Stories from Thursday, June 19, 2014

Former Spirit Lake tennis player Brandon Stoll has transferred to Morningside College to play for men's tennis head coach Larry Mason. Stoll transfers with freshman eligibility from NCAA Division II Augustana College, where he was a member of the baseball team...

The weekend of June 6-8 was the annual free fishing weekend for all Iowa residents. This weekend coincided with two annual events held by the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club (IGLFC): the annual spring rendezvous for all IGLFC members on Saturday and the "Let's Go Fishing" opportunity for people who don't often get the opportunity to go fishing...

It's mosquito time! With the recent rains and the warmer weather, they will soon be out in full force. We all know the potential dangers, but in the past week, there have been several stories of new dangers for Americans who travel to far off areas such as the Caribbean...

The Midwest is blessed with all sorts of fishing opportunities. Lakes, rivers, ponds, and reservoirs dot our landscape. Wherever you live, you don't need to drive far to wet a line. Rivers can provide some outstanding fishing action throughout the summer. Actually, rivers can be good year 'round, especially the larger rivers. However, in the summer, small, medium, and large rivers can provide anglers with action from a wide variety of fish species...

Iowa's unseasonably cold and snowy winter and wet spring is not likely to boost its pheasant population. Pheasants typically show population increases following mild winters with spring that are warmer and dryer than normal. Based on that weather model, the western third of Iowa has the best chance to see an uptick in pheasants due to below average snowfall and less than eight inches of spring rain...

Cathleen Faubert wants people to stop, shut their eyes and smell their surroundings. An Assistant Professor of Art, Technology & Culture at the University of Oklahoma, Faubert is residing at the Iowa Lakeside Lab for a two week stint getting everyone to be aware of the smells as well as the sights of the Iowa Great Lakes Region...

Spirit Lake scored six runs spanning the sixth and seventh innings Wednesday night to earn a 10-4 road victory over Lakes Conference rival Emmetsburg. Highlighting the explosion was a two-run blast by Cole Thate over the centerfield fence that stretched a two-run Indian lead to four and sent Spirit Lake rocketing to a victory...

The Spirit Lake softball team was left in a state of disbelief Wednesday night, as Lakes Conference rival Emmetsburg erased a 5-0 deficit with six unanswered runs over the final three innings to swipe a win from the Indians' grasp in extras. Offense was slow but steady for Spirit Lake, as the Indians scored a run in each the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to hold a five-run advantage...

Nick and Amy Vincelli of Owatonna, Minnesota are excited to announce the arrival of their baby boy, Caleb Pasquale Vincelli. Caleb joined his big twin brothers, Elijah and Will, who are 3-years old. Caleb was born on May 2, 2014, weighing 6 pounds 15 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. He was delivered at the Owatonna Hospital. Proud grandparents are Ron and Carolyn Vincelli of Spirit Lake and Alan and Sheri Cox of Pipestone, Minnesota...

It's a golden anniversary for a golden couple! Garth and Bonnie Neisess met at the University of Sioux Falls and married on Dec. 21, 1964. They love to winter in Arizona, so the children of Garth and Bonnie are celebrating early! Deborah and Dennis Clark, Jan and Robert Lucas, and Linnea and Gary Lambert are hosting a 50th wedding anniversary celebration for this great couple from 3-5 p.m. ...