Stories from Thursday, August 12, 2010

This week I am spending some quality time with our oldest son, Tom, our two grandsons, Colton and Dagan, and Tom's neighbor from Tennessee, Doug. We have been busy making apple cider, riding bikes, camping, and singing downstairs in our family room downstairs. We have also visited the library and checked out Spring Lake Park. The mosquitoes were thick so it was a short visit...

As we move through summer into fall and plan more outdoor activities, we caution residents to be aware of ticks - even the old fashioned "dog tick" - that can pass Lyme disease to its human host. Also, fleas, biting flies, and red ants in the Southern states have been know to carry Lyme disease...

Esther Bennett, 94, of Cherokee, passed away Wednesday morning, Aug. 11, 2010, in the Country Side Estates. Funeral arrangements are pending at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee.

Here is the list of items that will be available for sale during the Cherokee Area Farmers Market under the canopy at the Cherokee Depot from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. today. Wayne Nafe will have potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, green beans, okra, beets, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, acorn squash...

This week's Chamber Coffee will be held at the Cherokee County Veteran Affairs Office located at 288 ½ West Main St. at 9:30 a.m. Also there will be a Chamber After Hours at the Chateau de Vue at the Cherokee Golf and Country Club from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up will run Monday, August 2nd through Friday, August 27th. The new general CRP signup will be the first since 2006, and landowner demand is expected to be strong, especially considering the USDA has updated soil rental rates since that last general signup. ...

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today commented on the Iowa Crops and Weather report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October. "Even with the frequent rains and high temperatures, much of the crop remains in good condition and the potential remains for a good harvest," Northey said. "The extremely high temperatures and humidity have stressed livestock."...

Cherokee State Bank recently awarded several college scholarships to area students

Cherokee Youth Football invites everyone to join them for fun, food and football on Saturday August 21 at the Cherokee Middle School. There will be a delicious meal served from 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. as a fundraiser for their organization. The $7 "Meal Deal" will consist of a pulled pork sandwich, baked beans, chips, a bar and drink, and for $5, you can substitute a hot dog for the pulled pork sandwich. Kids under the age of 5 will not be charged for a meal...

Exciting things continue to happen at the Prairie Heritage Center. The annual Bison Burger Picnic and Lawn Concert sponsored by the Little Sioux Valley Conservation Association and the O'Brien County Conservation Board is a great opportunity for the public to see the changes that have occurred over the past year...

After the winds and rain swept through the area again on Sunday evening, the sun broke through the back side of the clouds before sinking below the horizon.

"If you find a job you like, you never have to work another day in your life." Those are the words of advice Dale Sleezer Sr. had to offer, and by the looks of his social calendar, he seems to have found a few jobs he enjoys. Sleezer, who will turn 90-years-young in November, can be seen at nearly every Cherokee County Cattlemen's event, undeterred by the heat of the summer as he mans the grill, flipping rib-eyes and burgers...

The historic town of Hanover will be bustling once again as the historical village hosts a tractor ride, oats threshing and saw milling on Saturday, Aug. 21. The sixth annual tractor ride will begin the day's activities at 8 a.m. as tractors and drivers will assemble at the Hanover Corner at the junction of M-27 and C-65, eight miles southwest of Alta, Iowa. From there, the ride will travel west to Silver Sioux Park...

Singer/songwriter Jackson Browne sings "No matter how fast I run, I can't get away from me." I think that timeless lyric is dead-on for Tiger Woods as he struggles today to right his golf game, moral compass, shattered self-esteem, and whatever tidbit is left of his personal and family life...