Stories from Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Oct. 5, 1975 — Aug. 24, 2017 Services for Joseph M. Burdorf, 41, of Fairmont, Minnesota, were held on Monday, Aug. 28, at the United Methodist Church in Fairmont. Burial followed the service at Lakeside Cemetery. Joe passed away Thursday morning, Aug. 24, in Spirit Lake.               ...

June 30, 1917 — Aug. 21, 2017 A Mass of Christian Burial for Margaret Rehse, age 100, of Milford, was held on Friday, Aug. 25, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford. Interment was at Northlawn Cemetery in Spencer.  Margaret Rehse was born June 30, 1917, the daughter of Pat and Violet (Gill) Ryan, in Corning. The family moved to a farm near Newell, where she attended and graduated high school. She continued her education at AIB Business College in Des Moines...

Dr. Bryan Traughber, son of Larry and Betty Traughber of West Okoboji, and a 1997 graduate of Okoboji Community High School, became the first radiation oncologist in North America to use a sophisticated gynecological brachytherapy applicator to treat advanced cervical cancer. ...

State, federal and extension experts are encouraging Iowa farmers to stay vigilant in their efforts to control Palmer amaranth. Iowa lawmakers added this fast-growing weed to Iowa’s noxious weed list in July as a response to a significant increase in the presence of Palmer across Iowa in 2016...

Funding is still available to Iowa communities with populations of 5,000 or smaller to inspect and properly remove asbestos from abandoned commercial buildings. The funds, from the DNR’s derelict building grant program allow eligible communities to investigate the amount of asbestos present in a building, determine the physical characteristics and stability of these structures by completing structural engineering assessments and abate identified asbestos...

The cooperative behind the area’s Cenex convenience stores has announced its fiscal results for the ear ending July 31. MaxYield Cooperative’s annual meeting is 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Clay County Regional Events Center in Spencer. The cooperative has 24 locations and three Cenex convenience stores in Iowa. MaxYield also provides grain origination and accounting services for two Iowa feed mills...

The Iowa Navy Commodores on Aug. 11 paid a visit to The Boonedocks in Arnolds Park to welcome its new owners. The business is located on the east side of U.S. Highway 71. It was recently acquired by Joe and Libby Newlin as well as Lance and Tracy Evans. The Iowa Navy Commodores were on hand as a welcoming branch of the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce...

October is National Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month and is also Petoberfest, a friend- and fund-raiser for People for Pets of Spencer. People for Pets is a non-profit no-kill animal shelter serving northwest Iowa and beyond. Along with husband Craig (and their three People for Pets alumni dogs), Kirsten Wampler of Midstates Builders is challenging fellow animal lovers to match a $1,000 donation. ...

On Aug. 14, Upkeep, a locally owned home maintenance and handyman service located in Milford, acquired Marchand Plumbing & Heating of Milford. Prior to selling the business, Ron Marchand had been in the plumbing and heating industry for 45 years. Upkeep welcomes Marchand Plumbing & Heating's employee Rod Stevenson into their company. ...

The deadline is approaching for the Winter Games 38 Logo Contest. The Winter Games Committee is seeking designs for this year’s games scheduled for Jan. 25-28, 2018. The logo will be used on all Winter Games merchandise as well as print advertising, entry forms, social media, mailings, and website promotion...

Seasons Center for Behavioral Health has received $2,000 in grant funding from the Dickinson County Endowment Fund. The funding will be used by Seasons to host the 2018 Winter Games Kids Carnival. The carnival is designed to be an interactive, indoor event for children and their families to promote positive mental health through a family-friendly event...

The Iowa Rock ’n’ Roll Music Association hosts three days of events Labor Day Weekend celebrating the 2017 Iowa Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame Inductions. Rock ’n’ roll legends will take the stage in the famous Hall of Fame Induction Concert Sunday night at the Roof Garden, but not before the winner of the Association’s Battle of the Bands performs...

The staff at the Dickinson County Nature Center loves pollinators. That love is shared with hundreds of people during the annual Bee & Butterfly Festival, held 4-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, this year. “The Bee & Butterfly Festival is our biggest event of the year,” said Kiley Roth, community relations coordinator for Dickinson County Conservation. ...

The Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji will present a short films and performing arts series during the month of September. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7 — Cinema at the Lakes: “The Midwife” Two of French cinema’s biggest stars shine in this bittersweet drama about the unlikely friendship that develops between Claire (Catherine Frot), a talented, but tightly-wound midwife, and Béatrice (Catherine Deneuve), the estranged, free-spirited mistress of Claire’s late father. ...

The Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and the Humane Society of Northwest Iowa are partnering to host the 6th Annual University of Okoboji Mutt Strut. The groups welcome the public to the event Saturday, Oct. 7 at the Pearson Lakes Art Center. Registration begins at 10 a.m. with the walk beginning at 11 a.m...

Thousands and thousands of people experience the Iowa Great Lakes Area throughout the summer months each year, but the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber is always looking for ways to attract visitors in the months that follow. One opportunity we believe could benefit the area in the "shoulder season" and further boost the local economy would be an Oktoberfest weekend. ...

I am sure many of you, along with myself, have been watching the news and have been appalled at the racism, hate and evil that some people in our country perpetuate. I, for one, believe that our maker made each of us with unique abilities and talents. I also believe that our maker endowed us with certain unalienable rights and those rights make us equal...

It is hard to believe, but we are part of the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico. Would you believe that the Mississippi River and its tributaries drain 41 percent of the United States and carry nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from lawns, storm drains, water treatment plants, farmland and other sources right down to the Gulf?...

With overwhelming shared condolence for the victims of the Charlottesville, Virginia, we as members of the Iowa Great Lakes Area and residents of Dickinson County, speak out against hate. We must resist white supremacy, fascism, anti-Semitism and bigotry, because hate is not acceptable. ...

On behalf of the Iowa Great Lakes Rotary Club, we would like to thank everyone who supported our first ever Boji Brew Fest on July 29 of this year. Working in conjunction with Spirit Lakes PEO Chapter PA, we were able to raise money for renovations of Shelby's Playground at Elinor Bedell State Park...

Award winning psychologist Thomas Lickona’s book “Character Matters” lists 10 essential qualities that must be developed in order to avoid irresponsible and destructive behavior in children as they grow into adulthood. They are: wisdom, justice, fortitude, self-control, love, a positive attitude, hard work, integrity, gratitude and humility...

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October. “Much of the state received some needed moisture last week that will hopefully help crops as they move towards maturity. We are starting to see some corn being chopped for silage, including areas that have been impacted by drought and farmers need additional forage for their livestock,” Northey said.. ...

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. ...

The unofficial end of the summer holiday remains one of the more popular weekends during the peak camping season.  Most of the campsites with electricity in Iowa state parks have been snapped up for weeks ahead of the Labor Day weekend. Boaters will also experience high volumes of traffic on the waterways and at the boat ramps...

Another Democrat has entered the race to oppose U.S. Rep. Steve King in Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District. Paul Dahl, a librarian and transit bus driver from Webster City, announced his candidacy Monday. He said his platform will focus on seven areas: agriculture, campaign finance reform, education, environment, government spending, health care and Social Security. ...

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) discovered 26, 3- to 5-inch gizzard shad, in East Lake Okoboji on Aug. 11 as part of routine sampling. “We don’t know how gizzard shad got into the lake,” Mike Hawkins, fisheries biologist for the Iowa DNR at Spirit Lake, said. “It is possible that someone intentionally put them in the lake.”...

The public is invited to join the Dickinson County Republican Women at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, at The Rolling Oaks Barn in Okoboji for an enjoyable evening of conversation among fellow Republicans. Special guest for the event will be Iowa Speaker of the House Linda Upmeyer...

Huang Shuyue, age 20, and Wanqing Zheng, age 18, both of Spirit Lake were charged with shoplifting from the Spirit Lake Walmart at 4:26 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22. The pair was booked into the Dickinson County Jail at 5:08 p.m. and 5:26 p.m. respectively on charges of fifth-degree theft — less than $200. No bond was set in either case...

Q: What’s on the minds of Iowans as you visit each of Iowa’s 99 counties this year? A: Last year during the August recess, I got a lot of feedback from Iowans about government overreach, specifically regarding an Obama administration rule known as Waters of the United States (WOTUS). The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had issued a rule that effectively would regulate 97 percent of the property in Iowa under the Clean Water Act...

Music is the common denominator that brings people of all ages and tastes together. The Iowa Great Lakes Region is blessed with musicians aplenty. Some have always resided here, others moved back after retirement or were drawn here through visiting over the years...

Tuxedos, chaps, evening gowns, leather vests and even kilts: Shayla Bee's Black Tie Black Leather Affair brought out a wide variety of attire and sometimes the distinct styles were on the same person. A sellout crowd enjoyed the atmosphere of Okoboji Classic Cars. ...

Apex Clean Energy officials have cleared another hurdle in their effort to build a major wind farm in Clay and Dickinson County. The Upland Wind Prairie Project was brought before the Clay County Board of Adjustments on Aug. 22. The project is expected to add 120 turbines to the northwest Iowa landscape – slightly less than half of the turbines will be in Dickinson County. ...

Residents and visitors alike immediately recognize the distinctive musical sounds as the Ice Cream Truck enters our respective neighborhoods and campgrounds. Bob and Kate Shaw of Spirit Lake own the 50-year-old vehicle that is famous in Dickinson County. The couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on May 30 but are celebrating that event all year long with various trips. Since the Ice Cream Truck is the same age as their marriage, they wanted to include it in their celebration some way...

Ordering trees from the DNR’s State Forest Nursery just got easier. A new online sales site – http://nursery.iowadnr.gov/  – features dozens of quality native Iowa trees and an easy check-out process. Also new in 2017 are changes to how nursery stock can be used to accommodate a wider audience of people wanting to order bulk trees:...

Squirrel hunters should expect to find an average to above average squirrel population over most of the state, with higher squirrel numbers in areas with quality oak and hickory trees. Squirrel season opens Sept. 2. Fox squirrels can be found anywhere there are a few acres of trees, but gray squirrels are generally limited to the heavily forested areas in eastern and southern Iowa...

Autumn is quickly approaching, and in many areas, the water clears up in the fall. This is due to several things within the ecosystem, but the reality is, autumn waters can be clearer, and that will affect how we the fish react. And how the fish react should have an impact on how we react to our fishing presentations...

Jon Thelen’s seminar during the Okoboji Blue Water Festival was met with great enthusiasm by more than 40 fishing enthusiasts. Perhaps it was the topic “Catching Summer Walleyes over the Weeds,” or perhaps it was his prowess as a top walleye tournament angler, or perhaps it was the popularity of the popular Lindy Fish Ed television series that he hosts...

The 13th-ranked (1A) Harris-Lake Park volleyball team went 3-3 at a tournament hosted by Clarion Goldfield over the weekend, placing third. The Wolves defeated Eagle Grove (21-12, 21-13), North Butler (21-15, 22-20) and CAL, Latimer (21-1, 21-10) in straight sets, but fell to Clarion-Goldfield (18-21, 8-21), South Hamilton (14-21, 22-20, 5-15) and Clear Lake (14-21, 21-16, 15-17)...

The ninth-ranked (3A) Spirit Lake volleyball team struggled mightily at a tournament hosted by Humboldt on Saturday. The Indians defeated Lakes Conference foe Emmetsburg (21-18, 25-23) and Grand View Christian (21-19, 17-21, 17-15), but fell to 14th-ranked (3A) South Central Calhoun (11-21, 17-21), top-ranked (3A) Kuemper Catholic (21-7, 21-15), Fort Dodge (21-19, 17-21, 11-15) and host Humboldt (19-21, 21-14, 10-15)...

The Okoboji volleyball team played host to a pair of area teams at a tournament Tuesday in Milford. The Pioneers went 0-2 against Estherville Lincoln Central and ninth-ranked (3A) Spirit Lake on the night. The Midgets went 2-0 to take first place. The Pioneers lost to ELC in straight sets in the opening game of the tournament. Okoboji coach Eric Thompson said his team continued to struggle in the opening set, just as they did in the season-opening tournament in Spencer on Thursday...

Steady rains throughout the past week forced ponds and creeks out of their banks at Brooks Golf Club in Okoboji, but the water logged fairways were no match for the areas best cross country runners on Tuesday night. Spirit Lake's Kourtney Delperdang won the girls race, while Mason McCaffery and Aidan Bauermeister placed second and fourth, respectively, for the boys...

Dickinson County squads look to maintain hot start

A few days made a big difference in Okoboji coach Jon Allen's opinion of his team's season-opening win over North Union on Friday night. Allen said, while he was initially unpleased with a 6-0 win over the Warriors, the more he broke down the game film, the more things he liked...

THE IOWA DISTRICT COURT DICKINSON COUNTY UPON THE PETITION OF SANDRA L. MCKELVEY, Petitioner, CASE NO. CDCD003124 ORIGINAL NOTICE AND CONCERNING MARK C. MCKELVEY, Respondent. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT(S): You are notified that a petition has been filed in the office of the clerk of this court naming you as a Respondent in this action, which petition prays for a dissolution of marriage. ...

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley doesn’t often see teenagers at his town meetings around the state. So, on Tuesday, he came to them. The senator visited the Sami Center for the Performing Arts at Spirit Lake High School as part of his annual 99-county tour across the state. Grassley answered questions from the students during their first period class. He said talking with young people is just as important as any town hall meeting.

“We’re hiring,” GrapeTree Medical Staffing CEO Tim Kinnetz said. The expansion of his Milford business caught the attention of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who was present for the company’s announcement. Kinnetz, a former traveling registered nurse, founded GrapeTree in 1999. ...

Returning runner-up Harris-Lake Park showed why its the top-ranked team entering the 2017 football season, as the Wolves earned a 63-0 road win over North Iowa in the season opener Friday night. However, the win proved costly, as a pair of seniors suffered lower leg injuries...

In what has become a Week 1 tradition, the Spirit Lake football squared off with neighboring rival Estherville Lincoln Central. Despite having plenty of new faces on both sides of the ball, the result remained the same, as the Indians topped the Midgets 29-12 at home this past Friday...