Stories from Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Did you know that 94 percent of all traffic crashes are due to driver error? These crashes are preventable and the Iowa State Patrol will be working with our enforcement partners throughout the Winter Games period to reduce these crashes. The Iowa State Patrol will be partnering with the Dickinson County Sheriff's Office and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Enforcement to add an additional traffic enforcement presence to Lakes area roads during the event...

The first week of the Iowa Legislature started on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.  We heard from Governor Kim Reynolds, Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady and the Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard Timothy Orr. Some regard these speeches as pomp and circumstance, but they are really a time for each leader to lay out their vision to better the State of Iowa...

The 88th General Assembly convened on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019. I was humbled and honored to be sworn in as a member of the Iowa Senate shortly after 10 a.m. The first week in the Iowa Senate is a week of firsts – not unlike one's first week of a new school year or a new job. There is a great energy and excitement. There is a new building to get used to, new colleagues, new staff, new rules and customs, time with family and friends and a scramble to find the "perfect" desk in the Chamber...

Poor Mercutio — a prime example of a man hurt most by the quarrel to which he's not part. Some have said the Shakespeare character's death in Romeo and Juliet is the point at which the classic story ceases to be an Elizabethan-aged story of two hormone-driven teenagers. In other words, it's the point at which things get serious. It's no longer funny. It's no longer adorable. It's serious...

March 17, 1934 - Jan. 18, 2019 Bernalee "Berna" S. Anderson, 84, of Spirit Lake passed away on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Accura Healthcare of Spirit Lake. Memorial services will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of the Schuchert-Lentz Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Online condolences may be sent to spiritlakefuneralhome.com...

Dec. 16, 1920 — Jan. 17, 2019 Funeral services were held Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, at Warner Chapel in Spencer for Lowell Watters of Milford. The Rev. Paul Frederiksen officiated. Burial, with military honors by American Legion Glen Pedersen Post #1 and V.F.W. Clay County Post #3159, were at Pleasant View Cemetery in Hartley...

Feb. 2, 1914 — Jan. 18, 2019 Helen M. Ruebel, died on Jan. 18, 2019 — two weeks before her 105th birthday. Services were held Sunday, Jan. 20 at Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home in Fort Dodge. Survivors include her children, Sally (Rodney) Amlie of Humboldt, Arthur “Tom” (Carol) Ruebel of Gardner, Colorado; Janet (James) Bergman of Norwalk; eight grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren...

Dec. 21, 1925 — Jan. 7, 2019 Funeral services were held Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, at the First Presbyterian Church of Estherville for Grace C. Soeth of Spirit Lake and formerly of Estherville. Visitation was Sunday at the Henry-Olson Funeral Chapel in Estherville. Burial was at East Side Cemetery of Estherville...

Jan. 20, 1939 — Jan. 14, 2019 Mary Margaret Lainson, 79, passed away on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019, at her home in Iowa City after a lengthy illness, six days shy of her 80th birthday. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Monday, Jan. 21, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Iowa City. ...

Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy. I have no cover, so read me maybe? There will be no awkward questions, no forced conversation, no judgmental looks, no need to call. Just have a blind date with a book! All of February, visitors can have a blind date with a book. Books from an assortment of genres, departments, fiction and non-fiction will be wrapped in brown paper. Sure, it might turn out to be a dud, or it could be the diamond in the rough you wouldn't have given a chance otherwise...

The Iowa Court of Appeals has elected Judge Gayle Nelson Vogel of Spirit Lake as chief judge. Judge Vogel has served on the court of appeals since 1996. She is the ninth chief judge since the state legislature established the Iowa Court of Appeals in 1976. She replaces Chief Judge David Danilson, who recently retired...

Two culinary staples of the University of Okoboji Winter Games will return for another year of sweet and savory flavors. The annual Chili Cook-Off will fill the air with hearty aromas from 5-7 p.m. Friday at the Dickinson County Expo Building. The spice will give way to sugar during the Chocolate Classic and Galleria 1-3 p.m. Saturday in the Expo Building...

The traditional University of Okoboji Winter Games is built upon well-known events and traditions, but that doesn't mean the schedule of events can't fit in a few new ideas. Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, the Okoboji Sailing Center and the Pearson Lakes Art Center are partnering this year on a new event called Winter Water Sheds...

The public has been signing up to take a chilly dip in the wintery waters of West Okoboji for years upon years. The Polar Plunge has become a well-known — not to mention well-attended — event during the University of Okoboji Winter Games. Sign up for the plunge begins at 1:30 p.m. ...

The 2019 Okoboji Summer Theatre productions will be unveiled at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Okoboji Bible Conference (Arnolds Park) during the Winter Games. Operated by Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, the summer theatre will present four musicals and five non-musicals during the 2019 season. ...

Organizers hope to see area residents and guests at the 39th Annual University of Okoboji Winter Games Jan. 24-27 presented by GrapeTree Medical Staffing, LLC. Milford Boy Scout Troop #170 and the Milford Commercial Club are teaming up for a tradition that lasts well over a decade. ...

The University of Okoboji Winter Games is all about enjoying the season while outdoors. The first Family Nature Night celebrates the same theme 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at the Dickinson County Nature Center, during one of the area's biggest celebrations of the year...

Seasons Center for Behavioral Health and Autumn's Center is hosting the seventh-annual Winter Games free kids' carnival from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Bedell Family YMCA in Spirit Lake. Attendees can choose from many different activities, including face painting, carnival games, inflatables, rock climbing wall and a craft table. ...

After collecting nominations for all of December and holding community-wide voting Jan. 3 and 4, the Winter Games Committee has officially tallied up the votes. The Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announced the 2019 University of Okoboji Winter Games Cheerleaders...

Laria Rose Carpenter, age 35, was booked into the Dickinson County Jail at 11:41 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, on a court order. David Arlo Hegg, age 27, was booked into the Dickinson County Jail at 2:29 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16, on charges of fourth-degree criminal mischief — damage between $200 and $500...

Spencer Hospital officials Monday night confirmed the transport of some patients to Spirit Lake following a fire in one of Spencer's surgical equipment sterilization units. The Spencer Fire Department and Spencer Police Department responded to a fire inside Spencer Hospital at 5:12 p.m. Monday. A total of 18 firefighters, three fire engines, a number of police officers and hospital staff were on scene during the emergency, which lasted approximately one hour...

The Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victims of Sunday's accident on Storm Lake, in which a vehicle plunged through the ice killing two and hospitalizing two others. A Tuesday morning report identified the man who died as Zackary Newlon, age 40, of Anthon. Newlon and his 8-year-old son were pronounced dead shortly after they were transported by ambulance to Buena Vista Regional Medical Center...

A recent court filing is tying up one of the last loose ends in an ongoing case stemming from a proposed housing development along the shores of East Lake Okoboji. Attorney Jamie Hunter filed a motion Jan. 16 on behalf of her client, a group called Concerned Citizens of Dickinson County, which voluntarily dismisses the group's request for a protective order against Leo "Butch" Parks. ...

Annika Stecker, Benedict Steffens and Ryan Schmidt, seniors at Spirit Lake High School were honored as finalists in the Iowa State Bar Association’s "Know Your Constitution Contest” at a luncheon held at the West Des Moines Marriott Hotel in West Des Moines on Saturday, Jan. 11. The Keynote Speaker was the honorable Judge Susan Christensen of the Iowa Supreme Court...

  Rep. John Wills (R-Spirit Lake) is seen here taking the oath of office in the Iowa House chamber as the 88th General Assembly kicked off Jan. 14 at the Capitol.       During the session, Rep. Wills can be reached at john.wills@legis.iowa.gov or through the House switchboard at (515) 281-3221. ...

The South Dakota Highway Patrol has released additional details about a Lakes Regional Healthcare ambulance crash Jan. 10 near Sioux Falls. Traffic investigators did not cite ambulance driver Deanne Garland of Spirit Lake. The westbound LRH ambulance she was driving sustained an estimated $10,000 damage after it left the roadway, entered the backyard of a residence, collided with a play set, multiple trees and an electrical utility transformer box. ...

--- 6-8 p.m. — Winter Games Kick-Off with Lake Patrol at Table 316 Steakhouse in Arnolds Park --- All Day — SMOKOBOJI Rocks Scavenger Hunt at Ruthven Meat Locker in Spirit Lake 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — $15 Pottery Painting at Kurio Kastle/Art on 16th in Spirit Lake...

Spirit Lake Park senior Dakoda Powell picked up his 100th career pin Thursday during the Indians' Lakes Conference dual meet win over Spencer. Powell — currently ranked second in Class 2A and a two-time state tournament place-winner — pinned Spencer 220-pounder Drew Thompson in 1 minute, 22 seconds. (Photo by Nate Shaughnessy)...

The Harris-Lake Park boys basketball team suffered a War Eagle Conference home loss Tuesday in Lake Park, as the Wolves fell 60-52 to Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn. It was the seventh loss for Harris-Lake Park in eight games. The Wolves trailed 14-13 after one quarter of play and outscored the Hawks 15-10 in the second quarter to take a 28-24 lead at the half...

The Harris-Lake Park girls basketball team picked up a much-needed win Tuesday night, as the Wolves topped Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 52-40 in Lake Park. The Wolves and Hawks went back and forth throughout the first half of play, but Harris-Lake Park separated from the visitors in the second half for the 12-point victory...

When do the lakes first freeze? When do they thaw? How deep is the ice? These are all popular topics of conversation in the winter in the Iowa Great Lakes area. But do you know how the ice actually forms on the lakes? Of course, ice is created when the water temperature reaches freezing. That is pretty obvious. We’ve all seen ice cubes created in the freezer. Yet, lakes don’t freeze all at once, and they don’t completely freeze all the way through. So how does that happen?...

The North American Ice Fishing Circuit (NAIFC) recently completed a tournament event in Okoboji as part of its annual schedule of eight ice fishing tournaments and the championship held throughout the upper Midwest in 2019. In a sense, the NAIFC is the Bassmasters of the ice fishing world with some of the best ice anglers in the entire country competing in the tournament circuit. ...

Ice-fishing so far this ice-season has been strange. First the ice in my area of north Iowa is safe, then it isn’t. I haven’t been out much, which means that I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about fishing, through the ice and otherwise. Awhile back I shared two of my favorite ways to catch fish in open water: A small jig, probably an eighth ouncer, tipped with either plastic or a minnow for walleyes, and also weedless baits fished for largemouth in shallow, heavy vegetation. ...

As we move into the end of January, we are halfway through the ice fishing season. It’s crazy how mild the weather has been to the point of us being concerned about accesses and “not safe” ice. Now all of a sudden, we are thrown into the deep freeze with a dozen days of high temperatures not even close to freezing. ...

Harris-Lake Park girls and boys basketball teams split a War Eagle Conference doubleheader with Trinity Christian on Tuesday, Jan. 15. The girls picked up a 50-28 win over the Tigers, while the boys fell 57-47 in Hull. Madison Brevik and Taylor Meyer combined for 39 of Harris-Lake Park's 50 points Tuesday in the Wolves' road win over Trinity Christian...

Okoboji split a pair of duals Thursday during a road trip to Orange City. The Pioneers defeated Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley but fell to host MOC-Floyd Valley on the night. "We saw a lot of good things for this point in the season but also some things we need to correct," Okoboji coach Nate Dau said. ...

Okoboji and Sheldon needed extra time to decide a winner on Tuesday, Jan. 15. The Orabs jumped out to an early lead and, after surviving an Okoboji comeback, came away with a 56-49 win in two overtimes. "I look at this game and credit both teams for fighting hard all the way through and never giving up," Okoboji coach Ryan Stumbo said. ...

The Harris-Lake Park girls basketball team suffered a seven-point home loss to Sioux Central on Thursday. The Wolves fell 51-44 to the Rebels in War Eagle Conference girls hoops action. Harris-Lake Park jumped out to an early 10-8 lead after one quarter of play but watched that lead dwindle and disappear in the second quarter, as Sioux Central outscored the hosts 12-6 to take a 20-16 lead into the halftime locker room...

Harris-Lake Park hung with ninth-ranked (1A) Sioux Central early, but the Rebels slowly and steadily pulled away in a 15-point victory in Lake Park. The Wolves fell 63-48 to the Rebels in War Eagle Conference boys hoops action. Harris-Lake Park coach Jeff Sohn said his team showed improvement following a 57-47 road loss to Trinity Christian on Tuesday, Jan. 15...

After a one-year hiatus, Spirit Lake Park retook the Lakes Conference dual meet throne Thursday with a 45-30 road win over Spencer. The Indians, who won back-to-back conference dual titles in 2016 and 2017 before finishing second to Storm Lake last season, won eight of the 14 match-ups on the night and picked up bonus points in all but one victory...