Stories from Thursday, February 4, 2016

Youth in Philanthropy reminds area nonprofits to apply for grants by March 1st using the online application at www.okobojifoundation.org under the "Grants" tab. Each student will read and score grant requests of less than $25,000. They learn much more about the great work of our area nonprofits and bring their individual observations for discussion to reach group consensus on funding...

Okoboji Middle School students and staff had a great time right before the holiday break competing against one another in an effort to raise $400 for the Lakes Area Community Table. The "Middle School Volleyball Extravaganza" involves seventh and eighth grade homerooms and is held every year on the last day of classes in December...

Iowa Lakes continues to serve as the northwest region's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) hub, offering scale-up programs that help engage students' interest in STEM. Established in July 2011 via governor's executive order, the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council is a public-private partnership of educators, companies and Iowa students and families addressing policies and programs designed to improve Iowa's educational system focused on STEM. ...

On Saturday, Jan. 9, seven Spirit Lake High School Instrumental Music students traveled to Morningside College in Sioux City to rehearse and perform in one of the two Northwest Iowa Bandmasters Association Honor Bands for the 2015-16 School Year. The students were (left to right): Brittany Lende (alto sax), Noelle Yost (flute), Lauren Sandison (horn), Nate Walsh (euphonium), Lauren Laven (alto sax), Halleigh Hawkins (clarinet), and Ruby O'Hagan (clarinet)...

Congratulations went out to the Spirit Lake Music Factory on a very fine performance on their first competition of the year. The group traveled to Sioux Falls Roosevelt show choir invitational on Saturday, Jan. 30. The Music Factory received second place in the small school open division. Wahoo, Nebraska received first place honors...

Buena Vista University (BVU) Theatre is presenting the New Visions Series production of the musical play "Iowa" by Jenny Schwartz and Todd Almond at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3-6 in Anderson Auditorium on the BVU campus. Ciera Fergen from Spirit Lake is a member of the cast and is playing the role of "Cheerleader." Fergen is a freshman vocal music performance and theatre major at BVU...

Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy. I have no cover, so read me maybe? There will be no awkward questions, no forced conversation, no judgmental looks, no need to call. Just have a blind date with a book! All of February you can have a blind date with a book. Books from an assortment of genres, departments, fiction and non-fiction will be wrapped in brown paper. Sure, it might turn out to be a dud, or it could be the diamond in the rough you wouldn't have given a chance otherwise...

Wayne and Barb Brunsvold of Spirit Lake are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Briana, to Colton Wilson, son of Brian and Nancy Wilson of West Chester. Brunsvold is a 2011 graduate of Spirit Lake High School and a 2015 graduate of Iowa State University with a major in elementary education. She currently teaches middle school science in Des Moines...

Funeral services Carol Ann (Morphew) McCurdy, 69, of Braham, Minnesota will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at Henriette Community Free Methodist Church of Grasston, Minnesota. She died unexpectedly on Jan. 30, 2016 and is survived by her children: Brian Morphew, Troy (Jenny) Gelbmann, Jill (Steven) Krogh, Larry McCurdy...

Tresa Hussong, vice president of customer and corporate relations of Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative in Estherville, was recently elected to the board of directors of Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. Touchstone Energy Cooperatives represents a nationwide alliance of more than 750 local, member-owned electric co-ops in 46 states dedicated to providing members with safe, reliable and affordable electricity. ...

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey on Friday, Jan. 29, encouraged eligible farm owners to apply for the 2016 Century and Heritage Farm Program. The program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. It recognizes families that have owned their farm for 100 years in the case of Century Farms and 150 years for Heritage Farms...

As parents we want the best for our children. Unfortunately children don't always agree what is best. Watching children make unsafe and reckless decisions is difficult for parents, but it is an important part of growing up. Experts claim it is better for parents to let their children make mistakes and suffer the consequences when they are little because little children make little mistakes. If children don't learn from their mistakes as they grow up, bigger children make bigger mistakes...

State Rep. John Wills (R-Spirit Lake) recently hosted Dr. Kelly Norland of Spirit Lake on the floor of the Iowa House of Representatives. Norland was visiting Des Moines to discuss issues with legislators and take a tour of the historic Capitol building...

Merle Sorum of Spirit Lake was the latest big instant-scratch game winner in Dickinson County during calendar year 2015, winning $100,000 playing Cash Frenzy with a ticket purchased at Dyno's in Spirit Lake. Harley Leaders of Council Bluffs was the Dickinson County's latest and biggest lotto winner during the same period, winning $5,001 playing Mega Millions with a ticket purchased at Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits in Spirit Lake...

Curtis Dupey, 43, of Spirit Lake was charged with obstruction of emergency communications; first-offense domestic assault with intent to inflict serious injury and third-degree sexual abuse at 11:11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15 at 3 27th St. in Spirit Lake...

Spirit Lake fifth grader Alia Peterson created robotic programs and costumes for her robots and the effort led her to the Iowa championship in the Wonder League. She also earned a seventh-place national finish for her project. Wonder league is the first mostly-team robotics competition at the elementary level. Peterson was a team of one with the name Team Operation Blast Off...

Say "I love you" with a singing valentine, and leave your sweetheart speechless. On Friday Feb. 12, the Iowa Lakes Community College men's quartet will deliver singing valentines for area residents and business people looking for a fun and exciting way to send a valentine message to their sweethearts, family members, friends, employees, or customers...

As Marisa Sidles paddles her kayak, the nature around her fills her with artistic inspiration. "I get this up-close and personal view," she said. Using acrylic paintings of sloughs, found metal sculptures of insects and collages of birds, Sidles will display "Birds, Bugs and Wetlands" themed art in the eARTh exhibit area. The exhibit continues through the month of April at the Dickinson County Nature Center in Okoboji...

The Okoboji Tourism Committee, a committee of the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, has selected Rebecca Peters as its next tourism director. Peters is currently the marketing manager for the Clay County Fair, a position she has held since 2011. ...

Dickinson County officially added its name to a growing list of regions that have policies in place to help veterans work and life in Iowa. County officials and volunteers commemorated the Home Base Iowa designation at a ceremony Thursday. Less than a third of Iowa's counties have achieved Home Base Iowa status...

Voters will still have a say in a $16 million bond referendum for building improvements at Iowa Lakes Community College. They'll just have to wait a week as the region digs out from Tuesday's heavy snowfall. The National Weather Service Office in Sioux Falls, South Dakota expected 12 inches of snow in the Spencer and Iowa Great Lakes regions by the end of the storm...

For 13 Spirit Lake teens, a trip to the March For Life in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 22 ended up being a marathon of survival in a massive snowstorm. Instead of touring the D.C. area on Saturday, they spent 24 hours stranded in a bus on the Pennsylvania turnpike...

Singer Lisa Rock and her six-piece band are bringing the music of The Carpenters back to the stage with their spot-on renditions of Carpenters classics with 'Close to You: The Music of The Carpenters' at Pearson Lakes Art Center on Feb. 11. Considered one of the best vocalists of all time, Karen Carpenter captured the attention of a generation with her unabashedly catchy pop music. ...

The upstairs portion of Cary's TV & Electronics in Spencer will once again host the Arts on Grand foreign film series. Each movie is screened at 7 p.m. Mondays at the store's Grand Avenue location. The series begins Feb. 8 with "Bliss" from Turkey. It is followed on Feb. 15 by "Umbrellas of Cherbourg" from France. Another French film "Of Gods & Men" will be screened Feb. 22...

Lakes Regional Healthcare Foundation is hosting their fourth annual "Grape Escape" fundraiser Saturday, Feb. 20 at Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center. The event will consist of a wine and bourbon tasting upon arrival and a five-course dinner prepared by Chef Brendan Waltz, each paired with a select wine. Some of the entrees include seared sea scallops and root beer braised pork belly...

Iowa Lakes Community College would like to extend an invitation to you to see the performance of American Indian hoop dancer and speaker, Jackie Bird. The event is free of charge and the public is encouraged to attend. The dance she will be performing is a dance for healing that has been passed down through her family from generation to generation. ...

Grace Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake is offering Lenten services each Wednesday starting with Ash Wednesday, Feb. 10. Service times are 12:05 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday.

Harbor of Joy Lutheran Church has announced plans for a benefit supper for Molly Gano and Tony Moses to be held on Wednesday, Feb. 10 prior to the congregation's Ash Wednesday service. The family lost their garage and a portion of the house in a recent fire...

Iowa Lakes will be hosting its next coffee house ... mark your calendar for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the Student Center on the Estherville Campus. Showcasing their musical talents will be vocal and instrumental performers from Iowa Lakes, as well as community members. ...

ISU Extension and Outreach -- Dickinson County will offer the Commercial Ag Weed, Insect and Plant Disease Management Continuing Instruction Course (CIC) for commercial pesticide applicators Tuesday, Feb. 9. The program will be shown at locations across Iowa through the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP)...

Kids and parents are invited to the Spirit Lake Public Library for Nighty-Night Storytime at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4. It will have a valentine theme. Call the library at 336-2667 to sign up but walk-ins are always welcome too. Be sure to wear your "jammies" and bring a blanket or favorite stuffed friend to share this time with...

Saint Joseph Catholic Church, in Milford will host its 15th annual spaghetti dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, in the St. Joseph Parish Center. Spaghetti with homemade "secret recipe" sauce, salad, garlic bread, dessert and beverage will be served. ...