Stories from Friday, January 20, 2017

Beginning Monday, a team from Iowa State University will participate in a five-day design competition at the Walt Disney Imagineering campus in Glendale, California. The team — comprised of Spencer native Alex Doppenberg, a senior in mechanical engineering; Cristina Diaz, a senior in interior design; and Joshua Kurnia, a senior in architecture — was selected as one of six finalists for the competition and will be presenting their design to a joint panel made up of the California and Florida Disney Imagineering sections. ...

Naturalist Brianne Hanson has returned to some familiar stomping grounds at the Clay County Conservation Office. Hanson took up her new post, previously held by Stacie Young, as of Jan. 4. Clay County Conservation Director Dan Heissel noted that Hanson had a good amount of experience to draw on during her first few weeks...

Last month, Tammy McKeever, with Clay County Planning and Zoning, informed the Clay County Board of Supervisors that the county now has the opportunity to enroll in the National Flood Insurance Program's regular coverage. The county is currently enrolled in the program's emergency plan. ...

Wireless connection is made more efficient with the fixed wireless system used at IGL TeleConnect, according to company representatives, which utilizes LTE technology and point to point connection. The local company claims it is ahead of the curve with this system as larger companies, such as Google, are just now beginning to utilize it in the Midwest...

No Apologies returns for its 15th year with parent and youth worker training on Sunday, Jan. 22, and teen night on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Both events will be conducted at the Clay County Regional Events Center. Sunday’s freewill donation event will begin at 6:15 p.m. and feature Rob Roozeboom of Rise Ministries who will engage the audience on the topic of teenage sexual pressures. Wednesday night’s junior high and high school event, beginning at 6:30 p.m. will include master illusionist and storyteller Harris III. His illusions as a master of deception will be weaved into his message on “How we have been deceived into what we think about sex. Admission Wednesday is $5. (File photo)

Now in its 28th year, The Spencer Chamber of Commerce will again offer the Leadership Spencer class for 2017. The 10-week course will begin on Monday, March 6, and conclude on Monday, May 8.
Leadership Spencer was created to develop informed, involved and concerned community leaders of the Spencer area. ...

After 40 years of riding and volunteering with the Clay County Sno Broncs, Spencer's Larry and Donna Dailey received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Iowa State Snowmobile Association. The award is given once annually to someone from across the state who has dedicated themselves to advancing the sport...

The Clay County Fair is proud to announce that For King & Country, joined by Sidewalk Prophets and Jordan Feliz, will take the U.S. Cellular Grandstand stage at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12. “Contemporary Christian music has become a fair tradition on Family Night — free admission for everyone after 5 p.m. on Sept. 12,” Fair Manager Jeremy Parsons said. “These three acts will create an unforgettable worship experience.”...

The Iowa Lakes softball team will be holding an advanced clinic on Saturday, Feb. 4 and a youth clinic on Sunday, Feb. 5. The advanced clinic is open to grades 7-12 and is split up into three sessions. The cost is $40 for each session. Session one runs from 1-2:30 p.m. ...

STORM LAKE — Lana Fort and daughter Sasha Stevenson are opening a new coffee shop together called Coffee Tree, located on Lake Avenue in downtown Storm Lake. The shop will have a short menu including soups, salads, sandwiches, ice cream and specials as well as an assortment of coffee beverages...

ST. PAUL, Minn. — In 2016, Pheasants Forever Inc., including its quail division, Quail Forever, improved habitat for pheasants, quail and other wildlife on more than 1.7 million acres. These accomplishments are attributed to working with more than 31,000 individual landowners, and chapter affiliates completing more than 15,200 wildlife habitat projects across the United States and Canada...

I had a different column planned for today, but as I prepared to write it, I found myself glued to the coverage of the inauguration of our 45th United States President Donald Trump. Among the thousands upon thousands, gathered in Washington, D.C., and the vast majority of the rest of the country watching at home, it is certainly fair to say that emotions varied a great deal — stretching from spectrum to spectrum — depending on where you stand on the political scale...

The worse the weather, the busier your local tow truck drivers get. “It’s not very glamorous. It’s miserable, and you can wear the best Carhartt Extremes and Under Armor, and you’re still going to be freezing,” said Tyson Rice, of Storm Lake Towing, in the wake of the ice storm that immobilized the area early this week...

LAURENS ― After a successful joint meeting between the school boards, Laurens-Marathon will host a public hearing on Monday, Jan. 23, on a new proposed full-day academic sharing agreement with Pocahontas Area. The schools currently have a year left in a partial-day sharing agreement, but had been unable to reach an agreement to move forward into full whole-grade sharing as LM wished. ...

ESTHERVILLE — The Board of Trustees of Iowa Lakes Community College met Tuesday afternoon in Estherville and reviewed the college’s marketing efforts to attract students of all ages. Jane Campbell, executive director of marketing for the college, introduced team members who shared their accomplishments as well as their goals for the future...

DES MOINES — Recognition for outstanding academic achievement has been given to the following Grand View University students for the 2016 fall semester. Chance Tatman, of Spencer, was among those recognized. --- STORM LAKE — The following students were among those named to Buena Vista University's dean's list for terms one and two. ...

ARNOLDS PARK — Ruebin's Theater in Arnolds Park has been sold and will close its doors on Sunday night, Feb. 5. This ends a 34-year era of socializing, live musical entertainment and dancing in the saloon-style bar on West Broadway Street. Owner Jim Hentges said the building was the original Windjammer and was owned by Dean Mitchell before that bar was relocated to the next block west. ...

Iowa Lakes women's basketball player Mia Wassink was critical in helping secure two wins last week for the Lakers. In a double-double against Central-Columbus (Nebraska), last Wednesday, Wassink scored 21 points and pulled down a season-high 19 rebounds in helping her team to an 88-73 victory. ...

Last week the Iowa High School Athletic Association mailed out press credentials to all the papers across the state, granting access to the various state tournaments held throughout the year. Well, in theory. These ones expire on June 30 of this year, but they promise to mail out new ones when the time comes...

DES MOINES — An expected 15,000 Iowa hunters will turn their attention to pursuing the state’s top predator after Jan. 10. That’s when most of Iowa’s hunting seasons close, and coyote hunting begins in earnest. Although its season never closes, coyotes are hunted most often during the winter. ...

My husband came home a week ago and set on the kitchen floor a plastic bucket with the walleye he had landed ice fishing that day. I heard a “hey!” and a laugh and turned around to see the adorable pit bull terrier we are fostering for the Humane Society of Northwest Iowa trotting away with a walleye in his mouth. The dog proceeded to then head upstairs and attempt to jump onto our bed with the fish before we stopped laughing long enough to grab it from him...

We’re entering the midwinter ice fishing season. Ice fishing this time of year can be productive, but it can also be challenging. If we have answers for those challenges, we can be successful at catching fish through the ice. Following are some of the challenges and some ideas for meeting those challenges...

Although ice fishing is definitely one of my passions during the winter, there is another hobby that I love. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s taking the time to sit down and watch out our sunroom window. No, it’s not laziness. It is simply that my wife and I enjoy watching all of the songbird activity. While she doesn’t enjoy the fresh air of ice fishing, this is a hobby that we both enjoy together. Every day we are treated to the antics of these little feathered dynamos...

I have heard the expression "paying it forward" a dozens times throughout my life. However, I had never seen it in action first hand until I visited Rome. At the end of my semester in Germany two years ago, we had the option of going back to the US as scheduled or staying in Europe a little longer on our own. Obviously I was not going to pass up the opportunity to see more of the world, so I pushed back my return date and hopped on a plane to Italy...