Stories from Friday, June 5, 2020

Jessica and Jay Newcomb of Cherokee are proud to announce the birth of their new daughter. Ella Jane Newcomb was born on May 27, 2020 at 4:22 p.m.She weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces, and was 20 inches in length. She has two brothers named Bryson and Preston. Her grandparents are Elaine Johnson of Cherokee, Michelle Newcomb of Cherokee, Dan Newcomb of Linn Grove, and Adam and Julia Johnson of Longview, Texas...

James L. "Jim Cates, Jr., formerly of Cherokee, Iowa, passed away Sunday afternoon, May 31, 2020, at the St Lucas Healthcare home in Faribault, Minnesota.    Memorial services will be held on Monday, June 8th, at 10:30 am at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, Iowa.  Burial will follow at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Cherokee, Iowa with military rites by L.A. ...

With four critical local races in Tuesday’s (June 2) Republican Primary, 3,380 of the County’s 8,186 registered voters (41.3%) filled out ballots either absentee or at the polls. Of most interest were the Sheriff’s, Auditor’s, Supervisors, and State Representative races, with County Deputy Derek Scott claiming the Sheriff’s race, incumbent Kris Glienke winning the Auditor’s race, Bryan Petersen of Cleghorn reigning in the District 2 Supervisors’ race, and Dennis Bush winning the State Representative seat.. ...

A local effort has been organized for a peaceful “Black Lives Matter” March in Cherokee at 7 p.m. Saturday. Organizers said the peaceful march advocates for change and to honor the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis, Minn. Police Department members...

Cherokee Recreation Director Dave Ellis said this week the Bacon Aquatic Center Pool here will open to the public on Monday with some restrictions. The state has issued guidelines restricting recreational swimming, but allowing swim lessons and lap swimming...

“If Pa’s eyes were windows into a world so deadly and true, you couldn’t stop me from lookin’ Ma, but you kept me from crawlin’ through.” If only more parents - especially those in our inner cities - could keep their kids from “crawlin’ through,” Springsteen’s wondrous words of wisdom would be a footprint into a kumbaya future. A future where cops don’t kill anybody because peace, harmony, and love are rekindled in all of us just as Jesus taught...

While people die and America roils with no leadership from the fool on the Hill, I bag my sadness for a time to revel in the joy that our high school baseball and softball players have a go-to plan to PLAY BALL! And, with most area prep teams saddled with underclassmen, as many upperclassmen have disdained their final years of playing ball in their shortened, pandemic seasons, I thought it appropriate to offer a few tips to those young, inexperienced athletes. ...