Chronic Wasting Disease Ambassadors is a collaborative education program between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach that seeks to help Iowans address the challenge of chronic wasting disease.

Registration is open for a course in March at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, in Woodbury County. Classes are scheduled for March 12, 19, and 26, from 6-8 p.m. The course is free and meals are provided at each meeting.

Okoboji gave Dickinson County rival Spirit Lake all it could handle for one half, but the 10th-ranked Indians pulled away in the third quarter of their first-round regional tournament matchup with the Pioneers on Saturday, Feb. 10. The Indians topped the Pioneers 62-50 in Spirit Lake.

After suffering through several seasons without a postseason win, Harris-Lake Park’s girls basketball team advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year – this time with a convincing win over War Eagle Conference foe Gehlen Catholic. The Wolves defeated the Jays 71-54 to open the Class 1A regional tournament Thursday, Feb. 8 in Lake Park.

Okoboji/HMS junior Tyce Hanson will be the Pioneers’ lone representative at the 2024 IHSAA State Wrestling Championships slated for Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 14-17 at Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines. Hanson earned a runner-up finish in the 126-pound bracket at the Class 2A District 2 tournament in Estherville on Saturday, Feb. 10.

Spirit Lake Park teammates Levi Dunn and Landon Wittrock will represent the Indians’ wrestling program at the 2024 IHSAA State Wrestling Championships slated for Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 14-17 at Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines after the duo placed in the top two of their respective brackets at districts.

This past fall, Spirit Lake’s football team earned a wild victory over West Lyon that sent the Indians on to the Class 2A semifinals held at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. A touchdown pass from quarterback Cade Lundt to receiver Ethan Stecker and a missed field goal by the Wildcats in the waning seconds put the exclamation point on a back-and-forth battle in Spirit Lake.

Okoboji’s boys basketball team dropped a Siouxland Conference home game to seventh-ranked (3A) MOC-Floyd Valley on Friday, Feb. 9. The Dutchmen defeated the Pioneers 90-61 in Milford.

Okoboji made 24 of 56 (42.9%) shots from the field, including 9 of 20 (45%) from beyond the arc. The Pioneers made 4 of 5 free throw attempts, pulled down 13 rebounds and had nine turnovers.

Harris-Lake Park’s boys basketball team wrapped its regular season with a nonconference road loss to former Cornbelt Conference rival Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire on Friday, Feb. 9. The Titans topped the Wolves 50-41 in Graettinger.

Spirit Lake’s boys basketball team earned a nonconference road win over Emmetsburg on Thursday, Feb. 8. The Indians defeated the E-Hawks 61-57 in Emmetsburg.

Okoboji’s boys basketball team suffered a Siouxland Conference home loss to Sheldon on Tuesday, Feb. 6. The Orabs downed the Pioneers 50-45 in Milford.

“Sheldon shot the ball better than we did,” Okoboji coach Alex Spielman said. “We settled for too many 3-point shots instead of attacking their zone. Settling for shots cost us opportunities at the foul line.”

Okoboji’s girls basketball team ended the regular season with a dominant home win over Sheldon on Tuesday, Feb. 6. The Pioneers pounded the winless Orabs 58-29 in Milford.

Spirit Lake’s boys basketball team suffered a fourth consecutive defeat in the home stretch of the regular season following a narrow home loss to top-ranked (2A) Western Christian on Tuesday, Feb. 6. The Wolfpack topped the Indians 62-57 in Spirit Lake.

Spirit Lake’s girls basketball team wrapped its regular season slate with a dominant home win over former Lakes Conference foe Western Christian on Tuesday, Feb. 6. The 10th-ranked (3A) Indians dominated the Wolfpack 61-46 in Spirit Lake.

Harris-Lake Park’s boys basketball team put on a dazzling offensive performance in an overtime victory over Adrian/Ellsworth (Minnesota) Tuesday, Feb. 6. The Wolves earned a 90-86 road win over the Dragons.

Harris-Lake Park senior athlete Payton Reimers recently signed to attend and play basketball for Bethany Lutheran College, a private, Christian college in Mankato, Minnesota. Reimers was forced to miss her senior basketball season at Harris-Lake Park after suffering a torn ACL. As a junior, Reimers was a Class 1A All-District and Second Team All-War Eagle Conference selection after averaging 18.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3 steals and 1.8 assists per game.