Local and Area News

There is room in the heated gun control debate for compromise, says Storm Lake Public Safety Director Mark Prosser, but local state legislator Gary Worthan worries that giving up any gun rights would be the beginning of a slippery slope. “I’m a proponent of the Second Amendment,” veteran police chief Prosser says, “but at the same time, I believe in reasonable and sensible gun laws.”...

Sunset Park in Storm Lake was buzzing over the weekend - literally - as some of the premier chainsaw artists from around the country created their work in the annual Wood, Wine & Blues festival. The event included wine-tasting and concerts along with the carving competitions...

A GoServ Global mission team built a church in Uganda out of a Sukup Manufacturing steel building that will serve refugee children at the New Hope Children’s Home and the entire community. A GoServ Global team of 10, including two skilled iron construction workers, assisted and trained the local Ugandans on how to build the church in Pawel, Uganda...

You’ll never read about one of the darkest figures to emerge from Storm Lake’s past in any of the local history books. May Otis Blackburn began life in humble fashion as the daughter of a local railroad worker, but gained fame later in life as founder and immortal Queen of the Blackburn Cult in the Hollywood Hills of the 1920s. ...

Storm Lake FFA wants to thank to everyone who came out and bought corn today. They appreciate your support and stay tuned for online corn orders.

An Iowa-based grocery store chain is warning customers about what it says is a security incident involving payment card systems. Hy-Vee said in a news release Wednesday that it launched an investigation after it detected unauthorized activity on some of its payment processing systems — activity that the company thinks has stopped...

As the district prepares for the upcoming school year, Clay Central-Everly School Board members held their regular meeting Wednesday evening in the Royal elementary school building. New Clay Central-Everly administrators, Assistant Superintendent Jeff Scharn and Superintendent Scott Williamson were questioned by the board about the future of the former CC-E High School building which is now closed in Everly...

New teachers are preparing for the beginning of school in the Storm Lake District. Front row:  Maranda Gowdy, Andrea McDonald, Katelyn Smith, Lindsay DeHaan, Nou Yang. Middle row: Corbet Butler, Jarrod Roth, Lindsey Stille, Laura Stansberry, Heather Speers. Back row: David Hackbarth, Brian Woodford, Angie Snyder, Jill Gallagher...

The City of Storm Lake is asking residents for help in using water in a smart and conservative manner as water usage has significantly increase in the last few weeks. While there is no mandatory water conservation order in affect the amount of water being used on a daily based by all users of the Storm Lake water system has increased steadily over the past few days...

Monarch migration will soon be starting. Single butterflies will begin to gather in MASS. Millions of monarchs will be on the move. The O’Brien County Conservation Board is hosting the annual monarch tagging event at Mill Creek Park on Thursday, September 5 beginning at 5:30 p.m...

Use modern technology to unlock the past! “Stories in Stone” will be hosted by the O’Brien County Conservation Board at the Waterman Cemetery, 420S HiView Street in Sutherland. Meet the Naturalist at the main monument on Thursday, August 29 at 6 p.m. This event will use GPS equipment to look for clues in a scavenger hunt type activity. Instructions will be given on how to use the GPS units. Then, participants will set out to explore the cemetery...

By Dr. KellyAnn Light-McGroary Special to The Pilot August marks back-to-school season, an ideal time for parents in Iowa to help improve their children’s health. Before schedules become packed with classes, homework and extracurricular activities, here’s a back-to-school “health checklist” to help give children a better chance to succeed inside and outside the classroom:...

The 2019 blue ribbon Sac County Fair is over and the Iowa State Fair is nearly completed. But Fair season is not over. There will be one more fair for area families to enjoy. The 2019 Sac County Quilt-A-Fair will take place on September 21st and 22nd at the beautiful Sac County Fair Grounds. ...

The 66th annual Stille Family Reunion was held on Sunday, August 4, 2019, at Scharnberg P-ark, Everly, Iowa. Families enjoyed a: cate-red mealwhile catching up on happenings of the past year and remembering fun times growing up on the family farms. The 90th birthdays of Audrey Thiessen, from Spencer, and Kay Schmitt, from Storm Lake were celebrated. ...

Senator Bernie Sanders will return to Storm Lake Tuesday. The Democrat presidential hopeful will hold a “Storm Lake Breakfast with Bernie” event at 10 a.m. at Better Day Cafe, 518 Lake Avenue. The event is free and open to the public. Sanders spoke at the same location in 2015 during his previous presidential campaign, as well as appearing at Buena Vista University during that period. ...

Drainage Design Workshop presented by Kris Kohl, Agricultural Engineering Field Specialist to be held at the Sac County Extension Office. The meeting will be Tuesday, August 27 from 1 – 4 pm. If you are a farmer, landowner, drainage contractor or anyone else interested in drainage design you should attend this meeting. ...

Western Iowa Congressman Steve King is again making headlines for fire-starting comments. Speaking to a conservative group in Urbandale Wednesday defending anti-abortion legislation without exceptions for victims, King questioned whether there would be any population left on Earth if not for rape and incest...

Alta woman’s stylish, thrifty home design blog is turning heads

A Storm Lake man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for receiving child pornography. James Gailey, 49, was sentenced August 9 after pleading guilty to one count of child pornography in March. At the plea hearing, Gailey admitted to using Dropbox accounts in October 2017 and January 2018 to receive child pornography.  Gailey admittedly received images and videos of sexual abuse or exploitation of victims as young as infants or toddlers. ...

A Storm Lake man was jailed after allegedly firing gunshots after arguing with another resident Sunday night. William Ford, 31, faces seven charges including Intimidation With a Dangerous Weapon, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Going Armed With Intent and Assault While Participating in a Felony. He was booked into county jail on $27,600 bond...

Iowa gas prices have fallen 6.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.49. Gas prices in Iowa are 13.4 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, yet stand 24.0 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. Storm Lake pump prices were in the $2.53-$2.56 range at most stations...

Another Albert City Threshermen & Collectors Show is successfully in the books. At top, a field neatly lined with the featured Massey tractors. Below, the Army of the Southwest Civil War re-enactment troupe fires a cannon blast on the grounds. Planning is underway for next year, when the Threshermen will celebrate their 50th anniversary of the show. / Photos courtesy Albert City Threshermen & Collectors...

Wood, Wine, & Blues is right around the corner, and Storm Lake United is excited to introduce the 2019 wine vendors. Stop by Wine and Arts in the Park on Saturday, August 17 from 12 – 5 p.m. with your ID to taste free samples of regional wines. Throughout the festival you can also browse local craft vendors and food vendors, and enjoy a free Blues concert by Malcolm Wells and the Two Timers. ...

A watercolor art exhibit and sale will be held for local artist Boyd Zimmer, August 25 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Storm Lake, 1507 E. Lakeshore, 3-6 p.m. Zimmer has been unable to work for over two months after dealing with medical issues including heart bypass surgery July 2. Boyd and his family are inviting the public to take part in the art sale benefit to raise funds toward his recuperation expenses...

The Vote Yes for Kids Committee will be having informational meetings about the upcoming Storm Lake Community Schools’ bond issue which will be held on September 10. The open meetings will be held at Our Place, 114 E. 3rd Street, August 20, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and August 22, 5:30-7 p.m. The meetings are come and go and the committee be giving 20-minute presentations with opportunities for questions during these times. Refreshments will be provided...

Storm Lake Fire and Police Departments were dispatched to the intersection of Flindt Drive and Richland Drive for a manure spill Tuesday evening. A small amount of water mixed with manure apparently leaked from a truck exiting the Tyson Pork Plant onto the roadway. None of the material reached any storm water intakes or the lake. Authorities believe there was no environmental impact...

A group of neighborhood residents are organizing and planning a petition against building a proposed university/city recreation center partially on public land at Scout Park. The group is not against a rec center, said Rob Smith, who lives in the area, but feels the park is the wrong place for it...

After a two-day search, the body of a 65-year-old Cherokee drowning victim was recovered in the Little Sioux River by local firefighters. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s office received a report of a possible drowning near the Pearce River fishing access near Quimby Wednesday afternoon...

Produced by IowaWatch.org, the independent, non-profit news organization of The Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism. Former Vice President Joe Biden drew more people but Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a presumptive long-shot in a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, still was able to rouse Democrats and generally curious Iowans who heard both men speak at the Iowa State Fair Thursday...

The total attendance for the 49th Annual Threshermen & Collectors Show held west of Albert City on August 9, 10, and 11 was 9,416 people. A total of 715 exhibits were brought in from all around the U.S. There were 124 featured Massey tractors and implements, plus 237 tractors of all makes and models, 26 implements, 80 antique autos, 37 trucks, 17 horses and mules, five gas engines, 70 stationery engines, 39 miscellaneous exhibits, 24 military exhibits, 31 garden and yard tractors, plus a wide variety of toy and doll show displays, and many vendors selling toys and farm related items.. ...

Democrat candidate for president Pete Buttigieg wants immigrants to find work in rural America through “community renewal visas” that would be available for areas that have lost a working population or aren’t keeping pace economically. Buttigieg said places like Storm Lake in Iowa, which has a large Latino population, inspired his policy. The candidate visited the city briefly to walk in the 4th of July parade, posing afterward with a group of Hispanic dancers...

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. It is a great time to make sure that you and your family, coworkers and friends are up to date with your vaccines. It is also a great reminder to make sure that your child has all the vaccinations they need to keep them healthy before school starts...

Well-known former Storm Laker Keith Kollbaum passed away recently. The 1979 Storm Lake graduate is remembered for running for former disco Bojangles in Storm Lake, and as a founder of the competitive rugby program in the community. He was nominated for the Iowa Rugby Hall of Fame in 2016. A founding member of the Storm Lake Seagulls in 1980, Keith managed and played for the team as it transitioned into the Albatross a few years later...

The Storm Lake Public Library Board of Trustees this week approved a new program for student library cards for middle school students, in cooperation with the Storm Lake Middle School media center. Students will be able to sign up at school and return materials there, rather than being required to sign up with a parent and ID at the library as is normal policy...

A Storm Lake man has been arrested for allegedly choking his mother. Storm Lake Police were called to an address on Mae Street shortly after midnight Tuesday for a reported fight. The female victim told officers that she was engaged in a verbal altercation with her son, 32-year-old Moo Soulin when the situation escalated and he became physical and choked the victim...

One of America’s hottest network television shows, “American Ninja Warrior,” has a Spencer connection this season. Seth Rogers, who carries the nickname “Big Red,” has advanced to the finals of the program, which will be aired on NBC Aug. 26. While Rogers, 19, will be a sophomore at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, his hometown is Pleasanton, California, a suburb located east of San Francisco in the Bay Area. ...

Molly B with her band Squeezebox performed at a recent fundraiser event for Santa’s Castle in Storm Lake. The nationally-known touring performer, star of “Molly B Polka Party” on RFD TV, and member of the cast of the recent Clint Eastwood movie, “The Mule” had the crowd at the Knights of Columbus Hall up and dancing...

The Cherokee County 4-H Youth Council recently received a Cherokee County Legacy Foundation Grant to assist with the purchase of new sewing machines and BrickLAB Brick Packs. Both purchases provide enhanced learning opportunities for Cherokee County youth, according to Debbie Erpelding, Cherokee County Youth Coordinator with ISU Extension and Outreach...

Growing up in the rolling North Dakota countryside surrounded by her family’s plethora of farm animals, Brittany Tangen spent her childhood incessantly drawing and studying these creatures (especially horses) who quickly forged the cornerstone of her artistic pursuits. Even though Brittany eventually went on to become a chiropractor, she never abandoned her drawing skills or her love of bringing joy to others through art...

Exciting things continue to happen at the Prairie Heritage Center! The annual Bison Burger Picnic and Lawn Concert sponsored by the Little Sioux Valley Conservation Association and the O’Brien County Conservation Board is a great opportunity for the public to see the changes that have occurred over the past year...

Sixty-eight FFA members exhibited 420 birds in the FFA Poultry Show judged Thursday at the 2019 Iowa State Fair. None were more successful than Abbigail Bean, a Sioux Central student from Sioux Rapids. Bean showed the overall champion Mediterranean, and was also named champion of all other standard breeds. ...

Excavation and utility work is under way on the site for the next Storm Lake Habitat for Humanity project, a duplex located near Gingerbread House. The local non-profit group has partnered with the school district for the first time, with the students of the high school Building & Trades program to provide the labor on the project throughout the school year, freeing up Habitat volunteers for home renovation or other projects, The partnership will be evaluated at the end of the project. ...

Jenny Ahlers, Sexual Abuse Advocate, CAASA, is pictured with Captain Marty De Muth of the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Department. The BVCSO donated a large supply of toilet paper to CAASA to help serve survivors. The Sheriff’s Office has partnered with CAASA to be a drop off location for paper products and personal hygiene items. ...

The numbers are shocking: In 2017 (the most recent year data is available), one person died every 48 minutes in a drunk-driving crash in the United States. These deaths account for approximately one-third of all traffic deaths each year, or, 10,874 in 2017. Despite laws in every state the numbers remain similar year after year. Ultimately, drinking and driving is a choice, and it is a choice that puts all road users at risk...

Witter Gallery is proud to share the work of local artist Nicole Nee. The exhibit will be open from August 6-29 during normal gallery hours. Nee’s artwork is heavily influenced by various storytelling methods, most notably mythology and folklore. As an artist, she has always been fascinated with storytelling. ...

Climbing off her colorful tour bus on Lake Avenue Friday afternoon, Democrat Kamala Harris was met with a throng of national media and a handful of enthusiastic supporters. Despite rough treatment in a recent debate and arriving nearly an hour behind schedule, Harris pulled a small army of reporters along with her, opposed to three other Democrats arriving in Storm Lake this week with no such attention...

In a low-key address Friday in Storm Lake, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper noted that while he is running low in polls, no sitting senator has ever defeated an incumbent president in U.S. history. “It will come down to a governor and a mayor,” he predicted, saying those positions are “where the buck stops.”...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center employee Evan Franzmeier has been selected as a 2019 Iowa Hospital Association Hospital Hero. Evan is one of 10 selected in the state and will be honored at a ceremony in October. Evan is the Fitness & Health Center Manager. His co-workers and family surprised him with the announcement of the honor...

Campus Compact’s AmeriCorps Program this month awarded Buena Vista University a grant totaling more than $98,000 to allow the University to continue growing its AmeriCorps service program. The award represents the largest grant BVU has received from Iowa Campus Compact...

A Storm Lake educator has been arrested, accused of stealing from fundraiser events at her parochial school. In June, Storm Lake Police took a report of an apparent theft at St. Mary’s Catholic School, and began an investigation. Police met with school administrators and finance personnel who alleged that a school faculty member had been stealing money from several school fundraisers throughout the academic year...