Stories from Friday, June 1, 2018

Cherokee’s Bacon Aquatic Center opened Memorial Day weekend with 933 swimmers enjoying the beautiful city pool and its many amenities. The pool opens for the summer season Thursday and weather permitting will be open every day from 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for the public to enjoy. Season tickets and/or daily passes are available at the Bacon Aquatic Center...

John Robert Brink of Des Moines, Iowa, 56, died on May 28, 2018, at Israel Family Hospice House in Ames from complications of cirrhosis of the liver. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, June 3, at First Unitarian Church, 1800 Bell Ave., Des Moines. The service will include an informal time for anyone who wishes to share stories and memories about John...

The Cherokee Depot was built in 1896 and was used by the Illinois Central Railroad (ICRR) as a Passenger Station until May 1971 when AMTRAK began operations nationwide. The Cherokee Depot was then used by the ICRR as a Freight Station until January 1982 when the building was vacated by the railroad. ...

Republicans are assured victories in Cherokee County in the June Primary and the November Election as no Democrats are in the field. An interesting twist has occurred in the Cherokee County Recorder’s race where former Recorder and former Democrat Dawn Miller is running as a Republican against incumbent Republican Recorder Mark Murphy, who defeated Miller four years ago...

A flock of about 50 turkey vultures are back roosting on the US Cellular Tower behind the former Garfield school and Cherokee City officials are pondering what to do about them. According to City Administrator Sam Kooiker, he has reached out to US Cellular to learn if there is a problem with the sound system previously utilized to scare off the problematic birds. Kooiker said a US Cellular representative is due in town on the next few days to address the matter...

PANORA - The Alta-Aurelia girls finished tied for 6th with Columbus Catholic in the team standings at the Class 2A State Golf Meet, which was held on the Lake Panorama course here Tuesday and Wednesday. The Warriors finished the two day tourney with a team score of 788, 55 strokes behind team champion Van Meter and two strokes behind 5th place Williamsburg...

OKOBOJI - Alta-Aurelia scored four runs in the top of the 7th to take an 11-6 lead in their baseball ame here against Okoboji on Friday May 25th, then hung on as the home team scored three in the bottom half of the 7th to pull out an 11-9 win over the Pioneers...

The Alta-Aurelia girls have gotten off to a great start in their 2018 softball season, winning three games last week while scoring a combined 39 runs and allowing none. On My 25th, the Warriors beat raettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire 17-0 in six innings. Alta-Aurelia collected 14 hits as a team, led by three hits apiece from Lily Peterson and Abby Kraemer, with Peterson stroking a double, triple and home run. Kraemer gave up only one hit, walking two and fanning 15...

The 84th annual Sioux Valley Amateur Men’s Match-Play Golf Tournament is Saturday and Sunday, June 16-17 at the venerable Cherokee Golf Course. The 18-hole qualifying rounds are from Saturday, June 9 through Friday, June 15, with early bird qualifying Saturday, June 2 through Friday, June 8. The popular Calcutta Auction and Meal is Friday, June 15...

The Cherokee Braves softball team traveled to Hull Western on Tuesday evening.  The Braves had a tough first inning, going down 5-0, and did all they could to battle back, but it just wasn't quite enough, as they lost, 8-5.  JeMae Nichols got the Braves off to a good start in the the top of the 2nd inning with a solo home run and the Braves scored two more in the 3rd inning when Alexus Jones singled to start the inning but was thrown out at second base on Payton Slaughter's fielder's choice.  Sarah Kach moved her to 3rd on a single to centerfield and Teagan Slaugher doubled to score both her sister and Kach. . ...

MARCUS - The Marcus Meriden-Cleghorn Remsen Union baseball team got off to a slow start in their game here with South O’Brien Tuesday night. Chris Schmid started the game for the Royals with a leadoff single, stole second, and was able to score on an error for the game’s first run. In the 3rd inning, SOS had five batters receive bases on balls and Peyton Struve, Drew Faust and Peyton Brasser all knocked in runs with base hits...

MAPLETON - The Ridge View Raptors softball team traveled to Mapleton Tuesday to take on the MV/AO/COU team in a Western Valley Conference match-up and  Ridge View came out on top, winning 21-10.  Picking up the win on the mound for the Raptors was Katie Brinkman, who threw all seven innings, giving up 16 hits while walking three and striking out one.  Leading the way at the plate for the Raptors were  Beth Pickhinke, who went 2-4 with an triplr and a Home Run and four RBI, Kara Richard , who went 4-5 with a double and two RBI, Beth Meyer, who went 4-5 with three RBI, Katlyn Wiese,who went 2-5 with two RBI and Anya Kistenmacher, who was 2-4 with three RBI.  The coaches were happy with the way the team hit the ball up and down the line-up, and the defense had only had three errors.. ...

MAPLETON - Ridge View played their counterparts from Maple Valley/Anthon-Oto/Charter Oak-Ute in Western Valley Conference baseball action here Tuesday, and the Rapters were shut out by the host team, 5-0. Jake Tokheim, Jake Mitchell, Caleb Kistenmacher, Karlo Weldon, and Logan Gross each had base hits for the Raptors...

POCAHONTAS - The Alta-Aurelia girls won their fourth straight game here Wenesday night, beating host Pocahonta Area 13-1 in 4 innings in Twin Lakes Conference softball action. Jessica Flaherty and Lily Peterson both hit home runs for the Warriors and Flaherty also doubled. Brittany Turnquist had a single, double and triple for the Warriors...

Zach and ReNae Smith of Cherokee are happy to announce the birth of their baby girl, who was born on May 30, 2018. Karley Christine Smith was born at 10:39 a.m. and she weighed 7 lb. 4 oz. and measured 20 1/2 inches long. Karley was welcomed home by her sister Reagan and her brother Chase...

McKayla Benson was nominated for recognition as the Cherokee Rotary Student of the Month by staff members at Washington High School in Cherokee. McKayla participates in concert band, concert choir, cross country, track, group speech, JETS, quiz bowl and theater, and she was also the 2018 Tomahawk Relays Queen...

STORM LAKE - The Cherokee softball team was able to bounce back from their first loss of the season Tuesday behind a solid pitching performance by Lindsay Williams Wednesday in Storm Lake, picking up their first conference win by a score of 3-0. The Braves scored in the top of the first as Lily Anderson reached on a error and was singled in by JaMae Nichols, and they added another run in the third when Lily Anderson singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Kassidy Pingle...

The Cherokee Braves baseball team opened conference play on Tuesday as they hit the road to take on Hull Western Christian.  The Wolfpack took advantage of a big third inning to hand the Braves their fourth loss on the season by a score of 11-10. The Braves were able to get on the scoreboard first in the top of the third inning as Dane and Kade Jurgenson were able to score, but HWC was able to answer the Braves in the bottom half of the third with eight runs of their own. ...