News

The regular monthly dinner and business meeting for the Cherokee WA TAN YE Club was held Monday evening March 11 at Danny’s Sport Spot. Each member reported their volunteer service hours. A thank you note was received and read from the Sanford Museum for the clubs’ donation...

The Cherokee City Council Tuesday night held the public hearing on the FY 2019-20 municipal budget. As there were no written or oral comments, the public hearing was closed and the Council approved a Resolution Adopting the $10.5 million Annual Budget for FY 2019-20 and Certification of Taxes...

SPENCER - Recently the Iowa Emergency Medical Services Association (IEMSA) recognized Jeffrey Messerole as IEMSA Instructor of the Year. Jeff was nominated for the honor by Clay County Emergency Services Director Tammy McKeever, who commented: “Jeff has dedicated his life to teaching and instructing not only locally, but internationally. He cares for his students and outcomes of their training. The Clay County EMS Association feels blessed to have such as asset locally.”...

Warming temperatures causing excessive snowmelt and combining with record-breaking rainfall and still-frozen ground swamped the region Wednesday, flooding basements and roads across the Cherokee area and making travel difficult in many locations. By late afternoon Thursday, nine plus major roadways in the county roads were closed because of flooding...

Ladies of the Wa Tan Ye held their annual 10 days of celebration this past week. Their celebration including hosting a chamber coffee at Danny’s and decorating the window at the American Theater. Wa Tan Ye has been in existence since September 17,1923. ...

The 23rd annual Tastes & Sounds of Cherokee is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21 in the Washington High School gymnasium. Tickets are $8 at the door and $4 for children age 4-10. The popular Cherokee tradition was formerly held at Western Iowa Tech Community College Conference Center in Cherokee, but has relocated to the WHS gym after WITCC began transforming the Conference Center into lab and classroom space to accommodate new educational programs...

A blizzard in late February followed by freezing rain and a rapid thaw with more snow, followed by rains this week have caused devastating flooding of area streams, fields, road ditches and countless Cherokee basements. Cherokee Emergency Management Director Justin Pritts said on Wednesday it was a watch and see state as the water in the Little Sioux River continued to rise. ...

   Ridge View Mock Trial competed in Mason City on Thursday, March 7th.  Members of the team include:. Front left: Audrey Kalin, Cassie Allen, Katlyn Wise.  Back row:  Austin Hansen, Kael Wiese, Logan Pickhinke, Jordan Grothe, and Emilie Sawatsky.  Coaches are Steve Pickhinke and Carmen Koth.   Attorney coaches are David Jennett and John Murray...

The Cherokee Industrial Corporation (CIC) is proud to announce their donation of $50,000 to the Cherokee Trail Expansion Project. Their donation provides another great boost for the Trail Committee’s ongoing fundraising campaign. Shawn Simonsen of the CIC said “The mission of CIC is to encourage, promote and assist new and existing businesses in Cherokee. ...

Cherokee Regional Medical Center (CRMC) is excited to announce that 3D mammography is now available through the CRMC Radiology Department. Utilizing Hologic’s Genius™ 3D Mammography™ system, CRMC now offers advanced breast tomosynthesis technology. Genius exams are clinically proven to increase the detection of breast cancers, while also decreasing the number of women asked to return for additional testing...

Lisa Funk, owner of the Storm Lake Bakery. will open a new bakery and café in Cherokee in the street level of the renovated Lewis Hotel at 231 W. Main St. The name of the new shop is the Main Street Bakery & Café. The hours will be Monday through Friday from 6:30 AM – 5:30 PM, and Saturday from 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM...

Dawn Henke, at risk coordinator at Cherokee Washington High School, is starting a new project to help out students at WHS with basic needs. To get this project running to it full potential, she is looking to the community for your help. If you would like to donate items or make a donation, please contact Dawn Henke at WHS 225-6755 or cell 2297408 or email her at dehnke@ccsd.k12.ia.us...

Cherokee Regional Medical Center (CRMC), an affiliate of UnityPoint Health- St. Luke’s, has once again been named one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States. Regarded as one of the industry’s most significant designations of performance excellence, the annual Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals award is based upon the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX® from iVantage Health Analytics. This is the sixth consecutive year that CRMC has earned this designation...

Blow out the candles, all 60 of them! This year, R.J. Thomas Mfg. Company, Inc., a family owned Cherokee business, is celebrating 60 years of producing high quality park, streetscape and campsite products distributed worldwide. You can be grilling hot dogs in Lake Havasu, Arizona, relaxing on a park bench in Knebel, Denmark, or just enjoying a family picnic in your own backyard and there’s a good likelihood you’ll see the brand, Pilot Rock, stamped on the side of a grill, bench or fire pit...

Calumet — The O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at about 9:30 a.m. on March 1 in Calumet regarding a man with a stab injury to his chest. The Sutherland Ambulance took Terry Lee Hoppe, age 65, to the Cherokee Regional Medical Center. He was transferred to Mercy One Hospital in Sioux City where at last report, remained in the intensive care unit in critical condition...

In April 2018, it was reported to the Des Moines Police Department that a victim had been sexually abused on multiple occasions by Joel Thomas Augard, 50, Cherokee, formerly of Des Moines approximately 10 years earlier when the victim was a child. Augard video recorded some of the sexual abuse. ...

The Cherokee County Cavaliers 4-H Club sponsored the February Soup Dinner.  The proceeds raised will help fund this year’s community service projects.  Several of members will be attending the Tri-State Horse Expo in Sioux Falls and the Equine Extravaganza in Iowa Falls this month to compete in the Hippology and Quiz Bowl competitions.  Good luck to those competing!...

Cherokee Washington High’s National Honor Society organized a t-shirt drive where community members were asked to bring in their old t-shirts to one of the community drop off locations (WHS, CRMC Wellness Center, or The Mother Hen). The community response was overwhelming! NHS members here are showing a small part of the donations received. ...

Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault (CAASA) will celebrate a “Night of Hope” on Thursday, March 14, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Little Sioux Events Center in Cherokee. The cost is $25 per person for pre-sales and $30 at the door. Preregistration is appreciated for proper head count for the meal catered by Kelly’s Catering out of Hospers. Reservations can be as high as 8 in a party. There will be vendors, silent raffle, a 50/50 raffle, and a fashion show by B’s Uptown Boutique in Cherokee,...

The United States Postal Service is asking for the cooperation of postal customers to keep walkways and curbside mailboxes clear of snow and ice to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of mail. The Postal Service treats safety and service with equal priority and is seeking your help to ensure that you get the service you need and expect, and that letter carriers are safe from the perils they face during the winter...

This winter’s heavy snows, ice and frigid temperatures are not only hampering the U.S. Postal Service carriers and mail delivery, but snow piled high along roads and streets are concealing mailboxes that are being struck by snowplows and other snow removal equipment...

Emergency vehicles and personnel work the scene of a 2-vehicle crash March 1 on Hwy. 3 north of Cherokee. Dennis Lubeck, 63 of Cherokee was traveling east on Hwy 3 (By-Pass) attempting to make a left turn onto Keeline Road, and was rear ended at highway speed by a vehicle driven by Jessie McGuire, 77, Cherokee, also traveling east on Hwy 3. ...

Tingting Shao Beck is a professional artist and owner of Sunflower Fine Art studio in Waukee. She graduated from the College of Art at Xi’am University in China in 1991, majoring in industrial design. Her academic work includes extensive work in fine art and her graduation art project was recognized by the Xi’an Artist Association with “The Outstanding Young Artist Award.”...

Cherokee Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting on Friday, March 1. Abby Zupp, owner, couldn’t be more excited about her new store, B’s Uptown Boutique, located at 115 E. Main St. in Cherokee’s Historical and Cultural Downtown District.

Cherokee Middle School students from 5th grade came to visit the library on Wednesday where they learned about libraries, procedures to check out books, resources for research, and programming through the library.

With the number of law enforcement applicants down more than 90 percent in some cities, police and sheriff’s departments may soon be posting more signs that say “Help Wanted” instead of “Most Wanted.” From the nation’s largest police force in New York City to tiny departments with only a few officers, far fewer applicants are looking to join the force than in years past, and departments of all sizes are being forced to rethink how they fill their ranks...

WesTel Systems has invested in the technology available to its customers by expanding fiber-to-the-home for the rural areas. They invested over three million dollars in the Marcus area already and will spend additional this year. They are working in the rural areas of Marcus now and plan to finish that area this summer...

Congratulations to Riley Lubeck for being named February Cherokee Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month. Riley is the daughter of Mike and Cara Lubeck of Cherokee. Riley is involved in volleyball, softball, track, band, jazz band, choir, and Hawkeyes. ...

The beauty after the storm was reflected last weekend with the scene of sundogs over as snowy, icy Iowa tundra. Sundogs, or solar parahelia, are bright spots in the sky caused by the refraction of sunlight off tiny ice crystals in the atmosphere. Scientists say the sun has to be about 22 degrees above the horizon before sundogs are visible. ...

Cherokee Area Economic Development is partnering with Iowa Workforce Development and Iowa Economic Development Authority to complete a Laborshed employment study for the Cherokee area. This study will geographically define which communities contribute to Cherokee’s workforce, regardless of political boundaries. This defined area is called a Laborshed area and is based upon commuting patterns...

Cherokee’s City Council Tuesday night set the Public Hearing for the proposed $10.5 million 2019-2020 FY budget, and learned of an equipment failure in the Hill Street water tower with hundreds of gallons of water overflowing onto the surrounding area...

Front row: Greyson Johnson, Taelyn Hand, Bodhi McDaniels, Ben Schumann, Isabella Gunn, Oliver Loughlin, Alena Swartz, Ashton Beazley, Khloe Gravenish, Lux Miller, Tye Mann. Middle row: Kenzie Stephens, Bailee Kohn, Kylie Anderson, Conner Lauck, Johnalin Schipper, Chloe Cedar, Ava Kremer, Alana Goble, Amaria Harman, Emerson Lucas, Alex Leeds, Tanner Horton. ...

MARCUS - The Marcus Community Center will be celebrating its 35th anniversary on March 2, 2019. Come check out the newly remodeled center. Lots to offer - food, trivia game, raffle and music! Trivia game will feature Big Daddy from 99.5 radio, and emcee Jerry Moser. ...

Pipestone National Monument, in southwestern Minnesota was created in 1937 to protect the place where American Indians quarry a red stone, called pipestone or catlinite.  The 301-acre park has many different kinds of archaeological sites within its borders. ...

SIOUX CITY -- Aiming to "shine a light" on its own "shameful history," the Diocese of Sioux City made public Monday the names of 28 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing more than 100 children while serving the Northwest Iowa diocese. Unlike some other Catholic dioceses, Sioux City has never before released such a list of priests, despite repeated calls from victims and advocacy groups to do so...

What was forecast as a few inches for the weekend in Northwest Iowa turned into a full-blown blizzard by late Saturday afternoon. It started out with freezing rain and falling temperatures that turned into heavy snow. Later in the afternoon the wind picked up, and so did the blizzard warning...

Bruce Jones and his team at Farm Bureau Financial Services in Cherokee are reaching out for your help. They are organizing an event called, "Tie"ing You to Success, for the young men in the senior classes of Cherokee, Alta-Aurelia, and MMCRU. During this event, the young men will become acquainted with some basics of professionalism, such as hand shaking, eye contact, and dressing for success. There will be a diverse group of professionals from our communities interacting with the program...

At the annual company Holiday Party in January, R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co. of Cherokee made service award presentations to employees who have reached milestones in their time with the company. Top Photo (L-R): Jerry Roethler – 30 years, Arnie Volkert – 20 years, Dave Kintigh – 14 years and retiring, Adam Thomas (presenter), Steve Curtis – 20 years, Andy Thomas and Steve Thomas (presenters). ...

The Cherokee School Board Monday night approved the proposed 2019-20 school year calendar. The school year will begin August 23 and end May 27. Grades TK-1 begin August 26, and ECLC begins Sept. 3. Online registration for students opens June 17 and registration at the Middle School is July 10...

Although the advertised application form reads “Finalist candidates' names will be made available to the public,” that isn’t happening at this time as the City of Cherokee’s search for a new City Administrator has narrowed to a reported handful of candidates...

The Queen Victory house at 600 W. Main St. n Cherokee has been a landmark house for many years and has been the locations of several homes and business. In 2010 the house was purchased by Sue and Lyle Peterson to make it into a bed and breakfast. They spent years restoring the home and furnishing it with period furniture. ...

Watching a majestic bald eagle soar overhead is a breathtaking sight.  During the annual survey earlier in January, O’Brien County conservationists spotted a record number of eagles in the Little Sioux River valley.  At the beginning of March, the resident bald eagles are mixing with other eagles traveling through the area. In addition, many other raptors are also on the move in the river Valley.  ...

The Cherokee Symphony Mid-Winter Concert will be performed Sunday, February 24, at the Cherokee Community Center at 4 p. m. The Symphony is under the direction of Ted Hallberg, orchestra director and music coordinator for the LeMars School District...

Two Cherokee youth advanced to Regional competition.  Winners pictured here with all contestants include, fourth from left Trista Mazurek, and third from right Drew Spooner. Photo contributed

The Cherokee WA TAN YE Club met Tuesday evening, February 19 at Danny’s Sport Spot for their re-scheduled monthly dinner and business meeting. President Jane Johnston presided over the business meeting. Tammy Hamerlinck from Estherville, Iowa is serving as the new Association President and has chosen the title “Let Your Light Shine” for the 2019 Theme...

The Cherokee County Board of Supervisors has approved the FY 2019/2020 Proposed Budget for publication and set a Public Budget Hearing for Tuesday, March 5, at 9:00 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Room. The Proposed 2019/2020 Budget, with expenditures totaling $15.2 million, includes total taxes levied on property valuations of $6,573,876 and tax rates per $1,000 taxable valuation of $4.52683 for Urban areas and $7.97683 for Rural areas...

The Sermons Ala Carte program of the Cherokee Ministerial Association was established in 1985, and celebrates its 33rd anniversary this Lenten season. The program takes place each Wednesday during Lent at Memorial Presbyterian Church, 127 E. Willow St. in Cherokee...

The Cherokee School Board Monday night approved the proposed 2019-20 school year calendar. The school year will begin August 23 and end May 27. Grades TK-1 begin August 26, and ECLC begins Sept. 3. Online registration for students opens June 17 and registration at the Middle School is July 10...

In action at Monday’s regular monthly meeting, the Cherokee School Board approved the 1st version of the 2019-20 school calendar. (See accompanying story on this page). Also at Monday’s meeting, Kara Jacobson of the Food Service Department gave an update of her department. She talked about the refill stations in the elementary school and how well the students were using them. She commented on how she hoped they would be able to remove it and bring it to the new elementary school...

The annual Cherokee Education Foundation Dinner & Auction is Saturday at the Little Sioux Events Center on Linden Street in Cherokee. Social Hour is from 5-6 p.m., followed by Dinner and Auction. Proceeds from the event provide funding for additional programs, projects and equipment for the students of Cherokee Community Schools...