Hands in the dirt

Kaitlyn Herzberg, youth coordinator of the Iowa State Extension & Outreach for Emmet County, announced the start of a junior gardener program to run from mid-May to mid-August this year. The …

Batman sworn in as trustee

Kari Batman, Emmet County Public Health administrator, was sworn in as trustee at the Iowa Lakes Community Board of Trustees monthly meeting Tuesday, March 20 at the SERT building in …

Armstrong Council addresses infrastructure

  ARMSTRONG — The Armstrong City Council at its Tuesday, March 12 meeting dealt with several infrastructure issues and other matters facing the city. City Supervisor Troy …
Local News
A block in Estherville is developing into an early childhood zone. Monday night, the city council heard from a concerned daycare owner. Michelle Howing took over Tiny Treasures Daycare last July …
Editor’s note: This is the final story of a three-part series about adoption in Iowa, focusing on Emmet County. This first part focused on adoption from foster care and the role of methamphetamine …
Emmet County Sheriff Mike Martens told the Emmet County Board of Supervisors at its Tuesday, March 19 meeting he would not seek re-election as sheriff this year. “I will not be seeking a fifth …
Iowa Dist. 5 Sen. Dave Rowley of Spirit Lake and Dist. 9 Rep. Henry Stone of Forest City offered a legislative overview and fielded citizen questions in a Legislative Town Hall meeting Saturday, …
With two rejected bids for the Courthouse west addition in the past eight months, the Emmet County Board of Supervisors aren’t throwing their hands up quite yet in improving Courthouse handicap …
Obituaries
Virgil E West, son of Arthur and Gladys (Juhl) West, was born on the family farm near Estherville, Iowa on March 29, 1934. He passed away at his apartment at Homestead of Estherville on March 19, …
  A celebration of life for Alice Mae Zimmerman, 55, will be from 3-6 p.m., Saturday, March 29, at Bethel Lutheran Church in Graettinger. Alice Mae Zimmerman, daughter of Edward and …
Funeral services for Betty J. Schichtl, 87, of Estherville, were held at 2 p.m., Sunday, March 17, 2024, at Estherville Lutheran Church in Estherville with Pastor Tim Johnson officiating. Interment …
Dora Kay Aldrich, 83, passed away on March 14, 2024 at Good Samaritan Society, Estherville, Ia. She was born near Scibner, Nebraska to Rudolph and Jeannette (Krenzer) Schroedter on April 25, …
Local Sports
Iowa Lakes’ Sam West attempts a reverse layup during play against Macomb last Friday in Danville, Ill.

Lakers’ season ends with tough loss to Monarchs

DANVILLE, Ill. — The Iowa Lakes Men’s Basketball Team nearly overcame a poor shooting day at the free throw line, but came up short in a 92-86 loss to Macomb last Friday in the consolation …

Lakers pick up a win in consolation bracket

DANVILLE, Ill. — After pulling away to take a double digit halftime lead, the Iowa Lakes Men’s Basketball Team never let Monroe Community College back in the game on the way to a 78-60 Laker …

Lakers finish in eighth place in both 16-Yard Singles and Doubles at ACUI/SCTP Nationals

SAN ANTONIO — The Iowa Lakes Sports Shooting Team participated in the 2024 Nationals in San Antonio, Texas last Friday, March 23. The team shot 472x500 to tie for eighth place in division 4 …

Three Titans earn TLC basketball honors

GRAETTINGER — Three Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire basketball players received All Twin Lakes Conference honors for their play during the 2023-24 season. For the GT/RA boys, junior Kasey …
From the opinion pages

Thanking and praising community support of ELC Girls Basketball

To the Editor: The ELC Girls Basketball season has come to a close. The support of our team from the crowds in attendance from the ELC community and the ELC HS Midget Maniacs during the …

Power players in Iowa Senate are aiding and abetting

To the Editor: The Iowa legislature is considering a bill designed to combat “organized retail theft” of property from stores. Lawmakers supporting the measure said they wanted to deter …

Huge Thanks

To the Editor: We had a first hand chance to observe the tremendous efforts of the Wallingford and Estherville Emergency Responders a couple weeks ago. The professionalism and urgency of these men …

Local columns

Second Funnel Survivors in Education

Last week was the end of the second funnel. Any bills that we passed off the House floor and got out of Senate Education committee are still “alive.” Below are some of the bills that survived and …

The Rowley Report

This week (Week of March 18) in the Senate we’ve been exceptionally busy with debate. Iowa being Iowa we had highs of 70 and lows in the teens but now the spring equinox has officially launched …

The Rowley Report

The second funnel week’s purpose is basically the same as the first funnel week, but this time around the Senate is working with House bills, as opposed to Senate bills. This week’s schedule was …