Sports Facility Construction

Corridor delegates meet with Washington representation (03/13/10)
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) meets with delegates from the Iowa Great Lakes Corridor of Opportunity including Spencer City Manager Bob Fagen (seated to Harkin's left). The senator discussed upgrading Highway 86 during the Corridor's annual visit. The group also met with Sen. ...

Regional Basketball postponed (02/23/10)
The Spencer High School Girls' Regional basketball game against Storm Lake at Cherokee, scheduled for Tuesday night, has been postponed to Wednesday, February 24 at 7 p.m. at Cherokee.

Committee looks to promote census (02/18/10)
Stand and be counted. Or at least take 10 minutes to answer 10 questions for the 2010 U.S. Census. That is the message a committee of city and county officials will be trying to promote through public service announcements on radio and television as well as information posted on the Spencer and Clay County Web sites...

Burnette, Suter fight to headline Spencer Sprawl (02/16/10)
Tri-State Cage Fighting will be making its debut with Spring Sprawl at the Clay County Regional Events Center, Saturday, Feb. 20. Eric Burnette from Hartley, is scheduled to fight Trevor Suter of Estherville in the 155-pound main event of the evening. The two area fighters were scheduled to meet in late 2009, but Suter was unable to compete. Several other fights will be on the card including other area competitors...

Little Lola wouldn't wait (02/05/10)
Most American babies have a hospital or clinic listed as their birthplace. Not Lola Snow Johnson. She was simply too impatient to wait for her dad Ira to navigate through rush-hour traffic and a construction zone from their home in Conifer, Colo., to a midwife clinic in Denver, where her mom, Robyn, was planning to have her delivered...

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. ...

Old classroom becomes new home (01/12/10)
Lois Beck is excited about her new home in a Spencer historical landmark. Eager to move Friday afternoon into her brand new apartment in the former Spencer Middle School building, she's already splurged on a new television set to accentuate the space's open floor plan. She's also purchased a Christmas tree, which she plans to proudly display in her dwelling's large set of windows next holiday season. Beck will formally claim the space as her own when her Candlewick and Copenhagen Christmas plates, and the cup and saucer collection started years ago by her mother-in-law are placed in her daughter's former classroom. Cheryl Hurst, Beck's daughter, taught English in the same room that has now been remodeled into her mother's apartment. ...

Female bull rider's spirit honored with Try Award (01/07/10)
Alyssa Vanderhoff lived life to the fullest. She did it her own special way in what some believe to be a man's world. The 15-year-old's spirit -- and passion for bull riding -- was honored recently during a special tribute at the Extreme Bullriding Tour's finale. The finals championship hosted New Year's Eve in Madison, Neb., celebrated the conclusion of the 2009 season for the Extreme Bullriding Tour.

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. ...

Canine improving lives through service (12/31/09)
More often than not, Katie is a welcome addition whenever she visits. In fact, the 3-year-old Golden Retriever owned by Jim and Judy Taylor, of Spencer, generally elicits welcoming cheers, smiles and extended hands wherever she goes. Over the last couple months, the therapy dog and her certified handlers have become regular visitors to the hospital, a local elementary school, the library and care centers throughout Spencer. ...

Mediacom: No Insight Bowl after all (12/30/09)
Iowa State-Minnesota bowl game blacked out The Mediacom customers in Spencer and Iowa Great Lakes won't be able to see the Insight Bowl at home on New Year's Eve after all. The 5 p.m. game matches Iowa State and Minnesota and is only being carried in central Iowa -- with permission from NFL Network...

Heroes came in all shapes and sizes (12/26/09)
He's not faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. He can't swing from a web like a spider. He can't turn invisible, burst into flame or stretch his body. But make no doubt about it, Chase Wells is a hero. ...

Snow emergency issued, holiday travel discouraged (12/24/09)
The second winter storm to hit Spencer this month is looking like a grinch for those who had Christmas travel plans. "We're asking you to be aware of this as holiday plans begin to unfold," said meteorologist Todd Heitkamp who issued a storm update through streaming video on the National Weather Service Web site in Sioux Falls, S.D. "Travel will be impossible and not recommended across much of the Upper Midwest this holiday season."...

Lakes group seeking regional help with ice arena (12/19/09)
Ice ice baby. That's the idea being promoted by a group of area winter sports enthusiasts who are seeking to add ice hockey and figure skating to the various seasonal sports offerings available to Lakes region youth and adults. Mitch Brandt and Brett Hetland, representing the Lakes Area Hockey Association, appeared before the Clay County Board of Supervisors this week proposing the "Rink of Dreams" -- a multipurpose ice and recreation center for the Iowa Lakes Corridor community...

Soccer overseas: Coach taking U16 group to soccer's home (12/19/09)
A group of 16 and under soccer players from northwest Iowa are making plans to test their skills in a country where the sport isn't just a pastime, it's a way of life. From Aug. 6-15, 2010, a club team comprised of players from Spencer, Spirit Lake, Lake Park, Okoboji, Algona and other communities in the area will journey to Manchester and London, England, for a little soccer playing, training, viewing -- oh, and a little tourism, too...

Save the dates! (12/19/09)
A public open house commemorating a newly-renovated Spencer landmark is set for the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010. Beginning next month, the former Spencer Middle School building located at 104 E. Fourth St. will host apartments owned by Community Housing Initiatives on the second and third floors. ...

Busy construction site (12/17/09)
Like the distinguished Hollywood starlet who wants to prolong her career, the Spencer Community Theatre building has gone in for a nip here and a tuck there. The region's theater fans can expect to see better performances from the ol' girl as a result...

Transportation projects roll on despite cuts (12/15/09)

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. ...

A home for the holidays (11/28/09)
Amber Quail has two families to be thankful for this holiday season. One includes her daughter, Aubrey, who playfully scooted along the floor of her new home on a Sunday afternoon. It also includes Amber's father, Steve. He brings tears of gratitude to his daughter's eyes whenever she thinks of all the work that went into the house at 12 Hillside Boulevard...

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. ...

THRIVENT BUILDS (11/24/09)

Iowa, ISU still look good in bowl picture (11/21/09)
Editor's note: On back-to-back Tuesdays, Daily Reporter Staff Writer Russ Mitchell has surveyed national coverage and blogged about potential bowl destinations for Iowa and Iowa State. The bowl pairings will be announced on Dec. 6. Here's a look at his coverage earlier this week at spencerdailyreporter.com....

'Wild Cow Ride' seeking teams for rodeo event (11/17/09)
It's just one short week until the bulls and cowboys will be in the Clay County Regional Events Center arena and the dirt is already coming in. S & G Bucking Productions brings the Maurer/DemCo Touring Pro PBR to Spencer, Iowa, on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20-21...

Cherokee native to be part of PBR visit (11/14/09)
The toughest sport on dirt will make a stop at the Clay County Regional Events Center when the Mauer/DemCo Touring Pro PBR stops in Spencer Friday, Nov. 20, and Saturday, Nov. 21. When it arrives, Allan Dessel, a Cherokee native, will be sharing the spotlight with some pretty tough cowboys and extremely large bovine...

Former SHS students represented well at last USD home game (11/13/09)
Saturday was a big day for a number of Spencer High School alumni. The setting was the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D. The evening football game hosted there, which pitted the University of South Dakota (USD) Coyotes against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, marked the last home football game of the season for the Coyotes. Their 45-21 win over Southern Utah had USD finishing 4-1 at home this season...

Holiday Family Adoption under way (11/10/09)
The Holiday Family Adoption program kicks off today with the first listing of families in The Daily Reporter. The Holiday Family Adoption Program, a Spencer-area holiday staple, allows generous area families, businesses and service groups to share in the holiday spirit and bounty...

Work on old SMS building progressing (11/03/09)
While lots of progress has been made at the old Spencer Middle School building, the general contractor acknowledges that all involved in the renovation project are entering a crunch time now. Demolition began in October 2008, reconstruction commenced in late January and tenants are expected to be able to move into apartments on the building's second and third floors by mid-January 2010. ...

Habitat house dedicated (10/31/09)
The cheerful yellow house across the road from Dairy Queen in Milford is now home to Kassi Cherry and her three daughters Amanda, Haley and Brandie Bushee. The Northwest Iowa Corridor of Habitat for Humanity dedicated the home on Sunday, Oct. 25. Ground was broken March 29...

Rep. King wades into Limbaugh, Rams ownership (10/30/09)
U.S. Rep. Steve King used a Capitol Hill appearance by Roger Goodell to press the NFL Commissioner about conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, who was removed from a group trying to purchase the St. Louis Rams. Goodell was testifying before a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday to examine the long-term effects of head injury among NFL players...

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."...

Spencer denied REAP grant for Deerfield Park (10/15/09)
The fourth time wasn't a charm for Spencer Park Board members, who were notified this week that Spencer was not awarded a $125,000 Resource Enhancement And Protection (REAP) grant for proposed developments in Deerfield Park. The information stung a bit because the town's grant application placed just below the Iowa projects which were approved...

'Creating Grand Opportunities' -- a communitywide strategic plan (10/09/09)
Tarrel Storey and Dan Heissel, co-chairs of the Spencer Vision Coordinating Committee, unveiled a 36-project plan designed to make Spencer a better place to "Live Work and Play." Building on a theme originating with the Iowa Great Lakes Corridor of Opportunity, a team of approximately 40 Spencer area residents worked together under the label, "Spencer Area Strategic Planning Team," dedicating four-plus hours a month for the past 12 months to come up the project bases designed to build on the assets that Spencer already offers.. ...

The toughest sport on dirt (10/06/09)
The rules are simple. Place a wiry 150-pound cowboy on the back of a hulking, snorting temperamental 2,000 pound bull and see if he can ride the beast for an eternal eight seconds... with one hand strapped to the bull's massive backside. S & G Bucking Productions brings the PBR Enterprise Tour to Spencer on Nov. 20-21...

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...

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. ...

Grand Avenue enhancements to begin this month (09/01/09)
The $2.4 million Grand Avenue bridge and boulevard enhancement projects that are being rolled into one over the next construction year are a bit shy of funds to be truly grand, organizers told a group that gathered Monday night in Spencer City Hall's council chambers. Because of this, residents can expect to see modifications occur with the project, as well as be asked to help pay for a small portion of it. In particular, property owners along Grand Avenue will be asked over the next three weeks to chip in a tax-deductible contribution to assist with the replacement of all the area's sidewalks. ...

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...

RIDES awarded $1.6 million in federal stimulus funds (08/06/09)
RIDES fared well in the recent doling out of federal stimulus dollars. The Spencer-based Regional Transit Authority was awarded $1.669 million in stimulus funds. Of this amount, $1.519 million is earmarked for the purchase of 23 new vehicles, ranging from minivans to light duty buses. ...

Grand Avenue set to become beautified (08/04/09)
Light will be shed on a Spencer beautification project that's been nine years in the making as it finally begins to see its first visible phase unfold within the next few weeks. Spencer Park Board and Spencer City Council members approved awarding a $1.4 million contract to Midstates Builders, Inc. Monday night. With the approved contract in hand, the local general contractor is scheduled to enhance the town's Grand Avenue bridge and Grand Avenue boulevards from Eighth to 18th Street over the next year.

Next up: An occupant (07/31/09)
Heavy construction equipment and ceremonial golden shovels cleared the way for some progress Thursday morning on the east side of Spencer. The Spencer Industries Foundation broke ground on its sixth building. The newest one is going up on a 9.2-acre lot in the southwest corner of the Green Industrial Center, Spencer's newest industrial park...

Peterson artist paints her lifelong passion (07/25/09)
Barb McGee has been drawing them from the time she could hold a pencil. But it wasn't until she turned 13, opened the pages of "Quarter Horse Journal" and saw the beautiful painted equines by Darol Dickinson and the late Orren Mixer that her fate was sealed. ..

Extreme Am VI events announced (07/25/09)
Celebrating six years this year, Spencer's Extreme Am skateboard competition and festival will take place over the course of two days at East Leach Park Skatepark on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15-16. This free event offers amateur skateboarders from around the region to come together and compete in three competitions: Freestyle, vert and big air. ...

SCT joins with Events Center for 50th year anniversary (07/24/09)
Spencer Community Theatre's productions will look a little different in the upcoming season. That's because they'll be performed on stage at the Clay County Regional Events Center. Both organizations are excited about the prospect of cooperating to produce SCT's 50th season of theater...

Terril home project taking shape (07/18/09)
A home repair and rebuilding ministry aimed at assisting lower-income Clay and Dickinson County families has officially taken off. The work currently being accomplished on a Terril home -- the first project house in need of major repairs approved by local Fuller Center for Housing (FCH) partner board members -- began occurring in May...

Board to ready for 2009-10 school year Tuesday (07/18/09)
The Spencer Community Schools Board of Education will convene its monthly meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, in the board room of the central administrative offices, located at 23 E. Seventh St. Approval of consent items, including minutes from the June 30 and July 8 board meetings, bills, a teacher employment and sharing agreement for a 2009-10 swimming program with the Spencer Family YMCA for $3,740 if the district provides school year busing for the YMCA or for $5,280 if it doesn't, and personnel recommendations will then be sought.. ...

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...

Fourth time a charm? (07/16/09)
Spencer Park Board members are hoping the fourth time's the charm. This week they approved submitting a fourth $125,000 Resource Enhancement And Protection (REAP) grant application for the potential development of a shelter house, trails and "green" elements -- such as a rain garden, upland and hydric prairie areas -- in Deerfield Park.

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