Emmetsburg Residential Clean Up Week is scheduled for Tuesday, May 30 through Friday, June 2, 2023. A $15.00 permit is required and must be purchased in advance of your pick up day. Permits may be purchased at City Hall with cash or check. Your pick up day will correspond with your regular solid waste pick up day (with the exception of Monday's route being moved to Tuesday due to the Memorial Day holiday).

Rules and Regulations:

• The designated pick up day is the only day extra garbage will be picked up. There will be no return trips.
• Your permit must be displayed facing your normal garbage pick up area. Any residence that does not display a permit will be only be allowed the regular two bags.
• The waste shall be placed at the curbside no earlier than two days before the scheduled solid waste pick up day.
• All waste must be placed in bags or disposable containers.
• Tires and white appliances will be picked up only if the required extra tag is purchased from City Hall and placed on the item(s). Each item must be tagged. The fees are:
  • Car tire (no rims allowed): $12.00
  • Pickup tire (no rims allowed): $16.00
  • Microwave: $12.00
  • White appliance: $22.00
  • Dehumidifier: $22.00
  • Air conditioner: $22.00
• Items must originate from the residence where they are picked up from. You may not combine or share your tag with anyone else.
• Rummaging through or removing items placed out for pick up by any person should be done in a neat manner.

• No recyclables or brown goods will be picked up by the solid waste crew. Brown goods include: typewriters, VCRs, stereos, TVs, fax machines, toasters, can opener, computers, computer equipment, etc.
• No hazardous waste or toxic chemicals will be picked up. This includes paint, household cleaners, batteries, etc.
• No building demolition or construction material will be picked up. This includes siding, plaster, lumber, carpet, etc.
• Only furniture that is small enough and light enough to be able to be lifted and placed in the solid waste packer will be picked up.
• We will not pick up leaves, tree limbs, grass clippings, or any yard waste. It is your responsibility to take these items to the environmental site at the transfer station. Dumpsters and garbage bags that contain yard waste will not be picked up.

To make Clean Up 2023 a successful community-wide program, everyone must cooperate and follow the simple guidelines listed above. The City of Emmetsburg has the right to reject any items placed out for collection. If you have any questions, please contact Emmetsburg City Hall at 712-852-4030. 

E-waste recycling is scheduled for May 24 & 25. Items will be picked up on the north side of Highway 18 on Wednesday, May 24. Items will be picked up on the south side of Highway 18 on Thursday, May 25. All items must be curbside by 7:30 am on the designated pick up day.

Items that will be accepted include: 

• Typewriter
• VCR
• Circuit board
• Stereo
• TV
• Fax machine
• Telephone
• Cell phone
• Toaster
• Can opener
• Speaker
• Computer equipment
• Mouse
• Hard drive
• Laptop
• Key board
• Printer
• External modem
• Monitor
• Scanner
• CDs

Iowa Lakes Community College is partnering with National Fitness Campaign (NFC) to add the second world-class outdoor Fitness Court® in Iowa to the Emmetsburg Campus next to the Arthur and Audrey Smith Wellness Center. The new workout center, slated for construction in 2024, will be built as a class project for the Construction Technology program at Iowa Lakes.

“The Fitness Court® will encourage healthy lifestyles by offering a fun and free option for all residents and visitors to our region. We are excited to be part of the Healthy Infrastructure Initiative with the City of Emmetsburg, providing another means to improve the quality of life for the students and communities we serve,” shared Kyle Norris, Executive Dean of the Emmetsburg Campus.

An outdoor bodyweight circuit training system, the Fitness Court®, features integrated shock-resistant sports flooring with seven zones to support a full-body workout. Up to 28 adults of all ages and abilities can utilize the area simultaneously and complete the circuit of seven movement zones in seven minutes.

In addition, a companion app developed by fitness experts will be available on iOS and Android that converts the Fitness Court® into a digitally supported wellness system with video workouts and samples of exercises for each station. Additionally, certified community ambassadors will set up fitness challenges for the community available through QR codes.

Iowa Lakes has already raised significant funds but still needs help from the community to reach the fundraising goal of $150,000. In addition to a $30,000 grant from NFC for the Fitness Court®, Iowa Lakes has obtained funding from community partners, including Ag Processing Incorporated (AGP) and the Palo Alto County Gaming Development Corporation through a partnership with the Emmetsburg Economic Development Corporation.

“Upon completing the project, all citizens, students, and visitors of Palo Alto County will have a free top-notch outdoor fitness center available 24 hours a day, allowing more opportunities to socialize and exercise together while moving toward healthier lifestyles like never before,” said Norris.

If interested in partnering with Iowa Lakes Community College to help complete the Fitness Court®, please contact Kyle Norris, Executive Dean of the Emmetsburg Campus, at 712-852-5244 or Brenda McAllister, Wellness Center Supervisor, at 712-852-5312.

Debbie Durham, Director of Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Iowa Finance Authority (IFA), and Beth Balzer, Manager for Business Development at IEDA, visited Emmetsburg last month to tour the community, learn about business and community development projects, and present key data and priorities from the state.

Director Durham's visit included a tour of Emmetsburg's Downtown Housing Grant Project located at 2117/2119 Main Street, owned by Abby and Justin Burns. The City of Emmetsburg partnered with the property owners to submit an application for the state's Downtown Housing Grant in 2022 and was awarded $300,000 for the project. The project application included significant demo and construction to convert the upper story, which once served as a Masonic temple, to four new apartment units. In line with the state's Downtown Revitalization recommendations, the property owners are preserving historic character in the building by refinishing original wood flooring, adding new electric fireplace inserts to original brick fireplaces, repurposing the large safe into a two-story closet, using Masonic temple doors as an iconic wall feature, and restoring the front windows to their original size of 11' tall. The first two apartments are expected to be available for rent August 1 of this year, and the full project will be wrapped up in early 2024.

The Director's visit also included a stop at Blossoming Creations. The local small business led by example for the state when IEDA rolled out Shop Iowa, an online marketplace for Iowa retailers to list products for sale to consumers. Blossoming Creations jumped on the opportunity, all while operating two other e-commerce stores, managing greenhouses, investing in new equipment and product development, and expanding a physical blueprint downtown.

Following the community tour, the IEDA representatives joined city leaders at The Shores at Five Island for a luncheon where Debbie Durham presented key insights from the state regarding economic trends, marketing and workforce attraction, placemaking, housing development, and more.

The IEDA visit was coordinated by Maureen Elbert and staff at Kossuth/Palo Alto County Economic Development Corporation with assistance from PACEDC board members and the City of Emmetsburg. When asked about the visit City Marketing & Development Coordinator, Gretchen Reichter, shared "We love to show off what Emmetsburg has to offer, and it’s an added bonus to have the opportunity to show state representatives how impactful and vital state grant programs have been and will continue to be as we pursue development projects."

The Click It or Ticket Campaign reminds drivers to buckle up May 22-June 4, and every day. 

The Emmetsburg Police Department is urging drivers to buckle up during the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 22 to June 4, 2023. 

"We want seat belt use to be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike. It's not just a safe thing to do - it's the law. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we'll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life. So often, it could have been prevented."

According to NHTSA, in 2021, there were 11,813 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 57% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.- 5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. That's why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. 

No matter the type of vehicle you're driving in or the type of road you're driving on, the safest way to stay safe in case of a vehicle crash is to wear your seat belt. Unfortunately, many families are suffering because their loved ones refused to follow this simple step. 

NHTSA data shows that seat belt use is higher among females than males. In fact, nearly twice as many males were killed in crashes as a compared to females in 2021. Of the males killed in crashes during that same year, more than half (54%) wee unrestrained. For females killed in crashes, 42% were not buckled up. 

If the enforcement effort alerts people to the dangers of unrestrained driving, we'll consider our mission to be a success. If you know a friend or a family member who does not buckle up when they drive, please ask them to consider changing their habits. Help us spread this lifesaving message before one more friend or family member is killed as a result of not buckling up. seat belts save lives, and everyone - front seat and back, child and adult - needs to remember to buckle up.

Emmetsburg Police Department

712-852-2424 

• Sunday: 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
• Monday: 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
• Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
• Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
• Thursday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
• Friday: 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
• Saturday: 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM

• June 1 - Midland Vibe
  Sponsored by Iowa Trust & Savings Bank
• June 15 - Jeremy DeWall & Nate Reed
  Sponsorship opportunity open
• July 6 - One Layne Band
  Sponsored by The Dental Loft - Dr. Jena Hauswirth and staff
• August 17 - Kris Karr
  Sponsored by Standard Nutrition

• June 1 - Chamber B.A.D. Golf Outing
• June 11 - Emmetsburg Catholic School Tournament
• June 25 - 3 Gal Best Shot
• July 8 - Firemen's Golf Tournament
• July 29 - Men's Open
• August 4 - Horse Race Calcutta | August 6 - Horse Race Tournament
• September 17 - Booster Club Tournament

• On Their Own and OK
• Mindful Teen
• Positive Parenting
• ACT Raising Safe Kids