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A recently published war novel, “Rare Encounter,” written by former Spencer High School graduate John “J.K.” Hall, is a historical fiction based on the true story of two U.S. Army captains. One of those captains was John William Hall, his father. Though highly decorated — he was the only soldier in the 10,000 soldier Ninth Armored Division to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross — his fortunes flagged like many returning GIs when he returned to civilian life after the war. The work is a piece of fiction based on actual historical events.

The Spencer Hospital Board approved a professional services agreement between the hospital and Northwest Iowa Surgeons during the hospital’s board meeting Thursday. Hospital President Bill Bumgarner said in recent years hospitals have been entering into business relationships with independent physician practices on both a national and local level.

The Clay County Board of Supervisors will consider a request from Grand Avenue Community Outreach for financial assistance which would assist the local nonprofit in moving forward with some major building improvements. GACO board member Kim Wilson said part of the proposed improvements, associated with a Community Development Block Grant received by the state, will allow for housing on the fourth floor.

During Tuesday’s Spencer School Board meeting, Activities Director Taylor Chapman presented board members with information on a tentative plan to introduce esports as an extracurricular activity at Spencer High School. “The purpose of extracurricular activities is to engage our student body and teach them life skills of teamwork, communication, problem-solving and working through things,” Chapman said. “Esports is an avenue to get those students involved, and it is really growing.”

Clay County elected officials and residents received additional information on one of the pipelines proposed to cross through Clay County in a carbon capturing project. Officials from Summit Carbon Solutions came to the Board of Supervisors’ Tuesday meeting to define the purpose of the project and answer landowners’ questions.

ARNOLDS PARK — The 42nd annual University of Okoboji Winter Games began Thursday, and will continue through Sunday, with the bulk of events scheduled for that Saturday. Kiley Zankowski, director of membership and events at the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, said the offseason fun draws about 30,000 people to the area each year. She said the event is huge not only for local residents but area businesses, as well — she noted many businesses which close for the winter season open their doors once more during Winter Games.

Arts on Grand announced the next gallery exhibit, Alex the Artist, will open Wednesday, Feb. 2, with artist reception from 4-7 p.m. Alex Schlueter is a special young man who loves to create striking artwork and sharing his art with others. Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 3, Schlueter has grown into a loving, fun and happy young man who has inspired his family, friends and the angels on this Earth who have helped him on his journey through school, life-skills training — and art.

CHEROKEE — The Cherokee Symphony will be presenting its Mid-Winter Concert at 4 p.m. on Feb. 6, in the upper level of the Cherokee Community Center. This will be the 66th season of the Cherokee symphony. Ted Hallberg, an educator and cellist from Le Mars, will be the conductor of the symphony. The 50-plus-piece orchestra will be playing the annual Mid-Winter Concert with an eclectic mix of both classical and more contemporary pieces. So, whether you’re a fan of the music of the 18th century, or you’re enamored of modern, timeless masterpieces which resonate through Broadway, this concert definitely has something for you. Tickets for the performance are $12 at the door and students are allowed to watch free of charge. Masks are highly encouraged.

ARNOLDS PARK — The Iowa Rock 'n Roll Music Association is excited to announce a full slate of 12 concert/dances at the fabulous Roof Garden Ballroom in Arnolds Park this summer. “We listened to feedback from our membership, and they asked if we could be consistent on Thursdays at 6 p.m. for this legacy series,” Executive Director Clay Norris said. “Our staff worked hard and with some wonderful cooperation from Arnolds Park, we now have shows on 12 of the 15 possible Thursdays this summer, including Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend.”

Hope Haven International Ministries announced a new program “Agent Hope,” created for vacation Bible school groups. The program is designed to complement existing VBS curriculum, providing a dynamic experience for the offering component of their week. “Agent Hope” is designed for a variety of VBS aged school children...

SHELDON — RISE Ministries has announced the latest additions to the RiseFest 2022 lineup — Christian music artists Terrian and Ben Fuller, and author and international speaker Megan Fate Marshman. “Adding Terrian, Ben, and Megan is so exciting,” founder and president Rob Roozeboom said. “Terrian is a talented young female artist I can’t wait for festivalgoers to hear. Both Ben and Megan have extremely powerful stories of how God met them in their heartache and darkness. Ben is passionate about sharing his testimony through his inspiring music. Megan is a masterful storyteller whose energy, joy and love for God is contagious.”

Lauren Christianson joined the bank in June as the director of human resources, Scott Conrad came in June as a commercial lender and Megan Vanderberg started in September as the compliance officer. In addition, Kyle DeVary joined the bank in September as an agriculture loan officer, Kim Hohensee arrived in October in real estate loan support and Carla Painter joined the staff in January as a teller. Also, Julie Weaver moved to the position of vice president of retail banking. Weaver has been with the bank for 30 years serving in several different capacities. Mandy Allen is moving to the position of assistant operations officer but will still manage the e-services department. Allen has been with the bank for over 25 years. Kristy Seaman was promoted to loan operations officer. Seaman has been with the bank for 12 years.

IOWA CITY — More than 6,900 undergraduate students at the University of Iowa were named to the dean's list for the 2021 fall semester. Dean's list status was earned by only 1,402 first year undergraduates during the 2021 spring semester at Iowa, only 1,427 second year students, only 1,836 third year students, and only 2,304 fourth year students.

Hallie Stevenson and Minnie Matthiesen placed second in the VFW essay contest. The theme of the essay was "I'm Proud To Be An American Because ..." The judges were very impressed with both girls’ entries and they were encouraged to enter again next year.

Twelve students from Spencer recently participated in the Strong Foundations Honor Band held in Sioux City on Jan. 10. These students were chosen through a nomination process and 102 students were selected representing three states. The purpose of this honor band is to provide an opportunity for young instrumental musicians to have an excellent ensemble experience in a positive, friendly environment without competition or unnecessary stress, while working with outstanding music educators.

ESTHERVILLE — The Iowa Lakes Community College Music Department announced the 2022 Jazz Band Contest winners from the event held on Jan. 20-21 at the Janice K. Lund Performing Arts Center. Many local high school bands performed jazz classics throughout the competition. Judges scored the jazz bands based on ensemble playing, rhythm section, style comprehension, solos, improvisation and programming.

SPIRIT LAKE — Spencer High School’s Tiger Jazz Ensemble continued their tradition of success as they received a Division I rating for their performance at the Class 2A and 3A State Jazz Band Contest, which was held on Monday, Jan. 24, at Spirit Lake High School. This is an annual event sponsored by the Iowa High School Music Association. The band’s program consisted of “The Red Door” by Gerry Mulligan and Zoot Sims, arranged by Scott Ragsdale; “Mazatlan” by Carl Strommen; and “Blackbird,” arranged by Mike Tomaro.

At the Spencer City Council Meeting on Dec. 20, Spencer Rotary presented two checks to the city. The first for $200 for the material costs for Stolley Shelter House repair — the north side of the building and part of the south side are missing logs; and $1,000 for a memorial panel to honor Rotarians that will be placed in front...

After surviving the “no fair” year of 2020, the Clay County Fair Association bounced back in a big way in 2021 by creating a significant impact on the local economy, educating thousands of youth and providing a boost to other nonprofit organizations. “The Clay County Fair Association plays an important role in our community as a tourist attraction and destination,” said Jeremy Parsons, CEO of the Clay County Fair & Events Center.

MILFORD — Several people were injured the afternoon of Jan. 12 during an incident at a worksite in Milford. Multiple area agencies responded to a report of a structure collapse in the 1300 block of P Avenue in Milford that day. Work was progressing on a large wooden building frame when the incident occurred, prompting a call for an ambulance and other emergency personnel.

The year’s first Eggs & Issues legislative forum, sponsored by the Spencer Chamber of Commerce, took place in council chambers at Spencer City Hall Saturday. Rep. Megan Jones, R-Sioux Rapids, Sen. Dave Rowley, R-Spirit Lake, and Rep. John H. Wills, R-Spirit Lake, answered questions from area residents on some of the current topics early in the 2022 Legislative Session.

Due to staffing shortages, Spencer Head Start has temporally closed some of its 2-year-old classrooms, offering home-based services to the families of those classrooms. Thanks to the ability of staff and families to adjust, no employees have lost out. "No staff member lost their job," Head Start Program Director Julie Edwards said. "Our families were very flexible and understanding, and they chose the home-base model."

Newly elected Spencer Mayor Steve Bomgaars was recently welcomed as a new member of the Spencer Rotary.

The Spencer Chamber Ambassadors joined members of the community and business leaders to help Katie Gastellum and Colleen Krebsbach celebrate the one-year anniversary of KC Title & Closing. The two business partners and their staff joined for an official ribbon cutting at the remodeled offices located at 502 Grand Ave.

As of Wednesday, Jan. 19, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported 235 newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in Clay County over the previous seven-day period. In the same time frame, Clay County and eight surrounding counties have had 1,438 new cases, which represents a positivity rate of 27% for the region. There have been 489 Clay County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 so far this month. This marks a significant increase from December, which had 172 cases for the entire month.

Milford voters will decide next week who will become the next person to join the Milford City Council. Former City Councilman Aaron Gebhart announced in November he was moving out of the area and intended to step down. Gebhart was first elected to the City Council in November of 2019 with more than a quarter of the vote — two council seats were open that cycle.

An association of city-owned utilities is suing the Iowa Utilities Board over new rules that ban certain late fees and require them to give customers advance notice of rate increases. The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, which represents 751 water, gas, electric and telecommunications utilities, is seeking judicial review of new rules approved by the Iowa Utilities Board last summer.

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation will team up with the Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State University to provide a free Northwest Iowa Supply Chain event at the Clay County Regional Events Center on March 22. “Managing your Supply Chain During the Time of Chaos” will feature speakers from CIRAS and the ISU Ivy College of Business Department of Supply Chain Management. Topics will include managing your supply chain during disruptions, building a resilient supply chain, utilizing total cost of ownership in decision making, finding new suppliers via supplier scouting, supply chain risk management and an introduction to Industry 4.0, automation and new technologies.

Spencer Recreation Director Jared Elbert joined the Finance Committee’s meeting Monday night to discuss upcoming repairs needed at the Fairview Elementary tennis courts and the Spencer Family Aquatic Center.

The Spencer Finance Committee agreed to move forward with a proposed development deal which could potentially bring a new business to Spencer. The name of the business involved has not been made public yet, but the company is anticipating on opening later this year.

ESTHERVILLE — The Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees accepted college President Valerie Newhouse’s decision to retire, effective June 30. Newhouse has served as president since 2009, and is the institution’s seventh president.

Applications are now being accepted for the Bennie B. and Ernestine F. Shine Scholarship, Adam J. Anderson Scholarship, and the Cornwall Loan Program. All programs are designed to help area students pursue health care careers.

ESTHERVILLE — The Iowa Lakes Community College Music Department releases the performance schedule for the annual Show and Jazz Choir Festival. The festival will be held at the Janice K. Lund Performing Arts Center on the Estherville Campus on Tuesday, Jan. 25, through Thursday, Jan. 27. Everyone is welcome to attend the free festival.

Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary in Spencer conducted its annual sixth grade Science Fair on Jan. 13. The sixth graders had a variety of topics they explored scientifically. All presented those topics to our four guest judges Bree Blom, Clay County naturalist; Joe Yavoskii, with the Iowa Department of Natural Resouces; Isabel Dehrkoop, with the ISU Extension Office; and teacher Heather Davis. Third place went to Keely Stephenson, second place to Jovi Kramer and the judges chose three first place winners this year, all of whom will move on to present their topics in Ames for the State Science & Technology Fair. The three first place winners were Halle Sears, Grace Weber and Alayna McEntee.

OKOBOJI — Good for Gary returns to the University of Okoboji Winter Games concert lineup, kicking off a schedule of several shows at Park Marina/Barefoot Bar. Good for Gary is a Twin Cities cover band that specializes in playing current and past dance hits, focusing on the newest Top 40 songs. With a seven-piece lineup and three lead vocalists, there’s no hip-hop, pop or dance song they can’t cover. You

JOHNSTON — Gardening enthusiasts dreaming of spring and getting their hands in the dirt can dig into inspiration with the launch of Iowa PBS's “Gardening With Steil” as a limited series. Beginning Jan. 22, the four-part series will air on Saturdays at 4 p.m. ...

ESTHERVILLE — The wait is over! Iowa Lakes Community College announced the 2022 spring musical “Mamma Mia!” will hit the stage in April. Performances will be on April 7, 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. Over 60 million people worldwide have fallen in love with the characters, the story, and the music that make “Mamma Mia!” the ultimate feel-good show. ABBA’s music tells the uplifting tale of a young woman seeking the identity of her father for her wedding and brings the three potential men from her mother’s past back to the Greek island they visited 20 years ago.

CROOKSTON, Minn. — Students named to the fall semester 2021 dean's list were announced recently by the Office of the Registrar. The U of M Crookston is one of the most respected career-oriented, technology-based universities in the nation. Students named to the dean's list include Erika Schutte, of Spirit Lake...

Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities International recently announced that Hope Haven Inc. has been accredited for a period of three years for the following programs/services:

The Spencer Chamber Ambassadors welcomed a new pastor to town on Tuesday. The group was on hand to greet Rev. Ben Unseth at Faith Lutheran Church in north Spencer. He joined the church in early November. Unseth, the son of a pastor, grew up in St. Ansgar in north-central Iowa, and served church communities in Michigan, the Dakotas, California, Iowa and Minnesota.

Spencer’s City Council received an update on Clay County Conservation’s plan to build the Oneota Environmental Learning Center, which would be an 8,000-square-foot scholastic facility at Oneota Park. Will Horsley, Clay County Conservation director, said the conservation department is excited to progress with the learning center...

Beginning Wednesday, every home in the U.S. can order four free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests will be completely free with no shipping costs and no credit card number required. There will be free tests available for every household by going to www.covidtests.gov/. Americans will be able to order their tests online at COVIDTests.gov, and tests will typically ship within seven to 12 days of ordering.

For nearly 13 years, Sarah Beth Red Wing-Fuchsen has served as the Spencer Public Library’s youth services librarian, and now she has been hired to fill the role of library director, taking on the department head position. The Spencer native is excited to be able to serve in the position for her hometown.

Attendees at this year’s S’mores and Blazing Pines event were treated to watching children zip around on their ice skates at East Leach Park’s ice skating rink. They probably also noticed the beginning skaters — children and adults — using homemade walkers to feel more comfortable on the ice. The walkers came courtesy of Brad Smith and his family, who donated five homemade walkers to the Spencer Parks Department.

Members of the Clay County Cattlemen Association gathered at the Great Hall of Royal over the weekend for their annual meeting and banquet. Attendees spent the evening catching up with friends, celebrating their 2021 year and enjoying a steak dinner.

SUTHERLAND — Seasons Center for Behavioral Health and Camp Autumn are hosting their third annual Ice Fishing Tournament & Fundraiser at Camp Autumn on Saturday, Feb. 12. This event is open to the public. There is no registration fee, however, freewill donations will be accepted. The first 50 kids — 15 and under — will receive a free ice fishing rod and reel combo courtesy of the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach welcomes Jenna Keene as the new Clay County youth outreach coordinator. Keene started in her position Jan. 10. In her role, Keene will focus on youth workshops, camps, and events, as well as in-school programs designed to provide an increase in hands-on learning opportunities for Clay County youth.

HOLSTEIN — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host “Women Managing Farmland: Today and Tomorrow” on Wednesday, Jan. 19, from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Cobblestone Inn in Holstein. The program is designed to better serve and meet the needs of women farmland owners and managers. ...

WASHINGTON — Institute for Organization Management, the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, announced Sheriffa Jones, executive director of the Spencer Chamber, recently completed her first year at Institute for Organization Management, a four-year nonprofit leadership training program at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Spencer Hy-Noon Kiwanis President Andrew Hasley welcomed new member, Heather Johnson, with State Bank of Spencer, Everly and Peterson, to the organization. Johnson’s sponsor is Mark Jensen.