Local and Area News

Seventeen-year-old Austin Crew of Spencer was in critical but stable condition Sunday after collapsing unconscious in the parking lot at SLHS following the Storm Lake-Spencer football game Friday night. He was lifeflighted directly to a Sioux Falls hospital, with weather too bad for a helicopter to come in from Omaha or Rochester...

Magda Brown is no stranger to the concept of persevering. A survivor of the Holocaust at age 17, a painful journey to Storm Lake to share her story was not about to stop her. On her way, the 90-year-old fell in Chicago, likely breaking her hip. She refused to be stopped from getting on the plane in Chicago, insisting that she had promised to be in Storm Lake. ...

Three candidates are competing for the mayor’s seat in Alta in the Nov. 7 election. They shared their background and thoughts on the current issues.

As area residents see temperatures drop, furnaces will turn on. Area professionals warn unmaintained furnaces may lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. “It’s vital to make sure your heating system is working properly. Just like you take your car to the mechanic for oil changes and maintenance, do the same thing with your furnace; hire a professional for an annual tuneup,” said Heath Richter, operations supervisor for the Spencer Black Hills Energy office...

Anticipation had been building as to where the Sioux Falls Veterans Affairs Medical Center would place its new clinic. Several locations in the region were considered, but Director Darwin Goodspeed with the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System announced Thursday a new clinic will be built in Spirit Lake, near the intersection of Highway 9 and Royal Avenue, just west of the Great Lakes Mall. The announcement was part of the public meeting circuit Goodspeed conducts each quarter...

Schaller Jaycees will be holding their Annual Haunted House The haunted house will be held on the following dates: Saturday October 21, Friday and Saturday October 27 and 28. The haunted house will be opening at 7:30 p.m. until midnight If theres a line it will stay open until everyone is through...

The Lakeside City Council is discussing message signs to make residents aware of announcements, following a recent situation in which residents did not get word of a boil order water situation. The council looked into purchasing a couple of large lettering boards, during its most recent meeting...

Mary Meloy, BVRMC Dietitian, will be speaking on “Healthy Holiday Feasting” at the Albert City Public Library Thursday, October 19, at 7 p.m. In this day and age of highly processed foods and continuing over indulging during the holidays, Mary will present a healthier way of “taming the tummy”, and teach us a healthier, balanced, nutritional lifestyle...

Historian Kathy Wilson has trouble watching many TV shows and movies because, as a historian, she tends to analyze details for accuracy. “As a historian, one of the things that is difficult is to try to combat impressions that the viewing public receive from television and film. ...

Federal safety regulators have shut down a troubled Iowa trucking company that owned the semitrailer involved in a human trafficking case in which 10 immigrants died in Texas. Pyle Transportation was placed under an “out-of-service order” Monday by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration after a review found the company’s safety rating was so unsatisfactory that it was unfit to remain in business, agency spokesman Duane DeBruyne confirmed to The Associated Press...

Deb Carlson, Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Clinical Informatics Specialist, has been named as a 2017 Hospital Hero. She received the award at the Iowa Hospital Annual Meeting in Des Moines on October 11. Starting her nursing career in 1983, Deb held a variety of positions in Public Health, obstetrics and as House Supervisor. ...

Over 200 people waited in line at the most recent Mobile Food Pantry event in Storm Lake, representing over 700 family members in need. Demand continues to grow, so much so that the event ran out of food in October before it ran out of people waiting for help...

It’s not so much what you say, as how you say it. That was one of the conclusions of a Diversity Forum at Buena Vista University Wednesday night, where a panel of students shared personal stories of discrimination for a standing-room only crowd of students, faculty and community members...

It was great weather for InnSpiration Winery Picking and Stomping Festival in Linn Grove recently. Grape picking started at 9 a.m. Approximately 30 people showed up to pick the succulent fruit from the vines. Once picked the grapes were place in five gallon buckets. The buckets were then dumped in macro bins, others were taken for the grape stomping...

A check was presented to the school in the amount of $2,500 from the Buena Vista Community Theater from proceeds from this past summer’s presentation of Beauty and the Beast. Total box office receipts were around $15,000. $7,810 went toward purchases for upgrades to the Roxy Theater, the sound system and the lighting system being part of that. What was left over after all the expenses came was split into three amounts...

Kiwanis Clubs have been around all parts of the world for a very long time.  Kiwanis International was founded in 1915 by a group of businessmen in Detroit, Michigan.  The organization was originally called the Supreme Lodge Benevolent Order of Brothers, but changed its name to Kiwanis a year later. ...

October 8-15 is National Fire Prevention Week. The Alta Fire Depart gave a program to the elementary students on Thursday. Things to remember are: Home fires • Half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Only one in five home fires were reported during these hours...

Area resident Lori Leonard Reyman of Holstein joined fellow Republican leaders from across the state Oct. 6-7 at the Iowa Federation of Republican Women’s biennial convention in Des Moines, focusing on GOP unity and motivation to secure victories in the 2018 midterm elections...

Genesis Development announced today its participation in National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an annual awareness campaign that takes place each October. The purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. This year’s theme is “Inclusion Drives Innovation.”...

Dress for Less is busily preparing for our upcoming gently used dress sale, and we need more dresses! Our next collection day will be Saturday, November 4th at East Sac County High School in Lake View. We plan to collect dresses from 10-12 at the back (west) doors...

Dr. Richard Lampe, Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees Chairman, has been awarded the Iowa Hospital Association Excellence in Governance Award. He received this award at the IHA Annual Meeting in Des Moines on October 11 surrounded by family and BVRMC employees...

The deep, driving beat of the drum, punctuated by the slap of bare feet on the stage and the staccato rattling of seedpods lashed to their legs stirs the young dancers into intricate movements filled with near-forgotten meaning. Turkey feathers dyed vibrant reds, yellows and greens bristle from leather headdresses, shimmying with each energetic step...

The North Raccoon River Watershed Coalition is getting organized, in hopes of improving water quality and reducing flooding in the region surrounding the upper stretches of the river that springs from northern Buena Vista County. The bylaws for the new organization were approved in July, several committees have been created, and finalists for the director’s position were interviewed Monday...

Sole 2 Soul’s fitness center in Galva recently partnered up with Soles4Souls, a Nashville based non-profit organization, to collect gently used shoes to help disadvantaged people across the United States and the world.  The month long shoe drive in September netted 221 pairs of shoes from residents of Galva and surrounding communities.  All sizes, shapes, colors and styles of shoes were received...

Boy Scout Troops 103 and 104 participated in Scouting for Food, a national scouting event, at Hy-Vee and Fareway over the weekend. The scouts collected non-perishable food items, toiletries, and cash donations for Storm Lake’s Upper Des Moines Opportunity Food Pantry. ...

The Area Reformation Choir Festival hosted by St. John’s Lutheran Church will be held Sunday. October 22 from 3-6 p.m. The Chior will be singing in the 500th anniversary of our Reformation.  All area residents are invited to come and celebrate together Individual choirs will sing anthems. Everyone gathered will sing hymns together. ...

On Monday, October 9 Dr. Dick Huston, veterinarian from Fairibault, Minnesota talked about being an expert witness in court trials. His experience and expertise is in livestock, primarily with dairy cows. He talked about preparing to be a witness by visiting the farm and looking at the records from three years before the incident until the present...

Buena Vista Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, were delighted to have as their guest speaker Rhonda Ringgenberg at their September meeting. She is Buena Vista County Supervisor for District 4, first elected in 2008. Buena Vista County elects five Supervisors who serve four-year, staggered terms...

Area Boy Scouts and members of the American Legion and Daughters of the American Revolution will conduct a flag retirement ceremony on Sunday, October 15 at 1 p.m. in Scout Park. Hundreds of worn US flags have been collected and will be respectfully burned in a traditional ceremony...

Faith, Hope & Charity received a $16,000 grant from Variety-The Children’s Charity. The funds will be used to remodel four walk-in showers in FHC’s residential care facility. According to Cindy Wiemold, Executive Director, “Since this facility was built in 1985, there certainly have been many improvements with in-home safety and accessibility for people with disabilities. ...

The planned wind turbine project, the Upland Prairie Wind Farm, has officially changed hands. Alliant Energy finalized an agreement with Apex Clean Energy for the wind farm which will result in 121 wind turbines installed across northwest Clay County and Dickinson County...

The Sac County Quilt-A-Fair held Quilts of Valor Ceremony on September 24. Various Veterans and their families received handmade quilts. This year’s recipients of the Quilts of Valor are: Robert Williams, Lytton, WWII, William Fettes, Sioux Falls SD, Vietnam, Jeff Bromley, Peterson, Vietnam, Mars Domino, Early, WWII, Russ Buddin, Lake View, Vietnam, Minard Petersen, Lake View, WWII, James Wallace, Lake View, Korea, Wilbert Rohde, Wall Lake, WWII, William Geake, Wall Lake, WWII, Gerhard Ausborn, Sac City, WWII , Keith Spicer, Sac City, WWII, Jean Lange, Sac City, WWII, George Turnquist, Schaller, WWII, George Landgraf, Odebolt. ...

It was in the 1850’s that the State of Iowa had designated land areas as counties in northwest Iowa—and Buena Vista County was one of them. The parameters had been established. Now was the time to organize a county governing body to progress in developing it. ...

How about a little Shakespeare on the hill? Last year, a complete revision to the Buena Vista University Theatre major was proposed, focusing on collaboration and student leadership. The redesigned major was renamed “Theatre and Media Performance” to encourage overlap with students in various creative tracks...

Flu cases are already beginning to show up in the area, and indicators suggest that the illness may hit early and hard this fall though winter. “Epidermiologists watch Australia and areas of South America for the best indicator of what we will see when the season arrives here,” Buena Vista County Public Health Director Pam Bogue says. ...

It’s been one year since Category 4 Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti where Iowa-based GoServ Global rescues the vulnerable – orphans, widows, abandoned babies, displaced families, etc. Harvey and Irma remind us how devastating hurricanes can be. (GoServ Global is raising funds for Houston and plans to send teams there.) Hurricane Matthew damaged nearly every home in the area, yet 100% of the 200 Safe T Homes®, engineered by Sukup Manufacturing, withstood the 145 mph winds!...

The Buena Vista County Historical Society recently received an organ and a player piano for its collection, including this ornate walnut instrument from the late 1800s. The original owner, Claus Johnson of rural Alta, met the train from Chicago with his team of horses and lumber wagon to drive the showpiece home for his daughters...

Average retail gasoline prices in Iowa have fallen 1.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.47. This compares with the national average that has fallen 5.5 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.55. Storm Lake prices remain a modest bargain, with many stations at $2.34/gallon for super unleaded as of midweek, compared to $2.55 in the Omaha area and $2.72 in the Des Moines area...

At a special meeting of the Alta and Aurelia School Boards Tuesday morning, the following board members were selected to serve on a new seven member Transition Board, which will be tasked with transitioning the two districts into the new Alta-Aurelia District, as approved by voters at the September 12th School Election:...

The Alta City Council voted to go ahead with plans to dissolve D.D.#125 (drainage district) a storm drainage system that was no longer being used. Alta has three drainage districts in town, the other two have functioning systems while DD #125 doesn’t even have the piping for the site making it totally inoperable...

The Alta Aurelia Trap Team had a great Spring 2017 season, thus completing the team’s sixth season.  The team competed in 17 regular season shoots, plus the State Shoot in Cedar Falls in June.  The team started the season with 40 registered athletes competing in 3 age divisions:  Rookie (4th & 5th graders), Intermediate (6th – 8th graders) and High School (9th – 12th graders). ...

Eric Chase Eric Chase feels he has an obligation to help the people of Storm Lake. As a key issue, he sees improvement needed in the storm water systems and infrastructure. “There is a big storm water runoff that needs to be addressed between Cayuga and Russell Streets. Sometimes the water runs right over the road.” The whole storm sewer system needs to be looked over and brought up to date, he feels. Streets need to be repaired, and sidewalks replaced as a priority, the candidate feels...

A Denison man has been arrested on forgery and credit card fraud charges after returning to a Storm Lake store for a second time to use a fraudulent card. On Wednesday, a victim from Des Moines reported to Storm Lake Police that someone was unlawfully using that person's credit card at businesses in Storm Lake...

PUMPKIN PATROL - Members of the Maple Valley Agriculturists 4H club worked hard planting and tending to their pumpkin patch over the summer into the fall, preapring for the annual Pumpkin Hollow season. The attraction is located at the Roxanne and Terry Peterson home, 436 560th Street (two miles north on M31, turn on to 50th Street (M21), go ½ mile west. ...

Ames pediatrician John Paschen opened his campaign for the 4th District congressional seat Tuesday night. After a kick off in Ames, he made announcement stops in Sioux City and Storm Lake later in the day, stressing health care, a “compassionate” reform of immigration, and sharply raising minimum wage...

Storm Lake High School was evacuated Monday after a school administrator found a threatening message written on a wall of a restroom in the building. Storm Lake Police and Fire departments were called to the scene shortly after 1 p.m. for a threat of a bomb in the building. ...

Storm Lake Police Chief Mark Prosser and several other members of the national Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force have penned a letter urging Congress to create a path for DACA recipients to remain in the United States. The letter reads: “As law enforcement leaders who support commonsense immigration reforms to ensure the protection of our communities, we write to express our support for a bipartisan legislative solution to allow Dreamers – young people brought to the United States as children – to remain in the United States and continue contributing to our communities and our nation. ...

Amer Damanhoury, a University of Iowa student from Storm Lake, has collected the fourth of eight top prizes of $300,000 available in the Iowa Lottery’s “Ultimate Riches” scratch game. He claimed his prize Friday at the lottery headquarters in Clive...

Despite a plea for compromise from two firework stand operators, the Storm Lake City Council passed a first reading of a new ordinance Monday evening that would ban use of class one fireworks in the City, and allow more modest fireworks only on July 3 and 4 from 5-10 p.m...

The First Presbyterian Church in Sac City is hosting Passport to Divine Destinations on October 21. The event is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with morning coffee from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Coffee costs $2. Lunch is $6 a person and starts at 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There will be crafts, food and bake sale, attic treasures, snacks, collectibles, holiday and gift items...