Stories from Tuesday, September 27, 2016

A dear friend in the news business shared a great piece of editorial page writing last week. It encapsulated the feelings I've had for so long about the perception of the public and some in the political arena about our business. You've heard it. Someone railing about "the media," as if they were discussing a singular enterprise. ...

Can the future be revealed based on the arrangement of letters in a name, a date of birth or small creases in the palm of a hand? Christel Adams thinks so, but she no doubt sees her share of skeptics at the brown Market Place building along Highway 71 near West Lake Okoboji. The psychic from Houston moved to Iowa about 20 years ago. She's been with her employer, Psychic Mystical Cottage, for about 10 years. She's been a professional psychic for 18 years...

Jesse Randall only needed to take a few steps from the Gull Point State Park Lodge to pick up an oak leaf and see a problem. Bur oak trees in the Iowa Great Lakes are in trouble because of bur oak blight. About 150 property owners came to the state park Monday night with hopes of saving the majestic fixtures on their properties. Randall said the disease began in southwest Iowa...

The Dickinson County Sherriff's Office on Tuesday released information about the arrest of 21-year-old Hunter Horst of Milford. He faces a charge of third-degree sexual abuse and was taken into custody on Sept. 20 following an investigation, according to a sheriff's statement...

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of unintentional death in children. Also, 60 percent of car crashes involving children occur 10 minutes or less from home. Therefore, Dickinson County Public Health, Dickinson County Endowment Fund, Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire Department, and Okoboji Police Department have teamed up to provide child seat safety checks from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire Department next to Arnolds Park City Hall on Highway 71...

Lead adjunct photography instructor Dave Petrick will lead participants through Kenue Park in Okoboji as part of the 9th Annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk. Petrick is a certified professional photographer who teaches at Iowa Lakes Community College. He has also won numerous photography awards in the Iowa Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contests...

The Bedell Family YMCA is once again teaming up with Arnolds Park Amusement Park and the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce to bring the UV Splash 5K back to Arnolds Park on Saturday, Oct. 8. This 5K run/walk is an untimed event where participants are doused with color at each kilometer. ...

The Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce invites area residents with pets to the annual Mutt Strut at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15. Participants will begin at the Pearson Lakes Art Center, take a walk along the scenic Dickinson County trails, and conclude with fun awards like "owner/pet look-alike contest."...

The area has officially reached fall, so let the festivities begin. Families are invited to join the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, in the Arnolds Park Roof Garden. Arnolds Park Amusement Park and the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce are partnering to host a fun-filled Fall Fest event for children 12 and younger. ...

Please join Iowa Lakes Community College celebrating 50 years of "Your Community, Your College!" The 50th anniversary celebration will be held the evening of Oct. 29 at the SERT Facility, which is located at 2421 7th Avenue South on the Estherville Campus. ...

A Bible study on 1 John meets at 1 p.m. every Thursday in the community room at the Arnolds Park City Hall. All are welcome to the non-denominational group of ladies who learn more about the Bible and get to know and pray for each other. For more information, call 712-330-0671...

(((SUBHEAD))) IOWA LAKES PLANS BOONE TRIP Take a bus ride with Iowa Lakes and take part in the Boone Dinner Train Day trip on Friday, Oct. 21. Experience elegant dining on the rails as it was during the golden age of rail travel in the United States. Tour the railroad museum and then travel on an enhancing 2-hour-and-15-minute ride through the beautiful Des Moines River Valley, featuring historic 1950s passenger cars, while enjoying a delicious meal...

The Iowa Navy Commodores welcomed the Humane Society of Northwest Iowa in the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber Wednesday, Sept. 21. The organization serves as an adoption agency for cats, dogs and other small pets. Humane Society of Northwest Iowa is a no kill shelter. The shelter is open 12-6 p.m. Thursday to Sunday and is located at 607 28th Street in Milford. For more information, call 712-338-2738...

The upcoming Lakes Nonprofit Networking Summit is a free event hosted as a community service by the Okoboji Foundation from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, in Hedberg Theatre, which is part of the Maritime Museum Building in Arnolds Park. The event is recommended for all area nonprofits that plan to apply for 2017 Okoboji Foundation grants and the foundation's Nonprofit Family of Funds Partners. Contact Okoboji Foundation at 712-332-7177 or email info@okobojifoundation.org to register...

On Oct. 16, 2010, Chris Norton sustained a spinal injury while playing football for Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. The injury left him with only a 3-percent chance of regaining feeling or movement below the neck. He defied those odds, and now travels the country to share his story, including an April 15 stop in Spirit Lake. This is the second part of a two-part series...

Okoboji students and staff are gearing up for to celebrate homecoming with a full week of activities. Okoboji will announce its homecoming court and grand marshals at an 8:15 a.m. assembly Friday, Sept. 30. Academic awards will be given out as well. Students will be released following the assembly to decorate doors and build floats...

Merrick and Stephanie McGinnis pedaled into the Rolling Oaks Barn parking lot Friday night with a crowd waiting to greet and congratulate them. The married couple from the Seattle area began the day in Algona and had biked around 65 miles to Spirit Lake. This was just one leg in "Because Some Can't Bike Ride," a 15-state, 46-day journey across the nation to raise awareness and funds for several charities benefiting people fighting diseases...

Farmers in the Iowa Great Lakes will soon be driving combines across their fields as the fall harvest approaches. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey estimated around 14 million acres of corn and 10 million acres of soybeans will be harvested this year across the state...

Q: How serious is financial exploitation of older citizens in society? A: Financial scams targeting the elderly have been referred to as the "crime of the 21st century," but what we've uncovered so far may just be the tip of the iceberg. That's why I'm working on a solution. In addition to cracking down on financial fraud, we need to get a better grip on the scope of issues of neglect and mistreatment, including elderly abuse on social media...

Prescription medications can be vital to maintaining your health and treating diseases, but some can also be very expensive. In many cases, you may have some options to help you control your costs for certain prescription drugs. Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether the prescription drug is available in a generic form. ...

The United States Armed Forces are made up of some of the strongest, toughest, and most selfless men and women in the world -- while we recognize their heroism and bravery, many also suffer in silence with battle scars we cannot see. There are long and hard-fought roads to recovery, and the heartbreaking reality is we are facing a suicide crisis among our nation's veterans...

Barb Phillips, Spencer, has joined the Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) team as presenter and educator. With her training as a nurse and with her passion for seniors, Phillips has joined other highly-trained volunteers throughout the state educating Medicare beneficiaries and their families about fraud, error and abuse; preventing identity theft and protecting themselves from scams...

Iowa Lakes Community College is hosting a class that discusses a variety of topics involving the stocks from 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Spirit Lake campus. This course addresses how stocks may fit into an overall investment strategy. The seminar covers the differences between common and preferred stock, dividends, investment strategy and different ways to own stock. ...

Join Iowa Lakes Community College on Oct. 1 for a day trip to Algona for their annual Band Day Festival. This trip includes the enjoyment of the parade, tour of Ag & Motorsport Museum as well as supper at Addie Mae's. The Annual Band Day Festival is recognized as one of Iowa's largest and finest band festivals. High school and middle school marching bands from Iowa and Minnesota, ranging in size from 1A to 4A, compete for awards in the parade and field show competitions...

Buena Vista University has announced that Leon E. Panetta, who served as U.S. Secretary of Defense from 2011-13, will be the 22nd William W. Siebens American Heritage Lecture laureate on Friday, Oct. 7. Panetta joins a list of preeminent American Heritage lecturers that has included former world leaders, heads of state and others who have reached the highest levels of accomplishment and recognition in their fields. ...

All 99 counties throughout Iowa will be celebrating National 4-H Week from Oct. 2 to Oct. 8. 4-H is active in each of Iowa's 99 counties and empowers youth to reach their full potential through many different types of experiences, such as science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), agronomy and horticulture, livestock, photography, music, woodworking, sewing, archery and much more...

Area libraries are sponsoring another Paint Night at from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, the Arnolds Park Library. The event will offer an evening of painting, community and snacks. The library encourages people to register early due to only 30 spots being available. The cost for early registration is $7.50 and $15 the day of the event. Those interested can register at the Arnolds Park Public Library, Spirit Lake Public Library, and the Milford Memorial Library...

The State Library of Iowa has announced that the Lake Park Public Library has met the conditions for state accreditation as outlined in "In Service to Iowa: Public Library Standards Sixth Edition." Achieving accreditation requires a significant, ongoing local commitment to high quality library services. ...

The electrical and engineering programs at Iowa Lakes Community College were featured at the board of trustees meeting Sept. 20 in Estherville. Estherville Campus Executive Dean Bob Leifeld introduced the instructors of the two programs. Doug Zemler teaches credit and non-credit electrical coursework, and Chad Tischer instructs the engineering courses...

The window to file the free application for federal student aid for the 2017-18 school year opens Saturday, Oct. 1, which is earlier than in past years. Iowa College Aid is reminding students and prospective students that the FAFSA is the gateway to financial aid for higher education...

Oct. 11, 1974 -- Sept. 20, 2016 A funeral service for Susan VanRoekel Brooks, age 41, of Spirit Lake, was held Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016 at Good News Community Church in Okoboji. Burial was at Lakeview Gardens Cemetery in Spirit Lake. Susan Jean VanRoekel Brooks was born Oct. ...

Dec. 23, 1931 -- Sept. 21, 2016 Funeral services for Norman Davis Winter, 84 of Milford, were held Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, at First Lutheran Church in West Okoboji with Rev. Bob Vaage and Rev. Perry Aalgaard officiating. Norm died Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016, at his home in Milford surrounded by his loving family...

Joanne "Jo" Staake Aug. 8, 1936 -- Sept. 24, 2016 Joanne "Jo" Staake, 80, of Spirit Lake passed away on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016 at the Hawkeye Care Center in Spirit Lake. A Celebration of Life for Jo will be from 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Mini-Wakan State Park Shelter House north of Spirit Lake. Burial of her cremains will take place on a later date at the Lake View Cemetery in Spirit Lake. The Schuchert-Lentz Funeral is in charge of arrangements...

The Spirit Lake Library, sponsored by the Friends of the Library group, offers the "1,000 Books Before Kindergarten" self-paced home literacy program. Simply by reading books to your child they will gain skills that prepare them for learning to read independently by increasing reading readiness, vocabulary and building background knowledge while building a positive relationship with books and the library...

Funding is still available to Iowa communities with populations of 5,000 or smaller to inspect and properly remove asbestos from abandoned commercial buildings. Funding from the DNR's derelict building grant program, allows eligible communities to investigate the amount of asbestos present in a building. The funding also allows them to determine the physical characteristics and stability of these structures by completing structural engineering assessments and to abate identified asbestos issues...

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has recognized the Iowa Avian Influenza Incident Management Team with the James A. Graham Award for Outstanding Service. NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries, and directors of the departments of agriculture in all fifty states and four U.S. territories...

Join Iowa Lakes Community College from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, at the Spirit Lake campus in room 129 to learn how to become better at managing finances. Objectives for this class include: creating a budget, setting short and long term financial goals, creating a financial statement, understanding credit, business borrowing and developing a money management plan. ...

The weather is cooling and soon the leaves on the trees in the Iowa Great Lakes will be changing color. But, there is still plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy, such as camping and taking in fall colors along area trails. "The sugar maples in northwest Iowa will turn a bright orange color," Iowa State Forest Nursery spokesperson Candace Weigel said. ...

Jeff and Judy Mahrt, of Spencer, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashley Mahrt, to Cody Dyhrkopp, the son of Brent and Carla Dyhrkopp, of Graettinger. Ashley is a 2012 graduate of Spencer High School. She is currently a senior nursing student at Morningside College in Sioux City, and will graduate in May 2017 with a BSN degree. Cody is a 2010 graduate of Graettinger-Terril High School, and a December 2015 graduate of Buena Vista University...

YMCAs across Iowa are celebrating the launch of the "My Y is Every Y" program, a reciprocal membership initiative that allows members to use most YMCAs across Iowa at no charge. "Since this program began in 2010, thousands of Y members have taken advantage of what Ys across the United States have to offer," said interim CEO Andrew Fisher. ...

Seasons Center for Behavioral Health has been awarded a $150,000 nine-month planning grant from the Iowa Department of Human Services. The purpose of the grant is to fund the continued development of children's mental health crisis services throughout the state of Iowa. ...

Numerous events organized by Parks Marina this summer have helped local charities and organizations. More specifically, the Crownline Rendezvous held in June, and the Fireman's Auction held Labor Day Weekend were two social events that were tremendously successful in raising funds for local organizations...

Growth Energy presented Sen. Chuck Grassley with its 2016 "Fueling Growth" award, which the group called its "highest honor given to congressional leaders who advocate for renewable fuels like ethanol and consumer choice at the pump." "As I often say, ethanol is 'good, good, good' -- good for jobs and the rural economy, good for energy security and good for the environment. ...

Regent Mary Thunhorst and honorary (past) regent Colleen Lemkuil, both of Spirit Lake, and vice regent Sharon Kay Wilson Godfrey of Orleans reported on the Ladies of the Lake Chapter activities at the recent District Convention of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Sioux City...

At 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, St. Alban's Episcopal Church will hold a Blessing of the Animals service. Weather permitting, it will be on the grassed area south of the church to celebrate Saint Francis's Day; if it is raining, the service will be indoors. You may bring your pet or a photograph of your pet to the service. Pets may also be blessed by simply naming them during the service. The Rev. Elliot Blackburn will lead the service and perform the blessing...

Sept. 20, 1934 -- Sept. 16, 2016 Barbara Ella Pegum, the daughter of Justice Freeman Taylor and Pauline (Kreutzkampf) Taylor, was born Sept. 20, 1934 in Albert City. She graduated from Milford High School in 1954. On July 13, 1966, Barbara was united in marriage to Darreil (Red) Pegum of Graettinger. Barbara worked many years as a nurse's aide. Barbara liked to play cards with her husband, Red. When living in the country she liked gardening. She loved to visit with everyone...