Stories from Monday, October 12, 2015

Firefighters from four departments were on hand as strong winds fed a house fire in Terril on Monday night. More than two hours passed and smoke still billowed out of windows. Flames were still peeking through the roof of the multi-level house owned by Tim and Michelle Roth...

Nov. 14, 1919 -- Oct. 9, 2015 An Iowan and a true gentleman, Robert Weare Howe passed away Friday, Oct. 9, 2015 at his transplanted home in Kansas City, Missouri. He was 95. He was born to Paul Culver Howe and Mary Weare Howe on Nov. 14, 1919, in Sioux City. He had one brother, Paul, who died in 1970...

Local shelters and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals declare October to be Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog-Month. Each year, millions of people find a devoted family member at their local shelter. The Emmet County Animal Shelter and People for Pets encourage you to make "Adoption Your First Option" by making your house a home with a rescued pet...

This has been the season of many firsts for the Okoboji football program. The Pioneers tacked on yet another on Friday night, as a second-half scoring barrage lifted them to a 28-8 road win over Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn -- a team that has given Okoboji fits in recent years...

With a 52-12 home win over Sheldon, undefeated and second-ranked Spirit Lake clinched its fifth consecutive district championship on Friday night. While the Indians will continue to remain focused on their next opportunity -- a non-district home matchup with Lakes Conference rival Spencer -- Spirit Lake coach Josh Bolluyt said his squad will take a little time this week to enjoy their accomplishment...

With a district-high 153 carries entering Friday, Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire's Michael Girres has had a heavy workload through the first six weeks of the 2015 season. On homecoming night against winless Clay Central-Everly, the senior signal-caller saw a season-low in carries (5) and offensive touches (7) while playing part time at the running back position, but he made the most of them...

Trailing fifth-ranked Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn by just two points with less than a minute to go in the first half of a district road trip, Harris-Lake Park was feeling pretty good about its chances. However, a 73-yard touchdown run by Eagles quarterback Ben Specht with 42 seconds left stretched MMC's lead to 20-12, sending the Wolves into a second-half spiral as the Eagles blanked H-LP 35-0 over the final 24 minutes...

It's been several years since pheasant hunters have been this excited. The results of the 2015 annual August Roadside Count brought forth the data that many of us were hoping for. The results showed a 37-percent increase statewide from the 2014 count, which is the highest count seen since 2007!...

Fall has fell in the Midwest. When we left the dock at Kabetogama Lake in northern Minnesota last week at about 8 a.m., the air temperatures were in the high 20's. That's pretty chilly, but we hadn't traveled to Kab to sit on the shore. We pulled on the Guidewear and headed onto the lake in search of crappies. ...

Iowa pheasants have enjoyed a good two-year run of milder winters leading to the highest bird numbers since 2008, but that run of good luck can't last forever. Weather and habitat are keys to bird survival and over the last eight years Iowa has lost 500,000 acres of CRP statewide...

On Saturday, Oct. 17, the local Ducks Unlimited chapter is holding the Iowa Great Lakes Ducks Unlimited Banquet. The event runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and will be held at the Arnolds Park Pavilion and Roof Pavilion. Dinner will be catered by Kazarelli's and those in attendance can eat any time between 5-7 p.m. On the menu will be a made-to-order pasta bar, Caesar salad and a chocolate dessert fountain...

An educational meeting will be held on Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. to discuss groundwater loading to West Okoboji. Keith Schilling, a research scientist from the Iowa Geological Survey at the University of Iowa, will present the findings from a recently completed study about groundwater and nutrient loads of nitrogen and phosphorus delivered to West Okoboji...

The Iowa Lakes women's soccer team took a 3-1 loss at the hands of Indians Hills at home on Saturday. Scoreless at the half, Indian Hills got off the schneid with a penalty kick in the second. The score remained 1-0 until 3 minutes were left in the contest, as Indians Hills added another goal from outside the penalty area to take a 2-0 lead...

The Okoboji volleyball team split a pair of Siouxland Conference matches last week, as the Pioneers fell to fourth-ranked Sioux Center at home on Tuesday, but rebounded to top George-Little Rock on the road two days later. Against the Warriors, the Pioneers were simply outmatched, as Sioux Center won in straight sets (25-17, 25-14, 25-17)...

The staff of the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce presented a check for $15,000 to Krable Mentzer of Easter Seals Iowa. Proceeds were generated during the 33rd Annual walleye opener tournament held in the Iowa Great Lakes May 2-3, 2015. Thank you to the staff of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery, area bait shops, the Dickinson County Cattleman, Hy-Vee, Fareway, local media, the Iowa Navy Commodores and to all of the anglers and their families for making this a time-honored tradition to kick off the fishing season here in the Iowa Great Lakes. ...

Miss Madilynn Mandelkow, daughter of Jared & Tiffany Mandelkow, has taken 2nd runner up at the 2015 National American Miss Iowa Pageant. Madilynn successfully competed in the following events: personal introduction, interview, formal wear and community involvement. Madilynn also took 1st place in "Best Thank-you" two years in a row...

Brent Harris, President of Spirit Lake Noon Kiwanis in Spirit Lake (right), presented outgoing club president, Ernie Cupp with the Walter Zeller Fellowship award. In conjunction with the presentation, Harris announced the donation of $1,250 from the club in Cupp's name to The Eliminate Project, Kiwanis' ongoing effort to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. ...

Jan. 17, 1929 -- Oct. 8, 2015 Syrena G. Whitfield, 86, passed away peacefully Oct. 8, 2015, at Lakes Regional Hospital in Spirit Lake. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Syrena was born to Robert and Zona Kinneman Jan. ...

With a win at Le Mars on Thursday, the Class 3A No. 15-ranked Spirit Lake volleyball team would secure second place outright in the Lakes Conference behind powerhouse Western Christian. Unfortunately, the Indians were unable to to battle all the way back from a 2-0 deficit, as they fell to the Lady 'Dogs in five sets...

Oct. 20, 1941 - Oct. 10, 2015 Russell "Russ" L. Webb, 73, died Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, at Mercy Medical Center following a short battle with cancer. Services are at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at First Lutheran Church. Rev. Craig Brown is officiating. Burial will be at Lakeview Cemetery in Spirit Lake. Friends may visit with the family on Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. at Teahen Funeral Home and after 10 a.m. on Thursday at the church...

Feb. 7, 1953 -- Oct. 2, 2015 A funeral service for Gail Moritz, age 62, of Spirit Lake was held Friday, Oct. 9, 2015 at the Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Burial was at Lakeview Gardens Cemetery. Gail Alan Moritz, the son of Bernice (Olson) and Ivan Moritz, was born Feb. 7, 1953, in Spencer. On May 18, 1994, Gail was united in marriage to Linda (Schoelerman) Moritz in Spirit Lake...

March 27, 1928 -- Oct. 7, 2015 A funeral service for Ellsworth Tatman, age 87, of Milford, was held Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015 at First Lutheran Church in West Okoboji. Burial was at Milford Cemetery. Ellsworth Tatman was born March 27, 1928, the son of Roy and Murtle (Blunt) Tatman, in Milford. He was raised in rural Milford, graduating from Arnolds Park High School...

Aug. 27, 1935 -- Oct. 8, 2015 Funeral services for Duane Von Ehwegen, 80, of Terril, were held Monday, Oct. 12, 2015, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Terril. Interment was at Fairview Cemetery in Terril. Duane Arlen Von Ehwegen was born Aug. 27, 1935, near Lytton, the son of Reinhardt and Bessie Von Ehwegen. He lived in Lytton and Nemaha, before moving to Terril in 1949, graduating from Terril High School in 1953...

The undefeated Spirit Lake football team is seemingly stuck in the Associated Press rankings, as the Indians remain at No. 2 in the latest Class 2A prep poll. Spirit Lake improved to 7-0 this past week with a 52-12 shellacking of winless Sheldon to seal a fifth consecutive district championship...

Nov. 11, 1929 -- Oct. 7, 2015 David Lynn Johnson was born on Nov. 11, 1929, or as his father said, "11-11, eleven years after the Armistice was signed." He was the only son of Henning Frederick (Johansson) Johnson, who had come from Sweden via Ellis Island and Evelyn Pearl (McGrail) Johnson of Calhoun County. ...

June 15, 1925 -- Oct. 11, 2015 A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at the Daniel Funeral Home in St. Joseph, Minnesota, for Clarence E. "Bob" Chamberlain, 90, of St. Cloud, Minnesota, formerly of Okoboji, who died Oct. 11, 2015, peacefully at home...

Dec. 17, 1972 -- Aug. 29, 2015 A funeral Mass for Christopher Russell Johnson of Daytona Beach, Florida, who passed away of lung cancer, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Spirit Lake. Burial will be at St. Margaret's Cemetery. The Schuchert-Lentz Funeral Home of Spirit Lake is in charge of the arrangements...

July 14, 1952 -- Oct. 4, 2015 Services for Bob Ritzer, 63, of Milford, were held Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015, at First Lutheran Church in West Okoboji. Robert A. Ritzer was born July 14, 1952 in Sioux City, the son of Arthur and Violet (Baker) Ritzer. He was raised and educated in Sioux City, graduating from East High School...

July 13, 1988 -- Oct. 4, 2015 Amanda Caitlin Sorensen was born July 13, 1988, at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Chula Vista, California. Amanda passed away at the Sanford Hospital of Sioux Falls surrounded by her family on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015. Mandy graduated from Spirit Lake High School in 2007. ...

Okoboji's Mari Stein led the Pioneer girls to a second-place finish at the George-Little Rock Cross Country Invite on Thursday. The sophomore placed third individually with a time of 21 minutes, 9.67 seconds. Keitra Cabinboy and Mia Meyer joined Stein in the top 10, as Cabinboy placed sixth (22:04.67) and Meyer placed ninth (22:33.93)...

It started with a labor of love but grew into so much more. By Thanksgiving, a local church group will have sewed its 10,000th quilt. The Ugly Quilters group in Milford began in 1996 as a way to feed a St. Joseph Catholic Church member's hobby. Little did Marlene Nelsen know she'd be approaching a milestone nearly 20 years later. As of Thursday, Oct. 8, the group was only 50 quilts short of its goal...

Spirit Lake freshman phenom Kourtney Delperdang got back on the winning track at Cherokee on Tuesday, Oct. 6, earning her seventh victory of the season. Following back-to-back runner-up finishes, Delperdang smoked the competition at the Cherokee Cross Country Invitational with her winning time of 19 minutes, 54.43 seconds. Runner-up Maddie Hurt of Le Mars finished in 21:14.35...

The Iowa Lakes men's and women's cross country teams traveled to Sioux City on Saturday to run at a meet hosted by Briar Cliff. Rachel Ruddy led the women, placing 123rd in a personal best time of 21 minutes, 28 seconds, while Lamont Wilson led the men with a 172nd-place time of 31:06...

The Iowa Lakes men's golf team was in action at the Bent Tree Intercollegiate Golf Tournament hosted by Iowa Western Community College Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 5-6. The tournament format called for 36 holes on day one and 18 holes on the final day. Returning back-to-back NJCAA Division 1 champs Indian Hills took top team honors, firing a combined 849 to finish 15-under par...