Stories from Thursday, February 4, 2016

Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School school announced recently that Amanda Woodall has been assigned the role of lead teacher. Based on the School Board of Sacred Heart School's adopted Administrative Leadership Team for the 2016-17 school year, Ron Olberding will remain as principal and will be in the school two days a week assisting with reports and other administrative duties...

Gretchen Hutson will finish her time as the Dvergsten Childcare director on Friday, and prepare for a move to Omaha, Nebraska. She said the move, due to her husband's promotion with Green Plains Renewable Safety, will also allow her to be closer to family...

DES MOINES -- Legislation that would legalize the sale of fireworks in Iowa is once again advancing through the Iowa Legislature, though it may face some challenges from lawmakers. The Senate State Government Committee voted 10-5 Wednesday in support of the bill, which would allow the sale and use of consumer fireworks such as firecrackers and roman candles. Current law allows the sale of novelties like sparklers...

The Clay County Fair will begin selling U.S. Cellular Grandstand concert tickets earlier than ever when availability for Andy Grammer, with special guest Rachel Platten, and MercyMe, with special guest Phil Wickham, begins at 10 a.m. today. "The music industry is quickly changing," Clay County Fair Manager Jeremy Parsons said. "For us to continue to bring such high-caliber acts to the Clay County Fair, we must begin selling tickets earlier than ever before."...

The Spencer Community School Foundation's not-so-secret fundraising weapon, the Tiger Pas, will entertain audiences during both halftimes of the boy's and girl's high school basketball games tonight at the Spencer Field House against Cherokee. What has become an annual performance assists in the raising of funds from the crowd for scholarships which the foundation distributes to SHS seniors. Traditionally, matching funds have also been included by area banks and businesses to create a greater pool of money from the Tiger Pas' performance. (File photo)

Leanne Namur Leanne Phelps Namur, 95, of Alexandria, Minnesota, passed away on Feb. 1, 2016. A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Alexandria, Minnesota at 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. She will be laid to rest with her husband, sister, parents, grandparents, great grandparents and great-great grandparents in Riverside Cemetery in Spencer...

Arts on Grand announced the schedule for the upcoming Films for the Cinematically Disadvantaged series. Film fans are invited to attend the 7 p.m. Monday viewings above Carey's Electronics for this series curated by Mark Carey. This event is free and open to the public, but donations are encouraged as they help to ensure the future of this program...

NUEVA CONCEPCION, Guatemala -- Rev. Mark Lee, GoServ Global's -- formerly known as Global Compassion Network -- Latin America director, has spent the past five years traveling to Guatemala and doing mission work. This work has grown to the point of needing an in-country missionary to plant a church and a Christian school. ...

I don't think that I am any more concerned today over the prospects of Ted Cruz winning the GOP nomination or becoming president than I was before the caucuses. They identified 28 percent of evangelical conservative Iowans and effectively got them to the caucuses to win a plurality and that will have been the easy part for the Cruz campaign going forward. ...

I was reading this book last night and about one third of the way through I realized it was midnight and decided that I had to go to bed. Sally Hepworth's pull, especially in her writing and character development in "The Things We Keep," stayed with me all through my bedtime routine to the point I actually googled spoilers for the novel, just because I wanted to make sure the characters would be OK before I went to sleep...

Area residents will have the opportunity to say "I love you" with singing valentines on Friday, Feb. 12. The Iowa Lakes Men's Quartet will deliver singing Valentines for area residents and business people looking for a fun and exciting way to send a valentine message to their sweethearts, family members, friends, employees or customers...

John "Slick" Doring, 68, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, at the Spencer Hospital. He was born on April 23, 1947, in Wayne, Nebraska, to Irving and Frances (Sydow) Doring. John graduated from Wayne High School in 1965. He served his country in the United States Air Force from 1965-69. John was united in marriage to Patricia Clark on March 19, 1982, in Spencer...

STORM LAKE -- The United States Air Force Band of Mid-America's Airlifter Brass will present a free concert on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Schaller Memorial Chapel on the Buena Vista University campus. The concert is free and open to the public to attend. This is a family-friendly, all-ages event, and no tickets are required...

Sia is a bit of a dark horse in the music industry. She goes largely unnoticed, even when her songs are on the Top 10 charts, and she has one of the most powerful voices in pop music. It's right up there with Adele, I promise. But I get the feeling she's OK with how things are. ...

Without the bloody violence associated with the "13 Hours: Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" rescue efforts, a different branch of our U.S. military demonstrates that they've got what it takes as well in "The Finest Hours." In 1952, a winter storm ravages a pair of ships off the coast of the southeast U.S. The only hope for a freighter split in half on the rugged, raging sea is a Coast Guard station on Cape Cod in Massachusetts...

FONDA -- After a conflict between Pocahontas County Sheriff Bob Lampe and Fonda Police Chief Alex Leu last week, Lampe is hoping to make amends and move past the controversy. "I did kind of blew up at Alex in a phone call. I've made calls trying to reach him and left a message. I wanted to apologize," Lampe said...

Many of us have heard the quote "Don't worry about anything, pray about everything." In the day in which we live, that is often easier said than done. Many nations of the world, including America, are experiencing chaos through terrorism, economic upheaval, weather extremes and a multitude of life issues...

ORANGE CITY -- The fifth annual An Evening of Dance will feature preschoolers through college students, dancing at the Unity Christian Knight Center in Orange City, Saturday, Feb. 6. The 7 p.m. performance will feature a variety of dance styles, under the leadership of local dance instructors Bailey Van Wyk, Emily Honken, Robin Van Es Dohrer and Becky Donahue...

OKOBOJI -- Lisa Rock and her six-piece band are bringing the music of The Carpenters back to the stage with their spot-on renditions of Carpenters classics with "Close to You: The Music of The Carpenters." See them live at the Pearson Lakes Art Center at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11 in the Lauridsen Performing Arts Theatre...