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He comes from the far reaches of Italy to serve up Italy's finest cuisine to Storm Lake. Who am I talking about? Giovanni Zequiri will be soon be opening up Giovanni's Italian Restaurant in the former Legacy location on Lake Avenue. He and his brother Alfredo are the chefs with Giovanni also acting as the front man to greet the guests...

The first thing you notice about Shane Schreck are his eyes -- there is a laser-like focus going on when you are talking to him that lets you know he is focused on your conversation, and your conversation alone. Those tat sleeves on his arms tell some stories as well, as Shane looks as if he could pull a round of rigorous physical training, even if he is retired from the military after 17 years in...

Planning continues for this summer’s fundraiser concert for Santa’s Castle, featuring RFD-TV favorite Mollie B and her Squeeze Box Band. The concert will be held Saturday, August 12 at the Columbus Hall in Storm Lake. More business sponsors for the show are needed. So far, about $2,400 of the cost to present the show has been raised, with about another $900 needed by next month. With all the expenses covered, all of the ticket sales will be able to go to support Santa’s Castle...

There is very little substance in life when you do things by yourself," Fred Moore, Buena Vista University president, said as as he discussed the achievements in the 22 years he has served at the university and his plans as he prepares to leave. Moore will be stepping down from his role as President of Buena Vista University on June 7 to in order to be closer to his son. ...

The Marathon to Marathon committee held its final planning meeting Sunday night in preparation for the 2nd and final running of the event, June 10. About 340 runners from 37 states have signed up so far, including 200 full marathon competitors. "We are having a record number of registrations in all events at this point in time. ...

For Storm Lake High School graduates, it seems like the first day in the school was just yesterday, says Izabelle McCammant, one of two class speakers for the SLHS commencement ceremony Sunday that saw 144 new graduates receive their diplomas. The school's tradition is an essay competition in which students are chosen to address their class rather than bringing in a guest speaker...

People think they understand human trafficking because they’ve seen action movies like “Taken.” But reality tends to be more subtle, though grindingly tragic, and it exists in communities across Iowa, perhaps right in front of their faces. That is the message of Amber Lawrence, who travels the state for the Iowa-based Teens Against Human Trafficking organization, trying to protect young people from being “Taken” down a heartbreaking road in which life expectancy is a stark seven years...

Soil Health Day will be hosted by the Ron and Margo Sievers farm near Rembrandt, June 19, starting at 9:30 a.m. The United States Department of Agriculture is sponsoring the event. Those who attend will learn why soil health is important, and see demonstrations of soil health through a rainfall simulator and a field assessment in the farm’s fields. This will be a fun learning experience for all ages, organizers say...

Oh the feels! It's that time of year again, and you can't rock a memorable graduation ceremony on "Pomp and Circumstance" alone. Luckily, there's plenty of durable grad-ready fare from the pop charts to draw from. Here's our Top 20 choices. 20. Miley Cyrus, "The Climb" - A ballad on moving on, from the innocent pre-twerk Hanna Montana days. "There's always gonna be another mountain / I'm always gonna wanna make it move / Always gonna be a uphill battle / Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose..."...

Native of Storm Lake and artist, Constance L Luhman has been selected be a participant in the Pike’s Peak Watercolor Society juried International Watermedia Exhibit. The show is being held at the Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. The exhibition is opens June 2 and runs through June 24, 2017. Luhman’s piece “Shannon and Gracie,” was accepted for this exhibit...