State and Regional News

The Fairfield Pioneers 4-H Club assembled a lighted holiday display called “2020 The Year Pigs Flew” outside Pleasant View Nursing Home in Albert City. The club raises funds by managing can recycling in Albert City. The youth voted to purchase and assemble a menagerie of lighted farm animals to bring some holiday joy to the residents at Pleasant View. ...

During a statewide address last week, Gov. Kim Reynolds expanded face mask requirements across the state in light of a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. But she excluded one of the state’s most populated indoor facilities: School buildings...

A pair of Spirit Lake residents were booked into the Dickinson County Jail Nov. 18 on multiple drug charges after police responded to a report of gun shots. Spirit Lake Police officers were called to 1502 Memphis Avenue Lot 23 around 10:26 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18. The address was listed as the residence of 28-year-old Shyanne Ranee Delgado in the subsequent criminal complaints...

A wrongful death lawsuit tied to COVID-19 infections in a Waterloo pork processing plant alleges that during the initial stages of the pandemic, Tyson Foods ordered employees to report for work while supervisors privately wagered money on the number of workers who would be sickened by the deadly virus...

With the 2020 election over and political speculation shifting to 2022, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is staying mum on whether he plans to seek an eighth term in the U.S. Senate. “I have no news on that,” Grassley responded during a conference call Thursday with Iowa reporters, declining to give a timeline on when he may make up his mind...

Eight Iowa labor and civil rights groups filed a federal complaint Friday alleging the state has failed to protect workers in meatpacking, dairy, construction, transportation, health care facilities, nursing homes and other industries. The complaint filed with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration office in Kansas City seeks a full investigation and corrective action by the federal government. ...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued new health requirements this week requiring children and adults to wear masks at social or recreational gatherings with 25 people inside or 100 people outside. The new measures, which go into effect at midnight Tuesday, require masks at any “social, community, recreation, leisure or sporting event.” The order expires Nov. 30, according to the proclamation...

By Kathie Obradovich Iowa Capital Dispatch More than 100 long-term care centers in Iowa have active COVID-19 outbreaks with nearly 3,000 residents and staff infected as of Tuesday morning, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported. The 102 current outbreaks represent an increase of nearly 22% over the 80 outbreaks reported Nov. 2. A total of 900 long-term care residents with COVID-19 have died since the pandemic began...

Rainfall in Iowa was almost an inch below normal in October, averaging 1.66 inches over the state, according to the latest Water Summary Update. “While October saw some improvement in conditions in the state, overall the precipitation was below normal,” said Tim Hall, DNR’s coordinator of hydrology resources. ...

Some GOP lawmakers, including Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, have fallen in line with President Donald Trump’s claim that he will win the election if the “legal votes” are counted. “If you count the legal votes, I easily win,” Trump said Thursday night, without citing any evidence that votes have been cast fraudulently or illegally. “If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us.”...

Iowa Senate Republicans re-elected Jack Whitver as the chamber’s majority leader and selected Sen. Jake Chapman, R-Adel, as president of the chamber for the upcoming General Assembly. During a press conference at the Capitol on Friday, Whitver said Republican victories Tuesday night were indicative of Iowans’ approval of Gov. Kim Reynolds and the conservative trifecta in the Iowa Legislature...

At Tuesday’s monthly Cherokee City Council meeting, City Parks Superintendent Duane Mummert reported he has obtained a proposal from Deer Valley Mechanical of Quimby for proposed dredging operations for Spring Lake. Mummert explained that this is a good time to do some dredging due to the lowering of the lake for the planned DNR fish kill and before the lake is restocked...

As Iowa set another new record Thursday for COVID-19 hospitalizations, Gov. Kim Reynolds warned that “while hospital capacity is stable for now, it is not sustainable if positive cases continue to surge at this level.” The governor said to address a potential shortage of hospital beds — one study suggests Iowa will run out of intensive care unit beds in just four weeks — she intends to “do my part” by rolling out a public-awareness campaign reminding Iowans that winter is coming and they should wear a face mask and social distance when it’s appropriate.. ...

The same state agency that failed to disclose hundreds of restaurant inspections triggered by consumer complaints is warning Iowans not to file complaints about businesses that don’t enforce their own face-mask requirements. The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals recently posted an online “COVID-19 violation” complaint form that consumers can use to alert state regulators to violations of the governor’s order requiring restaurants and bars to impose social-distancing measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic.. ...

The candidates for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District offer vastly different prescriptions for managing the COVID-19 pandemic and improving the nation’s health care system. Republican Randy Feenstra has emphasized the importance of keeping the economy open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several meatpacking plants in northwest Iowa endured outbreaks of the virus earlier this year, including the Tyson pork processing plant that reported more than 500 cases in Storm Lake earlier this year...

Over the summer, politicians locally and nationwide felt heavy pressure from Black Lives Matter activists, as they demanded policy changes following the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer. In Iowa, Republican and Democratic legislators came together to pass the “More Perfect Union” plan to improve race relations and bias by law enforcement. ...

For nearly 20 years, Steve King stood at the helm of Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, drawing national media attention and the condemnation of Democrats who argued voters should elect a less controversial leader to represent northwest Iowa. Then, in a rare move, King was ousted this year by Republican primary challenger Randy Feenstra...

In honor of our local veterans, Endgrain Workshop in Storm Lake has teamed up with Buena Vista County Veterans Affairs to raise funds for local veterans and give away a POW/MIA wooden flag created by Levi Boyd, owner of Endgrain Workshop. The flag give away is hosted on Endgrain Workshop’s Facebook account - www.facebook.com/endgrainworkshop. There you will find the rules to the give away. The winner of the flag will be drawn on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11th live on Facebook. ...

Elections officials in Iowa are worried about the state’s rising number of coronavirus cases, saying that any illnesses or absences among key workers and volunteers could hinder their services through Election Day. The week before the election, Iowa is reporting a new high 7-day average of about 1,300 daily infections, record numbers of hospitalizations and a surge in deaths...

The Iowa Healthiest State Initiative presented $1,000 to St. Mary’s Catholic School for winning the 2020 School Mascot Challenge. St. Mary’s looks forward to putting the prize money to good use to help enhance the health and wellness of the St. Mary’s students and staff. Left to right – Fr. Brent Lingle, Jami Haberl, Mr. Ryan Berg, Mrs. Kate Swanson . /Photo submitted...

Native American tribes opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline once again have asked a federal judge to stop the flow of oil while the legal battle over the line’s future plays out. The Standing Rock Sioux and other tribes succeeded on their first attempt, only to have an appeals court overturn U.S. ...

Iowa voters are casting ballots in person or by mail at a record pace before the Nov. 3 election with several days of early voting still remaining. The Iowa secretary of state’s office reported that 685,234 absentee ballots have been returned to county auditors statewide by Friday morning, just shy of the record set in 2012. Those include people who voted by mail or early in person at auditors’ offices or satellite voting locations...

In their first televised debate, the candidates for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District offered divergent views on management of the COVID-19 pandemic and immigration policy. Republican Randy Feenstra and Democrat J.D. Scholten also disagreed about social issues like civil unions for same-sex couples during the debate, which was pre-taped and broadcast on Wednesday by WHO-TV and KCAU...

The Clay County Board of Supervisors convened for their regular meeting Tuesday morning and in a unanimous motion, accepted with regret the resignation of Clay County Attorney Kristi Busse effective at noon that day. “I appreciate your faith in me, ... ...

State lawmakers should decide the penalties for police departments and officers who violate citizens’ rights in cases that show bias, a state panel decided informally Thursday. The FOCUS Committee on Criminal Justice Reform plans to meet this week to finish its recommendations to the state before the Iowa Summit on Justice & Disparities on Oct. 29...

The “Minnie Queen” is under construction at Okoboji. Patterned after the famous cruise ship of the Iowa Great Lakes, the unique two-story playgournd is a project of the Imagine Iowa Great Lakes campaign, projected for completion by November 1. Brush was cleared from the lakeshore last spring to open up the view of Lake Okoboji in the Hattie Elston Access Park area. The development will include green space, trail extension, nautical-theme play areas and landscaping...

In the midst of many changes over the last year, two teams of youth showcased their hard work and entrepreneurial spirit, competing in the second annual AgOvation program finals on Sept. 26. AgOvation is a research-based competition that challenges youth to explore and develop innovative, science-based solutions to agricultural problems that they identify in their own communities. Youth in grades 7 through 12 work in teams to develop a project and create a presentation to share their results...

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley asked Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Tuesday whether she has made any promises to vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as he sought to counter arguments from Democratic senators that she would unravel the landmark health care law...

A series of minor thefts in early September had Lakes Area store clerks scratching their heads. Newspaper racks were empty. Storefront vending boxes were cleaned out, and copies of the Sept. 2 Dickinson County News were hard to come by just 24 hours after the weekly newspaper was distributed throughout the Iowa Great Lakes...

The O’Brien County Conservation Board recently assisted the Iowa DNR with placing neck collars on trumpeter swans at the Negus area near Sutherland. One of these collars is a GPS tracking device which will monitor the movement of the bird every 15 minutes. Updates on the information gathered will be shared on the conservation board/Prairie Heritage Center website and Facebook page. /Contributed...

One of two Spencer residents accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old Spirit Lake girl pleaded not guiltyrecently. Amanda Cox and 21-year-old Jack Hess of Spencer were charged last month for an incident authorities believe took place in February. Criminal complaints filed in both cases said Hess forced the girl — who was 13-years-old at the time — to commit a sex act at a trailer home Cox owned in the 1400 block of Sixth Street in Milford. ...

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently confirmed that zebra mussels are in Black Hawk Lake. A marina operator reported finding zebra mussels on boat lifts removed from the lake for winter storage. Investigation by DNR staff discovered low numbers of zebra mussels on additional boat lifts. DNR staff will conduct surveys at Black Hawk Lake next summer to monitor the abundance and distribution of zebra mussels in the lake...

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst and Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield asked each other to apologize Saturday during their second televised debate. Ernst did. Greenfield didn’t. The moment came toward the end of an hour-long debate in which the candidates also clashed on health care. WHO-TV moderator Dave Price offered the candidates a chance to ask each other a question...

Alliant Energy announces completion of its plan to add 1,000 megawatts (MW) of wind production in Iowa, several months ahead of schedule and within budget. This achievement comes as the company completes its 130-MW Richland Wind Farm in Sac County, located in west-central Iowa...