Stories from Thursday, May 9, 2013

With most major airlines now charging for checked bags, many travelers are striving to pack more efficiently and fly with only a carry-on that some airlines are even beginning to charge for! The goal is simple: to visit your destination without running out of clean socks or overstuffing your suitcase. ...

I enjoyed the Kids First Conference in Urbandale last week. The sessions I attended were very good. However, there were other sessions I know I would have enjoyed as well. I also found every speaker interesting and truly pumped up about libraries, librarians, and reading...

Norman Moon of Cherokee, age 80, passed away Monday, May 6, 2013, at his residence in Cherokee. Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. today at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Cherokee. Father Dan Guenther officiated. Burial was at Mt. ...

Randy and Leann Bush of Marcus are the proud parents of a baby boy, born at 2:14 a.m. on March 2, 2013. Logan James Bush weighed 7 lb. 5 oz. and measured 21 inches long. Grandparents are Dennis and Deb Bush and Gary and Sharon White.

Ryan and Karen Rosentrater of Alta are the proud parents of a baby boy, born at 7:54 p.m. on May 3, 2013. Samuel Leonard Rosentrater weighed 9 lb. 15 oz. and measured 20 1/2 inches long, and he joins three brothers - Luke, Levi and Emmet - and one sister, Hannah, at home. Grandparents are Kevin and Marilyn Zadow of Aurelia and Don and Cindy Hanson of Roland...

MARCUS - The Marcus Fair Board will be having a 4-person, 18-hole Best Ball Golf Tournament as its major fundraiser. The tournament will be held on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at the Marcus Golf Course with a 1 PM shotgun tee-off. Cost is $160 per 4- person team and organizers will accept 18 teams...

The Cherokee Chamber of Commerce Coffee will be hosted by the Cherokee Regional Medical Center Auxiliary starting at 9:30 a.m. on Friday at the CRMC.

SUTHERLAND - Fishing regulations have been relaxed at Dog Creek Park on County Road M12 near Sutherland to allow licensed anglers to harvest fish prior to a lake renovation scheduled this fall. Anglers with a valid fishing license may take fish by any means except dynamite, poison, electroshocking devises, or any stupefying substances. In addition, daily bag and minimum length restrictions are lifted...

Spring seems to be a bit slow in coming this year. It will be a welcome time when it arrives. Celebrate spring with the 19th Annual Wings and Wetlands Festival. This festival is an annual event held throughout the counties of Clay, Dickenson, Emmet, Kossuth, O'Brien and Palo Alto...

All Cherokee County Parks are now open for the 2013 season. For over 50 years, the Cherokee County Conservation Board (CCCB) has made it possible for people to enjoy the Cherokee County Parks. Cherokee County Conservation offers a total of 34 modern campsites and 36 primitive campsites between Silver Sioux Recreation Area and Martin's Access. ...

The National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive will be held this Saturday. Letter carriers across the country will be collecting food for families in need. You can help by collecting a bag of non-perishable food items and place by your mailbox for letter carriers to deliver to an area food bank or pantry. Don Roethler of the Cherokee Post Office is pictured with Mid-Sioux Opportunity Outreach Coordinator Sara Lively. Photo by Chris Reed...

Cherokee Washington High School Speech Coaches, James and Jaylene De Vos and Cindy Husman are pleased to announce that the WHS Speech team received academic awards this year from the IHSSA. These awards are for Distinguished academic work. The students must achieve an average GPA of 3.25 or higher at the end of the 3rd quarter in order to receive the Distinguished Academic Award...

The Alta-Aurelia girls were led by second-place finisher DJ Flores who clocked a 16.95 time in the 100 meter hurdles at Friday's South O'Brien Wolverine Relays hosted on the Cherokee track. Orange City Unity Christian won the girls team title with 136 points, followed by Sioux Central 111, South O'Brien 99, Newell-Fonda 82, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 47, Alta-Aurelia 38, Cherokee 37, Clay Central Everly 27...

KINGSLEY - The Alta-Aurelia boys participated in the Kingsley-Pierson/Woodbury Central Relays here last week in 50 degree temperatures, with a north wind of 20-25 mph. The host KP-WC team won the meet easily, scoring 229 points, but the Warriors finished second with 136 points...

The young Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn girls golf squad has shown steady improvement this season, despite losing much of the season due to inclement weather. In this photo, Lady Eagle golfer Alissa McDermott tees off during recent golf action in Marcus, under the watchful eyes of her coach and mother, Beth Ebert. Photo contributed...

HOLSTEIN - The Ridge View varsity and junior varsity boys hosted a triangular golf meet with River Valley and Siouxland Christian here on Monday, and the Raptors took first place in both meets. The Ridge View varsity totaled 189 strokes to River Valley's 209 and Siouxland Christian's 233...

LE MARS - Storm Lake won a Lakes Conference boys golf triangular here Tuesday, carding a 151 to runner-up Le Mars 157, and Cherokee 183. Devin Mongan paced the Braves with a 42, followed by Adam Cedar 45, Alex Winchell 47, Aaron Boisen 49, Josh Haupert 50, and Hunter Eaton 56...

OKOBOJI - The Spirit Lake boys won the Lakes Conference Golf Tournament at Brooks National Golf Course here Monday, carding a 306 to runner-up Emmetsburg's 313. Spencer was third with 322, followed by Estherville-LC 329, Hull Western Christian 330, Storm Lake 334, Le Mars 363, and Cherokee 384...

LAKE CITY - The Twin Lakes Conference track meet was run here recently, on an evening which began in nice weather conditions but regressed to rain and lightning, which caused the meet to be cut short. Alta-Aurelia, the only area team in the conference, finished third in the Boys competition and 8th of 11 teams in the Girls' meet...

Spirit Lake Park nicked Le Mars, 116-115, to claim the thrilling boys' team title at the 2013 Lakes Conference Track & Field Meet in Cherokee Monday night. The Spencer boys were third with 78 points, followed by Storm Lake 65, Emmetsburg 59, Cherokee 45, Hull Western Christian 40, and Esthrville-LC 39...

The Artist of the month at the Cherokee Sanford Musuem for the month of April is Dale Macafee of Council Bluffs. "I paint landscapes and still lifes, emphasizing light and shapes in a contemporary, realistic style," says Macafee. " My paintings are juried into national competitions and happily acquired by private collectors."...