Stories from Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Joe Mueting, principal of Spencer High School, has been named the 2008 Iowa Secondary Principal of the Year by School Administrators of Iowa. "Mr. Mueting is a highly respected individual who is frequently requested to present at state conferences attended by his colleagues. He is known for his shared leadership, emphasis on staff development and willingness to undertake new initiatives to meet the needs of all students," said SAI Executive Director Dan Smith...

Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy started a series of area appearances Monday by talking with students at Spencer High School. He told the students they would be in a better position to make more money if they choose college instead of entering the workforce right out of high school...

Sara DeWitt has served at the helm of First English Lutheran Church's preschool program for the last 27 of its 29 years in existence. The teacher, who has openly shared her wisdom and faith with a myriad of 4- and 5-year-old children over the decades, has decided this will mark her last official year as a full-time instructor...

Gregory Geoffroy talked about his university's 150th birthday, spoke about an agreement with Iowa Lakes Community College and met with high school juniors during a series of stops Monday in the region. Later in the day, the Iowa State University president and Iowa Lakes Community College President Harold Prior announced the joint admission program at the Estherville campus of Iowa Lakes...

-Empty church representatives not happy with current figure- The public hearing on the 2008 Hospital PCC Paving and CSI Project did not pass quietly as most Spencer City Council public hearings do. During Monday night's Spencer council session, a large contingent of members representing First English Lutheran Church joined a few other neighboring property owners to raise objections to the assessments being levied in connection with the two component project...

CF Industries, Inc. in their continued support of American Red Cross Disaster Services, has made a $500 donation to the Iowa Great Lakes Chapter to aid in replacement of cots and equipment to be used in shelter facilities in times of emergency. Spencer Terminal Superintendant, Mark Feldman presented Iowa Great Lakes Chapter Executive Director Bill Campbell with the check to purchase the equipment. ...

Spencer Open MRI, located at 20 W. Sixth St., Ste. 1, Spencer, is an innovative diagnostic testing service added to the medical communities of Northwest Iowa. For diagnostic purposes, MRI scanners use magnetism and radio waves to produce remarkably clear pictures of the head, spine or body. ...

Anyone interested in an exciting and rewarding volunteer opportunity is encouraged to join Spencer Hospital's Hospice of Northwest Iowa during the organization's volunteer training classes in April. "My Gift to Myself" is the title of the six-session training series which will be offered over a three-week period beginning Tuesday, April 8 and occurring each Tuesday and Thursday evening from 5:30-8 p.m. ...

The Iowa Lakes Regional Water Board of Directors will hold its annual membership meeting tonight at the district office located at 1301 38th Ave. W., Spencer. The event will begin with a meal served at 6 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. business meeting. The Spencer Park Board will meet at 5 p.m., tonight in the conference room at City Hall. ...

Memorial services for Mr. Eldon Biekert, 78, of Spencer, will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 9, 2008, at Warner Chapel of Spencer. Rev. Brad Wallace will officiate the service. Visitation will begin after 1 p.m., Tuesday with the family present from 5-7 p.m. at the funeral home...

Sign up for Spencer Hospital Community Health Services next Wellness Screening for a nominal fee of $60. The screening will take place from 6-8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 15 in the lower level of Spencer Hospital. Please call for an appointment at 264-6380...

Sacred Heart Pre-K/ Kindergarten Round-up Sacred Heart School will host its Pre-K/Kindergarten Round-up for parents from 7-8:30 p.m., tonight The event is for parents, not children. Christian Women's Connection Okoboji Christian Women, a division of Stonecroft Ministries, will have a luncheon entitled "Mother's Apron Strings" at the Inn at Okoboji at 12:30 p.m. ...

ARRESTS...

The Spencer soccer teams, both boys and girls, have seen plenty of victories since soccer became a sanctioned high school sport more than a decade ago. The wins both Tiger teams produced Monday were just a little different. For the first time, the victories went down in the books as conference victories -- Lakes Conference victories. ...

Darkness fell on the anticipated Lakes Conference clash between championship hopefuls Spirit Lake/Okoboji and Spencer before the teams could finish all nine matches, but Spirit Lake/Okoboji had already done enough to hold off the Tigers Monday in Spirit Lake, defeating Spencer 5-2...

-Tigers serve up 6-3 win over Spirit Lake/Okoboji- It was a different day and a different match, but the Tigers produced the same result as they did in their season opener on Thursday, winning four singles matches and two in doubles play to defeat Spirit Lake/Okoboji 6-3 Monday at River View Tennis Courts in Spencer...

The shock comes about once a week, when I pull up to the pumps to fill my vehicle with gas. It's a big vehicle. And it's a big total when it's full. It's a different world than the one I grew up in. I remember my mom giving me $2 for gas on a Friday night. I drove the family truckster - a 1977 Mercury Marquis with a front end 200 yards long. And, with that $2 I could put enough gas in the car for a satisfactory number of trips up and down Grand Avenue, and safely home...