Stories from Tuesday, May 23, 2017

May 16, 1927 – May 15, 2017 A memorial service for Bonnie Wunder, 89, of Lake Park, was held Saturday, May 20, at First Presbyterian Church in Lake Park. Interment was at Silver Lake Cemetery in Lake Park. Bonnie Pearl Wunder, the daughter of Marie (Longshore) and Curtis Bundy, was born May 16, 1927 in Spirit Lake. In 1939, Bonnie was named the county spelling champion and later graduated from high school...

Dec. 9, 1949 - May 19, 2017   Rogene Hergenrider was born Dec. 9, 1949, on her family farm near Spirit Lake. She passed away on May 19, 2017, at her home in Bridger, Montana. Rogene was the third of four children born to Perry and Buleah Baines. She attended Spirit Lake schools. Upon graduating high school, she received a degree in business and office management from Iowa Lakes Community College. She then was employed by John Morell Packing Company as a credit manager for their beef division...

Aug. 27, 1993 – May 12, 2017 A funeral service celebrating the life of Vance Logan Peterson, age 23, of Milford was held Thursday, May 18 at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford.  Vance Logan Peterson, the son of Jerry and Cindy (Burt) Peterson, was born Aug. 27, 1993 in Emmetsburg. He attended Okoboji School and then earned his GED through the Job Corps...

Older brother Beckett is pleased to announce the arrival of his new playmate, Braxton Kelon Schultz. He was born March 9, 2017 weighing in at 8 pounds 12 ounces and 20.5 inches long. Ecstatic parents are Nathan and Autumn Schultz of Avon, South Dakota. Grandparents include Curt and Kim Ingwersen, of Lake Park, and Terry and Monica Schultz of Avon, South Dakota. Great-grandparents are Bob Ingwersen of Spirit Lake, and Pearl Schultz of Springfield, South Dakota...

In January 1972, the premier episode of “Emergency!” aired on NBC. Over the next six years, audiences watched as firefighter paramedic Johnny Gage and Roy Desoto, along with the fictional crew of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, delivered 51 babies, taught CPR, treated seizures and rescued people trapped in car wrecks, storm drains and even a man-eating sofa bed...

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) yearly HIV Disease Surveillance Report shows in 2016, Iowa experienced the largest number of people diagnosed with HIV since reporting by name began in 1989. Additionally, there was a notable increase in black/African American Iowans diagnosed with HIV in 2016. ...

Seven young people were confirmed in services on Sunday, May 14 at Calvary United Methodist Church in Arnolds Park. Confirmed were: (from left) Kiaya Pernick, Gabe Neilsen, Calvin Grosvenor, Carly Carstens, Kole Carstens, (back row) Alexis Neilsen, Elijah Pernick and Pastor Sarah Rohret...

Camp Autumn received a donation of fishing supplies from the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club. The therapeutic day camp, located in O’Brien County, is home to a 30-acre lake, where many of the outdoor camp activities, like fishing, will take place. The Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club donated 25 rods and reels with tackle, as well as fully-stocked tackle bags. The club is also planning to volunteer at the camp and maintain the fishing supplies throughout the summer...

Camp Okoboji invites Children ages 5-12 to join onsite day camp programs. The schedule is: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The weeks are June 5-9, June 12-16, and June 19-23. Cost is $35 per child per day, or $140 per child per week. The fee includes: breakfast, lunch and program costs...

The Iowa Navy Commodores navigated their way to Lakes Area Title’s new location at 1340 Lake Street. The business was previously located at 1700 Hill Avenue. Marketing Vice President Tami Wahle and title support staff members Laurie Conlon, Robin Schmidt and Heather Rosenberg cut the red ribbon in honor of the move. Wahle said the business has been helping home owners acquire real estate property since 2010, by providing abstract and title work...

Yvette Wright, owner of Okoboji Event Specialists, and her daughter Jadyn Godfrey motored over to the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber to meet with the Iowa Navy Commodores. The group officially cut the ribbon, welcoming Wright and her new business to the area. Wright originally hails from Las Vegas and said she comes from a family of entrepreneurs...

The Iowa Navy Commodores docked Wednesday at the Spirit Lake Super 8 Hotel. The hotel held a grand reopening, after approximately five months of renovation. Ken Garvin, president of Super 8 parent company Ledgestone Hospitality, said the building had not been majorly overhauled since it was built in 1987. ...

As the Spirit Lake Elementary School PE teacher and Spirit Lake High School Health teacher, Tim O’Hagan makes an impact on area youth to embrace physical activity and healthy eating. He has developed initiatives such as the school biking program and bike rodeo to inspire and bring enjoyment to healthy activities. He has also been integral in the local effort to make Spirit Lake a Blue Zones Community where the healthy choice is easy and people live longer with a higher quality of life...

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey recently announced the 2017 sign-up period for statewide cost share funds to help farmers install nutrient reduction practices. This program has been popular with farmers interested in adding additional practices to their operation. Practices eligible for this funding are cover crops, no-till or strip till, or using a nitrification inhibitor when applying fertilizer...

The Okoboji Foundation’s Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) team encourages volunteers to join them in honoring veterans whose Memorial Flags are part of the the annual Memorial Day Avenue of Flags at the Dickinson County Courthouse. YIP proudly provided a $4,500 grant in 2016 to the VFW/American Legion for the memorial flag storage and transport trailer pictured. ...

School is ending and the Summer Reading Program is ready to go in our newly remodeled library. Summer reading is the perfect time for your child to read what interests and entertains them while maintaining and strengthening their reading skills. Summer reading gives your child the opportunity to build up positive reading experiences that will give them a boost in skills, attitude and confidence for their return to school in the fall. ...

The 2017 Summer Reading Program theme is “Build a Better World.” The SRP begins Tuesday, June 6, and continues for five Tuesdays through June 27. Each session lasts approximately one hour. Readers of all ages will discover ways to “Build a Better World.”...

Our annual summer book sale will be starting Saturday, June 3. All kinds of books are available at a cost of $1 for hardcover and 50 cents for paperbacks. Books for all ages, including non-fiction are available. There are lots of events going on at the library to add to your already busy summer schedule! Our Summer Reading Program, “Build a Better World,”  is being held each Tuesday in June. Hours are 1-2 p.m. unless noted:...

About 120 Iowa State University students are putting the finishing touches on the world’s first solar utility vehicle. Named “Penumbra,” the solar-assisted electric vehicle will be traveling to all 99 counties in June. “#SunRun99” will be stopping at Arnolds Park from 4-6 p.m. Friday, June 9, in front of the State Pier...

Recent updates to the human papillomavirus (HPV) dosing schedule for teens and young adults has made it easier for parents to protect their teens against HPV. In October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that children ages 11-14 receive two doses of HPV six months to a year apart rather than the previously recommended three doses to protect against cancers caused by HPV infections...

Mallory Rose Luers of Milford was among more than 1,900 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students honored during individual college celebrations and the All-University Honors Convocation April 23 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. Luers, a junior in the College of Education and Human Sciences, was recognized as a high scholar...

The Iowa Automobile Dealers Foundation for Education awarded $2,000 to Iowa Lakes Community College as part of its ongoing efforts to support automotive education in the state of Iowa. The Iowa Automobile Dealers Foundation for Education is a non-profit entity established in 1995 by the Iowa Automobile Dealers Association. ...

The Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees met in Spirit Lake May 16 and covered a wide-ranging list of agenda items. Tuition and fees for the 2017-2018 college year were approved by the trustees. Student tuition for Iowa residents will be $172 per credit hour. Tuition for Minnesota residents is $177. Non-residents and international students will pay $183 per credit hour. Mandatory fees were increased by $5.50. Other minor changes were made to various course and program fees...

Hannah DeWild is being honored with one of four Nebraska-Iowa District Kiwanis Key Club scholarships during ceremonies that will be held on May 17. DeWild is a member of the Spirit Lake High School Key Club, a Kiwanis youth leadership program that provides high school students with opportunities to serve their communities. Students also learn leadership and decision-making skills as well as self and social awareness...

Spirit Lake eighth-grade student Shelby Hoff, daughter of Isaac and Heather Hoff, recently participated in the 29th Annual All Iowa Eighth-Grade Honor Band. The band represents the best eighth-grade band students from across Iowa. Shelby was chosen last fall through an audition process of all Northwest Iowa band students. ...

Six thundering dirt events, including a sprint car-only show will fill the U.S. Cellular Grandstand during the nine days of the 2017 Clay County Fair, Sept. 9-17. "Dirt racing has been a great part of the Fair's 100-year history, and this year will be no exception," Fair Manager Jeremy Parsons said. "Sprint car fans will be especially pleased with the addition of 360 and non-wing classes this year."...

Iowa campers, picnickers and outdoor enthusiasts are gearing up for the Memorial Day weekend and the official start of summer. If weather continues as it has been, Iowa’s state parks will be busting at the seams.  “We're looking forward to another great year of visiting with fellow Iowans as they are enjoying their state parks,” Todd Coffelt, chief of state parks for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said. ...

The Iowa Rock ’n’ Roll Music Association has announced the 2017 Rock the Roof Summer Concert Series. The Rock the Roof Concert Series will be held in the Roof Garden at Arnolds Park on Thursday evenings from 6-8:30 p.m. with the doors opening at 5 p.m...

The Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce presented four checks from Walleye Weekend proceeds to four Lake Protective Associations in the Iowa Great Lakes Region on Thursday, May 18 in the chamber office. The four Lake Protective Associations that will receive an equal portion of the $10,000 donation include: Center Lake Protection & Improvement Association; East Lake Okoboji Improvement Corporation; Okoboji Protective Association and Spirit Lake Protective Association...

The public is invited to experience the intersection of art and science in two different venues at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory on Thursday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 30. At 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, three 2017 Lakeside Artists in Residence will host an interactive Open Studio in Bodine Lab. The public will have the opportunity to view works in progress and interact with the artists, each with a different approach to exploring the interface between art and science...

Slate staff writer Isaac Chotiner tells us “we live in the world Roger Ailes broke.” The column was his keyboard dance on a 77-year-old man’s grave. And, to be fair, Chotiner was far from alone on Twitter as he waited in line to add fertilizer to the gravesite Thursday. That’s when Ailes, the creator and two-decade leader of Fox News Channel, died after falling at his home in Palm Beach, Florida...

It’s graduation season, or rather it was graduation season. Cameras were flashing, or rather phones were flashing. Man, me and my big, old camera lens are starting to stick out more and more when I go out on assignment. At least I’m not using actual film...

From May 22 to June 4, state and local law enforcement agencies across the nation, as well as Iowa, will be stepping up seat belt enforcement. Memorial Day weekend kicks off the busy summer season with many more families on the roads. Iowa’s seat belt usage rate of 94 percent is one of the highest in the nation, but the remaining six percent of vehicle occupants account for approximately half of all traffic fatalities. Seat belts are the single most effective way to survive in a crash...

Royal man with gun charged with harrassement James Snider, age 44, of Royal, was arrested on charges of carrying weapons, trespassing and harassment, at 2:26 a.m. Tuesday, May 2 in the 2600 block of Highway 71 in Spencer. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office was called to 217 Southwest First Avenue in Fostoria at approximately 1:46 a.m. ...

May is bringing more than just spring flowers to a local Iowa town; it also brings a large solar asset installation for a Spirit Lake business. Pizza Ranch in Spirit Lake announced that they have entered into a contract with Trusted Energy to install 178KW of solar assets which consist of 518 solar panels. ...

Brick by brick, work has been completed on the stairway of Spenser’s Underground Ministries Teen Center and Coffee House, a former Carnegie Library. Staff, teens and representatives of the city of Spirit Lake gathered Friday for a ribbon cutting ceremony...

Camp Okoboji will be dedicating its new innovative and contemporary $1.4 million Discover Center at 4 p.m. on Sunday May 28. The Rev. Dr. Steven Turner, president of the Iowa District West of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LC-MS), is the guest speaker...

Okoboji High School is proud to report that it has received the Bronze Ranking in the U.S. News and World Report 2017 Rankings of the Best High Schools in the United States. This is the second time Okoboji has received the honor, with the last time occurring in 2015...

Memorial Day weekend is typically recognized as the official start to the summer vacation season. Now that warmer temperatures have arrived to stay, motorists will be ready to make the most of this long holiday weekend. The Iowa State Patrol wants to remind everyone that traffic safety should be a central part of Memorial Day travel. As plans come together, please remember the following:...

Iowa Secretary of Iowa Bill Northey said 100 percent of Iowa’s topsoil moisture levels are considered either “adequate” or surplus, according to the USDA’s weekly crop and weather report. “Farmers took full advantage of the less than two and a half days suitable for field work to plant seven percent of anticipated corn acres and 22 percent of soybean acres,” he said. ...

High winds which blew through Palo Alto County Wednesday, May 17, caused damage to a portion of the beef technology facility at the Iowa Lakes College farm laboratory west of Emmetsburg. Shortly after 2 p.m., strong winds knocked down the western section of the new building. The roof and beams from the west side of the building flew about 300 feet to the north, denting a grain bin. Heavy rain fell during the storm period as well...

Four students from Iowa Lakes Community College will participate in this summer’s Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute (OEI). “I figured it would be a great life experience and (I could) learn some skills to use in the future,” Derrick Feldhans of Spirit Lake, one of the students chosen, said. “I get the chance to meet some really successful people and meet new people. Also, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”...

In 1868, citizens of the United States began taking a day to recognize and remember the sacrifices made by members of the military. In the beginning, it was called Decoration Day. When the 20th Century rolled around, the name was changed to Memorial Day and was celebrated on May 30 of each year. The holiday was changed to the last Monday in May in 1971...

As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Fans of antique shows and flea markets will finally be able to satisfy the itch this weekend in the Iowa Great Lakes. Sales are scheduled for the Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends. ...

Thoughts of sitting in a church pew can be difficult in the Iowa Great Lakes when the sun is shining and boats are humming on the blue waters. Residents and visitors to the Iowa Great Lakes Region have two uniquely different options on Sundays between Memorial Day and Labor Day, without setting foot inside a church...

An April 9 fire that destroyed Zippers Gentleman’s Club in Milford may have brought an end to exotic performances in the city. “It will not be able to rebuild as Zippers,” Milford City Clerk Carrie Funk said. Milford Zoning Administrator Don Brinkley said the club was considered an adult cabaret, which is no longer allowed in the city...

In a recent letter to the editor about “Dark Money” the writer expressed the opinion that the “super rich” get their way – implying he meant President Trump. I would have thought he meant Hillary Clinton since she raised twice as many dollars in campaign funds as President Trump. Most of Hillary’s campaign money came from the “super rich” and Wall Street...

It is hard to top the sounds emitted by a good horn band – and the Iowa Great Lakes Region happens to have a pair of them. “That doesn't happen even in big cities like Des Moines,” said Rick Ayres, director of the Jazzed Up Big Band. “It is fantastic that we have two of them right here in the Lakes Area.”...

Local boards and councils are readdressing ordinances and restrictions after state officials broadened Iowa’s fireworks laws. Gov. Terry Branstad signed a bill into law earlier this month allowing the sale of consumer-grade fireworks — including firecrackers and roman candles — during specified times of the year. The law introduces a permitting process for merchants who sell the fireworks from roadside stands as well...

The trial date for a Lake Park man accused of robbing a rural restaurant at gunpoint remained on track as of late Tuesday afternoon. Joshua Mandelkow is scheduled to stand trial at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 6. Clay County Attorney Kristi Kuester filed amended trial information on May 16 to correct a date in the formal charges faced by Mandelkow. District Court Judge Don Courtney planned to review the amended charges as part of a hearing Tuesday at the Clay County Courthouse in Spencer...

Food trucks have been a mainstay in metropolitan communities for years, but the four-wheels-with-food approach is starting to find a foothold in the Iowa Great Lakes. Two trucks, named Fare You Well and Farm to Fork, are the major mobile restaurants in the area...