Stories from Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Christopher and Alma Balgos of Menifee, California are the proud parents of a son, born on December 16, 2015. Christopher Jayden Balgos-Mateos was born at 7:25 p.m., weighed 9 lb. 7 oz. and measured 21 inches long. He was welcomed home by his two sisters - Melaine Grace Balgos and Natalie Claire Balgos...

Kelsi Martin of Danbury is happy to announce the birth of her baby boy, who was born on December 16, 2015. Hudsen Jason Martin weighed 7 lb. 7 oz. and measured 21 inches long, and his grandparents are Todd and Carmen Martin of Danbury.

The Cherokee County Stockmen's 4-H group held their annual Christmas Party recently, and as a fundraiser, members created pallet Christmas Trees and Snowmen. Small trees can be purchased for $40 and large trees for $50. Contact Britt Stowater, or Brooke Stowater at Valley Vet Center with questions, or to purchase a tree. Photo contributed...

On the recommendation of Joe Draper and Dutch Robbins, commissioners of the Cherokee County Veterans Affairs Office, the Cherokee County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved the hiring of a 10-hour per week, $11 per hour part-time assistant Veteran's Affairs Administrator to assist Dana Evans...

Local favorites will back at the Cherokee Jazz and Blues Festival in January, when Daylight Again performs at THe Gathering Place from 8 to 11 p.m. on Friday January 15. The group was formed from area musicians and singers as a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young tribute band. ...

There has recently been a new exodus of Cubans who have embarked on perilous journeys by sea, seeking refuge in the United States. They fear that time is running out for them to get special treatment under an American law that gives Cubans who reach American soil the automatic right to settle in the United States and apply for citizenship in a few years...

Bells will ring as children sing....ah, these days when holidays mean getting together, sharing meals, caroling, visiting the local parishes, and best of all taking that evening ride to view the area Christmas light displays. Such fond memories I have!...

1. Assumption, Davenport; 2.Creston /O-M; 3.Clarion-Goldfield-Dows; 4.New Hampton; 5.Crestwood, Cresco; 6.Albia; 7. Union, La Porte City'; 8. Independence; 9. Sergeant Bluff-Luton; 10. Glenwood; 11. Humboldt; 12. Mediapolis; 13. Washington; 14, Osage; 15. Webster City; 16. Mount Vernon...

WEST BEND - The Alta-Aurelia boys came out sluggish in the first quarter of their game here against West Bend-Mallard on Friday, scoring only four points against the home team's 15. Things changed quickly, though and the Warriors were in charge for the rest of the game, outscoring the Wolverines 23-3 in the 2nd quarter and outscoring them 65-29 over the final three quarters, on the way to a 69 - 44 Twin Lakes Conference victory. ...

The South O'Brien boys scored a couple of impressive wins on the basketball court last weekend, winning a War Eagle Conference matchup against Harris-Lake Park at Paullina on Friday, then traveling to Sibley to Saturday to take on Sibley-Ocheydan in a non-conference game...

The steadily improving Cherokee wrestling Braves boasted two champions, three runners-up, and two third-place finishes on their way to claiming the 2015 title of the Paul Fuhrman Wrestling Invitational in Cherokee Saturday. Cherokee won the 10-team competition totaling 180 team points, followed by MOC-Floyd Valley 168, Maple Valley/Anthon-Oto 167. ...

HOLSTEIN - The Ridge View wrestling squad wrapped up the first half of their season by hosting the Raptor Duals on Saturday in the Holstein gym. Ridge View went 1-3 on the day in duals, defeating Sioux City West, 54-30 and losing duals to South Central Calhoun (47-22), Coon Rapids-Bayard (46-34) and Alta-Aurelia (51-25)...

The Alta-Aurelia girls won two of their three basketball games this week to improve their season record to 5-4 as they head into the Christmas break. On Friday, the Warrior girls jumped to an 18-4 lead at the first quater break and led all the way in a 55-32 win at West Bend-Mallard...

HARTLEY - The Alta-Aurelia boys took on an old rival from the former Sioux Valley Conference Saturday and the Warriors won a close one, 59-53, over Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn. The Hawks took a three point lead after one quarter, but the Warriors came back and tied it at the half. The teams each scored 10 in the 3rd quarter to keep it tied, but A-A outscored HMS by six in the final quarter to account for the final margin of victory...

STORM LAKE - Trey Valentine tallied 23 points and Ben Lingenfelter 18 to lead Cherokee's Braves to a hard-earned 59-49 Lakes Conference boys basketball victory here Friday night. The Braves squandered a 20-9 first-quarter lead as the Tornadoes outscored them 17-8 in the second period to forge a 28-26 halftime deficit and anybody's ball game...

STORM LAKE - Three players hit double figure scoring in the first half to lead Cherokee's undefeated girls to a resounding 100-11 Lakes Conference girls basketball win here Friday night over winless Storm Lake. The quick-striking Cherokee club raced to a 38-0 lead after the first quarter and expanded that to 65-0 and then 69-5 by halftime as the Washington High juggernaut emptied the bench throughout the entire second half. ...

MARCUS - The Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn girls kept their record spotless with a 48-33 win here over Akron-Westfield in War Eagle Conference basketball action Monday. The Lady Eagles, now 6-0, were led in scoring by Ashley Hurd, who netted 15 points, and she was joined in double figures by Sarah Dreckman and Emily Moser, who each scored 13 points. Moser also grabbed 13 rebounds, and Dreckman had seven assists...

The Webster School Building might be closed following the present school year because of needed building maintenance, operating expenses and potential educational benefits of incorporating the Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC) into the Roosevelt Elementary School...