Stories from Friday, May 4, 2018

Good weather and longer daylight hours are a premium when Iowa farmers scurry to plant their crops after a tough winter shortened the window. Planned maintenance and skilled equipment operation can curb downtime and reduce the potential for accidents during planting season now under way...

Nick and Kristi Letsche of Meriden are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Halle K’Lynn, on April 23, 2018 at 12:52 p.m. Halle weighed 8 pounds 4 ounces, was 19 1/2 inches long, and was welcomed home by her three big brothers, Henry, Ronen and Blake. Grandparents are Jeff and Julie Letsche of Marcus and Dean and Joyce Mason of Boardman, Oregon. Great grandparents are Joe and Barb Rosener and Jerry and Charlene Letsche, all of Marcus...

Terri and Jeff Weaver of Cherokee have purchased the Cherokee Bowl, and renovations began on April 1st to convert the former bowling alley into an event center. The center, which will be called the Little Sioux Event Center, will feature a large area to accommodate up to 750 people, and will also have a smaller area to accommodate 80-100 people...

The Cherokee School District is again participating in a Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be provided to all children without charge and are the same for all children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service...

The City of Cherokee has an opportunity to expand its trail system with the purchase of 55 acres on the east side of town. New paved trails will connect to Main and Spruce Streets and connect to the existing trail system to the north or south. Paved and unpaved trails will wind through a natural park setting...

WASHTA - Jennifer Conner was elected to fill the vacant Washta City Council seat in Tuesday’s Special Election, garnering 28 of the total 60 votes recorded for 47 percent. There are 146 registered voters in the precinct. Other candidates and their vote totals included Daniel Zupp 15, Lucas Edwards 11, and Lawrence Long 6...

Twenty-two students from Cherokee Middle School participated in the 41st Annual  Sine  Nomine Honor Band held recently at Sheldon High School. First row, left to right, Kaley Hember, Lauren Schubert, Morgan Goebel, Julia Letsche, Rayann Patterson, Avery Mizner.  Row 2, Molly Pitts, Kenna Mongan, Heidi Letsche, Riley Lubeck, Kayla Hughes, Trey Timmerman.  Row 3, London Rogge, Autumn Booth, Madison Stief, Alexis Pingel, Regan Pogeler, Jena Jenness, Samuel Collins, Colby Heims, Trey Benson, Carson Reusch.  The band is comprised of students from Cherokee, Le Mars, Sheldon, Spencer, and Storm Lake Middle Schools.  The guest conductor of the band was Lynette Wedeking from West Lyon Middle School. ...

SIOUX CITY - The Alta-Aurelia girls captured first place Wednesday at the Sioux City East Invitational Golf Tournament, which was played on the Whispering Creek Golf Course in Sioux City. Alta-Aurelia’s Annika Patton was meet medalist with an 18 - hole score of 77, six strokes better than runner-up Alyssa Ginther of Atlantic...

SPIRIT LAKE - The Cherokee tennis boys traveled to Spirit Lake on Monday April 30th for a match with the host team, and whether it was a strong wind, fatigue caused by a very heavy schedule in recent days, or some combination of factors, the Braves did not have a great day on the court, with the varsity losing all nine matches, and the j.v. going 1-8...

LE MARS - The Cherokee Washington and LeMars boys played a golf dual at Willow Creek Golf Course here Tuesday in mostly cloudy 66 degree weather. Cherokee coach James DeVos said, "The weather held out and it turned into a beautiful evening in LeMars.  It was the first time playing the course for 2/3 of the boys and there were some growing pains, as they encountered a few more water hazards than we're used to.  However, given that we return to LeMars in a couple of days for the LeMars Invitational, it should help us immensely. Jake Zwiefel continued a strong week of practice and shot a 46, making a nice 25 foot putt on his last hole.  He finished one shot away from runner-up medalist.". ...

PRIMGHAR - On a warm, but very windy day Monday, the South O’Brien and Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn/Remsen Union golf teams met for dual matches.  The MMCRU boys defeated SOS, 195 to 207. SOS was led by Jeremy Struve, whose 48 was good for third individually, while Darien Keith shot 50, Josh Johannsen 51, Alec Wheeler 58, Tate Johnson 60 and Jeff Keith 63. ...

The South O’Brien boys took on Trinity Christian and Gehlen Catholic in a golf triangular last week. The weather conditions were difficult, and the scores reflected that.  Trinity Christian defeated South O’Brien, 210 to 215.  The Wolverines’ Alec Wheeler finished as Runner Up Medalist with a 50 and Jeremy Struve took fourth with a 54. ...

PRIMGHAR - South O’Brien and Harris-Lake Park played a golf dual Tuesday. On the boys’ side, HLP scored a 163-201 win. SOS Coach Noah DeYager commented, “ We were nervous about the forecast thunderstorms tonight, but they slipped by the course and missed us, and It was a good night for golf.” Jerermy Struve led SOS with a round of 44. The match marked SOS’ last home meet of the year, and Coach DeYager said he wishes the team’s seniors, Drew Faust, Alec Wheeler and John Weaver, well...

It was another windy and chilly night for golf Friday, but the sun was out and the South O’Brien girls finished off a 4 meets in 5 nights week with a loss to Gehlen Catholic, 206-219.  South O’Brien’s . Rachel Sohn tied for 1st place with a 50 and earned medalist honors by winning a two- hole playoff.  Sophomore Jillian Heemstra shot a career low 53 and just missed out on earning a medal with a 5th place finish...

REMSEN - The South O’Brien golf teams had two foes in their golf match here Thursday - Remsen St. Mary’s and a gusty 40 mph wind. In spite of the wind, the sun was out and the course was in great shape, and the young Wolverine girls’ team posted its first win of the season, defeating RSM by a team score of 220-233.  SOS’ Kaidee Weber earned medalist honors with a 48 and teammate Rachel Sohn finished 3rd with a 52.  Wolverine Coach Heath Reichle said the two have both been incredibly consistent so far this season. ...

Ellen M. Henderson of Cherokee, Iowa, 84, passed away peacefully at her home in Cherokee Wednesday evening, May 2, 2018. Funeral services will be held on Monday, May 7th at 5 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Cherokee, Iowa, with Rev. Cris Decious officiating, and burial will be at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Cherokee.  ...

SPENCER - The Cherokee Washington High girls notched two third-place finishes at last week’s rugged Spencer Track Invitational, with the host Tigers winning the team title with 191 points. Algona was second with 132, followed by Le Mars 108, Emmetsburg 98, HMS 32, Cherokee 24, and Forest Ridge 1...

I first met Jack Foresman at the Meriden-Cleghorn Comet Relays in Cleghorn in the 1970s when he hollered, “Hey, camera man! Gun’s up. Get off my track!” Immediately noticing he was armed, I did not hesitate in getting my butt off his track. Later, this kindest of men took the effort to look me up to apologize for yelling at me, saying, “I have a track meet to run. It’s nothing personal. Just look at this crowd, the kids, this beautiful spring night. Where else could anyone want to be?”...

Roger A. Ogren of Exeter, Nebraska, 72, passed away on May 2, 2018 at his home in Exeter. Roger was born in Le Mars, Iowa on April 9, 1943.   Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Exeter, and  burial with Military Honors will follow in the Exeter Cemetery. ...