High Winds And Gales

Girls hoops pairing released: three local teams land home games (01/23/10)
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released its 2009-10 postseason pairings on Friday. Check out where your team is headed.

Brockshus named Flagfest Youth Ambassador (01/19/10)
Spencer High School senior Hannah Brockshus was named the 2010 Flagfest Youth Ambassador Sunday afternoon, and Carrie Cunningham and Emily Jones were named first and second alternates, respectively. The daughter of Todd and Barb Brockshus, of Fostoria, participates in individual and large group speech, Thespians, Key Club, band and soccer as a high school student. ...

The unbreakable bond of friends (01/04/10)
Before South Clay, there was Gillett Grove Consolidated School. Four students from the former school's class of 1939 remain steadfast comrades to this day. They've also stayed avid supporters of the northwest Iowa community they grew up in. ...

Dance teams gearing up for big December (12/01/09)
Fifteen Spencer Middle School girls have come together to form the Dance Force (above), while 20 young ladies from the high school, comprising "The Strutters" are preparing for their Iowa State competition on Friday at Veteran's Auditorium in Des Moines. ...

The power of words (11/27/09)
Before dismissing for an extended Thanksgiving weekend, Iowa Great Lakes Lutheran School students divided up Wednesday morning to hear gender-specific messages from "local celebrities" about how their words can either hurt or build up other people. Devin van Holsteijn, who is pursuing music and business management courses as a Drake University freshman, relayed to the male IGLLS students, right, that he was very active and excelled as a swim team and band member while dual enrolled as a homeschooled and a Spencer High School student. ...

Iowa football playoff pairings revealed (10/24/09)
Clay Central-Everly was the only team left standing in the local coverage area when the Iowa High School Athletic Association released the 2009 postseason football pairings late Friday night. The pairings included all potential matchups in bracket form, beginning with substate games and showing each postseason qualifier's road to "The Dome."...

New board welcomed, $210,000 foundation gift presented (09/24/09)
Before three new board members were sworn in Tuesday night, retiring Spencer school board members David Schlichtemeier, Ed Ver Steeg and Barb Van Wyk were recognized for their years of service to the district and the community. Superintendent Greg Ebeling presented each with a plaque and then thanked the outgoing board members for their contributions...

Spencer to celebrate homecoming next week (09/22/09)
James Bond 009 will spring into action as Spencer students, residents and volunteers alike put their own spin on the fictional James Bond 007 spy character during this year's homecoming celebrations, which officially begin on Monday, Sept. 28, and last through Saturday, Oct. 3...

FAA program helping SHS students academically (09/12/09)
While some Spencer High School students were dismissed from classes an hour early Friday afternoon, others were required to stay until the normal dismissal time. Some, on their own accord, even chose to stay in the school building's classrooms until the day's final bell rang...

Nothwehr serving Denver youth, leading them to Christ (09/03/09)
Caleb Nothwehr may have majored in journalism at the University of Kansas, but he's found his calling as a mentor who shares good news. The Young Life staff member leads weekly programs at Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver where messages about Jesus are shared at the end of each session in a language that the students can understand and relate to. ...

High School Football Scores (08/29/09)
Adair-Casey 41, Farragut 8 ADM 24, Dallas Center-Grimes 14 Akron-Westfield 34, Elk Point-Jefferson, S.D. 0 Anita CAM 56, Essex 12 Ankeny 32, Waukee 29, 2OT Ankeny Christian Academy 56, Moravia 14 Aplington-Parkersburg 30, Dike-New Hartford 14 Starmont 9, East Buchanan 6...

Dance joins list of SHS offerings (08/08/09)
As camps wrap up for the summer, one will still be logging 16 hours over the course of the next two days. No, it's not football, they wrapped up their week of daily two-hour sessions on Friday. No, these campers are working through three, eight-hour days to perfect their craft, battling through sore muscles and nagging injuries just like the participants in Spencer High School's more traditional athletic camps...

Whispers from the spirits of Everly's past (07/17/09)
Looking for an opportunity to gain a bit of a historic perspective about the people who helped make Everly what it is -- take part in the Cemetery Walk at Lone Tree Cemetery from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 18. Walking tours will leave every half hour...

Everly teen practices way to nationals (07/11/09)
Practice. Practice. Practice. It's what Jared Thompson plans to rely on as he competes in the National High School Finals Rodeo, scheduled from July 19-25 in Farmington, N.M. The rural Everly teenager will be competing in the steer wrestling and team roping events there.

Wilkerson heading to American Legion Boys Nation in Washington, D.C. (07/10/09)
Matt Wilkerson has been deemed the "cream of the crop." The Spencer teenager will join Daniel Rediske, of Waverly, to represent the state of Iowa during the upcoming American Legion Boys Nation summer session. The citizenship and government program, scheduled from July 17-25, will provide participants with a week of government training in Washington, D.C., and will be comprised of lectures and forums with visits to federal agencies, institutions, memorials and historical sites.

Plan to address school leadership structure change (06/12/09)
Classes may have dismissed for the summer, but some Iowa school officials still find themselves working to develop and approve new leadership structures for their districts. As requested by the Department of Education, the move marks one of the first requirements for the eventual statewide implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum. ...

McGaffin tells graduating seniors to 'remember the lilies' (05/12/09)
For more SHS baccalaureate pictures, visit: http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/gall...

SHS seniors recognized with scholarships, awards (05/12/09)
The Spencer High School Senior Recognition Night was held Sunday, May 10 in the old Spencer Middle School auditorium. The following student recipients were awarded local and regional scholarships: Katie Simons - Bethany Lutheran Church Scholarship; Timothy Juza and Alex Seaman -- Clay County Cattlemen's Association Scholarship; Katie Simons and Victoria Foerster -- Clay County Farm Bureau Scholarship; Spencer Swanson, Timothy Juza, Katie Miller and Megan Zenkovich - Daybreakers Kiwanis Scholarship; Caitlyn Peterson and Felicia Essick - Eastern Star/Masonic Lodge Scholarship; Katie Miller -- Employment Connections, Inc. ...

Royal mother, daughter change lives in Honduras (05/07/09)
They left with bags filled to the brim with goodies for others. Lynn and Courtney Cronk of Royal returned home with the clothes on their backs, a few souvenirs created by their Honduran hosts, grateful hearts and a desire to raise awareness about impoverished regions of the world and others inhabiting them who need help. The two women took part in the Gehlen Catholic Mission Honduras' 10th mission trip to Honduras, the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Their 12-day trip, which lasted from March 30 until April 10, included a traveling team consisting of 22 high school students from eight different school systems and 10 adult chaperones from five different states.

Rowlands making a difference, offering hope to those affected by MS (05/06/09)
The front of Katie Rowlands T-shirt -- which avows "Team Rowly 2009 MS Walk" -- lets you know what she and her teammates will be doing this Saturday in Des Moines. But it's the back of her T-shirt that truly offers a glimpse into the 22-year-old woman's disposition. It declares, "Rowly: Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can."

New SHS dance team OK'd (05/02/09)
The formation of a financially self-supported Spencer High School dance team was sanctioned this week. The Spencer school board's authorization of the new program marks a different way in which extracurricular -- and possibly academic and co-curricular -- programs within the district may function in the future...

Remembering Sgt. Webster (04/30/09)
An Army soldier from northwest Iowa made the ultimate sacrifice on Saturday, April 25 after being shot while on a dismounted patrol near Kirkuk, Iraq. Sgt. LeRoy Webster, 28, of Hartley, is known as a "hero" by his wife, Jessica, and their three daughters: Natasha, 9, Kaydence, 5, and Jadyn, 2...

National Weather Service eyes floods, snow (03/24/09)
Monday brought high winds and heavy rain. But the end of the week, the region could be dealing with an entirely different sort of animal. Rainfall through Tuesday was expected to lead to minor flooding across many area rivers, including the Little Sioux River near Spencer according to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, S.D...

Letters to the Editor 3-14-2009 (03/16/09)
The 2008-2009 Spencer varsity girls basketball season has ended. Many exciting and memorable moments have also come and gone. However, the great community support and involvement will never be forgotten. The support for our team during the 2008-2009 season was tremendous. Who will ever forget the crowd at Estherville in the Regional Final Game against No. 2 rated and then-undefeated Algona? The crowd that night was unbelievable...

Spencer High School Mock Trial qualifies for state (03/05/09)
For the second consecutive year, the Spencer High mock trial team qualified for state level competition in undefeated competition at districts hosted at MorningsideCollege Tuesday. Earning the bid for state were Jill Applegate, Jordan Bates, Michael Seeley, Abby Bedore, Sarah Dillard, Alyssa Carlson, Emily Jones, and Brian Curry. Timer for the team was Megan Rustad...

Six teens will vie for Miss Shamrock Sunday (03/03/09)
The 2009 Miss Shamrock Pageant will be held at 7 p.m., Sunday, March 8 at Corrigan Hall in Emmetsburg. There are six contestants in the pageant. Competition in the Miss Shamrock Pageant includes an interview with the panel of judges, introduction in casual wear, talent performance, formal wear and an on-stage question...

Board makes final budget decision (02/27/09)
With a few tears shed, a handful of harsh words exchanged and plenty of emotional public input, Spencer school board members voted to keep nine items above the cut line for 2009-10 Thursday night. At a cost of $348,176, these included an elementary classroom teacher, a vocational agriculture instructor and FFA sponsor position, the debate program, the mock trial and boys swimming programs, a high school social studies instructor, two middle school basketball coaches' salaries, a $103,593 package tied to full-time benefits for 15 teacher and library associates, and Activities Director Roger Johnson's position.. ...

Spencer administration to take hit in 2009-10 budget cuts (02/25/09)
As Spencer school board members readjusted potential items and positions they plan to reduce next school year to keep the district's general fund balance in the black during a work session held last night, two people's positions -- a maintenance person and the activities director role -- and a portion of a third person's were dropped below the cut line. The moves, which followed feedback received during a public hearing held Saturday, would put potential reductions at the $700,000 mark...

AD: Chapman should make full recovery (02/25/09)
Activities Director Roger Johnson is optimistic about the recovery for a Spencer High School boys basketball player who was taken off the court by stretcher Monday night at the Spencer Fieldhouse. Taylor Chapman was injured after a collision occurred following a fast break lay-up with 4:39 to play in a Class 3A tournament opener between Algona and Spencer...

Board suggests residents pay for some transportation (02/21/09)
Spencer school board members threw a late twist in their 2009-10 budget-cutting discussions Thursday night as they moved to reduce discretionary in-town busing and turn it into a pay-for situation. The very last motion made during the evening work session -- approved 3-2, with Todd Korbitz and Marti Bomgaars dissenting, -- moved the $25,127 discretionary transportation item below the proposed cut line...

School board to act on 2009-10 reductions next week (02/21/09)
The Spencer Community Schools Board of Education will convene a special meeting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24 to make adjustments to potential 2009-10 budget reduction packages following feedback received during a 10 a.m. public hearing on the matter today...

CCE students: Have business, will sell product (02/07/09)
Clay Central/Everly students in Liz Kardell's Introduction to Business class are learning what it takes to run a business from the ground up. They're evaluating and re-evaluating every decision they make, as well as staying accountable to one another...

Tricky weather causes new hazards (01/24/09)
The treacherous roads and sub-zero wind chills are back. Arctic high pressure brought much colder air in for the weekend as temperatures fell into the single digits and teens below zero in the overnight hours leading into Saturday. Strong winds carried some snow across Clay County roads Friday afternoon and contributed to a single-car accident at 2:23 p.m. on county road B24, about halfway between Spencer and Dickens...

Blizzard conditions add to tough winter (01/13/09)
Monday morning was a trick. The temperatures were mild, the wind was calm and residents were moving about the city scooping snow. But, meteorologists and school superintendents knew better. The calm conditions that spilled over into the noon hour disappeared quickly and matched the predictions of Greg Harmon, the Meteorologist-in-Charge at the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls, S.D...

For Sylvia Schoer, the time has come (01/02/09)
These days, Sylvia Schoer would like to go down to Des Moines for a state tournament basketball game instead of a committee meeting on mental health. The proud grandparent thinks about the five players on the court more than the five people in a board room or the five terms she spent as a member of the Clay County Board of Supervisors. It was time, she decided, to swap out the meeting agendas for the high school sports schedules...

Kirschbaum ready to embrace new opportunity (12/12/08)
Bob Kirschbaum, who's also known as Mr. K, isn't viewing Dec. 23 as an end or a goodbye. Instead, the retiring Spencer Assistant Elementary Principal sees it as an opportunity. "People have talked about me retiring and I say, 'I'm really not retiring. I'm graduating from the schools and now going out to the real world and getting a job,'" he said with a smile while seated in his office at Lincoln Elementary this week...

Spencer man killed, six injured in near head-on collision (11/11/08)
Six people, including five members of the Westwood High School wrestling team, remain hospitalized as authorities continue to investigate a crash that left one man dead. The crash happened on Iowa Highway 141 near Hornick Saturday morning as a school district sport utility vehicle carrying the wrestling team to a wrestling clinic in Mapleton collided nearly head-on with a van in Woodbury County...

Spencer to celebrate homecoming next week (10/01/08)
Spencer students, residents and volunteers alike are expected to be "wild with pride" during this year's homecoming celebrations, which officially begin on Monday and last through next Saturday. School-sponsored activities during the 2008 homecoming week include theme days in each of the school buildings, sports activities, the annual homecoming coronation at 7:30 p.m. on Monday in the Spencer High School (SHS) fieldhouse, and next Friday's 7:30 p.m. football game against MOC-Floyd Valley...

Tailgate raises funds for Tailtwisters (09/05/08)
Clark Cunningham, with Community State Bank of Spencer shakes hands with Dana Anderson, president of the Spencer Tailtwisters organization following a very successful tailgate party Friday night prior to the Spencer High School football team's home opener. The feed grossed approximately $1,250 for the club. Community State Bank picked up all the costs associated with the event, allowing all of the profit to be collected by the club...

Laboranti taking the helm of CC/E High School (08/16/08)
As soon as he begins speaking, it's easy to tell that the new Clay Central/Everly High School principal is a native of Massachusetts. Albert "Al" Laboranti's accent is a bit different than that of a native northwest Iowan's. While his desire to cultivate strong students and teachers is on-target with that of other administrators nationwide, it's Laboranti's truly motivational outlook on life, and achieving success in all areas of it, that make him so likable. His enthusiasm is catchy...

Pettitt birdie clinches sudden death title (08/05/08)
There were really two stories at work Sunday as the 87th Annual Northwest Am Golf Tournament entered the final 18 holes of play in the championship flight. Could Wade Pettitt and Trent Peterson continue to battle stroke-for-stroke for another round in the humid weather, with a heat index topping 100 degrees?...

New educators to greet Spencer students Aug. 19 - 20 (07/29/08)
As Spencer high school and middle school students commence the 2008-09 school year on Tuesday, Aug. 19, they'll be greeted by a handful of new teachers, including Nicole Stauffer and Amy Metcalf. Elementary students, who'll mark a day of parent-teacher conferences that day, will meet up with new teachers Stephanie Anderson, Teresa Goehring, Brian Sand, John Hansel and Laura Van Otterloo in their respective classrooms on Aug. 20th...

Board to ready for 2008-09 school year Thursday (07/23/08)
Following a two-hour work session designed to review the new superintendent evaluation form, the Spencer Community Schools Board of Education will convene its monthly meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 24 in the board room of the central administrative offices, located at 23 E. Seventh St...

Spencer native earns Buffett teaching award (07/15/08)
Initially, William "Bill" Scarborough believed the call notifying him that he was being honored with a prestigious teaching award was a joke. "I didn't believe it. I thought it was a joke because it's such an outstanding award for a teacher or an educator to receive," the physical education instructor at Burke High School in Omaha said of the Alice Buffett Outstanding Teacher Award for 2008 he received recently...

Celebrate and remember cancer survivors at the 5th annual Relay for Life (07/10/08)
When a doctor mentions "cancer" the world seems to come to an abrupt halt. Cancer, the second leading cause of death in this country, affects individuals at all ages and has no remorse. On July 12-13, the fifth annual Dickinson County Relay for Life will join cancer survivors with supporters and community members at the Okoboji High School Track. ...

Local soldiers to return home Friday (07/10/08)
After nearly a year on a peacekeeping mission to Kosovo, local soldiers are scheduled to come home Friday. With several local members of the military set to return to the area, parents, husbands, wives and children of soldiers are looking forward to having their loved ones home again...

Iowa Lakes soccer coming to Spencer (06/07/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff "When" is only half the story for local soccer fans: Starting in the fall of 2009, Iowa Lakes Community College will field mens and womens soccer programs. "Where" is a first for the college. The Lakers will play their games at the Spencer Soccer Plex, which is along 10th Avenue East near the site of the current Spencer Middle School...

Supervisors race features six candidates (05/31/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff Republicans have a choice on the ballot as the party tries to find two nominees for a pair of available seats on the Clay County Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Del Brockshus of Spencer is near the end of his fourth term. He has filed to run again...

Keeping the memory of a hero alive (05/08/08)
Dayton Peters, a third grade student at Fairview Elementary in Spencer, has spent hours gazing at the 945 football, baseball and a few Star Trek trading cards he recently received from the mother of a fallen hero. Dallas Cowboys cornerback Issiac Holt, Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Tim Irwin and punter Harry Newsome, and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Neil O'Donnell rank among his favorites...

Around Campus (05/05/08)
Amy Lawson of Spencer is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the 2007-2008 school year. Lawson, a senior majoring in business administration, is a point guard on the women's basketball team...

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