Stories from Friday, December 4, 2015

News reached here Tuesday evening from Storm Lake that Miss Fern Benedict and Edward Ball were drowned when the ice broke with them while skating on the lake that afternoon. The news came as a shock to a great many Cherokee people, for she is as well known here as in Storm Lake, having been saleslady in the Colby & Henn millinery department for the past few seasons...

Donald Trump recently mocked a physically disabled reporter for the New York Times, Serge Kovaleski. "Now the poor guy, you ought to see this guy," Trump said, before jerking his arms around and holding his right hand at an angle. " 'Ah, I don't know what I said! I don't remember!' "...

Scientists agree that, based on antarctic ice core samples, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher now than it has been in the last 650,000 years, that the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increased by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas that were created through millions of years of biological action taking carbon from the atmosphere, and that the rising sea levels and increasingly violent weather patterns are a result of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.. ...

James "Jim" D. Woodall, 81, of St. Cloud, Minnesota, died Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in St. Cloud. Burial with military honors will be held May 27, 2016, in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis. Jim was born Dec. ...

Harold M. Hazen of LeMars, 75, originally from Cleghorn, passed away Sunday evening, November, 29, 2015 in the Floyd Valley Hospital at LeMars. Private family services will be held. There will be no visitation. The Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee has charge of the arrangements. On line condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com...

Jermaine and Nature Decker of Cherokee are happy to announce the birth of their little girl, October Snow Decker, who was born at 7:41 p.m. on November 30, 2015. October weighed 6 lb. 11 oz. and measured 20 inches long at her birth. Her grandparents are Brian and Valerie Decker of Cherokee and Bruce and Ruth Decker of Logan...

Jonathan and Carolina George of Omaha, Nebraska are proud parents of their first child, a girl. Emilia Maria George was born on November 25, 2015 at Bergan Medical Hospital in Omaha, and she weighed 6 lb. 9 oz. and measured 20 inches long. Kenny and Gayle George of Meriden are Emilia's grandparents...

ALTA - The Ridge View and Alta-Aurelia wrestling teams opened their 2015-16 seasons with a dual meet at the Alta gym here Tuesday night, and Alta/Aurelia won the meet, 39-30. The Ridge View coaches thought their wreslers competed hard. and the coaches saw many good things, but Coach Scott Phelps said, "There are some things we must continue to work on."...

SERGEANT BLUFF - A veteran, third-ranked Sergeant Bluff-Luton boys basketball team hammered an outmanned Cherokee Braves unit here Tuesday night, claiming a decisive 68-28 season opener. The Warriors jumped out to a 23-5 lead in the first quarter over the Braves, who were playing without four varsity regulars due to injury or discipline...

CORRECTIONVILLE - Kingsley-Pierson ran out to an 18-4 lead in the first quarter on the way to a resounding 65-25 win over River Valley in a girls basketball opener here Tuesday night. Makenna Thomas led the River Valley club with 10 points and Jenna Knaack added seven as the Wolverines sank 7-31 field goals for a chilly 23 percent, along with making 11-25 free throws...

Cherokee Community Theater, Jr. -- the children's theatre production group under the Cherokee Community Theatre -- announces auditions for their 2015-16 season production of 'Disney's Aladdin, Jr.' Auditions will be Monday, Dec. 14 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and Tuesday, Dec. 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Auditions will take place at the Cherokee Community Center in Cherokee. Directors for this production are Penny Pingrey and Becky Elemond...

Fall is the season for health insurance plan enrollment. Health insurance helps individuals and families get access to care leading to better health and reduces the risk of high health care costs. Two Smart Choice Health Insurance Basics workshops will be held on Thursday, December 17 from 10:30 a.m. ...

Putting in a private wastewater system (septic system) can be expensive - about $10,000 done through a private contractor, according to Justin Pritts, EMA coordinator for Cherokee County, However, the county has previously provided little oversight on the quality of the work...

The Cherokee Bomgaars Conference Center at the Cherokee County Fairgrounds is available all year round. Thanks to a Cherokee County Legacy Foundation Grant, a Farm Credit Services grant, and a Casey's Community Grant along with local donations and fundraising efforts, the Cherokee County 4-H Expo /Bomgaars Conference Center was able to make several improvements this year...

Nicole Mier, outreach coordinator for MidSioux Opportunity in Cherokee, recently accepted a check for $100 from Bud Winterton, presented on behalf of the Alta Chapter 138 Order of the Eastern Star. The donation will go to the food pantry in Cherokee...

A silent auction of trees and wreaths, which raises funds for the local hospice, will be taking place at the Gardens until Dec. 11.

A special 'Passport Saturday' will be held at the Cherokee County Courthouse on Dec. 5. The passport office hours on Dec. 5 will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. People are asked to use the southwest (main) door. Required ID includes a drivers license plus one of the following - a certified birth certificate or expired passport. Visit the county's website or call 225-6735 for specific information regarding children age 16 and under...

Cherokee Roosevelt Elementary students were able to enjoy one of the good things about the recent snowfall on Thursday December 3rd....