Stories from Wednesday, September 27, 2017

(Editor’s Note: Northwest Iowa’s waterfowl hunters spent this past week in their favorite marsh or field in the hopes of bagging Canada geese and ducks. Often times we continue to hunt these areas for the rest of the season. However, this story features the Riverton Wildlife Area, a well known marsh in central Fremont County for the past 60 years.)...

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke recently announced that $1,231,917 will be distributed to the state of Iowa for outdoor recreation and conservation projects from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which is funded through offshore oil and gas leasing. ...

This year may be a good one for leaf viewers, according to Jeff Goerndt, state forester with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “I think we’re going to have a decent fall color year because of the weather we’re currently having,” Goerndt says. ...

We’re entering the best time of year to catch big fish. In fact, fall is just a good time for fish in general. Fish of all sizes go on the bite as the water starts to cool and the days get shorter. They instinctively know that, in many areas, their metabolism is going to slow down and they won't be chasing food like they have been for the past several months. They need to put some fat on now to get them through the winter...

This coming month, Iowans with an interest in our natural and cultural resources have the opportunity to attend one of 18 REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection) regional assemblies. Open to any Iowan, these regional assemblies give us all the chance to learn more about our resources and have a say in how we address the needs of these resources. ...

Northwest Bank donated proceeds from their football tailgate which was hosted on Sept. 8 at Hafer Field in Spirit Lake. Many Indian fans supported the tailgate, enjoyed a walking taco and then cheered on the Indians as they defeated the Le Mars Bulldogs...

Okoboji dropped a Siouxland Conference road trip to Orange City on Thursday, as the Pioneers fell to MOC-Floyd Valley in straight sets. The Pioneers lost 25-8 in set one, 25-10 in set two and 25-15 in the third and final set. Senior Grace Wintz had a team-high five kills on the night...

Okoboji picked up a win at a volleyball tournament hosted by Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn over the weekend. The Pioneers defeated Sioux City West (2-0), but fell to Trinity Christian (2-1) and the host Hawks (2-0). Against Sioux City West, the Pioneers picked up a 21-11 win in the opening set and a 21-19 win in the second to earn the sweep...

Okoboji cross country runners competed at the Warrior Invite, hosted by Sioux Center Thursday at The Ridge Golf Course. The girls — led by Mari Stein's ninth-place finish —placed eighth among the 14 teams, while the boys — buoyed by Ethan Albright's eighth-place finish — placed 10th out of 20 teams in Sioux Center...

Spirit Lake squared off with some of the best volleyball teams in South Dakota over the weekend, as the Indians went 0-4 in Sioux Falls. "We saw a lot of top-ranked South Dakota schools," Spirit Lake coach Beau Dielschneider said. "Last year was our first year at this tournament and we really added it to our schedule, not to get wins, but to make us better as we get closer to the postseason. It's a tough tournament."...

Local dentists and their assistants recognize the ever-increasing awareness of concussions associated with sports. The need for a custom mouth guard is an essential part of a players uniform and protective equipment. Custom mouth guards for the Spirit Lake football team were made by the following from left: Melinda Beekman assistant, Dr Amy Hartzell, Shelly Langel assistant, Dr Darren Dotson, Dr Eric Nielson, Dr Brandy Lancaster, Christina Syharath assistant, Dr Steve Christensen and Kathy Gehring assistant. ...

After a 24-hour delay, Spirit Lake and Okoboji cross country runners finally competed in Algona on Tuesday. The Okoboji girls, buoyed by the return of top runner Magan Christopherson, earned the highest team finish on the night, placing sixth. Christopherson placed sixth individually in 20 minutes, 27 seconds...

Spirit Lake went the distance, but ultimately lost to Cherokee Tuesday night at home. With two players out due to injury, the Indians were forced to make last-minute changes to their lineup. Without freshman Sam Vos, who is out for the year, and senior Madison Kueper, the Indians battled well, taking a 2-1 lead in the match, but the Braves took games four and five to seal the victory...

The Okoboji volleyball team earned its first Siouxland Conference victory Tuesday night in front of a packed crowd in Milford, as the Pioneers swept Sibley-Ocheyedan 3-0. The Pioneers got out to a hot start, downing the Generals 25-8, before batting to a 25-17 win in set two and a 25-11 win in the third and final set...

Wolves celebrate homecoming; Indians, Pioneers prepare for tough opponents

Former Spirit Lake and current Northwestern football player Jacob Jenness was recently named to the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works team as announced by the Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches' Association. This award, made up of 22-players from the NCAA D-I, D-II, D-III and NAIA, shines a spotlight on the incredible stories of selflessness and community service displayed by these student-athletes, and honors their dedication to volunteerism and enriching the lives of others.. ...

Playing in front of a packed gymnasium Thursday during homecoming week, the Spirit Lake volleyball team rose the occasion, sweeping North Union 3-0 at home. Spirit Lake coach Beau Dielschneider said it was nice to actually play at home during homecoming week, a rarity in recent years...

Emmetsburg scores 34 unanswered points in second half to down Okoboji on homecoming night

Spirit Lake erases halftime deficit to earn 49-21 homecoming victory over Algona