State and Regional News

The Shopko Hometown store in Cherokee, only three years old, will be closed in late February following a liquidation sale beginning this week. The announcement comes only two months after a decision was announced to close the Cherokee K-Mart, which is currently liquidating its stock...

A 78-year-old Lake Park man said he likely would have died Thursday morning if a neighbor hadn’t reacted so quickly. Dennis Gildemeister fell through the ice on Silver Lake and spent around 22 minutes in the frigid water, according to the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office...

The Witter Art Gallery staff has been perfecting their own technique for making alcohol ink mugs, in preparation for a class on December 8. The alcohol ink created a marble-like design on a white mug. / Pilot photo by Dana Larsen.

The trial of an Indiana man accused of killing a Fort Dodge woman has been moved to Mason City. The Des Moines Register reports that a judge on Friday approved the move for 26-year-old Phillip Williams’ trial for first-degree murder in the August 2017 death of 26-year-old Jessica Gomez. Williams’ attorney requested the change of venue, citing pretrial publicity. Earlier in the week, Williams’ co-defendant in the case, Mackenzie Knigge, also had her trial moved out of Webster County...

Sens. Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst of Iowa have joined the growing list of cosponsors of the new First Step Act (S.3649) that could reduce the number of federal prisoners and the length of their sentences. A coalition of 28 senators, 14 Republicans and 14 Democrats, have now sponsored the legislation - endorsed by the President - to reform America’s criminal justice system...

Presented at the Closing Party and Awards Reception Wednesday, the Clay County Fair and Events Center received first-place recognition in two categories, along with 10 other awards, at the annual International Association of Fairs and Expositions Convention in San Antonio, Texas...

The Iowa Environmental Council and Environmental Law & Policy Center have filed a petition asking the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to establish and enforce numeric criteria for nutrients in significant Iowa recreation lakes, including Storm Lake...

The northwest Iowa Roman Catholic diocese is defending its decision to continue employing a priest who told police he was trying to rape a woman when he was arrested with his pants off in an Iowa mall in 2013. The Diocese of Sioux City issued a statement this week for the first time acknowledging the 5-year-old incident involving the Rev. ...

While the final 2018 harvest numbers are not expected to be confirmed until August 2019, local agricultural officials agreed preliminary data suggests a weaker than anticipated yield for both corn and soybean crops. Clay County farmers experienced a wide range of results in the field due to adverse weather which plagued the area throughout the season...

As temperatures drop throughout northwest Iowa and its various waterways, some anglers have already began the ice fishing season. With a season of more stable below freezing temperatures nearing, Joe Yarkosky, Iowa Department of Natural Resources conservation officer, encouraged safety at all times on the frozen surfaces, noting safety is never guaranteed whether the ice is thick or thin...

Deer hunters will soon be trading in their bows for shotguns and body harnesses for blaze orange vests as the calendar turns to December and the first of Iowa’s three main gun seasons begin.  And based on reports, it looks like hunting will be good, if the weather cooperates...

Transportation advocates hope the new incoming Illinois governor will be able to help establish two new train routes connecting Chicago to the Quad Cities and Rockford. Groups hope Democrat J.B. Pritzker will be able to revive the two projects, which have stalled in recent years, The Chicago Tribune reported...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Nutrition Services collected non-perishable food items for the Lord’s Cupboard of Alta. The food pantry was very grateful to BVRMC staff for their donations. The Lord’s Cupboard has been active for nearly 40 years and serves seven churches in the surrounding area...

By DANA LARSEN Pilot-Tribune Editor In its second week, the Adopt-A-Family for Christmas project has seen 117 families adopted. The Pilot-Tribune and Upper Des Moines Opportunity co-sponsor the program each year, matching generous individuals, families, businesses, clubs, classrooms and church groups with needy local families to provide the Christmas experience they might otherwise not have...

A January trial has been scheduled for a 28-year-old man accused of killing two brothers who lived in Fort Dodge. Webster County court records say Tanner King, of Fort Dodge, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder. ...

District Court Judge Carl Petersen on Friday sentenced a Milford woman to 20 years in prison for causing a fatal traffic crash in Osceola County. Ann Marie Vanderpool received her sentence following an Oct. 3 plea agreement with prosecutors. Evidence suggests she had a blood alcohol of 0.145 when her eastbound 2012 Chevrolet Captiva crossed the centerline and collided with a Toyota Camry driven by 48-year-old Spirit Lake businessman Travis Mier...

Government documents and emails show that Iowa’s top 4-H leader was fired earlier this year after a proposed policy discouraging discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender was withdrawn. The Des Moines Register reports that it reviewed more than 500 pages of communication that show Iowa 4-H director John-Paul Chaisson-Cárdenas was fired after he fought pressure to drop the policy...

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake) Storm Lake has a daily limit of three walleye and all 17- to 22-inch walleye must be released; no more than one walleye longer than 22 inches may be taken per day. Walleye - Fair: Try twisters and leaches fished under a bobber from shore and near the inlet. White Bass - Fair: Use crankbaits and crawlers fished from shore and near the inlet...

The veteran’s memorial statue in Sioux Rapids stood tall for the Veterans Day holiday, with its plaque reading “All gave some, some gave all.”

OMAHA — For the first time this year, a monthly survey of bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states indicates the regional rural economy is shrinking. The overall index of the Rural Mainstreet survey for November sank to 49.9, the first time it’s dipped below 50 since January and down from October’s 54.3. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy in the months ahead, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy...

Hundreds of Iowa National Guard soldiers have been told they were overpaid after a year-long deployment to the Middle East and that they must make plans to repay the money. The 248th Aviation Support Battalion held a homecoming ceremony on Nov. 2 to celebrate returning from Kuwait and Iraq. The next day, about 366 of the battalion’s 400 soldiers were informed of the money issue, The Quad-City Times reported ...

AMES — Officials say Iowa State will use a large portion of a $6 million gift from Boeing Co. to help fund construction of the Student Innovation Center. A news release sent Tuesday about Boeing’s $6 million commitment says 140,000-square-foot (13,006 square meters) center on the Ames campus is expected to be finished in January 2020...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s will commemorate Our Lady of Guadalupe beginning December 4. For nine days they will be praying a rosary in the morning at 11:30 a.m. and in the evening at 6 p.m. On December 11, they will have the traditional Mañanitas (serenade) at 10 p.m. ...

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday the Senate Republican majority of the upcoming 116th Congress unanimously nominated Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who was first elected to serve Iowans in the U.S. Senate in 1980, to be Senate pro tempore, a position that has historically been bestowed upon the most senior member of the majority party in the upper chamber of Congress. ...

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday the Senate Republican majority of the upcoming 116th Congress unanimously nominated Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who was first elected to serve Iowans in the U.S. Senate in 1980, to be Senate pro tempore, a position that has historically been bestowed upon the most senior member of the majority party in the upper chamber of Congress. ...

As a part of an institutional culture of continuous improvement, BVU is reorganizing its academic programs into four schools. This change will take effect next academic year (2019-2020). The Harold Walter Siebens School of Business and the School of Education remain relatively unchanged. ...

The nation will pause Sunday to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Great War’s end at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Unfortunately, the peace which followed wasn’t quite soon enough for one Arnolds Park family. Walter “Wave” Miguel was killed while serving in the U.S. Army just a day before the armistice was signed...

Storm Lake High School students traveled to Aplington-Parkersburg High School on Thursday, October 4, to attend the Ed Thomas Leadership Academy.  The Leadership Academy was created by The Ed Thomas Family Foundation in order to continue the positive legacy of Coach Ed Thomas, who suffered a tragic and untimely death at the hands of a former student. ...

Mark Prosser, Public Safety Director / Police Chief with the Storm Lake, Iowa Police Department will join business, faith, law enforcement and other leaders from across the country to discuss how we can advance a constructive way forward on immigration at the National Immigration Forum’s Leading the Way: An American Approach to Immigration...

Iowa Central Community College is responding to students who may not have enough to eat, or may not be prepared for an Iowa winter. The Triton Pantry and Triton Closet are available through the health center at the main ICCC campus. The Triton Pantry provides mainly non-perishable goods such as: canned fruits and vegetables, boxes of pasta, canned soups, crackers and more, and when available, fresh produce or eggs. The Pantry also coordinates with a local organization’s Free Bread Friday...

SIOUX CITY — Officials in a northwest Iowa city are considering banning people from carrying some types of “toy” firearms, which police say are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from actual guns. The Sioux City Council tentatively approved an ordinance on Monday that would ban pellet and BB guns. The proposal wouldn’t ban Nerf or squirt guns, or guns that shoot suction-cup darts...

Voters casting midterm election ballots in Iowa are divided over the state of the nation, according to a wide-ranging survey of the American electorate. As voters cast ballots for governor and members of Congress in Tuesday’s elections, AP VoteCast found that 45 percent of Iowa voters said the country is on the right track, compared with 55 percent who said the country is headed in the wrong direction...

PRIMGHAR, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of driving recklessly has been given three years of probation in an all-terrain vehicle crash in northwest Iowa that killed his passenger. O’Brien County court records say 28-year-old Garrett Crowl also was given a deferred judgment at his hearing Monday in Primghar. ...

Once in a while “Storm“ Lake does not live up to its name. Calm on Nov. 1.

CARTER LAKE — The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska has opened its new casino on the Iowa-Nebraska border. The tribe held a ribbon-cutting Thursday for the Prairie Flower Casino on tribal land in Carter Lake, Iowa, an Omaha suburb. The casino will be open all year, around the clock for patrons who are at least 21 years old...

A collection of hunting skulls adorn a residence on the river at Sioux Rapids, a flag waving from an eye socket.

Associated Press — Republican congressman Steve King is rejecting accusations that he’s associated with an Austrian white supremacist group. Those claims have prompted condemnation from within his own party just days before Tuesday’s election. During a forum with Iowa business leaders Thursday, the eight-term Iowa congressman said a Washington Post story this month wrongly characterized his August meeting in Austria as being with the far-right Freedom Party, a group with Nazi ties...

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday released its findings about the cause of a March 2017 train derailment near Graettinger. The NTSB’s summary said a broken rail caused 20 cars to leave the track as the train crossed Jack Creek east of the Emmet County city. The train was carrying undenatured ethanol from the Green Plains ethanol plant in Superior. The fuel ignited after the train left the rails. The NTSB said an estimated 322,000 gallons of the ethanol was released...

FORT DODGE — A Roman Catholic diocese acknowledged Wednesday that it concealed for decades a priest’s admission that he sexually abused dozens of Iowa boys — a silence that may have put other children in danger. The Rev. Jerome Coyle, now 85, was stripped of his parish assignments in the 1980s but never defrocked. ...

Over the past few decades tornadoes have been shifting — decreasing in Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas but spinning up more in states along the Mississippi River and farther east, a new study shows. Scientists aren’t quite certain why. Tornado activity is increasing most in Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa and parts of Ohio and Michigan, according to a new study in the journal Climate and Atmospheric Science. ...

Rembrandt - A large crowd of agricultural professionals, area community members, government officials and many others toured the recently completed Adrian’s Finisher Farm in Rembrandt Thursday for an open house hosted by Iowa Select Farms, Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers and Trent Hatlen of Hatlen Family Farms, who owns and will operate the hog barn contracted for Iowa Select Farms. ...

Officials with Family Crisis Centers, an organization serving victims of domestic violence and human trafficking in northwest Iowa, said 1,138 clients were assisted in the past fiscal year in their 17-county area. More than 100 clients have been served in Clay County...

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa received a letter from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Heather Wilson regarding an October 2, letter he sent seeking answers as to why the 60th Ariel Port Squadron at Travis Air Force Base purchased cups that cost $1,280 each. The response from the Air Force indicates that $326,785 has been spent on these hot cups by the Air Force since 2016...

Thousands of hunters in blaze orange will take to the fields when Iowa’s pheasant season opens Oct. 27. And with the second highest pheasant population in a decade, hunters can afford to be optimistic. “We have good pheasant hunting across the state where we have good habitat,” said Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife research biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources...

Sears filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last weak, buckling under its massive debt load and staggering losses. Sears Holdings, which operates both Sears and Kmart stores, will close 142 unprofitable stores near the end of the year, with liquidation sales expected to begin shortly...

The Clay County fairgrounds are often the site of smiles and laughter in September, but if all goes well October will bring screams and frights as the Spencer Jaycees “Nightmare at the Fair: Haunted Holiday Tour” will open Friday at the Tower Gate Pavilion...

Join Sac County Extension and Outreach Thursday, November 8, 6:30 p.m. for a fun evening of learning how to expand your gift giving dollar with this Make and Take Session. Create two gifts, learn the value of making your own, preparation tips, and leave with recipes to share this holiday season...

More than 100 Special Olympics Iowa athletes participated in a variety of fun activities with BVU coaches, staff, faculty, and students during its sixth annual Unified Sports Day. The event was held in partnership with Special Olympics Iowa on Thursday, Oct. 11 in Lamberti Recreation Center on the BVU campus...

Main Street Fort Dodge is hosting its second Build a Better Block event on Wednesday, October 24 at 6 -8 p.m. at 1018 Central Avenue. At the event attendees will help transform the vacant Dodge Theatre into a pop-up museum celebrating Fort Dodge’s history in the film and production industry. ...