09/22/22: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

Named to DMACC summer dean’s list

Gavin Morton, of Everly, has been named to the summer semester Dean’s List at Des Moines Area Community College. Morton is a Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology student.

To be eligible, a student must have completed six credits and earned a 3.5-3.99 grade point average for the semester.

Nursing student named to dean’s list

Bachelor’s and Associate’s students have been named to the Allen College Dean’s List for the summer semester of the 2022-23 academic year. Qualifying students must complete at least 12 semester hours and achieve a grade point of 3.5 or above.

Hannah Stimson, of Hartley, a Nursing-BSN student, was included on the list.

NCC ranks nationally for best return on investment

Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon has been ranked among the top higher education institutions across the nation and in Iowa for a student’s return on their financial investment in higher education.

NCC is ranked No. 6 in the nation among Associate-Granting Public Institutions in the U.S. by Median Lifetime Return on Investment (ROI) and No. 9 among 10 Higher Education Institutions in Iowa, according to “Which Colleges Are Worth the Cost?” published by the Bipartisan Policy Center. Both reports not only include community colleges from across the nation, but also public and private four-year colleges and universities.

The report, including the methodologies used, can be found on the Bipartisan Policy Center website at https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/which-colleges-are-worth-the-cost.

NWI fishing report

Most area lake temperatures are in the low 70s to upper 60s. The bite has started to pick up as lakes continue to slowly cool. Fishing from docks is improving. Most bigger fish are out deeper, while smaller fish are closer to shore.

East Okoboji Lake: Lake temperatures were in the mid-70s last Thursday. The water level is three inches below crest. Bigger fish are out deeper in 12-17 feet of water; smaller fish are closer to shore. Trolling has been working fairly well.

Black crappie, good. Best bite is in 10-15 feet of water along weed lines. Bluegill, good. Try tube jigs, plastics or other small jigs. Live bait such as wax worms, wigglers and red worms work well. Walleye, fair. Try spinners, crankbaits and long and shallow shad raps in the main basins. Best bite is an hour before and after sunset. Yellow bass, good.

Spirit Lake: Water temperature was in the low 70s last Thursday. The lake level is three inches below crest. The walleye season is open. Most species are out deeper in 15-plus feet of water.

Black bullhead, fair. Try fishing the northern grade of Spirit Lake. Black crappie, fair. Use a tube jig and bobber. Bluegill, fair. Try tube jigs, plastics or other small jigs. Live bait such as wax worms, wigglers and red worms work well. Walleye, fair. Use spinners, crankbaits and long and shallow shad raps; try to find weed lines to troll or jig off of. Yellow perch, good. Many perch can be caught, you may need to sort for size.

West Okoboji Lake: Water temperature was in the lower 70s last Thursday. The water level is three inches below crest. Most fish are out deeper in 15-plus feet of water, but are slowly been making their way shallower. Rocky points and areas with new vegetation growth have seen the most success.

Black crappie, good. Use crankbaits or shad raps. Bluegill, good. Try tube jigs, plastics or other small jigs. Live bait such as wax worms, wigglers and red worms work well. Largemouth bass, fair. Smallmouth bass, fair.