Lifestyle

Museum to preview all-school reunion (03/09/10)
"Decades of Excellence," a preview of the Le Mars Community High School All-School Reunion, will be 2 p.m. Sunday, March 14 at the Plymouth County Historical Museum. Carolyn Vance, director of the Le Mars Community School District's Alumni Association, will share details of the coming reunion. Some reminiscing by alumni is also planned...

City approves Historic Preservation grant match request (03/03/10)
Le Mars City Council members Tuesday agreed to give the local Historic Preservation Commission $10,000 throughout two years to help place portions of downtown Le Mars on the National Register of Historic Places. The money, which will be paid $5,000 per year in 2011 and 2012, will be the local match of a grant...

Auditions for 'The Hallelujah Girls' are next week (03/03/10)
Six women and two men are needed in the next Le Mars Community Theater's side-splitting comedy. Auditions for the "The Hallelujah Girls," are next week from 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, March 8 and Tuesday, March 9 at the Postal Playhouse. "The Hallelujah Girls" will run two weekends with a total of seven performances: Friday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25 and Thursday, April 29 through Sunday, May 2...

Never losing heart (03/02/10)
BiblePhyliss Masters' husband Philip was killed by a group of remote Indonesian tribesmen. Now she's returning to the same region for a celebration. The Le Mars woman and her husband had been living as Christian missionaries with another nearby tribe and working to record the group's spoken language for the first time in writing in the 1960s...

Ice cream parlor and museum plan downtown move (02/24/10)
A Le Mars landmark is moving downtown. The Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor and Museum will take up residence in downtown Le Mars in 2011, according to a statement released today (Wednesday) from Wells' Dairy. "This year is our 10th year at the current Highway 75 location, and while it served us well over the years, we felt it was an opportunity to revitalize the concept, create some new excitement and enhance our already strong downtown by bringing an historical building back to life." said Mike Wells, CEO of Wells' Dairy.. ...

LCHS dance exhibition Friday (02/24/10)
Dozens of dancers will light up the floor in the Le Mars Community Schools Dance Exhibition Friday. The exhibition will be held at the Le Mars Community High School Gymnasium. The show will include performances of the LCS dance team's dances from this year, a co-ed dance with boys from the high school, solos performed at the state solo contest, and dances from four other teams...

'A Time to Remember' benefits local Alzheimer's programming (02/23/10)
Jerry and Audrey Scholten, of Le Mars, will serve as honorary chairpersons for the upcoming Wine & Roses event in Le Mars, "A Time to Remember." The event benefits the Alzheimer's Association. The Scholtens encourage everyone to generously donate to help provide optimal care and services to the persons and their families confronting this disease...

County naturalist plans Black Hills youth backpacking trip (02/23/10)
Plymouth County's naturalist is planning an out-of-state backpacking trip for local youth this summer. This first-ever trip will give five students a chance to backpack with naturalist Victoria DeVos in the Black Hills, S.D., for five days in August...

Actor's ghost takes the stage in 'I Hate Hamlet' (02/18/10)
Hollywood actor John Barrymore was known as "one of the greatest" to play Hamlet in the 1920s. Barrymore's ghost will return Friday with the opening of the Le Mars Community Theater's production of "I Hate Hamlet." Actor Andy Linn, of Pierson, has taken on Barrymore's persona which he says is different than delivering lines in a more modern style...

Spring Fling brunch and style show coming soon (02/17/10)
Ready for fun, food and fashion? The Good Samaritan Society-Le Mars is presenting the fourth annual "Spring Fling" 2010 Brunch and Style Show Fundraiser Saturday, March 20. The event will be in the lower level of the Le Mars Convention Center. It begins at 9 a.m. with a silent auction, vendors for shopping and a raffle for a sterling silver garnet bracelet donated by Hotopp Jewelry and Gifts...

Teaming at LCS: What it is and what it will mean to lose it (02/16/10)
A concept that teams middle school teachers at Le Mars Community Schools may be in its last year, due to budget cuts. In 2002, the LCS middle school teachers switched to "teaming." That means the students are divided into teams and each team has its own set of teachers: one each for math, one each for science, etc...

Museum plans 'Spring Preview of Authors (02/16/10)
"Spring Preview of Authors" will put the spotlight on Kingsley during the Plymouth County Historical Museum's first 2010 program Sunday, Feb. 21. The book signing and program will begin at 2 p.m. in the museum's Music Room on the main floor. Doors to the museum will be open from 1-5 p.m...

Driving down Lovers' Lane, one town at a time (02/12/10)
Love is just down the lane, down Lovers' Lane that is. This term to describe a popular destination for secret meetings with a sweetheart might bring to mind a black and white movie with a grove of trees at the end of a lane where a young couple would sit enjoying the twinkling stars...

Local jazz bands qualify for Iowa Jazz Championships (02/12/10)
Jazz bands at Le Mars Community High School and Gehlen Catholic High School qualified for the Iowa Jazz Championships April 13 in Des Moines. Both placed second in their respective classes at the NW Iowa District Jazz Competition in Sioux City Feb. 3. LCS will compete in Class 3A and Gehlen Catholic in Class 1A...

Wolf to reveal design elements through flower arranging course (02/11/10)
Dennis Wolf has been arranging flowers for over 30 years. As a master level judge for flower arrangements, he used his skills to examine the flower arrangements during the Plymouth County Fair last summer. Wolf's time spent at that fair made him realize there was a need for basic flower arrangement training...

Arts Center hosts tattoo, body piercing artists (02/05/10)
About 20 square feet of skin covers the average human body. And nearly every inch is the perfect canvas for the artists now on display at Le Mars Arts Center. This is the first time the Arts Center has displayed any type of body art. The exhibit includes about 60 drawings, paintings and graphic art pieces from five Sioux City body artists: George Owings, Tim McKenny, Rob Hill, Richard Jenkins and Emily Evans...

Rewind time at 1960s bash (02/05/10)
Ready to turn back time to the day of hippies, the Beatles and psychedelic grooviness? It's time to bust out your bellbottoms and love beads, the 1960s are making a comeback in Le Mars. The Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce is inviting you to spend an evening in the '60s at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 27 at the Willow Creek Golf Course banquet hall...

Hotel/motel tax dollars may boost fairgrounds, chalk festival (02/03/10)
Twelve local agencies and organizations and the city are likely to be the beneficiaries of $36,033 in local option Hotel/Motel Sales Tax dollars this year. The Le Mars City Council received the requests for annual allocations of the sales tax revenue from the Hotel/Motel Sales Tax Advisory Board at its Tuesday session...

New Honduran president good news for mission group (02/02/10)
Will the inauguration of new Honduran president Porfirio Lobo Sosa mean restoration of the country's international aid, and with that return funding to Mission Honduras Le Mars programs? That's what Richard Seivert, director of Mission Honduras Le Mars and Gehlen Catholic Mission Honduras, believes...

Online photo sales (02/02/10)
If you scroll down the left side of the home page you will find a very full gallery of many photo albums to purchase pictures from.

Are we sending bald eagles back to endangered list? (02/01/10)
Bald eagles are being attacked by an emerging predator. It's in the food they eat. Eagle protection agencies have been seeing eagles that are oddly sick, explained Plymouth County Naturalist Victoria De Vos. "They started testing the blood and they are finding out that they had very high levels of lead -- a neurotoxin," De Vos said. "It was basically paralyzing them in different ways."...

Got a hobby? 75 students present favorite activities (02/01/10)
What do Legos, hamsters and cake decorating all have in common? They are three of the many hobbies presented by 75 fourth graders at Kluckhohn Elementary School during their annual hobby fair. The hobby fair, now in its 13th year, is organized by Kelley Johnson, one of the fourth grade teachers who brought the idea to Kluckhohn. She has actually been doing the fair 17 years...

RAGBRAI to start in Sioux City (02/01/10)
It was close but no banana seat bike for Le Mars for the northwest Iowa overnight stop of RAGBRAI. Announced Saturday, the route of this year's Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa will kick off from Sioux City and run 442 miles with overnights in Storm Lake, Algona, Clear Lake, Charles City, Waterloo, Manchester and the final overnight in Dubuque...

Groomer keeps dogs happy in 'puppy salon' (01/29/10)
Tails wag with happiness as dogs get their pampering trim from Tricia Pippett, owner of Tail Trends, a new dog grooming business in Le Mars. Pippett opened her business Dec. 1, sharing space at Town and Country Veterinary Clinic, but has been doing grooming in Le Mars for 10 years...

Gehlen opens Catholic Schools Week with special Mass (01/29/10)
A Mass at Gehlen Catholic Schools gymnasium at 8:45 a.m. Monday will kick off Catholic Schools Week under the theme, "Dividends for Life." The week will celebrate the life-long impact of a Catholic education. Catholic Schools Week is observed Jan 31 through Feb. 6 and is celebrated by the National Catholic Education Association and schools throughout the Diocese of Sioux City...

Together we can beat the winter blues (01/28/10)
Around 5:30 on Tuesday evening, I was speed walking up the sidewalk to Gehlen, my face staring at the sidewalk in an attempt to keep the cold wind at bay, and all of the sudden I realized - it's still light out! The days are getting longer, the sun is shining (as of Wednesday afternoon) and February is just around the corner...

Children take a look at eye exams (01/28/10)
A visit to the eye doctor was a fun and informative outing for children at Noah's Ark Preschool Wednesday. Optometrist Dr. Becky DeRuyter of Advanced Eye Health located at Wal-Mart in Le Mars gave the students a tour of the exam rooms and explained what happens when someone gets an eye exam...

Jetting off to Cancun? County passport numbers up (01/26/10)
Plymouth County residents have decided it's time for a vacation according to passport numbers at the Plymouth County Recorders office. From the Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2009, residents applied for 173 passport books, which is up from the 80 passport applied for between July 1 to Sept. 30...

Travel not advised on Highway 75, 60 north (01/25/10)
The Iowa Department of Transportation is reporting that travel conditions in northwest Iowa are extremely hazardous. Multiple roadways are being temporarily closed due to a high incidence of traffic crashes, including those involving high-profile vehicles...

County budget cutting begins with conservation, sheriff, fair (01/22/10)
The chopping has begun with the Plymouth County Supervisors starting cuts to make the 2011 budget work. Tuesday, the board agreed to trim back dollars from requests made by county conservation, the sheriff, the county fair, the county libraries and the county museums...

Adults play BINGO, win prizes for library reading challenge (01/21/10)
BINGO: that's the name of the game for the second annual Adult Winter Reading Challenge, which begins Monday, Jan. 25 at the Le Mars Public Library. The challenge, which ends on March 28, is open to ages 18 and older. "We wanted to provide a challenge for people during the winter; we wanted to have them do something they don't normally do," said Sue Kroesche, Director of the Le Mars Public Library...

Cross country skiers head to Le Mars' parks (01/20/10)
Temperatures in the teens, no sun and 24 inches of snow on the ground isn't the ideal setting for most. But for Curt Strathman and Barb Becker, both of Le Mars, those conditions add up to the perfect setting for cross country skiing. Cross country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...

Many hands make a difference: BackPack Program ready to fend off hunger (01/19/10)
It took less than 20 minutes to pack snack bags that will fill 140 Le Mars kids' tummies. The Le Mars BackPack Program officially kicked off Monday with volunteers assembling bags of nutritious snacks that will be delivered weekly to dozens of elementary students...

Le Mars receives $5,000 advertising boost (01/15/10)
The City of Le Mars was awarded $5,000 for advertising the recreation trail, banquet facilities and the new nine holes of the Willow Creek Golf Course. The announcement came Thursday from the Vision Iowa Board, which awards $100,000 each year in Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) dollars for marketing...

Supervisors consider fair, museum requests (01/15/10)
Plymouth County Historical Museum and county fair board officials presented their budget requests for 2010-11 to the board of supervisors Tuesday. Both officials kept their asking amounts the same as those requested for the current 2009-10 fiscal year...

Keepng the glass half-full: Akron holds benefit for young father (01/14/10)
An avid fisherman and hunter. A loving father. An amazing foosball player and friend. Those are just a few ways in which friends and relatives describe 27-year-old Bobby Walrod of Akron. From those descriptions, nobody would know that Bobby has a muscle-deteriorating disease called Friedreich's Ataxia...

Live Healthy Le Mars offers team approach to good health (01/11/10)
Get ready to get in shape in 2010 by participating Live Healthy Le Mars. The 100-day challenge promotes a team approach to weight loss and physical activity. Local sponsors for Live Healthy Le Mars are the Le Mars YMCA, Floyd Valley Hospital and ISU Plymouth County Extension...

Le Mars couple's daughter claims fame as New Year's baby (01/08/10)
Madalyn Kerkmann became a local celebrity Wednesday. She was the first baby born in 2010 at Floyd Valley Hospital. Almost 24-hours old Thursday afternoon, Madalyn was content to lie quietly sucking her pacifier in mom Megan's arms while dad, Casey, sat close...

Margaret Spies looks back at 100 years of living (01/08/10)
Margaret Spies of Merrill, who turns 100 years old Thursday, has packed a lot in her century of living, and her sharp mind recalls many of those experiences in vivid detail. She was born Jan. 14, 1910, in Custer County, Neb., the first child of Herman and Anna Pierce...

Christmas tree pickup begins Monday (01/08/10)
The City of Le Mars is planning to start its annual Christmas tree pickup Monday, weather permitting. "Depending on what happens this weekend, we'll start at 7 a.m. Monday and continue until we've covered the whole town," said Le Mars Public Works Superintendent Steve Hansen...

Facebook safety: Keep predators out and friends in (01/07/10)
If you would have said "I'm going to go check my Facebook" 10 years ago, someone would assume you had a collection of mug shots you needed to thumb through. Fast forward a decade and seemingly everyone is on Facebook, the world's fastest growing social networking website, currently serving more than 350 million people...

Remembering the decade: At home and beyond (01/04/10)
Ten years ago, as the decade turned, we were waiting to see if the Y2K threat was real. While that turned out to be the biggest non-news event of the Aughts (the first decade of the 2000s), there was plenty of headline material to come, tragedy and triumph alike...

Rewind 2009: The good, the bad and the blizzard (12/30/09)
Editor's note: This is the first of two stories recapping 2009's top stories in the Daily Sentinel. Mother Nature put a wet (or white) blanket on Plymouth County's Christmastime plans, nailing northwest Iowa with more than a foot of snow and winds that lowered visibility and drifted roads shut. ...

Chamber, Museum offer New Year's Eve entertainment (12/29/09)
Two New Year's Eve events will offer area residents an opportunity to ring in the new year and also raise money for comunity projects and the preservation of the area's history. New this year is the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce New Year's Eve Dance at the Le Mars Convention Center upper level...

Hospital Christmas dinner a success despite wintery weather (12/28/09)
Despite heavy snowfall, snow covered streets, and blowing and drifting, a healthy crowd still attended Floyd Valley Hospital's Christmas meal last Friday. Kathy Massey, dietary manager at the hospital, estimated about 90 people including hospital staff, were served...

White Christmas: Le Mars gets wrapped under 13-17 inches of snow (12/28/09)
Pounded with more than a foot of snow and whipping winds, Le Mars hunkered down for a very merry blizzard this Christmas. "The snow just kept coming and coming," said Fire Chief Wayne Schipper, who also serves as the city's chief of emergency operations. "But everything went smooth here."...

The Mighty Nish guarantees to keep dancers on their feet (12/28/09)
Thursday, Le Mars will bring in the new year to the sound of rock 'n roll with guitars, drums and an accordion. That's right, an accordion. Hailing from Harlan, Iowa, the Mighty Nish Band will be playing its show from 9 p.m., New Year's Eve, to 1 a.m., New Year's Day for the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce New Year's day celebration...

Daycare has kids thinking of others for Christmas (12/26/09)
During the holiday season, it's easy to get caught up in exchanging gifts with friends and family, especially for children. One Le Mars daycare provider, however, is challenging the kids she cares for to "think outside the box" and give back to others...

When life was simple: For Weber, Christmas was always about family (12/23/09)
Editor's Note: This story is the fourth in a weekly series looking back at life decades ago and remembering a time when people's lifestyle was very different than today. In today's world, Christmas has become largely about consumerism. Just turn on your television and count the holiday commercials trying to sell you something that you "absolutely, without a doubt, need" to put under your tree. ...

Churches hold Christmas Eve, Day services (12/23/09)
Churches in Le Mars and the area have set Christmas Eve services and Christmas Day services to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The following list includes those churches which have shared their service information. Christmas Eve Family Worship with Communion, 4 and 6 p.m...

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