Supervisors recommend denial of Twister Farms permit

Bob and Donna Juber aren’t calling Wednesday morning’s developments at the courthouse an outright victory, but at the very least, they’re a pleasant surprise.

“There’s no guarantee it’s going to be approved. There’s no guarantee it’s going to be denied. This is only a step,” Mrs. Juber said. “(But) you have to stand up and openly say it, not sit and complain.”

An organized effort to discourage the Hardin County Board of Supervisors from offering its support to a controversial hog confinement near the vintage Victorian house made famous in “Twister” proved successful, as Renee McClellan and BJ Hoffman voted in favor of recommending that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) deny a permit for the 2,490-head unit southeast of Eldora—overriding chairman Lance Granzow in the process.

The recommendation, however, will likely do little to stop the building from going up because the DNR has the final say with its Master Matrix. A denial simply triggers a more thorough state review of the site, which scored a passing grade of 445 points upon an inspection by county assessor Don Knoell.

Read the full story in the December 29 Index.