Sports Industry

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...

Briefs 10-1-08 (10/01/08)
Join us at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) from 9-11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2 at Hope Reformed Church in the Fellowship Hall. This year's theme "Adventure" will be featured at the meeting. Come find out what it is all about. There will be an abundance of fun and fellowship, with food and drinks provided by the Steering Committee. If you have any questions, please contact one of the MOPS co-coordinators, Cassie McCreary 240-0298 or Andrea Crew. Childcare is provided starting at 8:45 a.m...

People for Pets receives donation to purchase building (09/26/08)
People for Pets, a non-profit animal shelter and pet adoption center in Spencer, has received a $125,000 donation to purchase the building they had been renting. The donation was made by Steve Pearson and Lori Thomas of Spirit Lake. The donation was given in memory of Steve's sister, Maribeth Pearson, who loved all animals...

SWOT celebrate Women of Today week (09/25/08)
Spencer Women of Today Kila Meissner, Rhonda Dean, Jenna Grimmius, Teri Chinn, Cheri Prange, Tracey Malm, Kerrie Lode, and Jennifer Malm joined Spencer Mayor Reynold Peterson as he signed a proclamation for Women of Today Week. Sept 21-27 is Women of Today Week and the group has activities scheduled each night of the week including a picnic at Scharnberg, Adpot a Block, Membership/Extension Night, Family Night, Santa's Workshop, and Support Your Football Team (game night), and dinner and a movie. ...

New law will assist disabled hunters this fall (09/25/08)
Rep. Mike May (R-Spirit Lake) discussed a new Iowa law that will promote many more nonresidents, age 21 years and younger and who are disabled or terminally ill, to hunt deer and turkey in the state. According to May, a growing number of national and community organizations have begun catering to disabled young hunters in recent years. ...

Displays sought for Festival of Trees (09/20/08)
Festive displays are being sought for the fifth annual Festival of Trees sponsored by the Spencer Regional Healthcare Foundation. The events will be held at the Clay County Regional Events Center Nov. 13-15 with a Festival Tour of Homes on Nov. 15. Businesses, individuals and non-profit organizations are welcome to create a display for the Festival. ...

'Safe Routes' plan to pave the way for students (09/20/08)
By Kris Todd Daily Reporter Staff Children today are much less active than their counterparts of 39 years ago. While 50 percent of America's children walked to school in 1969, that number has dropped to 15 percent in 2008. As a result of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program that's taken shape recently, a Spencer delegation is focused on changing this trend...

Worlds unite at SHS (09/19/08)
With the arrival of a German, Brazilian and a Tanzanian student, boundaries are being broken in the hallways of Spencer High School (SHS) this year. Carl Hieronymi, who hadn't visited the United States before arriving on July 31, said his stay in Dickens as a foreign exchange student will not only allow him to expand his English, it will also give him the opportunity to play football. The outgoing 17-year-old German currently plays tight end and tackle for the SHS Tigers...

LaBounty picked for community development program (09/18/08)
Doug LaBounty, president of Community Housing Initiatives, Inc., in Spencer, has been selected to participate in the Neighbor-Works Achieving Excellence in Community Development program at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. LaBounty is one of 47 leaders selected for this Achieving Excellence class -- a prestigious and highly selective training program offered by NeighborWorks America through the Kennedy School of Government...

Abben Cancer Center construction progresses (09/18/08)
Construction on an addition to Spencer Hospital's Abben Cancer Center continues to progress, but current work will require those receiving services at the center to modify their arrival a bit. "The project is right on schedule and we're excited as we move closer to completion; however, many times the progress of construction creates a little inconvenience," said Doug Doorn, Spencer Hospital president and CEO. ...

Briefs 9-17-08 (09/17/08)
Okoboji Women's Connection, a division of Stonecroft Ministries, will have a luncheon at the Inn at Okoboji at 12:30 p.m., today. Cost for the event is $10. Featured speaker is Dee Fero of Tonka Bay, Minn. An author of four books, who has lived in the British West Indies, published monthly devotionals and went back to work after flunking retirement...

CC-E to celebrate homecoming next week (09/17/08)
Teachers, administrators, volunteers and residents expect a fun, memorable and safe experience during Clay Central-Everly's 2008 homecoming celebrations, which will begin Monday, Sept. 22 and last through Friday, Sept. 26. School-sponsored activities during homecoming week include theme days in the school buildings, sports activities and the annual homecoming coronation at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24 in Everly's old gymnasium...

Spencer Merchants flex their muscle (09/13/08)
A local slow-pitch softball team flexed its muscle on the national stage earlier this summer, placing seventh at the USSSA Central Division Men's E National Tournament on Aug. 30 at Raccoon River Park in West Des Moines. Made up of a core group of Spencer men, combined with a number of additional players from northwest Iowa, the Spencer Merchants finished with a 3-2 record at the national tournament. ...

Mediacom's Big Ten Network launch includes northwest Iowa (09/12/08)
Viewers from the Iowa Great Lakes to Spencer and from Emmetsburg to Estherville will have a chance to see the Iowa State-Iowa football game after all. Mediacom Communications on Thursday announced that customers in 15 northwest Iowa counties will be able to see Saturday's intrastate football game on Mediacom, and that the company is moving forward on its next phase of a channel launch that will permanently place the Big Ten Network on its family cable line-up...

Iowa Lakes Corridor announces success attracting new residents (09/11/08)
One late night back in May, Aaron Schulz, former resident of Lakeville, Minn., sent an e-mail to Shaun Arneson, vice president with Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation inquiring about jobs here in the region. The next morning, his resume was sent to more than 70 employers. By the end of the day, Aaron had two job interviews scheduled...

Outlaws invade the Fair - Schatz wins second straight at 'The Fair' (09/11/08)
It seems Donny Schatz has taken a liking to the Clay County Fair Speedway. Although, at this point, racing fans would be hard pressed to find a 3/8-mile track Schatz doesn't like. The winner of last year's inaugural World of Outlaws race at the Clay County Fair Speedway made his second straight trip to victory lane Wednesay, overtaking pole sitter Kraig Kinser to win for the fifth time in 16 season races on 3/8-mile tracks...

World of Outlaws returns to fair (09/10/08)
Spencer, IA -- After the largest crowd in the history of the Clay County Fair Speedway took in all of the action of the inaugural Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event at the track last season, the series will return to the 3/8-mile on Wednesday for a full night of racing...

Briefs 9-05-08 (09/05/08)
Fair booster tickets will be sold individually for $5 each, a savings of $2 from the regular daytime gate admission price for adults. Individuals and businesses may take advantage of the savings by purchasing tickets from a fair booster ticket location or a fair booster representative prior to 5 p.m. ...

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...

Ambassadors visit Iowa Lakes soccer coach (09/03/08)
The Spencer Chamber Ambassadors paid a visit to new Iowa Lakes Community College soccer coach Kevin Farley on Tuesday. Farley, a Texas native, is charged with building the Iowa Lake soccer program from the ground up. The college's program, and Farley, will be based at the Spencer campus of Iowa Lakes. The program will officially begin its first season in the fall of 2009...

Former Congressman Bedell named chairman of Hubler's campaign (09/02/08)
COUNCIL BLUFFS -- Berkley Bedell, who served western Iowa in the U. S. House of Representatives for 12 years, will serve as General Chairman of the Hubler for Congress Committee, it was announced today by the Hubler campaign. Bedell, who founded Berkley and Company in Spirit Lake in 1945 after returning from World War II, will join Hubler on Wednesday on a six-city swing the campaign is calling the "Bringing Back Real Representation Tour." Hubler, the Democratic nominee for Congress in Iowa's 5th district, has used "Real Representation" as his campaign slogan.. ...

Board hears Spencer 'in need of improvements' and in a 'watch year' (08/27/08)
As Spencer school board members learned that 2007-08 marked a second year specific groups of students have either placed the district's buildings "in need of improvement" or on a "watch year" list Tuesday night, Assistant Superintendent Kathy Elliott outlined part of an answer in a new professional development focus and a new monitoring and accountability plan, both of which have taken shape in 2008-09...

City leaders break ground on golf course upgrade (08/26/08)
The current clubhouse at the Spencer Municipal Golf Course gets a little damp and a little crowded at times. Monday morning's golden shovels were the first step in doing something about that. City and golf course officials came out for the groundbreaking to launch a $290,800 clubhouse construction in south Spencer. It's the first major expansion at the site since the course was expanded from nine holes to 18 holes for the 2001 season...

Tigers ready to roll: Spencer volleyball team struts its stuff at Gatorade scrimmage (08/23/08)
With the 2008 season just days away, the Spencer volleyball and cross country teams were on display Friday night, putting on a preseason show for Tiger fans at the annual Gatorade scrimmage. After head coach Michele Dirkx introduced her squad -- a young team that features just three girls with varsity experience -- the varsity volleyball team performed a variety of drills followed by a scrimmage pitting the freshman and junior varsity teams against one another. ...

'Safe Routes to School' study underway (08/22/08)
Public reaction to recommendations to occur Sept. 17-18

Going to the extreme (08/19/08)
During Saturday's preliminary adult street run competition at Extreme Am V in Spencer East Leach Skate Park, Nick Curry demonstrated not only his skateboarding talent, but his juggling talent as well. Performing a manual across the flatland at the skate park, balancing on a pair of boards, Curry began juggling three pieces of curb candy. ...

Council approves breed-less animal ordinance (08/19/08)
After lengthy discussions at two previous city council sessions, followed by a meeting with Dr. Tom Beall of Homestead Small Animal Practice, Monday night the Spencer City Council passed the final filing of an amended amendment dealing with unrestrained vicious animals in public...

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...

BAS raises almost $1,000 (08/15/08)
Dave Woodcock, with The Farmers Bank; Michelle Frideres, with Cardio Plus; and Tim Bruzek, with Hy-Vee Food Stores combined with other area sponsors to help raise just under $1,000 with the BAS (Bike Around Spencer) ride recently. Several bike riders joined in on the event, helping to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation...

City of Spencer safe routes to school program (08/14/08)
The City Council of Spencer is committed to enabling and encouraging children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school. They aspire to make walking and bicycling to school safe and more appealing, and to facilitate the planning and development and implementation of projects that will improve safety, and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools...

Briefs 8-13-08 (08/13/08)
St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Hartley, is sponsoring a community-wide benefit for the family of Jan Hall to help defray medical bills incurred during Jan's battle with illness. The free-will dinner and auction will be held at the Hartley Community Center on Thursday, Aug. ...

Monsanto Mobile Technology Unit stops in Spencer (08/13/08)
Monsanto's unique Mobile Technology Unit made a stop in Spencer and will remain in town through today as part of its tour through the United States, showcasing innovations in plant breeding and biotechnology to support farmer success. The new 53-foot-long traveling unit, (top right) with 1,000 square feet of exhibit space, will remain in place just west of the Clay County Regional Events Center in the parking lot through today, extending tour offers to groups throughout Clay County. ...

Briefs 8-12-08 (08/12/08)
Losing a loved one is indescribable to someone who has not felt the loss of death. Hospice of Northwest Iowa's professional team understands the tragedy of losing a loved one and they identify with the difficult decisions and emotions that the person left behind faces. To help people cope with the death of a loved one, Hospice of Northwest Iowa is offering an 8-week Understanding Grief Support Group. The group will meet each Wednesday evening through Sept. 24 from 6:30-8 p.m...

Autocross drivers race through Spencer (08/12/08)
The 51 cars driven during the autocross event hosted by members of the University of Okoboji Corvette Club deftly made their way through pylons and down a taxiway at the Northwest Iowa Regional Airport Saturday. First-place winners in Saturday's autocross competition include, from left: Ron Wright in the C5 and C6 Corvette class, Erv Gunderson in the C4 Corvette class, Jim Casey in the open class, Chuck Rabel of H & N Chevrolet Buick in Spencer, which offered support for prizes, Sheron Lambert in the women's class, Andy Klaassen in the C3 Corvette and older class, and Jordan Klassen in the modified class.. ...

Chicago theater unites four Spencer grads (08/12/08)
In what seem to have been several "fated" coincidences, four Spencer High School graduates, all of whom were bitten locally by the theater bug, have connected in Chicago. Known for its intimate "storefront" theaters that seat between 30 and 100 people, Josh Odor, Ben Fuchsen, Aaron DeYoung and Eric Van Tassell can all testify to the inner workings of the "The Windy City's" theaters...

Spencer nurse gives from heart during Haiti mission trip (08/09/08)
Donna Hartmann visited Haiti for one week and returned a changed person. The Spencer woman who'd always dreamed of taking part in a mission trip deemed the May 17 - 25 trek she made along with 10 other Midwesterners a "life-changing" experience. Hartmann's visit to the city of Jeremie and several of its 104 surrounding villages, was through Avera, which has sponsored biannual mission trips to the West Indies country since 2002. ...

Extreme Am V (08/08/08)
The Extreme Am will celebrate five years when regional skateboarders converge on Spencer's East Leach Park Skate Park to test their skills in four different competitions for trophies and prizes on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 16-17. For five years, elementary through adult age skateboarders have been competing in the street run, big air, vert and best tricks events in northwest Iowa's premier skate park...

Veteran's clinic celebrates successful first year (08/08/08)
By Caroline Rusk Special to the Daily Reporter In its first 12 months of operation, Spirit Lake's Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) treated 2,184 veterans from northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota -- exceeding the expected 1,500 veterans in the clinic's initial year...

Briefs 8-06-08 (08/06/08)
Losing a loved one is indescribable to someone who has not felt the loss of death. Hospice of Northwest Iowa's professional team understands the tragedy of losing a loved one and they identify with the difficult decisions and emotions that the person left behind faces. To help people cope with the death of a loved one, Hospice of Northwest Iowa is offering an 8-week Understanding Grief Support Group. The group will meet each Wednesday evening through Sept. 24 from 6:30-8 p.m...

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?...

Briefs 8-02-08 (08/04/08)
The American Legion Hall in north Spencer will be hosting an omelet breakfast from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 3. Enjoy omelets, homemade cinnamon rolls, coffee, juice and milk. Open to the public. Free will offering. --- The Spencer Area Farmers Market will be held every Wednesday and Saturday, from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., in the Southpark Mall parking lot. Come see the homegrown, fresh produce for sale...

Briefs 7-31-08 (07/31/08)
Registrations for the Spencer 3-6 grade teams, part of the Midwest Youth Football League, will only be accepted until tonight. A final registration will take place at Scharnbrg Park's shelter house from 6-8 p.m. tonight. At that time, late registrations who haven't had their sizes taken yet will be fitted. ...

Anglers Bay dedication celebrates conservation success (07/31/08)
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources invite the public to join in the dedication of the state's new Anglers Bay Wildlife Management Area on Saturday morning, Aug. 2. The dedication will be held at the project site on the northeast side of Big Spirit Lake, nestled between Hales Slough to the south and Sandbar Slough to the north...

Extreme Am celebrates five years (07/31/08)
The Extreme Am will celebrate five years this year when regional skateboarders converge on Spencer's East Leach Park Skate Park to test their skills in four different competitions for trophies and prizes on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 16-17. For five years, elementary through adult age skateboarders have been competing in the street run, big air, vert and best tricks events in northwest Iowa's premier skate park...

Briefs 7-30-08 (07/30/08)
The Spencer Area Farmers Market will be held every Wednesday and Saturday, from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., in the Southpark Mall parking lot. Come see the homegrown, fresh produce for sale. --- It's a "Salad Luncheon Prayer Connection" at 12:30 p.m. today at the Arnold's Park City Hall in Arnold's Park. ...

Weary legs build long term character (07/30/08)
What started out 10 years ago as a run to raise money for a recreation center called "The Centre" serving several small communities in northeast Iowa has transformed into something much bigger. Approximately 20 to 25 runners, support vehicle drivers and chaperones, ranging in age from 9 to 54 spent the night in East Leach Park in Spencer, after having completed day eight in their state of Iowa run. ...

Briefs 7-29-08 (07/29/08)
The American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held at Hope Reformed Church, 919 N. Grand Ave. on Tuesday, July 29 from 11-5 p.m. Ice cream sundaes will be served and all who come to donate can register to win one of two $25 gas cards to be given away each day...

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...

PSY among 24 community programs to receive federal drug free funds (07/26/08)
By Randy M. Cauthron Managing Editor Senator Chuck Grassley announced Thursday that the Office of National Drug Control Policy has awarded $2,208,689 in Drug Free Communities Support Program continuation grants to 24 Iowa communities. Among those communities, Spencer's Positively Spencer Youth group was awarded the top funding amount of $100,000...

Briefs 7-25-08 (07/25/08)
The Spencer Family YMCA will be hosting its annual carnival today at the YMCA. It is open to all Spencer kids in kindergarten through sixth grades only. All playground parks will be closed that day and will meet at the YMCA. Also, any child in Kids Kamp or childcare at the YMCA will be able to attend. Kids can purchase tickets at the YMCA or through any park counselor...