Stories from Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Paul Hicks is just trying to run a small business, but instead of encouraging a vital enterprise, some of us are making it difficult for him. And that's a shame, because the operation he owns helps fund the Chamber's annual fireworks display over West Lake Okoboji...

Fairytales don't always have a happy ending, but they always have a moral. And adversity is the greatest teacher. While Monday night's regional championship loss to No. 7-ranked Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley wasn't the happily ever after that the No. 5-ranked Spirit Lake softball team had hoped for -- and the sting of defeat will certainly be long-lasting -- the Indians will keep moving forward...

Tuesday night's Class 1A District 2 baseball tournament matchup with familiar conference foe West Sioux didn't end the way Harris-Lake Park had hoped, but the Wolves -- and coach Lane Gunderson -- were not discouraged. H-LP fell behind 6-0 early before finally getting off the schneid as Jordan Kyle crossed home plate in the top of the sixth to make it a five-run ball game...

Up 6-1 heading into the fifth inning, Siouxland Conference co-champion Okoboji was in the drivers' seat against conference foe Sheldon in the Class 2A District 2 baseball semifinal on Tuesday. In the top half of the frame, however, things got interesting...

A group of area leaders hope new equipment will make rides safer for the international workers who ride near area highways late at night. Iryna Shevchuk was one of those workers. The 20-year-old from the Ukraine used a bicycle to commute from her temporary home in Arnolds Park to a pair of jobs in the Iowa Great Lakes. She was on U.S. Highway 71 near 165th Street in Spirit Lake when she was struck by a Buick Park Avenue driven by 23-year-old Dustin Abbas of Milford...

Authorities have identified a California man who died Monday after he fell from a railcar near Sibley. The body of 29-year-old Brandon Joseph Sage Gould of Pleasanton, California, was discovered by a pedestrian near railroad tracks less than two miles north of the Osceola County community. Osceola County authorities received the 911 call at about 7 a.m...

Runners will get off to an early start to avoid the heat during University of Okoboji Homecoming Weekend. The July 17-19 festivities include a full and half marathon, a triathlon, and a 10K on Saturday. An estimated 1,000 athletes will descend on the region for fun, friendly and challenging competition...

Abby Wilson of Spirit Lake was crowned Miss Amazing Iowa in the spring. She and her parents are packing for a trip to Los Angeles where she will compete for the national title. The Miss Amazing pageant is a special needs competition for girls with disabilities. Also competing at the Iowa pageant were Megan Vierkant of Spirit Lake and Jenna Simmons from Okoboji. Vierkant won the talent showcase in her age division during the competition...

Dickinson County Public Health (DCPH) has moved to Lakes Regional Healthcare's (LRH) main campus, resulting in a number of benefits for local residents. Immunizations and other public health services out of LRH's main campus is expected as an improved convenience to patients...

Kristen Peterson, 18, Spencer, was charged with no driver's license, no insurance and operation without registration at 10:58 a.m. Sunday, July 12 along 28th Street. Michael Jensen, 35, Spirit Lake, was charged with public intoxication at 12:11 a.m. Saturday, July 11 at Sunner Avenue and 175th Street...

The Okoboji Summer Theatre is pleased to present Unnecessary Farce by Paul Slade Smith. This show was last seen on the OST stage in 2010 and has been brought back by popular demand. The production runs from Tuesday, July 14, through Sunday, July 19, and is generously sponsored by Kemna Cadillac...

Boji Bay Fun House and Pavilion located on Highway 71 in north Milford announces its next free outdoor concert at the Boji Bay music festival grounds Friday July 17. Endless Summer is Iowa's premier summer rock 'n' roll show. They are Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. If you enjoy the music of the '50s, '60s, and '70s including some summer, surf, and hot rod hits, then this is the show for you...

Come ready to have fun at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, when Ladies of the 80s will be performing on Preservation Plaza in Arnolds Park.
Ladies of the 80s provides non-stop impersonations of the greatest music icons of the 1980s. The Vegas-style act presents a wide variety of non-stop, high energy entertainment including Heart, Cyndi Lauper and the GoGos. The punk guitar rock of Joan Jett and Blondie, the dance music of Madonna and Janet Jackson are also part of the show...

FREEBURG, Ill. (AP) -- As with many small towns, the biggest source of bragging rights in this agrarian outpost in southern Illinois are its high school athletes -- the Freeburg Midgets. Though town lore traces the mascot's origin to a local reporter who was impressed by the school's short basketball team beating larger opponents nearly a century ago, the school faces public pressure to drop the nickname -- just like some college, pro and high school teams that still cling to terms once considered acceptable but now viewed as derogatory.. ...

A strange haze settled on northwest Iowa and other parts of the country during the last week of June and first days of July, causing low visibility and respiratory problems. The haze is the result of smoke from hundreds of wildfires in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada...

July 8, 1917 -- July 9, 2015 Donald D. Truckenmiller, 98, of Sibley, entered eternal life on Thursday, July 9, 2015. He was born July 8, 1917 to parents Harry and Mary (Wehler) Truckenmiller. After graduating from Sibley High School, he taught at Viola # 6 Country School for three years...

Winners of four of their last five contests to close the regular season, the Pioneers were riding high entering Wednesday night's Class 2A Region 2 softball tournament matchup with No. 5-ranked North Union. Unfortunately, Okoboji couldn't keep the good times rolling, as the Warriors -- who eventually won the regional championship and earned a state tournament berth on Monday -- won decisively by a score of 11-0 in five innings...

Coming off a thrilling come-from-behind win over Storm Lake St. Mary's in the first round of the Class 1A Region 1 softball tournament, Harris-Lake Park was looking to continue their playoff push in a second round contest against River Valley on Wednesday...

Bouncing back from a tough loss to Bishop Heelan over the weekend, the Class 3A No. 8-ranked Spirit Lake baseball team edged Algona 3-1 on a Monday road trip. After a scoreless first inning, the Indians gained a 1-0 advantage with a run in the top half of the second, as Jeremiah Eldridge reached base on a two-out error to score sophomore Gavin DeVos...