Stories from Thursday, January 25, 2018

The rivalry between Spencer and Storm Lake saw tensions flare once again Friday night in the Spencer Field House as Tornado fans took exception to some of the behaviors exhibited by the Tiger students section -- including a select group of fans sporting red, white and blue colors and the jingling keys and chanting "lock your cars."...

The Older Iowans Legislature, a statewide senior advocacy group, seek restored funding for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Office and an increase in funding for LifeLong Links and senior nutrition from the Iowa General Assembly when it begins its session Friday...

Twenty-two dancing dads will hit the floor Friday night in the Spencer Field House to provide halftime entertainment during the girl-boy Spencer High School varsity basketball doubleheader against Spirit Lake. The Tiger Pas — comprised of junior and senior student fathers — have been practicing twice weekly since the start of the new year to help raise funds for the Spencer Community School Foundation...

Avera Medical Group of Spencer has noticed a significant increase in reported flu cases compared to last year. "The flu virus has hit Clay County more already than last year," Avera nurse manager Marilyn Ullman said. "This is from December of last year. ...

Clay County Naturalist Bree Blom began her owl presentation to Johnson Elementary School first-grade students Thursday by asking what they knew about owls. "Owl babies are called owlets," Aaliyah Macarthy answered. "They can see in the dark," Damion Rohrbough responded...

A second accident at the North Y in less than two days sent an Arnolds Park woman to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening Sunday at approximately 9:30 a.m. Troy Schiernbeck, of Melvin, operating a 1996 GMC truck, was westbound at the stop sign in the median and reportedly did not see a 1987 Toyota Corolla, driven by Linda Jackson, of Arnolds Park, was southbound on U.S. Highway 71. The two cars collided a short time after that, sending the Corolla into the west ditch where a light pole fell on top of the car. Jackson was taken to Spencer Hospital and treated. Schiernbeck was cited for failure to obey a stop sign, and Jackson was cited for failure to use a safety belt and operating without registration. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on scene by the Spencer Police Department, Spencer Fire Department, Fostoria Fire Department and Bud’s Service.

The Clay County Fair and Events Center announce Arch Allies as the headline act at Rock’n Bac’n Brew’n at the events center on Saturday, April 7. Arch Allies, a timeless, tribute band centered around making classic rock sing-alongs from the bands Journey, Styx, Boston, REO Speedwagon and Bon Jovi, will take the stage starting at 7 p.m...

Thursday night marked the final night of regular season competition for Spencer’s boys swim team with Storm Lake and Carroll traveling to the Spencer Family YMCA for double dual action. The purple and gold thumped the Tornadoes 75-12, but Carroll finished the night with a 59-35 advantage of Spencer, splitting the evening for the Tigers...

FORT DODGE — The Iowa Lakes women’s basketball team dropped one on the road to Iowa Central Wednesday 63-59. The Lakers were led by Shai’anye Wesley with 16 points and Lemia Ntor-ue with 15 points and eight rebounds. “We were not ready to go from the whistle tonight, and it hurt us,” Iowa Lakes women’s basketball coach Ashley Martin said. ...

FORT DODGE — The Iowa Lakes men’s basketball team moved to 12-7 overall and 2-2 in Iowa Community College Athletic Conference play with a 92-67 win at Iowa Central Wednesday. The Lakers were led by Kyle Beisch with 20 points. Dennis Joiner added 16, Christian Kyle had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Solomon Clayton had 13 points and 13 rebounds...

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the state’s football districts for the 2018 and 2019 seasons Thursday following an announcement on Wednesday that changes have been made to the playoff qualification system. Each class’s postseason field will continue to consist of 16 teams, but only district champions will be automatically qualified for the playoffs...

--- --- --- Event details are subject to change. Visit www.uofowintergames.com for more information Commemorative merchandise available Winter Games weekend in the Chamber Office in Arnolds Park...

Intense war action and a solid blend of acting help elevate this long-classified story of the “horse soldiers” involved in the United States first real counterstrike following the 9/11 attacks in “12 Strong.” The movie opens with a recently promoted Capt. ...

SPIRIT LAKE — The divisive East Loch Estates development north of Chalstrom Beach received its final go-ahead Dec. 26 from the county planning and zoning commission. Now a group of Dickinson County residents want the courts to weigh in: A lawsuit has been filed by a group called Concerned Citizens of Dickinson County. It names Dickinson County and its board of supervisors...

SPIRIT LAKE — Spirit Lake will once again be the home of the Whopper once insurance adjusters clear out and construction crews move in. That's the word from Kelly Hanson, a district manager for Burger King and its Spirit Lake location. She said insurance representatives will be in town Wednesday to survey the damage from a major fire Monday morning...

Completing trade deals is going to be a very tough exercise ... tough enough to make the recent combat over immigration and the budget look, well, tame by comparison. I think that there will be many similarities in how the White House participates. They provide the broad strokes while letting others work on details. ...

Imagine the scene of Genesis 1 — the freshly minted creation in all its “very good” glory, the animals according to their kinds, the garden planted by God as a paradise for man, and the innocent and noble Adam, and his helper Eve, both created in the image of God and set above creation, blessed to be fruitful and multiply. ...

The Spencer Performing Arts Coalition is excited in bringing The Dick Bauman Big Band featuring Kurt Schwarck to its stage for the 2018 Alumni Concert. The performance is 2 p.m. Sunday. The SPARC 2018 alumnus, Kurt Schwarck, is currently the director of bands at Spencer High School. ...

ARNOLDS PARK — Last month, the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Music Association announced they would be launching a capital campaign to help fund a new museum in the Arnolds Park Amusement Park that would allow visitors to see the evolution of rock 'n' roll music on multiple platforms, learn about the individuals who have been instrumental in defining what Iowa music sounds like, inspire new artists to engage in music, and understand the role Iowa played on the national stage...

OKOBOJI — Gain an edge on your Oscar ballot. This program is the most popular Cinema Falls presentation of the year and this year we're bringing it to Okoboji. Watching the Academy Awards is definitely more fun after you have seen these nominated films by sometimes lesser known filmmakers. ...

A helpful, friendly face to area veterans for more than three decades, Clay County Veterans Affairs Office Director Joan Waller, will say goodbye to the position Friday. Darla Sheasley, a veteran who has worked in the Clay County VA Office for more than a year has been selected as Waller’s replacement...

I recently took a trip to Iowa City to visit a friend. It was a good, cold winter’s weekend, and the little-over-four-hour drive bored me to the core. As I have previously stated in my column, I love to drive, but for long trips to Minneapolis, Des Moines, Iowa City or even Chicago, I would prefer to take public transit...