Stories from Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Flood fears rise as winter melt sets in (03/10/10)
Emergency management services make '93 comparisons, assess current risk The hardy dose of winter that Mother Nature deposited on the doorstep of Dickinson County is raising flood fears among Lakes area residents. During a February 23 Board of Supervisors meeting, Mike Ehret, Dickinson County Emergency Management/911 coordinator, met with board members to share some initial findings on the current flood risks in the county...

Popular campground gets federal funding (03/10/10)
One of the more popular campgrounds in the Iowa Great Lakes will see an upgrade, according to District Parks Supervisor Frank Rickerl for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Tracking equipment helps treacherous search (03/10/10)
"Hours" is the answer Dickinson County Deputy Josh Roberts gives when he's asked how much time a thermal imager saved in a search for a snowmobiler stranded on a frozen lake in the middle of the night.

Know before you throw: Conservation Board offers tips for safe spring cleaning (03/10/10)
It might not look like it, but spring is around the corner. As cabin fever gives way to the spring cleaning itch, there might be a few materials gathering dust in your basement that are unsafe or even illegal to toss in the trash.

G-T's Neilson hauls in more postseason honors (03/10/10)
Graettinger-Terril senior Tasha Neilson continued to pile up postseason accolades, earning a spot on the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Class 1A Northwest Iowa All-District Basketball Team just a few days after being named to the first team in the Cornbelt Conference...

Three area wrestlers to compete in all-state meet (03/10/10)
The Northwest Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association will be hosting the second annual Senior All-Star Folkstyle Wrestling Meet in Cherokee on March 12 starting at 6:30 p.m. There is no charge for the event, but a free will donation will be accepted. ...

Can streaking Cats do damage in the Big Dance? (03/10/10)
At first glance, the Northern Iowa men's basketball team doesn't exactly pass the so-called eye test. They aren't flashy, they don't put up a ton of points and they don't have any five-star recruits, but they definitely are a team to watch for in the NCAA Tournament because of how deep, experienced and well coached they are...

Fresh starts in life take a degree of patience (03/10/10)
The title creeping up on Rondi Miller this spring is "empty-nester." Her 18-year-old son, Eric, graduated early. He's already signed off on a four-year enlistment in the Navy. "He'll be gone in 30 days," Rondi said on Friday.

InPulse tickets available (03/10/10)
The a cappella group, InPulse, will perform their special holiday show in the Lauridsen Performing Arts Theatre of the Pearson Lakes Art Center at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9.

Melvin E. "Bud" Busch (03/10/10)
A funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 10, at Bethany Evangelical and Reformed Church in Ledyard for Melvin E. "Bud" Busch.

Harry Dudley Smith (03/10/10)
Sept. 7, 1930 -- Feb. 5, 2010 A February memorial was held at the American Legion Post #27 in Apache Junction, Ariz., for Harry Dudley Smith. Harry was born in Little Rock, Ark. He and his mother traveled to Spirit Lake by bus when he was a very young boy and his mother took employment as a nanny for the family of Herb Boehm. Later, his mother and Herb were married...

Paul W. Boutwell (03/10/10)
Memorial services were held Sunday, March 7, for Paul W. Boutwell, 85, of Janesville, Wis. at Cedar Crest Memorial Chapel in Janesville. Mr. Boutwell, the father of Paula Henry, passed away Thursday, March 4, at Mercy Medical Center in Janesville.

Cheryl Renee Dykshoorn Buren (03/10/10)
Funeral services were held Wednesday, March 3, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Royal for Cheryl Renee Dykshoorn Buren, who passed away Feb. 28 at Spencer Hospital at the age of 57.

Killion-Klein to wed (03/10/10)
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick W. Killion, III of Mobile, Ala., are pleased to announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Megan Kathleen, to Ted Daniel Klein, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ted J. Klein of Spirit Lake. Megan is a 2004 graduate of McGill-Toolen Catholic High School. She is a 2008 graduate from Tulane University in New Orleans, earning a B.S. in Neuroscience and Classical Studies. She is currently completing a Master of Science in Human Genetics from Tulane University...

Davis-Jordan engagement announced (03/10/10)
Marian Davis of London, Ky., and Pam and Mike Jordan of Spirit Lake, are pleased to announce the engagement of their children, Katherine Elizabeth Davis and Robert Patrick Jordan.

Aeikens-Bitterman wedding planned (03/10/10)
Richard Bitterman and Amanda Aeikens would like to announce their engagement. Parents of the couple are Dale and Terri Bitterman of Parkston, S.D., and Glenn and Pat Aeikens of Spirit Lake.

I promise, I didn't phone this column in (03/10/10)
Whew, it looks like I may just dodge a bullet this week. Reports Monday said the Iowa House approved a measure to ban any cell phone use by drivers age 14-17. I slip by that age bracket ever so slightly. The sentiment down in Des Moines is that teenagers are responsible for most electronic communication behind the wheel.

Nature's big picture (03/10/10)
The "animal lovers" in your front page headline [March 3]seem to be rather selective in the animals they choose to love. No mention was made about the native animals these imported predators kill each and every year. We in the lakes area are ever vigilant about invasive aquatic species. ...

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