Stories from Wednesday, May 21, 2014

For the past 25 years, the Cherokee Area Economic Development Corporation has reached out to Cherokee County to spur economic growth. The Cherokee Area Economic Development Corporation's mission is to retain and attract business, agriculture and residents to Cherokee County. ...

FORT DODGE - Alta-Aurelia, the defending State 2A Champions, took a first step in defending its title on the Lakeside Golf Course here, winning the first round of Regional play with a team total of 371 strokes. Runner-up Emmetsburg totaled 392 strokes, and both teams will advance to the Regional Finals in Eagle Grove on Tuesday May 27th...

NEWELL - The Alta-Aurelia Boys golf team finished 2nd in the Sectional Golf Tournament at Newell on Friday and qualified for District play at the Spencer Country Club on Thursday (May 22). Alta-Aurelia shot a team total of 338 to finish second to Newell-Fonda, which shot a 326. Laurens- Marathon, which finished 3rd with a score of 367, also qualified for Districts...

SIBLEY - Hinton won the team title Monday at a Class 2A Girls Golf Regional here, with a score of 367. South O'Brien shot a 423 , and both teams will now move on to the Regional finals on Tuesday, May 27, in Mapleton. Naomi Petrich led the South O'Brien golfers, finishing 4th overall after shooting an 18-hole score of 98. ...

LAKE CITY - The Ridge View boys closed out their golf season on Friday at the Class 2A Sectional Golf Tournament here. The Raptors finished 7th in the 8-team field, posting a team score of 370 strokes. Individual scores by the Ridge View boys included: Gus Leonard, 85; Garrett Lamp, 90; Braden Else, 97 and Tyler Drey, 98. Kyle Mentzer and John Kofmehl also golfed for Coach Chad Hustedt's Ridge View team...

Area schools have qualified several athletes for the 2014 Iowa State Track & Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines Thursday through Saturday. In Class 1A, Alta-Aurelia leads the way, qualifying in seven boys events and two girls events, with Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn and River Valley also sending athletes to State...

STORM LAKE - Alta-Aurelia graduate Neil Marshall, a sophomore at Buena Vista University, has played a key role in the Beavers' outstanding baseball season, and was one of several Beavers who were recently named to the IIAC first team All Conference baseball team...

MARCUS - The Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Youth Activity Association (MMCYAA) would like to invite everyone to their Annual Parade of Champions at the City Park in Marcus on Monday, May 26, 2014. The event will start around 3 p.m. with each Little League team taking team pictures. If they choose they can also take an individual picture posing with either their bat or glove...

ORANGE CITY - The young Cherokee Braves golfers ended their 2014 season with an 8th place finish at Saturday's Class 2A Boys Districts at the Landsmeer Golf Course here. The Braves carded a collective 375 in the meet won by Hinton with a flashy 319 and featuring the medalist and runner-up medalist in Cole Johnston (74) and Taylor Jones (77)...

LE MARS - The Cherokee Braves placed third in a Lakes Conference golf triangular played in Le Mars last week. Host Le Mars won the meet after carding a 162 in the 9-hole match, while Storm Lake was second with 167, and Cherokee third with 190. Mason Pitts was low medal for the Braves with a 43, followed by Kam Johnson 47, Adam Cedar 49, and Trey Valentine, Aaron Boisen, and Josh Haupert each carding a 51...

The Cherokee Braves baseball team will host a "seed scrimmage" game at 6 p.m. Friday at the Washington High field in the Sam Doupe Complex on East Indian Street. New head coach Cory Ege, a former Braves 3-year All-State selection and Iowa's Elite All-Class Player of the Year, has scheduled the scrimmage to unveil the Braves new look, spirit and attitude to the team's many dedicated fans and supporters...

SPIRIT LAKE - Le Mars nicked Spencer,18-17, to win the Class 1A District Tennis Meet here last week. Host Spirit Lake-Okoboji was third in the team race with 12 points, followed by Storm Lake 9, Sioux City Heelan 8, Cherokee 8, and Estherville-LC 3...

I hope everyone got out and enjoyed the gorgeous weekend. I was able to go outside and watch our Baltimore Orioles, Goldfinches, squirrels, bees, and our dog playing "catch me if you can" with each other. I liked seeing the trees full of blossoms, the garden seeds popping out of the ground, and just being outside without a coat...

Another Memorial Day nears, and although it marks the unofficial start of the summer vacation season, the holiday means much more than that. Memorial Day is the day Americans set aside to honor those who have died during military service to the United States, especially the nation's war dead...

On Monday at Oak Hill Cemetery in Cherokee the annual Memorial Day Program will be held, beginning at 11 a.m. Steve Reinert will deliver this year's welcome, followed by the Washington High School Band performing the Star Spangled Banner. Ethan Sayler, Pastor of the Cherokee Memorial Presbyterian Church, will give the Invocation, after which Ed Boger, Commander of Cherokee's VFW L.A. Wescott Post #2253 will give General Order #11...

The Cherokee Knights of Columbus Calendar fundraiser is over for another year, and the Knights thank everyone who took part. From this year's proceeds, the Knights were able to present $750 check to the Christian Action Pantry. Left to right. Knights of Columbus member Terry Boisen, C.A.P. representative Greg Stieneke, Knights of Columbus member Mike Robinson, and Knights of Columbus member Richard Sololowski...

The Cherokee Knights of Columbus recently presented the Cherokee VFW with a $750 check as part of their recent annual Calendar Sales. Left to right, Knights of Columbus member Terry Boisen, VFW member Le Roy Jenness, Knights of Columbus member Mike Robinson, VFW Post Commander Ed Boger, and Knights of Columbus member Richard Sololowski...

WEST DES MOINES - Brett Walker, a student at Cherokee Washington High School, was recognized by Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds for outstanding academic achievement at the Eleventh Annual Governor's Scholar Recognition Ceremony held in Des Moines recently...

Shelley Conover, from the Galva-Holstein Community School District, and Bridget McGarry, from the Sioux City Community School District, were recently presented with the Northwest Area Education Agency's prestigious "Friends of Preschool Award," for their determined efforts and achievements this past year...

This week's Cherokee Chamber of Commerce Coffee will be hosted by the Cherokee Area Economic Development Corporation, commemorating its 25th anniversary,and will be held at an Open House at 880 Amber Dr. in the Doherty Addition at 9:30 a.m. on Friday...

The City of Cherokee is still taking applications for the Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program and has previously received authorization for a neighborhood extension as shown on the accompanying map. The purpose of the Program is to assist low to moderate income persons to rehabilitate their homes in compliance with Iowa's Minimum Housing Rehabilitation Standards. ...

There are personal hygiene steps you can take to reduce your risk of MRSA infection or of passing it on to someone else: Maintain good hand and body hygiene. Wash hands often and clean your body regularly/daily, especially after exercise and contact with publicly shared surfaces such as: athletic equipment-helmets and protective gear, locker rooms, benches, bathrooms, doorknobs/handles, grocery carts, telephones, computer keyboards and electric devices...

Rosemary T. Lux of Olathe, Kansas, age 89, passed away Thursday, March 27, 2014, at the Villa Saint Francis Nursing Home in Olathe. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 23, 2014, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Cherokee, with Father Dan Guenther officiating...

Margaret Holton of Cherokee, 84, passed away on Saturday, May 17, 2014, at Unity Point Health St. Luke's Regional Medical Center in Sioux City. Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20, 2014, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Cherokee, with Father Dan Guenther officiating, and burial was at Mt. ...

Phyllis A. Bahr of Quimby, 74, passed away Tuesday evening, May 13, 2014, at her home in Quimby. Funeral services were held at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Quimby at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20th, with Pastor Don Meyer officiating, and burial was at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Cherokee. ...

Joseph Alfred Gaskill, Jr. of Oswego,Illinois, 84, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 10, 2014, at Tabor Hills in Naperville, after a brief battle with mesothelioma. Joe was born on January 1, 1930, in Cedar Rapids, and was the son of Joseph A. and Beulah M. (Hess) Gaskill...