The Okoboji City Council took no action last week on a developer's request for tax abatement regarding the proposed Okoboji Heights project — a mixed-use development just north of city hall.

The developer had hoped to cite the abated property taxes as local support while pursuing a state grant for the project. It's unclear at this point whether the project will move forward.

Employees of the local Polaris and Indian Motorcycle facility in Spirit Lake hosted U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra the afternoon of April 12. Feenstra saw the manufacturing plant's operations up close and spoke with its workers during a tour of his congressional district's 39 counties. Feenstra described the plant as phenomenal.

"It's so impressive to see a manufacturing facility like this in Spirit Lake, Iowa, employing over 500 workers," Feenstra said.

For more than a century, curious minds have come to Arnolds Park from far and wide to see the former log cabin home of Abbie Gardner Sharp, where part of the Spirit Lake Massacre took place in 1857. Gardner converted the cabin into a museum in 1891 and ran it as a tourist attraction for about 30 years. After her death, her grandson Albert took on the task, using hand-colored glass slides to tell his grandmother's tale.

Emergency personnel had to remove a passenger from a truck by mechanical means after the vehicle collided with a tractor Wednesday morning west of Terril, but no major injuries were reported.

Some Okoboji Elementary students gazed past the playground fence in amazement Wednesday morning as area firefighters worked to contain a house fire behind the school's district office. The residents were not home at the time, but some areas of the house saw substantial damage.

Proposed changes to speed limits in the city of Orleans have been an issue for about three years and gone through approximately nine different permutations, according to Orleans Mayor Bill Maas. But the mayor said a split vote during Monday night's city council meeting may be the first step in addressing the matter.

August often consumes the attention of many educators as a new school year gets underway. But for Harris-Lake Park's Middle School/High School Principal, it will also come with some special recognition.

A Lake Park man has pleaded guilty to one of two felony charges stemming from a fatal UTV rollover in July of 2020 in Osceola County.

Christoper Michael Bosma was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide — one for reckless driving and the other for operating the UTV while under the influence of alcohol. The rollover resulted in the death of 34-year-old Kelsie Kae Sturm of Lake Park. Sturm's obituary information referred to Bosma as her boyfriend.

An international leadership role wasn't on Kathy Fahy's mind when her hometown Rotary Club sponsored her time in New South Wales, Australia, some 25 years ago. But she took opportunities as they came and found herself in the same Australian state once again last month — representing the international service organization's president during a district convention there March 18-21 in the community of Temora.

The months-long search for a new CEO of Arnolds Park Amusement Park officially came to a close Friday, and it turned out the park's board didn't have to look far — about a half-mile up Broadway Street, as a matter of fact.

The board announced Jon Pausley, executive director of the Okoboji Bible Conference for nearly four years, will be filling the role come May 1.

Second thief suspected of helping steal car, trailer and audio equipment

A Spencer man was charged last month in connection with the theft of several items —totaling almost $30,000 — from storage units in Arnolds Park.

There are many ways to purify water — sunlight, osmosis, filtration — but when it comes to more remote areas of the world, Earl Ratcliff suggests salt, or rather the chlorine it contains.

By Seth Boyes - News Editor

A Lake Park man has been found guilty of all but two charges filed against him after he was accused of sexually abusing two of his young relatives — both under the age of 12.

Elijah Samuel Paulson waived his right to a trial by jury in a November motion, and Iowa Third Judicial District Court Judge Don E. Courtney filed a verdict on March 14.

The Iowa Department of Transportation now has agreements from both Lakes Area cities which will be directly impacted by an upcoming highway repaving project.

Trial dates have been scheduled for both suspects accused in the October murder of David McDowell of Estherville.