Stories from Tuesday, June 19, 2012

It's all a matter of perspective. I ruminated on that idea while traveling the last half of the way home from a quick weekend trip to Minneapolis. Earlier on the trip home, visiting with son Drew, following the flow of traffic on Interstate 35, I had noticed that my fuel gauge said I had 110 miles left before a fill was needed. Then, 30 miles down the road, the fuel gauge still said 110 miles...

It's not football season, although the score might suggest it. Storm Lake scored early, often, and everything in between as they hammered the Tigers at Andy McGaffin Field Monday night, 27-11, in five innings. The Tornadoes jumped all over starter Tayler Tatman in the first inning, scoring 10 runs. ...

The Tiger girls got up early, let Storm Lake back into the game, then erupted for 10 runs to end the Lakes contest early with a 15-5 win in five innings Monday night at Tiger Field. Spencer scored two in the first, and one in each of the next three innings to take a 5-0 lead on the Tornadoes entering the fifth inning. Tiger starter Carly Richardson worked four scoreless innings of no-hit ball before being relieved by Madi Rost...

Runs came quickly and frequently in Everly Monday night as GTRA visited the Mavericks for a Cornbelt doubleheader. The Knights won game one, 18-14. Both teams put up runs and set the pace for the rest of the game in the early going as GTRA led 10-8 after three innings. GTRA's Quinn Parker hit an RBI-triple in the top of the third off CC-E starter Cam Medema to keep the Knights in front...

For decades, the city of Spencer has been utilizing a five-year construction program. Monday evening, the Spencer City Council simplified that process. "We made a conscious decision to give it an overhaul and upgrade it," Spencer Public Works Director Mark White said in the Committee of the Whole meeting preceding the council meeting. "We made a project sheet for every budget so you can page through it and understand it."...

Blue Zones needs you. Things are starting to move forward in Spencer's next steps as a demonstration site, and the goal is to get as many people involved as possible. "We would love to have people from all walks of life to come and be part of this," Alison Simpson, Community Program Manager, said...

The situation at the "North Y" - the intersection of U.S. Highways 18 and 71 - on the north edge of Spencer has caused local law enforcement, city and county leaders and state Department of Transportation officials to take notice. Three accidents in one week involving multiple injuries and one fatality have local entities searching for ways to create a safer traveling experience at the intersection, which is currently restricted as part of a long-term state road construction project stretching from north Spencer to the Milford city limits.. ...

Services for Kenneth P. Salton, 91, were held Monday, June 18, 2012, at Zion Lutheran Church in Ruthven. Rev. Tom Summerfield officiated the service. Interment took place at Crown Hill Cemetery in Ruthven. Kenneth Paul Salton, son of W.A. and Ida Marie (Johnson) Salton, was born Oct. 30, 1920, in Ruthven, Iowa. He began his education at Logan Township Elementary School and graduated from Gillett Grove High School in 1938...

A red armband designated a Shayla Bee "family" at Saturday's celebration; a green armband designated a supporter. But the armbands were merely a formallity; everyone there is family. They gathered Saturday to celebrate each other. Games and inflatables for the children; an auction and a live band at night for the adults. In the center of the large room was a table of "family albums," filled with newspaper clippings and photos of all of the children that this organization has helped...

Fire at a power box behind Slumberland Furniture in Spencer provided a temporary power loss to some south Spencer businesses. A team from Spencer Municipal Utilities worked to remedy the problem Monday afternoon. Spencer police and fire fighters responded to the call of flames on the power box initially before SMU personnel were called to the scene. (Photo by Randy M. Cauthron)

Spencer Hospital Foundation teamed up with Infodog Security Systems to host a community-wide shred event, taking care of sensitive documents in a safe and environmentally-friendly way. The documents, shredded in a cross-cut shredder, are bound in 1,200-pound bales and held in securely-locked warehouses until they can be transported to the paper mill. From there they are recycled into facial tissue and paper towels. By 10 a.m., the team had already shredded 500 pounds of paper. (Photo by Kate Padilla)

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Clay County will celebrate its 15th year of the local fundraising efforts to combat cancer when it kicks off an evening of festivities beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, June 22. The activities will continue until midnight...