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A hopeful light at the end of the long, dark COVID-19 tunnel - vaccine - is drawing nearer. Where that vaccine will go first, and who gets first dibs on the protection, is a playbook that public health and medical leaders are working to write now. Buena Vista County Public Health has been told that the first batch of doses should arrive before the end of fall - that is, before December 21...

The number of coronavirus infections across the country is swelling at a perilous time for state governments, just weeks before federal support rushed through Congress in the pandemic’s early stages is set to end.   The expiring provisions from the $2 trillion CARES Act and subsequent executive orders will mean reductions in unemployment benefits for those struggling to find work, the loss of eviction protections, and a restart to monthly student loan bills that had been suspended...

In the last several weeks, COVID-19 numbers have skyrocketed throughout the country, and throughout Iowa. This dramatic increase has seen our hospitals fill across the region. The issue is not just with COVID-19 patients, but our hospitals were already filling back up from the many medical problems that were put off or delayed due to COVID-19 over the spring and summer. What this means to us as a hospital system is that it becomes more challenging to transfer the critically ill patients to larger hospitals. Our neighboring critical-access hospitals are keeping an increasing number of COVID-19 patients as well. This is a very alarming trend.. ...

After weathering COVID-related staffing shortages, things are looking up for Newell-Fonda and Albert City-Truesdale, according to Superintendent of Schools Jeff Dicks. “The biggest concern has been staffing. It has been challenging, but we made it through - a lot of people have stepped up and helped. Now we are to the point where we are getting a lot of our people back,” he said this week...

Ahhh, Christmastime. It conjures up glowing Christmas lights, sparkling snowflakes, festive music, holiday parties, and a visit to Santa’s Castle. The Castle, Storm Lake’s hometown holiday tradition, will not be open for tours this season. But as Board president Ron Hott states, “Our doors may be closed, but our hearts are still open. ...

“Humbled.” It’s the word western Iowa Congressman-elect Randy Feenstra uses often to describe his status, as he prepares to go to Washington. The reality sank in for him when he arrived in D.C. for the recent orientation sessions for newly-elected members to the 117th Congress. ...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s School delivered 116 boxes for the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child Program. The boxes were filled with gifts, toys, school supplies and hygiene items for children in Third World Countries for Christmas. Students from all grade levels helped collect gifts for the project. St. Mary’s students have brought joy to many children around the world during the holiday season. Since 2008, St. Mary’s has filled 2,073 gift boxes...

Blaze orange clad hunters moving through Iowa’s timber will be a common sight when the first of two shotgun deer seasons open Dec. 5. An estimated 120,000 hunters participate in the shotgun seasons, harvesting about half of the total number of deer for the year...

The life and athletic achievements of former Cherokee Brave track state champion, the late Steve Casey, are fondly remembered by a memorial bench dedicated to Steve sitting atop the hill near the finish line at the WHS track and field complex. The bench was created and donated by Steve Thomas of R.J. ...

Thanksgiving needs a good PR firm. While Hallmark is dealing out Christmas movies by the bucketful before Halloween, name me a few good Turkey Day films. I’ll wait… *insert sound of patient whistling.Not so easy, is it? But let’s not just rush past a perfectly good holiday here. With a deep dive into the archives, here’s a list of movies to celebrate with while the cranberry sauce is running down your chin...