Stories from Thursday, January 21, 2016

A Country Couples Night Out is being planned for Friday, March 18 in Alta, at Summit Evangelical Free Church. The event includes dinner, entertainment, fellowship, and silent/live auction items. Tickets are $40 per couple, or $20 for individuals. Country Couples Night Out is a benefit for Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault. CAASA is a non-profit organization that works with victims of sexual violence across 19 counties in Iowa including Buena Vista...

On a scale of 5 popcorn buckets, "The Revenant" loads up 4 buckets of warm popcorn which will help you forget about the terrible cold on the screen. But you better eat through it quickly because once the main character is forced to start finding food to eat in the wilderness, you might find your hunger somewhat disturbed. MPAA rating: R. Running time: 2 hours, 36 minutes.

February 13, 1931 - January 17, 2016

Wanted person On the afternoon of Monday, January 18, at approximately 4:30 p.m., a Storm Lake police officer observed a wanted person in the 1100 block of North Seneca Street. Police made contact with and arrested William Reyes, age 29 of Storm Lake, who was wanted out of Buena Vista County on Contempt of Court reference Going Armed With Intent and Assault while Displaying a Weapon...

The 3rd Annual Triton Jazz Festival was held on the Iowa Central Community College campus on January 14 and 15. 19 jazz bands from Class 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A high schools performed for a panel of judges and then participated in a separate clinical session. First, second, and third place rankings, as well as soloist awards, were as follows:...

The Girl Scout Cookie Program is back for another exciting year! For the second year in a row, Girl Scouts in Iowa are taking the iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program online, as they use web-based tools to market their cookie businesses starting in February...

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach -- Cherokee County's Master Gardener program celebrated the graduation of its fall 2015 class recently, with a culmination of the past eight weeks of instruction and face-to-face presentations. "The Master Gardener program is a great way to meet like-minded individuals in our area, who share a love of gardening and a willingness to add beauty to our community," said Mary Tuttle, Master Gardener coordinator with ISU Extension and Outreach -- Cherokee County.. ...

A Driver Education Registration/Information parent meeting will be held Wednesday, January 27 at the Storm Lake Middle School from 5:30-7 p.m. Registration will begin at 5:30 with a representative from the Department of Transportation giving a presentation at 6 p.m. ...

Have you ever wanted to learn how to make a colorful quilt? If so, please join Donna Bremer at The Meeting Place in Galva on Tuesday, March 22nd at 6:30 pm. Donna will teach a four-part beginner quilting class on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m...

The Ridge View girls basketball team defeated Western Valley Conference rival Siouxland Community Christian on the road Tuesday. The Raptors (7-6) beat the Eagles 48-29 for their fourth win in a row. For Ridge View head coach Brian Bode, the Raptors mental toughness on the court was the key to the victory...

The Ridge View boys basketball team pushed its winning streak to three games with a victory against Siouxland Community Christian Tuesday on road. The Raptors (12-1) defeated the Eagles 56-48 to claim a Western Valley Conference win. Ridge View head coach Dale Tokheim said it was the Raptors balanced offensive attack that lifted them past SCC...

The Alta-Aurelia girls basketball team rode its high-tempo offense to a home victory against Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire Tuesday. Coming off a tough loss to South Central Calhoun, the Warriors (8-6) rebounded to defeat the Titans 54-32. Alta-Aurelia head coach Adam Rapp said it was his team's pressure that propelled it to the win...

The Alta-Aurelia boys basketball team struggled on the court during the home loss to Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire Tuesday. The Warriors (7-6) fell 72-50 to the Titans for their fourth loss in a row. Alta-Aurelia head coach Chris Abaray said turnovers and tough defensive pressure from GTRA led to the defeat...

The Storm Lake girls basketball team is still in search of its first win of the season after the road loss to Estherville Lincoln Central Tuesday. The Tornadoes (0-14) fell 69-23 to the Midgets to remain winless. For Storm Lake head coach Mel Fisher, the Tornadoes mental toughness is to blame for the defeat...

The St. Mary's boys basketball team toppled Twin Lakes Conference rival Newell-Fonda on the road Tuesday. The Panthers (7-5) defeated the Mustangs (4-9) 68-56 to snap Newell-Fonda's two-game winning streak. St. Mary's head coach Nick Landgraf noted that the Panthers' patience on offense led them to victory...

A strong second half lifted the Newell-Fonda girls basketball team past Twin Lakes rival St. Mary's in Newell on Tuesday. The Mustangs defeated the Panthers 73-37 to claim their fourth win in a row. St. Mary's head coach Jessy Bibler said it was her team's inability to find good looks in the second half that doomed the Panthers...

The Storm Lake United Investor Development Committee is always looking for ways to promote Storm Lake United member businesses. On January 13, the committee successfully staged an Ambush at five local member businesses. The goal of the Ambush is to thank the business for being a member of Storm Lake United and draw a little attention to them in the process. ...

The Storm Lake Bakery is getting a facelift and some upgrading to "Bring it into the 21st Century," as store owner Lisa Funk says. The big reason for the upgrade was the single-pane window, which was letting in too much cold. "And my own teenagers were reminding me constantly we have never updated the inside." When asked how long it has been since the last update, Funk says "Not in the fifteen years I've been here, and the people who were here before me can't remember."...

Seems like every politician and commentator is moved this week to give their spin on what Martin Luther King Jr. would think if he were around today, which is a very convenient thing to do to a person who is not around to correct them. There is no doubt that some of the things King had envisioned for a more equitable America have come to pass, albeit belatedly. ...

Martin Luther King Day reminds me of growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina in the '60s and '70s. Looking back, it's hard to believe what passed for normal in those days. When I was a preschooler, probably 1965 or '66, we had a maid named Flossy, a black woman. ...

The Storm Lake Police Department and Storm Lake Knights of Columbus are sponsoring the Annual DARE Omelet Breakfast on Sunday, February 7, from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., at the Knights of Columbus Hall located at 1507 East Lakeshore Drive. Proceeds from the breakfast fund the DARE Program which is currently provided in the St. Mary's School System...

The entire Iowa congressional delegation, led by Iowa Congressman David Young, called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tuesday to propose 2017 ethanol and 2018 biodiesel Renewable Fuel Standard Renewable Volume Obligations consistent with enacted law...

Dr. King believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all, and encouraged all citizens to live up to the purpose and potential of America by applying the principles of nonviolence to make this country a better place to live--creating the Beloved Community...

As part of homecoming week, St. Mary's students dressed up in sport regalia. Eric Broich, Trisha Lenhart, MacKenzie Laven and Emily Ivey paid tribute to gridiron heroes. / Contributed

DNR Officials are reminding snowmobilers, ice anglers and others that ice conditions are variable on all bodies of water and that there is no such thing as safe ice after four snowmobiles went through the ice recently at the Iowa Great Lakes. The recent cold snap put a thin layer of ice on some areas that had been previously open water which were then covered with snow making them hard to identify, said Steve Reighard, state conservation officer for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources...

PAULLINA, Iowa -- Dan and Lorna Wilson of Paullina have been chosen as the recipients of the 2016 Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award, granted each year by Practical Farmers of Iowa to an individual or couple that has shown dedication to sustainable agriculture, generously shared his or her knowledge with others, and been influential in efforts to foster vibrant communities, diverse farms and healthful food...

The online reservation system for the Sunrise Campgrounds will open up on Monday, February 1 at 8 a.m. Capers can start to book their stays for the 2016 season online at www.campingfriend.com/sunrisecampgrounds... including stays for the three biggest camping weekends of the year; Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day weekend...

The Food Bank of Iowa is coordinating a new Mobile Pantry in Clay County. The distributions will begin on Thursday, Feb. 18, in Peterson. The pantry will be open from 4-6 p.m. at 316 Elm St. Additional distribution dates have been scheduled for April 21 and June 16...

A community celebration of the Home Base Iowa designation of Buena Vista County will be held on Thursday, January 28, at 10 a.m. at the Iowa National Guard armory in Storm Lake. Buena Vista County becomes the 25th community in the state to earn the designation...

The award winning St. Mary's Silversteppers performed a precision hoopla routine at a recent basketball night in the Panther Pit. Many of the dancers are also athletes on the girls basketball team, and must prepare quickly after their games to perform during halftime of the boys' home contests. / Photo by Dana Larsen...

The cross country ski trails, maintained by the City of Storm Lake Parks Department, are ready for public use. Weather permitting, the department will groom a ski trail through the Sunrise Pointe Golf Course and Sunrise Pointe Campground area about once weekly through the remainder of the season...

The Storm Lake City Council approved a resolution Monday evening to adopt a revised employee manual, Among the changes, family care leave will increase from 24 hours per year to 48. The city's wellness program will be addressed. Residence requirements will be relaxed to 20 miles/30 minutes from the City due to a lack of available housing within City limits for employees. ...

On Monday, the Storm Lake City Council voted to establish a new Mayor's Advisory Committee for Parks, Trees and Trails. The group will be the first public entity to address such issues since a formal parks board in the City was disbanded years ago. None of the City officials or council members were aware of the circumstances for the past disbandment...

Project seeks funding from Storm Lake