Stories from Friday, April 21, 2017

Today I salute one of my favorite composers, the late Shel Silverstein. Silverstein was one of those rare individuals often described as a “Renaissance Man.” The dictionary defines a Renaissance Man as a “ person with many talents or areas of knowledge,” and the term certainly applied to Shel Silverstein...

Area residents are reminded that water conservation starts at home and proper applications can save home owners hundreds of dollars and thousands of gallons of water each year simply by following any and all of these tips: •Replace pre-1992 toilets with High-Efficiency Toilets (HETs) to save up to 22,000 gallons of water annually...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - American troops will go to Europe in short order. This is the logic of the whole sit­uation , and every army man, whether an enemy or a friend of that plan, knows it. It cannot be a secret to any­one except the unsophisticated civilian...

ORANGE CITY - The Cherokee Braves focused on the relay races to score in 11 events and place fourth in the team statdings with 70 points at Tuesday’s Knight Relays hosted by Orange City Unity Christian. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley won the team title with 103 points, folllowed by Hull Western Christian 98, Le Mars 83, Cherokee 70, Unity Christian 69, Sheldon 69, MOC-FV 50, and Sioux Center 40...

This April, we recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month and honor the 77,000 CASA and GAL volunteers who put the child's best interests before all others so they never again experience the trauma of child abuse. Appointed by judges, court-appointed advocates help children heal and thrive so they can become happy, successful adults...

Ryan and Bridget Zittritsch of Cherokee are happy to announce the birth of their baby boy on April 16, 2017. Graham Dale Julius Zittritsch was born at 11:55 a.m., weighed 8 lb. 1 oz., and measured 19 3/4 inches long. Graham was welcomed home by his two big brothers, Brayson and Asher. Grandparents are Dan and Holly Hagg and Mike and Marcia Zittritsch, all of Algona...

Austin Bezoni and Carrissa Preuss of Cherokee welcomed their first child, a boy, on April 10, 2017. Maverick James Bezoni was born at 2:28 p.m., weighed 7 lb. 13 oz., and measured 20 inches long. His grandparents are Tim and Lisa Preuss of Quimby and Mike and Pam Bezoni of Cherokee...

Samantha Ortwing and Tyler Olson of Cherokee are happy to announce the birth of their baby boy, who was born on April 11, 2017. Oliver Jackson Olson was born at 3:56 p.m., weighed 8 lb. 5 oz., measured 21 1/2 inches long, and was welcomed home by his big brother, Asher Ortwing...

Samantha Prussing and Joseph Lane announce the birth of their baby girl, who was born on April 15, 2017. Aubriella willow Joy Lane was born at 9:31 a.m., and she weighed 7 lb. 2 oz. and measured 20 inches long. She was welcomed home by her big sister Lilia Lane...

Bonnie M. Joines of rural Meriden, Iowa, 81, passed away Tuesday morning, April 18th, 2017 in the Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa with her family by her side. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 22nd, at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cherokee, with Pastor Jon Riggert officiating, and burial will be in the Oak Hill cemetery at Cherokee, Iowa. ...

**April 20 - Orville Saxby of Cherokee **April 21 - Al Bofenkamp of Cherokee

The Cherokee County Solid Waste Commission has received a $1,000 grant from the Iowa Commission Assurance Pool (ICAP), the member’s property and casualty provider. The grant, a special initiative in celebration of the ICAP 30th Anniversary, provides up to $1,000 per member for the purchase of select loss control and/or risk management items, including byt not limited to:...

A Lighted Tribute - a special part of the Relay For Life of Cherokee County, a team event to fight cancer, will be a luminaria ceremony at dusk on Sunday, June 11th at Gillette Park in Cherokee. Candles inside luminaria bags will illuminate the walking path. Each bag carries a message of remembrance, a prayer of thanks or words of hope...

The Cherokee Symphony presents the Student Soloist Concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 23 at the Cherokee Community Center. Conductor is Ted Hallberg of Le Mars. Seven outstanding musicians were selected to perform with the Cherokee Symphony, including violinists Nicole Santos, 12th grade, and Renee Santos, 10th grade, of Omaha, Nebraska; flautist Renee Ried, 11th grade, Newell - Fonda; pianist Hsuan “Kevin” Cheng, Junior, University of Nebraska Kearney; soprano Kelly Singer, Post-Bac, University of Little Rock, Arkansas; violinist Robert Hwang, 11th grade, Sioux City North High School; and violinist Kajsa Hallberg, 12th grade, Le Mars Community School.. ...

Several Cherokee Middle School students participated in the recent grades 5/6/7 NWICDA Honor Choir at MOC-FV in Orange City.  The 5th and 6th grade are students of Kristine Zylstra-Tabke, and the 7th graders are students of Becky Elemond, all from Cherokee Middle School. ...

United States Senator Chuck Grassley was in Cherokee Wednesday to visit the Cherokee Regional Medical Center and participate in a question/answer discussion with CRMC volunteers and employees. Grassley’s visit coincided with one at Ridge View High School in Holstein earlier in the day...

IDA GROVE - Ridge View and River Valley both competed at Tuesday’s OA-BCIG Boys Intational Track Meet here, withe Raptors finishing 5t and the Wolverines 7th in the Team Standings., which were topped by the KIngsley-Pierson/Woodbury Central squad. Raptors’ Coach Dale Tokheim commented, “We had a nice night weather - wise, but we had a depleted team, with injuries, illness, and disciplinary actions all hurting our numbers.  ...

The Cherokee Co-ed Relays are on tap for Tuesday April 25th at Geirge Hicks Field at Cherokee Washington High School. Field events begin at 4:30 p.m. and running events at 5 p.m. Eight boy and eight girls teams are enetered in the one-class competition this year...

COON RAPIDS- The Alta-Aurelia Trap Shooting team competed in team competition her on Saturday April 15th. The Middle School squad of Brock Mier, Alex DeRoos, Tyler Peterson, Zach Erpelding and Ethan Arnts placed 3rd, while individually, in the Rookie class of boys, Alta-Aurelia’s Kramer Drzycimski placed first and teammates Brayton Discher and Branden Schmidt placed second and third, respectively...

POCAHONTAS - The Alta-Aurelia girls finished 4th in the Team Standings at Tuesday’s Girls’ Pocahontas Relays. The Warriors had four first place finishes - Lily Peterson in the 400 Meter Dash, with a time of 1:01.28; Lauren Rohwer in the 800 Meter Run, in a time of 2:31.25; Alicia Turnquist in the 400 meter hurdles, in 1:11.21 ; and the 4 x 800 Relay team of Gracie Meier, Turnquist, Fredericksen and Rohwer, with a winning time of 10:36.41...

STORM LAKE - The Alta-Aurelia and Storm Lake boys played a golf dual at the Lake Creek Country Club Tuesday, and the Tornadoes prevailed by a three stroke margin, 187-190. Erick Masters of Storm Lake was meet meadlit with a 42 over the nine hole course and Alta-Aurelia’s Alex Snyder was runner-up with a 45...

Paul Fuhrman of Cherokee, and Mark Brighton and Jerry Moser of Marcus are among 166 Iowa High School Athletic Association officials to be recognized this year at the OHSAA Officials Recognition Banquet & Awards Ceremony Saturday, April 29, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines...

The South O’Brien varsity boys edged Akron-Westfield, 179-180, in a golf dual Tuesday. SOS Coach Noah DeYager commented, “It was a beautiful weather night. Cam Maxwell and Sam Nelson both had good nights, topped off by two beautiful tee shots on hole 6 that left tap-ins for birdie for both guys.”...

The South O’Brien girls lost a golf dual o Akron - Westfield Tuesday. Coach Heath Reichle commented, “The weather was gorgeous, but the girls were a little rusty coming off Easter break.” Freshman Rachel Sohn and senior Ally Sweeney tied with a round of 53 and Sohn took 4th after a card playoff. Coach Reichle said, “Rachel hit her driver really well today and it was great to see her come in with that score.”...

The Cherokee Washington High School Class of 1977 is holding a 40 Year Class Reunion the weekend of June 16-17. The reunion starts Friday June 16th at The Grainery, 1969 500th, Cherokee, with an informal get - together with friends and family. Attendees should bring their own beverage, a side dish or dessert to share, and food to barbecue. This event starts at 6 p.m.and lasts “till whenever.”...