Stories from Tuesday, December 29, 2020

I shared this on Christmas Eve, and in my childhood I remember watching a Christmas classic each year: "A Charlie Brown Christmas." I learned a lot of lessons in that classic cartoon, but the biggest one is Linus' true meaning of Christmas. Through the hustle and bustle of the season we often forget the true meaning of Christmas and I would like to give you that one simple message in this update:...

In the small town of Toledo in Tama County, there's a beautiful Colonial Revival-style building that's stood for more than a century. It's the Wieting Theater, and during my childhood it was an oasis and a means to escape the day's stresses and problems. ...

March 29, 1931 — Dec. 22, 2020 Burton Tungland, 89, of Spirit Lake passed away Dec. 22, 2020, at Accura Healthcare Center of Spirit Lake with complications from COVID-19. A private family graveside service for Burton will be held at the Superior Cemetery in Superior. Arrangements are under the direction of the Schuchert-Lentz Funeral in Spirit Lake. Online condolences may be left at spiritlakefuneralhome.com...

Sept. 23, 1932 — Dec. 20, 2020 A graveside service for Harvey Baedke, age 88, of Milford, was held Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, at Fairview Cemetery in Terril. Harvey Gene Baedke, was the youngest child of Fred Adolph Baedke and Anna Marie (Rierson) Baedke and was born on Sept. ...

May 25, 1933 — Dec. 19, 2020 Janet Ann Hodapp was born May 25, 1933, in Granville to Herman and Dorothy (Forkenbrock) Hodapp. Her early childhood was spent in Granville and Sioux City. In 1946 she moved with her family to Milford where she became a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church and attended St. Joseph's Catholic School. She attended St. Mary's Academy in Alton graduating in 1951...

Aug. 2, 1928 — Dec. 22, 2020 A Mass of Christian Burial for Ken Baschke, 92, of Milford, was held Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford. Burial was at Calvary Cemetery. Kenneth M. Baschke, the son of Martha (Underberg) Baschke, was born Aug. 2, 1928, in Milford...

May 15, 1925 — Dec. 20, 2020 Richard Vande Hoef age 95 of Sibley passed away Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, at Country View Manor in Sibley surrounded by his family. Funeral services were. Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020, at the Christian Reformed Church in Sibley, with Dr. Greg Kosters officiating...

Aug. 23, 1955 — Dec. 20, 2020 A Mass of Christian Burial for Thad Wiedemeier, age 65, of Spirit Lake was held Wednesday Dec. 23, 2020, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Spirit Lake. Thaddeus James Wiedemeier, the son of Dr. Joseph and Elizabeth Wiedemeier, was born Aug. 23, 1955, in Sioux City. After graduating from Heelan High School, he received his stationary engineer degree at Western Iowa Tech...

Mediacom Communications recently announced that on behalf of its employees, the company is contributing $100,000 to a network of community food banks to help families in need of food assistance. The cash donations will be made directly to organizations connected to the Feeding America network including $10,000 contributions to both the Food Bank of Iowa and the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley...

Slow down, relax and enjoy the simple moments with MML's Young Adult (Grades 4-12) subscription box: "A Comfy Cozy January." Inspired by the Danish concept of hygge, a feeling of cozy happiness and well-being through enjoying the simple pleasures in life, this little box of comforts is filled with projects such as a marbleized mug, wooden bead trivets and a DIY art candle. ...

The Clay County Fair Speedway announces a partnership with Trent Chinn Promotions for the 2021 season. The Speedway, which will be co-promoted by Chinn and the Fair Association, will host six nights of racing in 2021, including two nights at the 2021 Clay County Fair...

  People experience the death of a loved one differently. Experts say there's no perfect formula for dealing with grief. For one area woman, writing was instrumental in finding her way through a difficult period in her life. Mary McSwain Steele says she began to realize she wasn't coping well after the death of her mother, Betty McSwain, in 2009...

A $15,000 food donation for local families from Jensen Real Estate, Sunshine Foods and Atlantic Bottling Company was delivered to Upper Des Moines Opportunity Dec. 22. The donation was the result of the partnership of Jensen Real Estate and Sunshine Foods — grocery store customers could purchase pre-packaged food bags this holiday season and Jensen Real Estate matched the value of each bag purchased. ...

Aaron Justin Anderson, age 22, of Gruver, was charged with domestic abuse/assault — first offense — fourth-degree criminal mischief, possession of marijuana — first offense — and possession of drug paraphernalia at 9:42 a.m. Friday, Dec. 25 in the 3300 block of Sunner Avenue in Spirit Lake. ...

2020 was "in with the new" for the opening of a new Okoboji Middle School in Milford. But the courts may weigh in on "out with the old" when it comes to the former middle school location in Arnolds Park. School officials and community leaders on Wednesday, Oct. 7, celebrated the work of the various school boards, administrators and election campaigns, which give the current crop of students room to grow...

Who won the Iowa Caucus? In 2020, the answer was a little complicated. Results from the Feb. 3 nomination process were still unknown as the sun rose the next morning. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price said his party began receiving caucus results through an online app, but inconsistencies were found as the reports went through accuracy and quality checks...

The year will end the way summer began — with the flashing lights of a patrol car and a murder investigation underway in northwest Iowa. The Sioux County Attorney's Office reviewed investigative reports and thought Gregg Eugene Winterfeld should face a first-degree murder charge in the death of Grant Wayne "Willie" Wilson of Cleghorn...

Iowa held its place in the national spotlight and a series of Democrats made pre-pandemic stops in the Iowa Great Lakes as part of an effort to boost their position in the first-in-the-nation caucus. The year started with Tom Steyer opening a campaign office on Lake Street in Spirit Lake, but his bid failed to get local or national traction...

Dickinson County saw its first official case of COVID-19 reported in late March and more than 1,600 have been confirmed since then, but a light at the end of the tunnel came when 300 doses of a newly approved vaccine arrived at Lakes Regional Healthcare. Another 200 doses were expected in the final week of 2020...

Firefighters from two of the area's fire departments responded to a rural cattle barn fire northeast of Lake Park Monday afternoon. Lake Park Fire Chief Brandon Ehret said firefighters were called to the 1100 block of 150th Avenue shortly before 3 p.m., and a call for mutual aid from the Spirit Lake Fire Department went out in short order...

A local holding company which claimed the city of Arnolds Park interfered with a million-dollar real estate sale is expected to have its day in court. Iowa Third Judicial District Court Judge David Lester approved a Sept. 14, 2021, trial for CSP LLC's lawsuit against the city. Court documents show the jury trial is expected to last three about days...

My apologies for the timing. I didn't want to spoil the surprise. There was a particularly special Christmas gift I helped give some people this year — six people specifically. Like many of us, a good number of the branches in my family tree didn't gather this year for Christmas. ...