Stories from Friday, July 7, 2017

The Cherokee Library’s summer reading program finished on Wednesday with a “hardhat program” at the Sanford Museum. Todd Larsen and Armond Rider brought a city truck and end loader for the kids.

Jerry R. Foxhoven, who was recently appointed director of Iowa Department of Human Services, came to the Cherokee Mental Health Institute on July 5 as part of a tour of DHS facilities and offices throughout the state. He met with DHS employees and members of the press to discuss the challenges DHS faces in the future and also to tell the public about the good job being done currently by DHS employees...

Shirley J. Wilcox of  Cherokee, 74, returned to her Father’s arms on Tuesday evening, July 4, 2017 at Unity Point Health, St. Luke’s in Sioux City, Iowa. Memorial services will be held on Monday, July 10th, at 10:30 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Cleghorn, with Rev. Eric Wright officiating. Burial of the cremains will be in the Meriden Cemetery at Meriden, Iowa...

Larry L. Reinert of Cherokee, 76, passed away Wednesday morning, July 5, 2017 i at Unity Point Health-St. Luke’s in Sioux City, Iowa. Memorial services will be held on Saturday, July 8th, at 2 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, with Pastor Jean Morse officiating, and burial of the cremains will be in the Holy Name Catholic Cemetery at Marcus. ...

The Alta-Aurelia baseball team hosted a pair of Twin Lakes Conference rivals here last week. Last Wednesday, the Warriors scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning against Newell-Fonda, but from there on out, it was all Mustangs, as Newell-Fonda triumphed over the Warriors by an 11-2 score...

The Cherokee softball girls scored two runs in the bottom of the second and made it hold up as they scored a 3-1 win over Greene County in Class 3A Regional Softball Tournament play in Cherokee Wednesday night. Cherokee's lead hurler Lindsay Williams was at her best in the crucial tourney opener and limited the solid Greene County offense to just that single run pitched all seven innings, allowing one earned run on four hits, striking out 11 and walking no one...

MILFORD - The South O’Brien softball team broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the the 3rd inning, then lost a 7-2 lead themselves, but went on to defeat Okoboji in extra innings in the opening game of Class 1A Regional Softball here Wednesday. The Wolverines needed a run in the top of the 9th to edge the scrappy Pioneers, 8-7...

The Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn/Remsen Union girls opened Class 1A Regional Tournament play Wednesday against Sioux Central, and the Rebels got off to a 7-1 lead going into the bottom of the 4th inning. The Royals got three of those runs back in the bottom of the 4th, but Sioux Central held on and posted an 8-5 win over the Royals, ending MMCRU’s season...

AKRON - The Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn/Remsen Union baseball team traveled to Akron Wednesday night for a War Eagle Conference matchup with Akron-Westfield, and the Royals held the Westerners to a close game until the bottom of the 6th inning, when A-W scored six runs to pull ahead of the Royals. MMCRU threatened early by hitting back- to - back singles by Tristen Olson and Drew Staab in the top of the second, but could not drive them in...

Cherokee State Bank, through generous trust funding from community residents, awards several scholarships each spring to graduating seniors from area high schools in accordance with the wishes of the donors. Pictured here are this year's recipients of said awards...

STORM LAKE - The Alta-Aurelia girls won one and lost one Saturday at the tough Storm Lake Classic softball tournament, beating Sergeant Bluff-Luton 7-4 and losing to Bishop Heelan of Sioux City, 11-1, in four innings. Against SB-L, Sgt. Bluff scored all four of its runs in the 3rd inning to overcome a 3-0 Warrior lead, but Alta-Aurelia scored three in the top of the 4th inning to regain the lead, then added another run in the 5th. ...

It is time once again for me to make nit-picking criticisms of the current use of the English language. If you crave self-indulgent rants from a small town journalist about trivial matters, then this is the column for you. Otherwise you should be reading about matters of global significance. You can start by googling “matters of global significance.”...

Recent success by our Cherokee Braves' softball squad triggered an old memory. A fond memory. Today, we wish our current Cherokee gals all the success they deserve and hope they rewrite the record books. But lets take a minute to reflect on our girls' softball history here...

The Ridge View Softball Team had a rough weekend of softball playing in the Western Conference Tournament Friday and then competing in the Storm Lake Softball Classic on Saturday.   On Friday night, Ridge View competed in the semifinals of the Western Valley Conference Tournament at Galva, and the Raptors came up on the short end of a tough game, losing to Woodbury Central by the score of 5-3. ...

Sioux City West jumped out to an 8-0 lead through the top of the 3rd inning in non conference baseball action with Ridge View.  Ridge View responded with four runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning, and the score remained 8-4 until West pushed an insurance run across in the top of the 7th for the final 9-4 outcome...

The Cherokee girls finsihed their regular varsity softball season last week, splitting a pair of Lakes Conference contests. The Braves traveled to Spencer and came up short in the contest, loisng by a score of 6-1.  The Braves struck first and scored their only run in the 2nd inning when Apryl Mesler doubled, scoring Josie Kindwall, who had reached on error earlier in the inning.  The Braves were limited to just four hits on the night.  Lindsay Williams doubled off the left field fence in the top of the first inning and Paityn Hagberg singled twice during the game.  Pitcher Lindsay Williams allowed just six hits and struck out five on the night. . ...

Cushing - The fifth and final Uncle Ben 5K Run/Walk sponsored by Anfinson Farm Store, has been slated to be held here Saturday, August 19, at 9 a.m. Each of the last four years, nearly 250 participants have showed up for the event, doubling the size of this small town in Woodbury County as they have raised almost $35,000 for local elementary schools...

The Freedom Rock for Ida County was recently completed and unveiled. The rock is located along Highway 20 in Holstein, on the town’s Avenue of Flags. Cherokee County’s Freedom Rock, located at the County Courthouse in Cherokee, is due for painting very soon. Photo contributed...

After the total loss of their home to a recent fire, a benefit account for Ryan and Allison Diischer has been set up at First Trust and Savings Bank (FTSB) in Aurelia. Shown here is the bank mascot, Barkley, putting a check into the donation box. Photo contributed...

As we all celebrated our liberty this Independence Day, we hope that each of us took note that it's the troops who gained that liberty for us in the American Revolution and it’s the troops who protect it for us today. It is the troops, not the politicians, and not the courts, who then secured and today protect, your freedom...