Stories from Wednesday, January 9, 2013

The 17th-ranked Iowa Lakes wrestling team will be one of 64 teams competing in five divisions on 12 mats with one vision this upcoming weekend at the 2012 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)/Cliff Keen Multi-National Duals Jan. 12-13, 2013 at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, Ill...

Spirit Lake streaked to its fifth win in a row with an impressive 44-32 road win over Emmetsburg Tuesday night in Lakes Conference play. "For us to get a conference road victory says a lot about the direction we are heading," said Spirit Lake coach Nate Loenser. ...

Spirit Lake executed well offensively and pushed the pace every moment they got, soaring to a 57-20 victory over Emmetsburg despite playing without all-state guard K.J. Veldman for the second straight game Tuesday night in Lakes Conference play. After scoring just one basket in the first four minutes, the Indians put up 55 points in the final 28 minutes of the contest...

The Iowa Lakes Community College men's basketball squad broke back into this week's NJCAA Div. II Top 25 coaches' poll at #15, after defeating conference rival Des Moines Area Community College, a ranked opponent last Saturday in Estherville. The Lakers, now 8-4 overall and 3-1 in the conference, face ABCD prep tomorrow (Jan. 9) at 7:30 p.m. following the women's game that starts at 5:30...

Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture was making his way back from an international trip when a pre-Christmas snowstorm bogged down his return. Flights were delayed and roads were slick as the Des Moines area was socked in with blizzard conditions. Northey's elected office keeps him in the capital city, but his thoughts turned to his Dickinson County farm on the Friday afternoon before Christmas. ...

An effort to establish more low- and moderate-income housing in Lake Park received a green light from the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, Jan. 2. The five-member board voted to release funding to a newly-formed Lake Park Housing Authority -- about $414,000 in revenue has been generated through Tax Increment Financing through a pair of housing development projects between 2001 and 2003...

Winter Games organizers on Monday announced the eight cheerleaders who will be honored during the 33rd University of Okoboji Winter Games. The list features volunteers with a wide range of talents. They are: Marlys Nichols, Norm Johnson, Scott Trautman, Matt Schmeling, Jen Johnson, Jantina Carney, Rachelle Fratzke and Jamie Jostand...

Calvary United Methodist Church is joining other religious leaders throughout the country in a peace prayer vigil advocating peace among families, schools, communities, the nation and the world. Pastor Sarah Rohret said this is the Arnolds Park church's first year participating in the event, which will take place at noon, Friday, Jan. 11...

Some of the most incredible emotions I have experienced in my life have come since the arrival of my 3-year-old son. The enjoyment of fatherhood has completely taken me by surprise -- has it ever been a blessing. Each day is a new experience, full of excitement, laughter and learning -- I truly have something to live for...

Spirit Lake Park came up just a point short of capturing the team championship, faltering 40-39 to MOC-Floyd Valley in the final dual of the evening Friday, Jan. 4 at the Indian Duals. "Looking at them on paper, we knew it was going to be pretty tight," said Spirit Lake Park coach Andrew Lundgren...

Wayne and Barb Brunsvold of Spirit Lake are pleased to announce the engagement of their son, Jonathan, to Elizabeth Trecker, daughter of Tom and Kris Trecker of Carroll. Jonathan is a 2007 graduate of Spirit Lake High School and a 2009 graduate of Iowa Central with a degree in construction. He currently owns JB Dock Service in Spirit Lake and also custom feeds hogs...

Okoboji had three wrestlers win individual titles and three more come away with runner-up showings on the way to a second place finish in the team race at the Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire Invitational Saturday, Jan. 5 in Graettinger. Sibley-Ocheyedan ended up as the team champion with 259 points, followed by the Pioneers with a final tally of 223. Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn came in third (171) and the host Titans placed fourth out of six teams with a final score of 143 points...

Spirit Lake Park earned a Lakes Conference double dual split with Emmetsburg and Storm Lake to fall to 7-3 on the season on Thursday, Jan. 3 at Emmetsburg High School. The Indians (5-1 in conference play) topped the Tornadoes 54-29, but the match-ups didn't favor them in a 53-30 setback to the sixth-ranked (Class 1A) E-Hawks...

Four of the eight Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire wrestlers that competed won championships at their respective weight classes in front their home crowd Saturday, Jan. 5 at the GT/RA Invitational. The Titans finished in fourth place out of six teams with a final tally of 143 points. Sibley-Ocheyedan and Okoboji fought closely for the team title, with the Generals prevailing by a 259 to 223 point margin...

Sept. 27, 1929 -- Dec. 31, 2012 A funeral service for Walter Prescher, age 92, of Spirit Lake, was held at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4, 2013, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake. Burial is at Memory Gardens in Spirit Lake. Walter E. Prescher passed away Dec. 31, 2012, at the Community Memorial Health Center in Hartley at the age of 92 years. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, great and great-great grandfather, brother-in-law, uncle and dear friend to so many...

Point guard Kade Heikens helped seventh-ranked (Class 1A) Harris-Lake Park bounce back from a rocky start with a career-high 14 points, sparking the Wolves to a 64-40 non-conference victory over George-Little Rock Thursday, Jan. 3 in Lake Park. The Wolves (10-1 overall) came out of the gates slow, with the Mustangs knocking down back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to jump ahead 6-2. H-LP, however, fired back with an 11-3 spurt to end the opening frame ahead 13-9...

Nov. 9, 1919 -- Dec. 27, 2012 Maye M. Swanson, age 93, of Spirit Lake, passed away Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, at Hilltop Care Center in Spirit Lake. She was born on Nov. 9, 1919, in Peterson to James and Verna (Rainville) Williams. Maye graduated from Terril High School in 1937. She was united in marriage to Frank Sangel on April 5, 1941, in Jackson, Minn...

Harris-Lake Park had to rally back from a tough start for the second game in a row, and even though they put up one heck of a fight, they eventually came up short in a 55-51 loss to Ellsworth Monday, Jan. 7 in non-conference girls basketball action...

June 18, 1933 -- Dec. 26, 2012 Private family services for Marvin Duane Hyatt were held Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford. Online condolences may be sent at www.turnerfuneralhomes.com. Marvin Duane Hyatt was born in Council Bluffs on June 18, 1933 to Edgar H. ...

Feb. 7, 1940 -- Jan. 4, 2013 Jean Ann Hoffman, 72, of Maplewood, Minn., formerly of Le Mars and Spirit Lake, passed away Friday, Jan. 4, 2013 at St. Joseph Hospital in St. Paul, Minn. Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9 at St. ...

Oct. 14, 1933 -- Dec. 19, 2012 A funeral service for David Bridges of Terril was held Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, at First Baptist Church in Spencer. David Charles Bridges was born Oct. 14, 1933, near Everly, the son of Charles and Margaret (Roper) Bridges. ...

July 7, 1936 -- Dec. 29, 2012 Darwin D. Beatty, 76, of Ionia, died Saturday, Dec 29, at Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo. He was born July 7, 1936, in Arnolds Park, the son of Albert and Violet Christopher Beatty. He attended school in Spirit Lake and graduated from East High School in Waterloo. He married Ramona Goodwin on Nov. 11, 1956, in Waterloo and they were later divorced. He then married Alice E. Hardman on June 2, 1978, at the Republic Church rural Nashua...

Oct. 26, 1954 -- Jan. 3, 2013 Danial Eugene Kelley, 58, passed away at his home in Terril, surrounded by his family on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, after a courageous battle with sarcoma cancer. He was born on Oct. 26, 1954, in Spencer to Bernard and Marlene (Brooker) Kelley. ...

June 14, 1930 -- Dec. 28, 2012 A funeral service for Betty Walker, age 82, was held Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, at Concordia Lutheran Church in Lake Park. Burial was at Lakeview Cemetery in Spirit Lake. A visitation was Wednesday, Jan. 2, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Lake Park...

July 4, 1929 -- Dec. 30, 2012 A funeral service for Betty Voss, age 83, of Spirit Lake was held Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, at First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake. Betty Lou Voss, daughter of Ben Roy Smith and Olive Fern Harbach, was born July 4, 1929, in Clay County, Iowa. She graduated from high school in Gillett Grove...