Stories from Wednesday, May 13, 2020

As campgrounds begin opening up to walk-in, first-come, first-served, campers with self-contained restrooms, and visitors continue to take advantage of state parks, the DNR is encouraging everyone to check the DNR website for temporary closures before traveling to any of these areas...

Smallmouth bass are one of my favorite fish to target. Smallmouth bass are just built to provide joy and excitement. Much has been written and said about the fight of a smallmouth. The stubborn digging below the boat and airborne acrobatics simply make these fish so much fun to target and catch...

The early part of the fishing season is a great time to be on the water. It just feels good, and the fishing can be good also. Knowing a little bit about how fish go about their reproductive ritual can help us catch even more fish. Most of the fish that live in Midwest waters spawn in the spring. ...

In these crazy times, I find fishing to be a great relaxer. It certainly helps me reach out to nature and enjoy all of those wonderful sights and sounds. This time of year, between the Canada geese chasing each other around and battling for territory, turkeys showing up around the edges of wooded areas, the cackle of a rooster pheasant and the sounds of songbirds such as the cardinals — what an awesome display of nature’s sights and sounds. Catching fish is an added bonus...

As the fastest human to ever walk the halls of Spirit Lake High School, this spring was Joe Stein's time to shine. The senior set football fields across northwest Iowa ablaze this past fall, becoming a First Team All-District receiver and leading the district in receptions (51), receiving yards (814) and receiving touchdowns (8). ...

Salons, barber shops, tanning facilities, tattoo parlors and massage therapy businesses statewide will have some — but not all — COVID-19 related restrictions lifted on May 15, according to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. She announced the changes to her emergency orders on Wednesday, after delaying the announcement for a day...

Longtime Mediapolis coach Todd Rogers will be the new girls basketball coach at Spirit Lake this winter. He will fill the position left by former coach Naethan Hoaglund, who coached the Indians to a combined 32-33 record the last three seasons before resigning on April 13...