Stories from Thursday, October 1, 2015

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released its regional volleyball pairings on Thursday. In Class 3A, No. 15-ranked Spirit Lake will join No. 4 Sioux Center, Sheldon, MOC-Floyd Valley, Cherokee, Pocahontas Area/Laurens-Marathon and Estherville Lincoln Central...

Kim Hawkins, who has been with the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery (SLFH) for the past 14 years, recently accepted the position of natural resources fisheries biologist at the hatchery. According to Jay Rudacille, warm and coolwater fish culture supervisor with the Iowa DNR, "Kim brings a diverse multitude of fisheries experiences to this team leader role at SLFH. I am excited for Kim and for the future of the SLFH under her leadership."...

I'm going fishing next week. Late September and October are wonderful times to be on the water almost anywhere in the Midwest chasing walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and panfish. On the fishing trip I have in mind however, those species will all be safe: We're going after northern pike. Pike are very susceptible under certain conditions in the spring, but in some bodies of water, they're even more susceptible now...

Wednesday, Sept. 23 marked the first day of fall. Dropping temperatures are a sign to Mother Nature that the time is coming to shed her summer foliage in preparation for winter. For many, fall is a favorite time of year to visit state and local parks to enjoy some incredible colors...

Deer hunters have Oct. 1 circled on their calendar marking the beginning to Iowa's popular archery deer season. An expected 50,000 hunters will be hiding among the branches on tree stands in the timber across Iowa forests and field edges waiting for the next legendary Iowa buck to walk by...

This year may be a good one for leaf viewers, according to Jeff Goerndt, the State Forest section supervisor at the Iowa DNR. "I think we're going to have a decent fall color year because of the weather we're currently having," Goerndt says. "You get the best and brightest colors when you've got the kind of fall weather we are currently having with sunny days and crisp, cool nights...