| Rhea guiding the young flock at Pleasant Ridge |
GLIDDEN — It took years for Brandon Rhea to realize, but he was built to be a small-town pastor.
The Waverly, Ill., native is filling the new position of youth pastor at Pleasant Ridge Community Church.
|
 |
| SL Garage Sale to ring up aid for sister parish in Haiti |
Members of St. Lawrence Catholic Parish take this relationship of being a sister parish to heart.
So when members of the Carroll church knew members of their sister parish, Our Lady of Lourdes, at Laborde, Haiti, were hurting from the earthquake that devastated the Caribbean island nation in January, their hearts went out to the Haitians.
|
|
| Pageant spotlights Dream girls |
How big a hit was the inaugural Dreams Made True Pageant?
Well, before that pageant had concluded organizers, contestants’ parents and others were enthusiastically talking about the event getting bigger and better in future years.
|
|
| Colleagues recall Lewis Rich as smart, hard-working supervisor |
Lewis Rich never did anything without giving maximum effort.
Contemporaries also remember Rich, a Carroll County supervisor from 1973-92 who was laid to rest today, as a caring and studious official who got things done.
|
|
| Dreams Made True will give contestants royal treatment |
Crowns and sashes will be awarded to winners in the first Dreams Made True pageant in Carroll on Saturday. But for all the contestants, they can look forward to receiving a lot of pampering.
The pageant is open to contestants ages 5 through 25 and is specifically for contestants who have special medical needs.
|
|
| FRG working to ease deployment for families |
Being separated from a loved one an entire year is stressful enough, let alone knowing that spouse, parent, child or sibling will be in a war zone.
Keepers of the Flame, the family readiness group for the Carroll National Guard Unit, is helping soldiers’ families prepare for a deployment to Afghanistan, which starts in nine short days.
|
|
| Farm writer joins the ride, loves the view |
For farm journalist Clayton Rye, a good-natured jab at tractor drives turned into a knockout view of the lush rolling hills of west-central Iowa.
Rye, who farms in Worth County, north of Clear Lake, and is a columnist with the Fort Dodge Messenger’s Farm News, found himself last month driving in a line of 84 antique tractors participating in the eighth annual Manning Tractor Drive.
|
|
| Message in a bottle sails
to an improbable outcome |
It was with visions of far-off lands and deserted islands that 11-year-old Kelly and 15-year-old Jody Mescher concocted the idea to send off a message in a bottle from their home farm near Halbur.
The Nishnabotna, though not a raging river at this locale, was a means for them to send out a request for that pen pal from across the seas.
|
|
| Glidden group completes
mission to Arkansas |
Church mission trips aren’t intended to be fun, and Grace Baptist of Glidden’s recent week at Blytheville, Ark., was no exception.
Eleven Youth Group members from Grace Baptist and four chaperones worked their tails off at New Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church.
|
|
| Kari Lengeling turns daunting diagnosis to dinner menus |
Kari (Auen) Lengeling, of West Des Moines, never had the desire to become a great cook, but a medical diagnosis almost a year and half ago, forced her to experiment in the kitchen.
|
|
| Family reunion features
long-distance connection |
After almost eight years of correspondence, five years of planning and nearly 26 hours of travel, Rainer Vonnahme of Paderborn, Germany, was finally able to meet his cousins and other American relatives face-to-face for the first time this past weekend at the second Vonnahme family reunion.
“Eight years ago I searched the Internet,” said Vonnahme, “and found my name in the U.S., and it was Marvin. I wrote him a letter because I knew that everybody whose name is spelled like mine is a cousin of mine.”
|
|
| Glidden dedicates veterans monument |
Glidden’s prominence in American military history will never be forgotten.
The community can boast to being home of Pvt. Merle Hay, the first U.S. casualty of World War I; and Enola Gay Tibbets, whose son Col. Paul Tibbets named a B-29 after his mother and dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in World War II.
|
|
| Carroll's Gary Mart hunts 'smartest animal in woods' |
During his decade of black bear hunting in Minnesota 2005 is a standout year for Gary Mart of Carroll.
It was in that year that Mart, a Cardinal Financial professional and former Carroll Rotary Club president, harvested the largest recorded black bear in Minnesota — 560 pounds.
|
|
| Carroll reading 'Dragon Tattoo' |
There is a series of books flying off the shelves at the Carroll Public Library this summer. Well, technically they’re not even flying off the shelves, considering as soon as one is returned it is swooped up by the next eager person on the waiting list.
|
|
| 'Victory ride' delivers message of hope |
Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Laura Wulf of Deloit took the first step of her journey when she walked into Deb Dieter’s office at the St. Anthony Diabetes Center in Carroll. She now takes what she has learned from that first leg of her journey and began another on Thursday to spread her life-affirming message around the country on a six-week motorcycle ride.
|
|
| Cayler helps cities hire police chiefs |
It’s only fitting that Iowa’s longest-serving police chief helps other communities select theirs.
For about 15 years, Carroll chief Jeff Cayler has participated in “assessment centers” to choose chiefs for a dozen cities and assist others in promoting officers.
Cayler began by serving as one of three chief assessors in the process and now leads the effort, as is the case now for the City of Tipton.
|
|
| 'Regular guy' Kolars bends
convention to bring Bible to life
|
Pastor Ben Kolars of Central Christian Church of Carroll offers something different to the Carroll area with nontraditional services applicable to life.
The church was formed in 1998 but found a permanent location in a new facility on Highway 30 East near the Carroll Country Club. Before then the church would meet at the Carroll 5 Theatres and the Conservation Education Center at Swan Lake State Park. Kolars is happy with the new location.
(1 comments)
|
|
| 'Twilight' saga packs Carroll 5 Theatres |
The Carroll 5 Theatres just hours ago recorded one of the busiest Tuesday nights it its history.
The premiere of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” brought 636 moviegoers out early this morning for three midnight screenings. This means that an equivalent of 6 percent of the city’s population was at the Carroll 5 Theatres last night watching shirtless Jacob (Taylor Lautner) and sparkling Edward (Robert Pattinson) duke it out for the love of Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart).
|
|
| Manning Plaza's comfort care suite inspired by art |
The inspiration that led to the metamorphosis of one of the standard care rooms at the Manning Plaza Nursing Home into a comfort care suite was aptly derived from a beautiful butterfly print.
“Actually, the picture is what started the whole theme of the room,” said Mindi Boyle, director of social services at Manning Regional Healthcare Center. “The Ohdes liked that picture.”
|
|
| Thanks to mom, Allison Sporrer a baking whiz |
Baking with family has been a tradition in Allison Sporrer’s family for as long as she can remember. She credits her love of baking to her mother, Trudy Wittmaack, of Carroll, whom she describes as a “wonderful cook.” She has fond childhood memories of preparing holiday goodies and other treats with her mother.
|
|
| As Relay rolls, Carroll County selected for cancer study |
Drew Hodges was only 20 years old when he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma the day before Thanksgiving, but he dedicated the rest of his life to raising money to help find a cure for cancer.
“He spent a lot of time working toward raising money toward cancer research,” said his mother, Kathy Hodges. “He believed in Relay for Life, he believed in research.”
|
|
| Haunting 'Restrepo' jars us through soldiers' war weary eyes
|
From May 2007 to July 2008 journalists and filmmakers Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger embedded themselves with the men of Battle Company of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 2nd Battalion in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. The valley was widely considered the most dangerous posting in the war.
(1 comments)
|
|
| Cityview: Women and Iowa Politics |
Iowa joins Mississippi, Delaware, New Hampshire and Vermont as the only states with such a distinction. Only Iowa and Mississippi have not elected a woman to the U.S. House, U.S. Senate or as a governor. “Do we really want to spend the next 10 to 15 years tied to Mississippi?” said Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center For Women And Politics on the Iowa State University campus in Ames.
|
|
| Busy mom finds new challenge in Lake View |
LAKE VIEW — Things can move fast around the Lake View area.
For instance, a hotel boasting 32 rooms, including an impressive Jacuzzi suite, can be built on Black Hawk Lake in only about six months. Construction for the Boulders Inn & Suites began in October 2009, and despite a harsh winter the hotel opened May 24.
|
|
| Reynolds brings his tool chest to Auburn |
AUBURN — Ed Reynolds can’t help it.
Collecting is in his blood.
He’d been interested in antiques most of his life, especially old hand tools, and began collecting during a 30-year career in the Air Force.
|
|
| Filmmakers documenting Lakers' Carroll landing |
A documentary film crew led by a father-son tandem prominent in the Los Angeles media interviewed several Carroll residents Monday about the Minneapolis Lakers emergency landing here 50 years ago.
|
|
| OUR FAMILY FAVORITES |
If you would like to share your family’s favorite recipes, or know someone with western Iowa ties who we should feature in an upcoming article, please send an email to Jane Lawson at janeyburns@yahoo.com describing recipes and the stories behind them.
|
|
| CHS senior's star burns bright in video game world |
There are some people who have a knack for certain skills and activities; Reggie Miller had the jump shot, Peyton Manning has touchdown passes.
Brandon Hansen, 17, of Carroll, has Halo — the wildly popular XBOX and XBOX 360 game, in which he is currently ranked 200th in the entire nation and has previously been ranked even higher than that.
|
|
| Youths are offered RARE opportunity |
Ah summer. Time for kids to kick back, relax and forget as much of the knowledge they acquired over the school year as possible. Even many parents might admit to being guilty of this as well.
Well, Carroll High School student Adam Smith, 17, wants kids to change up that same-old summer routine. Smith, whose father, Ed Smith, is the vice president and chief financial officer of St Anthony Regional Hospital, and mother, Vicki Smith, is an accountant for Devansoy, is asking Carroll’s youth to be “RARE” this summer. And by that he means he is encouraging local fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders to “Read and Run Everyday” this summer.
|
|
| Figure 8 racing season opens Saturday with new grandstand |
COON RAPIDS — Fans at the Carroll County Fair Figure 8 Races will have extra elbow room this season.
The fair board has constructed a new grandstand, adding a thousand seats on the north side of the fairgrounds track.
|
|
| St. Paul Lutheran showcasing 125 years of history |
For many people, trying to wrap their minds around the concept of 125 years is pretty difficult to do. That is exactly why the idea was born for a visual representation of what that time span can encompass and it has been used as a launching point for two special upcoming celebratory milestones for St. Paul Lutheran Church in Carroll.
“I am a visual person and if you tell me 125 years, it goes right over the top,” said congregation member Shari Toft. “I thought we should see the 125 years, and it just grew from there.”
|
|
| Celebration of life turns into hairy deal for Locks of Love |
How do you celebrate a gift of 10 more years of life with the outlook for many more healthy years in the future?
For Kari Knievel, who 10 years ago received her diploma from Kuemper Catholic High School shortly after undergoing months of treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia, her heart goes out to those who today are engaged in similar battles for their lives.
|
|
| CR-B students speak up on 'America's Role in the World' |
National security, whether it be relative to our military, our economy or our environment, is on the minds of many people here at home and across the nation, and whether most people see it or not, it is also on the minds of youths in our communities.
A major difference between the two groups is that the youth feel that they do not get the option of voicing their opinions on such weighty matters. But there are changes coming on that front as well.
|
|
| Willey parish keeps alive Corpus Christi tradition |
WILLEY — Father Tim Johnson of Holy Spirit Catholic Parish in Carroll is one of the busiest men in the county. He is one of the first people to arrive at any bedside or at the home of anyone in need in the area, and at this time of year, he is also preparing for a special traditional celebration in the adjacent St. Mary’s Parish in Willey, the Feast of Corpus Christi, which is a celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ.
|
|
| Memorial Day program salutes veterans |
Army Reserve Master Sgt. Carey Promes has served three tours of duty that have taken him to Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and he’s encouraged by progress he’s seen.
Promes was one of the featured speakers at the Memorial Day program Monday morning at Carroll Cemetery.
|
|
| CMS's last-day fun celebrates
success of Mini Relay for Life |
The last day of school for Carroll Middle School students was more than just fun and games. It was about giving something back while having a whole lot of laughs at the same time.
CMS students held their first-ever Mini Relay for Life for American Cancer Society. But instead of walking, they modified the activities to include a morning filled with outside activities like dodge ball, kickball and softball and a healthful sack lunch. They also learned more about how to lead healthful lives and reduce the risk of cancer.
|
|
| Cityview: How Dancing Matt turned zany idea into 'more than a living' on Internet |
|
Matt Harding never went to college and says he “scraped through” high school in Connecticut. But few double-degreed denizens of the Internet can claim this 33-year-old’s success in that medium.
|
|
| Tucker helping with response to gulf spill |
A Coast Guard reservist with Carroll-area ties is leading a cleanup sector for the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Chief Warrant Officer Rodney Tucker is one of 17 federal on-scene coordinators activated when the Coast Guard Reserve began heading the federal response to the spill. Each coordinator leads a staging area for monitoring, booming and cleanup operations.
|
|
| Breda bank's green-space plaza welcomes visitors |
BREDA — Bicyclists and walkers visiting downtown Breda on the newly paved Sauk Trail will be able to relax at the Breda Savings Bank’s new green-space plaza. Breda residents already have been taking advantage of the comfortable, attractive space that was designed and built by Clausen Landscapes.
|
|
| Carroll fifth-graders
Speak Up at Rotary |
Carroll Community Schools fifth-graders Monday taught the Rotary Club all about the correct use of cell phones, the perils of substance abuse and offered a few tips on farming and other issues.
The students, part of the highly successful and long-running Speak Up program through RSVP, spoke during the Rotary’s Monday luncheon at the Carrollton Centre.
|
|
| Determination, cause propel
Schons' extra effort for Relay |
The challenge was great, but so was the determination to strike back against cancer.
That attitude carried the 20 Schon family members and friends across the finish line Sunday, May 2, in the 33rd annual Lincoln (Neb.) National Guard Marathon and Half-Marathon.
|
|
| KCHS awards diplomas to 70 Class of 2010 grads |
Kuemper Catholic High School awarded diplomas to 70 seniors in the school’s 55th annual commencement ceremony Sunday afternoon.
Featured speakers were valedictorian Brandon Boldt, son of Jeff and Barb Boldt of Carroll, who plans to study biology at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., and salutatorian Alex Wiederin, son of Mike and Julie Wiederin of Mount Carmel, who plans to attend the University of Iowa.
|
|
| Cityview: How To Cheat In School |
A professor who is a nationally regarded expert on academic cheating explains some of the ingenious ways students cheat today.
|
|
| 2 from Rev relish shear excitement of helping break world record |
On April 10, there was a tangible sense of tension within the Mid-American Center in Council Bluffs, a tension that could be cut with a set of shears. Or, more precisely 552 sets of shears as licensed cosmetologists from Iowa and surrounding states gathered to perform 552 simultaneous haircuts and set a Guinness World Book record for the world’s largest hands-on workshop.
|
|
| After Iraq and Cuba, Langenfeld returns as Carroll psychiatrist |
A Carroll native and former military psychiatrist with assignments at some of the world’s most intense places is now well into his first year as director of St. Anthony Regional Hospital’s Behavioral Medicine Unit.
Dr. Rob Langenfeld, 37, a son of well-known retired dentist Dr. Bob Langenfeld, served as a U.S. Naval psychiatrist in Guantanamo, Cuba, as well as with a combat stress unit in Fallujah, Iraq.
|
|
| The Collison catalyst |
Construction is expected to start in September on a major addition and remodeling project at St. Lawrence Catholic Church that is financed by a spectacularly successful campaign with one local family providing a signature gift in the form of a donation of 80 acres of Carroll County farmland.
Parish pastor Father Timothy Schott Wednesday completed some of the final paperwork on the donation from Richard and Mary Jane Collison and the Richard and Maxine Collison Family Trust.
|
|
| 68% of Denison K-3 elementary Hispanic |
DENISON — The student body of the K-3 elementary school in Denison stands at 68 percent Hispanic, a figure foreshadowing even more demographic changes in this western Iowa community.
“I wanted to teach here because of the diversity,” said Angel Williams, a third-grade teacher at 20th Street Elementary in Denison for the last four years and an Ida Grove native.
|
|
| For Kevin Patrick, trombone is a treasure |
Kevin Patrick’s trombone had been stashed away for nearly 25 years.
He thought the next time it would come out would be for his estate sale, he jokes.
But then All Strings Attached Orchestra Studio opened in Carroll, and Patrick later had to live up to his part of a bargain.
|
|
| Cityview: The Dude |
In a world of boomeranging e-mails, constant chatter and 24/7 connectivity, it’s time to go all 1998 on 2010.
We need The Dude, dudes.
As in Lebowski, Jeff Lebowski (aka The Dude), the iconic slacker who helped turn the 1998 Joel and Ethan Coen film “The Big Lebowski” into a cult classic.
|
|
