Stories from Tuesday, June 2, 2020

April 29, 1932 — May 29, 2020 Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 6, 2020, at Warner Chapel of Spencer for Bonnie Schoelerman of Spencer. The Rev. Lynn Dau is officiating. Interment is at Pleasant View Cemetery in Hartley. Bonnie Lee Schoelerman (Pfitzenmaier) daughter of Art and Loena (Powell) Pfitzenmaier, was born at home April 29, 1932, in Primghar. ...

Oct. 3, 1925 — May 16, 2020 Betty Jean Graff, daughter of Ralph and Anna Richards, died on May 16, 2020, at the age of 94.  Betty attended Spirit Lake High School, and received a bachelor's degree in textiles and clothing from Iowa State University...

April 17, 1975 — May 24, 2020 A funeral service for Chad Simington, age 45, of Milford, was held Friday, May 29, 2020, at Downtown Church in Milford. Burial was at the Little Sioux Lutheran Cemetery. Memorials in memory of Chad will be given to local and international missions...

April 30, 1951 — May 18, 2020 James (Jim) Grems, the son of Lester and Hazel E. (DeWall) Grems, was born April 30, 1951, in Estherville and passed away on Monday, May 18, 2020, at his home in Springdale, Arkansas, at the age of 69. Jim received his education in the Estherville Schools, graduating in 1969, and continued his education at Western Tech College in Colorado...

Dec. 10, 1979 — April 28, 2020 A private service for Lori Hott, age 40, of Milford was held at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford. Burial was at Calvary Cemetery. A memorial fund honoring Lori has been established for her children at Farmers Savings Bank, 2121 Okoboji Ave., Milford, Iowa 51351...

May 23, 1929 — May 24, 2020 Robert Dean Stahly was born May 23, 1929, in Allison Township in Osceola County to Ralph and Omo (Henning) Stahly. He attended Allison #8 Country School and later graduated from Harris High School in 1948. He began farming and then served in the Army, including time in Korea...

Jan. 16, 1949 — May 28, 2020 Roger Hagedorn, 71, of Spirit Lake passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, May 28, 2020, at his residence in Spirit Lake. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a drive by visitation will be held from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, May 31, at the family residence at 960 28th St. ...

Having been in the area for 20+ years we at Cherish Center know firsthand how phenomenal this community is! Still, when we received the incredibly generous donations totaling $5,088.96 that many of you from Spirit Lake and Okoboji gave through the Good Neighbor Fund we were blown away!...

  While this pandemic has challenged all Iowans, as our state begins to take the first steps toward safely reopening, I'm continuing to push for support for our families in every stage of life — from new parents to our seniors. After local businesses needed to close down to adhere to social distancing and public health measures in order to keep folks safe, tragically so many Iowans, including parents, have been facing layoffs and pay cuts. At the same time, reports show increased diaper shortages right here in Iowa. ...

Since the community spread of COVID-19 officially hit Iowa in mid-March, we saw Iowans respond. Many Iowans started or expanded their reliance on internet connectivity for learning, working and socializing. This magnified, nearly overnight, the importance of a quality internet connection...

Iowa continues to ease business restrictions over the next few weeks. Starting May 28, bars, wineries, breweries, and distilleries were able to reopen.  On June 1, casinos, bowling alleys, amusement parks, skating rinks, outdoor performance venues, and outdoor playgrounds were also able to reopen. ...

I have faith in humans and in Iowans in general because we tend to do the right thing, even in the face of adversity. This is called grit and in my mind and my 25 years of military service, grit can get you through so much in life. I chose to veer away from politics for my newsletter today, even though in less than a week the Legislature will be in full swing again, finishing up our business for the year...

I wish I could still be mad at Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49er who took a knee during national anthems in 2016 and couldn't find a roster spot anywhere in 2017. I wanted the quarterback to find another form of peaceful protest to convey the messages of social injustice and police misconduct...

A Friday morning collision involving a semi and a passenger vehicle in the 4800-mile of U.S. Highway 71 claimed the life of a 24-year-old Cedar Rapids man and injured a second man. At approximately 7:34 a.m., a northbound 2003 Peterbilt semi and empty livestock trailer, operated by Stoney Ray Burris, 46 of Livingston, Tennessee and a southbound 1987 Pontiac Firebird, driven by George Skyler Ellsworth Cole, 24 of Cedar Rapids, collided after the Firebird allegedly swerved into the northbound lane.. ...

One of the many special aspects of the Iowa Great Lakes Area is the abundance of traditions that are shared here. An annual favorite is the Fourth of July fireworks show, a celebration cherished by friends and family for more than 40 years. The beautiful display of fireworks by J&M Displays will light up the sky for all to enjoy at 10 p.m. Saturday, July 4 over West Lake Okoboji...

Iowa residents can try fishing without buying a license on June 5-7 as part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) free fishing weekend. All other regulations remain in place. "Grab your tackle box, take the family and get your lines in the water this weekend," Joe Larscheid, chief of the Iowa DNR's Fisheries Bureau, said. "Enjoy your time together, make lasting memories and put your worries behind you."...

Miss Becca has a lot of fun things for your family each week throughout June and July. Mondays will be Storytime Grab-and-Go Bags (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) on a table out front or through the drive-up window, as well as Zoom Storytimes (10:30 a.m.). Tuesdays will be Sidewalk Shenanigans (10:30 a.m.) either on the sidewalk or parking lot next to MML. ...

The local Operation Barnabas group put a flag display in the shape of a cross on the front yard of Immanuel Lutheran Church for Memorial Day weekend. This display was erected in memory and honor of those who offered their lives in defense of our country...

The county treasurer's office will open up along with the rest of the Dickinson County Courthouse by appointment only. The expected opening date is Wednesday, June 3. "Governor Reynolds extended the Proclamation of Public Health Disaster Emergency to June 25, 2020," Dickinson County Treasurer Kris Rowley said. "If the proclamation is not further extended, here’s deadlines to be aware of."...

In 2020 the Okoboji Foundation received grant requests totaling $878,000. Proceeds from Okoboji Foundation endowments provided $250,000 for awards. The Youth in Philanthropy initiative raised an additional $66,072 in annual funds for grants steered by student decision for a total of $316,072 in awards...

Treasure Village Mini Golf opened to the public on Friday, May 22 with guidelines to protect the health of staff and customers. Staff members will be conducting business through a walk-up window. Patrons should follow the signs and maintain social distancing after they arrive. Every club and ball will be sanitized before being given to customers. Staff will be limiting the total number of groups on the course, but they also have 27 holes so groups can spread out...

Dickinson County Farm Bureau planted four 10-foot seedless Honey Locust trees on the Dickinson County Fairgrounds north of the horse barn. The trees are in memory of four former members of the Dickinson County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. He was first elected to the board in 1994 as Westport Township Director. ...

Changes were on the horizon at Brownmed as the calendar changed from March to April. The novel coronavirus was first reported in Iowa on March 8, and state-wide positive cases broke 70 in a little less than two weeks. Before the month was out, Brownmed's Spirit Lake manufacturing facility began considering how to make gowns, plastic face shields and other personal protective equipment to help protect health care workers during the viral spread. ...

Officials at Accura Healthcare confirmed one of their staff members at the Milford facility has tested positive for COVID-19. Lisa Toti, Accura's vice president of strategic and organizational engagement, said none of the local care facility's residents have tested positive for the virus...

Incoming absentee ballots may play a role in the ultimate outcome of the Republican primary race for District 5 Dickinson County Supervisor, but candidate Jeff Thee finished Primary Election night with a lead. He received 298 votes for 65.2 % of the vote so far, while Janis Bowles gained 157 votes for 34.4%. ...

A field of four Democratic candidates for Iowa's open seat in the U.S. Senate was narrowed to a single nominee Tuesday night. Theresa Greenfield carried Dickinson County and is the projected winner statewide to face incumbent Republican Joni Ernst in November...

Mailed ballots may still be en route to the Dickinson County Auditor's Office, but the Iowa Great Lakes likely helped Randy Feenstra of Hull get the GOP nomination for Congress. The state senator from Hull edged nine-term incumbent Steve King in unofficial Dickinson County results Tuesday night. Feenstra received 1,066 votes for 49.1% of the vote. King received 669 votes for 30.8% support in the county...