Stories from Wednesday, October 31, 2012

We don't yet know what the future plans are for the Mineral City property along East Lake Okoboji. But we do know who will be making the decision. Re/Max sales associate Phil Den Herder confirmed that the well-known former restaurant property has been sold to Jim Gardner, owner of The Ritz...

Although Spirit Lake was already leading 29-0 at the time, an incredible hustle play by Brandon Stoll epitomized the never-quit-attitude of this season's Indians. Stoll, a senior linebacker, dove head over heels to save a fumble from going out-of-bounds with less than two minutes remaining in the first half, allowing Brady Mart to take advantage of the situation by taking the ball 35 yards the opposite way for a touchdown in a 43-7 victory over Sheldon in the second round of the Class 2A playoffs Monday, Oct. ...

Will Norris, a savvy senior veteran, raced past Gilbert's Thomas Pollard in the final six-tenths of a mile to win the Class 2A state cross country title Saturday, Oct. 27 in Fort Dodge. "I had heard that he was a good surge runner and I had talked to my coaches about staying consistent and knew that I could pass him up at the finish after he passed me," said a gassed Norris shortly after the race. "I had to stay consistent and know that I was going to catch him."...

Harris-Lake Park knew they had to play a perfect game -- especially with veteran quarterback Colin Brons sidelined with a mild concussion -- to topple top-ranked and undefeated Newell-Fonda on its home field. The Wolves never really got into a rhythm, getting outscored 40-0 the first 20 minutes of the game after an interception in the Mustangs' red zone quickly shifted the momentum toward Newell-Fonda, who ran away with a 47-7 win in the second round of the 8-man playoffs on Monday, Oct. 29...

Every good team has that instrumental team leader that they can't do without, and senior Will Norris has played that role to perfection all season long for Spirit Lake. Norris certainly did his part to put in mileage and get better in anyway he possibly could over the summer, but he also put an emphasis on being a vocal team leader for a young and inexperienced band of Indians at the beginning of the season...

Okoboji closed out an exciting two-week stretch with a ninth place performance at the 2012 state cross country meet Saturday, Oct. 27 in Fort Dodge. The Pioneers, fresh off winning the Class 2A district title at last Thursday's district meet, finished ninth out of 15 teams with a final tally of 222 points at Lakeside Golf Course. Dickinson County rival Spirit Lake came in 27 points ahead of Okoboji in the seventh spot...

Senior Mariah Wills and junior Dondi Schmidt did everything within their power to get on the medal stand, but the Indian duo had what could've been an incredible moment dashed by a matter of seconds after finishing just outside the top-10 at the 2012 state cross country meet Saturday, Oct. 27 at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge...

Clare Eckard capped off an impressive junior campaign for Okoboji by racing across the finish line 41st overall at the 2012 state cross country meet Saturday, Oct. 27 in Fort Dodge. A week after turning in a sixth place clocking of 16:19 at the Class 2A regional competition, Eckard knocked five more seconds off her time in the 4-kilometer race at Lakeside Golf Course with a time of 16 minutes, 14 seconds...

Good teams tend to make their own breaks and for Spirit Lake that proved to be the case as the Indians survived an early scare from MOC-Floyd Valley before pulling out a 24-0 victory to open up the Class 2A playoffs Wednesday, Oct. 24 at Hafer Field...

A hard-hitting, physical defense propelled Harris-Lake Park to a 14-6 victory over North Iowa in the first round of the 8-man playoffs Wednesday, Oct. 24 in Lake Park. "We couldn't have asked for anything more defensively on a night that we just weren't quite as in sync as we normally are offensively," said Harris-Lake Park coach Lane Gunderson...

Maintaing strong leadership is vital to a healthy and successful community and a number of local school administrators have begun working that idea it into their curriculum as part of the Ricochet Program. The program started at Harris-Lake Park in 2006 and is put on by the ISU Extension Office to show students what it takes to become a viable and successful community leader...

To many young kids and adults, he is now known as a blood-sucking, trance-inspiring vampire. To others, he was an evil dictator who made his victims suffer. Bram Stoker and countless movies have embellished the folklore of Vlad Dracula over the last few centuries. ...

In the United States, a certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is a nurse who specializes in the administration of anesthesia. I am a recently retired CRNA who has practiced in Spencer and surrounding communities since 1983. That same year, CRNAs were recognized by law to practice independently. ...

I urge you to vote to retain Iowa Supreme Court Justice David Wiggins. I am convinced that none of the seven justices who unanimously voted for the plaintiffs in the Varnum case did so because of any personal beliefs in favor of gay marriage. They ruled as they did because of their conclusion that the Iowa Constitution, as written, required that result...

During the 2012 presidential campaign, some have asked -- often as an invitation to question President Obama's effectiveness -- "are you better off today than you were four years ago?" The truth is that on many important levels, particularly in terms of significant positive trends, the answer is a resounding, "YES!"...

Sept. 5, 1932 -- Oct. 16, 2012 Robert R. Orris, of Cedar Park, Texas, passed away at the age of 80 on Oct. 16, 2012. He was born Sept. 5, 1932, in Sioux Falls, S.D. to John and Eleanor Orris. Robert is survived by one brother, Gary of Lake Park, and five children, Sandra Strohmeier, Minn., Nancy Ketcham, Spencer, Brad Orris, South Dakota, Susan Marshall, Calif., and Debra Feges, Minn., 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. ...

Oct. 19, 1931 -- Oct. 18, 2012 Merlin "Bubby" Jay Bertness, the son of Herman and Elizabeth (Smith) Bertness, was born on Oct. 19, 1931, on a farm in Buena Vista County. He was baptized at the United Methodist Church in Sioux Rapids and attended school in Sioux Rapids and graduated in 1950...

June 28, 1921 -- Oct. 25, 2012 A funeral service for Deone Reeser, 91, of Spirit Lake was held Monday, October 29, 2012 at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Burial was at Lakeview Cemetery in Spirit Lake. Deone H. Reeser was born June 28, 1921, the daughter of Charles L. and Harriett O. (Marlow) Hawk in Millerton, N. D. Deone was raised and educated in Spirit Lake, graduating from Spirit Lake High School in 1939...

Sept. 8, 1920 -- Oct. 26, 2012 Charlotte Ruth (Erickson) Stinar, the daughter of Edward and Esther (Shefland) Erickson, was born Sept. 8, 1920, in Hunter Township, Jackson County, Minn. Charlotte went peacefully to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Friday, Oct. 26, 2012 at the Hilltop Care Center in Spirit Lake, where she had been a resident for the last three years, at the age of 92...