Stories from Monday, July 6, 2015

A two-RBI double by Kiersten Carpenter in the first inning produced the only two runs that Harris-Lake Park needed in a 2-1 road win over Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn on Wednesday. Squaring off with the Hawks in the regular season finale, the Wolves jumped on top early as Payton Ahrenstorff and Nichole Rowe scored on Carpenter's only hit of the contest in the top half of the opening frame...

On Feb. 15, the Iowa Great Lakes area lost a fishing icon when Charlie Shuck passed away at 65 years of age. From the time his dad bought the Okoboji Bait Farm in 1961, Charlie immersed himself in the world of fishing. With his wife, Bev by his side, they took over the bait shop changing the name to Shuck's Bait and Tackle and spent 27 years building the business into one that anglers from across the Midwest would frequent, either in search of the latest in fishing equipment or to just have a chat with Charlie and Bev.. ...

If you go fishing in the summer and want to catch fish, trolling is a great way to do so. Following are some ideas for more effective and productive trolling. Anglers can troll with either a bow mount or transom mount electric motor, or with the boat's main engine. I use my main engine most of the time, especially when a little more speed is called for, and in the summer, many predator fish like a faster moving bait. Not always, but often...

According to Dr. Kevin Pope, who is the assistant unit leader-Fisheries of the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and a professor in the School of Natural Resources, sedimentation and erosion have significantly altered the habitat of Branched Oak Lake, a large, flood control reservoir in Eastern Nebraska. As a result, the lake has lost critical near-shore habitat; turbid, open-water areas have started to dominate the lake...

I thought I understood "wren chatter" but obviously I don't. Remember that before daylight storm a couple of Saturdays ago? I came downstairs as usual, and as usual I heard wren chatter. Only I should have paid more attention. That night I filled all of the feeders and finally sat down only to realize there was no wren chatter. ...

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for volunteers to help with its annual wild turkey survey this summer. The work is pretty simple: while outdoors in Iowa this July and August, keep an eye out for wild turkeys. If you see one, determine if it is an adult female or adult male (males have beards on their breast), and whether there are young poults (baby turkeys)...

Dickinson County rivals Spirit Lake and Okoboji had to wait nearly the entire baseball regular season, but the Indians and Pioneers finally fought for bragging rights on Tuesday in Spirit Lake. The contest was a back-and-forth affair from the outset, but in the end, the Indians plated a pair of runs in the bottom half of the final frame to win 5-4 in walkoff fashion...

A sea of purple will descend on Queen's Court in Arnolds Park Friday, July 10. The annual Dickinson County American Cancer Society Relay for Life event begins at 5 p.m., bringing with it hundreds of cancer survivors, families, and friends donning the symbolic purple shirts...

The Prairie Arts Council, 1423 Park Street, Sheldon, is asking northwest Iowa residents to join them in painting the historic Baker County School House (1936-1947), which was recently moved from a rural area 12 miles away. The "Tom Sawyer Day" will take place at 8 a.m. ...

The grand opening of the Pioneer Beach Road trail along the east shore of East Lake Okoboji was held Monday, June 29. Several members of the community, including Dickinson County Trails Director Jean Martin, Spirit Lake Mayor Blain Andera, Spirit Lake City Administrator Gregg Owens and Beck Engineering were all in attendence...

Pure Fishing, Inc. was ready to make another upgrade in their injection-molding department and knew replacing hydraulic units with an all-electric unit was the best solution for its business. "We are always looking for ways to be more efficient, and more productive. ...

Faculty Lecture Series -- 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, in Mahan Hall. Dr. Joe Eastman Lakeside faculty and Professor Emeritus of Anatomy at Ohio University will be presenting on, "Antarctic Fishes: From Evolutionary Obscurity to Gourmet Grub." What does the future hold for Antarctic Fishes that are now being commercially fished?...