the Adams County area.

He has taken a job with Blacktop Services where he will be a salesman for Southwest Iowa. Supervisors have begun a search for Grebner’s replace­ment, according to county engineer Eldon Rike. Supervisors opened the bids for the county care facility and land property for the for­mer Country Haven location east of Corning. Bids were received from: • Duane and Evelyn Dougherty for Parcel B for $873,000; • Justin Petersen for Parcel B for $760,920 and $50,800 for Parcel A; • Arnold and Stacy Maynes for Parcel A for $944,000; • Ron and Karen Saltzman for Parcel B for $985,680; and • Jason McManis for Parcel A with a $20,000 cash bid, which included an economic development projection. Bids will be evaluated and scored before the board’s Dec. Supervisors reappointed Lu­anne Brown to the Adams County Conservation Board for another term to end on Jan.

The board also approved a portion of the Family Farm Grant applications submitted by county auditor Becky Bis­sell. Court­house security studied By Mark Saylor Free Press The Adams County Board of Supervisors spoke with county department heads about security at the Adams County Courthouse at the board’s Nov. County auditor Becky Bis­sell, treasurer Nancy Kemp­ton, recorder Jamie Stargell and Sheriff Alan Johannes discussed with the board cre­ating a backup system if a security issue arises at the courthouse and law enforce­ment is not able to respond immediately. The county will revisit the issue at budget time to see what funds are available for courthouse security. The board received a rec­ommendation from the Com­pensation Board for a 4 per­cent salary increase for all elected officials with the ex­ception of the county attorney who had a recommended sal­ary increase of 2 percent. As the fiscal year 2017-2018 budget is set, the supervisors will again discuss the recom­mendations. The board also discussed invoices for the Nov.

7 mu­nicipal elections. Each com­munity with an election was billed an amount that pays for poll workers, the printing of the ballots, and associated administrative fees.

Billed were Corning for $939.83, Carbon for $463.48, Prescott for $464.08, and Nodaway for $391.47. The supervisors also ap­proved a 2017 weed commis­sioner report submitted by Virgil James. Medical examiner provides help in Puerto Rico By Mark Saylor Free Press A local medical examiner for both Adams and Taylor County recently returned from Puerto Rico. Lisa Brown was deployed to Puerto Rico following Hurri­cane Maria to assist on the Disaster Mortuary Opera­tional Response Team (DMORT).

Brown spent 30 days in Puerto Rico working 12 hours shifts seven days a week as­sisting other team members. Brown worked in the Medical Examiners’ office assisting her team and was also part of a strike team, which made multiple trips across the island in search of decedents need­ing to be brought back to the Medical Examiner’s office for autopsy. DMORT is composed of medical examiners, coroners, pathologists, forensic anthro­pologists, funeral directors, medical records technicians and transcribers, fingerprint specialists, forensic odonatol­ogists, dental assistants, x-ray technicians, and other person­nel. Although the responders hail from communities na­tionwide, when deployed they are federal government em­ployees working as part of a coordinated federal response. Brown said there was also one other member on the team deployed from Iowa. The National Disaster Medical System is a federal program that supports com­munities with medical care and mortuary assistance dur­ing disasters or public health emergencies at the request of states.

NDMS is among the resources made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. Brown’s team was deployed to assist after 9/11, the Sioux City air crash, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike, as well as many other disasters re­sulting in multiple deaths. Living conditions were not the best as Brown said they were initially placed in the convention center when they first arrived. They were given a cot to sleep on and told to “pick a spot” among the other 1,500 responders who were also sleeping in the conven­tion center.

They then were moved to a hospital that was under construction and there they were given some addi­tional amenities including a shower. Still, they were never guaranteed after getting to the sixth floor shower if it would be cold water or scalding hot water. Toward the end of her stay a retired cruise ship was brought in from Italy, allow­ing the teams to have addi­tional privacy as well as meals for breakfast and din­ner. Brown said when they first arrived they were given military Meals Ready to Eat. Brown said the days were hot and humid and they were ad­vised before travelling to Puerto Rico to get hydrated because dehydration would probably set in rather quickly if they were not prepared.

Brown said the biggest ad­justment she had to make af­ter arriving was working long shifts in the hot weather but she eventually became accli­mated. Brown said she really has a sense of compassion for those in Puerto Rico and attempting to get people’s lives there back in order after such a major disaster. She said after arriving back home a lot of things seemed pretty trivial after seeing what many Puerto Ricans had to go through. Brown said if given the chance she would return to help out in in a heartbeat. Gaule named new baseball coach at SWV By Mark Saylor Free Press Corning Community Schools Board of Education hired a new baseball coach for Southwest Valley High School at its Nov.

Stoney Gaule of Creston will serve as the new coach for 2017-2018. The board also approved hir­ing an additional boys basketball coach and accepted the resigna­tion of special education teacher Michael Robinson. Superintendent Willie Stone discussed the upcoming state school board convention, foun­dation work, and senior class caps for graduation. The board also approved a School Budget Review Com­mittee application for $52,728 for open enrollment students not included in the fall 2016 enroll­ment. An open enrollment applica­tion of a preschool student from Corning to Villisca was ap­proved, as was a third grade student open enrollment.

​ The board also approved Ad­ams County Sheriff Alan Johan­nes as Level 2 investigator and Sharon Meyers as equity coor­dinator. Corning OKs ho­tel/motel tax By Mark Saylor Free Press Corning voters approved a 7 percent hotel/motel tax in the Nov.

7 municipal election. Results show Public Meas­ure A passing 98-63. The user tax will be paid for by guests staying at hotels and motels or other lodging facilities within Corning city limits. Corning voters also ap­proved 117-39 Public Meas­ure B, increasing the number of Municipal Board of Trus­tees from three to five. In uncontested races, Corn­ing voters elected Jan Leonard as mayor with 150 votes, Jerry Peckham as Ward 2 councilman with 28 votes, and Judy Beckett as coun­cilperson at large with 119 votes. In Carbon, Larry Johnson was re-elected mayor as were city council members Vicky L. Haley, Helen Hickman, Michael Kempton, Harold Wayne Mitchell, and Donna Rochau.

In Nodaway, Pat Shipley was re-elected mayor. Re-elected to the Nodaway City Council were Gene Dixon, Brenda L. Dunn, Christine Dunn, Becky Poen, and Gary Poen.

In Prescott, Greg Wilkinson was re-elected mayor. Glen Hickman, Brenda Robinson, and Kevin Ray Schafer were re-elected to Prescott City Council. Lydic was elected to fill a vacancy after being appointed to the coun­cil. Voter turnout numbers were also released for Adams County communities. Of Corning’s 1,036 regis­tered voters, 163 submitted ballots for a 16 percent turn­out. Of Carbon’s 26 registered voters, nine submitted ballots for a 35 percent turnout.

In Nodaway, 11 of its 57 registered voters cast ballots for a 20 percent turnout. In Prescott, 38 of its 153 registered voters cast ballots for a 25 percent turnout. ​ All totals were confirmed Nov. 13 during the official canvass at the Adams County Board of Supervisors meeting. Corning chosen for Com­munity Visioning By Mark Saylor Free Press The city of Corning has been selected to be just one of 10 communities within Iowa to participate in the Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning program in 2018. The program integrates technical landscape planning and design techniques with sustainable community action to assist community leaders and volunteers in making sound and meaningful deci­sions about the local land­scape. A volunteer group con­sisting of Beth Waddle, Marilea Mullen, Kennedy Moore, Bert Peckham, Jerry Peckham, Kristen Carmichael, Judy Beckett, and Janice Leonard will attend a Com­munity Visioning program Nov.

Almost 250 Iowa commu­nities have benefited from the Community Visioning pro­gram since its inception in 1996. In order for a commu­nity to qualify for the program the community must have a population of less than 10,000, have existing trans­portation related issues, and a committee of volunteers willing to dedicated their time and talents to the visioning process. Download Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne Ps2 Iso Torrent. The program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation in partnership with Iowa State University Landscape Architecture Ex­tension and Trees Forever, an Iowa based non-profit envi­ronmental advocacy organi­zation.

In addition, profes­sional landscape architects will offer expertise in creating conceptual design plans for the communities involved. Other communities chosen for the program are Coon Rapids, Decorah, Forest City, Glidden, Graettinger, Moville, Peterson, Plymouth, and Wapello. Westgate cele­brates 50 years By Mark Saylor Free Press The state’s first venture into low-rent housing in Corning celebrated 50 years as a facil­ity with an open house Oct. Westgate Housing came into being after Corning vot­ers overwhelmingly approved building public low-rent housing. Information from the Nov. 7, 1963, edition of The Adams County Free Press says voters favored the plan 406-68.

Westgate became the first project approved in the state under Chapter 403A of the Code of Iowa. The Corning City Council earlier had ap­pointed a Housing Commis­sion to develop the housing facility and conduct its busi­ness affairs. The first five members of the Housing Commission had staggered terms with one commissioner having a term that expired each year. Members ap­pointed were Millard Vance, Bernard E.

Miller, Harry Coulter, Lee R. Watts, and Thelma Heitsman. The commission’s first or­ganizational meeting was held Dec.

Millard Vance was elected chairman, Harry Coulter was elected vice chairman, and Thelma Heits­man was elected temporary secretary. The commission decided to construct 50 units for the elderly.

The project, which was named Westgate, was started in April 1966 and was com­pleted in December 1967. The first tenants moved in on Oct. Those tenants were Carrie Dixon, Flossie West, and Laura Ritnour. Westgate celebrated with an open house in May 1968. At the time it was built ten­ants had to be 62 years old or older or meet the criteria for disabled and income limits.

Several changes have taken place at the facility since then. Now tenants are no longer required to be 62 or older. The average age there is 57 with tenants ranging in age from 4 to 98. With remodeling of the fa­cility, Westgate now contains 46 apartments.

Since 1967 there have been 521 leases signed by residents. Currently, Lori Amdor serves as the director of the facility and Brent Thompson serves as maintenance super­visor. Current board members include chair Monica Allen, vice chair Don Kenworthy, and members Phil Casey, Ann Myers, Marj Reynolds, and Lawrence Peterson.

Submitted photo — Southwest Valley High School’s Makayla McMann, left, accepts her Uncommon Students Award from Leslie Hoover-Lauble. SWV student takes top hon­or A Southwest Valley High School senior was one of three winning students hon­ored Oct.

14 in the Uncom­mon Students Awards pro­gram at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum in West Branch. Makayla McMann and 13 other high school seniors became Uncommon Student Awards finalists, earning a $1,000 award each. Three were selected by a panel of judges for an additional $5,000 scholarship award. The students applied for the program as high school jun­iors back in March. The Foun­dation selected 14 final­ists from across Iowa to par­ticipate in the program. Each student developed a philan­thropic program of their own design and worked on it over the summer. They returned Oct.

14 to present their re­sults. McMann’s project “Villisca Summer Day Camps” was one of the three $5,000 schol­arship winners. “I created and implemented a day camp in a small town which had not held any day camps for their youth for over 10 years,” McMann said. The camp ran every Mon­day for five weeks and served students in grades K through 6. “I thought I might get 20 to 25, and was greatly surprised to have 65 show up for the program,” she said. JJ Kapur of Valley High School in West Des Moines earned a $5,000 scholarship for his project “Iowa Sikh Turbanators.” “I formed a youth-run or­ganization with the goal to ‘turban-ate’ the negative stig­mas surrounding the Sikh faith in Des Moines through awareness building and com­munity service events,” Ka­pur said.

He said the Uncom­mon Student Award program was a natural fit for him. “In my life I’ve always con­sidered myself to be un­common, particularly be­cause of my appearance and wearing a turban and looking different among my peers,” he said. “Being part of this program taught me that being uncommon is a good thing and it’s something to be treas­ured.” The third scholarship award went to Kaleb Cook from Linn-Mar High School in Marion. His program, “Danc­ing Away the Stigma,” pro­vided a 10 lesson dance ther­apy program for Linn-Mar School District special needs students in grades K-12.

“It was really inspiring to be an Uncommon Student,” Cook said. “As I learned about Hoover’s humanitarian work, it was really cool to see the similarities we shared in wanting to impact social change.” Cook’s program would grow to include the general student body and he’s work­ing on releasing his curricu­lum state-wide with hopes of seeing it go national.

Wesley Hanson of Union High School in La Porte City was recognized as the Mariah Becker Volunteer Leadership Award winner for his project “STEM of New Opportuni­ties for Youth.” This award is presented by the Uncommon Student Alumni group in memory of Mariah Becker, a member of the Hoover Un­common Student Award Class of 2000. She was a stu­dent at the University of Iowa in 2002 when she lost a long and courageous battle with cancer. Hanson received a plaque and his name was added to a permanent display at the Library-Museum. To ensure the STEM program carries on, $250 will be do­nated to help fund the project when it’s turned over to other students at Union High after he steps down to attend col­lege. The Uncommon Student Awards program annually identifies and honors up to 15 Iowa high school juniors who propose and then accomplish a project of their own choos­ing and design. Grades, test scores, essays and financial need are not evaluated. Appli­cation is open to all Iowa high school juniors and is due by March 15.

About the Foundation The Hoover Presidential Foundation is a private non­profit organization for the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum and Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch, Iowa. The Foun­dation fosters the collec­tion, interpretation and preser­vation of historical re­sources relating to the life, ideas, values and times of Herbert Hoover, 31st Presi­dent of the United States. Corning school board reor­ganizes By Mark Saylor Free Press The Corning Community Schools Board of Education met Oct. 9 to reorganize fol­lowing the Sept.

12 school board election. Board secretary Jodi Lyd­don told the board Howard Anderson, Scott Shuey, and James Houck were elected to the board. Board member Scott Akin did not seek re-election but during his last meeting thanked the board and staff for the opportunity to serve on the board. The board then adjourned which the organizational meeting was then called to order by Secretary Lyddon then followed. Election of officers was top on the agenda, board members se­lected Scott The board elected Shuey as president for the 2017-2018 school year, after which Shuey appointed and Marla Fuller as vice president. The board decided to hold school board meetings at 7 p.m.

The second Monday of the month in the boardroom. In other business, the board approved: • The 2017-2018 special ed­ucation instructional program contracts; • A 2017-2018 inter-agency contract for a special educa­tion instructional program with Mount Ayr Community School; • Two open enrollments ap­plications; and • Various fundraiser re­quests. Absentee ballots available By Mark Saylor Free Press The Adams County auditor’s office has announced that ab­sentee ballots for the Nov. 7 municipal elections are now available at the auditor’s office in the Adams County Court­house in Corning. The who requesting ballots should send their request as soon as possible by completing an Absentee Ballot Request Form or submitting a written request with the following information: Name; date of birth; Iowa resi­dential address; election type or date (such as 2017 City Elec­tion); and signature of person requesting the absentee ballot. Forms are now available at the Adams County Auditor’s Office or can also be downloaded from www.adamscountyia.com and clicking on the Absentee Ballot link or at www.sos.iowa.gov.

As highlighted in the Sept. 28 issue of The Adams County Free Press, there are candidates in the four cities within Adams County. In Carbon, electors will vote on the mayor and all five City Council seats. In Corning, voters will decide on the mayor and Ward 2 coun­cilperson and an at-large seat plus two other public measures. In Nodaway, electors will vote on the mayor and all five City Council seats. In Prescott, voters will vote for mayor, three City Council seats and one City Council seat to fill a vacancy. Sample ballots plus the notice of election will be published in a future edition of the Free Press as Election Day near.

Sample ballots will also be posted in the Adams County Auditor’s Office. 27, is the pre-election voter registration dead­line for the election. There is Election Day registration, but proof of identification must be provided and registration before Election Day is encouraged. 3, is the deadline to request an Absentee Ballot by mail for the regular city election. However, those requesting bal­lots on this day will have diffi­culty returning ballots in time to be counted in the election due to the post office turn around. Other reminders for those voting on Nov.

7: • Polls will be open from noon until 8 p.m. • Polling places include Car­bon United Methodist Hall, Corning Community Center (all wards), Nodaway Community Center, and Prescott City Hall. ​ • The Adams County Audi­tor’s Office is open from 8:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. For more infor­mation about voter registration, absentee ballots, or voting, con­tact the Auditor’s Office at (641) 322-3340 or visit www.adamscountyia.com or www.sos.iowa.gov.

Work continues on nuisance properties By Mark Saylor Free Press The Corning City Council continued working to clean up the city’s nuisance properties at its Sept. City attorney Matthew Han­son presented the council in­formation representing all the current nuisance properties and legal representation issues against the property owners, which the city is pursing. He said cases filed in court should be resolved in 45 to 60 days.

Hanson recommended one of the properties being handled as a nuisance prop­erty should be considered an abandoned property. Hanson said his office had a conflict of interest in one is­sue pending trial and the city will need to find another rep­resentative. He said another case had already been through the court and the fine had been paid. The council also asked Han­son to work on a purchase contract regarding a new site for landscape debris.

The council also decided to pursue the filing of small claims for the recovery of delinquent sewer and garbage charges with forms provided by the city attorney. In other business, city coun­cil: • Approved a curb cut and sidewalk replacement request from Scott Wilson at 1102 Adams following city code; • Accepted a $13,450 bid from Dreyer Painting to paint and remark the Aquatic Pool; and • Approved hiring of M&S Tree Service to trim and re­move trees and grind stumps in city parks, City Cemetery, and city right of way at a cost no more than $4,000. M&S will work with city employees where possible to assist in the removal of dropped materials. ​ At its next meeting, city council plans to discuss the hiring of an engineering firm for the design of the Commu­nity Center Americans with Disabilities Act restroom and handicap parking, the possible purchase of a new refrigerator for the Community Center, and arrangements for the dis­posal of leaves and debris this fall. Southwest Valley Homecoming 2017. County OKs sale ​of Country Haven By Mark Saylor Free Press The Adams County Board of Supervisors voted at its Sept. 19 meeting to sell the former residential care facility Country Haven.

The resolution to sell the property passed on a 4-0 vote with supervisor Doug Birt not in attendance at the meeting. The board made the deci­sion following a public hear­ing on Country Haven and county farm property.

No written comments had been received but Jack Kretzinger, Merle Jordening, and Duane M. Dougherty were on hand to further discuss the situation with the supervisors. Supervisor Karl McCarty expressed the intent of the board is to “see it back on the tax rolls,” while board chair Leland Shipley indicated the board would also “like to see it developed and become eco­nomically viable for Corning and the Adams County area.” Kretzinger, a local auc­tioneer, also provided some valuable input to the board as to how to possibly sell the property. As of now the board plans to take bids on the par­cels in a couple of different ways yet to be determined. The three men were not op­posed to the county selling the property, only to offer input to the board.

The board also announced the parcel that includes the former Country Haven build­ing will possibly be sold via bid with the purchaser paying to have the asbestos removed after purchase or having the county perform the removal after the property has been sold. More details will be re­leased at a later date regarding the particulars of the bid packages that will be sought. Country Haven, located east of Corning on Highway 34, closed March 15. The board also heard from Adams County Conservation director Dan Carl who gave an update on site preparations and floor plans for the new cabins to be built at Lake Icaria next spring. Carl told the board that bids are being sought for the extension of a 4-inch water main to the new cabin site development. He also said a new disc golf course is being developed and should be available for use this fall. The new course is being paid for with a $7,920 grant received from the Ad­ams Community Foundation earlier this summer.

The board met with county attorney Andrew Knuth who was seeking a raise for his secretary, Lisa Brown. Knuth said she recently received her Associate of Arts degree in criminal justice. He also said Brown is a valuable member of his team and she has assists him greatly in administrative duties in collecting fines owed to the county as well helping him with work related to his duties as county attorney. On a 4-0 vote supervisors ap­proved the $2 per hour wage increase to $17 per hour ef­fective at the start of the next pay period.

Congregate meal site un­changed for now By Mark Saylor Free Press The Corning City Council approved a lease agreement through June 30 2018 with Connections Area Agency on Aging for the congregate meal site to remain at the Commu­nity Center. The council approved the lease at its Sept. Connections AAA will pay $100 per month for the site while Friendship Meals and Senior Citizens Meals at Fair will contribute $200 per month per Colleen Bickford who will bring in the payment to City Hall each month to assist with utility reimburse­ment. City clerk/treasurer Iona Allen told the council that Deloris McElwain contacted her regarding loose lag bolts and pothole at the BNSF railroad crossing on Loomis Avenue. Allen said she contacted the BNSF su­pervisors who stated they will be getting a temporary fix in place with a perma­nent fix to take place in three to four weeks.

The council approved a $6,311.51 payment to Adams County for the lining of a tube at 220th Street and Eighth Street. Approval was also given for a grant application to Trees Forever with city contribution of $2,000.

The council tabled the hir­ing of an engineering firm for the Community Center Americans with Disabilities Act restroom and handicap Parking. ​ Trick or treat night was set for Oct. 31 between 5:30 p.m. CHRISTY GROVES/Free Press — Three foreign exchange students are attending Southwest Valley High School this year. They are Christoffer Ulrich of Denmark, Moritz Schlimbach of Germany, and Eunsu Hyun of South Korea. Three exchange students join SWV By Mark Saylor Free Press Three foreign exchange stu­dents are part of the Southwest Valley High School student body this year. The three students and their host families are Moritz Schlimbach from Germany with host family Mike and Gina Travis; Christoffer Ulrich from Denmark with host family Tom and Marci Rhamy; and Eunsu Hyun from South Korea with host family Mike and Mondra Laughlin.

Schlimbach is from Hammin­keln, Germany, where his home school has close to a thousand students. He is involved in jun­ior band, big band, and musical education. Back in Germany, Schlimback’s parents are a teacher and computer scientist. He looks forward to participat­ing in band, football, basketball, choir, speech, and tennis while attending SWV. Schlimbach said almost every­one in Corning and Southwest Iowa seems to drive a truck. He said the area has a lot of space dotted with farming, cows, and small spread-out cities. Some of the things Schlimbach wants to do while in the United States is to see the Grand Canyon, snowboard in the Rockies, have a fun school year, make new friends and family, experience a new cul­ture, and score his first touch­down in football.

Ulrich is from Copenhagen, Denmark, where his home school has between 700 and 800 students. He is involved with soccer back home. His parents are involved in the banking and insurance industry. While attending SWV, Ulrich wants to run cross country, and play basketball and tennis.

Ulrich said Corning and Southwest Iowa are different in a good way when compared to Denmark. He said he is looking forward to learning a new lan­guage and meeting new people while experiencing a new cul­ture. Hyun is from South Korea where she said her city is me­dium sized with her school en­rollment of about 1,200. She is involved with the dance team and psychology club back in South Korea. Her father works as an engineer for Samsung and her mother is a piano teacher. Hyun plans to join the dance team while at SWV as that is her favorite activity.

She said Corning and South­west Iowa include more farm­land and wild animals when than South Korea. ​ Hyun said she is also looking forward to making many friends and sharing her culture. She wants to experience as much as she can while she is in the United States.

Submitted photo — A core committee representing the Adams Community Economic Development Corporation Fund Inc. Is working to bring a hotel similar in the size and style of this one to Corning. Hotel plans proceed A core committee repre­senting the Adams Commu­nity Economic Development Corporation Fund Inc. Is working to bring a hotel to Corning. “We need a place for visi­tors to stay,” committee member Beth Waddle said. “Alumni, family, friends and other visitors have to stay 25 to 30 miles from Corning and spend time driving back and forth, when they would rather be closer.

Also, we watch dollar after dollar escape our community as sales taxes, dining, gas, retail sales are spent in the other communi­ties they are lodging at.” The core committee has met with two franchise companies and two private hotels to gain information for construction a 32-35 room two-story build­ing. The construction cost projections for each were around $3.5 million.

Once the committee knew the approxi­mate price tag, members de­cided they needed to deter­mine whether at least $2.5 million could be raised for the capital needed to build the project. ACEDC Fund Inc. Is a 501(c)3 non-profit affiliated with the Adams Community Economic Development Cor­poration.

If the funding can be raised, ACEDC Fund Inc. Would play a large role in the ownership of the property. Donations for the capital campaign are tax deductible.

If there are profits above the normal scope needed to maintain the hotel, those dol­lars would be used for other community projects. Currently a fundraising committee has begun to ask for pledges.

Since some alumni classes met in July, the committee started with those classes. There is an alumni challenge for classmates to work together to raise pledges for $10,000 per year for five years. For each class that reaches that goal, their class year will be on a plaque for one of the rooms. The goal is to raise at least $1 million from alumni pledges. In addi­tional there is a $1.5 million goal from other individuals, businesses, and grants.

The fundraising committee is trying to find a cham­pion/cheerleader from each class who would be the main contact to the committee. That person would gather the con­tact information from class­mates, help send out infor­mation on how classmates can give, and keep them informed on how close their class is to reaching their goal. Currently the fundraising committee has class champions for 1955, 1963, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1987, 1988, 2003, and 2007. Waddle said she hopes once details about the a hotel are known, businesses and indi­viduals will have a better un­derstanding about the project. “As you can imagine, it is very time consuming to set up meetings with every business and family in the community, and since it is difficult to get a list of every family, we will rely on the community,” she said. Donors can make a one-time pledger or can make a pledge over five years. At this time, the committee is not seeking actual payments, just pledges.

Once a minimum of $2.5 mil­lion has been pledged and the project is moving forward, donors will be contacted about making payments. “There is a website,,” Waddle said. “It was origi­nally developed for alumni, however, anyone is invited to use the form to make a pledge.” To make a pledge or to be a champion/cheerleader for an alumni class, contact Waddle at the ACEDC office at (641) 322-5229 or e-mail. ​ While no exact timeline for the project has been set, the goal for the fundraising com­mittee is to determine if it will have $2.5 million in pledges by December of this year. While the fundraising com­mittee continues to work on that, other committees are forming to gather more in­formation and community input. Watch for more infor­mation in the Adams County Free Press.

Additional infor­mation will also be on the mycorningiowa.com webpage. Grassley: Health care still a priority By Mark Saylor Free Press Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley met with Adams County community leaders Aug. 24 at the Corning Opera House. Grassley said he was using his summer break to touch base with all of Iowa’s 99 counties. Grassley told the audience health care reform has been the topic on most people’s minds. “Its kind of embarrassing for me to say, after seven years, when we said we were going to repeal or reform a program that didn’t deliver on its promises and come up one vote short,” he said.

Grassley said he hopes leg­islatures will continue work­ing on health care and accom­plish something in the next two or three months. Mental health, particularly the lack of mental health professionals, is another of Grassley’s concerns. “We don’t have enough psychiatrists and psycholo­gists to deliver the care we need and it’s very difficult to get people to go into those segments of medicine,” he said.

“We have to find alter­native ways of doing it. I also said maybe the problem in Iowa is a little bit different than the nation as a whole because Iowa restructured mental health delivery four to five years ago.

I think there are growing pains there and the growing pains were com­plicated by the privatization of Medicaid as it affects mental health.” Grassley also said low economies are injured when large-scale farm operations benefit from farm program subsidy loopholes but small family farmers are limited in crop acreage because the Crop Reserve Program. He said crop insurance, however, should remain a part of the federal Farm Bill. Rural areas are also unlikely to benefit from federal plans to improve infrastructure, Grassley said. “I tried to explain the prob­lems we have with the ad­ministration wanting to pur­sue public/private partner­ships, which I don’t have any argument with except I don’t think it’s very realistic to do in rural America,” he said. Grassley plans to take the information he receives dur­ing his 99-county tour back to Washington, D.C., including a concern raised by Adams County Sheriff Alan Johan­nes.

Johannes said a pris­oner’s Medicaid is dropped after 30 days of incarceration and the prisoner then becomes a burden on local taxpayers. Grassley was critical of many of his fellow members of Congress who he believes are not allowing President Trump to get things accom­plished. “I think some of the things the President does detracts from what Congress is trying to do because he gets the at­tention, diverting it from Congress,” he said. “But re­member, we are the legisla­tors and we don’t have to wait for the President and don’t have to be concerned if he is going to sign it or veto it and so I would give more criti­cism to the United States Sen­ate not doing its work rather then blaming President Trump.” From Corning, Grassley travelled on to Bedford and Shenandoah. MARK SAYLOR/Free Press — Southwest Valley’s new teachers are, front row from left, Brittany Wiig, Ashley Pegg, Deb McDaniels, Lindsey Hogan, Karen Cline, and Shelby Cooper. Back row from left are Michelle Morgan, Brianna Porter, Haley Blackledge, Bryce Giesmann, Keanon Lewis, and Sarah Lillie.

SWV welcomes new staff members By Mark Saylor Free Press Eleven new staff members greeted Southwest Valley students this week on the Corning Campus when clas­ses began Aug. The following is a bit of background about the new faculty and staff on the Corning Campus. Haley Blackledge is in her inaugural year as a third grade teacher this fall after gradu­ating from Graceland Univer­sity in Lamoni last spring.

She student taught within the Centerville and Mormon Trail School Districts and also has worked with special education students in Waukee. Black­ledge enjoys teaching history and math. Outside of the classroom she enjoys riding horses, being outside, reading and spending time with friends and family. Her par­ents live on an acreage near Lake Rathbun. Her mom is a nurse practitioner and has a clinic in Centerville and she has two older sisters, one of whom is an attorney and the other is a nurse. Blackledge said she has found Southwest Iowa to be beautiful and eve­ryone here friendly and wel­coming.

Shelby Cooper will be in her first year of teaching band for grades 6-12. She gradu­ated from Buena Vista Uni­versity in Storm Lake. Her parents live in Atlantic. She said she is looking forward to teaching at SWV. Cooper enjoys concert band season. Outside of the classroom she likes to kayak, read, and play clarinet in community bands and musical pits.

Karen Cline is a new cook for the district. Bryce Giesmann is enter­ing his 14th year of teaching.

He will teach elementary and high school art at SWV. He graduated from Luther Col­lege in Decorah and is cur­rently working on his master of fine arts degree from Sa­vannah College of Art and Design. Giesmann taught pre­viously at Charter Oak Ute and Muscatine Schools in Iowa and Fremont #25 in Ri­verton, Wyo.

Giesmann en­joys teaching photography. Outside the classroom he likes long boarding and running with his Husky Koda. Gies­mann’s wife, Rachel, is cur­rently the high school math teacher at Mediapolis. They have three children: third-grade Ella, 8, first-grader Hadley, 6, and 4-year-old Bryer. Giesmann said he en­joys the smaller close-knit community he has joined. Lindsey Hogan is the new school nurse at SWV after being a nurse at Mercy Hos­pital NICU department in Des Moines.

She said she enjoys travelling with her family and cheering for the Cyclones. She is married to Michael Hogan, who farms. They have two children, Cael, 10, and Elin, 6. Keanon Lewis will be starting his first year of teaching at SWV in the math room after graduating from Iowa State University.

Lewis will teach Algebra 1A, Alge­bra 1, Geometry, and Con­sumer Math. He said he en­joys teaching Applied or Con­sumer Math. He enjoys woodworking projects and watching baseball outside the classroom. Lewis’s father, Marshall, influ­enced him to become an edu­cator. Marshall is a school superintendent in Nebraska.

His mom Kim works in fi­nances while brother Derek is a doctoral candidate at Penn State and sister Kennedy is a high school senior in Ne­braska. Lewis said he enjoys the small town atmosphere, the good people and nice weather in Southwest Iowa. Sara Lillie will be working as a one-on-one para educator with a kindergarten student at SWV this fall.

Lillie went to LaJames College of Cos­metology. She enjoys spend­ing time with her 10-year-old daughter Katey, who is in the fifth grade, and attending sporting events. Deb McDaniel will teach junior kindergarten this year at SWV. She is entering her 12th year in education after graduating from the Univer­sity of Northern Colorado. McDaniel previously taught in Okaloosa, Iowa. She enjoys teaching science and outside the classroom can be found either reading or doing crafts.

She and her husband Brad have a second-grade daughter, Fiona. She enjoys the small close-knit community at SWV. Michelle Morgan will begin her first full-time job of teaching in the fourth grade classroom at SWV after being a substitute teacher at Creston, Orient Macksburg, and West Central Valley Dis­tricts. Morgan attended Southwestern Community College in Creston and then transferred to Simpson to complete her education. She enjoys teaching social studies, as History was her favorite subject as a student. Outside the classroom Morgan can be found kayaking, fishing, hik­ing or involved in anything outdoors.

She has two broth­ers, an older sister, and her mom. Her dachshund Emy completes her family. She said she enjoys the friendli­ness of everyone at SWV. Ashley Pegg is the new ELP coordinator at SWV.

She has been teaching for four years, previously teaching first grade at Inman Primary School within the Red Oak School District. She graduated from Northwest Missouri State University and is cur­rently taking classes from Morningside College, work­ing toward her master’s de­gree as a professional educa­tor with TAG endorsement. Outside the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her family. Pegg and her husband Cody have three children: fifth-grade stepson Colton, kindergartener Addison, and 2-year-old Kinley. She said she enjoys being part of the Corning community after moving to Southwest Iowa almost seven years ago. Brianna Porter enters her second year as a school coun­selor but her first as SWV Elementary School counselor after spending her first year at North Union High School.

Porter attended Buena Vista University in Storm Lake. She enjoys teaching character de­velopment.

Porter and her husband Steven have a daughter, Olivia, 10, and a son, Lucas, 18 months. Out­side the classroom she can be found doing crafts, reading, travelling or taking par in outdoor activities. Porter said she enjoys the countryside and the friendly people of Southwest Iowa.

Brittany Wiig has been teaching the last year and a half at Fremont Mills. Wiig will teach seventh and eighth grade computers/business, automation and robotics, and design and modeling. Wiig attended Bellevue University for business and Buena Vista University for reaching. She enjoys teaching personal fi­nance.

Wiig and her husband Josh have two children, 3-year-old Charles and 12-month-old Howard and their English bulldog Cadi. Wiig enjoys spending time outside with her children, reading books and spending time with friends.

Wiig is originally from Villisca, graduating high school in 2006. She said it feels good coming back and seeing many familiar faces. Corning weather hotter, drier in July By Mark Saylor Free Press Weather information for the month of July shows a drop in normal rainfall and an in­crease in heat. State climatologist Harry Hillaker said statewide it was the 41st driest month of July and was the 38th warmest in the last 145 years of record­keeping. He said temperatures were about one and a half degrees warmer than normal.

Statewide rainfall was a little more than an inch and a half below the normal average of 4.5 inches of rain in July. Not only was lack of mois­ture a problem in July but also there were some triple digits recorded by weather spotters around the state. The Corning weather station reported a high of 94 degrees on July 22 and a low for the month of 54 degrees on July 1. As far as local precipitation goes, the weather station located near CHI Health Mercy Corning reported 66 one hundredths of an inch of rain fell in Corning on July 19. Hillaker also said June, July, and August are usually the months of more precipitation so there is hope this month could turn around the drought-like conditions. Candidates file for school boards By Mark Saylor Free Press Two of the three incumbents on the Corning Community Schools Board of Education have filed for re-election this fall. Nomination forms were due to county auditor’s office by 5 p.m.

Both Howard Anderson and Scott Shuey turned in their required pa­perwork to appear on the Sept. Incumbent Scott Akin did not submit nomination papers, thus Corning Community Schools patrons will likely fill that seat via write-in campaign.

For the Villisca Community School Board, incumbent Le­land Shipley is seeking re-election. Incumbent Todd Drake chose not to seek re-election, however, Terry Dalton has turned in papers to run for one of the two vacan­cies also on the board. Also on the ballot for both districts will be a public measure proposed by South­western Community College in Creston to continue a 6 cent per $1,000 assessed value tax levy in any one year for a period not to exceed 10 con­secutive years starting July 1, 2018, for the purpose of the purchase of instruction equipment. The deadline to register to vote for the school or college election is 5 p.m.

Af­ter that date a person may register to vote at the county auditor’s office and vote an absentee ballot. All county auditors’ offices will be closed Sept. 4, Labor Day. 8 is the last day to re­quest an absentee ballot via mail by 5 p.m. Polls will be open from noon until 8 p.m. Alternate congregate meals site sought By Mark Saylor Free Press Nearly a dozen residents attended the July 24 Corning City Council meeting to dis­cuss the congregate meals program at the Corning Community Center.

Corning Mayor Janice Leonard said she invited sen­ior citizens to the meeting to help bring them up to date with what is going on with the program. Leonard said currently only about six to 10 people are taking advantage of the meals being served at the Commu­nity Center. AAA Connec­tions presented the council with an updated lease agree­ment reducing the rent from $300 to $100 per month and use of the facility between 9:30 a.m.

The council voted down the new lease, indicating the city would not be able to pay the utilities with that amount and with so few people taking advantage of the meals. The council voted instead to give Connections Area Agency on Aging a 60-day extension to allow the organization time to look for an alternative site in Corning that would have a refrigerator and oven onsite to allow the serving of meals. As of now no other group is allowed use of the Commu­nity Center while its being used. Currently, the parties are researching different lo­cations. Leonard reiterated the plan is not to “kick them out of town instead help them find a different location.” Leonard added that if the group is not able to find an alternate location the issue will be revisited by the coun­cil, probably in early Septem­ber at the earliest.

In other business, city attor­ney Matthew Hanson told the council he is filing court doc­uments on the owners of seven properties who origi­nally had 30 days to respond to nuisance letters with a court date set for Aug. Hanson requested approval from the council to perform title searches for two of the three properties to proceed with abandoned status with the courts. Title searches will be performed on properties at 1901 Quincy and 814 15th St. A title search is already com­pleted for the property at 303 Ninth St. Title searches cost an estimated $50 to $90 each. The council also discussed limiting the number of ani­mals allowed at each resi­dence within the city limits.

The city has faced an ongoing issue with dogs running off leash creating public health and safety concerns. The number of cats without li­censes within the city was also a concern. Hanson said he will review ordinances of other cities and report back to the council at the next meet­ing. Lazy Days of Summer heat up By Mark Saylor Free Press The Lazy Days of Summer are upon Corning. Dambrk Software Free Download on this page.

Main Street Corning’s Lazy Days of Summer will take place July 28-30. The event will feature giant yard games, inflatables for all ages, a vendor fair, the Battle of the Barbecue, class reun­ions, En Plein Air painters, and Green Hills Farmers Market on July 29. Activities begin at dawn July 28 with the Corning Center for the Fine Arts’ 12th Annual En Plein Air Festival. Artists will create two paint­ings at various sites through­out Adams County for this juried competition. The painting will continue until 2 p.m. July 29 when judging begins.

First place will re­ceive $250, second place $200, and third place $150 in addition to the sales of indi­vidual art pieces. A social and reception will be held form 1 p.m. One of Corning’s newest businesses, Backgrounds Coffee Shop, will be open from 8 a.m. July 28 and from 7 a.m. July 29 at 708 Davis Ave. The Adams Community Chamber Coffee will be held from 10 a.m.

At the Corning Center for Fine Arts at 706 Davis Ave. Corning High School grad­uation registration will take place from 10 a.m. July 28 and from 8:30 a.m. At the Corning Center for Fine Arts.

Both the CHS class of 1977 and class of 1987 have planned reunion activities. Also taking place during registration is a silent auction of past En Plein Air art at the CCFA.

Gates open to the public at 4 p.m. For the Eighth Annual Battle of the BBQ Cook-Off on Benton Avenue. More than $4,000 in cash prizes and door prizes will be awarded. The people’s choice wing contest will begin at 7 p.m. Wing winners will be an­nounced at 1:30 p.m. July 29 followed by barbecue contest winners at 1:45 p.m.

DJ Randy Cooper will pro­vide music from 5 p.m. July 28 on Eight Street between Benton and Davis Avenue. The beer garden will be open from 5 p.m. American Thea­tre at 704 Davis Ave.

Will feature at movie at 7 p.m. July 28 and July 29. July 28 activ­ities will end with a band and street dance. The CHI Health Corning Doctors Dash 1 mile run/5K run/10K run/ and 1 mile walk/5K walk will begin with check in at 6:30 a.m. July 29 at Eighth and Davis. The race begins at 7:30 a.m. CHI Health Wellness Center showers will be open from 7:30 a.m.

At 401 Sixth St. The Rotary Pancake Feed will take place from 7 a.m. July 29 on Eighth Street between Davis and Benton. A vendor fair spon­sored by Main Street Corning will be held from 9 a.m. July 29 at Central Park while the Corning Opera House Quilt Show will take place at the same time at 800 Davis Ave.

The Third Annual Johnny Carson Birthplace Society Car Show registration will take place from 9:30 a.m. To noon July 29 at the Central Park pavilion. The car show itself will be held from noon to 2:30 p.m. On Davis Avenue. Awards will be presented at 2:30 p.m.

In Central Park. Main Street Corning’s Lazy Days Family Fun Activities will be held from 9:30 a.m. Registration is at the Lauvstad Center at 710 Davis Ave. School tours will begin at 10 a.m. July 29 at 904 Eighth St. Other tours from 10 a.m.

Include R&S Col­lectibles at 530 Davis Ave. And the Johnny Carson Birth­place at 500 13th St.

Also from 10 a.m. Will be a Basket Palooza Sale and Silent Auction will be held at the CCFA. A barbecue meal will be served from noon to 2 p.m. July 29 on Eighth Street be­tween Benton and Davis. The $7 meal includes a barbecue sandwich, beans, and chips. Children 6 and under eat for free.

The Farmers Market will be open from noon to 2 p.m. In Central Park. Afternoon tours July 29 in­clude the House of History from 2 p.m.

At 1000 Benton, Icaria Village from 2 p.m. Three miles east of Corning, and Floating Vine at the Corning Winery from 2 p.m.

At 2300 State Highway 148. Adams County Speedway will present Chat Mobility Night and Kids Money Grab on July 29. Gates open at 5 p.m.

With races beginning at 7 p.m. Lazy Days of Summer wrap up July 30 with breakfast at the beach from 8 a.m. To 10:30 a.m. At Lake Icaria, a Kline Museum tour from 1 p.m. In Prescott and a 2 p.m. Matinee at American Theatre. For more information, con­tact the Main Street Corning at 322-3243 or check out Main Street Corning on Face­book.

The Adams Community Chamber Annual Golf Tour­nament is slated for Aug. Tee off will be at 10 a.m.

For the Best Ball Tournament. Registration is $150 per team and $45 for a golf cart, with a free lunch for all registered golfers. Two team mulligans are also available at $20 per team.