Sports Industry

Alaskan author shares adventure, inspires reading and writing (03/19/10)
Author Shelly Gill pumps up her audience of third through sixth-graders about nature, adventure and writing Thursday afternoon. Gill has authored 26 best-selling books, including 12 children's books. Students from Fairview, Lincoln and Johnson Elementary schools listened closely as Gill shared personal adventures she has experienced as an author, adventurer, whale detective, pony wrangler and dog musher on the Iditarod Trail (which inspired her first book Kiani's Iditarod.) Gill's visit was possible thanks to a contribution from the Spencer Community School Foundation.. ...

RIVERS ON THE RISE - Little Sioux projected to reach 14.6 feet by Friday (03/16/10)
The Little Sioux River is exhibiting the effects (above and below) of a combination of rain and snow melt in recent days as it floods the bike trails and West Leach Park near the Grand Avenue bridge in downtown Spencer. A flood warning was issued shortly after noon on Sunday. ...

Area entities receive foundation grants (03/12/10)
The Clay County Community Foundation strives "to connect donors who care with causes that matter and to serve as a trusted resource for addressing issues that impact the quality of life in Clay County."...

Conlin concerned about health care (03/09/10)
The availability of health care is a top priority for U.S. Senate candidate Roxanne Conlin, largely because she can relate to those without insurance. When she was 14, she got an ear infection. With no money for medication, no insurance and no car to take her to a doctor, she was forced to let the infection run its course, resulting in permanent, partial hearing loss in her left ear...

Legislators discuss rising health care costs, texting while driving (03/02/10)
When the third Eggs and Issues legislative forum of the season began Saturday morning in Spencer, attendees were encouraged to not ask the three participating state legislators about same-sex marriage or right-to-work issues, common themes of the first two sessions held this year. Even with the majority party not represented at the gathering, Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan; Rep. Mike May, R-Spirit Lake; and Rep. Royd Chambers, R-Sheldon; addressed a variety of issues ranging from oversight of the Department of Natural Resources and texting while behind the wheel to health care concerns and statewide budget cuts. ...

One Man's Perspective: Little picture makes a big impact (02/27/10)
There was no mass marketing campaign. We've been hearing about "Shutter Island" and "The Wolfman" for months leading up to their recent release. TV ads, previews in theaters, radio spots, large ads in major newspapers. And it worked. Viewers flocked to the theater for both and made the film producers and movie studios quite a bit of cash...

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.

Tea Party to Iowa legislators: You're not listening (02/19/10)
DES MOINES - Kris Thiessen used to get tired of people who talked politics. Now she's one of them. The Everly business owner was talking politics at the Capitol on Tuesday along with a couple of dozen fellow Tea Party activists. High among their talking points were legislative proposals they say will weaken Iowa's election laws, gun rights and other proposals that expand government and limit freedom...

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...

Real heroes share red (02/09/10)
When it comes to heroes, the American Red Cross recognizes them by the pint. The Iowa Great Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross enters the second day of its local blood drive, and many have stepped up to answer the call. Doors at Hope Reformed Church of Spencer's Harbor Room will remain open today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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. ...

'I want my, I want my, I want my MTV' (01/14/10)
As the Spencer Municipal Utilities (SMU) cable customers may be chanting the opening line to Dire Straits' popular tune "Money For Nothing," -- "I want my, I want my, I want my MTV." SMU customers could see several channels go dark over the next few days...

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. ...

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...

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, 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...

Hospice: 'There is help available' (11/14/09)
Ron Ricketts' cancer started in his lungs, but has metastasized to his brain and into his bones. He was told following a biopsy earlier this year, "There's nothing we can do to help, so you'd be better off just leaving it alone."

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...

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."...

Cruise vessel safety legislation passes House (10/24/09)
Advocates for cruise ship safety are applauding House passage Friday of language authored by U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) to improve safety of cruise ship passengers on the high seas. Matsui's Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act of 2009 was included in H.R. ...

The Hotel: Iowa's first Dream Center (10/17/09)
If a local church has its way, The Hotel will become a "dream center" for the area. Rev. Kevin Grimes of DaySpring Assembly announced Friday, "KES Properties LLC, the owner of The Hotel on Grand Avenue, has offered to give us all of the stock in the corporation. ...

Public forum will focus on potential mental health service reductions (10/17/09)
Earlier this year, the Iowa Department of Human Services was directed by the Iowa Legislature to assist an appointed task force with an evaluation of the four state mental health institutions (MHI) at Cherokee, Clarinda, Independence and Mt. Pleasant...

Campbell presented 2009 Wedel award (10/13/09)
Longtime broadcaster and current Iowa Great Lakes Red Cross Director Bill Campbell was announced the Jack Wedel Community Service Award winner for 2009 at Monday evening's Spencer Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. "Since the age of 18 this person has been very vocal -- in more ways than one," teased last year's winners Sam and Suzi Harper prior to naming Campbell...

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...

Ag reps encouraged, warned about future of industry (09/19/09)
While times may be tough, nearly 100 agricultural representatives were encouraged to keep their chins up and focus on the prize during a luncheon held Thursday at the Clay County Fair. ...

Krause stumps for Grassley's seat at fair (09/15/09)
U.S. Senate aspirant Bob Krause (D-Fairfield) campaigned Saturday at the Clay County Fair. The 59-year-old, who acknowledges he faces stiff odds in his bid to defeat Iowa's senior senator, readily recited the handful of colorful statements his foe has made over the last few months, recited the incumbent's voting record and then forecast "that the winds they are a changing." ...

Lost at sea -- Kendall Carver's crusade (09/12/09)
The days of business cards and power-point presentations were supposed to be in the past for 72-year-old Kendall Carver, a member of the Spencer High School class of 1954. He retired to Phoenix 15 years ago after a successful career as an insurance executive in New York City. It's the stage of life when hobbies, grandchildren and travel should replace the appointment book...

Bill Monroe featured speaker at the Spencer Chamber annual meeting (09/11/09)
The Spencer Chamber of Commerce annual meeting is set for Monday, Oct. 12, at the Clay County Regional Events Center. Social time will begin at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. The program, including the unveiling of the 2009 Jack Wedel Award winner, presentation of the Chamber board members and featured guest speaker, Bill Monroe, deputy executive director of the Iowa Newspaper Association, will begin at 7:30 p.m....

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. ...

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...

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. ...

Emergency grant announced for RR Donnelley workers (07/23/09)
U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis used a central Iowa stop Wednesday to announce a $664,000 emergency grant for Spencer's displaced RR Donnelley workers. R. Scott Bigelow, the vice president of human resources at RR Donnelley, informed city leaders on Jan. 13 that the company planned to close its Spencer location. The decision left 160 employees out of work. Subsequent layoffs occurred throughout February and March 2009...

Briefs 7/21/09 (07/21/09)
The annual Clay County 4-H Achievement Day will be held on Tuesday, July 21 in the 4-H Auditorium on the Clay County Fairgrounds. The event will begin at 8 a.m. and end about 5 p.m. Achievement Day is a mini-fair for Clay County 4-Hers. Due to the fact that our county youth are in school during the Clay County Fair, this event provides an opportunity for 4-H members to bring their project exhibit work to be judged. ...

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...

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.

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