Stories from Tuesday, August 28, 2018

March 4, 1925 — Aug. 24, 2018 A funeral service for Ardith Ehret, age 93 of Lake Park, was held Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018 at First Presbyterian Church in Lake Park. Burial was at Silver Lake Cemetery.  Ardith Louise (Thorn) Ehret was born to James and Barbara (Main) Thorn in Excelsior township on March 4, 1925. ...

Oct. 25, 1930 — Aug. 19, 2018 A memorial service for Charles "Chuck" Swanson, will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Charles Swanson was born Oct. 25, 1930, in Wahpeton, North Dakota, the son of Carl and Julia Swanson. ...

March 6, 1931 — Aug. 18, 2018 The memorial service for Donald Wheeler will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at the United Methodist Church in Balaton, Minnesota, with interment at Lakeside Cemetery in Balaton immediately following. A visitation will take place from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. ...

March 21, 1922 — Aug. 23, 2018 A funeral service for Helen K. (Gibson) Hewitt, was held Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, at First Lutheran Church in West Okoboji. Burial was at Lakeview Gardens Cemetery. Helen K. Hewitt, the first child of Hans and Cora Kuinsland, was born March 21, 1922, in Milford. ...

May 8, 1921 — Aug. 24, 2018 Ila Maxine (Walker) VonHoldt was born May 8, 1921, to John Patterson and Ada Marie (Halbrook) Walker in Boone. Ila attended school in Boone until her family moved to Lake Park when she was seven years old. She continued her education in Lake Park and Excelsior...

Dec. 25, 1930 — Aug. 12, 2018 LeRoy "Lee" Bernier died peacefully at home on Aug. 12, 2018, in Everly at the age of 87. Lee was born on Dec. 25, 1930, in Sibley to Arthur and Clara (Schlicht) Bernier. He graduated from Excelsior High School in 1950. He married Sue Seidel Aug. 5, 1956, after returning from the Korean War, where he served in the Air Force. After moving to their farm in Everly where they farmed and raised livestock, they welcomed five children into their family...

July 26, 1934 — Aug. 21, 2018 Mary Swalve, 84, of Ocheyedan passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, at the Accura Healthcare of Milford. Per Mary's request, there will be no services. A private family burial will take place at the Ocheyedan Cemetery at a later date. The Schuchert-Lentz Funeral Home in Spirit Lake is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to spiritlakefuneralhome.com...

April 13, 1940 — Aug. 20, 2018 A Memorial Service for Patricia Moeller, 78, of rural Lakefield, Minnesota, and formerly of Spirit Lake, was held Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Patricia Gayle Moeller, the daughter of Alice and John Hummel, was born April 13, 1940, in Jackson, Minnesota...

May 19, 1929 —Aug. 23, 2018 Private graveside service were held at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer for Morris "Moe" Bernard Weiner. Rabbi Guy Greene officiated. Morris "Moe" Weiner son of Harry Louis Weiner and Ida Vishniskie Weiner, was born May 19, 1929, in Kankakee, Illinois. He was orphaned as a young child and was raised at the Marks Nathan Jewish Children's Home in Illinois...

June 29, 1956 — July 1, 2018 A time of visitation and fellowship will take place from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31, 2018, at Sanborn Funeral Home of Sanborn for Neal Von Rice. Interment will take place at Baker Township Cemetery near Melvin. Neal Von Rice, son of Raymond G. ...

Dec. 2, 1940 — Aug. 20, 2018 Richard M. Benzkofer, age 77, died unexpectedly on Aug. 20, 2018, in Austin, Minn., from a heart attack. Dick was a gentle, compassionate, selfless, and patient soul who cherished family, and at its heart, his wife of 53 years, Peggy. ...

Feb. 2, 1926 — Aug. 23, 2018 Richard Kimmel, 92, of Okoboji passed away on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018, at Muse Norris Hospice House in Mason City. A private family funeral will be held at the Schuchert-Lentz Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Online condolences may be sent to spiritlakefuneralhome.com...

Nov. 21, 1956 – Aug. 11, 2018 Capt. Robert "Bert" Lincoln Rogers sailed across the bar on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. He passed away suddenly in Spirit Lake, surrounded by family. At the time of his passing, Bert and his wife, Donna, were enjoying a family celebration at Lake Okoboji, where the Rogers family had spent many summers on the lake, sparking Bert's love of sailing...

Feb. 1, 1930 — Aug. 20, 2018 A funeral service for Willa Ann Reverts, 88, of Milford, was held Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018, at the Milford Community Center in Milford. Interment was at Union Township Cemetery in Harris. Willa Ann Reverts, daughter of Elmer and Anna (Winter) Siemers was born Feb. 1, 1930, in rural Harris. She lived her youth in the Harris area and attended Allison Country and Harrison Rural Schools...

From the crazy night 2,300 teenagers converged on Arnolds Park for an Everly Brothers concert to the time a tornado ripped the top off of the Roof Garden, newspapers that formed today's Dickinson County News have been there to tell the tale. One of the DCN's predecessors, the Spirit Lake Beacon, dates back to 1870, followed closely by the Milford Mail in 1882, the Lake Park News in 1890 and the Terril Record in 1928. ...

In the beginning, there were 10. Five bands, two venues, a radio station and a pair of disc jockeys made up the first class of inductees into the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. This year's ceremony will bring the total to more than 400 inductees. Staples of the induction ceremony will return, but the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Music Association has also scheduled a few new items this year...

Arnolds Park Library's "Libraries Rock" Summer Reading Program saw record numbers this summer as the kids challenged themselves to read 100 books or chapters during the seven week program. We had 172 participants registered for the program and 93 of the kids reached their goal of 100 books/chapters...

Iowa Lakes Community College recently announced the 2018-19 convocation schedule for the Emmetsburg and Estherville Campuses. Iowa Lakes offers convocations as an opportunity to bring culturally diverse events to campus and the community. This year's convocations are scheduled to take place in October 2018 and in February 2019. Admission is free, and the convocations are open to the public...

The Milford Memorial Library’s newsletter will be coming out in September. It is full of important information and dates for the next couple of months. It is available to all of the donating members of the Friends of MML, and our library has a few print copies...

  Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach, Lutheran Family Service and Respite Angels are teaming up to host "Powerful Tools for Caregivers" at the Calvary United Methodist Church in Arnolds Park. The programs will be from 9-10:30 a.m. every Thursday beginning Oct. 4 through Nov. 8...

Most of us have been affected by breast cancer, whether it’s through a friend, relative, coworker, or our own battle. As a result, we may believe we know everything we need to know about breast cancer. However, here are five things you may not know...

The Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience will take the Lauridsen Performing Arts Theatre stage at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13. The band is a newcomer to traditional pop, fusing a big band spirit with an inventive edge. Johnson is an Emmy award-winning crooner and lead singer of the internationally known vocal group, Tonic Sol-fa. he indelibly stamps vocal jazz and swing with a contemporary punch...

Odyssey Entertainment is pleased to announce a one-time special movie screening of "This Day Forward" and meet and greet and Q&A with Brian Ide, the director of the movie, as well as Jennifer Jensen actress in the movie at the CineMagic Great Lakes Cinema 7 in Okoboji on Sept. 17. Tickets are now on sale. Regular pricing applies...

Arch Allies are returning for its annual Labor Day weekend performance on Preservation Plaza in Arnolds Park. "They are very popular around here," Arnolds Park Amusement Park Marketing Director Paul Plumb said. "They always play here for our Saturday concert on Labor Day Weekend and have for the past five or six years."...

Marilyn Maye reminds us that a home isn't just four walls and a roof. And, she found a new one for her performances in Okoboji. "I'm thrilled to be playing the lovely Lakes Art Theatre for two nights," she recently told us, adding that she is glad the Pearson Lakes Art Center is part of the area landscape offering audiences wonderful music and entertainment...

With most Iowa schools starting this week, the Iowa DOT is reminding folks about the laws relating to passing a school bus. Riding on a school bus is the safest way for children to travel to and from school. The greatest risk when traveling by school bus occurs when a child is around the bus. The "danger zone" is 10 feet in front of, behind and to each side of the bus. We need to be especially careful of this area...

  This year, House Republicans made mental health a priority by passing many significant mental health bills. These bills included efforts to expand access to mental health services in Iowa communities, provide training to help teachers recognize signs of depression and to increase the mental health workforce throughout the state...

There has been considerable debate recently about improving the educational system in Iowa. At the heart of this debate is the main issue of providing the best for our children when it comes to their future. Every parent wants their children to have it better than they did. ...

The fourth annual Tiki ride on Aug. 4 was a big success bringing in $1,800 that will garner a total of $7,200 with matching grant funds for DCTB. Funds raised will be used to support the Dickinson County Trails Board in planning and development of priority projects. Thank you to Sportsman’s Pub for all of the work they do putting on this entertaining ride and for the donation to the trails...

On Saturday, Aug. 25, our country lost a national hero, revered by millions of Americans – Senator John McCain. President Trump disagrees. In a televised interview in July of 2015 he said: "He is not a hero, I like heroes that were not captured." McCain's plane was shot down during a raid on North Vietnam and McCain was captured. ...

The story of who killed Iowa girl Mollie Tibbetts is nearly complete. Cristhian Bahena Rivera has been charged with her murder and is going to trial. Authorities initially said Rivera was an undocumented immigrant, but now even that is being challenged. Nonetheless, the left is telling the right not to politicize this case, just as the right told the left not to politicize school shootings earlier this year. We all hold our preferred causes quite dearly...

Toddlers are often difficult to understand when they begin to speak, but at what point does it become a concern? The answer often lies in whether or not the parents are experiencing the following common concerns, especially once their child is two years old:...

Cooperative Energy recently the acquisition of Cooperative Farmers Elevator’s (CFE) Energy Division. As of the afternoon of Aug. 31, Cooperative Energy will be operating: the CFE bulk truck, Lake Park bulk plant, George and Rushmore Cardtrols as well as the service center in George. In addition to these locations, Cooperative Energy has a chance to add three new employees to serve hundreds of new members...

Tom Kuhlman and Mary Kennedy will be speaking Thursday Aug. 30 in the Lauridsen Performing Arts Theatre. Tom and Mary will be sharing their stories of Captain Steve Kennedy and his legacy. Captain Steve loved the Iowa Great Lakes more than anything in the world. ...

A majority of the seats were filled as the lights dimmed Wednesday evening in the Pearson Lakes Art Center's Lauridsen Performing Arts Theatre. People had come for an update on the Imagine Iowa Great Lakes beautification project. Many attended the Imagine group's previous presentations, but were eager to both see and hear about plans for the first phase of the project — and ask questions. ...

A Fostoria man briefly eluded authorities after a report of assault Monday night. The Clay County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of assault at approximately 6:49 p.m. to investigate an assault involving David Schmidt of Fostoria, who was suspected of assaulting his girlfriend. ...

Longtime Republican senator, war hero and former presidential candidate John McCain passed away on Aug. 25 after a lengthy battle with brain cancer at age 81. McCain left the world surrounded by loved ones, but also left a lifetime of memories, including some in northwest Iowa...

Members of the Milford Commercial Club and Milford Kiwanis volunteered their time at the annual teacher's appreciation luncheon Thursday, Aug. 23, at Okoboji High School. The meal included chicken, potato salad, coleslaw and pie. The first day of school was Monday, Aug. 27...

MaxYield Cooperative recently presented Dickinson County Extension and Outreach with a contribution aimed at decreasing the cost of enrollment in 4-H youth programs. "We are continuing our support of local 4-H and commitment to our youth," MaxYield Client Relations Director Chad Meyer said. "Recently, we presented a contribution for $10 per 4-H member in order to decrease the cost of 4-H membership."...

Aaron Jones, broker and owner of RE/MAX Lakes Realty is pleased to announce that Janie Eick has joined their team of real estate professionals. Eick is originally from Kingsley and has resided in the Lakes Area for many years. While vacationing at her grandparents' cabin here every summer growing up, she fell in love with the area and all it has to offer...

Twice a year an Elderversity retreat is held at Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp for adults 55 and older. OLBC along with Nazareth Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls, and Christian Crusaders Radio Ministry are hosting a Fall Elderversity retreat Sept. 10-12. Bob Floss will lead worship, and featured speaker Dave Welter will offer biblical teaching during the sessions...

  Milford Commercial Club's newest member is Cre8 hair salon located at 806 Okoboji Avenue in Milford. Cre8 is a full service salon offering: tanning, waxing services, pedicures, manicures, acrylic nail services, gel manicures; all haircuts and styles, permanent waves and straightening services, specialty hairstyles for weddings, prom and dance recitals, make-up applications and brow and lash tinting. ...

"In Our Time," an exhibit of works by artist Terry Firkins, opens Aug. 30 in the Monte Pearson Gallery of the Pearson Lakes Art Center and will be on view through Oct. 20. Enjoy an opening reception of the exhibition is 5-7 p.m. Thursday. Also opening that night will be the new exhibit, "Resurrection" by Robert Jinkins. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet both artists. This event is free, and wine and hors d'oeuvres served...

The Iowa Great Lakes Area Great Okoboji Lakes Finale — G.O.L.F. — Tournament is only one month away. Brooks National Golf Club will host the 18-hole tournament for teams of four on Wednesday, Sept. 19. Check-in and lunch will be held from 11 a.m to noon. ...

Iowa Lakes Community College Athletics were featured at the board of trustees meeting Tuesday Aug. 21 in Estherville. Men's basketball coach Troy Larson also serves as athletics director and housing director at Iowa Lakes. His presentation included the discussion of athletic numbers and trends over a 10-year time frame...

The Iowa Navy Commodores welcomed a high-ranking member to the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber organization Friday morning. The Commodores gathered at the Spirit Lake Walmart to recognize the business as the first "Chairman's Council" member. The chamber launched a new five-tiered level membership model this winter, and members may choose the tier and benefits which best suit individual business needs. ...

One in three bites of food that you take is due to pollinators. And BeeBo the bee is very excited to share that fact with audiences during the Pockets Full of Fun puppet show 6:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, a part of the annual Bee & Butterfly Festival at the Dickinson County Nature Center...

Members of the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors gave up their usual seats during a special Monday meeting to accommodate approximately 12 guests. The board, with help from Gov. Kim Reynolds' office, arranged a joint meeting with representatives of Waste Management, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. ...

For years, the top draws to the Clay County Fair have been food and time with family. While the fair staff is not drawing away from the food aspect — and there's plenty of fair fare to be had — an emphasis this year is being put on the visitors themselves. From the buildings they enter to the pavement they walk upon, Clay County Fair Manager Jeremy Parsons said the wave of $1.6 million in capitol improvements to the grounds continues...

A Spirit Lake man accused of attempted murder will have a chance to present his case Sept. 11, according to records at the Dickinson County Courthouse. District Court Judge David Lester set the new trial date for 30-year-old Nicholas Thompson in an Aug. 14 ruling. Thompson is currently being held at the Dickinson County Jail...