Stories from Monday, February 3, 2014

Since the first oil crisis hit in 1973, the American consumer has experienced periodic surges in demands for more energy efficient products. After each crisis fades, the demand for energy efficiency fades somewhat. An oil crisis never fades entirely, each one is worse than the previous one and we have been duly notified that our reliance on fossil fuels is expensive and ultimately doomed...

The health of the US manufacturing sector has been at the top of the news agenda for some time. The United States has seen a dramatic reduction in manufacturing jobs over the past decade, and many of those jobs are not coming back. U.S. manufacturers face big challenges, including skill shortages, deteriorating highways and bridges, and higher taxes than most major foreign rivals...

Every time I call my daughters, I ask them how the munchkins are doing. Without pause, they tell me my grandchildren are doing fine. I would guess that the Munchkins, co-stars in the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz," are some of the most recognizable characters in the movie history. Four generations in my family know who they are, as the movie is still shown on television and remains quite popular...

Dan and Libby Gustafson of Cherokee are happy to announce the birth of their baby girl on January 27, 2014. Annabelle Jo Gustafson was born at 8:05 a.m., weighed 8 lb. 4 oz. and measured 20 inches long, and she was welcomed home by her big brother Cole and her big sister Lilah. Grandparents are Steve and Gayle Gustafson of Cherokee and Tim and Julie DeStigter of Aurelia...

Shannon and JoAnna Anderson of Cherokee are happy to announce the birth of their baby boy, born on January 24, 2014. Cohen Michael Anderson was born at 7:21 a.m., weighed 6 lb. 8 oz, measured 19 1/2 inches long, and he was welcomed home by his big brothers, Reuben and Grady...

Ryan and Jennifer Jordan of Ida Grove are happy to announce the birth of their baby girl on January 23, 2014. Carli Lynn Jordan was born at 2:25 p.m. and weighed 7 lb. 8 oz. and measured 20 1/2 inches long. She was welcomed home by her two big brothers, Evan and Carson, and her grandparents are Steve and Lynette Tiefenthaler of Holstein and Richard and Connie Jordan of Ida Grove...

Luke and Hillary Anderson of Cherokee are happy to announce the birth of their baby girl on January 22, 2014. Sophia Ruby Anderson was born at 9:26 p.m., weighed 8 lb. 3 oz. and measured 20 inches long. She was welcomed home by her brother Noah and her sister Rianne. Grandparents are Rod and Marci Brown of Cherokee, Fred and Carol Anderson of Aurelia and Denny and Angie Goodman of Arthur...

Rochelle Martin and Drew Anderson of Galva are happy to announce the birth of their baby boy on January 27, 2014. Parker Alan Anderson was born at 3:32 p.m. He weighed 9 lb. 11 oz., measured 22 inches long, and was welcomed home by his big brother, Zachary Martin, and his big sister, Brianna George-Anderson. Grandparents are Fred and Carol Anderson of Aurelia, Doug and Debra Martin of Glenwood and Dennis and Angela Goodman of Arthur...

Ridge View High School FFA Member Christian Hinkeldey is pictured here receiving a $250 donation from the Friends Of Conservation Board President Ginger Walker for the construction of a shed. Photo contributed

Michael Salazar recently won the "VFW Voice of Democracy" in Des Moines at the VFW State Mid-Winter Concert. Salazar competed with over 1,000 other entries over 98 other Iowa Counties. Salazar will be traveling to Washington D.C. in March to compete at the National VFW Voice of Democracy before the U.S. Senate...

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program is once again offering free tax preparation through volunteer services for low to medium income individuals, with special attention to those age 60 and over. Assistance will be available at the Cherokee Public Library on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m..starting February 11th. Appointments are necessary. Please call Fred Wolf at 712-202-8984 to make an appointment...

REMSEN - Mid-Sioux Opportunity, Inc. will hold their 12th Annual Comedy Night Fundraiser on Saturday, March 8, 2014 featuring comedian Buzz Sutherland. The event will be held at the Avalon Ballroom in Remsen. Social hour begins as 6 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. Following the social hour a fabulous meal, catered by Timmy's Catering, will be served at 7 pm. The entertainment portion of the evening will begin at 8 p. m., when "Buzz" will entertain everyone with his unique humor...

MARCUS - The Holy Name Knights of Columbus presented a check to Calvin Carver, Executive Director of Cherokee County Work Services at their regular, and meeting Wednesday evening. The $5,150 check represents 90% of the money collected by the Knight's annual drive for persons with disabilities called Project Outreach. 10% of the receipts were donated to the Iowa Special Olympics program...

The Hy-Vee Distribution Center in Cherokee recently named its Employees of the Year.

Rob Sokol of Calumet has been operating Chaser's Bar in that town for about a year now, and for approximately the last 7-8 months he has featured pizza that he has made by hand. Using crusts he purchases, Sokol loves to "invent" new types of pizza, and is always looking to try something new...

Ridge View High School football Coach Jeff DeHaan, left, Cindy Garthoff, Ryan Garthoff and Northwestern College football coach Kyle Achterhoff are shown here after Ryan signed a letter of intent Wednesday to play football at Northwestern College in Orange City. Ryan is the son of Cindy Garthoff and Craig Garthoff. Photo contributed...

HARTLEY - The Alta-Aurelia wrestlers traveled to Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn on Saturday to take part in the annual HMS Dual Tournament, and the Warriors finished 2-2 to place fourth, while losing to Manson NW-Webster for the third time this year. "The guys had great intensity all day and are wrestling like they need to be at the end of the year." said Alta-Aurelia coach Mike Fry...

MAPLETON - The Ridge View boys basketball team played Maple Valley/Anthon-Oto evenly during the first half of their Western Valley Conference matchup here on Tuesday night, but Ridge View coach Ken Slater said, "MVAO came out of the half playing very well while it looked like we forgot to come out of the locker room."...

LAWTON - The Ridge View girls played at Lawton-Bronson Thursday night in the first round of the Western Valley Conference Basketball Tournament, and the host Eagles scored an impressive 73-44 victory over the Raptors. Ridge View coach Tyler Phelan said, "Lawton Bronson played exceptionally well. ...

Four area seniors have been selected to play for the North Team in the 2014 Shrine Football Game to be played at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. Those players include Luke Zeimen of Cherokee, Dylan Spieler of Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn, Ryan Garthoff of Ridge View, and Jon Zubrod of South O'Brien...

The Cherokee Washington High Varsity bowling team hosted the visiting LeMars Bulldogs at the Cherokee Bowl last week, with the boys defeating the favored Bulldogs, and the Cherokee girls falling. On the girls side, Cherokee took on a very experienced Lady Bulldog team featuring a lineup led by Senior Katie Pope with a 337 first round and Junior Colleen Zenk with a 306 first round. ...

BOXHOLM - The Alta-Aurelia wrestlers took on Twin Lakes Conference rivals Southeast Webster-Grand, East Sac County and Prairie Valley in dual matches here on Thursday, and the Warriors finished up their dual seaon on a good note, winning all three duals to wind up the season with a 16-12 record...

DES MOINES -- The 2014 Girl Scout Cookie Program kicks off in less than a week, with thousands of Iowa Girl Scouts showing their entrepreneurial skills from Feb. 7 through March 16 as they sell some of America's favorite cookies, including the new Cranberry Citrus Crisps...

The visiting Le Mars girls netted 8-16 three-pointers at pivotal times to escape the Cherokee Washington High lasses 65-57 in Lakes Conference basketball action in Cherokee Friday night. The Bulldogs sank 21-50 field goals in the game to sizzle with a 52 percent shooting effort and establish a 38-27 second-half scoring dominance to win the game...

The Le Mars boys shot a sizzling 58 percent on 37-64 field goal shooting to knock out the Cherokee Braves 87-44 in Lakes Conference basketball action here Friday night. The Bulldogs rode the 1-2-3 punch of Tyler Borchers (21 points), Colan Borchers (18) and Jake Irwin (18) to decimate the Braves from the get-go after jumping to a 16-6 lead in the first quarter, and expanding that to 42-19 by halftime...