Mammals

Haak raises beetle cleaning crew (03/18/10)
Some people keep collections of preserved bugs as a hobby. Derek Haak, of Maurice, keeps live ones. Thousands of them. But the colonies of dermestid beetles Haak raises aren't just to look at. They've got a job -- a messy one. The beetles clean off animal skulls and bones so hunters like Haak can preserve them...

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."...

Horse tales: Krosch goes from riding to writing (01/06/10)
Driving by Rich Krosch's farm, people might have noticed what looked like a zebra grazing in the pasture. They weren't too far from the truth. Krosch's son Scott wanted to be chosen for the reality TV show "Survivor: Africa." In an effort to get noticed on his video application, Scott borrowed a white mare and painted the horse striped with livestock paint to look like its wild African cousin...

Man's faith sends him on mule journey (10/02/09)
During harvest time, slow moving vehicles are a common sight along Iowa's roadways. Randy Boehmer's mule-drawn covered wagon is not. At a bracing speed of about 5 mph, the Arizona man rode by Le Mars to the north on Highway 60/75 Thursday while making his way from Minnesota to Texas...

Brink inducted into fair's Hall of Fame (08/04/09)
The 2009 Plymouth County Fair Hall of Fame inductee grew up east of Merrill and has a long history with the Plymouth County Fair. Darwin Brink, now of Bronson, Iowa, received the honor Wednesday prior to the crowning of fair royalty. "Darwin has been walking or riding the Plymouth County fairgrounds for the past 70 years," said fair board president Terry Reuter...

Top Fair dairy entries awarded (07/31/09)
Young dairy exhibitors at Thursday night's Plymouth County Fair dairy show may have felt a bit lonely in the ring, but the lack of entries -- there were four in all -- did little to dim the exhibitors' enthusiasm and dedication to proper showmanship...

Raising bucket calves teaches sisters valuable lessons (07/30/09)
Regan and Reyly Plendl participated in their first bucket calf show Wednesday at the Plymouth County Fair. Combing her calf, Spike, prior to the judging, Regan explained her way of teaching Spike how to be led. "I hooked him up behind the 4-wheeler," Regan said. "I went slow."...

Livestock numbers up slightly at 2009 fair (07/28/09)

Open shows move from Round Barn (07/28/09)
Visitors to the 2009 Plymouth County Fair will find the Round Barn Open Class displays in a new location -- the former 4-H Building. With the 4-H displays moving to the Hall of '84, open class Art Show, Creative Hobbies Show, Antiques and Collectibles, and Horticulture, Food and Preservation Show will move to the former 4-H Building...

Hillview offers relaxation in nature, living history (07/02/09)
This is the fourth story in a series of places to have summer fun in Plymouth County. For more than 30 years, Hillview Recreation Area has been a nice getaway for those who want to escape into nature and relax. Whether it is camping, fishing, hiking, swimming or just spending a day with the family, Hillview, about 1 mile west of Hinton, has something for everyone to enjoy -- including observing the county's resident elk herd...

Horsin' around: Merrill Saddle Club going strong after 60 years (06/01/09)
The Merrill Saddle Club is all about riding horses and having fun. Member Deann Henrich's been with the club since childhood. "It's just a lot of fun and the people are great to be around," Henrich said. "When I was little, my mom and everybody in my family rode and they still do ride today."...

Historic tour offers look at pink granite Victorian home (05/07/09)
(Third in a series) Pink granite from quarries around Sioux Falls, S.D., and a location on the curve of Highway 3 West make the Victorian style home at 11 Sixth Ave. S.W. stand out. The house, now owned by Randy and Berdene Barta and home to Berdene's, a reservation-only dining establishment and the Bartas, is one of five stops on the 2009 Historic Tour of Homes and Churches this Saturday...

LCS presents Parade of Bands April 30 (04/28/09)
The Le Mars Community Schools Music Department will hold its annual Parade of Bands concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in the Carey High School Gymnasium. Seniors will be recognized at this concert. The Fifth Grade Band will start the concert with its first performance ever. It will be playing "G-Force Five," "Cardiff Castle" and "Cowboy Cattle Drive."...

New veterinarian has a passion for horses (03/05/09)
A love of horses brings a new veterinarian to Le Mars. Dr. Angela M. Marthaler started working part-time with Dr. John Conley in the Town and Country Veterinary Clinic in October 2008 and has been full-time since the end of January. Marthaler said her desire to locate in the Le Mars/Sioux City area and Conley's reputation as a veterinarian, plus his work with horses, made the job a good fit...

Bikers to deliver toys to local children (12/04/08)
A line of motorcycles stretched over the horizon, the rumble of a hundred V-twin engines made cattle in the fields wonder what could cause such a ruckus. The biker group traveled over 100 miles through farmland and winding roads of the Loess Hills -- followed the whole way by a truck loaded to the brim with children's toys...

Elk to be sold at auction Nov. 15 (11/14/08)
Another elk is up for sale Saturday. The Plymouth County Conservation Board plans to remove one mature cow from the elk herd at Hillview Recreation Area. The oldest cow will be sold at a 2 p.m. auction. The cow could not be sold at an auction in September as it had a calf. That calf is now weaned...

Watch your mailboxes: ECO Center fundraising begins (11/03/08)
Efforts to raise money for an Education Conservation Opportunities (ECO) Center are steaming forward. The Plymouth County Conservation Board and Plymouth County Conservation Foundation met earlier this week and came up with two fundraising ideas. Foundation members will pay for a direct mailing to Plymouth County residents explaining the project and asking for donations to help build the ECO Center...

New building site for ECO Center could hold down costs (08/14/08)
The Plymouth County Conservation Board on Tuesday designated a new site for its proposed Education and Conservation Opportunities (ECO) Center that could help reduce project costs. Dennis Sohl, Plymouth County Conservation director, said the center will be built adjacent to the Elk Overlook Parking Area in Hillview Park...

Ohlrichs shows champion market beef (07/28/08)
Denton Ohlrichs made his debut appearance as a showman at the Plymouth County Fair beef show on Friday. It was a day the 10-year-old Merrill boy will never forget. His chances for winning the grand champion market beef trophy looked good after the two steers he showed took top places in both divisions during the show. Those steers competed with the champion heifer, shown by Colton Beaulieu, Sioux City, and the champion performance beef, shown by Mitchell Hoefling, Merrill...

New compactor will squeeze more years out of landfill (03/26/08)
It weighs more than eight large elephants. It can pulverize more than half a ton of garbage and squeeze it into the size of two suitcases. And the new garbage compactor at the Plymouth County landfill will add around 15 years of life to the dump. That's according to Mark Kunkel, the landfill manager...

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