Women's Cycling

Optimist Club impacts 25 years worth of children (03/12/10)
Twenty-five years ago this week, a group of locals came together to make a difference for youth. Since then, thousands of young people in Le Mars have been reached by the Le Mars Optimist Club. "We've made an impact," said Jerry Haack, founding president of the club. "Over the past 20-some years, we've touched every kid in this town in a positive way."...

Cyclists hope bike safety bill pedals through Legislature (03/04/10)
Last year a Plymouth County woman was hurt after being struck by a beer can while riding her bicycle along a country road. Erin Schroeder still gets butterflies in her stomach when she climbs on her bike. She hopes a proposed bicycle safety bill in the Iowa House of Representatives moves forward to help protect cyclists on the roadways...

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...

YMCA's swim team makes a splash with local youth (01/14/10)
Eight-year-old Abigail Johnson has been swimming since she was 4. That's why she's happy to be a member of the YMCA's Le Mars Stingrays Swim Team. "I like to swim laps -- it makes you very tired," Abigail said after practice Tuesday at the Le Mars YMCA...

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. ...

Olympic champion returns to roots: Jennie Finch headlines Pink Ribbon Night (10/30/09)
You won't find too many natives of Southern California who enjoy the smell of a cattle farm. But Jennie Finch is not your typical California girl. "It's funny how you appreciate the smell of cows and cornfields," said Finch, a softball pitcher for Team USA and a two-time Olympian, said in Le Mars Thursday. ...

Domestic violence: Men can also be victims (10/27/09)
In reported cases of domestic violence, men are more often found to be abusers and women victims -- but that's not always the truth. "Can men be victims? Yes they can," said Cathy Van Maanen, Council on Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence (CSADV) outreach coordinator for Plymouth County...

Men in red shoes to create awareness Saturday (10/08/09)
Twenty-six men will "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" Saturday to raise awareness for Domestic Violence. The male volunteers, wearing women's red heels, will talk to diners about the importance of men being more involved in stopping violence against women from 5-9 p.m. at 4 Brothers Bar & Grill, 1430 Twin Rivers Blvd., Le Mars...

Jennie Finch headlines Pink Ribbon Night in Le Mars (10/02/09)
World champion softball pitcher Jennie Finch will be the keynote speaker at Floyd Valley Hospital's seventh annual "Pink Ribbon Night" Thursday, Oct 29, at the Le Mars Convention Center. The event celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness Month. "This is the first year for a big name speaker," said Kari Daale, Community Health Education Assistant at Floyd Valley Hospital...

Men will strap on women's shoes to create awareness (09/25/09)
Nearly 30 local men will step into women's fancy red heels next month to raise Domestic Violence awareness as they "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes." These male volunteers will be showing off their footwear while emphasizing the importance of men being more involved in stopping violence against women at the Oct. 10 event...

Cycling club adds bike racks downtown (09/16/09)
The Plymouth County Cyclists Club is installing more places to lock up bikes around downtown Le Mars this month. The club has ordered 12 bike poles to install downtown along Central Avenue. The bike poles are a metal pole with a ring on top that allows two bikes to be locked...

Holy rolling for hunger: Pastors cycle across U.S. (08/05/09)
A group of pastors are fighting hunger, but not from the pulpit. Instead of waiting for people to come to church, they're bringing the message to them on a bamboo bicycle built for three. Hitting every corner of the country, three Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) pastors and their support team from West Virginia put thousands of miles behind them to raise awareness of world hunger and how people can respond...

Bicyclists can now pedal in marked roadway lanes (07/09/09)
Bicycle lanes are showing up on streets throughout Le Mars. The 5-foot-wide paths are part of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) project to make city streets safer for bicyclists. Dr. Wayne Marty, a Plymouth County Cyclist member, and others worked to obtain support from the public and the City of Le Mars to create the bike lanes...

Hawks pound eight hits in win over Knights (07/06/09)
Remsen St. Mary's battled through a rainy Friday evening to notch a 7-5 victory over Unity Christian on the road in Orange City. "It was raining and it was wet," RSM coach Brad Gralheer said. Jennifer Feller took the win in the War Eagle Conference softball matchup, surrendering five runs - two earned - on five hits and one walk. The junior starter fanned five in the victory...

Ice Cream Days 2009 Schedule of Events (06/15/09)
THURSDAY, JUNE 18 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. "Cone Sculptures" crafted by area artists in various media for outdoor exhibit at The Arts Center, 200 Central Avenue SE. Sculptures will be auctioned to public bidders for private placement around Le Mars. 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Ice-cold root beer floats in the 1940's Miller's Leech diner, "Milestone Memories" exhibit of historic wedding dresses, five floors of history at the Plymouth County Historical Museum, 335 1st Avenue SW. Free admission...

Plymouth County Cyclists sponsor Tour de Plymouth 2009 (06/12/09)
Plymouth County Cyclists announce their second annual invitational bicycle ride, Tour de Plymouth 2009. The ride will be held June 20 during Le Mars Ice Cream Days. Registration for the ride is from 7 to 8 a.m. in the Hy-Vee parking area at 1201 12th Ave. S.W. in Le Mars...

LCS board hears request to sell Camp Quest property (06/11/09)
A Le Mars resident is asking the Le Mars Community School Board to consider selling property it owns east of Le Mars. Clark Goodchild asked the board to consider selling the property known as Camp Quest for several reasons. As he has passed by the property in the last few years, Goodchild said he sees it "as one big liability," referring to the terrain and condition of the facilities...

Skateboarder, rock band, more on the way to Ice Cream Days (06/05/09)
Professional free style skateboarder Tim Byrne, BMX pro biker Vic Murphy, hip-hop entertainer Heath McNease and rock band Me in Motion will be lighting up Olson Cultural Event Center Friday, June 19, during Ice Cream Days. The free show runs from 6:30 to 10 p.m...

Letters from war: WWII claimed Le Mars teen's life, his memory lives on (05/22/09)
Like any other 18-year-old, Norm DeJager liked talking about girls, basketball and cars. But the Le Mars teen's letters to buddy Lolan Cronin during World War II also talked about 15-mile hikes and gun training DeJager was going through in the U.S. Army...

Bicyclists plan Ride of Silence in Le Mars (05/18/09)
This week Le Mars area cyclists will have the opportunity to participate in the annual Ride of Silence Wednesday evening, May 20. The Ride of Silence is a slow-paced bicycle ride that will occur in hundreds of locations world wide to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways...

Ride your bike: It's cheap and it's cool (05/13/09)
Biking is a realistic choice for transportation. And a cool one. Plymouth County Cyclists brought this message to students from Kissinger and Kluckhohn Elementary schools Tuesday. Club member Wayne Marty demonstrated the physics of how much less energy it takes to transport one person by bicycle versus by car...

LCS board acts on terminations, resignations (05/12/09)
The Le Mars Community Schools Board of Education took action on one of three teacher contract terminations on its agenda Monday night. The terminations are the result of action taken earlier by the board to reduce two middle school positions and one elementary position due to budget reductions needed for the 2009-10 school year...

Florida cyclist puts in $500 to help hit-and-run victim (05/04/09)
A Florida man is willing to put up $500 of his own money to help find the individual who threw a full beer can at cyclist Erin Schroeder and caused her bike to crash on a Plymouth County road. Joe Mizereck, an avid cyclist in Tallahassee, Fla., came across Schroeder's story online...

Rockets best Westerners, Falcons in triangular (05/04/09)
The Remsen-Union boys and girls golf teams each picked up a pair of victories and had both medalists on Friday as they travelled to Akron to golf against Akron-Westfield and West Sioux. The R-U boys scored a 182 as a team - good enough to defeat the host Westerners (192) and visiting West Sioux (202). The Rockets were led by medalist Colin Sonnichsen who shot a 39...

Bike club offers reward for information on cycle crash (04/27/09)
She remembers the car whizzing by her bicycle on K-64. She remembers a huge impact on her left side. She was struck by a full can of beer and maybe a car. Then her memory goes black. The next thing Erin Schroeder saw as she regained consciousness sprawled in the lane of oncoming traffic, was a full can of beer, spinning around on the pavement...

Seven LCS seniors recognized at Foundation Honors Banquet (04/22/09)
Seven Le Mars Community High School seniors, the top 5 percent of the graduating class of 2009, were recognized for academic excellence at the 14th Annual Foundation Honors Banquet April 17. Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt made the presentation of the students, who he said are not only outstanding students, but also involved in so many activities that make Le Mars Community, in his opinion, one of the the top high schools in the area...

Fashion: Slip into spring and have a slice of summer (04/13/09)
Those of us who run out in the yard, get on our knees and kiss the first beautiful green blade of grass may understand why big bold color is blossoming in this season. Spring is here, ladies and gentlemen, and summer is soon to come. And one look at the clothing stores proves it...

Goodwill employee discovers designer bag or lookalike in donations (03/10/09)
Sometimes the Goodwill Industries employees stumble across something big when they're sorting through donations. A Black Hills gold bracelet. A Calvin Klein prom dress. Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses. But when Goodwill Industries employee Malinda Farmer saw the handbag, she knew it was something good...

Rock and roll: Don't mess with the Roller Dames (03/09/09)
Someone's been skating in the basement of the jail. Stephanie Hoppe, married and the mother of two, works as a Plymouth County jailer. But in her off time, the Le Mars woman laces up her rollerskates and becomes one bad dude. Hoppe skates with the Sioux City Roller Dames, a full-contact roller derby team. Her skating name: Felony Convixen...

Coaches earn recognition for 'Coaching Boys into Men' (02/23/09)
During last year's football and cross country season male athletes learned not only how to throw a ball or run a mile but how to respect girls. Le Mars Community Schools' Jim Boyd, head football coach and counselor, and Al Engebretson, head cross country middle and high school coach and a math teacher at LCMS, participated in a nationwide program "Coaching Boys into Men."...

Benefit for fair board member exceeds expectations (01/19/09)
Akron-Westfield FFA Alumni members hoped for a good turnout at their benefit for fellow member Jeff Klemme on Saturday night. The results far outweighed their expectations. "We raised more than six times what we hoped for," Randy Kroksh, one of the benefit organizers said...

Huitink not ready to hang up his robe yet (01/09/09)
He doesn't change in phone booths or have a sidekick in spandex, but northwest Iowa judge Terry Huitink has created a legacy of justice. Huitink, of Ireton, retired from the Iowa Court of Appeals last month and was honored Thursday at a celebration in the Sioux County Courthouse...

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...

Local coaches encourage players to respect women (12/01/08)
Two Le Mars Community Schools Coaches and athletes participated in a research project, "Coaching Boys into Men," a worldwide program intended to teach athletes to respect women. The program was sponsored by both the Family Violence Prevention Fund and the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention, in North Sioux City, S.D...

Local gymnasts vault their way to state (11/25/08)
A group of local gymnasts earned a place among the competition at Iowa's State Gymnastic Meet this December. Eight gymnasts from The Turn Around in Le Mars qualified for the Iowa State Gymnastic Competition in Sioux City Dec. 12-13. The 7- to 15-year-olds compete throughout the year at meets in Iowa and neighboring states to try to earn a state-qualifying score...

Supervisors give stamp of a approval to Merrill urban renewal (11/19/08)
An urban renewal area around and in Merrill became a reality Tuesday. Following a public hearing, the Plymouth County Supervisors approved an urban renewal district to encompass the entire city of Merrill and around Plymouth Energy ethanol plant, Plymouth Oil, a food-grade oil plant and Midwest PMS, the liquid cattle feed mill...

County solidifies help for Girls Inc. (11/11/08)
Girls Inc., a Sioux City nonprofit providing programs encouraging girls to develop self-esteem and productive life goals, officially received a helping hand from Plymouth County last week. The Plymouth County Supervisors, after a public hearing, unanimously approved allowing Girls Inc. to pass $4.3 million in bonds through the county. The money will help Girls Inc. build a new activity center in Sioux City...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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