Ida County Courier

10/15/2025

Send a message to learn more

10/15/2025

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬

Asking for help isn’t weakness—it’s strength. Community resources are here to support your health, your family, and your future.

🧩 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡?
• Housing
• Food access
• Transportation
• Employment
• Education
• Safety
• Social connection
📌𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆.

🛠️ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐞 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞?
• 🏠 Housing & utilities assistance
• 🥗 Food pantries & meal programs
• 🚗 Transportation services
• 🎓 Adult education & literacy
• 🧘 Mental health, isolation & wellness support - "Asking for help isn’t weakness—it’s strength. Support is here. For you. For them.”

💬𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 -
“I didn’t know help was available until my nurse asked.” “The food pantry helped me get through a tough time.”

❤️ 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞
• 1 in 3 Iowans face challenges with housing, food, or transportation.
• Support programs are confidential, free, and judgment-free.

📍“𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰.”

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟗:𝟏𝟎 𝐚𝐦-𝟏𝟏:𝟑𝟓 𝐚𝐦 (𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟏𝟏:𝟒𝟓 𝐚𝐦 - 𝟒 𝐩𝐦 (𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫).

10/15/2025

Save the Date for our 4-H County Awards Sunday, November 2nd at 2:00 P.M.! We can't wait to see you at the Holstein Rec Center! 🍀

10/15/2025

Warning! Excessive cuteness!: This fire truck was loaded with charming young pre-schoolers on Thursday morning, going for a ride as part of Fire Prevention Week.

Photo by Brent Harm / Ida County Courier

10/15/2025

Checking out the gear: Fourth graders at the Galva upper elementary building got a chance to check out a fireman’s coat, as well as other equipment, during a National Fire Prevention Week talk from local firemen on Thursday.

Photo by Brent Harm / Ida County Courier

10/15/2025

Demonstrating the gear: Shelby Ellis (left) and Billy Fraser show the first graders at the Holstein Fire Station how protective gear and fire fighting equipment is used by local volunteer fire department members.
Photo by Brent Harm / Ida County Courier

10/15/2025

Camp-O-Ween

By: Dan Mundt
Ida County Courier

Camp-O-Ween 2025, put on by the Ida County Conservation Board, took place on Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Crawford Creek Recreational Area Campground.

With the temperature sitting at about 70°, the weather was perfect.

Lots of people turned out for trick-or-treating through the various decorated campsites.

A free hot dog and mac and cheese meal greeted visitors at the beginning or end of their hike.

Caption: This group of kids enjoyed looking at the Polaris Slingshot that had been involved in a gruesome accident. The victim and driver were pronounced dead at the scene – and quite likely had been dead for some time before the accident. The roadster is owned by Brad and Crystal Minor, who decorated their campsite for Camp-O-Ween. Photo by Dan Mundt

*See additional photos in this week's Courier.

10/15/2025

Officers continue Connie Ruddy investigation

By: Michael Hohenbrink
Mid-America Publishing

The investigation into the disappearance of an Ida Grove woman is continuing.

The Ida County Sheriff’s Office was out Thursday morning at a location in the 300 block of Burns Street in Ida Grove.

Ida County Sheriff Wade Harriman confirmed the subject of law enforcement interest.

“It is a follow up on the Connie Ruddy Investigation,” said Harriman. “We are conducting a thorough search of the inside of the premises. It is not based on any new information.”

Ruddy, then 21, vanished from her home in 1997, leaving her two children behind.

Two years later, a jawbone found near Dow City was identified as belonging to Ruddy.

Officially, Ruddy’s case remains open.

10/15/2025

Ida Grove moves ahead on sale of property

By: Michael Hohenbrink
Mid-America Publishing

A hearing is set for Oct. 20 at 5:30 p.m. for the sale of property located at 408 Second Street after the Ida Grove City Council approved a resolution for the move.

An update on adjacent property was also given, with Lewton Construction having completed the demolition work for the wall remaining for 402-406 Second Street.

Council took no action at this time on a request by GOMACO for cost sharing for future repairs. This is to be reviewed after quotes are available.

Additionally, A public hearing on the sale of Lots 1 and 2 in Block of Jacobs Addition drew no public comment.

David Petersen bid $2,500 on behalf of GOMACO with council subsequently accepting the bid.

Additionally, council received an update on the 2021 water project to the effect that the project is 100 percent complete with all loan proceeds now drawn and received. The Iowa Finance Authority has submitted final paperwork.

Personnel was on tap as well, with council voting to hire Emma Holst as an indoor lifeguard at $11 per hour.

10/14/2025