Stories from Friday, June 19, 2015

When the Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth visits Cherokee on Friday, June 25, it will be with the greatest street parade ever seen in the United States, bar none. It is entirely the origination and execution of the best artists, designers and property masters of Italy, France and England...

I'm outraged that I will be excluded from the FOX News Republican presidential debates just because I don't show up in opinion polls. FOX's arbitrary criteria generated criticism from commentators, ranging on the political spectrum from conservative Joseph McQuaid, publisher of the New Hampshire Union Leader, to liberal Rachel Maddow, host of the MSNBC 'Rachel Maddow Show.'...

Doctors want to prescribe medicine that Iowa legislators are blocking because of the legislators' grossly irresponsible adherence to medically ignorant attitudes. In Minnesota, as of July 1, eight state-regulated dispensaries will provide cannabis oil. A health care practitioner must certify that a patient has one of nine qualifying conditions including cancer and epilepsy...

Ward and Sarah Wester of Ames are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Farren Elise Wester, who was born on May 6, 2015. Farren weighed 7 lb. 6 oz. and measured 19 1/2 inches long. Her grandparents are Loren and Darla Wester of Meriden and Todd and Susan Wouters of Adel, and her great-grandparents are Norman and Joyce Fredrickson of Okoboji, Elsie Wester of Cherokee, Ralph Wouters of Pleasant Hill, Missouri and the late Darwin Fredrickson, Roy Wester, Lois (Farren) Wouters and Elmer and Rachel Stanton.. ...

Tina M. Jacobsen of Meriden, age 48, passed away at her home in Meriden on Saturday, June 13, 2015. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, June 19, 2015 at the Church of Christ in Primghar, with Rev. John Erickson officiating. Visitation,with the family present, will follow the Memorial Service at the Church. Arrangements are under the care of the Eldridge Family Funeral Home in Primghar, and On line condolences can be sent to eldridgefamilyfuneralhomes.com...

Wednesday was the last day for Ben Jobe as the owner and operator of Jobie's Pasttime Lounge at 114 South 4th St. in Cherokee. Jobe recently purchased A to Z Liquor and Smoke Shoppe, which happens to have a similar address, 114 South 2nd St. "I just need to work a 10 or 12 hour day there instead of 15,"Jobe said...

During a presentation at the Sanford Museum on June 16, Duffy Hudson, actor and impressionist, displayed the passions and complexities of a man who was both heroic and humble. Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WW II, the most decorated American soldier in history, won every medal for valor given by the U.S. Army at least once, including the highest U.S. honor given, the Congressional Medal of Honor. He also won a medal for valor presented by the governments of France and Belgium...

The Cherokee County American Cancer Society's annual Relay for Life is scheduled for Friday, July 31 at Gillette Park in Cherokee. A special part of the Relay for Life is the luminary ceremony at dusk featuring lighted candles inside luminary bags illuminating the walking path. Each bag carries a message of remembrance, a prayer of thanks, or words of hope...

Elizabeth (Libby) Peterson, Daughter of John and Karen Peterson and a 2015 Graduate of Washington High School in Cherokee, has been awarded the Elma F. Walter Music Scholarship and the Katherine and Garner Roth Music Scholarship as a result of a vocal audition with a classical music and foreign language piece she performed in March of this year...

Once again this year, the Cherokee County Fair will be serving as a sponsor for the Bill Riley Talent Search, hosting a local talent show, with the winners advancing to competition at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines Aug. 13 -23. The Cherokee contest will be held on the Cherokee Fairgrounds on the final day of this year's Fair, Sunday July 19. beginning at 1 p.m...

Kyle Schuck and Megan Deichmann met during high school seven years ago, and the two have been togeher ever since. Megan, the daughter of John and Mary Deichmann of Marcus, graduated from Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn High School in 2010. Kyle, the son of Steve and Barb Schuck of Cherokee, graduated from Cherokee Washington High School, also in 2010...

The agenda was short for the June 16 meeting of the Cherokee School Board, the final meeting of the 2014/15 fiscal year and the last meeting for Superintendent Dr. John Chalstrom, who has accepted a position as chief financial officer of the Sioux City School District and for Roosevelt Elementary Principal Barb Radke, who is retiring...

It's time to sign up for fun tennis instruction while getting great exercise at the annual Youth Tennis Camp offered by the Cherokee Parks & Recreation Department. This two-week camp begins on Monday, July 6 and runs for two weeks through Friday, July 17th at the tennis complex on East Indian Street...

SPENCER - Lindsay Williams struck out 10 and fired a three-hit gem to pace the Cherokee Washington High softball team to a 7-2 Lakes Conference victory over Spencer here Monday night. Williams allowed two earned runs and walked four in her seven-inning beauty...

SPENCER - The Cherokee Braves watched a precarious 2-1 lead disappear as host Spencer tallied single runs in each the fifth and sixth innings to claim a hard-fought 3-2 Lakes Conference baseball win here Monday night. Adam Cedar got the pitching loss for the Braves despite pitching a great game against the pesky Tigers, allowing one earned run on just three hits and two walks, while striking out seven in six innings of work...

The 2012 Sioux Valley Amateur Men's Match-Play Golf Tournament champion Matt Pitts of Cherokee carded a sizzling 66 to lead all qualifiers to date for this year's tourney, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the venerable Cherokee Golf Course. Through Thursday noon nearly 140 golfers had qualified, easily exceeding last year's total as the popularity for the quality and substance of the Sioux Valley Am continues to grow...

The Alta-Aurelia boys had both the pitching and hitting clicking on all cylinders as they scored impressive baseball road wins over Odebolt-Arthur/Battle Creek-Ida Grove and Sioux Central on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Jack Glienke pitched a great game against OABCIG, as the Warriors put together a big first inning and gave him a nice cushion to work with. Final score was Alta-Aurelia 12, OABCIG 2...

The talented River Valley softball team (14-4) logged a 2-2 record in four recent outings, including a 2-1 mark at the Spirit Lake Tournament last Saturday. In the Spirit Lake tourney, the Wolverines defeated Remsen St. Mary's 6-0, West Bend Mallard 7-0, and lost 4-3 to Boyden-Hill/Rock Valley. Monday night River Valley dropped an 11-8 verdict to visiting Woodbury Central in Correctionville...

The Ridge View softball team competed in the South O'Brien Tournament at Paullina on Saturday, and the Raptors played well and came out 2-0 on the day. In their first game Ridge View defeated Clay Central - Everly by the score of 11-5. Picking up the victory on the mound was Emerson Else, who threw seven innings while giving up five runs on 10 hits while walking five and striking out six...

HOLSTEIN - The Ridge View boys played good baseball over the last several days, starting with a 20-1, 4-inning shellacking of Kingsley-Pierson on Friday night. Ridge View coach Shannon Tesch commented, "We hit the ball very well tonight," and the stats show that the Raptors collected 4 doubles and 11 singles in the shortened Western Valley Conference tilt,...

Funeral services for Jared "Bud" Zarr of Aurelia, 91, will be held at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 20, 2015, at the First United Methodist Church in Aurelia, with Pastor Thomas Petersen officiating. Burial will be in the Afton Cemetery, rural Cherokee. Visitation at the Redig Funeral Home in Aurelia will be on Friday from 4 p.m. - 8, with the family present from 6 - 8. A memorial fund has been established...

The South O'Brien softball girls hosted a tournament June 13th, and were defeated in their first game by Sioux Central, 5-3. The Wolverines were ahead 2-0 after the first inning of play after Shaina Hunt walked, pinch runner Whitney Sickelka stole 2nd and scored on a single by Maycee Smith, Bailey Tjossem ran for Smith, and she scored on a double by Karle Negus...