Stories from Wednesday, April 20, 2011

April 21, 1932 -- Friday, April 15, 2011 Richard A. Kestel, age 78, of Arnolds Park, passed away Friday, April 15, 2011, at Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake. He was born on April 21, 1932, in Storm Lake, to Albert and Catherine (Grigsby) Kestel...

The Spirit Lake Park-Okoboji girls soccer team scooted past Storm Lake 2-0 to capture its third win in a row April 18 in Lakes Conference action. Senior Shelby Rohlf scored the first goal with 16 minutes left in the first half. She chipped over the Tornado keeper from about 18 yards out. Sophomore Alissa Christoffer had a scoring attempt saved around the 10 minute mark of the first half...

Although the mile race between Spirit Lake Park's Alec Baldwin and Glenwood's Johnny Fuller never came to fruition after getting all of the pre-meet fanfare, Baldwin and the Indians still managed to leave their mark with two relay titles and an individual crown in the 1600-meter run April 16 at the Sioux City Relays...

The Okoboji boys came away with three top-five relay finishes and two excellent high hurdles races from Zach Jones April 16 at the Sioux City Relays. Despite temperatures being well below average for this late in the spring, Jones still managed to burn up the track in his first two races before banging his knee on a hurdle in the shuttle hurdle relay and being forced to drop out of the distance medley for precautionary reasons. ...

Sophomore Kendra Stokke continued her strong start to the season with a pair of top five performances Saturday, April 16 at the Sioux City Relays. Stokke placed third in the all-class 400-meter hurdles and fourth in the high jump competition, grabbing a spot on the podium on both occasions. ...

The Spirit Lake-Okoboji girls tennis team has consistently been in a class of their own in Lakes Conference play this season, and they proved once again why they have legitimate state team aspirations after sweeping rival Spencer April 18 on the road...

Leading scorer Zubeen Azari booted three second-half goals in less than 10 minutes to propel the Spirit Lake Park-Okoboji boys soccer team to a 4-0 shutout win over Storm Lake April 18 in Lakes Conference play. Azari now has seven goals in his past three matches for SLP-O, which is 3-1 on the season and in league play...

The Spirit Lake girls garnered another golf win April 12, this time defeating NSK/AR and Harris-Lake Park in a non-conference triangular at Okoboji View Golf Course. The Indians posted a 182, followed by NSK/AR with a 222 and H-LP at 238. Senior Maureen Owens was the meet medalist for the third straight time this season with a 3-over-par round of 40. ...

Zubeen Azari netted two goals for the second straight contest to continue his assault on the Spirit Lake Park-Okoboji scoring record and lift his team to a 5-1 boys soccer win over West Sioux April 12 in Lakes Conference play. "It was a very narrow field and it was difficult for us to generate width," said SLP-O coach Bill Cochran-Bray. ...

Playing with a new cast of characters in the mix from Ruthven-Ayrshire didn't seem to faze the GT/RA boys golf team as they slipped past Clay Central-Everly for an eight stroke dual win April 12 in the 2011 Cornbelt Conference opener for both schools...

A Sioux Falls, S.D. man convicted for his role in a fatal boating collision will be returning to prison. Judge John Duffy on Monday revoked the probation of Justin Allen Nearman at the conclusion a court hearing at the Dickinson County Courthouse. The Sioux Falls man was driving a boat on Aug. 12, 2005, when it collided with another vessel on West Lake Okoboji...

The Spirit Lake School District is moving ahead with plans to install a playing surface not commonly found at high schools in northwest Iowa. Field turf is expected to be installed over the summer as part of a larger plan to replace the track surrounding Hafer Field. Under current plans, the artificial surface with have alternating shades of green, with the end zones marked off in school colors...

DATE: Thursday April 21 TIME: 7 p.m. 
LOCATION: Pearson Lakes Art Center 
ADDRESS: 2201 Highway 71 Okoboji, IA 51355
 TICKETS: This is a free showing
 MORE INFORMATION: http://www.greenfiremovie.com or call the Nature Center (712) 336-6352...

"Imagine" Okoboji Jazz Band director Greg Forney tells his students has they ruffle their sheet music in an otherwise empty band room. Imagine 600 people are in the audience and a row of judges are taking notes in the back of an auditorium. "That's what we're doing when we're practicing at 7:15 in the morning," the director says. "We really imagine they are there."...

The Bedell Family YMCA has to be congratulated on the wonderful Healthy Kids Superhero program that was available on April 16! My family was very happy to see the professionalism, creativity and enthusiastic spirits of the Bedell Family YMCA. I have 2 kids who participated in the numerous activities that truly made them feel like superheroes! This was a wonderful opportunity for all kids to participate in physical activity and encourage them to "play." With all the staff and volunteers available, it was clear this was no easy task and required detailed planning and execution. ...

This week the Iowa house spent the majority of our time debating budget appropriation bills. All of these bills have now passed and it is time for the Senate and the House to negotiate an agreement so our budget can be approved and signed by the Governor. ...

Bob Miller Superintendent, Okoboji Community Schools Those of you who reside in the "Twitter" universe will understand the meaning of 140 characters. For those of you not there yet, Twitter is a form of social networking and I use it to communicate with other educational leaders, family and friends. ...

Dennis and Diana Kies of Spirit Lake are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Rochelle Kies, to John Zempel, son of Lenn "Manny" and Diane Zempel of Spirit Lake. Rochelle is a 2005 graduate of Spirit Lake High School. She earned an Associate degree in Nursing from Iowa Lakes Community College in 2008 and a bachelor's degree in Nursing from the University of Iowa in 2009. ...

The family of Roger Mayer, formerly of May City/Milford areas invite friends and family to wish him a happy 80th birthday. He will turn 80 on May 3rd and greetings to him would make his day. Cards may be sent to: Roger Mayer 251 Patterson Rd. Lot A18...

Baby boy Isaac Anthony Caviness was born March 28 at 10:27 a.m. at Saint Anthony Hospital in Carroll. He weighed 6 pounds 8 1/2 ounces and is 19 1/2 inches long. Parents are Nathan and Carrie (Thatcher) Caviness of Carroll. Big brother, Ethan is 22 months old. Maternal grandparents are Chuck and Mary Thatcher of Breda. Paternal grandparents are Gary and Carole Caviness of Spirit Lake...

March 24, 1921 -- April 13, 2011 Funeral services for Bill Chaffin, 90, of Milford were held Friday, April 15, 2011, at Union Memorial Church in Milford. Burial was at Milford Cemetery in Milford. William Edward Chaffin was born March 24, 1921, in rural Milford the son of Glen and Isa (Stinehart) Chaffin. He was educated in the Milford School...

The Spirit Lake-Okoboji boys tennis team missed a golden opportunity to take down perennial Lakes Conference power Spencer, faltering in three tight matches to start the dual in an eventual 5-3 setback that was prematurely ended by rain April 18 at Speier Park...