Stories from Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Members of the Iowa Lakes Community College Men's and Women's Soccer Teams are planning 'Pink Out!' games to help raise money to fight breast cancer through the Abben Cancer Center of Spencer Hospital. The games will be held Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Lakehouse, which is the home pitch of the Lakers. Men play at 2 p.m. and the Laker Women will be on the pitch for a 4 p.m. match-up. Both games are against Iowa Central Community College...

Spencer capped off the regular season undefeated in dual meet action with wins over Sioux City Metro and Storm Lake in girls swimming action Tuesday at Sioux City North Pool. The Tigers defeated Sioux City Metro 52-39 and won a 65-26 dual with Storm Lake. Sioux City Metro downed the Tornadoes 61-30 in the night's final dual...

Eighth-ranked Spirit Lake owned the second half of a battle for Class 2A District 2 supremacy with South Central Calhoun due to some strong play defensively and an efficient power run game that quickly turned a five-point halftime lead into a 45-12 rout Friday, Oct. 18 at Hafer Field...

Harris-Lake Park quarterback Brady Van Iperen used a strong arm and quick feet to help his team inch closer to a playoff berth with a 63-22 throttling of Kingsley-Pierson Friday, Oct. 18 in 8-man District action. Van Iperen quickly proved to be the difference maker, rolling up 397 all-purpose yards and scoring six total touchdowns as part of an offense that racked up 434 total yards. ...

Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire manhandled Northeast Hamilton on the ground and was productive through the air on the way to a decisive 34-8 victory that clinched a playoff berth Friday, Oct. 18 in 8-Man District 2 play. The Titans (5-3) locked up the third seed in District 2 with the win after improving to 4-2 behind co-league leaders Newell-Fonda and West Bend-Mallard...

In the latest NJCAA Top 25 National ranking for men's golf, Iowa Lakes Community College have earned themselves the 10th spot. Head coach Andy Soper is proud of what the team has been able to do thus far, "This is a great accomplishment for the men this early in the year. I know they will continue to work and work together to grow their games."...

The Okoboji Pioneers sixth grade youth football team won the A Bracket Championship of the Midwest Youth Football League this past Saturday Spirit Lake. Okoboji defeated an unbeaten Jackson team 29-0 to earn the title. The Pioneers finished their season 6-0, outscoring their opponents 228-0...

Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire had no answer for the length that Clay Central-Everly threw at them, faltering in straight sets in the opening round of the Class 1A regional volleyball tournament Tuesday in Everly. Game scores were 25-20, 25-10 and 25-12...

Consumers have taken the mantra "drink local" to heart. West O Beer announced plans to add another row of cellar tanks at the 6,000-square-foot craft microbrewery and tasting room in West Okoboji. "Right now we've got four 450-gallon capacity tanks," owner Matt Matthiesen said. "We're going to add another four 900-capacity tanks so we're going to be able to triple our production by next summer."...

ABOUT THIS SERIES As part of National Bullying Prevention Month, the Dickinson County News is taking a closer look at how local school districts monitor student relationships in the era of social networking. Students used to pass notes, call their friends after school or whisper in the hallways...

New opportunities welcome current students at the Graettinger-Terril Community School District. Over the last few weeks, students and faculty members in Graettinger have been using a new greenhouse and multi-purpose athletic facility as well as the renovated Shop building...

The president of a Arnolds Park-based bank has been elected chairman of the American Bankers Association, a trade group that represents most of the nation's banks. Jeff Plagge, president and CEO of Northwest Financial Corp. will serve as chairman of the ABA for the next year. Plagge took over the chairmanship Tuesday morning during the final day of the ABA Annual Convention in New Orleans...

Spirit Lake came up just three points shy of taking down Cherokee in the championship match en route to a runner-up performance Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Storm Lake Tournament. The Indians are now 15-13 on the season after sporting a 3-2 record over the weekend, losing to Cherokee in pool play (21-12, 21-13) before faltering in an exciting title match with the Braves by scores of 13-25, 25-23 and 15-12. The Indians hit just .168 and served at 89 percent in their two losses...

Little went right for Okoboji with mounting injuries taking their toll in a 54-0 setback to Western Christian in a Class 2A District 1 showdown Friday, Oct. 18 in Hull. The Pioneers lost three starter to injuries during the contest, including All-District linebacker Brett Barthman on the opening play of the contest, leading to a six-touchdown deficit at intermission...

Even though Okoboji came up a little short of its goals, they have nothing to hang their heads about with a third place showing at the Siouxland Conference cross country meet Thursday, Oct. 17 at Sibley Golf & Country Club. The Pioneers finished just behind MOC-Floyd Valley's tally of three performers in the top 10 with two and also finished with a better average time than runner-up Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley with their seven runners averaging 18:26.3. ...

Okoboji capped off the regular season with a strong showing, placing third out of eight teams at the Siouxland Conference cross country meet Thursday, Oct. 17 at Sibley Golf & Country Club. Fourth-ranked (Class 3A) MOC-Floyd Valley finished atop the standings with 18 points after placing five girls among the top 10. Sioux Center finished 13 points ahead of the Pioneers with a runner-up tally of 74. Okoboji beat out Sheldon by a mere four points with a third place score of 87...

The Spencer girls swim team performed well in Council Bluffs this weekend at the Lewis Central Invitational, placing second out of five teams. The Tigers were the runners-up behind host Lewis Central with 118 points, outscoring Sioux City Metro (117.5), Carroll (61) and Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln (24). The ???? finished with 161.5 points...

Okoboji put up a little bit of a fight but didn't have enough offensive firepower to take down West Lyon, faltering 3-1 Thursday, Oct. 17 in Siouxland Conference play. Games scores were 25-21, 25-19, 17-25 and 25-16. Darby Jones and Emily Wintz were the only Pioneers with more than three kills in the match. Jones had 14 kills and Wintz finished with 12...

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. CAASA (Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault) will be publishing four survivor stories during the month. This is the second story. This survivor would like to remain nameless. It's dark. It's lonely. ...

We would like to express our most heartfelt gratitude to all of the residents of Lake Park and the surrounding area for their help and support during and after our house fire. As much as we would like to thank all of you by name, we know that is impossible to do. From all of the donations made at Fareway, as well as the State Band and United Community Band in Lake Park, these have all been greatly appreciated...

There are no streets to cross or flashlights to hold for families who want to take part in a still-growing fall tradition. Families are invited to bring their little princesses, goblins and Supermen to the second-annual Iowa Great Lakes Chamber Fall Fest. The event includes a Halloween Party from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Roof Garden and amusement park complex...

Aug. 29, 1983 -- Oct. 11, 2013 A funeral service for Willy Tridle, age 30, of Milford, was held Tuesday, Oct. 15 at First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake. William Eugene Tridle IV, son of Kimberly (Askeland) Thomsen and William (Bill) Tridle, was born Aug. 29, 1983, in Des Moines. He lived in Orient before moving to Melvin where he graduated from Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn School in 2002. Willy moved to Milford in 2004...

Sept. 21, 1968 -- Oct. 19, 2013 Tim Kuiper went to "The Next Place" comfortably at his home Oct. 19, 2013, at the age of 45. Tim was born to Sue (Clark) Saxton and James Kuiper in September 1968. He attended school in Spirit Lake and grew up in Montgomery where he acquired a love of hunting, trapping and horses...

May 1928 - Oct. 11, 2013 Marian Irene De La Torre, (Lee), of Calimesa, Calif., age 85, passed away Friday, Oct. 11, at her home, after a long, courageous struggle. Lee was a spirited, loving, vivacious wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. ...

Jan. 8, 1937 -- Oct. 18, 2013 Donald Dare, age 76, of Bigfork, Minn., passed away Friday, Oct. 18, 2013 at home. He was born Jan. 8, 1937, to Francis and Juanita Dare in Spirit Lake. Don retired from a career of consulting for Special Needs Kids for AEA. He held a Master's Degree from Mankato State and a Specialist Degree as well...

March 1, 1928 - Oct. 14, 2013 A funeral service for Dale Cooklin, age 85, of Spirit Lake, was held Thursday, Oct. 17, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake. Burial was at East Side Cemetery in Estherville. Dale Darwin Cooklin was born on March 1, 1928, to Herman and Effie Cooklin at Estherville. Dale was raised and educated in Estherville. In May 1945, he entered the U.S. Navy, serving as a Seaman 1st Class during World War II. Dale received his Honorable Discharge on Aug. 23, 1946...

July 3, 1925 -- Oct. 19, 2013 Arlene Ethel (Roy) Cuklanz-Kussman, the daughter of Calvin and Edna (Willard) Roy was born July 3, 1925, in Jeffers, Minn. She passed away Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 at Clarkfield Care Center in Clarkfield, Minn., at the age of 88...