Stories from Tuesday, April 28, 2015

On Tuesday, May 5, the Spirit Lake Park girls track team will host the Sheryl Maahs Relays for its 30th year. Three decades after her tragic death in a plane crash following the 1985 NCAA national cross country meet in Milwaukee, Maahs' life and accomplishments are still celebrated each season at the track named in honor of the former Spirit Lake High School and Iowa State University standout runner. ...

DNR Fisheries Biologist Mike Hawkins tells anglers to be ready for some great weather and finicky fish as they arrive for the 33rd Iowa Great Lakes Walleye Weekend. And, contest organizers at the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce have increased the odds...

The Spirit Lake boys golf team came up short in a Lakes Conference triangular hosted by Spencer on Tuesday evening. The Indians carded a team total of 184 on the night to finish behind Le Mars (174) and the host Tigers (166). Austyn Reynolds carded the low round for Spirit Lake, as the senior shot a 44 over nine holes...

Okoboji's Alex Mankle bested the field by double digits Tuesday night in Siouxland Conference girls golf action. The three-time state qualifier carded a 38 at the conference meet hosted by Sibley-Ocheyedan, beating runner-up medalist Rachel Abel of Sheldon who entered the clubhouse with a nine-hole round of 48...

The Spirit Lake girls golf team placed second in a Lakes Conference triangular with Spencer and Le Mars Tuesday night on their home course Okoboji View. Spencer took top honors with a combined score of 190, while Spirit Lake carded a 203 and Le Mars shot a 221...

The Harris-Lake Park girls golf team fell in a War Eagle Conference contest with Unity Christian on Tuesday night. Squaring off in Orange City, the Wolves lost to the Knights 215-269. Christina Galvin had the low round for H-LP, entering the clubhouse with a 58 after nine holes...

Okoboji School District officials hope a series of community meetings will help clear up misconceptions before the Sept. 8 vote to fund new Okoboji Middle School. The Building For Our Future campaign team encourages attendance, questions and comments at a pair of upcoming forums...

Graettinger-Terril high school and middle principal Teresa Alesch is leaving the district after 10 years. The long-time educator who helped the school with its digital transition and navigated the Ruthven-Ayrshire sharing agreement accepted an administrative position with Prairie Lakes AEA in Pocahontas...

"When we think of heroes, we likely think of someone swooping in at the last minute to save the day ... Superheroes don't wear capes, they are among us every day," Jennifer Meyer, Red Cross Iowa Great Lakes Area board chair, told a large room of people gathered Thursday to honor five regional recipients of the Red Cross 2015 Heroes of the Heartland award...

Sunshine and a cool breeze made for the perfect backdrop Monday, as Milford played host to the 2015 Okoboji Relays. Area squads from Okoboji, Spirit Lake, Spirit Lake Park and Harris-Lake Park battled with the best coed teams northwest Iowa had to offer, but in the end Sioux Center's boys and girls took top honors in the team standings. ...

The Spirit Lake Park-Okoboji boys soccer team did well to hang with MOC-Floyd Valley on Monday night in Orange City, but in the end the Dutch were too much, edging the visitors 3-1. "Reflecting on the match I would like to say we played really well, but we didn't have a great day," SLP-O coach Royce Van Roekel said. ...

The deadly bird flu virus was found in an egg-laying flock with 3.7 million chickens in northwest Iowa in addition to four more poultry farms, state agriculture officials said Monday. The virus will now cost Iowa egg producers about a sixth of the state's 60 million hens, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said, or nearly 9.8 million chickens that have either been or will be euthanized...

As everyone is aware, graduation is almost here. According to Wikipedia, graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated where students become graduates. Graduation may mean saying good-bye to friends, teachers, and families; to others it means the start of a new job or a new school. Graduation, no matter what definition you use, is a time to celebrate our youth's accomplishments!...

As a Realtor, I encourage the public to contact legislators in support of Senate File 414 and House File 631 -- the first time home buyer savings account legislation. This proposed legislation would allow Iowans to save money in an account with tax credits to be used toward the purchase of a future home...

The Chilean instrumental and vocal Latin American folk music ensemble Inti-Illmani will come to the Pearson Lakes Art Center for one of the top shows of the season. The 7:30 p.m. concert will take place Thursday, May 12, in the Lauridsen Performing Arts Theatre...

The Trustees of Iowa Lakes Community College gathered on the Emmetsburg campus this month and learned of the number of employment opportunities in nursing careers. Tom Brotherton, executive dean of the Emmetsburg campus, introduced Kendra Lindloff, director of nursing education. Lindloff then also introduced nursing staff members...

Ten Iowa Lakes Community College criminal justice students had the opportunity to experience big-city law enforcement over spring break. The sheriff's office in El Paso County, Colorado, its largest county by population, provided tours of facilities and briefings by several specialized units. Students also had the opportunity to ride along with deputies...

Eleven 7th grade students from Spirit Lake Middle School participated in the 2015 Northwest Iowa Choral Director's Association Honor Choir Festival. Students from 60 northwest Iowa school districts attended the festival. The students practiced during the day and were featured in a 6:30 p.m. concert for family and friends, Tuesday, April 21 at the Le Mars High School Gymnasium. The Spirit Lake middle school vocal music director is Sally Jo Ites...

Canadian geese, blue-winged teal and wood ducks galore. These waterfowl are only some of the species you can see during the Birding on the Green events held 7 a.m. the first Monday of the month from May to September at Brooks National Golf Club in Okoboji...

Oct. 16, 1929 -- April 17, 2015 Hedwig Huber Petersen, age 85, of Spirit Lake, passed away Friday, April 17, 2015, at Keelson Harbor Assisted Living in Spirit Lake. She was born Oct. 16, 1929 in Germany to George and Rosina (Sailer) Huber. Hedwig was united in marriage to Forrest Reed Petersen Sept. 1, 1952 in Germany. Forrest passed away July 17, 2009. While in Germany, she translated for the American soldiers...

Sept. 15, 1920 -- April 17, 2015 A funeral service for Mr. Glea Lloyd, age 94, of Spirit Lake, was held Wednesday, April 22, 2015, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Interment was at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Spirit Lake. Mr. Lloyd passed away April 17, 2015 at Lakes Regional Healthcare. ...

Dec. 31, 1953 -- April 16, 2015 Dorothy A. 'Dottie' Klaschen, 61, of Sioux City passed away April 16, 2015, at her home following a 15-year battle with cancer. Dottie was born Dec. 31, 1953 in Sioux City to Stanley and Betty (McClary) Sponder. She graduated from Central High School in 1972. Dottie was employed for many years with the Sioux City Public School system. She and Johnny Klaschen were married May 24, 1975 in Pierson, Iowa...

Jan. 3, 1942 -- April 20, 2015 Beverly J. Longmore, age 73, of Spirit Lake, passed away Monday, April 20, 2015, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She was born on Jan. 3, 1942, in Sioux Rapids, to Thomas and Vera (Kruger) Karl...

Nov. 19, 1942 -- April 22, 2015 Arlyn "Butch" Jay Bergendahl, the son of Eddie and Maxine (Elliott), was born Nov. 19, 1942 in Harris. He received his education in Harris, Sibley and graduated from Ocheyedan Community High School in 1961. He joined the Army National Guard in April 1964, was activated in May 1968 and sent to Fort Carson, Colorado. He was stationed there until December 1969 and then was honorably discharged at the rank of sergeant...

June 6, 1925 -- April 12, 2015 Anna "Ann" Hacker, 89, of Charles City died Sunday, April 12, 2015, at the 9th Street Chautauqua Guest Home in Charles City. A memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 1, at Hauser Funeral Home in Charles City. Rev. Dennis Niezwaag will officiate. Inurnment will be held at Rose Hill Cemetery in Thompson, Iowa at a later date...

Iowa Lakes golfer Talisa McLachlan got hot at the right time this season. Last week, the freshman from Queensland, Australia, won the AIB Spring Invitational, edging Iowa Central's Julie Laisney and Saint Xavier's Taylor Thompson by a stroke each. McLachlan carried that momentum into this week's Region XI Women's Golf Tournament held at Otter Creek Golf Course in Ankeny, earning a third-place finish with a two-day total of 152 and qualifying for the 2015 NJCAA Women's National Golf Tournament...

Nine Spirit Lake and Spirit Lake Park track athletes took part in the 2015 Drake Relays last week at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. Representing Spirit Lake boys track, the 4x100-meter relay team of Jacob Phillips, Caleb Jennings, Blake Enderson and Logan Backhaus ran a 44.58 in prelims, but it wasn't enough for the squad to qualify for the finals...

The Spirit Lake-Okoboji girls tennis team continued to dominate with a 9-0 road sweep of Storm Lake on Monday. No match was closer than 10-5 in singles or doubles, as SL-O cruised to victory over their Lakes Conference foes. However, coach Bob O'Hara did notice some room for improvement in some of his athletes...

Entering Monday night's home tennis match with Lakes Conference rival Storm Lake, the Spirit Lake-Okoboji boys were still riding a high after pulling off a last-minute win over Spencer on Thursday. Unfortunately, the hosts quickly found themselves in a dog fight after losing four of six singles matches, and inevitably were upset by a loss in doubles play that sealed the upset for Storm Lake...

The Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire boys and girls golf teams swept visiting Sioux Central in a Twin Lakes Conference coed dual on Monday in Graettinger, as the Titan boys won 198-217 and the girls won 217-236. For the boys, GT/RA teammates Nate Harris and Josh Petrich battled it out in a three-way playoff hole with Sioux Central's AJ Anderson as the trio tied after nine holes with matching rounds of 47. ...