Holstein Advance

08/08/2025

Stubbs Library to celebrate 75th with ice cream social

By: Dan Mundt
The Holstein Advance

Stubbs Memorial Library in Holstein will celebrate 75 years of service to the community on Friday, Aug. 15.
The event, which will be an ice cream social, will feature a display case of interesting items, and a PowerPoint presentation about the history of the library.
“The library originally began in 1948 as a free lending library,” said Library Director Emily Todd.
“It was purely run by volunteers and had book donations, and that was largely through the auspices of the Nacirema Women’s Club here in Holstein.”
In June 1950, the Holstein City Council agreed to take on the project to make it a proper city department.
“That’s where our ‘75 years’ comes from,” Todd said. “We’ve been serving the Holstein community and surrounding area for 75 years. The library has a very interesting and vibrant history of its own, and that’s what we’re celebrating at the ice cream social.”
The library bounced around to many locations in its early decades.

Caption: Stubbs Memorial Library in Holstein has been in its present location for 50 years; the library has been a city department since 1950. Photo by Dan Mundt

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https://holsteinadvance.com/content/stubbs-library-celebrate-75th-ice-cream-social

08/07/2025

Supervisors hear update on courthouse work

By: Mike Hohenbrink
Mid-America Publishing

Repairs at the Ida County Courthouse are going well, but additional work remains to be done.
The Ida County Board of Supervisors met July 29 and heard an update.
One thing the board is interested in is a quote for foam insulation for the steeple.
Auditor Kristy Gilbert said the last she had heard was that work on the air exchange in the attic should be coming up shortly.
“And I know with the roof we’ve had a couple little issues,” said Gilbert.
The attic air remains a concern.
“When you open that door, it’s like a wall,” said Gilbert. “It’s very, very overpowering.”
Other areas appear to be in better shape.
“We can see light up in the attic right now, yet,” said Gilbert.
That raises red flags for the board in terms of trying to stem bat issues.
“If you can see light, they’re going to get in then,” said Chairman Devlun Whiteing.
EMS Director Corey Trucke was on hand with discussion of removing an EMS shed.
The board approved removal by Secondary Roads staff.
Additionally, the board discussed the speed limit on Highway 175 near GOMACO.
Whiteing asked if the county would be charged if a speed study would be requested.
He pointed to the student traffic among other concerns.
“They’re not the most experienced drivers,” said Whiteing. “They’re just learning to drive.”

08/07/2025

Francis & Co. Fall Fest is Saturday

By: Dan Mundt
The Holstein Advance

Autumn in Holstein will get an early start on Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Francis & Co. Fall Fest.
“It’s going to be a day of shopping, creativity, and community,” said owner Kristina Cronin. “We’ll have shopping, coffee, yoga, family-friendly fun outside, giveaways, and deals.”
The event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Francis & Co. is a baby and children’s clothing store.
“We’re going to kick off the morning with yoga at 9 a.m., hosted by Untie the Knot Yoga Studio,” Cronin said. “We’ll have that in the green space that is directly across from my store.”
Untie the Knot Yoga Studio, of Holstein, will provide a beginner-friendly session for kids and adults called “Mommy & Me Yoga” for $10 or a school supply donation.

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https://holsteinadvance.com/content/francis-co-fall-fest-saturday

08/06/2025

HMH hosts presentation on cancer in Ida County

By: Brent Harm
Sports Editor

“Statistics are people with the tears wiped away.”
Did you know that Iowa has the second highest rate of new cancer diagnoses in the United States? That was just one of the statistics presented at Horn Memorial Hospital’s cancer informational meeting on Thursday afternoon, July 31.
The Cancer in Iowa: 99 Counties Project is a public health initiative aimed at enhancing cancer education and community engagement across all of Iowa’s 99 counties. Several medical experts appeared via Zoom, to share and discuss cancer trends, statistics, and risk factors in Iowa and Ida County.
Among the speakers were Whitney Zahnd, Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa Department of Health Management and Policy, as well as past President of the Iowa Rural Health Association; and Amanda Kahl, Epidemiologist and Data Analyst for the Iowa Cancer Registry.
Over half of Iowa’s counties have higher cancer incidence rates than the rest of the United States, however; Ida County is not one of those counties.
On average, 52 people in Ida County are diagnosed with cancer each year. The most common cancers in Ida County, based on age-adjusted incidence rate per 100,000 people, are prostate cancer, female breast cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer.
The age-adjusted prostate cancer incidence rate for Ida County is statistically higher than the state and national rates. The age-adjusted breast cancer incidence rate for Ida County is statistically lower than the state and national rates. The age-adjusted lung cancer and colorectal cancer incidence rates for Ida County are statistically similar to the state and national rates.
To help understand and address cancer in Iowa communities, there are several resources available. A resource guide is available on the website: www.iowacancerregistry.org/99.
The Iowa Cancer Plan has identified the following strategies to significantly reduce the burden of cancer in Iowa:
• Effective to***co prevention policies (e.g., increasing the cigarette tax rate) and smoking cessation treatment.
• Radon mitigation strategies.
• Policies that increase opportunities for sun protection in outdoor settings, increase awareness about skin cancer prevention and screening, or decrease use of indoor tanning beds could reduce melanoma rates. (As of Jan. 2024, 44 states have laws that restrict minors' use of commercial tanning devices, 20 of which completely ban use of tanning beds for minors. Iowa has no laws restricting use of tanning beds by minors.)
• Policies to decrease alcohol consumption and binge drinking. Enhancing opportunities for Iowans to access nutritious food and be physically active.
Cancer can be caused by a number of factors, including genetics (family history); lifestyle (alcohol, to***co); environment (exposure to radon or other chemicals, radiation); and others. Early screening is one of the most important ways to help with the diagnosis and treatment of many cancers.

08/06/2025

Clowning around with magic at the library

By: Dan Mundt
The Holstein Advance

Holstein’s Special K’z the Clown (Sara Kreutz) visited Stubbs Memorial Library last Friday, Aug. 1, to entertain a big group of kids with a humorous magic show.
Special K’z started her show with a rendition of “Don’t Go Baking My Tart” with a puppet named “Sweetie Pie.”
She noted that Aug. 1 was the first day of International Clown Week before launching into her act.
Special K’z told the kids that if she said something really funny, they should laugh, clap and say, “Yay!”
They should do the same thing if she said something lame, stupid and dumb, she added.
Her act included balloon animals and a magic coloring book that sometimes had blank pages, sometimes had black and white drawings, and sometimes had colored drawings.
She also had a magic black and white painting that became colored as she pulled it from its frame.
K’z took her show outside at the end to let the kids play in and with her signature bubbles.

Caption: Special K’z the Clown and Sweetie Pie performed “Don’t Go Baking My Tart” to kick off her magic show at Stubbs Memorial Library. Photo by Dan Mundt

08/06/2025

Only TWO markets left this season!
Join us for our last market of the summer on Tuesday, August 19th - we will be celebrating the end of summer & the start of a fresh school year!

🎸 Live Music
🐴 Pony Rides
🎈 Special K Bubbles & Balloons
🥒 A great line up of vendors (the list is BIG….stay tuned…….)
🍔 Plus a meal served by Nacerima

Downtown Holstein Greenspace
4:30-6:30
Tuesday, August 19th
📍 Mark your calendars!!!

08/06/2025

08/05/2025

08/05/2025

Only 3 markets left for the season! We have a great meal today provided by Faith Lutheran Church plus a nice variety of vendors!
Downtown Greenspace - 4:30-6:30
Vendors:
Wandrey Sweet Corn & Jams
B.Bak Baked Goods
Sunshine & Flora
Squeez-M Lemonade
Stevenson Farm Fresh Eggs, Treats & Lemonade

08/05/2025

Pick up this week's copy of the Holstein Advance and find...

•Ida County Fair results
•Stubbs Library to celebrate 75th
•Francis & Co. Fall Fest
•Clown program
•Ida County cancer meeting

Or subscribe online to access these stories and more right from your device at
https://holsteinadvance.com/

08/05/2025

Thursday’s Farm-to-Table dinner features local food and drink

By: Dan Mundt
The Holstein Advance

Local individuals and businesses will provide almost all of the food and drink items at the Farm-to-Table dinner in Holstein this Thursday, Aug. 7.
The Holstein Betterment Alliance (HBA) is the host of the event, which celebrates the community’s agricultural heritage.
“We try to use as many local vendors, retailers, and grocery store people in our area as we can to provide the meal,” said HBA member Terri Schimmer. “We want to highlight our local people.”
The evening starts at 5:30 p.m. with a social hour.
“We have appetizers that Spirits, Stogies & Stuff/Brenda Cronin is taking care of,” Schimmer said. “She’s putting together a harvest charcuterie box that people will be able to take with them as they stroll around the venue prior to the meal. She always does a wonderful job.”
Spirits, Stogies & Stuff will also provide wine and the liquor for beverages at the event.
Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.

Caption: Attendees will receive a commemorative Farm-to-Table glass donated by Availa Bank and Agnew Soseman Insurance. Photo submitted

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https://holsteinadvance.com/content/thursday%E2%80%99s-farm-table-dinner-features-local-food-and-drink

08/01/2025

Lutheran Women in Mission 41st Biennial Convention

Submitted by Nancy Ploeger

Lutheran Women in Mission (LWML) 41st Biennial Convention was held in Omaha, Nebraska July 26-29, 2025. It was hosted by LWML Nebraska North and Nebraska South Districts under the theme Growing in God’s Grace, To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. 2 Peter 3:18 b.
Several area people from Ida Grove, Charter Oak, Odebolt, Early, Storm Lake, Schleswig, Denison, and Schaller attended. Total attendance was 3,774. There were 79 Young Women assembling meal packs for Mercy Meals (Orphan Grain Train) Representatives. (YWR) There were 220 people from Iowa District West.
We participated in inspiring worship, engaged with impactful mission speakers, and joined in uplifting activities as our hearts were renewed and our faith strengthened and grew in God’s abundant grace. We had the opportunity to meet new people and renew old friendships, to sing, to laugh, to listen and to serve. Many ladies enjoined doing the servant events such as assembling meal packs for Mercy Meals (Orphan Grain Train), create encouragement/thank you cards for our military (distributed to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha), assemble Braille books and calendars (Lutheran Braille workers) and six others.

Caption: At night, the city lit up the Bob Kerry Pedestrian in purple, color used in the LWML. Photo submitted

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https://www.holsteinadvance.com/content/lutheran-women-mission-41st-biennial-convention