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Local health officials said some changes are expected regarding the national distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, but they anticipate Iowa's allotment of vaccines will remain consistent. "Up until this point, Operation Warp Speed was holding back 5 percent of allocations in case of vaccine handling issues, which was created as a safeguard to have the availability to send out new supply immediately if the original was damaged," Dickinson County Public Health Director Katy Burke said. ...

The Iowa Great Lakes community lost one of its pioneer environmentalists, Berkley Bedell, this past summer at age 98. His was a journey of causes and intrigue, and one might have expected his golden years to be laid back. But that was not the nature of the man...

A handful of sentences from state Sen. Zach Whiting ahead of his prepared remarks Thursday in the Iowa Senate have drawn criticism from the Des Moines Black Liberation Movement. The group released a statement Friday calling for the northwest Iowa legislator's removal from office, saying Whiting's account of June happenings at Iowa's Capitol were "an exaggerated farce to say the least, empowered by his bold racism and general fear of Black people." Whiting feels critics are unduly applying a racial element to his statements — which he said were made off the cuff in response to comments from State Sen. ...

The National Association of State Park’s Directors has recognized the Iowa State Park Passport for extraordinary achievement among people, projects and programs in managing state park systems. NASPD awarded the State Park Passport with a Presidential Award for Corporate Partnership, honoring the leadership and innovation of Travel Iowa and Bandwango working alongside the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to create the successful passport program, especially engaging park visitors safely during the national pandemic.. ...

It was 1897 when little Virginia O’Hanlon wrote her famous query to The New York Sun, “Is there a Santa Claus?” The editor turned the letter over to Francis Pharcellus Church to answer. The result is a timeless piece of wisdom that applies as beautifully this holiday season as it did long ago...

Cor PowerSports, the NASCAR of snowmobile racing is coming to East Lake Okoboji for the inaugural Okoboji 100 races on Jan. 23-24. Now in its 10th year, the Somerset, Wisconsin, group hosts a series of cross-country snowmobile races across the Midwest. The local snowmobile club, the Dickinson County SnowHawks was instrumental in bringing Cor PowerSports to the area...

After an 0-5 start to the regular season, the Spirit Lake girls basketball team recently clinched its third win in four games with a 37-34 road victory over Lakes Conference power Western Christian. While the Wolfpack have struggled — uncharacteristically — to a 3-11 record this season, the win was a signature victory for Spirit Lake in its first season under new head coach Todd Rogers and signifies the squad's improvement...

  Arnolds Park Amusement Park announced its Winter Games schedule of activities with human foosball, food trucks, three concerts and the Okoboji Kite Festival headlining the event. The Winter Games weekend at the park facilities starts on Thursday night with the Iowa Rock and Roll Music Association hosting The Mr. V Trio & The Iowa Rock 'N Roll All-Stars with music of the Buddy Holly/Ritchie Valens/Big Bopper era...

Total Baseball Development in Milford will host a trio of events in late January. The first event of the weekend is a free virtual meet and greet from 7:30-8:15 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29. Go to facebook.com/TBDFallLeague to take part in the live event for the Iowa Great Lakes American Legion team. ...