Stories from Tuesday, April 3, 2018

May 15, 1931 — March 28, 2018 A funeral service for Dwayne Kraninger, 86, of Milford, was Tuesday, April 3, 2018, at First Lutheran Church in West Okoboji. Interment was at Harrison Township Cemetery near May City. Dwayne Edward Kraninger, the son of Eunice (Netsch) and Edward Kraninger, was born May 15, 1931, in Harrison County near Woodbine. When he was 12 years of age, the family moved to Mallard, where Dwayne attended Mallard School and helped his parents with farming. They later moved to May City, where they continued farming.. ...

Feb. 20, 1925 - March 29, 2018 Gertrude Greenfield Hibma, age 93, of Spirit Lake passed away Thursday, March 29, 2018, at Lakes Regional Hospital in Spirit Lake. Funeral Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 7, at the Christian Reformed Church in Ocheyedan. Rev. Bill Van Der Heide is officiating. Graveside Services will be Saturday, April 7, following the funeral service and lunch, at Holman Township Cemetery in Sibley...

October 5, 1923 — April 1, 2018 Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 5, 2018, at United Methodist Church in Terril for Mrs. Marie Hess of Terril. The Rev. Lana Williams is officiating. Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, with the family present from 5-7 p.m. at the Warner Funeral Home in Spencer...

Dec. 12, 1931 — March 21, 2018 Marilyn E. Stetzel, 86, formerly of Spirit Lake passed away peacefully at Essentia Health Oak Crossing Nursing Home on March 21, 2018 in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.  Funeral Services will be held July 11, in Spirit Lake. Arrangements have been entrusted to Turner Jenness Funeral Home of Spirit Lake with interment in the Memorial Gardens Cemetery...

Business professionals and residents of the Iowa Lakes Community College region are being thanked for their efforts to attend recent meetings and share information about the college with the Higher Learning Commission, the accrediting agency of higher education in the north central region of the United States...

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig on March 15 encouraged students from Iowa to submit artwork to be considered for inclusion in the "From the Farm to You" calendar. The calendars are distributed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at the Iowa State Fair and include artwork that emphasizes the connection between the production of Iowa’s farmers and the products used by people every day...

Milford Memorial Library will be hosting the presentation called The Art of Conservation: A Visit with Ding Darling by Tom Milligan. This event will be from 2-3 p.m. Thursday, April 5, in the Milford Community Room. From the introduction of The Duck Stamp to the creation of the National Wildlife Federation, Darling’s influence was felt not only through his cartoons, but his actions. ...

Nicholas Resch, Spirit Lake, earned an employee dependent $1,000 scholarship from Basin Electric. Basin serves electric cooperatives in nine states. Resch is a senior at Spirit Lake High School. He will attend South Dakota State University majoring in ag system technology. Resch is the son of Mike and Julie...

GriefShare has been in the Okoboji area for more than 10 years now. Many people have attended the group and have been helped. Many people in the Iowa Great Lakes Area might be thinking about attending. Whether a person needs help to know what is considered “normal” in grief, or he or she wants some support and help as they process grief and losses, GriefShare may be the right fit. ...

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced Julie Kenney has been hired as the new Deputy Secretary for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. She started with the Department on April 2.   “Julie has a passion for agriculture and will be a tremendous asset to the department. Her background and experience are a natural fit for the department and I’m excited to have her on our team,” Naig said...

Distracted driving is one of the fastest growing safety issues on the roads today, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Officials at the state agency say distracted drivers aren’t just a threat to themselves: they’re a danger to everyone else on the road...

DOWDEN-HINN REALTORS recently announced the addition of a new team member. Scott Goelz was raised in the small town of Shelby, Nebraska. After college, he had a career in aviation. He is new to the Iowa Great Lakes area and enjoys meeting people and being involved in the community...

Tyson Dukes of Okoboji, owner of InHome Fitness Solutions, is growing the company's service area. Dukes is a senior fitness specialist with nearly 20 years of experience as a physical therapist assistant. He has a degree in health care management. Dukes has provided physical therapy in multiple settings including hospitals, home health and long-term care...

Each year, thousands of Iowans experience a brain injury. Falls, motor vehicle crashes and sports injuries are the leading causes of "traumatic brain injury" or TBI in Iowa. More than 17,000 Iowans receive medical attention for a brain injury each year...

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds met with representatives from Iowa One Call (IOC) and Common Ground Iowa (CGI) March 28, at the state capitol to officially sign the "April is Safe Digging Month" proclamation. April marks the start of spring digging season. ...

Cast and crew offered a glimpse into the era of the "Greatest Generation" last month. Audiences literally became part of the show as they took their seats for Iowa Lakes Community College's production of "The 1940's Radio Hour." The play depicted the final broadcast of New York's Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade on radio station WOV. The December broadcast's Christmas spirit is juxtaposed with the reality of World War II. The production drew cast members of all ages from the region...

Nelette Kara Schukei, age 31, was booked into the Dickinson County Jail at 2:58 a.m. Thursday, March 29, for second-offense operating a vehicle while intoxicated and for speeding. Alina Marlene Tridle, age 36, was booked into the Dickinson County Jail at 3:11 p.m. Thursday, March 29, on charges of driving under suspension...

To our family, friends and the entire community and beyond, we don’t know where to begin. As many of you know, our peaceful lives were turned upside down recently, after we lost our home to fire. It has been a surreal time. Thankfully our family is safe, which is absolutely the most important part of this whole experience. ...

Keep eating the same thing and it will nauseate you. I'm getting sick of it, but Parkland's in the spotlight again after the march. You may ask why I bring it up, if I'm so tired of it — and, admittedly I'm mostly tired of the uninformed attacks against it — but it's because one of our local politicians has connected northwest Iowa to the issue. ...

Iowans have had many questions about the new medical cannabidiol program, so I have included a few answers to some common questions below. For additional information, please visit the Iowa Department of Public Health's website. WHO QUALIFIES FOR MEDIAL CANNABIDIOL?...

The Dickinson County Republican Women invite all residents of Dickinson County to attend the 2018 membership event which takes place 5-7 p.m. April 10 at the Pub 19 Grill located at the Okoboji View Golf Course, 1667 Highway 86, Spirit Lake. It is an opportunity to connect with local Republicans and discuss topics of importance to our state and county...

Scores of University of Iowa students, faculty, staff and alumni gathered at the state capitol on March 27 for Hawkeye Caucus Day. The annual event provides information to state legislators regarding U of I programs, research and services. Pictured are U of I freshman Lauren Laven of Okoboji and state Sen. ...

Rep. John Wills (R-Spirit Lake) recently welcomed University of Iowa students Jack Buchanan and Lauren Laven, both of Okoboji to the Iowa House of Representatives.  Buchanan and Laven were visiting the capitol to talk with legislators about higher education issues during University of Iowa Day on the Hill. (Photo submitted)...

Lakes Area brewery West O Beer earned a runner-up finish in the Des Moines Register's 2018 Beer Brackets. The brewery's Pilsner lager lost a tight battle with beer bracket champion Bridge Road, a brown ale from Polk City's Fenders Brewing. It was the second time in the finals for West O. Their CocO Stout won the inaugural tournament in 2016. Pictured (from left) are assistant brewers Marshall Whitney and Jake Theesfeld, head brewer Conor Fahy and owner Matt Mathiesen...

Terry Wilts of Orleans has filed the necessary papers to run in the Republican Primary on June 5 for the District 1 seat on the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors. Wilts and his wife, Wendy, moved to Orleans in 2014 after a successful career as a small business owner in his hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He led the South Dakota Retailers Association, a 4,000 member statewide association, serving on its board of directors and as president...

The Pearson Lakes Art Center on Friday, March 23, announced the start of a new film series. The history of the Prisoner of War Camp and POW Museum at Algona is featured in the opening film, "Camp Algona," 6:30 p.m. April 5, during the Pearson Lakes Art Center's "Iowa Films Night" in the Lauridsen Theater. ...

On her hikes through the Kettleson Hogsback Complex north of Spirit Lake, photographer Sue Boettcher often gets distracted. "I go to Kettleson Hogsback a lot on hikes and it’s a whole lot more about picture-taking than it is hiking," the Spirit Lake resident said. "MapMyWalk talks to you, and I've had it say, 'One mile, not moving.'"...

On Monday, March 26, the Dickinson County Treasurer’s Office issued the first set of license plates in Dickinson County featuring the new Iowa license plate design. Tom Maser placed a personalized plate order recently, and his was one of the first to roll off the presses at Iowa Prison Industries last week...

The Okoboji Sailing Center (OSC) is introducing new programming called adventure sailing in 2018. It is a recreational approach to the sport where students are encouraged to take excursions and explore one of the greatest area resources, West Lake Okoboji...

Great Lakes Airlines, a regional airline that connected Spencer to destinations across the United States from 1981-2001, suspended its passenger flight service indefinitely March 26. "You hate to see guys lose their jobs, and that is what is happening," Vernon Mickelson, chairman of the committee for the board of directors for Great Lakes Airlines, said. ...

County Republicans have a series of choices to make as they nominate candidates for seats on the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors. Candidates had until 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, to file nominations to appear on a primary ballot. Terry Wilts of Orleans is challenging incumbent County Supervisor Bill Leupold of Spirit Lake in District 1. Fellow board member Paul Johnson of Okoboji and Kim Wermersen, also of Okoboji, filed as Republican candidates in District 4...

The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors has agreed to take one of the first major steps in addressing runoff in the area of Francis Sites. The board voted March 27 to accept a loan agreement for $80,000 from the state revolving fund. The funds would pay for the planning and design of a wetland retention area southwest of the intersection of 28th Street and Francis Sites Drive. ...

A Lake Park man accused of intentionally setting a rural Dickinson County house on fire could face a longer prison term as a habitual offender if convicted. Curtis Eugene Caskey was scheduled to have a pretrial conference on Tuesday, but Dickinson County Attorney Jon Martin asked for amended charges against the 51-year-old on March 9. Caskey on Aug. 1 entered a written plea of "not guilty" to the charges of:...

More than 30 members of the public filed into the Pearson Lakes Art Center to hear what the Okoboji Planning and Zoning Commission would say about the future of a historic property. Developers Kate and William Duhamel of Whitecap LLC purchased The Inn at Okoboji's hallmark property along West Lake Okoboji for $5.7 million in September...

Voters in the Graettinger-Terril School District approved a $9.7 million bond financing referendum to pay for science labs, industrial arts classrooms and a regulation gymnasium at the high school-middle school building in Graettinger. The financing will cover the cost of repositioned offices and improved, more secure entrances at the Terril Elementary building as well...

The Okoboji School Board can start working with architects and general contractors after district voters signed off on a $25 million plan to construct a middle school near Okoboji High School in Milford. It received 1,443 "yes" votes and 639 "no" votes for 69 percent support Tuesday. The bond required 60 percent approval to pass...