Stories from Tuesday, July 8, 2014

The Spirit Lake baseball team earned a pair of wins in a Lakes Conference doubleheader with Western Christian on Thursday, as the Indians defeated the Wolfpack 6-2 and 7-6. Gavin DeVos and Logan Backhaus were the winning pitchers on the day, as both went the distance in their respective starts...

The Indians are Lakes Conference softball champions. With a pair of come-from-behind wins over Western Christian at home on Thursday, Spirit Lake locked up the league title on a night honoring the 2004 state championship team with many players from that squad in attendance...

The Spirit Lake softball team wrapped it's regular season schedule in winning fashion Monday night with a 9-5 victory over Lakes Conference foe Emmetsburg. Bailee Newman earned the win on the mound, as she went five innings and allowed four earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three...

A six-run sixth inning broke open an otherwise tight contest Monday, as Spirit Lake blasted Emmetsburg 10-4 at home. Spirit Lake struck first, scoring a run in both the second and third innings, but traded shots with the E'Hawks over the next two while holding a 4-3 lead entering the sixth...

One run was all that separated the Harris-Lake Park and Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire baseball teams on Monday. Oddly enough, it was the only run scored between the two squads as the Titans eked out a win over the host Wolves in a Cornbelt Conference clash between starting pitchers Jordan Kyle and Justin Rodriguez...

Harris-Lake Park kept its postseason softball hopes intact Monday, as the Wolves blasted Trinity Christian 9-3 in front of a home crowd. The Wolves capitalized on several Trinity errors early, scoring five runs on a slew of Tiger miscues to take a 5-1 advantage after three...

Spirit Lake City Administrator Gregg Owens fielded several calls from residents over the past few weeks. Many wondered when the splash pad at Memorial Park was opening. Well, they now have their answer. The splash pad officially opened for the season at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 2. The installation of a water recycling system delayed the opening of the popular summer water feature...

An early morning house fire Monday in Graettinger has claimed the lives of two Graettinger-Terril Elementary students, according to the Palo Alto County Sheriff's Office. Emergency crews received a call for a residential fire at 6:33 a.m. July 7 at 204 South Jackson Avenue. The home was engulfed in smoke as the Graettinger Fire Department arrived...

The forecast looks to include a big splash of color come Saturday morning. The inaugural Color Dash is set to begin at 10 a.m. July 12 at the Bedell Family YMCA. The event came together through a culmination of fitness, fun and the need for a fundraising opportunity. The Pearson Lakes Art Center and the YMCA have joined forces to host the new event...

June 22, 1930 -- July 6, 2014 E. John Ferguson, age 84, of Spirit Lake, died on Sunday, July 6, 2014 at the Hilltop Care Center in Spirit Lake. Funeral Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Methodist Church in Spirit Lake, with Rev. Lon Lewis officiating. Visitation will be held Tuesday, from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the Schuchert-Lentz Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Burial will be in the Laurens Cemetery, with military rites conducted by the VFW Post #3533 of Laurens...

Sept. 13, 1928 -- June 13, 2014 Gladys Armstrong died of natural causes on June 13, 2014, at the Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen, Texas. She loved spending the winter months in Texas for over 20 years. Gladys was born to Hilda and Einer Christensen on Sept. 13, 1928, in Sioux City. She was the fourth child in a family of nine children...

Aug. 8, 1924 -- June 28, 2014 A funeral service for Mavis Richard, 89, of Lake Park was held Wednesday, July 2, 2014, at United Methodist Church in Lake Park. Burial was at Silver Lake Cemetery. Mavis Fern Richard, the daughter of Nancy (Moulton) and Conrad Molendorp was born Aug. ...

Jan. 6, 1923 -- June 27, 2014 A funeral service for Ruth Jensen, age 91, of Lake Park, was held Wednesday, July 2, 2014 at Concordia Lutheran Church in Lake Park. Burial was at Silver Lake Cemetery in Lake Park. Ruth Clara Jensen was born Jan. 6, 1923 in Round Lake, Minnesota, the daughter of Fred and Minnie (Burmeister) Detlefsen. She attended Country School District #76 and Sioux Valley Consolidated School in Jackson County, Minnesota...

A longstanding bike ride and a parade once again highlight the annual Spirit Lake Days Saturday, July 12. "It's just a neat community celebration," said Spirit Lake Mayor and Chamber of Commerce president Blain Andera. "Everybody loves a parade. Things kick off with the bike ride and it's something the Chamber got involved in several years ago."...

The Ladies of the Lake Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) wish to thank The Dickinson County News for its continuing coverage of our projects and activities. Our chapter received a special certificate placing the Ladies of the Lake Chapter on the honor roll of excellent reporting for PR and media communication. ...

"There might be museums with more stuff in them, but there are none laid out as beautifully as this. You have a real historian here," Frank Fritz said. "This will live on long after he passes." Fritz, known as one of the "American Pickers" on the popular History Channel cable program of the same name, visited the Okoboji Classic Car facility north of Milford Tuesday morning and toured with owner Toby Shine...

The Iowa State Patrol, Dickinson County deputies, Lakes Regional Healthcare ambulance and Milford Fire & Rescue were among the agencies on the scene for a traffic crash involving a motorcycle and a truck near the Okoboji Village housing complex in north Milford...

Some boaters may have been startled, but the Iowa Department of Natural Resources knew a plane would be landing Sunday on the waters of Iowa Great Lakes. "West Lake Okoboji is a designated seaplane landing lake," DNR conservation officer Steve Reighard confirmed. "They did contact my partner Jeff (Morrison) ahead of time and talked about landing."...

Like two prize fighters trading blows in the center of the squared circle, the Spirit Lake and Sheldon softball squads went back and forth in a wild and wacky regional tournament opener Tuesday. While the pendulum of momentum swung back and forth throughout, it was the Indians who benefitted greatest, earning a 9-8 win over the Orabs despite committing some uncharacteristic errors...

The Milford City Council on Monday is expected to pass a resolution calling for a special election to fill mayor's position and a seat on the city council. Bill Reinsbach, a Milford resident since 2004, was appointed as mayor with a unanimous vote at a June 23 meeting. The council rounded out its membership by appointing Milford businessman Rody Pederson to a seat held by Rick Kilts...

Having entered the softball postseason winners of six of their last eight, the Pioneers of Okoboji expected to make a deep push in the regional tournament. That's what makes Tuesday night's 5-0 loss to George-Little Rock/Central Lyon all the more shocking...

Keona Jenkins, 32, Spirit Lake, was charged with domestic assault and resisting arrest at 5:05 p.m. Monday, July 7, at Center Lake Village Lot 77. Paola Camacho Hernandez, 38, Spirit Lake, was charged with simple assault and domestic assault at 1 a.m. Monday, July 7, at 1807 Boston Avenue unit C...