Stories from Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Okoboji powered its way to a third place performance at the Western Christian Invitational after scoring double points in seven events and getting a race title from senior Liz Ellrich in the 800-meter run Friday, April 5 in Hull. Defending Class 2A state runner-up Western Christian pulled out the team title on its home track by a wide margin with 154 1/3 points. Siouxland Conference rival Sioux Center clipped Okoboji by six points for second place with a final tally of 100...

Like so many pets at the Humane Society of Northwest Iowa shelter, Kate Whitrock wants to enjoy the comforts of home. Whitrock is retiring, with May 24 as a tentative last day. Animals will still be a big part of life for a woman who has kept horses, ducks, dogs and cats on her 7 1/2 acres of land east of Milford...

Okoboji won its second outdoor meet in as many tries behind a wide collection of outstanding performances at the Western Christian Invitational Friday, April 5 in Hull. The Pioneers ran away with the team title after winning three relays and six individual events, outdistancing Siouxland Conference rival Sioux Center by 57 points with a final total of 162. Six of the league's nine teams competed in the meet...

The Spirit Lake Park-Okoboji girls soccer team put together a strong effort en route to a 6-0 shutout victory over West Sioux Monday, April 8 at the Bedell YMCA Soccer Complex. "It was a solid match all the way around," said SLPO coach Scott Chambers. ...

The Spirit Lake Park-Okoboji boys soccer team quickly overcame an early scare with six unanswered goals in a 6-1 victory over West Sioux Monday, April 8 in Lakes Conference action at the Bedell YMCA Soccer Complex. "Even though we came back from the Ames Tournament with tired legs, we didn't crumble after giving up an early goal and ended up ahead 2-1 at the half," said SLPO coach Bill Cochran-Bray. ...

The Spirit Lake-Okoboji girls tennis team easily surged past rival Spencer for an 8-1 victory in Lakes Conference action Monday, April 8 at Riverview Tennis Courts in Spencer. Although the Tigers didn't provide much resistance, 14th-year head coach Bob O'Hara said that the match gave him a better gauge of his team's upcoming showdown with a talented Le Mars squad on Thursday, April 18 at Speier Park...

The Spirit Lake-Okoboji boys tennis team dropped one singles match via a tiebreaker and four more by two games in a challenging 6-1 Lakes Conference setback to Spencer Monday, April 8 at Speier Park. "I can't remember a dual meet our team has had the last several years where the singles matches were all so closely contested," said Spirit Lake-Okoboji coach Dan Taylor. ...

Spirit Lake was able to hold off Western Christian by three strokes for first place in a Lakes Conference triangular after its top five golfers finished with five shots of each other in both school's season opener Monday, April 8 at Brooks National Golf Club...

Spirit Lake made the most of a completely revamped varsity lineup with a runner-up performance in a Lakes Conference girls golf triangular Monday, April 8 at Cherokee Country Club. With nine seniors departed off last year's squad and just one regular back on the team, the Indians were still able to challenge Western Christian for the meet title, falling short by just six strokes with a 235. Cherokee came in third overall with a 289 tally...

Okoboji sophomore Alex Mankle continued her assault on the golf links with a commanding five-stroke victory to open up the 2013 Siouxland Conference Tour Monday, April 8 at Otter Valley Golf Course in George. Mankle, who ran off four victories in a row to start last season before her streak ended with a second place finish on the tour's fifth stop, carded an impressive round of 45 in her season debut. Meet runner-up Alicia Kleinwolterink of Boyden-Hull finished five strokes off the pace...

The Spirit Lake Park mid-distance and distance runners put on quite a showing in a quickly planned Lakes Conference triangular featuring Estherville Lincoln Central and Spencer Thursday, April 4 in Estherville. "It was a non-scored meet, so we didn't have to set up that way and we tried some new things," said SLP coach Brad Travis. "Our distance and mid-distance guys had some good showings."...

Okoboji barely missed out on winning its opening meet along the Siouxland Conference Tour, falling three strokes short of capturing top honors Monday, April 8 at Sheldon Golf and Country Club. The Pioneers entered the clubhouse with a final tally of 175 to finish just behind the top two teams. ...

The Story Laboratory Scholastic Book Fair at Spirit Lake Middle School has ended. The profits from the fair, including online sales, are still being tallied, but the fair was a success in connecting kids with great books. Thank you to all who helped in making the fair successful...

Another sign of spring: The fundraising car has fallen through the ice at West Lake Okoboji Lake in northwest Iowa. The car was clocked to have fallen completely through at 1:51 a.m. on Thursday, April 4. This year's winner of the $1,000 prize is Paula Schwers of Marion. She purchased her winning ticket at the Dry Dock...

Butch Park is sure to raise a few eyebrows with his latest venture. The Parks Marina and Okoboji Boat Works owner has plans for a 1994 SkipperLiner houseboat to cruise the Iowa Great Lakes this summer. It has previously cruised Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota, including a notable excursion that has nothing to do with unwanted zebra mussels...

Progress will come with a pinch in the summer of 2013. Construction crews are expected to close down well-traveled Iowa Highway 86 -- between Highway 9 and the Minnesota state line -- on Monday. Crews from Cedar Valley Corp. of Waterloo will need the majority of the 2013 construction season to compete the $7.4 million project...

Okoboji has a new elementary principal. Chances are, he won't need directions to find his way around the school building in Milford. Estherville Lincoln-Central Elementary principal Justin Bouse will take over the same position in Okoboji starting next school year...

May 10, 1949 -- March 31, 2013 Luana Kay Kading, the daughter of Arthur and Dorothy Faulstich Leek was born May 10, 1949, in Algona. Her childhood years were spent in the Algona area where she attended Bryant Elementary School and graduated from LuVerne Community School in LuVurne...

April 24, 1934 -- April 1, 2013 A funeral service for Jenean Hall, 78, of Spirit Lake was held Friday, April 5, 2013, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Jenean Hall was born April 24, 1934, in Hopkinsville, Ky. to Gilbert and Coda (Carver) McPherson...

May 28, 1930 -- March 29, 2013 A funeral service for Deloris Larsen of Lake Park was held on Tuesday, April 2, at Concordia Lutheran Church in Lake Park. Burial was at Silver Lake Cemetery in Lake Park. Deloris Muriel Larsen was born May 28, 1930, to Renold and Mildred (Ottjes) Lecy in Racine, Minn. She graduated from Austin, Minn. High School in 1948...

Oct. 14, 1952 -- April 4, 2013 Bradley Richter, age 60, of Spirit Lake, passed away Thursday, April 4, 2013, at Hilltop Care Center in Spirit Lake with his family by his side. He was born on Oct. 14, 1952, in Hartley, to Luvern and June (Proehl) Richter...

May 6, 1961 -- March 23, 2013 A funeral service for Betty Louscher of Milford, was held March 27, 2013, at United Methodist Church in Spirit Lake. Burial was at Excelsior Township Cemetery. Betty passed away March 23, 2013 at the Spencer Hospital at 51 years of age...

July 2, 1927 -- March 27, 2013 Bea Wilson was born on July 2, 1927 in Jackson, Minn. to Albert and Lena Albertson. Her family moved to Spirit Lake a few years later where she attended Beauty School in Mason City, graduating in 1950. She worked in Ocheyedan and Spencer for a few years. ...