Stories from Tuesday, March 8, 2016

With the Oscars behind us, it's going to be a bit more difficult to find the diamonds in the vast roughage that is Hollywood's output during the spring season - typically a lull between the holiday blockbusters and the summer blockbusters. We're sorted through the weeds for you, and here are a few of the more interesting flicks to have on your radar this spring...

Threat On the evening of Saturday, March 5, at approximately 11:18 p.m., the Storm Lake Police Department was dispatched to Burger King on North Lake Avenue in reference to a threat. Upon arrival police were advised by store staff that a person identified as a 17 year old male of Storm Lake had entered the store and attempted to start a fight with an employee. He then advised the employee he would return at 1 a.m. and cause additional problems. The suspect then departed the store...

September 21, 1926 - March 1, 2016

If there were a GPS system rigged up to lead folks straight to the true heart of country music, it would have unerringly led them to Holstein's Clausen Center last Saturday evening. Pam Tillis walked on to the stage with sparkles in her clothes and a belt buckle that wouldn't quit. ...

A special meeting for 2016-2017 kindergarten students and their parents is scheduled for March 17 and 18 at Storm Lake Elementary School. Three sessions will be held for this parent/child event. One session will be held on March 17 at 6 p.m. Additional sessions will be held on Friday, March 18 at 10 a.m. ...

The Storm Lake Early Childhood programs, located at both East Early Childhood and Gingerbread are taking applications for the 2016-2017 school year. They currently provide programming for expectant mothers and children birth to age five. Full day programming is available for toddlers and children ages 3 to 5...

Clayton Ehlers, a student at Northwestern College in Orange City, is touring with the college's A Cappella Choir during its spring break tour. The 44-member ensemble will perform at a variety of venues, including public concerts, private events, church worship services, middle schools, high schools, universities and hospitals. ...

The Storm Lake Dance Squad is holding their dance squad night on Friday, March 11th at 7 p.m. in the Storm Lake High School gym. Admission is $5 at the door. Their guest performers are the Alta-Aurelia Dance Team and Sioux Central Dance Team. The night also included award winning state Pom and Hoopla routines, Co-Ed, Little Friends, Father Daughter and a surprise finale...

University of Northwestern - St. Paul announces that Jacob Nuckolls, of Early is a participant in the University of Northwestern Choir & String 2016 Tour. Jacob is currently pursuing a degree in Social Studies Education and History. The Northwestern Choir and Strings, together with their conductors Timothy Sawyer and Kirk Moss, will tour in North and South Dakota from March 8 - March 13, performing in schools and churches. ...

Ridge View Choir Members attended the Western Valley Conference Choir Festival on Monday, February 29th, in Ida Grove. Ridge View Choir Director is Kris Kistenmacher. Pictured, first row: Trentin Moeller, Paige Hill, Bethany Kalin, Natasha Madsen and Abby Clark. Second row: Sage Bennett, Cole Degen, Jill Galvin, Tylar Conover, Hannah Maymon. Third row: Eric Hibbs, Chris Gardner, Evan Leuschen and Brady Meyer...

Six Storm Lake St. Mary's High School students will be competing at the state individual speech contest at Moville on March 12 in seven different events according to head coach Katie Tremmel and assistant coach Deb Peters. Students receiving I ratings include Megan McDaniel in original oratory, Emily Heitman in prose, Meaghan McCleary in storytelling, Emily Heitman in poetry, Anna McDaniel in after dinner speaking, Judd Sennert in storytelling and Ben Peters in storytelling...

Emily Scott, 16, of Lake View, a member of the Wall Lake Bandits/Viola Visions 4-H Club, has been honored for her exemplary volunteer service with a President's Volunteer Service Award. The award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their county, was granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program on behalf of President Barack Obama. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Wes Washpun was given the chance to send Northern Iowa to the NCAA Tournament. He had to wait a second before he knew he had done it. Washpun hit a jumper from the top of the key that bounced high off the back of the rim and fell in at the buzzer to give the Panthers a 56-54 victory over Evansville on Sunday in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship game...

Given a second chance to win a state championship, Pocahontas Area made sure the opportunity didn't slip away. The top-ranked Indians broke open the game with a big scoring run at the end of the first half and beat defending champion Nevada 59-49 to win the Class 3A title...

There's probably not a basketball fan in Storm Lake who hasn't secretly wondered to themselves - what if fate had put Parker Lange and Michael Demers on the same team? After all, the two highest scorers for their respective cross-town high schools have plenty in common. ...

Tackling Chuck Grassley - a Republican icon who has been in public office for 57 straight years - tends to be a good way to become humble. Democrat Tom Fiegen, out of Clarence, Iowa, population 966, is asking for volunteers to help him "finally reclaim the seat from special interest money."...

Western Iowa Congressman Steve King released the following statement after he and Chairman Bob Goodlatte sent a letter Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro, at the Government Accountability Office, requesting immediate answers to questions raised within the criminal justice reform initiative the House Judiciary Committee launched almost a year ago...

Todd and Kylee Lange depart for the Father-Daughter Dance last weekend. The two have made an annual event of it since Kylee was a small girl, and each year they recreate the photo from the first year in the same spot. Kylee is now a freshman in high school. / Photo courtesy Patti Lange...

This week was again very busy. Many visitors came to the Capitol. I had 40 Seniors from Carroll Kuemper join me Wednesday in the Senate. There are many bills this year that deal with pre-21 issues: ability to purchase tobacco at 18 or 21 (which failed to make the first funnel deadline), expunging of criminal records of juveniles from permanent records to allow the person a normal life and career without the mistakes of youth slowing them down, and a bill that says citizens under 21 will be treated as juveniles in the courts.. ...

Test results conclusively identified two large canines shot this winter in Osceola County and Van Buren County as wolves, likely originating from the Great Lakes population in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The samples were tested at the University of California-Davis...

The Buena View Garden Club will hold their monthly meeting at the Storm Lake Public Library in the Meeting Room this Thursday, March 10th, at 1:30 p.m. Guest speaker Kathy Koskovich of the DNR will speak to the group about "Pollinator Habitat." Pollinators such as native bees benefit from many of the same land-use practices that benefit pheasants and other birds and animals...

There will be a Farm Truck Education Meeting on Thursday, March 31, at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center at the Methodist Church in Storm Lake, Iowa. Topics discussed will include truck safety, hazardous materials, licensing, inspections and new rules and regulations for transporting in state and across state lines, as well as other topics and a question and answer session. ...

The Iowa Board of Massage Therapy has filed a notice of hearing and statement of charges against Caryn Peterson of Alta. Peterson is a licensed massage therapist, and her current license is scheduled to expire in March 2017. The hearing will be held in Des Moines June 7. ...

The Food Bank of Iowa Mobile Food Pantry program returns to Storm Lake Thursday, March 17, 3-5 p.m. at the former Bomgaars building on North Lake Avenue. The program is available to those in food need, free of charge, with some income qualifications. Those who would like to participate should bring bags, boxes or laundry baskets to carry their food. More information is available from Upper Des Moines Opportunity at 712-732-1757...

With the worst of winter weather behind, the pace is picking up on construction at Storm Lake High School. The band and choir programs have temporarily been relocated to the new auxiliary gym to allow for their area of the high school building to be fully renovated. ...

Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) Chair Dr. Andy McGuire announced Saturday that she is convening a Caucus Review Committee to be chaired by Dave Nagle. Nagle is a former Congressman and former State Party Chair. There have been a number of concerns raised about the conduct of the caucuses including stories of packed locations, confusion, and precinct chairs overwhelmed with the process...

"That's huge," says Rob Hach of Anemometry Specialists, based in Alta. He's referring to Iowa's Solar Tax Credit. According to State Senator Rob Hogg, "Since 2012 this tax credit has helped 1,821 projects in 92 counties and has helped create over 700 new solar energy jobs. ...

Storm Lake immigrants earn their American rights, and now there's a free class to help

We've been thinking about moving from our big old two-story house to something a little easier to clean and maintain. And if we're going to move, why not move to a warmer, sunnier place? Then again, maybe we should stay here and just find a more compatible house. We've often wondered what it would be like to live in a place with level floors and square corners instead of our old wreck whoops! I mean, our old historic landmark...

Dear Editor: Another reason to allow sick citizens to use cannabis (marijuana / kaneh bosm) that doesn't get mentioned (letter: Mumbo Jumbo Blocking Medical Marijuana in Iowa, Feb. 29, 2016 Pilot-Tribune) is because it is Biblically correct since God indicates He created all the seed bearing plants saying they are all good on literally the very first page...

The investigative videos released by the Center for Medical Progress prove that Planned Parenthood sells aborted baby parts. For those of us who have worked in the abortion industry, the fact that Planned Parenthood puts its profits above all else comes as no surprise. ...