Recreational Sports

Open house set for LCS additions, renovation (09/30/08)
An open house at the Le Mars Community Middle and High Schools will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. The open house provides the public an opportunity to tour the new middle school gymnasium, the three new technology enhanced classrooms at the high school, and the renovations that were completed in the high school following the move of the superintendent's office...

Gehlen Catholic celebrates Homecoming 2008 (09/29/08)
Gehlen Catholic Schools' 2008 Homecoming 2008 theme is "Stuff the Eagles." A full week of activities is planned culminating in a coronation ceremony and the football game Friday when the Gehlen Jays host the Marcus-Meriden Cleghorn Eagles. The week began with the Homecoming Liturgy service at 8:45 a.m. today (Monday), with special guests The Rev. Gene Sitzmann and the Rev. Rick Sitzmann, priests who graduated in 1953, the last class at St. Joseph School...

Saggau shares stories of inspiration to motivate students (09/26/08)
"Make good choices" was the message Bernie Saggau shared with Le Mars students in grades four through 12 Thursday. "The freedom of choice is to be what you want to be," Saggau said. "The more education you have, the more choices you have." Saggau, past executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSSA), was invited by Le Mars Community Schools (LCS) to talk about his life experiences to inspire LCS and Gehlen Catholic School students...

Group wants to address dangerous pedestrian spots (09/26/08)
Colleen Bortscheller spends a lot of time biking. She likes cycling to work or heading to the recreation trail for a ride. But one place she doesn't like to bike is 12th Street Southwest in Le Mars. "I think it's very hazardous, not only for students walking or biking to school, but also adults," Bortscheller said...

Roadblocks coming down on rec trail progress (09/23/08)
The completion of the 9-mile recreation trail around Le Mars is on the horizon after being pushed back more than a year. The walking and biking trail, which stretches from the south near Wells' Dairy's corporate campus north beyond the little league ball diamonds, then east around the golf course, still has a segment to be completed...

Hinton School Board steps closer to using eminent domain (09/22/08)
Last week Hinton School Board members moved forward to possibly try to obtain agricultural land through eminent domain by scheduling a public hearing in November. "It's a necessary step before we would be able to actually pursue the possible use of eminent domain," said Robert Held, Hinton School Board president...

AmeriCorps team preps Loess Hills for bison (09/11/08)
Men and women ages 18-24 from across the nation are building fences, restoring grasslands and helping with research in the Loess Hills through Oct. 2. The 10-member AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team, has been working in the Broken Kettle Grasslands and Five Ridge Prairie in Plymouth County since August...

Racers battle for place in Le Mars triathlon (09/08/08)
It was a close finish at the second annual Le Mars Sprint Triathlon. The winner, Darin Wadley, 38, of Vermillion, S.D., finished in less than an hour with Jourdan Clark, 17, of Freemont, Neb., following only two seconds behind him at 58:20 to claim second place...

Le Mars Country Dancers encourage people to dance into lessons (09/08/08)
Steps, kicks, turns, counts, patterns -- ever wanted to learn country-style line or couples' dancing? If so, the Le Mars Country Dancers can help. Volunteers give beginner, intermediate and advanced dance lessons to singles and couples from 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays, September through May. They meet in the upper level dance hall at the Le Mars Eagles Club. All ages are welcome...

Triathletes race through Le Mars Saturday (09/04/08)
About 130 people are already signed up to swim, bike and run in the Le Mars Sprint Triathlon this Saturday. The number of participants in the second annual event is up from last year, according to event coordinator Angela Loutsch of the YMCA. "We have people coming from Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri," she said...

Questions answered on school levy issue (08/29/08)
Two public information meetings brought approximately 75 Le Mars Community School District residents out to learn about the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) Wednesday and Thursday evenings. A vote on whether to implement the levy will be held on Sept. 9, the same day as school board elections...

Wolf in the window becomes Hinton landmark (08/28/08)
Nick Bogenrief, a glass artist in Hinton, is in the business of making beautiful windows. But it's what is behind the window of a storage shed behind his shop that brings people from all over driving down the alley. Flashing white teeth bared in a scowl, and glassy yellow eyes glare out at passersby...

Actors wanted: Auditions for "The Turn of the Worm" coming soon (08/28/08)
Looking to make the stage in a live theater production? Come out and audition for the comedy "The Turn of the Worm," a production by the Le Mars Community Theatre with run dates at the end of October. Five actors, three men, two mature and one young, and three females, two mature and one young, are needed to help bring the characters to life...

Tipi Village brings history to life for music lovers (08/27/08)
Visitors can travel back in time to the 1800s through Tipi Village this week at the Old Time Country and Bluegrass Music Festival. Construction of Tipi Village started Tuesday in Pioneer Village at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds as village people began erecting canvas tents and tepees...

'Pride Night' promotes school activities Monday (08/22/08)
"Pride Night" will be shining with school colors Monday as students, parents, and fans from Le Mars Community and Gehlen Catholic Schools celebrate their schools and extra-curricular activities students participate in. "Pride Night will kick off the new school year and promote school unity. Pride Night is a great way for Le Mars area residents to show their support for Gehlen Catholic and Le Mars Community students," KLEM Radio operations director Dave Ruden said. There is no admission charge...

IRCC Toy Run set for Saturday (08/22/08)
Motorcycle enthusiasts are invited to gear up for the 17th Annual Toy Run Saturday. People can register from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at The Panhead in Marcus for the Independent Riders for Children and Charities (IRCC) event. The group will leave The Panhead at 1 p.m., ride through the area and end up at the Icky Nickel, in Sioux City...

Leaving behind her comfort zone (08/21/08)
When Jaclyn Ver Mulm packed her bags for China this summer, she had two things on her mind: visiting her sister and catching some of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. But more was in store for the young woman from Le Mars during her three-month stay in the country...

Hinton School Board looks into legal options to obtain land (08/19/08)
Hinton Community School Board members discussed Monday the possibility of using eminent domain to obtain land on which to construct a new elementary school and gymnasium. The school board decided to find out more about steps necessary to obtain 8 acres adjacent to the current school from property owners, Kevin and Annette Held, through eminent domain...

Theater fundraiser takes trip down musical memory lane (08/18/08)
"Hello Dolly," "If I Were a Rich Man," "Prepare Ye the Way." Those familiar tunes and others will be featured in the Le Mars Community Theatre's "Musical Memories" biennial fundraiser Friday and Saturday. "We went through all the musicals in the past and looked at the ones that had songs that would be fairly familiar to the audience," said Marlene Fitzpatrick, co-producer of the fundraiser. "We asked people who have been in musicals in previous years (to perform)."...

Volunteers needed for sprint to triathlon finish line (08/15/08)
Swim. Bike. Run. Get ready for the Le Mars Sprint Triathlon Saturday, Sept. 6. "Last year we had 120 participants from about six states," said Angela Loutsch, Le Mars aquatics director. "It's another form of introducing and encouraging multiple sport athletics."...

New teachers prepare for first day at Gehlen Catholic School (08/14/08)
Gehlen Catholic Schools are welcoming three new faces to their faculty for the 200-2009 school year. A new Spanish teacher, a math teacher and an English teacher are preparing their classrooms for students' first day next week. Elizabeth Rogers Elizabeth Rogers of Blair, Neb. will start her teaching career at Gehlen Catholic High School this fall. A recent graduate of Northwestern College in Orange City, Rogers will teach high school Spanish levels 1-4...

Japanese students learn Iowa life from local families (08/13/08)
Brian and Sarah Kehm have an extra sister in their house for a month. She's 16. She likes to shop. She likes pop music and video games. And she's a black belt in karate. Shoko Harashima, a Japanese teen, is living with the David and Janet Kehm family for most of August. She's part of a group of 26 Japanese students living with 4-H families in Iowa from July 24 to Aug. 21. Five of those 4-H families are in Plymouth County...

Saving lives one night at a time (08/11/08)
Keith Garner, once retired, has an interesting nightlife. He saves people's lives. Garner isn't a caped crusader or masked marvel, but when the M.D. slips on his white jacket and steps into Floyd Valley Hospital's emergency room, he becomes a man of action...

Trail paves the way for recreation (08/08/08)
Delores Lancaster regularly walks on a recreation trail looping around Le Mars. And she's not the only one. People jogging, walking, biking, exercising dogs, in-line skating -- all use the trail. Even though it isn't complete yet, officials are working to finish its final section, which will complete the nearly 9-mile circuit...

Pedal power: How bike-friendly is Le Mars? (08/08/08)
Around the nation, store managers are reporting that more people are picking up bikes to get around. At Wal-Mart in Le Mars, demand has increased for bicycles lately, according to Don Terry, toy department manager. "More people are wanting to get a bike to bike to work and do in-town riding," he said...

Building on education: LCS addition nearly complete (08/07/08)
With only two weeks until school starts, teachers and staff at Le Mars Community High School and Middle School are busy putting the finishing touches on moves to new classroom space and computer labs and looking forward to the new middle school gymnasium...

Fairgrounds get a touch-up from Boy Scouts (08/07/08)
For Boy Scouts, Eagle Scout is the highest rank they can achieve. Zack Gaul and Zack Nemmers, of Troop No. 184, decided to spruce up parts of the Plymouth County Fairgrounds to obtain that rank. Eagle Scouts must demonstrate they live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives, earn a total of 21 merit badges, and serve actively in a position of responsibility for six months...

Loess Hills' recreation opportunities to be studied (08/06/08)
A $60,000 grant will help pay for a Loess Hills Recreation Plan Study that could be used to develop new recreation activities like biking and hiking trails, boating, golfing and fishing, wetlands and wildlife watching in that area. The Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) will provide the grant throughout two years toward the study, which is expected to start later this year and be completed by the end of 2009...

Wanna catch the PIGS? (08/06/08)
A group of tandem bikers will hit Le Mars this weekend. More than 35 duos are signed up for the Paired Iowans Going Somewhere (PIGS) Le Mars rally. If you want to see them pedaling along, you might catch them on these days: Friday, Aug. 8th 5 p.m. depart Holiday Inn Express in Le Mars along bike trail heading toward Ice Cream Capital of the World ice cream parlor...

Iowa athletes compete in Beijing for 2008 Olympics (08/05/08)
Iowa may be about 6,000 miles from Beijing, China, but starting this week, Iowa will have a presence in the 2008 Olympic hub. More than 10 athletes from Iowa or with Iowa connections are arriving in the Chinese capital this week to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics, which run Aug 8-24...

Bike group will make Le Mars see double (08/04/08)
Daniel and Donna Pond enjoy biking together. On the same bike. The Le Mars couple bought a tandem bike three years ago and liked it so much they joined a tandem bike club dubbed Paired Iowans Going Somewhere, or PIGS for short. This month they are inviting PIGS to Le Mars for a three-day bike tour...

Life Skills quilt auction sets new record (07/30/08)
A new record, both number of quilts and dollars raised, was set at the 12th annual Life Skills Foundation Quilt Auction Saturday in Century Hall at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds. The 56 items on the auction block raised $11,805 for the Life Skills Foundation...

Locals find garden oddities (07/30/08)
There's always a little mystery in gardening -- watching black earth give way to thriving vines and leafy rows of vegetables. But some gardens have a little more of the unusual to offer. Take Angela Von Hagel, for example. When the Brunsville woman went out to her garden last month and checked on her potatoes, she had a surprise waiting for her...

Help ahead for 102-year-old Akron opera house (07/29/08)
Akron's opera house has weathered many changes since it opened in 1906. Now another phase is planned for the building that towers over the town's main street. "My head spun for two weeks just thinking about this," Akron Community Theater President Doug Olson said Monday evening while discussing upcoming plans for the theater...

Rain doesn't dampen enthusiasm for fair (07/28/08)
Despite a burned extension cord at the Round Barn and a rainy start, the Plymouth County Fair went off without a hitch. Terry Reuter, fair board president, said there was a minor incident Friday at the Round Barn when an outside extension cord hanging in front of a spotlight lens heated up...

Out of the ring: Behind the Scenes of Impact Pro Wrestling (07/24/08)
What do you do after your "nine to five" job is over? Let's say instead of just heading home, you traded your work boots or suit and tie in for some spandex or a mask. For the members of Impact Pro Wrestling, this scenario is reality. Wednesday evening before their electrifying show at the Plymouth County Fair, I was given a taste of what it takes to be wrestler on the lower professional circuit...

Life Skills auction has special quilts (07/24/08)
It may be warm outside, but thoughts will turn to quilts Saturday for the annual Life Skills Foundation Charity Quilt Auction at 2 p.m. in Century Hall on the Plymouth County Fairgrounds. Fifty-three quilts, including pieced, appliqu�d, embroidered, frayed, hand-quilted, machine-quilted and tied, all of various sizes, as well as crocheted afghans will be on the auction block...

Runners bring World Harmony flame to Le Mars (07/17/08)
The Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor is usually a cool place. But on Wednesday afternoon a flame blazed there. Three torch runners, one from Scotland, one from Australia and one from the Czech Republic, stopped in Le Mars during the Iowa leg of the World Harmony Run...

Hinton residents debate future home for new elementary (07/17/08)
By a show of hands the majority of more than 100 Hinton residents expressed a desire Tuesday to build a new elementary adjacent to the town's existing school. The Hinton School Board met with the public Tuesday to receive comments from the people as to their thoughts concerning the district's plans to construct a new pre-Kindergarten through third grade elementary school and competitive gymnasium...

Farrer says fair is five best days of summer (07/16/08)
When you think of livestock at the Plymouth County Fair, rabbits and poultry may not be the steer or swine you were imagining. Thirteen-year-old Grady Farrer would disagree. The owner of rabbits, chickens and pheasants, Farrer believes that poultry and rabbits are where the real livestock shows occur...

It's 'fair or bust' for the Ludwig family (07/14/08)
(Editor's note: This is the first in a series of stories about families preparing for the upcoming Plymouth County Fair) In less than two weeks the Ludwig's family van will journey to the Plymouth County fairgrounds filled with 4-H baked goods, dogs, a homemade hurdle and coffee table, plus the five Ludwig children and a kitten, if there's room...

Hinton school hosts public meeting on proposed expansion (07/01/08)
Hinton Community School is looking at building a new early elementary building and gym, and now officials want to hear what the public has to say. The school board will host a public meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 15 in the school gym to give an update on the proposed pre-Kindergarten through third grade building and competitive gymnasium, anticipated to cost more than $7.5 million...

Teams and survivors pound track for Relay For Life (06/09/08)
Clear skies and warm weather greeted participants at the 2008 Plymouth County Relay for Life event Friday evening and held through the Saturday morning closing at 7 a.m. Plymouth County cancer survivors made their traditional survivor lap, each wearing a light purple T-shirt in recognition of their survivorship...

Relay For Life ready to walk (06/05/08)
The 12th Annual Plymouth County Relay For Life kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday, June 6, with opening ceremonies at Jim Lorenzen Field. While teams will be walking from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday, the public is encouraged to attend activities throughout the evening as a part of the county's fundraising event for the American Cancer Society...

Pat Winter is 2008 Relay For Life honorary chair (06/05/08)
Pat Winter of Le Mars was once a volunteer for the American Cancer Society. Now as a cancer survivor, she is thankful for the work of the American Cancer Society and will serve as the honorary chair for the 2008 Plymouth County Relay For Life. "I'm honored to be chosen," said Winter, "and I'm glad for the Relay For Life event in our county. We all hope for a cure."...

School the latest hit in string of graffiti vandalism (06/05/08)
Spray paint on the new construction at the Le Mars Community Middle School and the football stadium may cost the school nearly a thousand dollars. Le Mars Police Officers arrived on the scene to find graffiti on some of the new cement sidewalk and new brick of the middle school addition plus on the concession stand, ticket booth and stop sign near Jim Lorenzen Field...

Local athletes compete in Special Olympics (06/03/08)
Two young women from Le Mars put on their racing shoes to compete at the 2008 Special Olympics State Summer Games at the end of last month and came home with honors. Crystal Brannan and Julie Johnson, both residents at a Plymouth Life waiver home in Le Mars, competed in the 50 meter dash at the Special Olympics which were held May 22-24 at Iowa State University in Ames...

12th annual Relay For Life set for Jim Lorenzen Field (06/02/08)
More than 20 teams will take to the track at Jim Lorenzen Field in Le Mars as part of the 12th Annual Plymouth County Relay For Life this Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7. While teams will be walking from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday, the public is encouraged to attend activities throughout the evening as a part of the county's fundraising event for the American Cancer Society...

Six county residents on the ballot June 3 (05/30/08)
Voters will go to the polls for the primary election Tuesday, June 3, to pick candidates from their party to face off in the November general election. Six Plymouth County residents are running for county offices. On the Republican side, Mark Loutsch and incumbent John Schneider are competing for the District 2 seat on the county board of supervisors. ...

Youth football league kicks off this year (05/19/08)
A youth tackle football league that will give students in third through sixth grade a chance to suit up and play against area teams is starting late this summer in Le Mars. The league is a full-pad tackle football league for boys and girls with practice beginning Aug. 11...