State and Regional News

An Iowa State University survey says farmland values in the state rose 2.3% over the past year, despite the trade disputes and declining income. The increase was only the second in six years, according to the survey report released Wednesday. Low interest rates, strong yields and a limited amount of available land helped boost the statewide average to $7,432 an acre (0.40 hectares), said Wendong Zhang, an Iowa State assistant economics professor. ...

A firefighter climbs to the roof of a church building in Rembrandt Tuesday night. A construction worker who had been doing repairs became trapped on the roof after his hands became frostbitten with no feeling, preventing him from climbing down. / Photo contributed by Dick Bennett...

Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday announced a a public service campaign to address increased vaping by Iowa teenagers with a focus on social media and information programs for parents and students in schools. Reynolds said increasing awareness and education on the known risks of vaping will help prevent young people from suffering nicotine addiction and health problems...

A new decade will mean a new addition to Spencer’s downtown district. Planned to open in the summer of 2020, The Iowa Project Brewing Company continues to develop its 316 Grand Ave. property into the future home of a brewery and taproom. “When you come in the space, we’re going to try to keep things open,” said Nicholas Applegate, one half of The Iowa Project Brewing Company. ...

J.D. Scholten, candidate for Iowa’s 4th congressional district, announced Wednesday that he will be challenging fellow Democrat and presidential candidate Andrew Yang to a basketball game. The two were scheduled to play the game in Ames at the community center Thursday...

Jim Engle, director of the downtown resource center for the Iowa Economic Development Authority, recently wrote an impressive article referencing Cherokee’s restored, historic RR Depot so diligently saved, maintained and managed by the local Depot Renovation Inc. led by Jim Adamson, Mick Samsel and their merry band of gandy dancers...

Volunteers served a long line of needy families and individuals in the most recent Kiwanis food distribution at the former Sears store location in Storm Lake Thursday afternoon. The local group and its volunteers work with the Food Bank of Iowa to provide the distributions every other month - the basic foods given out help to get families on a tight budget through the month. ...

By NOMAAN MERCHANT Special to The Pilot The U.S. government persuaded a federal judge to prevent a private fundraising group from building its own wall next to the river that separates the U.S. and Mexico, despite the group’s longstanding claim that it is supporting President Donald Trump...

A federal court judge says the state of Iowa cannot enforce its latest attempt to stifle undercover investigations of livestock farms and denied the state’s efforts to dismiss a lawsuit challenging this year’s so-called ag-gag law. The Republican-led legislature passed the state’s second such law in March, two months after a federal judge struck down the previous 2012 law, saying it violated constitutional free-speech rights...

A new monthly survey of business leaders suggests the economy is slowing down in nine Midwest and Plains states as the U.S. trade war with China continues, according to a report released Monday. The overall index for the region slipped into negative territory at 48.6 in November from October’s 52.6...

In a recent video message, western Iowa Congressman Steve King continues to attack the impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump. King said Democrats have a “slim, slim rationale” to prove that Trump “had a motive in his head which they’ve assigned to him,” in claims that the president was seeking a political advantage over Democrat candidate Joe Biden...

The Cherokee Fire Department and City Police were summoned to a motor vehicle fire about 11:30 a.m. Thanksgiving Day in the State Savings Bank parking lot. The vehicle was a total loss as flames and large plumes of smoke billowed as firefighters courageously neared the scene to douse the fire and keep it from spreading to the bank and other nearby structures. The vehicle owner was identified as Robert William Templeman from Mayer, MN. / Photo by Beth Hanner...

The Arnolds Park City Council met in special session Nov. 20 to discuss a potential purchase of the Okoboji Middle School building. Council member John Adams said he had been approached by a handful of residents with the idea. The property’s next owners will have to emerge from a public bidding process — a Nov. ...

A Sioux City man has pleaded guilty in what authorities have called a human trafficking case in which a teenage Guatemalan girl was raped. The Sioux City Journal reports that 38-year-old Cristobal Francisco-Nicolas pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to a smuggling count and unlawful possession of identification documents. In exchange, a third smuggling count will be dropped...

After 11 years of temporary lanes and closed exit ramps, work is finally nearly complete on an Interstate 29 expansion project through Sioux City. The Sioux City Journal reports the Iowa Department of Transportation hopes to finish work on the project by Christmas. Final construction includes pouring concrete bridge approaches, installing guardrails and painting pavement...

Iowa officials are hoping to reduce water pollution by addressing problems in the small waterways that zigzag throughout the state, and they believe something as simple as name awareness can help. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Transportation have partnered since 2014 to install more than 900 creek name signs across the state. ...

Storm Lake Community Chest held their annual Storm Lake United Coffee Wednesday at King’s Pointe where they distributed around $35,000 to 28 different local organizations, including Nicole Kleespies representing Iowa State University Extension, accepting funds for the Storm Lake High School 4H program. ...

More than 85 percent of the city of Des Moines’ workforce is white, according to a recent public information request. Des Moines resident Joe Henry requested the information after he noticed in his role as a member of the city’s Civil Service Commission that few minority candidates were interviewed and hired. In response to his request, the city’s data shows the following:...

The emergence of the Cherokee School District’s hurried elementary school (PK-4) project now under way pushed to the back burner other significant facility needs totaling more than $1 million which are now part of the District’s proposed FY 2020 Feasibility Study...

An Iowa law allowing people to use lethal force to defend themselves doesn’t apply to defendants who engaged in criminal activity prior to the perceived threat, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday. The ruling reverses an Iowa Court of Appeals’ order in May issuing a new trial to Miguel Angel Lorenzo Baltazar, 21, of Des Moines. ...

Personnel from three different law enforcement agencies converged on downtown Spirit Lake Wednesday morning to execute a pair of search warrants and, ultimately, perform a pair of arrests. Authorities conducted the two searches simultaneously at approximately 9 a.m. ...

For many Iowans, a Thanksgiving Day pheasant hunt is as much a part of the holiday tradition as football, battling over the last turkey leg and an afternoon nap, and this year’s outing may be one of the best. “North of Interstate 80, things are shaping up for the Thanksgiving holiday to have good pheasant hunting – our bird numbers are stable and the crop harvest was late - hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate,” said Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife research biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. ...

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Conditions report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly from April through November. “Four consecutive days of favorable weather allowed many farmers to finish up soybeans last week,” said Secretary Naig. ...

Stuck for a gift for that special person this holiday season? The Friends of the Storm Lake Library have you covered. The volunteer group assembles baskets that include a special book or books and other gifts, each with a unique theme. Visit the library to bid on your favorite basket - all income from the silent-auction style fundraiser goes to projects to support and improve the library and its programs. There are baskets for all different ages and interests. Bidding is open until December 12...

By Denny Holton Special to The Pilot “Only one way to do it. And that’s the right way” -John P. Lopez When the president of a highly respected, family owned company says his organization is “super excited” about the opportunities for company growth in Cherokee, that’s great news for the City of Cherokee, the surrounding area and the State of Iowa...

Police are investigating what officials say is a threat posted on social media to three Iowa State students. Iowa State Police Chief Michael Newton said Wednesday that the university is trying to identify who posted it on Reddit. The university says the threat targeted three students who participated in a Land Acknowledgement statement made at a Students Against Racism meeting on Nov. 7. Such statements acknowledge the indigenous people who once inhabited the land...

Eight months after flooding began along the lower Missouri River, the amount of water being released from dams upriver will start to be reduced later this month. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the amount of water being released from the Gavins Point dam on the Nebraska-South Dakota border will start to gradually be reduced on Nov. 23 as part of its plan to cut releases for winter...

A preliminary hearing has been set at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, for a Spirit Lake man charged with second-degree sexual assault. The Spirit Lake Police Department filed a criminal complaint on suspicion that 21-year-old Riley Ray Jackson used or threatened to use force to sexually assault an adult female victim...

A judge rejected a request by former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s lawyers to set aside a jury verdict that concluded Branstad had discriminated against a former state official because the official is gay. In a ruling filed Tuesday, district court Judge Brad McCall summarily rejected dozens of Branstad’s lawyers’ arguments, including challenges to legal rulings during trial and jury instructions...

Residents along southern portions of Hill Avenue in Spirit Lake saw smoke and emergency lights come their way Friday evening. Spirit Lake fire fighters responded to a residential fire around 7:11 p.m. Friday at 710 22nd St. in Spirit Lake — the corner of 22nd Street and Hill Avenue. The residents — two adults, a child and their pets — were able to escape unharmed, but the house sustained smoke and water damage. Crews were on scene for about four hours...

Join in a real life Hallmark Christmas event, carriage rides in downtown Cherokee December 6. The event is sponsored by Central Bank and benefits the Pride Group. Complimentary cookies and cocoa will be served and the Pride Group will be hosting a holiday bake sale. Get there early because the rides are going to fill up fast. Sweet Serenity Carriage Rides will be offered 2-4 p.m. Note: this event is pending approval of the route...

A stunning sunset lit up the horizon over Storm Lake Saturday, with the lake so glistening smooth that it reflected the clouds in the water.

Authorities say a man burned in a fire at a northwest Iowa hog confinement has died. Le Mars Fire-Rescue says 38-year-old Jorge Orozco died Saturday at St. Elizabeth Burn Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. He’d been flown there after being taken in a private vehicle on Sept. 30 to Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars. Officials say Orozco lived in Sioux City...

On Dec. 11, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will host an open house to present preliminary floodplain maps to Clay County citizens. The open house will be conducted from 5-7 p.m. in the Clay County Supervisor’s Board Room at the Clay County Administration Building, 300 W. Fourth St. in Spencer. The meeting is open to the public...

The University of Northern Iowa’s president is forming a committee to address minority and other students’ allegations of systemic racism on the Cedar Falls campus — allegations widely shared in a social media campaign. President Mark Nook took responsibility in a recent letter to the university community for the school’s failure to adequately fulfill goals set by an ad hoc student group and backed by the student government...

A late harvest, wet grain and the fall chill have combined to multiply demand for propane in Iowa and other states, according to agriculture and propane industry officials. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig told The Des Moines Register that the demand on the supply system during the last week to 10 days has been tremendous...

By Joseph Hopper Special to The Pilot The future of Northwest Iowa Care Connections — the mental health region serving Clay, Osceola, Dickinson, Palo Alto and O’Brien counties — has a few question marks after O’Brien County approved a resolution notifying their intent to leave the region in late October. ...

A jury has convicted a man of a hate crime and other counts for tearing down and burning an LGBTQ flag flying at a church in Ames. Television station KCCI reports that 30-year-old Adolfo Martinez was found guilty Wednesday of a hate crime, third-degree harassment and being a habitual offender...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has named 14 officials to a committee she’s created that will make recommendations for removing racial bias from the Iowa criminal justice system and help reduce recidivism among former offenders. Reynolds says the group’s recommendations will form the foundation of a package of legislative proposals aimed at advancing her second chance initiative which will include her continued push for a constitutional amendment that grants felons the right to vote...

Applause echoed throughout the Spencer Family YMCA as Democratic candidate for president Pete Buttigieg took the stage in a Spencer gym crowded with over 500 people Monday afternoon. The presidential hopeful first energized the crowd by asking them to envision a future without President Donald Trump, saying “we cannot afford four more years of what we’ve been going through as a country.”...

A menacing clown was spotted on the streets in Schaller, but never fear, it was just a wandering spirit from the Bango Haunted Crib attraction, which wrapped up its season over the weekend. The haunted house was a fundraiser for a new Schaller fire station”...

Bernie Sanders insists he feels better than ever less than a month after heart surgery, but his return to the campaign trail has sparked new questions about the unusually old age of the Democratic Party’s leading 2020 presidential candidates. Both Sanders, 78, and Joe Biden, 76, suggest their age isn’t a major issue, but voters, particularly older voters, aren’t so sure...

Area farmers will be up against the clock this week as they work to complete their harvest before a forecast of snow could potentially arrive at the end of the week. Despite experiencing unfavorable weather conditions during planting, area agriculture professionals said there is still optimism as farmers work in the fields to complete this fall’s harvest...

Registration for the annual University of Okoboji Winter Games officially opens Nov. 1. Get signed up for your favorite events from broomball to cribbage. Visit wintergames.com for a printable registration form or access to online registration. Forms can also be picked up at the IGLA Chamber at 565 S Highway 71 – Suite 4 in Arnolds Park. Gather friends and family soon, as certain events have a limit on the number of teams or participants...

Spencer Rotary Club are busy preparing for the 2018 Rotary Book Sale set for Wednesday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Clay County Regional Events Center. The 28th annual book sale is expected to feature approximately 30,000 used books ranging from fictional classics to romance novels and nonfiction selections to rare first editions...

Western Iowa Congressman Steve King is demanding greater public transparency into the impeachment hearings being led by Rep. Adam Schiff. Following a press conference October 23, House members including Congressman King, entered the hearing room to bear witness to what King describes as “the greatest atrocity I’ve seen in the United States Congress in 17 years.”...

U.S. agriculture officials say a rule that allows farmers to legally grow hemp will be finalized this week. It’s a move that many states have awaited so they can begin widespread hemp production. Hemp and marijuana are both cannabis plants but have different levels of THC, the ingredient that causes a high...

The passing of Heath Huberg is being mourned not only within northwest Iowa, but across the country. The Okoboji High School alumnus turned professional stage performer passed away on Sunday, Oct. 13 at home from a rare form of brain cancer called glioblastoma. ...

The O’Brien County Conservation Board is pleased to host Humanities Iowa Speaker, OJ Fargo in “Just Before the Battle Mother – A Visit from a Civil War Soldier. Remember Veteran’s Day from a different viewpoint in history as Mr. Fargo dresses in full Union Army regalia and focuses the first person presentation on an individual Iowa soldier’s Civil war experience...

Sen. Joni Ernst says she’s pushing EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to fulfill the promises the president has made to blend a mandated 15 billion gallons of ethanol into the nation’s fuel supply. Ernst says she’ll call for President Donald Trump to fire Wheeler if the EPA doesn’t meet those blending promises...