Stories from Tuesday, March 6, 2018

With one clean swipe, the Le Mars Community Schools Board of Education ripped off the band-aid Wednesday night. The Bulldogs ended a 25-year relationship with the Lakes Conference. They will join the Missouri River Activities Conference starting with the 2019-2020 school year...

A Milford woman faces two counts of vehicular homicide after members of the Iowa State Patrol think she was intoxicated during the time of a fatal car crash. The criminal complaint and arrest warrant were filed March 2 for a crash that took place June 10 in Osceola County. ...

The defense attorney for an Estherville man convicted of murder has asked the Iowa Court of Appeals to reconsider the verdict. Iowa City Attorney Leon Spies argues Lee Christensen committed voluntary manslaughter — not second-degree murder — when he shot 19-year-old Thomas Bortvit at least five times with a .45-caliber gun on on June 6, 2015. Bortvit was dating Christensen's ex-girlfriend at the time...

Little Swan Lake north of Superior is one of the latest bodies of water the Iowa Department of Natural Resources hopes to give new life. The DNR is finishing up several efforts to curtail problem species of fish in the lake and improve water quality. DNR Fisheries Biologist Mike Hawkins said the department began tackling issues Little Swan Lake several years ago...

The Board of Directors of Historic Arnolds Park Inc. (HAPI) announced the hiring of Jeff Vierkant as its new CEO. Vierkant comes to Arnolds Park with 20 years of operational experience with upper level executive management. He most recently served as vice president of manufacturing at Link Manufacturing in Sioux Center. The business specialized in heavy-duty truck suspensions and related accessories...

A group of Dickinson County citizens says a lawsuit filed against them is "frivolous on its face," and hopes a district court judge will have the case dismissed. Local businessman Leo "Butch" Parks Jr. sued a group calling itself the Concerned Citizens of Dickinson County in February, claiming a pair of lawsuits the group filed against the county caused — and will cause — him to suffer at least $3.5 million dollars in damages...

St. Patrick’s Day is all about the green. Although environmental education coordinator Bryanna Kuhlman might have a different spin on it than most during the St. Patty’s Pajama Party 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 16, at the Dickinson County Nature Center in Okoboji...

The Pearson Lakes Art Center invites the public to view artwork created by kindergarten through high school students in Dickinson County as part of an All-School Art Show. The opening reception is 1-3 p.m. Saturday, March 17. An awards presentation recognizing this year’s "Judges Choice" and "Honorable Mention" winners will take place at 2 p.m. in the Lauridsen Performing Arts Theatre...

Tickets for the Induction Spectacular 2018 are now available for the general public. For 22 years, the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Music Association has recognized Iowa artists with induction into the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. This two-day celebration of music in Iowa is an Iowa Great Lakes tradition. Every year, thousands of musicians, music lovers and visitors come together in Arnolds Park over Labor Day weekend to recognize significant achievements in music...

Brad Price, a Spirit Lake resident and member of the Republican Party, met with family and employees Monday morning to announce he is running for Iowa State Senate District 1. Brad has lived in Spencer and the Lakes Area for more than 45 years, 39 of these years spent with his high school sweetheart, Lori. Brad and Lori have two children and five grandchildren. Daughter Mindy Truong is owner of Creative Cakes By Mindy and son, Michael Price is owner of Godfather's Pizza...

The Clay County Fair and Events Center will look a little different after $600,000 worth of capital improvement projects are completed prior to the 2018 edition of the Clay County Fair, Sept. 8-16. Highlighting the list of projects will be the construction of a new Grandpa’s Barn. This 6,000-square-foot facility will almost double the space of the fair’s popular agriculture education attraction...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has named a successor to Bill Northey, a Spirit Lake farmer and three-term Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig will finish the final year of Northey's third term in statewide office. "I want to thank Governor Reynolds for giving me this opportunity," Naig said. "I am excited to work with the governor and her administration to continue our efforts to support our state’s dynamic agriculture industry."...

Dickinson County Supervisor Paul Johnson will ask the voters to continue a privilege he's had for the past 15 years. The county official announced plans to run for another four-year term. "I have diligently worked to the best of my ability to keep the promises I made at the start of each election process," he said. "Back in 2002, when I made that fateful decision to run for this office, I could not predict what a life-changing decision this would prove to be."...

It may be time to consider getting a "REAL ID" driver’s license or identification card, according to Dickinson County Treasurer Kris Rowley. Both documents are marked with a star verification in the upper right corner and have the backing of additional documentation to prevent fraud and identify theft...

Kittie Webster and Beth Will were recently appointed by the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors to the Dickinson County Board of Health. They will each serve a two-year term and meet with the board six times each year. Other board of health members include Dr. Zach Borus, Connie Bjornstad, Denise Hemphill, Linda Hemphill and Tim O’Hagan...

Cole Allen Rongved, age 24, was booked into the Dickinson County Jail at 9:49 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28 on charges of domestic assault causing bodily injury. Brandon James Adams, age 22, was booked into the Dickinson County Jail at 3:19 a.m. Thursday, March 1, on charges of operating while intoxicated, use of an electronic communication device while driving and driving on the wrong side of a two-way highway...

Spirit Lake is now the home of Cooperative Farmers Elevator's fifth lumberyard. The lumberyard will be located two blocks north of Casey’s General Store on Highway 9 and plans are to open the business in April. CFE’s four other lumberyard locations reside in George, Hartley, Lake Park and Ocheyedan...

It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as your Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and, as I move on to the next chapter, I want to express my deep appreciation for you entrusting this position to me for the past 11 years. Serving in this role has deepened and expanded my passion for our state’s unmatched agriculture industry...

In a Feb. 28 Letter to the Editor, Robert Sneitzer went off the deep end, finding fault with the NRA and President Trump regarding the recent gun controversy. Many of the gun statistics quoted were exaggerated or simply wrong. Making wild speculations with statistics to prove your point does not help your case...

I am enthusiastically voting "yes" for the $9.7 million bond that will fund several necessary improvements in our school facilities. First off, school safety is of paramount concern, and the bond would provide funding to construct secure entrances into our facilities. Secondly, the bond would fund several needed improvements at our high school, including a new science, vocational agricultural and industrial technology classrooms/lab areas. Lastly, a new gymnasium would be constructed...

With so many Iowans and people across the country victimized by massive data breaches over the past few years, it’s possible that many will also be targeted by identity thieves and become victims of tax-related identity theft. Keep in mind, however, that not all data breach victims become identity theft or tax-related identity theft victims...

On March 1, 1777, a great partnership became official. It was announced that Alexander Hamilton would serve as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington. The partnership defined the early Republic and committed our nation to great renewals of freedom throughout history...

We have had a very busy week at the Iowa House. We have had floor debate nearly every day this week and went until late in the night several times. I was able to floor manage the second water quality bill through the Iowa House this week and a bill that puts restrictions on chemical use in our drinking water lakes. ...

Earlier this week, Governor Reynolds came out suggesting we need a holistic approach to violence. We all have a role to play. I agree with her. This week, the Iowa House took one step in addressing that holistic approach by passing two bills related to mental health...

We just finished Week 8 of the 2018 legislative session with some major bills passing the Senate and our second "funnel" approaching in two weeks. The funnel is a self-imposed deadline established to weed out bills that have languished in the committee process. ...

The public came together to save Arnolds Park Amusement Park in 2012, raising $7 million to keep the local landmark from being developed. The now-nonprofit park has kept the momentum going with the Historic Arnolds Park Incorporated Board's "Restore the Park" campaign. The HAPI Board announced plans last May to give major facets of the park a facelift and crews have been working through the cold winter months to keep the project on pace...

State Bank President William C. Wetzeler is pleased to announce Paul Weeks has joined their staff as Sr. Vice President in Spirit Lake. Paul is originally from George and is a graduate of Buena Vista College. He and his wife, Lisa, have four children and have resided in Spirt Lake for the past 10 years. ...

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery is celebrating its 60th anniversary and company officials credit the franchise's success to time-tested quality while keeping pace with current trends in dining. The brand was born as a single Cincinnati pancake shop in 1958 in the time of Elvis tunes and hula hoops and the concept has spanned decades of continuous growth. Sixty years later, the family dining chain has expanded to include 390 restaurants...

Lakes Regional Healthcare Foundation announced the beginning of its annual fundraiser, Roses Just Because. Individuals may purchase a dozen long-stemmed roses for only $25 and help support the purchase of 3D mammography at the same time. A selection of colors will be available; however, orders for specific colors are not available. This is the third year the fundraiser has been sponsored and a goal has been set to sell 65 dozen roses...

Rep.  John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, recently welcomed Danielle Hamann of Inwood and Jason Harrington of Spirit Lake to the Iowa House of Representatives. Hamann and Harrington were visiting the capitol with other members of the Iowa Hospital Association to talk with legislators about various issues before the legislature...

The Girl Scout Cookie program is once again offering direct sales for 2018. The organization is excited about this as it means the girls will have packages of cookies on hand to sell door-to-door. No more taking orders, waiting weeks, and then returning for the delivery and collecting money. ...

Local students in grades 4-7 were winners in the 2018 Knights of Columbus Regional Spelling Bee. The regional competition was Feb. 25 at St. Mary’s Catholic Parish in Spirit Lake. It followed the local council spelling bees in Sheldon, Milford, Spencer and Spirit Lake...

Three programs working hand-in-hand to improve student success were featured at the Feb. 20 Board of Trustees meet at Iowa Lakes Community College. TRIO Director Trudy Ahrens told the trustees that the Talent Search, Upward Bound and TRIO-SSS programs – all federally funded grant programs – work together to ensure that students have a pathway to college...

Sen. Chuck Grassley on Feb. 26 said that summer internships for college-aged Iowans are available. Applications are due Thursday, March 15. Internships are available in Grassley offices in Washington, D.C., Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City and Waterloo. The summer internship program is divided into two separate sessions. The first session runs from May 21 through June 29 and the second runs from July 10 to August 10...

April 15, 1930 — Feb. 24, 2018 No formal services are planned for Richard D. Morris, age 87, of Spirit Lake, formerly of Minneapolis and Milford. Richard Dean Morris was born April 15, 1930, the son of Sherman and Verna Morris in Popejoy. Richard attended Estherville Community School where he graduated high school. Richard enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1951, where he was a corporal as a medic until receiving an honorable discharge in 1952...

Nov. 22, 1925 — Feb. 19, 2018 Dr. Richard Earl Geiger, 92, a resident of Okoboji, formerly of Cedar Rapids, passed away Monday, Feb. 19 in Okoboji. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 14, at First Lutheran Church in West Okoboji...

Dickinson County girls basketball teams combined to go 37-31 overall this past season. For their efforts, several athletes earned postseason recognition. Here is a look back at this past season in area girls hoops: The Okoboji girls basketball team built off of a 15-8 overall finish last season, as sophomores Kallyn Stumbo, Magan Christopherson and Camry Jones returned to lead the squad to an 18-5 finish in 2017-18...

This past weekend, the Bedell Family YMCA Barracudas won the Division 3 championship at the state swim meet in Marshalltown. The weekend was highlighted by two individuals taking home first place finishes. Nick Phomsouvanh placed first in the 100 breaststroke (13-14) and Maya Miller placed first in the 50 freestyle (11-12). There were also a number of other top-three performances by individuals on both teams...

Simpson College's Noreen Morrow, a Harris-Lake Park graduate, concluded her college basketball career with three all-conference accolades. She was a 2015-16 Second Team and 2016-17 First Team All-Iowa Conference selection. She earned her second straight First Team All-Conference selection this season as a senior. ...

“The Starting Six,” the newest exhibit on display at the Clay County Heritage Center, has opened to the public. The exhibit features many artifacts from a time when six-on-six women’s basketball was one of the most popular sports played in Clay County and rural Iowa. State-championship caliber teams hailed from some of Clay County’s smaller-sized communities...

Spirit Lake's eighth-grade boys basketball team placed first in the Rock Valley basketball tournament held March 2-3. The Indians beat Sibley on Friday night 50-29. On Saturday, the Indians beat Worthington 46-44, and secured individual championship trophies with a hard-fought win against MOC Floyd Valley Dutch 40-36...

When my wife told me that Jason Mitchell, who hosts the Jason Mitchell Outdoors television show, was on the phone, I hoped that he was calling about coming to West Okoboji to film a winter bluegill fishing show for next year’s Outdoors series. We’d been talking about doing this for several years, but the timing had never been quite right...

Depending on where you live in the Midwest, the ice-fishing season is winding down. Once March arrives, you know you’re on the downhill side of another season of ice-action. And, if you’ve done much ice fishing, you know that March can provide some outstanding ice-fishing. Following are some reasons that you shouldn’t put the ice-fishing gear away just yet...

Ahhhh ... March 20 ... the first official day of spring and for many Iowan’s that have been cooped up it’s a ray of hope of things to come. Mother Nature though has a way of reminding us that old man winter will not go out without a fight. As February gives way to March, much of Iowa will begin to “defrost”. ...

Healthy air quality plays a major part in preventing heart disease according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Fans of "This is Us," a popular primetime show, know smoke from a house fire led to main character "Jack's" deadly heart attack. Although this was a fictional account, it illustrates how high levels of air pollution can impact an otherwise healthy person...

The Iowa Lakes women's basketball team lost its final regular season game to Southeastern, 71-66 on Saturday. The Lakers were led Lemia Ntor-Ue with 19 points. Mia Wassink had 16 points. Marissa Ruiz had 15 points, and Marisela Perez had 10. “Tough loss today on sophomore day," Iowa Lakes coach Ashley Martin said. ...

Ten Iowa Lakes Community College students have earned a chance to compete in next month’s NJCAA National Swimming and Diving meet in Fort Pierce, Florida. “This team has a lot of high rankings so I would expect to see them to be in quite a few finals,” said Miranda Anderson, head swim and dive coach at Iowa Lakes. “I’m excited to see how fast they can go.”...