Stories from Friday, July 31, 2015

Customers waited in a line outside as Dollar Tree employees cut the ribbon on the Spencer business' new location just east of Menards on U.S. Highway 71 in south Spencer. The new facility doubled the available retail space for Dollar Tree which has allowed the store to expand its product line and add a new frozen and dairy area. All of the items in the store are marked at $1, offering a variety of general merchandise including food, household items and products, school and party supplies, as well as decor. As part of the grand opening, several events are planned and special giveaways are part of the celebration. The entire building project took four months to complete as dirt movement began in March. The company is set to expand to 6,000 stores by year's end, and recently completed purchasing the Family Dollar chain. (Photo by Randy M. Cauthron)

WestSide Vineyard, located at 2055 360th St in Spencer, will have its third annual Harvest Fest starting 11 a.m. today. From 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. live music will be provided by Daybreak. John Senn and his accompanying band will be playing from 3:30 p.m. until 5 p.m...

DES MOINES -- The Technology Association of Iowa is set to visit Spencer and Sioux City the first week of August to expand the discussion on Iowa's technology industry. TAI has hosted Tech Town Hall events in Des Moines, Mason City, Cedar Falls and Iowa City. The conversation moves to Spencer on Monday and proceeds to Sioux City on Thursday, Aug. 6...

The Iowa Department of Transportation will begin construction of two offset left-turn lanes at the North Y intersection Tuesday Aug. 11. The two-month project is scheduled to be completed at the end of October. The DOT announced the project to the city of Spencer during a City Council meeting in December 2014. ...

Prior to the start of Monday's Tech Town Hall, StartupCity Spencer, in conjunction with the Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute, will host a Technology Association of Iowa Pitch & Grow (above). The event will be conducted from 1-3 p.m. with pitchers presenting their business ideas to a panel of judges. Closing out the day, a Tech Brew -- featuring refreshments and a social environment -- will allow for networking among the participants and other business professionals in the area.

Arts on Grand announced its menu for this year's Backyard Bach & Blues celebration, keeping with the theme, "Island Hopping," Chef Susanne Bicknese's culinary vision is sure to transport guests away to an island paradise. Backyard Bach & Blues is Arts on Grand's annual summer fundraiser and will be conducted Saturday, Aug. 8, at the homes of the Schmidt and Hough families, 1917 West 11th St. in Spencer. The evening's festivities will begin at 6 p.m. and continue until 10 p.m...

Since 2009, Spencer native Mariel Mugge has been in the business of creating custom-made hula hoops. She was inspired by her childhood memories of hula hooping after she was introduced to custom-made hula hoops at the Rothbury Music Festival in Michigan...

An abridged version of the beloved musical, "Annie-Kids!" wraps up its run on the SCT Deegan Children's Theatre's stage tonight at 7:30 p.m. before performing a final matinee at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available by calling the SCT Box Office at 262-7336. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students 13 and younger...

As part of the continuing Spencer Chamber of Commerce facility fundraising campaign, Office Systems Company has gifted the Chamber a new laptop computer to be used in the meeting and conference areas of the new building. (Above) Randy Konradi demonstrates the features of the compact Acer laptop to Chamber staff Becky Fear-Hatting and Bill Campbell. The laptop has the newest technology including wireless networking, touchscreen and Windows 10. Konradi, imaging consultant with Office Systems Company, presented the gift to Chamber staff along with training on the use of the computer. The laptop can easily be moved from room to room within the building and will allow for wireless presentations at meetings and conferences held at the Chamber. The Chamber Facility Fundraising Campaign began in the spring of 2015 to assist the Chamber in its move to a more visible, high traffic location at 18th Street and Grand Avenue. To date, more than $30,000 has been raised from the generous support of Spencer area businesses and organizations. The fundraising campaign will continue through the rest of the year. Once all projects are complete at the new facility, an open house for members of the Chamber and the public will be held. (Photo submitted)

Tenee Jessen, sixth-grade teacher at Sacred Heart School, attended courses at Iowa State University this summer to bring STEM to Sacred Heart School. The 2015-16 sixth-grade class at Sacred Heart School will begin using STEM this fall. STEM is a program that utilizes science, technology, engineering and math to solve the needs and wants of society. ...

Can a role played at the age of 10 change a child's life? Ask Mary Badham who played Scout in the 1962 movie "To Kill A Mockingbird." She will immediately tell you yes. Badham and her best friend from school wanted to go to the audition. Mary's father said no, but her mother intervened...

As an avid 4-Her, Alex Spengler has some big plans to own a large scale dairy goat farm. Taking part in the 2015 Buena Vista County Fair, Spengler won overall champion in the dairy goat competition with his Toggenburg herd queen, Dana. Spengler also won several trophies for his chickens...

MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Haley Wilson, of Spencer, has graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee and earned a Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary International Affairs. --- SIOUX CITY -- Briar Cliff University is pleased to announce that 303 students have been named to the dean's list for the second semester of the 2014-15 academic year. Local students on the list included: Slone Masters, of Albert City; Alesha Sikora, of Ruthven; and MacKenzie Schindler, of Spencer...

Spencer Community Schools will host regular registration at Spencer Middle School from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13. Monday, Aug. 24, is the first day of school for high school students with elementary and middle school students scheduled to begin classes on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Call the central office at 262-8950 or visit www.spenceriowaschools.com for more information...

OKOBOJI -- Hiking, cooking over an open fire, camping -- children who learn these backpacking skills will be able to use them for the rest of their lives. Dickinson County Conservation invites children ages 10-12 to take part in a three-day Backpacking Adventure camp Aug. 10-12...

Two local teens attended the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State event in Ames for a week in June. Abbie Ver Steeg and Molly Borth were sponsored by the local American Legion Auxiliary, Clay County VFW Post 3159, American Legion and American Legion Riders. (Photo submitted)

July 19 -- Thomas James Moen, 30, Spencer Child endangerment Domestic abuse assault --- July 20 -- Mitchell James Houchins, 22, Spencer Accessory after the fact Aiding and abetting --- July 21 -- Craig Matthew Owens, 57, Spencer Probation violation ---...

I've never made my views on the practice of abortion a secret. In my eyes, it's a crime against humanity. If we don't protect the most defenseless among us, our laws have failed us. Yet here we are decades after the Roe v. Wade decision where the practice of ending human life as the child continues to grow in its mother's womb is a practice used as a matter of convenience in many cases...

By Aaron Wanless I believe service to the country should be mandatory. Why, you might be thinking? I must say, I am glad you asked. Service is exactly that. A willingness to give something for nothing, or in the case of my service a small pittance for the honor to serve. The military is not for everyone but I will address the alternatives later...

Donniss C. Schumann passed away Thursday, July 30, 2015. Family and friends will gather to celebrate her life of 81 years on Sunday, Aug. 2, at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Ropesville, Texas. A tribute of Donniss' life may be found at www.memorialdesigners.net, where you may leave memories and expressions of sympathy for her family...

Remember Mike Leach? He's the guy that coached Texas Tech into the scoring stratosphere with guys like Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree before ultimately getting canned for allegedly forcing former ESPN analyst Craig James' son Adam James to stay in a shed while recovering from a concussion...

Spencer High School sent three cheerleading representatives to last weekend's Iowa Shrine Bowl held at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. Anna Dean, Hannah Zulk and Mercedes Siela worked with 52 other cheerleaders from across the state under the direction of coaches Mindy DeBaun (Prairie Valley), Salli J. Nichols (Storm Lake) and Sandy Norby (Osage). To date, the Iowa Shrine Bowl has raised over $2,268,000 for The Shriner's Hospitals for Children. (Photo submitted)

FORT POLK, La. -- On a hot summer day in central Louisiana, Iowa Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Chris Jorgensen, of Garrison, oversees the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle training of his 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division Soldiers. Iowa and Minnesota Army National Guard Soldiers are training at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana, to obtain flight validation on the Raven UAV during their two-week annual training...

Organized each year by Pearson Lakes Art Center, the show on the Preservation Plaza in Arnolds Park is a chance for artists around the Midwest to display and sell their best pieces of work. The 35th edition of Art in the Park begins at 9 a.m. with nearly 90 artists entered. Vendors will line the green space, using views of West Lake Okoboji as their temporary backdrop for the day...

Typically the term moving day is reserved for Saturday, or at least the third round, in a four-day tournament, but Spencer High School graduate and current Grand View Viking Jay Monahan decided to jump the gun at Spencer Golf and Country Club Friday afternoon, firing a 66 to drop his two-day total to 136 which puts him in a tie for first place with Iowa State Cyclone Conner Koberg from Cedar Rapids. Koberg has carded identical rounds of 68...

STORM LAKE -- Buena Vista director of athletics, Christyn Abaray, has announced the hiring of Bob O'Hara as the university's new part-time head women's tennis coach. "It's with pleasure that we welcome Bob O'Hara to our BVU family as the head women's tennis coach," says Abaray. ...