Stories from Friday, June 25, 2010

Big trucks with license plates spanning a 22-state area have been driving around Spencer this past week. Many have been carrying participants in the National Junior Maine-Anjou Show, which began Sunday and will officially conclude today following the Maine-Anjou heifer show...

"I've lost three sons. My heart is torn apart. Wouldn't yours be?" the documentary "Harvest of Grief" quotes one Indian mother. "I had two sons and both are gone," another woman says in the documentary's trailer. "One committed suicide and the other died naturally."...

"Toy Story 3" makes you want to return to the simple days of your childhood and revisit the beloved toys from which you were inseparable during those years -- at least that's what it did for me. Generally, people shy away from sequels because, in most cases, they are unimpressive and almost ruin the integrity of the first movie. If this is a common concern for you, fear not, "Toy Story 3" delivers on levels unsurpassed by other "third" movies in classic series...

Vernon Lee Ensley, Jr. was born Sept. 25, 1932, at Glidden, Iowa, the son of Vernon Ensley, Sr. and Hazel (Smith) Ensley. The Ensley's moved to Emmetsburg when Vern was an infant, and he attended Emmetsburg Community Schools. After his education, Vern enlisted in the United States Army serving from April 1953 to March 1955. He attained the rank of Corporal and earned the National Defense, Army Occupational and Good Conduct Medals while serving in Germany...

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has a caution for boaters who add alcohol to a day on the water this weekend. Chances are more likely they'll encounter an officer on patrol in the Iowa Great Lakes as part of "Operation Dry Water." "Numerous states and agencies are involved in doing this," said IDNR Conservation Officer Gary Owen...