Stories from Wednesday, January 20, 2010

A defensive showdown between Lakes Conference rivals Spirit Lake and Spencer certainly lived up to its billing, as both teams failed to break the 50-point mark despite going to double overtime. The Indians nailed three late three-pointers to force overtime before Mary Brown took over the second extra session with five points to lift SL to a 47-44 victory Tuesday night in girls basketball action...

Movie: "Sherlock Holmes" Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan, Kelly Reilly Screen Story by Lionel Wigram and Michael Robert Johnson Screenplay by Michael Robert Johnson and Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg...

About three years ago my family and I moved to Spirit Lake from New England. Having the choice to relocate anywhere in the Midwest, we chose Spirit Lake because of its school district. Yes, having family in town sweetened the deal but it was the caliber of education that really sealed our choice towards Spirit Lake...

April 10, 1922 - Jan. 18, 2010 Frances Parker Ross of Spirit Lake, Iowa, died Jan. 18, 2010 of congestive heart failure in Prescott, Ariz. She was born April 10, 1922 at her farm home near Newburg, Iowa. She majored in music at Grinnell College where she met her husband, Bob Ross in 1939. ...

Move over Murdoch, meet Harris-Lake Park's latest group of gumshoes responsible for the "Weekly Fort," the elementary school's primary source of news, jokes, comics and weather. The idea for the publication came to founders and fifth graders Zach Ehret and Josh Bridgeman. After building a fort just over a year ago, the two decided their precipice needed a communication mode...

Terry and Lori Sheeler of Lake Park, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Brittany Sheeler, to Ken Brennan, son of Marty and Barb Brennan of Emmetsburg. Brittany graduated from Augustana College in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in Communication Disorders. ...

As the new Executive Director of the Iowa Great Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross, Cindy Voss is a point person for five counties in the region. She's going to know two of those counties especially well. The Spirit Lake mother of two will commute to the regional office in Spencer's Gateway North Center at 1900 North Grand Avenue...

Aug. 4, 1920 - Jan. 14, 2010 Services will be at a later date at The United Methodist Church in Terril for Imogene N. Gardner, 90, who passed away Jan. 14 at Midland Hospice in Topeka, Kan. Imogene N. (Zenor) Gardner was born in Terril, on August 4, 1920. ...

July, 16, 1942 - Jan. 5 2010 Funeral services were held 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010, at Community Presbyterian Church, 417 N. Williams St. in Post Falls Idaho, for James Evan Dickinson, 68, who passed away Jan. 5, 2010. Jim was born in July 16, 1942, in Spirit Lake to Robert and Evelyn Dickinson. Jim, being one of five children, was extremely close to family to this day...

Funeral services were held Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010, at Grace Lutheran Church in Spirit lake for Nina Peterson Wood of Spirit Lake and formerly of Royal. Rev. Charles Gilbert officiated the service, with interment at Willow Creek Cemetery in Royal.

Graveside services were held Thursday, Jan. 14 at the Milford Cemetery. Military for Phil W. Nelson, 63, of Milford, who passed away Sunday, Jan.10, 2010, at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames.

Funeral services for Eleonore A. Helm, 75, of Okoboji and formerly of Cincinnati were held at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 11, 2010, at Good News Community Church in Okoboji. Eleonore passed away Monday, Jan. 4, 2010.

Feb. 28, 1939-Jan. 11, 2010 Joy Lee Ferguson, 69, passed away Jan. 11,2010 at her husband Robert Ferguson's house in Cement City, Mich. She was born Feb. 28,1939, as Joy Lee Van Der Aarde to Elmer and Gretchen Van Der Aarde of Milford with her Brother Robert Van Der Aarde. The family suffered from hereditary diabetes and preceded her death as Joyce was the last survivor of the Van Der Aarde family...

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Memorial Presbyterian Church in Cherokee for Delores "Dee" Osborn, formerly Delores Pedersen, 76, of Spirit Lake, and, formerly of Cherokee who passed away Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010, at The Gardens in Cherokee.

The Spirit Lake Noon Kiwanis Club sponsors a paper recycling program that is the club's largest fundraiser. A trailer is parked at the City of Spirit Lake's recycling center, just south of Fareway, where people can drop off any paper they do not want anymore. ...

Last week, I became ill. What started with a tight feeling in my throat Saturday morning began to weigh down my head, and, by Saturday evening, my entire being. I'm going to give full disclosure right now that I have a very low threshold for pain - and while I'm being honest - ailments in general...

Nearly two years ago I spoke before a large community gathering at a school board meeting because I felt passionately that our school board was leading us away from the child-centered quality education we had so carefully built in this school district...

Brutal temps and large amounts of snow had sparked fears about the fate of Winter Games ice activities, but snow packing and slush freezes on pertinent areas including Smith's Bay in Arnolds Park are giving planners every reason to believe beloved activities such as broomball will go ahead as usual...

Dickinson County Trails resurfacing project Total Cost: $233,932 Contractor: OMG D/B/A Tri-State Paving of Estherville The plan: Resurfacing, crack filling, patching and treatment application to existing asphalt on trail The recent allocation of $186,000 in state federal stimulus money will help give a boost to existing portions of the Dickinson County trail through a series of repaving projects...

A Spirit Lake manufacturer is expanding its retail and international foothold with the purchase of a California-based company. Brown Medical Industries on Jan. 4 announced its acquisition IMAK Products Corporation of San Diego, a pain relief and orthopaedics manufacturer...

In a game of runs, Spirit Lake powered back after falling behind by 10 points to Dickinson County rival Okoboji, using a 18-4 spurt to move ahead for the first time and a 47-23 run over the final three quarters to pull away for a 50-36 victory Saturday, Jan. 16 in girls basketball action at Spirit Lake High School...

Okoboji controlled the first three quarters of the contest, but Spirit Lake took charge when it mattered the most in crunch time, outscoring the Pioneers 14-9 in the final eight minutes on the way to a 49-45 win in the annual Dickinson County showdown Saturday, Jan. 16 at Spirit Lake High School...

The Graettinger/Terril wrestling team had four individual champions and won five other placing matches for a top-three finish at the Northwest Conference/Twin Lakes Conference Tournament in Pocahontas. The Knights were still unable to fully overtake eventual conference champ Rockwell City-Lytton/Southern Cal and league runner-up Manson Northwest Webster for the team title Saturday, Jan. 16...

The Okoboji wrestling team picked up a third-place finish out of 10 teams in a return to Rock Valley on Saturday, Jan. 16 for the Boyden Hull/Rock Valley Invitational. The Pioneers scored 122 points to finish behind Sheldon/South O'Brien with 180 points and host BH/RV with 123.5 points...

The Spirit Lake Park wrestling team came away with two dual wins, but struggled mightily in duals with Linn-Mar of Marion, Blue Earth Area and Forest City Saturday, Jan. 16 at the Estherville Lincoln Central Duals. "We basically learned that we can be more physical based on how the other teams competed against us," said SLP wrestling coach Rick Vander Woude. ...