Business
Spencer City Council Chambers sign

First filing of IGL Construction property rezoning approved

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The Spencer City Council may fast-track a request from IGL Construction that its property at 221 32nd Avenue West be rezoned from mobile home to A residential district. Council members approved the first of three filings of an ordinance approved the rezoning with a 7-0 vote. Ron Hanson, Ward 5 council member, asked City Attorney Don Hemphill how the process could be sped up. “I think you’re going to have the final plat before you at your next meeting,” Hemphill said. “Then if you want at that time, you could complete this rezoning.”

Mayor Kevin Robinson said the council could waive the required third reading at its next meeting later this month.

City Council
Spencer City Council Chambers sign

City Council meeting notes: September 9, 2020

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The Spencer City Council discussed the following topics Tuesday at its regular meeting. 

Planning director interviews begin

The city has started the interview process for its open planning director position. City Manager Amanda Mack told the council that interviews will finish Friday. Applicants will be reviewed next week to determine a recommendation to the council. City to purchase two new police cars for $69,885

The City of Spencer will purchase two 2021 Ford Utility Police Interceptors for the Spencer Police Department from Don Pierson Ford for $69,885. 

City council members approved the purchase as part of the consent agenda at Tuesday’s meeting. The vote for the consent agenda was 7-0.

Crime
Two Spencer police patrol cars

Stolen vehicle investigation leads to foot chase, arrest

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An Alta man tried to run from officers who were investigating a stolen vehicle before he was tased and arrested on multiple charges, including two felonies. The Spencer Police Department stated that police tried to make contact with the driver of the vehicle they were investigating at 12:27 p.m. Sunday in the 300 block of West Sixth Street. That’s when Dalton Goodman, 25, unsuccessfully tried to run on foot from police. Police stated Goodman was tased and taken into custody with minor injuries. Goodman was charged with second-degree theft, a Class D felony; possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, a Class B felony; possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor; interference with official acts, a simple misdemeanor and driving while revoked, a simple misdemeanor.

COVID-19
Spencer Signal circle and tower logo behind text: COVID-19 Community Updates spencersignal.com/covid19

Assisted living facility resident is Clay County’s 2nd COVID-19 death

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A resident of Riverview Terrace Assisted Living in Spencer died August 20 after contracting COVID-19, becoming Clay County’s second death attributed to the novel coronavirus. Marjorie Ann Dalen, 89, contracted the disease and “passed suddenly,” according to an obituary on Warner Funeral Home’s website. Clay County earlier this month had a notable rise in confirmed cases, at least some of which are connected to Riverview Terrace. The Signal reported on August 12 that multiple cases among residents and staff had been confirmed at the facility. Riverview Terrace officials have acknowledged the outbreak but are not providing specific information about confirmed cases to the public due to tenant privacy laws.

COVID-19
Spencer Signal circle and tower logo behind text: COVID-19 Community Updates spencersignal.com/covid19

7 COVID-19 cases linked to assisted living facility in Spencer

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Update: Riverview Terrace Assisted Living issued a press release on August 13 confirming that it has experienced an outbreak of COVID-19. The full press release is below, followed by the original article. Press release (August 13):

Riverview Terrace Assisted Living, a division of St. Luke Homes & Services, is reporting an outbreak of Covid-19. Representatives of Riverview Terrace, Spencer, has notified immediate family members, tenants and staff, but due to tenant privacy laws, officials are unable to share any further specific information about the confirmed cases.

COVID-19
Image of coronavirus and text "tracking Clay County COVID-19 data"

Tracking COVID-19 in Clay County and neighboring counties

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The Spencer Signal is tracking the spread of COVID-19 in Clay County and neighboring counties. Below are updated graphs for Clay, Buena Vista, Dickinson, O’Brien and Palo Alto Counties showing new confirmed COVID-19 cases per day and the seven-day average number of new cases. var divElement = document.getElementById(‘viz1593809897180’); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName(‘object’)[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.width=’100%’;vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+’px’;} else if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 500 ) { vizElement.style.width=’100%’;vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+’px’;} else { vizElement.style.width=’100%’;vizElement.style.height=’750px’;} var scriptElement = document.createElement(‘script’); scriptElement.src = ‘https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js’; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement);

New cases of confirmed COVID-19 for each day are represented on the left y-axis. The seven-day average of new cases is represented on the right y-axis. The seven-day average is the average number of new cases for that day and the previous six days.

Business
Glass Block Hallmark building

Game State moving into former Hallmark building

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After years of sitting empty, the former Hallmark building on Grand Avenue is getting a new resident. Game State will be moving to the new location on September 1.  

Game State is a store in downtown Spencer specializing in board games, card games, table-top games, and game accessories. Aside from selling games, Game State hosts open gaming and game tournaments.  

Game State opened in November of 2014 at their current location, 8 W 5th St in Spencer.  Over the last six years, the store has grown in popularity in the community and surrounding area. With their popularity it was time for the store to grow.

COVID-19
Spencer Schools S shield logo

Spencer Schools releases draft of Return to Learn Plan

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The draft of the Return to Learn Plan for the Spencer Community School District that was released earlier this week describes three ways the district could return to school next month. Spencer Schools are scheduled to begin classes on August 24 for grades 9-12 and August 25 for grades K-8. How classes look when students are asked to begin, though, comes down to the Return to Learn Plan. The plan, as its introduction describes, “is intended to assist staff, students and families in providing direction and clarification for the return to learning in the fall.” The plan, an effort to create a safe environment as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, provides descriptions of roles and responsibilities for “stakeholders” based on three possible scenarios for how school classes may look: in-person, completely remote or online learning, or a hybrid model of the two.

Health Care
Pat Reno, president of the Spencer Regional Healthcare Foundation Board, meets with Mindy Sylvester (right), director of Abben Cancer Center. The foundation recently provided a $1 million contribution to the cancer center toward technology enhancements.

Healthcare foundation invests $1 million to advance Cancer Center technology

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The Spencer Regional Healthcare Foundation has provided a $1 million gift toward a technology enhancement for radiation oncology services offered by the Abben Cancer Center of Spencer Hospital. The generous gift represents contributions from hundreds of donors who have supported the cancer center in recent years, along with proceeds from the annual Abben Cancer Center Golf Classic. The $1 million gift makes up approximately 25 percent of the project costs. 

“The foundation board was thrilled to make a substantial contribution to this project, as Spencer Hospital further advances cancer treatment in the region,” commented Pat Reno, foundation president. “In the mid-1990s, foundation leadership and community volunteers orchestrated a major fund-raising campaign to build and equip the cancer center. The cancer center is truly a gift for the community, by the community.”

Since Abben Cancer Center opened in 1997, Spencer Hospital has continually upgraded technology to offer patients optimal care.

Clay County Fair
The line at outside the Spencer Daybreakers Kiwanis K-Cafe often extends out the door at the Clay County Fair. People say it's worth the wait.

You can get your fair food fix next month

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The Clay County Fair and Events Center has announced two ways to get your Fair food fix in the month of August – Non-Profit Take Out Tuesdays and Fair Food To Go. In partnership with Farmers Bank, the Spencer Chamber of Commerce and Spencer Radio Group, the Fair has scheduled a number of Non-Profit Take Out Tuesdays to give Fair food fans an opportunity to help out one local non-profit organization and support their mission each week:

· Tuesday, August 4 – Hy-Noon Kiwanis (scholarships)· August 11 – Spencer Jaycees (Tree of Joy)· August 18 – Daybreaker Kiwanis (scholarships, bike helmet mission, UpperDes Moines)

Vendors will be open from 4pm – 7pm each Tuesday. Complete menu details can be found by following the Fair’s social media or the Fair’s website (www.claycountyfair.com). “From the moment the Fair was postponed, we knew our local non-profits would be hurting,” said Fair & Events Center CEO Jeremy Parsons. “We reached out to all of our non-profits with this opportunity to help them fulfill their mission in this strange time.