Stories from Thursday, April 20, 2006

While few people in Storm Lake make minimum wage, employers disagree on whether a hike would benefit or harm business. With legislators predicting a hike soon, many businesses believe they will not be affected because they already pay well above minimum wage...

May 6th through 16th, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the Forum Art Gallery at Buena Vista University will be presenting "Holding Life", a show of work from Katrina Thomas, a senior at Buena Vista University. The gallery and exhibition is open to the general public...

The 2006 Buena Vista County Historical Society museum display opens Sunday, April 30th, at the museum at 214 West 5th Street in Storm Lake. The public is invited to an open house to launch the season, with a program at 2 p.m. This year's exhibit theme, "In The Beginning", highlights items of those living in the early days of Buena Vista County. An added attraction will be the Walter Becker minatures which are powered by electricity or compressed air...

Kacie Hetland and Cheyne Hesse Mr. and Mrs. Randy Hetland of Story City, and David and Pam Hesse of Alta, are pleased to announce the engagement of their children, Kacie Hetland and Cheyne Hesse, both of Ames. Kacie is a 2000 graduate of South Hamilton High School. She graduated from Iowa State University in 2004 with a Bachelor's degree in advertising and a minor in art and design and she is a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority...

The Storm Lake High girls tennis team won two singles matches and one doubles match here Tuesday, but fell short in a 6-3 loss to LeMars. Winners in singles for SLHS were Douan Banhleuxai, who edged Sara Oetken 11-9, and Phoung Sihakhune, who beat LeMars' Kelsey Schilmoeller, 10-6...

Storm Lake High senior Jenny Jones fired a 45 here Tuesday at the Newell golf course, leading the Tornado girls golfers to dual meet win over Newell-Fonda. Storm Lake finished with 196 points to 217 for Newell-Fonda. Jones finished with three pars, four bogies, and two double bogies...

The Storm Lake High boys golf team had a tough test here Monday at the Newell Golf Course, beating Newell-Fonda 153-154 in a nine-holt dual meet. The Mustangs' were led by a 35 from meet medalist Matt Spaulding and a 37 from Austin Vanderhoff. Kyle Nielsen led the Tornadoes with a 36, with junior Aaron Clausen firing a 37...

Despite two individual first places from Brian Sauter and firsts in two relays, the Alta High boys track and field team took second to Algona Bishop Garrigan in the Alta Co-Ed meet here Tuesday. Bishop Garrigan took five individual firsts and won three relays, finishing with 173 points. The Cyclones were second with 158 points, followed by Aurelia (80 points), Remsen-St. Mary's (72) and Pomeroy-Palmer (37) Following were the Alta JV (18) and Storm Lake-St. Mary's (6)...

Alta junior Dee Hinkeldey didn't let a soggy, slightly chilly afternoon hurt her performance in the Alta Co-Ed Invitational track and field meet here Tuesday. Hinkeldey, the defending Class 1A State 400 meters champ and the two-time defending 1A state champ in the 400 meters, set a new school record time Tuesday in the 100 meter dash, finishing first in 12.84 seconds...

SLHS girls win Sheldon Invitational Taking three individual first places and winning two relays, the Storm Lake High girls track and field team won the Sheldon Invitational here on a brisk, rainy afternoon. The Tornadoes added five seconds, three third places and a fourth place to win the seven-team meet...

The Alta pool is scheduled to be up and running May 27 at 1 p.m., weather and maintenance permitting. Ticket prices are set at $2 for general admission, $40 for a single season pass and $70 for a family season pass. Swimming lessons will start the second week of June and will run until the end of July. Call the pool for sign up at 284-1311...

Bill Thompson's years at Alta High School "added" up quickly. He will leave at the end of the year after teaching math for 33 years. As part of his career, he served as a junior high basketball and football coach for 23 years. He teaches algebra, trigonometry and general math classes for seven periods a day...

The most common answer given to Darel Burns' question, "Why do you want to start your own business?" from the wannabe entrepreneur is that they are tired of working for the man. They want to be the man. In some cases the client is surprised and disheartened when Burns informs them a business owner they can look forward to working 60 to 80 hours a week...

Joseph Aube of the United Counties Board of Realtors has earned a diamond Individual Achievement Award from the Iowa Association of Realtors. The IAR Individual Achievement Awards were initiated in 1988 to recognize excellence in Real Estate activities. ...

Former city council member Jack Kooker continued to urge Storm Lake officials to work towards cleaning up residential property issues. Kooker said that he has seen some action since bringing his concerns and photo documentation to the council a couple of weeks ago...

Buena Vista County is conceding that the Department of Natural Resources is likely to side with Rembrandt Enterprises and overturn the county's denial of the industry's plan to build a major expansion to its facility. Both Buena Vista County and Rembrandt Enterprises have filed their cases with the DNR by the deadline this week. The DNR now has 30 days to make a decision, and no compromise is possible...

As hundreds of people filled a high school gym Tuesday to say goodbye to an Iowa Army National Guardsman killed in Iraq, a small group of placard waving protesters kept their distance. Sgt. Daniel Sesker, 22, of Ogden, was killed April 6 when a bomb exploded near his Humvee outside Tikrit...

Schools in Iowa with small minority populations are escaping penalties under the federal No Child Left Behind law, even though some student test scores may be too low. An investigation by The Associated Press found that Iowa schools are exempt from penalties in five racial categories - white, black, Hispanic, Asian and American Indian - if the number of students in any of those groups in a school is under 30...

Soy Energy, LLC announced plans this week to build and operate a biodiesel plant between Marcus and Cleghorn in Cherokee County. The 37-acre site has been purchased next to the Canadian National Railroad line. The plant is expected to produce 30 million gallons of biodiesel fuel annually from soybeans, soy oil, corn oil and animal fats. About 50 new jobs with a $2.5 million payroll and impact expected to be created in Cherokee County...

Gene Sievers, of Albert City, received the Honorary Iowa FFA Degree during ceremonies held at the 78th Annual Iowa FFA Leadership Conference in Ames on April 10. Gene was an educator and FFA advisor for thirty-four years at high schools in Stanton and Albert City. ...

In a partnership to provide exposure and education to fourth graders in Buena Vista County, ISU Extension and Ag Partners are working with fourth grade classrooms in Buena Vista County in a program called "Ag Citing ... Making the Ag Connection." Approximately 270 4th graders are involved in the program, according to Rhonda K. Christensen, Iowa State University - County Extension Education Director...

College doesn't happen by chance. To underscore the need for community support to help prepare, advise and financially assist students seeking post-secondary education, Storm Lake Mayor Jon Kruse proclaims May as National Scholarship Month. Kruse was surrounded by the student and adult members of the Storm Lake Dollars for Scholars board of directors as he made the proclamation prior to the Storm Lake City Council meeting Monday afternoon...

There is nothing like a successful job interview to cement the bond between a possible employer and the worker hoping to become gainfully employed. The interview is one of the most important parts of the hiring process, where you are judged on how well the employer feels you can interact with the other workers and do the job. I really wish I had one of those successful interviews when I was called into the Pilot-Tribune...

Doubting if Iowa will be daughter's field of dreams To The Editor, I'm a father who wonders if his daughter made the right career choice. My daughter chose to follow in my footsteps and that's what worries me. She is now a special education teacher in Iowa, a state which doesn't value teachers as much it used to, or as much as most other states do...

In the movie "Wedding Crashers," the comic stars discover that crashing funerals is the quick way to pick up vulnerable misses in black. And there are a few folks in every congregation who sit in on funerals for people they have never met, as long as it comes with a catered chicken dinner...

Marilyn Marie Christensen January 2, 1939 - April 15, 2006 Marilyn Marie Christensen, age 67, of Newell passed away on Saturday, April 15 at Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake, following a courageous battle with cancer. Funeral services were held at 10:30, April 19th, at the Congregational Church in Newell. Burial was at the Newell Cemetery under the direction of the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home. Visitation was 4-8 p.m., Tuesday at the Funeral Home in Newell...