Stories from Tuesday, October 21, 2008

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. ...

Western Iowa's congressman wants tougher election standards and called for the end of a controversial community group's activities during a series of appearances Monday in Spencer. Steve King also suggested a closer relationship between Barack Obama and ACORN in an interview at the Clay County Regional Events Center...

SIOUX CITY (AP) -- The Vatican has named a Minnesota bishop and native Iowan as the next leader of the Cincinnati Roman Catholic Archdiocese. Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Dennis Schnurr to assist current Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk and succeed him when he retires next year...

"Quilts, Our Legacy Continues" will be the theme for this year's quilt show hosted by Catholic Daughters of America (CDA) Court No. 408 of Sacred Heart Parish in Spencer on Oct. 25-26. The quilt show will be held at the Spencer Sacred Heart Church Parish Center located on the north side of the church and will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 26. Admission to the show is $3...

Services for Michael Lee Juchem, 38 were held Monday, Oct. 20, 2008 at First United Methodist Church in Emmetsburg. Rev. Judy DePue officiated the service. Interment took place at Wallingford Cemetery in Wallingford. Michael passed away Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008 at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines...

Funeral services for Mrs. Lena Adams, 101 of Spencer, formerly of Gillett Grove, will be held at 1 p.m., today, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008 at Warner Chapel in Spencer. Rev. Michael Sharp will officiate the service. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home...

I just heard a scary fact the other day. It's only 10 weeks until Christmas. How did that happen? Wasn't it only last week that we were putting away the tinsel and the wreaths, packing up the snowboots and the parkas? I feel a bit like a youngster to whom summer vacation goes by in a flash, yet a single school day can seem an eternity. Summer is all too short and winter, I fear more and more as I get older, seems to go on forever...

After years of quiet contemplation by one founder, and then months of planning by both co-founders, the Spencer Christian Homeschooling Co-op marked its first official day in session on Aug. 24. The homeschooling cooperative is comprised of five area families, their 11 elementary-aged children and a handful of nursery- and preschool-aged siblings...

Spencer garnered four runner-up finishes and 10 top-five performances Saturday at the Lewis Central Melissa Fender Invite, recording 90 points to finish fourth place in a five-team field. Carroll proved dominant, winning all but three events in the pool. Sioux City Metro's Kirsten Gobell and Council Bluffs Lewis Central's Molly Thomas were all that stood in the way of Carroll and a clean sweep as the Tigers won 8-of-11 events...

Spencer finished 2-3 in five matches at the Algona Tournament Saturday as the host Bulldogs won the tournament with five, straight set victories. Algona, ranked No.4 in 3A, beat Carroll (21-13, 21-10), Forest City (21-10, 21-13), Clear Lake (21-14, 21-10), West Hancock (21-12, 21-7) and Spencer (21-9, 21-17) to finish unscathed in the round robin format...