Stories from Friday, July 10, 2015

Officials say an invasive insect that kills ash trees has been confirmed in southeast Iowa's Lee County, bringing the state's total to 26 counties. A news release from the Iowa Agriculture Department Wednesday said that the emerald ash borers were confirmed in Fort Madison...

Mick and Marilyn Samsel had their first date at the American Theatre in Cherokee, and Mick, owner of Grin & Wear It at 221 W. Main St., incorporated the old sign from the theater in a patriotic display commemorating the July 4 Holiday. The American flag in the display was provided courtesy of the Cherokee County Office of Veterans Affairs...

PAULLINA - South O'Brien hosted West Lyon here last week in a non- conference baseball game won 15-7 by the visitors. West Lyon would draw first blood in the top of the first on an RBI single by Jaden Snyder, but the Wolverines would answer back and tie the game in the bottom of the 2nd on a sacrifice groundout by Karter Rohrbaugh that drove in Duncan Schwebach...

HOLSTEIN - The Ridge View baseball team had another good hitting night Wednesday as they beat Storm Lake St. Mary's, 10-0, in a five inning non-conference tilit in Holstein. "Hopefully, we can keep the bats going into the postseason," commented Raptors' Head Coach Shannon Tesch...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Midwest Volleyball Power 18 and under team, coached by Rick Pruett of Dakota Valley, claimed the AAU Junior National title in June at the ESPN Wide World of Sports and Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The eight-member team included Cherokee's Alexia Gerdes, Lindsey Smith of Dakota Valley, Britney Thompson of LeMars , Ali Verzani of Lawton-Bronson, Shelby Vandenberg of Sioux Center, Morgan Stute of Kearney, Nebraska, Allison Kuenle of North Platte, Nebraska and Josie Cox of Maxwell, Nebraska.. ...

New and renewed memberships are needed to help the Cherokee Athletic Booster Club continue its successful tradition of providing our school's athletic programs with the best possible up-to-date equipment and training tools. In this era of limited budgets, State funding cuts, and declining enrollments, it's imperative Cherokee Schools stay the course in offering our kids participating in athletics the best opportunities to compete and succeed on a level playing field with other schools...

GALVA - The Ridge View Softball team opened the first round of Class 1A Regional Tournament play Monday with a quality 14-2 win over Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn/Remsen Union in four innings. Picking up the win on the mound was senior Katie Davidson, who allowed one earned run on two hits in four innings ...

ALTA - In a second round Class 2A Regional Softball Tournament game here Wednesday, Alta-Aurelia was victorious over Ridge View, 5-3. Winning pitcher Jenna Snyder (19-8) went the full seven innings and gave up three runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out four. Ridge View's Katie Davidson also threw all seven innings and suffered the hard-luck loss, giving up five runs on nine hits, while walking two and k'ing two/...

LE MARS - Cherokee Washington High bookended a three-run first inning and a two-run seventh inning to lay claim to a hard-fought 5-2 Lakes Conference softball victory over league nemesis Le Mars here Monday night. Lindsay Williams picked up the pitching win for the WHS club, allowing one earned run on four scattered hits and six walks, while striking out six in the seven-inning game...

Sioux Central evened its season record at 14-14 with a 4-3 non-conference win over the 15-12 Cherokee Braves in Cherokee Wednesday night that ended regular season play for both teams. Kash Buse swung the big bat for the Rebels with a 4-4 night, a double and two RBI. Winning pitcher Mac Prior was 2-4 with two RBI, two runs scored, and a double, while Franky Perkins was 2-3...

"Preservation at Its Best Awards" were presented at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Winterset, Iowa recently. Preservation Iowa awarded thirteen awards in nine categories. Each year, Preservation Iowa seeks to honor historic preservation successes to inspire others to take action to preserve, protect, and promote Iowa's historic resources...

Cherokee County has issued five temporary alcohol permits for the day that RAGBRAI passes through Cherokee County. The week-long bike ride across Iowa goes through the southern part of Cherokee County, including the town of Washta, on Sunday, July 19...

State and federal officials met with members of the Cherokee Historic Preservation Commission and interested members of the public at the Cherokee Depot on Tuesday, July 7. The primary focus of the meeting was the legally mandated requirement to mitigate the negative impact on the community when historic structures are moved or destroyed through Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) action...

When families are faced with financial uncertainty or sudden income loss, addressing the situation takes more than just thinking about dollars and cents, says a human sciences specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. "Attitudes, values, and feelings about money come from our childhood and upbringing, as well as our own current family experiences," said Jan Monahan, a human sciences specialist in family finance. ...

During the months of April and May, ICON Ag & Turf employees joined local efforts to raise funds and bring awareness to childhood hunger in Northwest Iowa. Adam Timmerman, General Manager at ICON Ag & Turf, stated, "We were moved and inspired by the local effort during last year's lawn mower giveaway presentations,and we just knew we had to make a difference and help in our local communities."...

Several of the residents at the Autumn Ridge Apartments on Ridgeview Drive have worked hard to ensure that their neighbors, as well as passers-by, have a view of beautiful flowers. Lawrence Konrady, 83, has been a resident of Autumn Park for 16 years, and he estimates that he began planting hollyhocks in a garden plot at Autumn Park 5-6 years ago for "something pretty for the residents to view."...

Georgia Lee Gill of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, formerly of Meriden, passed away peacefully with her sister at her side on July 7, 2015. A private family graveside service will be held at a later date. The Greenwood-Schubert Funeral Home in Cherokee is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.greenwoodfuneral.com...

Phillip Edwin Hartliep of Roxton, Texas, 78, passed away Wednesday July 8, 2015 in Paris, Texas. Phillip was born on January 4, 1937 in Spirit Lake, Iowa, a son of Neil and Frieda Johnson Hartliep. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. ...

Mark and Denise Horton of Cherokee announce the engagement of their daughter, Melissa Horton of Cherokee, to Keith Crane, son of Steve Crane and Carla Crane. Melissa, a 2007 graduate of Cherokee Washington High School, is employed at the Mental Health Institute in Cherokee, and Keith, a 2005 graduate of Aurelia High School, earned his Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from Morningside College in 2010, and is now employed by KCHE radio in Cherokee. ...

Charlotte Siegel of Cherokee, 93. passed away Tuesday morning, July 7, 2015 at the Cherokee Villa Nursing & Rehab Center. Memorial services will be held on Friday, July 10th at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Cherokee, with Rev. Cris Decious officiating. ...

Washta native Betty Mae (Williams) Ubinas passed away at the age of 89 on August 13, 2014, at the Hospital El Buen Samaritano in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. She was interred at the Cemeterio Municipal Isabela (Jobos) in Isabela, Puerto Rico next to her husband of 56 years, Jose "Willy" Ubinas...

There's absolutely no evidence that President Barack Obama was born outside of the United States. "Birthers" contend that Obama was born in Kenya, and therefore does not meet the "natural-born citizen" requirement in the Constitution for presidential eligibility...

Self-proclaimed "tough on jihad" presidential candidates such as Mike Huckabee and Lindsey Graham are disgustingly wimpy when it comes to destroying those waging an Islamic war on America. They maintain the delusion that there are "friendly Muslims" who we can ally ourselves with to wipe out the bad Muslims. Yeah, there are a few Kurds who are desperate for any ally they can get and there are some secular Muslims in places like Indonesia who are not actively at war with us...

Fast speed creations of steel and iron driven by dare-devil drivers will be seen at the big Motor Speed Meet on the Alta, Iowa, race track Thursday, July 15. One thousand dollars in purses have been hung up as the attraction for some of the most prominent racers of the United States, who have notified the management they will be on hand for the big money...