The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News

09/19/2025

Landon Struecker and Lindsey Van Es were crowned the 2025 H-M-S Homecoming King and Queen last night. Today's pep rally will be held from 12:45-1:45 p.m. at the high school, with the parade to follow at 2:15 p.m. in downtown Hartley. Please note the route will start on 1st St. SW and move eastward due to recent roadwork on Central Avenue.

09/18/2025

Tonight's the night! H-M-S Homecoming coronation will be held in the Event Center at 7 p.m.

Homecoming festivities at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn kick off next Monday and run through Friday, when the Hawks take on Gehlen Catholic at Peterson Field at 7 p.m. Coronation this year has shifted from Tuesday to Thursday, Sept. 18 in the H-M-S Event Center at 7 p.m. The pep rally is set to begin Frida...

08/29/2025

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn welcomed several new staff additions to its 3 buildings when classes started this week.

Several new teachers greeted students at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn on Monday to start the 2025-26 school year. Ten instructors joined the H-M-S staff roster this year. Though some have several years of teaching under their belts, others in the group are logging their first semester this fall. Devyn Bri...

08/22/2025

The new owners of Treimer's Insurance Agency are by no means strangers to the Hartley area.

Treimer's Insurance Agency has officially changed hands, but the new owners are by no means strangers to the area. Hartley natives Marcus Treimer and Matt Mills purchased the agency effective Aug. 1. Treimer is the son of former co-owner Bill Treimer, while Mills also has deep ties to the community....

08/11/2025

There's no place Tim Hilbert would rather be than under several feet of water.

Tim Hilbert leads two very different lives. One above water, and one below it. "I can get in my pickup truck and within 50 minutes be underwater where it's just total silence," he said. "Every dive is a new adventure, and you just never know what you're going to find." Hilbert has been an avid scuba...

08/01/2025

Arla Rae Westphalen can't think of a better place to spend 100 years than in Hartley. “I have a lot of good memories and a lot of friends in this town," she said.

Parade-goers at Hartley Summer Celebration will be greeted by a rarity on Saturday. Centenarian Arla Rae Westphalen will head the parade as co-grand marshal alongside her children, Shirlee Jordan and Shelley Westphalen. The trio helped lead local staple Burley's Appliance for more than 100 years pri...

07/31/2025

The NWS has since ruled Monday's storm a derecho.

BY NICK PEDLEY Nick and Jena Steuben weren't planning on an addition to their Hartley home, but they got one in a big way Monday night. A large branch from a nearby maple tree came crashing down onto the middle of their roof during the evening's tumultuous thunderstorm. The incident put holes in the...

07/18/2025

Tonight, Royal kicks off a party 125 years in the making.

Volunteers from Royal have spent the past 12 months planning and shining up the community in anticipation of the town's Quasquicentennial on July 18-20. "Royal is planning to host a grand celebration in honor of this historic milestone," said Mayor Josh Toft. "It's been great to watch groups of dedi...

07/17/2025

Hartley and May City will welcome thousands of visitors on Sunday when RAGBRAI riders roll through both communities.

With three days left before RAGBRAI riders flood Hartley, local officials are feeling good about preparation efforts in town. "I really feel like we're looking good," said Hartley RAGBRAI Committee Co-Chair Greg Cotter. "Everything is in place and we're down to the final details. It's really a matte...

06/12/2025

Burley's Appliance, a downtown Hartley staple, will close its doors at the end of the month after 106 years in business.

"It's hard to see it done, but on the better half, you know it's gotta be. Things don't go on forever," said Arla Rae Westphalen.

The inside of Burley's Appliance presents an interesting sensory experience these days. The show floor is nearly empty, and if nobody is around, you could hear the echo from a pin dropping. "It's bittersweet," said Arla Rae Westphalen, the second generation to own and operate Burley's Appliance. "It...

05/02/2025

First the first time, Hartley will host the Live Healthy Iowa Kids Track Championships on Saturday. Events kick off at 10:30 a.m., and everyone is invited to come out and cheer on the young athletes. There is no cost to attend. The event is being sponsored and organized by the Hartley Health & Fitness Center and Hartley Parks & Rec Department.

Local kids are getting their calisthenics in before the gun sounds Saturday morning in Hartley. For the first time, the Live Healthy Iowa Kids Track Championships will be held at the H-M-S High School track for kids ages 7-12. The event was founded in 2015 to continue on the tradition of the Hershey...

04/17/2025

For the second time in four months, the Hartley City Council is down a member.

The Hartley City Council is once again down to four members. Matt Dolphin unexpectedly resigned Monday afternoon prior to that evening's meeting. He was serving his first term on the council, having been elected in 2023. As per Dolphin's letter to the council, his resignation was effective immediate...