Dayton Review News

01/02/2018

Richard “Dick” L. Chinburg, 88, of Dayton, Iowa, passed away on Sunday, December 31, 2017, at his home.
Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m., Friday, January 5, 2018, at the United Methodist Church in Dayton. Pastor Kay.Christie will officiate. Visitation will be Thursday, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Carson – Stapp Funeral Home in Dayton. Burial will be in the Dayton Cemetery. For online obituaries & condolences visit: www.carsonstappfuneralhome.com

01/02/2018

APARTMENT FOR RENT IN STRATFORD. Single car garage & all utilities paid. Laundry on-site. Bergquist Apartments: 515-835-0537

01/02/2018

Ice safety reminder as Iowa lakes freeze over
The recent blast of arctic air is growing ice on lakes and ponds over much of Iowa. Anglers are starting to get out for the popular early ice fishing of the season.
“Many of us look forward to ice fishing each winter,” said Joe Larscheid, chief of fisheries for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “It is a fun, social activity best enjoyed with family and friends.”
Anglers heading out are reminded to check the ice often as they make their way to their favorite fishing spot. The DNR recommends a minimum of four inches of quality ice for fishing and at least five inches for snowmobiles and ATVs.
“Check ice thickness as you go out. Ice thickness is not uniform on anybody of water,”
Larscheid said. “There could be pockets of thin ice or places where the geese had kept ice from forming.”
Early ice offers an excellent chance for success. If fish are finicky, plan to cut a series of holes and spend 15 minutes at each hole targeting active fish. Use small baits and light line.
“Now that we have ice, we must go through our mental safety check list. Go with a friend and be sure to cut some test holes to check ice thickness as you go out,” Larscheid said.
Safety Tips on the Ice
+ No ice is 100 percent safe.
+ New ice is usually stronger than old ice.
+ Don’t go out alone - if the worst should happen, someone will be there to call for help or to help rescue.
+ Let someone know where you are going and when you will return.
+ Check ice thickness as you go out - there could be pockets of thin ice or places where ice recently formed.
+ Avoid off-colored snow or ice. It is usually a sign of weakness.
+ The insulating effect of snow slows down the freezing process.
+ Safety items in the bucket: Ice picks, about 50 feet of rope and a floatable seat cushion you can throw to someone in case of rescue.

01/02/2018

THIS WEEK IN DAYTON HISTORY
1 years ago - Dayton city council considers rate hike for sewer, water
5 years ago -Harcourt woman wins $100,000 from Iowa Lottery
31 years ago - Lehigh Clay Products receives more than $80,000 in grant monies from Governor Brandstad
45 years ago - Tigerettes are champions of holiday tournament
50 years ago - Richard E. Lee opens a law office in Stratford
73 years ago - Katherine Warner retires after serving as Dayton postmaster for 50 years
80 years ago -Louis Thomann is named the new editor-publisher of the Dayton Review

01/02/2018

Dayton Review News's cover photo

01/01/2018

01/01/2018

Ida Lue Murray, 85, of of Dayton, Iowa, passed away on Friday, December 29, 2017, at Westhaven Community in Boone.
A memorial service will be held 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, January 3, 2018, at McGuire Bend United Brethren Church, rural Dayton. Rick Gates will officiate. Burial will follow at the McGuire Bend Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Carson – Stapp Funeral Home in Dayton. For online obituaries and condolences please visit: www.carsonstappfuneralhome.com
Ida Lue Thomason was born on November 24, 1932, in Lepanto, Arkansas, the daughter of Finice and Alice (Doyle) Thomason. In 1950, she moved to Fort Dodge.
On March 4, 1952, Ida was united in marriage to Foncie Murray in Augusta, Arkansas. Their marriage was blessed with four children: Betty, Daniel, David, and Glenda.
Ida worked at the Wahkonsa Hotel in Fort Dodge from 1950–1951. Prior work collectively to support her family included picking cotton and harvesting mussel shells for buttons.
Ida was an active member of the McGuire Bend United Brethren Church until her health declined and then attended Crossroads Church in Perry.
Ida was preceded in death by her parents, stillborn brother, Finice Thomason, four sisters, Martha Thomason in infancy, Aileen Remore, Willine Taylor, and Bobbie Smallwood, and her son David Murray.
Survivors include her husband of 65 years, Foncie Murray of Dayton, Iowa; two daughters, Betty (David) Jones of Boone, Iowa, Glenda (Chad) Hiddleson of Dawson, Iowa; son, Daniel Murray (Bev) of Grundy Center, Iowa; daughter-in-law, Patty Murray of Dayton, Iowa; one brother, William (Tanya) Leonard Thomason of Abilene, Texas; and four sisters, Catherine Gillian of Greenbrier, Arkansas, Eva Mae Farar of Sun City, Arizona, Julia “Jean” Smith of Greenbrier, Arkansas, and Barbara Jean (Jim) Kelley of Augusta, Arkansas;16 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.

12/30/2017

The Lehigh Public Library is closed this evening.

12/30/2017

Many area churches and Sunday activities are canceling due to the dangerous temperatures. Here is our up-to-date list. If you know of a cancelation, add it below.
DAYTON UMC CHURCH: No services Sunday
HARCOURT UMC CHURCH: No services Sunday
MCGUIRE BEND CHURCH: No services Sunday
IMMANUEL, BURNSIDE: No services Sunday

12/30/2017

Due to the frigid temperatures, Dayton and Harcourt United Methodist Churches have canceled services for tomorrow.

12/30/2017

giphy.com

The temperature may be -6 degrees, but a big tip of the hat and a thank you to the firemen who are out right now digging out hydrants, to the plow drivers who are working overtime to keep our roads clear and safe, and to law enforcement who always work to keep us safe but are equally working overtime in these frigid temperatures.

12/30/2017

FIRST DAY HIKE AT DOLLIVER CANCELLED
DES MOINES – With temperatures predicted to dip well below zero, the Iowa DNR has decided to cancel First Day Hikes at 27 state parks scheduled for New Year’s Day, including Dolliver Memorial State Park.
“While it’s a great disappointment to us to cancel this event, the safety of park visitors comes first,” said Todd Coffelt, State Parks Bureau Chief. “We know that frost bite can set in fairly quickly at those cold temperatures, so we are using caution in making this decision.”
First Day Hikes are part of a national initiative to encourage people to spend time outdoors. Last year in Iowa, more than 1,200 people participated in hikes across the state.
“We definitely will plan on hosting hikes again next year, and anyone can visit state parks during the winter and enjoy the beautiful scenery that’s unique to this time of year,” said Coffelt.

12/29/2017

Our ever faithful and always friendly office cat, Bernstein, passed away this morning at our vet's office. Bernstein had the body of an old man and the energy of a kitten. His sister and playmate, Woodward, will be lost without him. So many Review readers stopped to pet and play with him these past five months and we know you will miss him as well.
Woodward and Bernstein were both adopted from Almost Home in Fort Dodge where many cats like them await a loving home - or office - to call their own.

12/29/2017

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR SNOWY OWLS
AMES – Despite what can feel like Arctic weather sweeping into Iowa during the winter, the state still finds itself a long way from the Arctic tundra. So it would be surprising to find Arctic tundra wildlife soaring over Iowa’s picked corn fields or perching on the state’s telephone poles. But this winter seems to be an exception to that rule, because since early November reports of an iconic tundra-dwelling bird, the snowy owl, have been pouring in from all corners of the state.
Wildlife biologists call the phenomenon a “winter irruption,” and it has already yielded numerous sightings of this all-white, vulture-sized owl in Iowa this winter. The recipe for predicting when a winter irruption will occur is not well understood, according to Stephen Dinsmore, professor of natural resource ecology and management at Iowa State University. But there are a few consistencies in years with more sightings of snowy owls south of their typical range.
“In years with high lemming populations, breeding pairs of snowy owls can sense the increased food supply and quickly make the most of long Arctic days, laying clutches of sometimes more than 10 eggs and successfully raising their young on diets full of lemmings,” said Dinsmore. “In years when most of those young survive, conditions are prime for southward irruption. There become too many mouths to feed in the tundra and young owls are forced south to find food in less familiar landscapes like Iowa.”
Populations of the small, field mouse-like lemmings on the Arctic tundra are cyclical and they become abundant every few years before crashing as they literally eat themselves out of food. These regular cycles coincide with what typically produces snowy owl irruptions, although the magnitude of an irruption can vary.
Another reason this year is shaping up to be a banner year for snowy owl sightings in Iowa is that many parts of the state have had no snow, making it easy to spot a large, white owl.
“Snowy owls, like many northern species, are almost completely white to help them blend in among their typically snow-covered environments,” said Adam Janke, assistant professor and wildlife extension specialist at Iowa State. “Being a white bird on an otherwise brown, gray or black landscape makes hiding a lot harder. So we can be driving along at 55 miles per hour and still spot a snowy owl in a field without snow.”
That additional conspicuousness, coupled with this year’s high numbers, could make the 2017-18 winter one for the record books.
“In a normal winter there are 5-10 snowy owl sightings in Iowa,” said Dinsmore. “In an irruption year, however, there can be a 10-fold or more increase in numbers, similar to the more than 150 sightings during the winter of 2011-12.”
Dinsmore knows of more than 100 sightings so far this winter, suggesting Iowa may be on pace to break its previous record.
“I would really encourage folks to keep their eyes peeled for white objects perched on telephone poles, fence posts and on the ground during the busy holiday travel season,” said Janke, adding that snowy owls never roost in trees. “This year seems to be a really unique opportunity to see an otherwise hard to find, rare bird in Iowa.”
Dinsmore is keeping records of snowy owl sightings this year in Iowa. If you see an owl, email him at [email protected] to share the specific location. If possible, include a picture, which may be able to reveal the age and s*x of the owl. This will help document the extent of this year’s irruption.