Stories from Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Friday evening was Senior Night as St. Mary's in more ways than one. Besides the student-athletes attending their last home game, Wayne Andrews the timekeeper ran his final clock after 50 years at the helm. After the JV game, Wayne was recognized at center court. "I've enjoyed every minute of it, and I can't believe time has passed so quickly," he said...

One brick at a time, the Storm Lake School District Foundation is setting a foundation to make a difference in the local classrooms. The Foundation is wrapping up a project selling personalized paver bricks for a plaza outside the entrance of new Storm Lake High School Auditorium and gyms on the west side of the complex...

Methodist Manor held its annual Valentine's Day celebration Friday afternoon at Lake Point Villa. Residents were served strawberry floats, handmade mints, and a snack bar with meats, cheese and fresh veggies. Top, Lake Pointe Villa resident Janice Caldwell enjoys a strawberry float. ...

Some Latino families in Storm Lake are reportedly upset with comments from local elementary school officials in an online report on immigration and the election season, filmed recently by VICE News. An anonymous letter left at the Pilot-Tribune's doorstep last weekend claims that some of the families are considering holding their children out of school for several days to make a statement. ...

Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds at their Monday morning press conference today announced that funding has been raised to move forward with the 2016 Intensive Summer Reading Program pilot study--a project dedicated to assisting school districts in helping young students who struggle to read. Private gifts of more than $1.3 million will cover the more than $1.9 million total cost of the pilot study. Other contributors include the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Board of Regents...

Mike Delaney, of the Raccoon River Watershed environmental group, is speaking out against the agricultural industry response as a lawsuit by Des Moines Water Works against three northwest Iowa counties including Buena Vista draws closer to court. "Industrial Ag shills blame Mother Nature for nitrate levels in the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers. ...

The DOT has asked Buena Vista County to enter an agreement for a Highway 71 project for this upcoming season. The state has been working on an overlay on the highway, and has already down work running south out of Spencer. The new project, recently approved, will add overlay on 71 from the point where the earlier work left off to the Buena Vista County border...

An 18-year-old man suspected of shooting a Sioux City police officer has had his bond set at $300,000. The Sioux City Journal reports that Isaiah Mothershed's bond was set Thursday. Mothershed's preliminary hearing has been set for Feb. 19 in Woodbury County District Court...

Activity this week has centered in the policy committees and sub-committees. Next week is the first "funnel" of the session. If a bill does not pass out of committee by February 19, it is ineligible for further consideration this year. In order to allow as many bills a possible to have a full hearing, this week's schedule will concentrate on policy committee meetings. ...

A Sioux City man accused of impersonating a police officer and enticing young girls and inappropriately touching them has been sentenced to seven years in prison. The Sioux City Journal reports that 31-year-old Joey Alberts pleaded guilty Wednesday to enticing away a minor, indecent contact with a child and three counts of impersonating a public official...

Derek Simonsen, a Buena Vista University junior biology major from Quimby, has received a Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Undergraduate Fellowship from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Simonsen is one of only 30 students from throughout the country selected to receive the fellowship. ...

The City of Storm Lake is seeking citizens that are interested in learning more about Storm Lake and getting involved in the community to contribute to the future of the City. The next Citizen's Academy is scheduled to begin February 27th. There will be 13 total sessions scheduled for March and April. ...

The Storm Lake Police Department was called to Storm Lake High School Friday afternoon for a report of a 15-year-old student who was observed with marijuana in his possession inside the school. Police took Mure Werge to the police station, and after investigating, obtained information that he was attempting to sell marijuana at the school. ...

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, remembered Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia after learning of his death Saturday. "Justice Scalia was an intellectual giant. His originalist interpretation of the Constitution set the standard for the court. ...

Fonda Mayor Don Wolf has issued a statement by email supporting Police Chief Alex Leu after a high-profile clash between the chief and Pocahontas County Sheriff Bob Lampe. After reading articles about the incident, he said he felt it was time for the City of Fonda to respond...

y friend Charlie invited me to go on a 6-mile hike in a nearby nature preserve. Sure, why not? Just because I've never been hiking before in my life shouldn't hold me back. Besides, what is a hike, anyway, but a long walk? I walk all the time. Why, just yesterday I put out the garbage, and that meant taking it all the way to the end of the driveway. If that's not a hike, I don't know what is...

There are ways to make a statement, and ways not to. A letter that indicates that some Latino families in Storm Lake are considering holding their children out of school as a form of protest would be a perfect example of the latter. Think about it. Who does it hurt if your kid misses school? School administrators? Makers of controversial online videos? Nope...

The Clay County Fair announced the Hitmakers Reunion Tour -- starring Restless Heart plus Richie McDonald, Suzy Bogguss and Billy Dean -- will perform in the U.S. Cellular Grandstand at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12. "Classic country music has been something fairgoers ask for over and over again and I can't think of a better group of musicians to bring in for a great night," Clay County Fair Manager Jeremy Parsons indicated...

ISU Theatre's newest production, Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) opens in Fisher Theater on Friday, February 26 at 7:30 p.m. Written in 1985 by playwright Christopher Hampton, the script is adapted from Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 novel, a book so infamous that is was read behind locked doors at the time of its publication and banned in France a full forty-two years later...

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City has announced two new acts for Anthem. Raw and real outlaw country star, Shooter Jennings and Waymore's Outlaws, will perform hits like "Outlaw You," on Saturday, June 4. Siouxland music fans will also have the opportunity to see high-energy, 80s New Wave style band, The Spazmatics, on Friday, March 4...

ROCK VALLEY - Alta-Aurelia ended their season Monday night on the road in a 2A District Tournament opener, doomed by a ferocious start by Unity Christian, which cruised on to the 66-42 win. Turnovers gave the Warriors fits in the early going, as a tall Unity team reeled off 17 straight points in the first five minutes. ...

The Sioux Central girls basketball team advanced in the regional tournament Saturday with a win against Sibley-Ocheyedan at home. The Rebels (12-9) beat the Generals 66-48 to push their winning streak to five games. For Sioux Central head coach Alan Vasher, the victory was due to a fast start by the Rebels...

The Ridge View boys basketball team closed out the regular season with a road win against Newell-Fonda last Friday.
 The Raptors (17-2) toppled the Mustangs (6-14) 72-44 to rebound from their conference championship defeat to Maple Valley-Anthon Oto. Ridge View head coach Dale Tokheim said the victory gives the Raptors some momentum heading into the postseason...

Buena Vista rallied from an 11-point deficit to get as close as two late in regulation, but a last-second three-point shot was knocked away as time expired, and visiting Loras College hung on for a 71-68 victory on Saturday afternoon inside of Siebens Fieldhouse...

The Alta-Aurelia, Sioux Central and Ridge View wrestlers competed at the District meet in Manson Saturday with state tournament bids on the line. Of the Warriors' four wrestlers at the meet, only 138 pounder Skylar Solko qualified for state. The Raptors saw one, 170 pounder Ryan Cougill, of its two wrestlers advance. The Rebels lone wrestler, 145 pounder Caleb Gunderson, moves on to the state meet, as well...

With a chance to advance to the state tournament, the Storm Lake wrestling team competed at the District meet in Fort Dodge Saturday. The Tornadoes saw 106 pounder Milton Duarte and 120 pounder Chris Shima move on with a pair of second place finishes. Storm Lake finished fifth as a team with 129 points, 112 point behind first place Fort Dodge...

Loras College scored 10 of the final 13 points, including three straight, and knocked off Buena Vista on Saturday afternoon, 73-71. Kennedy Drey put BVU in front 71-70 with just over a minute to play, but the Duhawks got a pair of offensive rebounds on the ensuing possession which led to a layup and a foul. Loras missed the free-throw attempt to keep the game at 72-71. Drey came up short on his shot attempt out of a timeout, and then the game came down to free-throws...

Five students from Storm Lake High School went to Dallas Texas for the National Hispanic Institute's Celebrcion last November. There they learned about the concept of "Cultural Entrepreneurship," formed into teams and used the concept to solve problems in the Hispanic community. They had to think up the problems as well as the solutions...

The Buena Vista County Soil & Water Conservation District recently held a middle school essay contest. The theme this year was "We All Need Trees." 7th and 8th grade students from Sioux Central participated in this year's contest and took home the overall county winner trophies. ...

The 35th Annual Buena Vista University Honor Band Festival will be held on February 27. The following students from the Storm Lake Middle School have been selected to perform in this festival: Skylar Cole and Beauna Thammathai- flute, Cathleen Manivong- oboe, Beatriz Espino- Bb clarinet, Katrin Musel- french horn and Raul Arevalo Ramirez-euphonium. These young musicians are the students of Barb Wells and Holli Safley...

The Sac County Cattlemen are offering three $500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are residents of Sac County, whose parents or themselves have paid their membership to the Iowa Cattlemen's Association for the current year and who have been accepted to a university, junior college or vocational school to further their education. Acceptable areas of study include but are not limited to: production agriculture, agribusiness or related fields including home economics and health...

The Clausen Center in Holstein is about as far away from the theatre district in New York City as any off-Broadway musical is ever likely to get. Yet that's exactly what we got as an early Valentine last Saturday night. Snowy roads and a dropping thermometer may have thinned out the crowd but not its enthusiastic response to "Embraceable You." Dean and Lisa Ferguson Balkwill, assisted by four purveyors of syncopation, blew the breath of life back into post-war Paris. ...

The high school youth from St. Paul Lutheran in Schaller will be hosting a lock in for 6th -8th grade youth. Come and rock the night away with Swen and Dean and enjoy games, food, Bible study, door prizes and much more. All this for only $20 per person. ...

Celebrate LEAP day with a little silly fun from the natural world. Enjoy this family friendly program provided by the O'Brien County Conservation Board. Come to the Prairie Heritage Center on Monday, February 29 at 6:30 p.m. for a "Who Hops?!?!" interactive presentation. Find out who hops, leaps, and jumps. You can even measure how well you stack up to their amazing feats...

December 2, 1935 - February 8, 2016

Two men arrested at the Super 8 Motel for possession of marijuana On the afternoon of Friday, February 12, at approximately 5:02 p.m., the Storm Lake Police Department was dispatched to the Super 8 Motel at the intersection of Lake Avenue and West Milwaukee Avenue in reference to a report of the smell of burnt marijuana in the hallway near the guest rooms...