Stories from Monday, October 13, 2014

Each October since 1922, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has sponsored a fire prevention campaign to raise awareness about the importance of fire safety and fire safety education. U.S. fire departments responded to 450,000 home fires last year. These home fires killed almost 3,500 - roughly nine people every day...

Neal Pearson of Aurelia, age 46, passed away on Thursday, October 9, 2014. Funeral services were at 10:30 a.m. today, October 13, 2014, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Cherokee, with Father Dan Guenther officiating, and burial was at Mt. ...

Over 250 Cherokee County residents have been notified that their United Healthcare Medicare Advantage plans will not be offered for renewal in 2014. Cherokee Regional Medical Center and the state of Iowa's Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) will be offering two programs to explain the options available to those affected. ...

The Cherokee County Auditor's Office will be open on Saturday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, Nov. 1, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for absentee voting for the General Election. Oct. 25 is the Pre-Registration deadline for the Nov. 4, General Election, and any new voter registrations after this date will require a current photo ID and proof of residency...

The Cherokee Villa Auxiliary will be holding its annual Fall Bazaar and Bake Sale on Saturday October 18, 2014, from 8 a.m. - 12 noon, at the Cherokee Villa Living Room, 1011 N. Roosevelt Ave. in Cherokee. Donations of baked goods, craft items, "white elephant" items and home-canned goods or produce would all be greatly appreciated, and may be brought to the Cherokee Villa on Friday, October 17th...

Fall is a great time of year to get outdoors because the leaves are changing colors and the air has taken on a crispness. Meet the O'Brien County Naturalist at the Mill Creek Park Lodge on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 5:30 p.m.for the O'Brien County Conservation Board program "Fabulous Fall."...

Demolition work began recently on the Canadian National Railroad's freight-house, located on the southwest corner of Elm Street and Fourth Street in Cherokee,which has been a part of Cherokee since the 1870's. Wood from the first two-story Cherokee Depot was housed in the structure, and it was later used to rebuild the freight-house after a fire destroyed much of the building. The concrete platform will still be used by the railroad to load and unload today's freight. Photo by Mike Leckband...

Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault (CAASA) is bringing awareness and promoting October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. One in four women will be the victim of domestic violence at some point in her lifetime, and, on average, three women are killed every day at the hands of a current or former intimate partner...

CEDAR FALLS - Western Iowa Tech Community College sent eight students from the Cherokee and Denison campuses to participate in the annual Iowa TRIO Student Leadership Conference here recently. Carissa Carey and Mariah Meitzenheimer of Cherokee, Krystal Furgason of Quimby, and Debra Peters of Sanborn were among the students selected to attend for having strong leadership skills and a commitment to academic success. ...

Service providers who run sheltered workshops or pre-vocational work centers for people with disabilities, such as Cherokee County Work Services (CCWS),are anxiously awaiting the release of new rules that will determine their organization's future. In fact, sheltered workshops could disappear entirely as dollars are redistributed to agencies which have been federally mandated to integrate clients into community employment...

GRAND MEADOW - Hallowe'en is fast approaching, and for those of you who love a good fright during the Hallowe'en season, you're in luck. For the ninth straight year, the Grand Meadow Haunted House will be open to satisfy your ghoulish needs, as beginning on Oct. 18, the Grand Meadow Haunted House will be open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m...

1.Holy Trinity Catholic; 2.Central Lyon; 3.Janesville; 4.Tripoli; 5.New London; 6.Grand View Christian; 7.Marquette Catholic; 8.LeMars Gehlen Catholic; 9.Turkey Valley; 10.Keota 1.Dike-New Hartford; 2.Sumner-Fredericksburg; 3.Western Christian; 4.Unity Christian; 5.Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont; 6.South Central Calhoun; 7.Grundy Center; 8.West Branch; 9.Lake Mills; 10.Durant...

The height and power-hitting game of 7th ranked Le Mars proved too much for the Cherokee Washington High girls here Thursday night as the Bulldogs took a 3-0 Lakes Conference volleyball victory on game scores of 12-25, 22-25, 24-26. "Le Mars is a very good team with an outstanding 6'1" setter and hard hitters. ...

FORT DODGE - The Alta-Aurelia cross country teams had the opportunity on Thursday to run on the course which is the site of the State Meet, which will take place on Saturday, November 1st. Competing against some of the best runners in the state, from all classes, the Warrior runners "ran awesome," to quote Alta-Aurelia coach Wendell Larson, with 16 of the 18 varsity runners turning in their best times of the season...

CORRECTIONVILLE - River Valley went 1-3 at last week's Invitational Volleyball Tournament here, falling 19-21, 21-9, 14-16 to Charter Oak-Ute; losing 9-21, 19-21 to Newell-Fonda; falling 21-18, 17-21, 8-15 to ALta-Aurelia; and defeating Siouxland Christian 21-14, 21-19...

STORM LAKE - The Alta-Aurelia girls wound up their regular season here on Thursday with a 3-0 sweep of Storm Lake St. Mary's, with game scores of 25-13, 25-15, 25-12. Izzy Hinkeldey had 12 kills for the Warriors, Jenna Snyder had nine, and freshman Lauren Rohwer had eight. Lexie Patton dished out 16 assists, Erica Lockin had 10 digs, and Micah Barnes was 29-29 serving, including six aces...

Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn dropped a pair of volleyball matches against tough opponents last week, falling 0-3 at Hinton, and losing a marathon 2-3 match to Remsen St. Mary's in Marcus. Sarah Dreckman led MMC hitters at Hinton with a 16-19 effort and seven kills, followed by Haley Moser 15-17 and three kills, Alison Meehan 14-17 and two kills, and Jasi Vasher 8-9 and three kills...

POCAHONTAS - The Alta-Aurelia varsity boys cross-country team took second place in a strong field of team who competed at Saturday's cold and windy Pocahontas Area Cross Country Invitational Meet. The Ridge View boys were edged out for 4th place by Manson-Northwest Webster, which totaled 134 points to the Raptors' 135...

KINGSLEY - A strong South O'Brien boys' varsity team finished in second place Tuesday at the Kingsley-Pierson Invitational, run on the Brookside Golf Course here. The Wolverines scored 57 points as a team, to finish runner-up to Maple Valley/Anthon-Oto, which scored 42 team points...