Sports

His ferocious dunks used to send the Indians faithful into a frenzy. His hustle and grit made him a fan favorite inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. But it was a tweet that made former Spirit Lake High School and University of Iowa basketball player Ryan Kriener a champion...

When Kevin Costner's character Ray Kinsella had dreams of building a baseball diamond in the middle of Iowa, no one believed in his "Field of Dreams" aspirations. But, when Brett Hetland had a real-life dream of bringing hockey to a chain of lakes near the Minnesota border, people have lined up to lend a hand...

Due to concerns regarding COVID-19 the NJCAA announced the cancellation of the 2020 season for spring sports. As such all Iowa Lakes contests in the sports of baseball, men’s golf, women’s golf, softball and sports shooting have been canceled. All athletic facilities will be closed until further notice...

It started with foosball tables being donated to local school districts, and the Shaw Family had hoped their vision for a local foosball tournament would come true this weekend. But with gatherings over 50 people now discouraged by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, organizers have decided to cancel the inaugural Foosball Shenanigans event...

Anyone who has grown up in Spencer in recent decades will know who Mr. Steve Bomgaars is. Maybe you called him Coach Bomgaars, however you addressed him, he was going to be respectful to you. From northwest Iowa to New Zealand, Bomgaars has had immense influence on those he taught and coached...

Iowa Lakes Community College softball player, Taylor Beane, has been recognized as last week’s Iowa Community College Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week. Beane, a sophomore from Dexter, is the first Iowa Lakes softball player to receive this award for the 2020 season. She was selected for this award based on games played this weekend of March 6-9. Beane produced big numbers for the Lakers during their 3-3 weekend...

Four Iowa Lakes Community College student-athletes were named to the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference, Division II Women's Basketball All-Region teams. Breanna Wendland was named to the ICCAC All-Region 1st Team, Shareece Smith and Safiyer Coleman were both named to 2nd Team and Tyler Pacheco was named to 3rd Team...

DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is working with state and local officials to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and has transitioned employees to work remotely. DNR offices are closed to the public during this time and only available by appointment...

DES MOINES — If you are a spring turkey hunter, the DNR encourages you to plan ahead and get your hunting license and turkey tag at least seven to 10 days in advance so tags have time to arrive in the mail before the season begins. The rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19 is causing many retailers to change hours or how they do business, including those that sell hunting and fishing licenses. ...

Many different crankbait styles and lures can work early in the season. Often, we find some of our most consistent crankbait patterns early in the season in less than 12 feet of water. Jerk baits or shallow running minnow profile lures often shine in clear water and cold water that is less than 55 degrees. ...

I took a drive the other day and happened to travel over the bridge that spanned one of my favorite spring walleye rivers. There were several anglers within eyeshot of the bridge. It’s a small river, very similar to many of the small rivers that are found across the Midwest. It’s maybe a quarter-mile wide at the widest, 10 feet deep in the deepest hole, and has a dam every 15 or 20 miles...

This is the time of year that northwest Iowans get excited for the annual spring gill netting by Department of Natural Resources personnel at the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery. One of the most amazing things to me is how quickly the northern pike netting goes...

When the days get longer and the temperatures get a little warmer, it signals that spring is on its way. You’ll even start to hear winter bird residents begin to perk up, and you’ll start to see bird species that you haven’t seen for a while. Three of Iowa’s earliest spring avian arrivals are the killdeer, red-winged blackbird and eastern phoebe...

DES MOINES — Protecting yourself during the COVID-19 national pandemic starts with following the guidance from our state and national health experts — maintain at least 6 feet between each other, wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds, cover your cough, stay home if you feel sick and avoid groups of 10 or more people. These are unprecedented times and personal health and safety takes top priority...

Early season post spawn walleye tactics often incorporate live bait rigging and jigging. Particularly with states like Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa that have a walleye opener, crankbaits often get overlooked on many fisheries and they shouldn’t. Many anglers associate presentations with water temperatures. ...