Stories from Friday, March 12, 2010

All farm toy collectors, vendors, and enthusiasts are invited to come to the Cherokee Community Center on Sunday, March 21 for the 18th Annual Cherokee Farm Toy Show. Cherokee residents Bob Mahler, Al Henn and Evan Knapp have been running the show since they started it 18 years ago. ...

The Cherokee Community Theatre is now presenting the comedy "Enter Laughing," a comedy by Joseph Stein, based upon a book by comedy legend Carl Reiner. The play is under the direction of James Puffett. "Enter Laughing" concerns David Kolowitz, a nice young man who is living with his parents in New York City in 1938, and working at a machine repair shop. His parents want David to study to become a pharmacist. But what he really wants is to be an actor like his idol, Ronald Coleman...

Daylight Savings Time returns this Sunday at 2 a.m. so remember to set your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed Saturday night.

Wednesday's Sermon a la Carte at the Cherokee Memorial Presbyterian Church will be "Speed Trap: Slow Down!". Based on 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18, Mark 13:32-37, and Psalms 46:10, the sermon will be presented by Tom Lewis of the First Church of Christ...

The Cherokee County Board of Supervisors approved the 2010-2011 county budget on Tuesday. The $11,698,097 budget was approved after a Public Hearing during which no opposition to the proposed budget was raised. The budget will require tax rates of a total rural rate of $8 per $1,000 of valuation, while total countywide will pay $4.783 per $1,000 taxable valuations. ...

DES MOINES -- Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey has filed petitions and paperwork to seek reelection to a post he has held since 2007. Northey said Wednesday he collected nearly three times the number of signatures needed to appear on the ballot this fall...

Spring is just a few days away on the calendar, and with both of the state basketball tournaments completed, it's looking like maybe - just maybe - the long, long, winter of 2009-2010 has run its course. The cold weather, ice, snow and wind have created a lot of postponements, cancellations, late openings and early closings for many area businesses and organizations, but the biggest headache has obviously been that of the area schools...

AURELIA - The 2010 Northern Iowa Youth League Baseball/Softball coordinator meeting will be April 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the United Methodist Church in Aurelia, unless otherwise notified. All community program directors or their representatives, for girls 1st-8th grade softball and 1st-4th grade baseball, should attend...

The Cherokee Youth Summer Ball Association (CYSBA) baseball and softball sign-up is scheduled for Cherokee Roosevelt Elementary School from 2-6 p.m. Tuesday, March 16; and 4-8 p.m. Thursday, March 18. Cost is $30 per player, or $80 maximum per family if signed up before March 30. AFter March 30 deadline, cost is $60 per player, with no maximum per family...

Iowa's "Sunshine Laws" - the Open Meetings Law, and the Public Records Law (Iowa Code Chapters 21 and 22) - assure public access to open meetings and open records at all levels of government. This is expressly important as governmental bodies work to establish their next Fiscal Year budgets at this time of year...

Gary Benson and Meghan Siefken of Cherokee are the proud oarents of a daughter, Kaeley Ann Benson, born at 5:36 a.m. on March 5, 2010. Kaeley Ann weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. and measured 19 1/2 inches long. Her grandparents are Jay and Lori Siefken of Cherokee and Mark and Shelley Benson of Meriden...

Maredith "Chris" Newell, age 67, of Meriden, passed away Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at her residence. Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., today at Greenwood Funeral Home in Cherokee. Pastor James Steen officiated. Visitation was at 3 p.m. on Thursday with the family present from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday night at Greenwood Funeral Home. Online condolences may be sent at www.greenwoodfuneral.com...

Cherokee VFW Auxiliary met on March 8 for their regular monthly meeting. President, Wilma Porter opened the meeting according to ritual. Roll call taken, minutes of the previous meeting approved as read. Shirley Nation gave the treasurer report. Shirley Perrett read March/April General Orders. A thank you was received from Camp Courgeous for coupons sent...

Cherokee Regional Medical Center is offering the Cherokee Regional Medical Center Auxiliary Scholarship for a graduating high school student interested in a health care career. Area high school counselors have received applications for distribution to interested candidates. The scholarship applications should be returned to Cherokee Regional Medical Center no later than April 1, 2010...

Cherokee Regional Medical Center Public Health will be offering an H1N1 Immunization Clinic on Tuesday, March 16, targeting children under 10 years of age who need their second dose of the vaccination. The clinic will be held at the Cherokee Regional Medical Center Conference Room from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and is also open to the public for anyone six months and over that has not previously been vaccinated for the 2009 H1N1 virus...

Cherokee Regional Medical Center is offering the Kenneth Hobson Memorial Scholarship for a graduating high school student interested in a health care career. Area high school counselors have received applications for distribution to interested candidates. ...