Stories from Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Cross Country is a very physically and mentally demanding sport that takes countless hours of year-round preparation. Spirit Lake junior Alec Baldwin is a perfect example of what can happen when you put in the training and fully dedicate yourself to being a distance runner...

Recently returned veterans in Dickinson County have a friend in Ernie Cupp. As the director of Dickinson County Veteran Affairs, Cupp is an expert at helping service men and women navigate their way through the benefits offered to them upon their return. From his initial meeting with a returning veteran, Cupp is committed to finding which needs need to be met.

So, you've managed to avoid the novel flu and have stocked so much Vitamin C in your house that it will be nearly impossible to catch a cold this year, but that sharp pain in your wrist/foot/rib/stomach just keeps coming back. What could it be? Obviously, if you're concerned about sharp pains anywhere in your body, we advise seeing a doctor to get real medical advice. But here's a starter guide to figuring out what may be causing those aches and pains.

Dustin Lowe, 18, of Spirit Lake, was arrested for theft in the fifth degree at 1:05 p.m. on Oct. 19. Shana Anderson, 30, of Spirit Lake, was arrested for unlawful use of drivers license and driving while suspended and cited for expired plates at 8:19 a.m. Oct. 20.

The current climate change legislation introduced by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) is extremely unfair to Iowa, and the Midwest in particular. In a review of the pending climate change legislation (HR2454 and S1733), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published a report that finds because the Midwest relies more heavily on affordable, coal-fired generation, the Midwest will end up paying more than its fair share to help protect the environment.

Without notice Mediacom has removed C-Span 2 from our normal (analog) cable reception. C-Span 2 was one of best public interest channels we had on our cable system. Maybe you haven't noticed that C-Span 2 was eliminated or thought that C-Span 2 was just moved to a higher channel number? The removal was made without informing Mediacom subscribers that C-Span 2 was being dropped from the normal cable lineup.

On Thursday, Nov. 19, Iowa Hospice will offer its annual Holiday Grief Workshop. This is a chance for members of the community to learn about ways to better cope with grief issues during the upcoming holiday season and beyond.

Remember how hard you tried to follow those instructions to "stay inside the lines" when you sat down with those childhood coloring books? It's one of the first things we teach kids when they pick up a crayon: "Try to stay in the lines." Would it surprise you to learn that I was one of those kids who drew on extras to those coloring book pages?

The cast of Harris-Lake Park High School's upcoming production of "Cinderella" has had to balance their visits to the enchanted kingdoms of other fall extracurriculars, including volleyball and football, to bring the production to life.

Okoboji's drama students will be transformed into hillbillies this weekend for the opening of the fall musical "Li'l Abner." Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13 and 14 in the Okoboji High School Auditorium.

Sharla Smook and Seth Larson were married June 5, 2009, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Milford, with Msgr. Kenneth Siefried officiating. Parents of the couple are Tim and Barb Smook of Spirit Lake and Sheree and Todd Keller of Twin Brooks, S.D. and Marc Larson of Janesville, Wisc.

Randolph S. Arand of North Liberty and Timothy J. McIlrath of Okoboji are pleased to announce their engagement. A May 2010 wedding at Gull Point State Park is planned, followed by a wedding trip to Australia. Randy and Tim plan to reside in Okoboji following the wedding.

Oct. 27, 2009 - Oct. 23, 2009 Funeral services were held Oct. 27, 2009 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake for Richard Riley Ayres, 81, of Spirit Lake, who passed away Oct. 23, 2009 at Lakes Regional Healthcare as the result of a massive heart attack...

Funeral mass was held Nov. 4 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Milford for Helen R. Zeigler, 81, of Milford, who passed away Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009, at the Milford Nursing Center in Milford. Interment was at Calvary Cemetery. She was born on June 9, 1928, in Kendall, S.D., to Walter and Gladys (Morgan) Crotty.

Funeral services were held Nov. 3 at First Lutheran Church in West Okoboji for Teleen B. Wilson, 95, who passed away Oct. 30 at the Milford Nursing Center where she had resided since the fall of 2006.

Funeral services were held Nov. 8 at the First Congregational Church in Spencer for Murray S. Underwood, 88, of Spencer and former Iowa Third District Court Judge,who passed away on Nov. 5, 2009, at the Spencer Hospital after a brief illness. Revs. Tom and Wendy Van Tassell officiated. Interment was at Peterson Cemetery.

Funeral services were held Nov. 5 at the Good News Community Church in Okoboji for Ruth Ann Robinson, 74, who passed away Oct. 30 at her son's home in Milford. Pastor John Messer officiated.

Funeral services were held Nov. 9 at the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sibley for Donna Mae Hattendorf, 75, who passed away Nov. 6, 2009 at Osceola Community Hospital in Sibley. Rev. Scott Meyer officiated. Interment was at Ocheyedan Township Cemetery in Ocheyedan.

Farmers across Dickinson County are feeling the effects of a record-setting slow harvest. Larry Lago, Dickinson County executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency notes that this past month marked the wettest October for the Lakes area since 1881.

Armstrong-Ringsted came out and punched Graettinger/Terril in the mouth from the opening kickoff, delivering an early blow when Tyler Tonderum found paydirt on the Mustang's first drive less than two minutes into the game. The Knights never quite figured out how to respond, having their hopes of winning a state championship dashed in the blink of an eye after the Mustangs scored on their next six possessions and 10 of its 11 drives in the contest, en route to a 70-19 victory Friday, Nov. ...

The Okoboji football team was able to land six players on the 2009 Class 2A District 2 All-District Football Team despite finishing the season with a lackluster 1-8 overall record and 1-5 in district mark. 5-11, 240-pound offensive guard Kelly Kaufman and 5-10, 190-pound inside linebacker Tate Hanson were the only two players to earn first team accolades for the Pioneers. ...