Stories from Thursday, February 11, 2016

Julie Krogman transitioned immediately into the role of Dvergsten Childcare director, following the departure of former director Gretchen Hutson, who moved to Omaha, Nebraska. Krogman joined the Dvergsten staff from the Prairie Lakes AEA, where she worked as a family support worker with the KIDS program...

Spencer Parks and Recreation Director Delray Bredehoeft presented members of the Spencer Park Board with options submitted by three different companies seeking to provide play equipment for Pederson Park. The park's old equipment, primarily used during the busy youth baseball and softball, was removed due to its condition and potential safety issues, causing the board to solicit bids from providers of children's play equipment. ...

Little Caesars pizza chain has listed Spencer and Storm Lake as locations they'd like to expand into, and the company is looking for members of the community to become owners in the franchise. "They are towns like many other towns we're already in," said Ed Ader, director of franchise development at Little Caesars. "Recently, within the past month, our real estate people were in the area working with our Sioux City franchise. They visited and liked the town."...

Full disclosure: I really like historical Russian fiction, and I have absolutely no idea why. It's what first drew me to Vanora Bennett's "Midnight in St. Petersburg." Inna Feldman arrives in St. Petersburg, in 1911, after fleeing the pogroms occurring in the south. She's Jewish, but she tries to present herself as Russian as possible so as not to draw any unnecessary negative attention to herself...

A new commandment I give unto you, "That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another," John 13:34 KJV. I wonder if I am the only husband that gets a nervous cold sweat when reminded of Valentine's Day. There was a day when I really thought that I was suave and I said and did the right things for Valentine's Day. ...

There's something catchy about Charlie Puth's music, and it's evident in all 12 tracks (yes, 12) of his debut album, "Nine Track Mind." Perhaps it was his first single, "Marvin Gaye," and the tribute that song played to an earlier era of music, but I came into this album assuming that Charlie Puth was a classy musician and artist, and he didn't disappoint...

ORANGE CITY -- Area artists are invited to submit art for a fifth juried exhibition, The Artist's Showcase: Orange City Arts' Regional Exhibition. Deadline for submissions is March 18. The exhibit will be April 22-30 at the Northwestern College DeWitt Theatre Arts Center...

Although I can't say with any certainty, because she's long since dead, but I'm guessing when Jane Austen used an ink-dipped quill to pen the novel "Pride and Prejudice" in 1813 -- that's more than 200 years ago for those of you without a calculator at your disposal -- that someday she would share authorship credits with Seth Grahame-Smith on a horror parody of her classic piece of literature...

SAVE THE DATE! CommStock's Winter Ag Outlook meetings are now scheduled. Do the markets have you wondering what you should be doing to survive? Our 2016 seminars, titled, "Running the Gauntlet, The Ag Sector's Epic Hunger Games" will feature David Kruse and Iowa State University's Extension Climatologist Dr. ...

Fathers and daughters in the area can start making plans to attend Cherish Center's annual Father Daughter Dance on Saturday, Feb. 27. The dance is again taking place at the Boji Bay Funhouse Pavilion in Milford. Because of the great turnout last year the hours have been extended. The dance will run from 5-10 p.m. Fathers and daughters can come and go anytime. Fathers with young girls are encouraged to come in the early hours...

Services for Vyonnie Fintzel, 97, of Spencer, will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 12, at Warner Chapel in Spencer. Stephanie Shively will officiate the service. Burial will be conducted at Hills of Rest in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Fintzel passed away Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, at Northshire Residence in Spencer...

Thursday night's game with Odebolt-Arthur/Battle Creek-Ida Grove provided Spencer's boys with a nice bounce back opportunity after a disheartening 66-60 loss to Estherville Lincoln Central Tuesday. Preston Funderburg made sure the Tigers seized that chance, drilling a school record nine 3-pointers en route to a 31 point night and 76-33 Spencer victory...

Clay Central-Everly's Sonya Newkirk, pictured jump stopping into the lane Tuesday night against South O'Brien, and the rest of the Maverick girls saw their season come to an end Thursday night in George during a 52-16 defeat at the hands of George-Little Rock in the first round of 1A regional play. (File photo)

IOWA FALLS -- The Iowa Lakes men's basketball team moved to 17-7 and 6-2 in ICCAC play with an 85-65 win over Ellsworth Wednesday night. The win is the Lakers fifth in a row and makes eight out of their last nine. The win also has the Lakers in a second place tie with Kirkwood in the conference...

IOWA FALLS -- The Iowa Lakes women's basketball team picked up a 48-43 win over Ellsworth Community College Wednesday evening. Jackie Petrich led all scorers with 16 points on the evening. Teammates Lauryn Smith and Asiya Smith both added 1. Asiya Smith grabbed seven rebounds to pace Iowa Lakes on the boards...