Stories from Friday, September 26, 2014

DES MOINES -- Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced the ten $7,500 award winners of its 75th Anniversary celebration Thursday along with another surprise -- the company has selected six additional projects to each receive $7,500. "We were so impressed with the caliber of projects submitted, the importance of them to the communities, and the long lasting impact they will have on generations to come," said Laura Jackson, Wellmark's executive Vice President for health care innovation and business development.. ...

The Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn volleyball team dropped four competitive matches at Cherokee's Invitational Saturday, losing 10-25, 13-25 to Hinton, 18-21, 20-22 to Sioux City North, 8-11, 11-21 to Cherokee, and 23-25, 21-14, 15-13 to Alta-Aurelia. Against Hinton, Sarah Dreckman led MMC hitters with 8-8, while Haley Moser was 7-7 with a kill, Jasi Vasher 6-6 with two kills, and Alison Meehan 6-6...

River Valley's girls found the going tough at Saturday's Cherokee Volleyball Invitational, falling in all four matches played, including 15-21, 16-21 to Hinton, 9-21, 15-21 to MOC-Floyd Valley, 4-21, 8-21 to eventual champion Sioux City East, and 25-27, 22-25 to Sioux City North...

HOLSTEIN - Ridge View dropped a heart-breaking 7-6 decision to Orange City Unity Christian in Class 1A Distrct football action here Friday night, in a defense-dominated performance by both teams. The Raptors scored their lone touchdown on a short run by quarterback John Kofmehl, who finished with 12 carries for 60 yards in the game. ...

SIOUX CITY -- Morningside College's Megan Carlson, a sophomore from Cherokee, and Cassie Stanek, a sophomore from Sioux City, finished second in the women's doubles competition at the Nebraska Wesleyan University Invitational tennis tournament held last weekend in Omaha...

EMMETSBURG - The Cherokee Washington High volleyball team swept Emmetsburg 3-0 in Lakes Conference action here Tuesday night, claiming game scores of 25-12, 25-23, 25-22. Jasey Stowater paced the winners in serving with an 18-19 effort and three aces, followed by Emily Haselhoff 13-14 and two aces, Kaely Hummel 9-10 and one ace, Alexia Gerdes and Brookelyn Hoeppner each 8-10 with two aces, and Makenna Carver 8-9...

SIOUX CITY-The Storm Lake High School Girls' Swim Team, coached by Cherokean Jodi B. Mongan and featuring some swimmers from Cherokee, split a double dual with Sioux City Metro and Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln. this week, coming up up short against the Metro team by a score of 36 to 55 and beating Council Bluffs by the score of 57 to 34. Metro beat CB by a score of 72 to 19...

A proposal by City Administrator Don Eikmeier to reorganize various City Departments and replace Department heads with a Public Works Director (PWD) to trim expenses produced a real buzz at Tuesday night's Cherokee City Council meeting...

At a brief weekly meeting on Tuesday, the Cherokee County Board of Supervisors received a copy of a Wind Energy Device Ordinance #2014-01 from County Zoning Administrator Dean Schmidt. The policy, which addresses standards, conditions, application, review and approval for the construction and maintenance of wind energy devices within Cherokee County, was developed by former County Engineer Dave Shanahan, but had never previously been submitted to the Board...

A deal was consummated last Saturday by which the Brunsons well known caterers of this city and who for several years have run the Van Noy, restaurant, purchased the Star Restaurant, on corner of 4th and Maple Sts. and took possession Saturday. Messrs. Parker & Sleezer maintained an enviable reputation for the Star and we feel that the Brunsons will keep up this reputation. We understand the place is to be known as the "Brunson" hereafter...

On Saturday Sept. 27, the 13th Annual Fall Family Fest will be held at the Historic Cherokee Railroad Depot, located at 119 S. 4th St., from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Everyone is invited to start the day with the organizers of the event at a free coffee at the Annual Fall Family Fest Bake Sale at 10:30 a.m., the perfect time to purchase some great homemade treats...

Pamela Simonsen, 63, originally from Quimby, passed away suddenly at her home in Tucson, Arizona on Friday, September 12, 2014. Pamela was born on August 6,1951 to Dean and Betty (Gabrielson) Simonsen. Pam was a 1969 graduate of Willow Community High School in Quimby, and went on to study at Drake University in Des Moines, finishing her Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1975. She also completed a Masters Degree there as well...

Dean Smith of Cherokee, 79, passed away Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at Countryside Estates in Cherokee. A public visitation will be today, Friday, September 26th, from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, with the family present from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Pastor Jane Johnston will officiate. Family burial will be at Afton Township Cemetery at a later date. Online condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com...

Fred D. Lukins of Holstein, 62, passed away Monday evening, September 22, 2014 due to injuries received in a two- vehicle accident. Funeral services were held today, Friday, September 26th, at 10 a.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, with Pastor Jason Larson officiating, and burial was in the Holstein Cemetery. ...

Richard and Andrea Cook of Cherokee are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Katherine Kinsey Cook, to Curtis Allan James Ward, son of Gregory and Deborah Ward of Bettendorf, Iowa. Katherine is a 2007 graduate of Cherokee Washington High School who earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Materials Engineering from Iowa State University in 2012, is currently employed as a Manufacturing Engineer at Covidien in Plymouth,Minnesota...

You know it by its beauty, the rows of golden corn stalks against the bright blue sky, which the next day are rows of golden stubble against the deep,dark earth or the fullness of the bright yellow-green in the soybean fields. It is, indeed, a pretty time of year. It's also a dangerous time of year...