Stories from Wednesday, August 3, 2011

10 local players from Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire and Harris-Lake Park were given postseason recognition after being named to the recently released 2011 All-Cornbelt Conference Baseball Team. After finishing in sole possession of third place in the Cornbelt, the Knights finished with six total All-Conference selections. ...

Five Harris-Lake Park and Graettinger-Terril athletes were named to the 2011 All-Cornbelt Conference Softball Team by the coaches this past week. The Wolves were represented by one first teamer in senior shortstop Anna Brandt. Freshman pitcher Macy Gunderson, sophomore center fielder Lydia Brandt and freshman first baseman Noreen Morrow were all named to the second team, while freshman utility player Emily Anderson garnered honorable mention accolades...

The season's racing action continues to produce new winners and plenty of action as July winds down at the Jackson Speedway. With the racers' thoughts starting to turn towards the upcoming Nationals later in August, there was another night of great action for KKOGJ/KRAQ Radio and Tom Finke Excavating Night at the historic half-mile on Saturday, July 30...

Spirit Lake senior Mitch Peschon found himself in rare company for the second year in a row after getting selected to the 2011 All-State baseball team Tuesday by the Iowa Newspaper Association, which picked first, second and third teams and captains for classes 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A...

Aug. 22, 1925 -- July 27, 2011 Albert E. (Sonny) Thacker Jr. of Milford, passed away Wednesday, July 27, 2011, at the age of 85. Albert Thacker was born in Sioux City on August 22, 1925, to Albert E. Thacker Sr. and Margaret Thacker. He was a graduate of South Sioux City High School and Morningside College in Sioux City. ...

July 17, 1917 -- July 26, 2011 Funeral services for Esther Brown, 94, of Spirit Lake were held Monday, Aug. 1, 2011 at First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake. Burial was at Memory Gardens. Esther Helen Brown was born July 17, 1917, to Elmer and Stella (Kimball) Bisbee in Spencer. After graduation from Spencer High School, she worked as an assistant librarian at the public library and later as the high school librarian...

June 27, 1922 -- July 22, 2011 Glen Taylor, formerly of Milford, died Friday, July 22, at Mercy Hospice in Johnston, following a lengthy illness. A humble man with a great sense of humor, Glen led a highly-principled life, driven by three passions: family, farming, and the fantastic Boston Red Sox...

Aug. 13, 1936 -- July 27, 2011 Joan Carol Ditsworth, age 74, of Spirit Lake, passed away Wednesday, July 27, 2011, at the Milford Nursing Center. She was born on Aug. 13, 1936, in Glenville, Minn., to Maynard and Lurline (Feltner) Drake. Joan graduated from Mankato High School in 1954. She was united in marriage to Arvin C. Ditsworth on June 12, 1955, in Mankato, Minn.. Arvin passed away on August 8, 2008...

Dec. 6, 1949 -- July 18, 2011 Funeral services for Pamela Ann Thee, 61, of Milford were held Monday, July 25, 2011, at Harbor of Joy Lutheran Church in Milford. Interment was at Pleasant View Cemetery in Hartley. Online condolences may be sent at www.turnerfuneralhomes.com...

Dick and Loretta McClain of Harris will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday Aug. 13, with an open house from 2-4 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Lake Park. Let your presence be your gift.

Amanda Lindsey and Lucas Vangsness, along with their parents, are proud to announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Amanda is the daughter of Dustin and Jeri Lindsey of Spirit Lake. Lucas is the son of Senster and Janet Vangsness of Leonard, N.D. Amanda is a graduate of Spirit Lake High School and South Dakota State University. Lucas is a graduate of Kindred (N.D.) High School and North Dakota State University...

I have been preaching through the New Testament book of 1 John and would like to share with you some of the truths and challenges that come from this beloved apostle who had heard, seen, touched and was taught in person by God Almighty. John writes his letter because he wants us to look to and experience the intimacy that he had experienced. We can now experience it through the Holy Spirit, who lives inside of us and we can look forward to the day that we live in His presence...

Give Don Sievers some cedar, fiberglass and a winter's worth of time, and he could quite easily churn out a 16-foot canoe ready to cruise the Great Lakes. Heck, in one winter, he built three canoes, all on his own. The last three winters, Sievers has spent numerous hours in his garage with the wood burning furnace ablaze, the sounds of saws, sanding and hammering filling the air...

Current marijuana use among youth increased for the first time in almost 10 years, according to recently released data from a national survey (NSDUH). For the first time in the annual survey, titled "Monitoring the Future" more high school students reported smoking marijuana than tobacco; a twist that points to changing attitudes toward the country's most popular illegal drug. ...

Think back to when you were a kid trying to decide which of your new school clothes you would wear for that special first day. You wanted to look your best so you would fit in, right? For over 25 years, Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc. (UDMO), your local, private, community action agency, has made that possible for Dickinson county low-income children...

Despite the heavy rainfall that covered the docks and a good share of the playground area, along with heat indexes over 100 degrees, the 60 campers and many volunteers enjoyed a wonderful weekend at Joy Camp, hosted at Camp Okoboji, July 14. This was my first year to volunteer and I was truly impressed with the leadership of Dawn Strum and her husband, Mike, the dedicated staff of volunteers, and the enthusiasm of the campers...

With a struggling economy, starting an art collection would seem like a difficult and expensive task, but Rebecca Peters has managed to collect pieces of art on a fixed budget. Peters, who works for media promotions and sponsorships at the Clay County Fair, has been collecting water color and oil paintings to decorate her office and home for seven years now...

July usually does not see much action other then grilling, baseball and swimming, but here in the Iowa Great Lakes, the locals had plenty to talk about. The month began with the usual fourth of July celebration along with the inaugural Spirit Lake Days. Plenty of rain and heat also accompanied the month...

The emergency rule that kept watercraft operators from exceeding 5 mph within 600 feet of Iowa Great Lakes shorelines has been lifted. Dickinson County Emergency Management and the Iowa DNR ended wake restrictions Tuesday due to improved conditions on the Iowa Great Lakes...

The usual tight quarters, and loud clanking accompanied with typical MRI scans are a thing of the past at Lakes Regional Healthcare as radiologists welcomed in a new state of the art, wide-bore MRI or magnetic resonance imaging system that was installed last week...

Not worried about a jinx, University of Okoboji Corvette Club President Jack Barr said the Vettes in the Park has never been rained out in it's 16-year history. "Over 2,000 people come out, and a lot of them are just families who are at the amusement park and happen to stop by and check out the cars," Barr said...

Traffic violation yields marijuana possession At approximately 1:30 a.m. Saturday, July 23, a white 2004 Toyota Tundra was stopped by the Spirit Lake Police Department near the junction of Highway 9 and Highway 71 for a traffic-related violation. Upon further investigation, the occupants of the vehicle were found to be in possession of a substance believed to be marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and alcohol as minors. ...