It was a double-whammy for the Iowa Navy Commodores last week, as they attended both the grand opening of Kiba Studios and the reopening of Carpet One in Spirit Lake. Carpet One has been operating out of its Spirit Lake location since 2006, but the company's roots extend back to a hardware store the Bierl family opened in Carroll in 1954.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently discovered Eurasian watermilfoil growing throughout the canals near Miller’s Bay and The Harbor canals on West Lake Okoboji in Dickinson County. Brittle naiad was also found in the Triboji lagoon. No Eurasian watermilfoil or brittle naiad was found in the main lake of West Okoboji or the other lakes in the Iowa Great Lakes chain.

Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative is excited to announce its board of directors selected Ryan Craig as its new president and chief executive officer. Craig will assume his new role beginning Sept. 11, 2023.

Iowa Lakes Community College recently announced the addition of a state-of-the-art Clevertouch computer to its Emmetsburg campus library. The upgrade was made possible by a mini-grant of $1,184 awarded by the Palo Alto County Gaming Development Corporation. This grant has enabled the college to enhance its technological capabilities and foster interactive learning experiences for students and community members.

Registration is open for the University of Okoboji Oktoberfest Bean Bag Toss Tournament. The public is invited to join in on the fall fun in Preservation Plaza on Saturday, Sept. 30 and enjoy live music, games activities and more.

The Dickinson County Trails have been awarded a $5,000 matching grant from the Okoboji Foundation as the top fundraiser during the annual July Nonprofit Partner Challenge.

More than $39,000 was raised throughout the challenge by various agency partner funds of the foundation during the month of July. The Dickinson County Trails secured nearly $22,000 in donations to their fund, earning the fund a grant of $5,000 from the Okoboji Foundation, as the challenge winner.

We’ve received a few calls lately at the Spirit Lake Public Library from people trying to find a specific gravesite at one of the area cemeteries. We have several resources to help with this.

Zeejay Xander Zaxton, age 18, of Spirit Lake was charged with simple assault at approximately 4:32 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3 in the 1900 block of Boston Avenue in Spirit Lake. Court records indicated Zaxton had struck a Lakes Lifeskills staff member after an argument regarding money.

The Iowa Great Lakes Rotary Club is partnering with the Dickinson County Behavioral Health Coalition to hold its first Move for Mental Health walk on Saturday, Aug. 26. The event will start at 8 a.m. at Tatanka Ska Trace Trailhead in Spirit Lake and will feature 2.5K, 5K and half-mile team walks. Teams of four can register online at IowaGreatLakesRotary.org and are encouraged to do so by Aug. 17 to guarantee a walk t-shirt for each member of their team.

Thank you to all of the young adults who participated in MML’s 2023 Young Adult Summer Reading Program. Your hard work and dedication will show this coming school year. We are looking forward to how much you will achieve next year. Thank you to the Friends of the Milford Library Foundation for sponsoring the 2023 Young Adult Summer Reading Program.

Beck Engineering, Inc., with offices in Cherokee, Clive, Orange City, Sheldon and Spirit Lake was recently named to the 2023 PSMJ Circle of Excellence as one of the top-performing architecture and engineering firms in the nation for the sixth straight year.

Zalabowski receives scholarship to work in long-term care

Iowa DNR to host open house on Gull Point improvement plans

The occupants of a vehicle which ignited in flames along Highway 71 were able to escape without injury before firefighters arrived to douse the flames.

The Spirit Lake Fire Department was called to a vehicle fire around 9:28 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9 near the intersection of Highway 71 and 255th Street — just outside Spirit Lake city limits.

The Iowa Utilities Board rejected a request to meet next week to discuss a schedule that will dictate the remainder of Navigator CO2 Ventures’ carbon dioxide pipeline permit process, according to board documents.

Navigator is the second company to propose a sprawling pipeline system to transport captured carbon dioxide away from ethanol plants and other facilities. It suggested a schedule last month that includes a start date for its final evidentiary hearing in June 2024.