Stories from Friday, February 15, 2019

At Tuesday’s Cherokee City Council meeting, it was announced that interviews with five candidates for the vacant City Administrator position were held Tuesday, February 12, and the selection committee will be narrowing the field down to three, with background checks as part of due diligence to be conducted on those remaining three candidates...

Following weeks of ongoing labor negotiations, the Cherokee City Council at Tuesday night’s meeting approved a two-year labor agreement with the local I.U.O.E., which includes employees with the water, sewer, streets, and fire departments. The new agreement provides a wage increase of 2.75% for each of the new fiscal years, beginning July 1, 2019, with no other changes from the current contract...

Despite blowing snow and bitterly cold temperatures, people came out to the 24th Annual Cherokee County Ag Show Tuesday. This years Ag Show had a record number of vendors and was held in the Little Sioux Event Center for the first time.

The Cherokee Symphony Mid-Winter Concert will be performed Sunday, February 24, at the Cherokee Community Center at 4 p. m. A full orchestra with musicians representing 20 communities, will be under the direction of Ted Hallberg, LeMars cellist, orchestra director and music coordinator for the LeMars Community School District...

Phyllis J. Briese, age 83 of Meriden, IA passed away Sunday, February 10, 2019, at South Ridge Care Center in Sioux Falls, SD. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, February 15, 2019, at the Meriden Evangelical Free Church in Meriden. Pastor Larry Ostercamp will officiate. ...

Darrel (Dado) E. Blankenbaker died peacefully in Tucson, AZ, at the age of 92 years and 11 months. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Marcella (Odle) and seven children. Nancy and Jerry Lundquist (Sutherland, IA), Thomas E Blankenbaker and Emily (Cave Creek, AZ), David and Cathy Blankenbaker (Tucson, AZ), Barbara Blankenbaker (Tucson, AZ), Diane and Andre Wapstra (Tucson, AZ), Brian and Lynn Blankenbaker (Tucson, AZ), Carol Blankenbaker and Neil (Tucson, AZ). ...

According to a nationwide study of the Valentine’s Day gift and travel habits of U.S. adults, 25% prefer a romantic weekend getaway over chocolates, diamonds, or flowers. We agree that a long weekend in some warm clime during an Iowa February is tempting, but the fact remains that 75% of us stick with traditional gifts and save quite a few bucks in the process...

Cherokee County lost a real treasure this month. Simply put, leaders like Duane Buttenob are few and far between. Our friend “Nobby” passed away earlier this month on February 3, a sad day for his family, his too many to count friends, and a multitude of fortunate athletes who adored playing for the legendary high school coach...

It wasn’t very easy, but grit and determination led the 21-1 Cherokee Washington High girls to an entertaining 74-48 conquest of a feisty West Lyon team in Class 2A Regional Tournament basketball in Cherokee Wednesday night. The final tally was far from indicative of the type of game played as the Wildcats stayed close throughout until the final minutes when the 4th-ranked Braves pulled away...