Sioux County Edition · No. 2 ·
Your sewer bill, Amendment 1 and playoff week
About a 10-minute read · covering Orange City, Sioux Center, Rock Valley, Hull, Alton, Granville, Hospers and every gravel road between.
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Coffee & County
Five minutes on what's happening from Orange City to Rock Valley.
Good morning, Sioux County.
Wednesdays are for meeting minutes. I read three sets of them so you don't have to, and there's something in there for anyone who flushes a toilet in Sioux Center. Also, it's going to be 77 degrees on Thursday. In late October. Don't ask questions, just go outside.
● Sioux Center sewer rates are set to go up 9% in 2027 and again in 2028.
● What Amendment 1 on your Nov. 3 ballot would actually do.
● Renewed Hope's new thrift store is about $500,000 from its goal.
● Volleyball playoffs started last night, and football's are Friday.
OUT THE WINDOW
WED ☀️ 74° / 50°Sunny | THU ☀️ 77° / 56°Sunny | FRI 🌤️ 74° / 60°Breezy |
Three warm, dry days, then a 40% chance of showers Saturday. Iowa's harvest is running behind, so this is a big window for anyone still in the field. Give the grain trucks room.
Forecast for Orange City from the National Weather Service →
ELECTION · 13 DAYS OUT
Early voting is open at the courthouse
● Vote early in person at the courthouse in Orange City through Mon., Nov. 2, at 4:30 p.m.
● Election Day is Tue., Nov. 3.
● Sample ballots:siouxcountyia.gov/elections
● Questions: Sioux County Auditor, 712-737-2216
TOP STORY
The other question on your ballot: Amendment 1
Below the candidates, every Iowa ballot on Nov. 3 asks whether to change the state constitution so that raising state personal or corporate income taxes would take a two-thirds vote of lawmakers instead of a simple majority.
What it would do:
● Make it harder to raise state income taxes in the future
● Leave today's rates alone. Iowa has a 3.8% flat income tax now
Supporters, led by Iowans for Tax Relief, say most Iowans want tax increases to be harder to pass, and that increases would still be possible with broader agreement.
Opponents, a coalition called Fair Taxes for Iowa's Future that includes the state teachers union, the League of Women Voters of Iowa and several labor groups, say it would lead to cuts in services or push the state toward taxes like sales taxes that hit lower-income families harder.
An August Suffolk University poll found likely voters split: 33% yes, 36% no and 30% undecided.
Go: Vote early at the courthouse in Orange City through Nov. 2, or at your polling place Nov. 3.
Read the full story at the N'West Iowa REVIEW →
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Put your business at the top of Sioux County's morning email. Hit reply to sponsor.
WHAT GOT DECIDED
Your sewer bill, a bridge contract and golf carts
The latest posted minutes from three local boards.
Sioux Center City Council · Oct. 5
● Sewer rates: Approved the second reading of a 9% increase in both 2027 and 2028, to cover the upcoming East Interceptor project and aging sewer lines.
● Power plant: Approved bond insurance for a $16.3 million electric revenue bond for the Electric Generation Project, the city's new power plant. Staff said it lowers the interest cost.
● Water: Took the next step on a loan of up to $5.2 million from the Iowa Finance Authority for the South Elevated Tank and a 19th St. SW water main.
● Land: Sold land in the new Harvest Heights Commercial Addition to Sioux Center Land Development for commercial and industrial lots. The council also approved selling 63 acres of city farmland southwest of town at auction.
● Farm rent: Raised rent on city-owned farmland about $10 an acre for 2027.
● Also: The fire department is starting a fundraising campaign for a new training facility.
Next meeting: Mon., Oct. 26, at 4 p.m.
Sioux County Board of Supervisors · Sept. 29
● Bridges: Hired Dixon Construction, the low bidder at $1.44 million, to replace two bridges northwest of Rock Valley: on 280th St. between Dove and Dogwood, and on Dogwood Ave. between 290th and 300th. The award is pending the county engineer's final review.
● Jail roof:$140,125 to Four Way Contracting to replace the Law Enforcement Center roof.
● Flood buyouts: Approved the FEMA agreements to buy out seven flood-damaged properties from 2024. Since then, FEMA has asked the county for more bids first, which Walter said pushes the $2.87 million in federal money back three to four months.
● Data centers: The final vote on the county's new rules is Tue., Oct. 27, at 9 a.m.
Orange City Council · Sept. 21
● Golf carts: Adopted the ordinance allowing golf carts on city streets. As proposed in August: daylight hours only, drivers 16 and older with a license and liability insurance, a slow-moving vehicle sign or lights, and no driving on Highway 10, Albany Ave. or Albany Pl. Check with City Hall for the final rules.
● Stormwater: Passed the first reading of a new stormwater drainage utility.
● Downtown: A downtown visioning task force recommended hiring a full-time communications and community marketing manager. No vote yet.
Orange City's October minutes aren't posted yet.
AROUND THE COUNTY
Sioux Center: Renewed Hope is $500,000 away
Family Crisis Centers has raised $2.1 million of its $2.6 million goal for a new Renewed Hope thrift store, which broke ground Oct. 14 behind Kwik Star. The sales floor will more than double, to 8,146 square feet. Store profits help pay for three to four advocates. You can help by giving, donating items or volunteering.
Read the full story at Sioux County Radio →
Sioux Center: Dordt opens its athletic center, and Douma comes home
Dordt dedicated the Rozeboom Family Athletic Center on Saturday, about six months after groundbreaking. It adds classrooms, an overlook and Peoples Bank concessions, plus a renovated Vos Gymnasium. Also this week: former Defenders basketball coach and athletic director Ross Douma is returning as executive director of development. He's been president of Avail Academy in the Twin Cities.
Read the full story at KIWA Radio →
Rock Valley: Creative Living Center turns 45
Andy Visser, Stan Visser and Wilbert Vanden Bos started Creative Living Center after their pastor told them the community needed more mental health help. What started slowly in Rock Valley now has four locations in Northwest Iowa.
Read the full story at Sioux County Radio →
Sioux Center: Two free Christmas open houses this week
Yes, already. Styled for the Season, a Ground Effects and Vander Berg Homes model home in Sioux Center, runs through Saturday (9 a.m.–7 p.m. Wed.–Fri., 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Sat.), with a donation drive for Family Crisis Centers. Petals & Perks' Hickman Home at 316 Second Ave. SE opens today (4–8 p.m. Wed.–Thu., 1–8 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Sat.). No tickets needed for either.
Read the full story at Sioux Center News →
FROM THE BLEACHERS
Playoff week
Three Sioux County teams hosted Class 3A regional volleyball openers last night:
● Sheldon at Unity Christian
● Estherville Lincoln Central at Western Christian
● Southeast Valley at MOC-Floyd Valley
Western Christian comes in as the Siouxland Conference champ after beating MOC-Floyd Valley 2-1 last Thursday in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup.
Tuesday's playoff schedule at Western Iowa Today →
Northwestern kicker makes college football history
Red Raiders sophomore Gianna Bennett became the highest-scoring woman in college football history in Saturday's 45-17 win over Doane. She hit a 34-yard field goal and finished the day with 106 career points. Off the field, she's raised more than $9,000 this year for the Every Kick Counts Foundation. Northwestern, now 6-2, plays at Waldorf on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Football playoffs Friday
● Class 2A: OABCIG at Western Christian
● Class 2A: Unity Christian at Kuemper Catholic
● Class A: Logan-Magnolia at West Sioux
Playoff pairings at Western Iowa Today →
PUBLIC SAFETY
It's School Bus Safety Week. Stop for the red lights.
Passing a stopped school bus in Iowa costs $250 to $675 the first time, plus a 30-day license suspension and up to 30 days in jail. A second offense starts at $1,875, with a 90-day suspension. With harvest traffic and dark mornings, give the buses extra room.
Read the full story at KIWA Radio →
ADVERTISE IN COFFEE & COUNTY
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MARKETS
At the elevator
| NW IOWA CASH (TUE.) | AVG. BID | BASIS |
| Corn | $4.21 | −35¢ to −45¢ Dec |
| Soybeans | $11.87 | −45¢ to −68¢ Nov |
| FUTURES | CLOSE | CHANGE |
| Corn (Dec) | $4.62 | −5¢ |
| Soybeans (Nov) | $12.48¼ | −5¼¢ |
| Live cattle (Dec) | $230.17 | +$2.15 |
| Feeder cattle (Nov) | $346.30 | +$2.37 |
| Lean hogs (Dec) | $67.15 | +80¢ |
Tuesday's closes. Corn and beans slipped for a second day while cattle had a strong one. Harvest is running late: as of Sunday, Iowa had 26% of its corn and 57% of its soybeans out, well behind the five-year average.
Stocks: the Dow gained 530 points (+1.0%) to 52,495.88, the S&P 500 rose 0.3% and the Nasdaq barely moved. The 30-year mortgage averages 7.40%, unchanged, and the 15-year is 6.71%, per Freddie Mac's weekly survey.
Sponsor our Markets section. Co-op, ag lender, financial advisor or equipment dealer? Put your name on this section. Hit reply.
GROWING
A record year for building
359new housing units permitted countywide in 2025, the most since at least 1990 | 126new homes and apartments permitted in Sioux Center last year | 120+housing units added in Rock Valley since the 2024 flood |
Builders pulled permits for 359 new homes and apartment units in Sioux County last year, up from 251 in 2024. Before that, no year since at least 1990 topped 162.
See the county's permit numbers at FRED →
Rock Valley: lots in two new neighborhoods due Nov. 1
Lots in Boulder Prairie, on the east side south of Project Youth Daycare, and Summit Estates, in the Southern Trails subdivision, were set to be ready Nov. 1. Van Ginkel Construction & Stone has 11 lots in Boulder Prairie's first phase. Schelling Construction is building homes for people 55 and older in Summit Estates, plus 21 lots for buyers who bring their own builder.
Read the full story at the Rock Valley Bee →
Sponsor our Growing section. Real estate agent, home builder or mortgage lender? Put your name on this section. Hit reply.
NEW IN TOWN
Hull: The Grain House is adding a second drive-thru
Good news for anyone who has waited in that line. The Grain House says its downtown Hull shop is "busting at the seams," so in 2027 it's opening a second drive-thru along Highway 18, west of Fareway. The coffee roaster moves there too, along with room for wholesale production, offices and storage. The downtown shop stays open as usual.
From The Grain House's Facebook page.
Sioux Center: Stille Studio ribbon cutting Thursday
The Sioux Center Chamber holds a ribbon cutting for Stille Studio on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m.
See the Sioux Center Chamber calendar →
Opening, moving or expanding? Hit reply. New businesses get a free mention.
NOW HIRING
Jobs around the county
| Motor vehicle / driver's license clerk Sioux County Treasurer · Orange City · Full-time · Open until filled | Apply → |
More local openings are posted at Sioux County Radio's Job Hunter.
Hiring in Sioux County? Hit reply to post your job here.
COMING UP
On the calendar
WED 21 | Pop-up puzzle night, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Free; register ahead with the Sioux Center Public Library. |
WED 21 | Christmas open houses through Sat., Oct. 24: Styled for the Season and the Hickman Home, Sioux Center. Free. |
THU 22 | Stille Studio ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. with the Sioux Center Chamber. |
MON 26 | Sioux Center City Council at 4 p.m. |
TUE 27 | Data center rules: final vote at 9 a.m., Sioux County Board of Supervisors. |
WED 28 | Wild Child Nature Series for ages 2–5 with an adult, at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Free; pre-register at 712-552-3057. Prairie Woods Nature Center, Oak Grove Park near Hawarden. |
THU 29 | Right Tree, Right Place, Right Way, 6:30 p.m. DNR district forester Hanna Hageman on picking and planting native trees. Small fee; sign up at go.iastate.edu/HORT26. Sandy Hollow Lodge, 3395 400th St., Sioux Center. |
SAT 31 | Hawarden Trunk or Treat, 4–5 p.m. Hawarden Community Center parking lot. |
MON 2 | Last day to vote early at the courthouse in Orange City, until 4:30 p.m. Election Day is Tue., Nov. 3. |
EN ESPAÑOL
Ya puede votar por adelantado
Puede votar en persona en el juzgado de Orange City hasta el lunes 2 de noviembre a las 4:30 p.m. El día de la elección es el martes 3 de noviembre. Preguntas: 712-737-2216.
¿Qué es la Enmienda 1?
La boleta también pregunta si se debe cambiar la constitución de Iowa para que subir los impuestos estatales sobre la renta requiera el voto de dos tercios de los legisladores, en lugar de una mayoría simple.
📍 DID YOU KNOW? · HULL
Hull used to be Pattersonville, named for state senator John G. Patterson. It was renamed in 1886 because Iowa already had a town called Patterson, and the new name honored John A.T. Hull, a former lieutenant governor and longtime congressman.
Know a fun fact about your town? Hit reply.
ONE GOOD THING
600 kids, one bike ride, five years later
More than 600 students rode to school in Sioux Center on Oct. 6, a record for the town's fifth Bike to School Day. It honors Lorna Moss, who was killed while riding her bike north of Hull in 2021. Lorna's Light, a fund in her memory, handed out 600 reflective straps, and four "bike buses" of kids rode in together.
Read the full story at Sioux Center News →
GOOD TO KNOW
The Sioux Center library is now sensory-friendly. It earned KultureCity accreditation in September. Ask at the front desk for a sensory bag with headphones, fidget toys and communication cards, or ask staff for the quiet area when things get loud.
Read the full story at Sioux Center News →
Refill Friday. ☕
Know something we should cover? Hit reply. Tips, events, birthdays and new businesses all welcome.
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