Stories from Wednesday, November 13, 2013

"Often heroes are the most ordinary of men," the inscription on Iowa's newest patriotic landmark says. James Kessler wants to make sure those heroes are remembered. He was instrumental in bringing Dickinson County's Freedom Rock to Lake Park. The large, painted tribute to veterans was unveiled as part of a Veterans Memorial dedication ceremony Saturday. ...

Delaine Hiney wants the adults in our school buildings to know about A.L.I.C.E. because the conventional thinking behind school shootings no longer applies. Students were once told to duck down behind their desks during a gun-related lockdown. But, Seung Hui Cho set practice targets on the ground at shooting ranges because he knew students would go to the floor as he entered Virginia Tech classrooms with a gun in 2007. He killed 32 people before taking his own life...

DES MOINES (AP) -- A 65-year-old Army veteran died at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Des Moines after a nurse shut off monitoring alarms that would have signaled he needed care, according to newly disclosed state records. At a public hearing to determine whether registered nurse Bernard Nesbit should get unemployment benefits following his dismissal from VA Central Iowa Health Care System, a human resources specialist for the hospital testified that an internal investigation showed Nesbit turned off the alarms before Michael Deal's death on March 29, The Des Moines Register reported. ...

Aaron Thomas could have been bitter or depressed. Drugs or alcohol could have eased the pain after he lost his father. Ed Thomas was a legendary football coach for Aplington-Parkersburg High School. He won nearly 300 games, produced a handful of NFL players and helped rebuild a community after it was devastated from a tornado in May of 2008...

Two businessmen are in the midst of negotiations to purchase a historic hotel in the Iowa Great Lakes. Scott Nylen of Landmark Management in Sioux City and Dennis Hoth, a Realtor from Omaha, Neb. have expressed interest in purchasing the 117-year-old Inn at Okoboji...

I would like to thank all of my supporters during the Okoboji mayoral election. Politics is always a humbling experience and this time was no different. While a loss is never easy, I know I ran an honest and positive race and it could not have been done without all of you standing behind me. Thank you to everyone who wrote letters, expressed their encouragement, and showed up to the polls and voted...

Every great season must come to an end. 10th-ranked Harris-Lake Park and No. 4 Central Lyon duked it out in a top-10 showdown with an elusive state tournament berth on the line last Wednesday night in George-Little Rock's gym. The pesky Wolves battled tough throughout, but just didn't have enough juice to come away with a victory, forcing them to head home empty-handed with a 3-0 loss in a Class 1A regional final. Game scores were 25-23, 25-17 and 25-20...

Junior standout Taylor Sieperda secured a pair of podium worthy performances for the third consecutive season for the Spencer girls swim team at the 2013 Iowa State Swimming & Diving Championships Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Marshalltown YMCA. After swimming to top-8 finishes in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle events her freshman season, Sieperda has sparkled in the 50 free and 100 backstroke each of the past two seasons...

Harris-Lake Park dominated the 2013 All-Cornbelt Conference volleyball teams after manhandling the rest of the league in the Cornbelt's culminating season. After winning the outright conference title, the Wolves landed a league-best three seniors on the first team with three more players earning spots on the second team...

Five Okoboji players were honored with All-District selections on the 2013 Class 1A District 1 football teams that were selected by the league's coaches. District champion and quarterfinalist South O'Brien led the district with six first team picks and 10 overall, while Emmetsburg and Western Christian both had nine players named to the All-District teams. ...

As an outgoing member of the Okoboji City Council, I wish to congratulate the the newly elected officers of the council. Okoboji can be proud of the high road they took during their campaigns. Key to success was their positive approach, their ability to present a sense of civility and respect to other candidates, a reverence for office they sought and recognition of the intelligence of Okoboji voters. ...

A mere six months separated 2013 snowstorms in Dickinson County -- only 197 days, breaking a 43 year old record set in 203 for snowfalls of more than four inches. Last Tuesday's rude awakening may have felt a little early for many Midwesterners but was just in time for the National Weather Service's Iowa Winter Awareness Day on Thursday, Nov. 7. The NWS hosts the day each year to help residents get prepared for the oncoming winter season...

Sept. 29, 1921 -- Nov. 7, 2013 Wilma M. Roberts, age 92, of Spirit Lake, passed away Nov. 7, 2013, at the Milford Nursing Home. She was born Sept. 29, 1921 in Fulton, S.D., to Charles and Ida (Witt) Franks. She was a fast runner and won several ribbons in track. She always said she was the fastest runner in Hanson County, S.D. Wilma graduated from Fulton High School, Fulton, S.D., in 1939. She moved to Jackson, Minn., and later to Spencer, where she worked at Farmer's Bank...

May 25, 1932 -- Nov. 4, 2013 Vincent E. Stellmach, 81, died Monday, Nov. 4, 2013 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D. His funeral service was at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at East Side Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls. Burial was Thursday, Nov. 7 at Little Sioux Lutheran Cemetery, Milford. Visitation was Wednesday, Nov. 6 at George Boom Funeral Home (www.georgeboom.com), Sioux Falls, where the family greeted friends in the evening...

Aug. 21, 1933 -- Nov. 7, 2013 Roger G. Slingerland, the son of Glenn and Tressa (Stidel) Slingerland was born Aug. 21, 1933, in Superior. Roger passed away on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013, at his home in Estherville, at the age of 80. He received his education in the Superior schools, graduating from Superior High School. Roger served in the US Army from 1953-55 during the Korean Conflict...

Sept. 16, 1945 -- Nov. 4, 2013 Robert "Bob" Pecks, age 68, of Okoboji, passed away Monday, Nov. 4, 2013, at his home in Okoboji. He was born on Sept. 16, 1945, in Le Mars, to Bernard and Margaret (Kock) Pecks. Bob was united in marriage to Denise Determan on July 3, 2004, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Milford...

Oct. 14, 1941 -- Nov. 4, 2013 Norman Clarence Johnson, the son of Clarence and Edith Rankin Johnson, was born Oct. 14, 1941, in Slayton, Minn. His childhood years were spent in the Slayton area. He attended school in Tracy, Minn. Norman married Joyce Holl on April 20, 1963, in Curry, Minn. ...

Sept. 2, 1965 - Nov. 2, 2013 Michael Allen Bannister, the son of the late Larry Lyle Bannister and the late Beverly Ann Linn Bannister Peter was born Sept. 2, 1965 in Iowa City and passed away Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, at Memorial Hospital in Tallahassee, Fla. at the age of 48...

Sept. 11, 1927 -- Nov. 3, 2013 A funeral service for Marlys Grussing, age 86, of Spirit Lake, was held Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013, at Grace Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake. Burial was at Silver Lake Cemetery in Lake Park. Marlys Eileen Grussing was born to Tony and Lena (Pulscher) Dagel on Sept. 11, 1927 in Sibley. Marlys graduated from Excelsior Consolidated High School in 1945...

July 1, 1917 -- Nov. 2, 2013 A funeral service for Grace Triggs, age 96, of Spirit Lake and formerly of Arnolds Park, was held Wednesday, Nov. 6 at First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake. Burial was at Fairfield Cemetery in Albert City. Grace Alice Triggs, daughter of Maude (Holderness) and Ed Larson, was born July 1, 1917 in rural Clay County. ...

Nov. 3, 1927 -- Nov. 4, 2013 Eulalia Alberta Manitz, age 86, died Monday, Nov. 4, at the South Shore Care Center in Worthington, Minn. Funeral services were held Friday, Nov. 8 at the Bethel Lutheran Church in Round Lake, Minn., with Rev. Marvin Soulek officiating. Burial will be at the Round Lake Cemetery...

Jan. 8, 1933 - Nov. 7, 2013 A funeral service for Dee Schwaller, age 80, of Milford, was held Tuesday, Nov, 12, 2013, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford. Burial was at Northlawn Cemetery in Spencer. Delores "Dee" Lavon (Johnston) Schwaller was born Jan. 18, 1933 at Cleghorn, the daughter of Joseph Lee and Mildred (Phelan) Johnston. She attended school at Cleghorn, graduating from Cleghorn High School in 1952...

Feb. 10, 1928 -- Nov. 5, 2013 Colleen Marie Hart, the daughter of Joseph and Elsie (Gummo) Erickson, was born Feb. 10, 1928, in Galva. Colleen grew up in Schaller. At the age of 8, following the death of her parents, she moved to Sioux Rapids to live with her Aunt Ellen and Uncle Al Turnquist, and received her education and graduated from the Sioux Rapids High School...

With Sheldon, MOC-Floyd Valley and Central Lyon all qualifying for the state volleyball tournament, it proved how much of a battle the Siouxland Conference was night in and night out. In spite of its struggles, Okoboji came on strong toward the end of the season, resulting in senior Darby Jones and sophomore Emily Wintz garnering spots on the 2013 All-Siouxland Conference volleyball teams that were voted on by league coaches...

Mediacom will televise the 2013 Iowa High School Volleyball Championship series. The tournament takes place in Cedar Rapids and live broadcasts of championship games for all five classes will be broadcast statewide on MC22 on Friday, Nov. 15. Mediacom is able to provide the live tournament coverage due to its partnership with the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU). ...