Stories from Saturday, December 12, 2015

With the new year will come a new chapter for Clay County Heritage. Executive Director Cindy McGranahan will step down from the position she has held for over two decades on Dec. 31 to make way for incoming Executive Director Chelsea Loucks. According to McGranahan, the decision to retire was a hard one to make but was made easier due to the confidence she has in her successor to run Clay County Heritage, formerly the Parker Historical Society of Clay County, effectively...

In an effort to trim the state's budget -- by as much as $51 million -- Gov. Terry Branstad announced a plan to move the previously state-funded Medicaid program to privatized health care. Beginning Aug. 17, he initiated the process of transferring the $4.2 billion program to four managed care organizations (MCOs): Amerigroup Iowa Inc., AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa Inc., UnitedHealthCare Plan of the River Valley Inc. ...

Friday night's showdown between Spencer and Le Mars surprisingly turned into a marathon as the Tigers needed two overtime periods to finally vanquish the Bulldogs, 95-84. A quick look at Spencer's stats, including a 57 percent shooting night from the floor, a 24-31 effort at the stripe and a combined 73 points from seniors Jake Kluender and Preston Funderburg, makes it look like the Tigers should have rolled, but a 42-point effort from Le Mars junior Trenton Hillbrands allowed the 'Dogs to fight their way into extra play.. ...

Coming into Friday night's Lakes Conference showdown with Le Mars, Spencer girls basketball coach Don Martindale knew it was going to take a 32-minute effort to muzzle the Bulldogs despite their 1-2 record as both losses came to top-three teams in 2A. The Tiger girls responded, pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 60-49 over their visitors...

Depending on your personal stance, Thursday night eit-her felt like floating on air or a swift kick to the ... stomach. Personally, I took a kick. Who knew the University of Iowa could package the two most devastating ways to lose into less than a week?...

Those looking for a fun, active event to take part in during the holiday season can take advantage of the Zumba fundraiser at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon at the Clay County Regional Events Center. Registration is $30 in advance -- online at spencerevents.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/studioburn360 -- or $35 at the door. Kids are free, and all proceeds will be donated to Upper Des Moines Opportunity...

For the past week, the Spencer Police Department has opened its doors to Spencer High School students in order to introduce them to the many aspects of the world of law enforcement. Each participant in the ride-along program was a student of Liz Kluver's careers class at the high school...

LAS VEGAS -- The Clay County Fair received three first-place awards, along with nine other awards, at the 125th Annual International Association of Fairs and Expositions Convention conducted last week in Las Vegas. Presented at the Excellence in Agriculture Breakfast on Dec. ...

DES MOINES -- The Spencer High School Strutters received a third-place trophy for their performance in Large School Hoopla and a No. 1 rating in Large School Hoopla and class XI Pom at last weekend's Iowa State Dance Team Competition, the biggest of its kind in the nation. Teams must receive 60 points out of a score of 70 to receive a 1 rating. Only those teams are then eligible to place. The Strutters will next compete at the Midwest Regional competition in Sioux City. Members of this year's Strutters team include: Koryi Bailey, Carissa Cummings, Emma Richards, Caitlyn Holm, Madi Jensen, Kennedy Runkle, Riley Pohar, Marissa Salton, Cheyanna Smith, Zandra Zahrt and Zoe Zahrt.

The Iowa Parks Foundation has announced a $20,000 matching grant to six local counties to develop a broad and long-term strategy for parks and trail development. The planning process could lead to a second grant worth $1.9 million from the parks foundation...

Services for Terry Dandy, 70, of Spencer, will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14, at First English Lutheran Church in Spencer. Rev. Paul Kaldahl will officiate the service. Visitation will be conducted beginning 5 p.m. Sunday, with the family present from 5-7 p.m., at Warner Funeral Home in Spencer. Visitation will continue beginning one hour prior to the services at the church...

A bird esc-aped the cage of pain and suffering and instantly transformed into a strong flighted angel. Stanley C. Norman Sr. Was born on May 27, 1927, in Dickens, Iowa, he received his reward on Dec. 9, 2015. He was preceded by his parents, Babe and Vera Norman, a brother Bill, and a son Timothy John. ...

HAVELOCK -- The day after the rest of the country celebrated Thanksgiving, Erica Svuba, wife of Brent Svuba, posted on Facebook: "I usually don't ask for a ton on Facebook, but I really need you all to pray for our family. Dawson was just transported by ambulance to Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls. We don't know what is wrong with him, but he's just not OK. If you can, say a prayer for us."...

Area children are reminded the deadline to get their letters to Santa mailed in time for Christmas is drawing near. Wednesday, Dec. 16, is the deadline to drop letters into the box outside the front door of the Daily Reporter. The letters will be sent to Santa and included in a special Daily Reporter holiday section on Tuesday, Dec. 22. To be included, make sure to get your letter to Santa in our box by the end of the day Wednesday...

With the entire open water panfishing so outstanding on the Iowa Great Lakes, ice fishermen can hardly wait to see what the hard water season will bring. Big Spirit, East Okoboji, Upper Gar, Minnewashta and West Okoboji consistently produced excellent panfishing action all summer. From perch, to yellow bass to crappies and bluegills ... it was awesome...

DES MOINES -- Add some special interest to your winter landscape, or maybe the yard of someone on your gift-giving list, with the Winter Wonderland specialty packet from Iowa's State Forest Nursery. "The packet consists of two evergreen species and three varieties of shrubs that add color and beauty all year long, but particularly in during our Midwest winters," says State Forester Paul Tauke...

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is conducting a general signup for the longstanding Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) from Dec. 1 through Feb. 26. The general signup overlaps with CRP's 30th anniversary, celebrating the most successful private lands conservation program in the country. ...

I'm sure of it. My open water fishing season for 2015 is over. It's sleeting outside, and the boat has been retired for the season. When the boat gets put away, I like to reflect a bit on the just completed open water fishing season. Following are some "takeaways" from my 2015 open water season...

We live in a dangerous world. Watch the national news sometime. Heck, watch the local news broadcast out of Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Des Moines or wherever. Doesn't matter. Usually the first few minutes are filled with who's doing what to who. Acts of violence, theft and crime...

(Left to right) Jasmine Kluender, English/social studies departments; Katrina McCarty, fine arts/physical education/Spanish departments; Nate Bringle, business/math/science departments; Davin Brugman, agriculture/technology/vocational departments; and Cole Maaland, seventh- and eighth-grade reading department.

For the second year in a row, Winther, Stave & Co. LLP, a CPA firm with offices in Spencer and Milford, presented the video "The Money Mammals: Saving Money is Fun" to the kindergarten classes at Spencer Community School District. Each child was given a piggy bank and a 50-cent piece to help teach them one of the most important lessons in life -- learning about the value of money through sharing, saving and spending smart. The Iowa Society of CPAs assisted with the video and piggy banks.

JACKSON, Minn. -- Community First Broadcasting, owner of KKOJ, 1190 AM, and KRAQ, 105.7 FM, both in Jackson, Minnesota, have announced some changes that will be taking in early 2016. Effective Jan. 4, KRAQ-FM 105.7 will change to KUXX-FM Extreme Country 105.7 playing Hot Country Hits featuring artists such as Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and more. ...

The Iowa Great Lakes Board of Realtors hosted a fundraiser in November to raise money and collect donated food items for the Backpack Program, which supports students in the community by providing additional food supplies. They want their efforts to encompass more than just helping kids. IGLBOR raised $1,350 and collected numerous food items for students in the community of Spencer. (Above) IGLBOR member Pam Galm, IGLBOR Association Executive Jodi Tusa More and IGLBOR member Oxana Bedore prepare to deliver some of the items collected.