Stories from Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The school doors open this week, releasing students for a summer of fun. And parents are scratching their heads, wondering how they are going to keep their little angels busy, productive and out of trouble. When my son, Drew, began school, we started a tradition of Mom and son outings to celebrate the end of the school year and the start of summer. On the first day of summer vacation, we'd go to the lake, to a zoo, to the golf course...

DES MOINES -- Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today commented on the Iowa Crops and Weather report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October. "Between showers farmers have been able to make significant planting progress the last three weeks and moved ahead of the five year average for both corn and soybean planting," Northey said...

The Eaton Spencer Community Action Council, in its commitment to supporting the community, presented the the Spencer Area Activity Center with a new couch for the dining area. Members of the council include Harvey Baxter, Tom Galik, Mike Hanson, Sharon Knudtson, Cathy McKibben, Rosanne Muhs, Sherm Nielsen, Dave Rasmussen and Benton Visser. (Photo by Randy M. Cauthron)

Chuck White (left) and Dave Hessman (right) on Monday morning were among the Spencer Daybreakers Kiwanis who recognized four Clay County women in agriculture, as nominated by area agricultural entities. From left: Jo Gibson (nominated by Farm Bureau), Coke Anderson (nominated by Clay County Growers), Kay Schueneman (nominated by Clay County Pork Producers) and Kris Binder (nominated by Clay County Cattlemen). The Daybreakers hope to recognize women in agriculture on an annual basis. (Photo by Gabe Licht)

Funeral services for Mrs. Ellen Heine, 85, of Spencer will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 28, 2011, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Spencer. Rev. Dave Christenson will officiate the service. Interment will take place at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer...

Funeral services for Mr. Donald Durst, 78, of Spencer will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, May 26, 2011, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Milford. Rev. Tom Flanagan will officiate the service. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday, with a Catholic scripture service at 6:30 p.m. and family present from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Warner Funeral Home in Spencer,...

Funeral services for Mr. Harry Adams, 92, of Rossie and Royal areas, most recently of Wahpeton, will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 25, 2011, at First Lutheran Church in Milford. Rev. Bob Vaage will officiate the service. Visitation will begin at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, with the family present from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Warner Funeral Home in Spencer...

Donna R. Wood, 83, of Marathon, Ia., and formerly of Laurens, Ia., died May 2, 2011, at the Longhouse Residence Nursing Home at Spencer, Ia. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 6, 2011, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Laurens. Visitation will take place from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, May 5, 2011, at the Sliefert Funeral Home in Albert City where the family will be present during that time...

Funeral services for Valerie Stefaniak, 51, of Neenah, Wis, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, May 26, 2011, at the Church of Christ in Sutherland. Rev. John Erickson will officiate the service. Interment will take place at Waterman Cemetery in Sutherland...

Spencer Municipal Utilities electric customers who heat with electricity are being challenged to participate in a contest to see who can save the most energy. The SMU Neg-A-Watt Challenge is a customer contest designed to show significant energy savings can be achieved by improving your home's energy performance and by changing energy usage habits by occupants...

Organizers with the local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters, along with volunteers with the Avenue of Flags, will host a special Memorial Day observance, Monday, May 31, at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. Ceremony will follow the parade which begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Clay County Administration Building. The program, which will include the dedication of the new flags for the Avenue of Flags (above) will begin at 10 a.m. Following the honor services at the cemetery, the American Legion will host a luncheon for the public, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., serving pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, drinks and an ice cream cup for a free will donation. (File photo)

Spencer Community Schools recognized its retiring members with a coffee at Central Office Monday afternoon. Stevie Shively, Mary Frank, Kae Roti and Rick Dupic (above), were all honored for their years of service to the local education system in a public event. Spencer Schools Superintendent Greg Ebeling noted that these four teachers dealt with groups of children requiring special attention for the Talented and Gifted program as well as special education. Shively has been with the Spencer district since 1971, Frank completed a 27-year-career, Roti begin in 1984, and Dupic has been in Spencer since 1997. (Photo by Randy M. Cauthron)

When Greg Ebeling received a phone call April 1, 2004, the Maquoketa Valley superintendent was told he was wanted in Spencer. It marked Ebeling's first official superintendent interview for a district he felt called to lead. Seven years later, the 20-year educator with 14 years of administration experience will be moving to south-central Iowa as superintendent in Pella and Terry Hemann will be the new Spencer superintendent...

Gary Small remembers buying lunch at the Jersey Dairy's lunch counter for his bosses Bruce and Kathy Johnston in 1965. Small bought the former dairy for Spencer Auto Parts in 1983, giving 416 S. Grand Ave. its fourth use in 43 years. Double Cola Bottling Company, of Waterloo, built the existing structure in 1940, though that ownership was not long-lasting...

The young Spencer softball team gained valuable experience in Monday's season-opening win in Sheldon. The Tigers shook off a shaky start to comeback on the Orabs and win in nine innings, 10-9. Defensive mistakes lead to the deficit but timely hitting dug them out...

The Spencer baseball team couldn't get the timely hits it needed to secure the first win of the 2011 season Monday night in Sheldon. The Tigers fell 9-8 in the season opener. Sheldon got on the board early with a home run on its first at-bat. The Orabs would score four in the first two innings to take control early. ...

Monday night, Clay Central-Everly school board members were presented with a preliminary audit report, heard a request to play 11-man football this fall, learned an accreditation visit is scheduled this week and ratified a 2011-12 master contract with teachers...

Spencer picked up its first win of the year defeating Denison-Schleswig 4-3 Tuesday night in Spencer. The Tigers got four runs in the first inning and held that lead until the top of the seventh when Denison rallied and scored three. Tayler Tatman (1-0) picked up the win in 6 1/3 innings. Dillon Schulz picked up the save with two strikeouts with the bases loaded to seal the win...