Stories from Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Ijust read another story of somebody who fell off a cliff trying to take a selfie. Actually, they should call it a "cellfie" because most of these accidents happen only with cellphones. Not long ago, a person trying to squeeze his handgun into the picture shot himself in the head...

One of the undercurrents of public sentiment you hear during this presidential campaign is the refusal of government leaders to listen to the people. People are tired of being ignored. They are fed up with government leaders just paying them lip service, in essence. They believe that only people who make large campaign donations or who have the money to hire lobbyists actually get heard by political leaders...

At about 12:40 Saturday morning the Rembrandt Fire Department was notified of a fire at 5360 110th Street. Upon arrival Fire Chief Jay Sassman said they found the north side of the house engulfed in flames. The Rembrandt Fire Department is 100% volunteer, with 13 members. Sassman said firefighters from Sioux Rapids, Alta, and Storm Lake were called to the scene to help. "We had thirty or forty firefighters helping," Sassman said...

Since the first Ronald McDonald House opened in 1974, the program has provided a place for families to rest and refresh while their children are receiving medical care. Programs are now available in 60 countries, with nearly 6 million families served...

This Thursday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m. the Storm Lake United Methodist Church will present an original Last Supper Drama titled "That You May Have Everlasting Life." The drama explores Jesus' teachings as well as other scriptures pertaining to eternal life...

Western Iowa Congressman Steve King predicts that the Republican primary in Iowa is going to be "an all-out war between conservatives and the political elite in DC." "In short," King said in a message emailed to supporters, "they're coming after me with everything they've got. Why? I only only surmise that these actions are in response to the fact that I had the audacity to stand in support of my friend Ted Cruz and win the Iowa Caucus on February 1...

Yet another call alerted the DNR that oil was still leaking near the dredge on the east side of the Storm Lake marina Sunday. A Buena Vista County deputy sheriff confirmed substantial sheen spreading outside the booms and along the east marina shoreline...

Sara Huddleston, Storm Lake, has made her campaign for an Iowa House of Representatives seat official, filing an affidavit of candidacy and nomination petitions for the District 11 seat with the Democratic Party and the Iowa Secretary of State's Office. Secretary of State Paul Pate's office has just notified Huddleston that her name will be included on the ballot...

Join BVU Associate Professor of Biology Melinda Coogan as she explains and explores STEM opportunities in NW Iowa. Professor Coogan has been selected to conduct a summer science camp on BVU's campus called Tech Trek (only one site is selected per state), and also has been elected as 2016/17 President of Iowa Academy of Science...

Senate candidate Patty Judge seems to have a new strategy for defeating entrenched incumbent Chuck Grassley - not having to. The Judge campaign launched an online petition over the weekend calling for Grassley to resign. "Chuck Grassley has taken his partisan games to new heights. ...

Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has reversed an earlier denial of disaster assistance to three rural electric cooperatives and one municipal utility in northwest Iowa...

The Clay County Heritage Center welcomed a new member approximately two weeks ago: Parker, a 10-week-old hedgehog. "We had the opportunity to get an educational pet," said Chelsea Loucks, executive director of the center. "We took it to the board and they approved it, so we adopted Parker."...

Clark Voge claimed the 34th of 65 top prizes of $30,000 available in the lottery's "Bonus Crossword" scratch game. He said he had won smaller prizes before on the tickets, but this was by far the largest amount he has won. Voge, an employee at the HyVee Distribution Center, said when he returned to Sparky's the next morning he received congratulatory messages. He said he plans to save a majority of his winnings...

Anthony Jon Bachman, 46, was arrested Friday afternoon after he led Sac County Sheriff's authorities on a pursuit that ended about four miles west of Breda in Sac County. Bachman was driving a 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle on Highway 196 about seven miles south of Sac City at about 3:30 p.m. ...

Storm Lake High School recently hosted the AEA Prairie Lakes regional competition for National History Day 2016. Eighty-five students in grades 6- 12 from Storm Lake, Albert City-Truesdale, Spencer Sacred Heart, Estherville Lincoln Central, Alta- Aurelia, Hartley Melvin Sanborn, Pocahontas, Manson Northwest Webster, Ft. ...

On April 2nd, Freedom Quilts again will be honoring heroes and their families. The heroes to be honored this year include: Navy Seal Jon Tumilson - his sister and her family will be present for this event. Sgt Dillion Naslund - parents and family will be present...

Local teams from Storm Lake, Alta-Aurelia and Sioux Central took part in the crowded field for the two-day Buena Vista University High School Elite Indoor meet in Storm Lake Saturday and Sunday. With 30 teams and hundreds of athletes from all over the western part of the state on hand, some events had over 60 entries...

The Buena Vista softball team surrendered just one run while picking up two wins on Sunday as the team continued its Spring Break trip down south in Clermont, Fla. Senior Jenna Falline registered a complete-game shutout in the opener against D'Youville, scattering just five hits and striking out four...

Iowa started the season on quite a roll and ended it suddenly. The Hawkeyes, who were ranked as high as third after beating then-No. 1 Michigan State, lost 87-68 to second-seeded Villanova on Sunday in the second round of the South Regional. The run of not reaching the Sweet 16 since 1999 keeps going and the blowout - Iowa trailed by as many as 34 - meant the seventh-seeded Hawkeyes finished the season losing seven of their final 10 games...

The Buena Vista baseball team pounded out 23 hits and scored in all but one inning on Saturday afternoon, en route to a lopsided 24-3 victory over George Fox University to begin its annual Spring Break trip in Tucson, Ariz. The Beavers had five players with at least three hits in the contest with 11 of the 23 base knocks going for extra bases...

The Storm Lake 7th Grade Boys won the OA-BCIG basketball tournament recently. Storm Lake beat South Central Calhoun by a score of 41-17, then beat OA-BCIG 34-28, and defeated River Valley in the final 32-20. Team members pictured are (front left to right) - Jamuo Gatwech, Kevin Lopez, Jaylen Saengchanpheng, Brian Martinez, Ben Gallagher. (Back left to right - Jesus Soto, Ben Raveling, Mark Eddie, Issac Morales, Paul Both, Ethan Johnson...

MENS VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE Barcelona 2, Benchwarmers 0 Super Digz Squad 2, Buena Vista 0 Super Digz Squad 2, Barcelona 1 Buena Vista 2, Benchwarmers 1 Lions 2, Miguel 0 BD Financial 2, Miguel 0 BD Financial 2, Lions 0 STANDINGS BD Financial 14-2 Super Digz Squad 13-3...

Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC) conferred degrees, diplomas and certificates at its fall commencement ceremony Dec. 22 at the Orpheum Theatre, Sioux City. Following is a list of area WITCC graduates and their hometown. An asterisk (*) denotes students graduating with honors...

Jayde Vondrak of Galva has been honored as a Presidential Scholar at AIB College of Business for the 2015-2016 Winter Term, having attained a grade point average of 3.80 or higher for the term.

Morgan VanDerSloot, a student at Northwestern College in Orange City, is student teaching this semester. In order to be accepted into the teacher education program, students must maintain a 2.5 cumulative grade point average, submit an entrance portfolio, successfully pass the Pre-Professional Skills Test and receive departmental recommendation...

The Buena Vista County Corn Growers hosted their annual FFA Quiz Bowl, Sunday, March 13, at the Extension Building in Storm Lake. The three county chapters, comprised of 3-5 members, competed for monetary prizes by answering Ag related questions in a Jeopardy type format. All three teams set record breaking total points scored. Sioux-Central FFA won first place and $500, Newell-Fonda FFA placed second and won $300 and Alta-Aurelia was awarded $200 for third place...

Throughout the last few months, the above five students worked extremely hard to earn their Industrial Maintenance certificates. While enrolled in the four core classes that made up the certificate, Mechanical Processes, Precision Measurements, Blueprint Reading, and Pneumatics & Hydraulics, the students had the opportunity to also learn some skills in electrical, plumbing, and welding. ...

St. Mary's sixth graders graduated from D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Monday morning. D.A.R.E. is a program taught by Storm Lake Safety Officer John Bauer, that teaches the kids how to say no to drugs by educating them about their effects and teaching resistance strategies...

Join the conservation staff on Saturday, March 26th to learn about animals that lay eggs. You can also meet some of the education animals that lay eggs. After the program we will have an egg hunt to find eggs filled with goodies! The program and egg hunt will take place in the South Shelter area at Buena Vista County Conservation Park, 377 440th St, Peterson, starting at 2 p.m. ...

Have you ever wondered what 4-H is about? Here is your chance to find out! Invite a friend and attend the 4-H Lock-In on April 1st and 2nd. 4th graders and older will spend Friday evening into Saturday morning at a local church attending hands-on workshops of their choice. ...

J.R. and Olivia Thompson with Ben and Nora Pickhinke are pleased to announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their parents, Kari Thompson of Newell and Brian Pickhinke of Early. Kari is a nurse for Dr. David Crippen, MD at Unity Point Family Medicine in Storm Lake and Brian owns and operates Pickhinke Backhoe and Tiling in Early. The wedding is April 9 at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Newell, to celebrate their marriage...

August 22, 1928 - March 19, 2016

February 4, 1929 - March 16, 2016

August 15, 1951 - March 16, 2016

January 22, 1929 - March 16, 2016

April 28, 1940 - March 14, 2016

Turns at intersections

The Pilot-Tribune has won back-to-back Harrison "Skip" Weber awards for the top newspaper investigative reporting efforts in Iowa, 2015 and 2016. The Pilot is a four-time winner of the honor, presented at the annual Iowa Newspaper Association convention in Des Moines. The Pilot has won the award four times...

Spencer - Teens are the least likely group to buckle up and the most likely group to die in a roadway crash. To encourage buckling up while driving or riding in a motor vehicle, AAA - The Auto Club Group, the Iowa State Patrol and Casey's General Stores are launching a new Iowa traffic safety partnership intended to provide teens with positive reinforcement rewards for wearing their seat belts...

Police called to King's Pointe for disturbance, man arrested for drugs On the morning of Sunday, March 20, at approximately 10:55 a.m., the Storm Lake Police Department was dispatched to the Kings Pointe Resort, room #210, in reference to a domestic disturbance...

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City announced the upcoming performance of rock 'n' roll legend Johnny Rivers. Rivers, whose popular songs include "Secret Agent Man," "Poor Side of Town," and "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" will play for guests in Anthem on Friday, May 13...

Arts on Grand proclaims "Evaline Froelich Day" on Sunday, March 27. The Gallery will be filled with art from the many years Evaline created work as an active artist in the Spencer community. She produced artwork in charcoal, watercolor, graphite and more. Her notecards were on sale in the Gallery Shop. She was a charter member of Arts on Grand over 25 years ago. Her home on 10th and Grand was filled with her creative artwork...

The third and final concert for the 2016 indoor season by the Karl L. King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge will be held on Sunday afternoon, April 3, beginning at 3:30 p.m. in the Decker Auditorium on the campus of Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge. ...

The young woman was our server at a restaurant one evening. Even though she was a stranger I'd never met or seen before, I had an eerie feeling as though I had. There was a familiarity about her I found hard to ignore -- so much so that I said something about it when she came to take my order...

I would like to ask your readers to publicize and participate in the "Vets Black Arm Band Day for PTSD" event on March 23rd. The main part of the event is only to ask interested people to wear a black arm band on March 23rd to protest the poor treatment of PTSD sufferers and other veterans and mental health sufferers in Iowa...

President Obama has fulfilled his Constitutional duty. Now we need your help to make sure Senator Grassley does his job as well. Yesterday the President announced his nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court: Chief Judge Merrick Garland of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia...

Growing Mobile Food Pantry campaign filling carts - and hearts

The effort to turn U.S. Highway 20 into a four-lane expressway across Iowa dates to the 1960s, and after decades of lobbying and frustrations, the goal is soon to be realized. Construction of two additional lanes of U.S. 20 between Early and Moville began in 2014. This final 40 miles of the U.S. 20 expansion is scheduled for completion in fall 2018. Once completed, a four-lane U.S. 20 will span Iowa...

Recently, Rep. Gary Worthan filed his nomination petitions to the Secretary of State's office to seek re-election to District 11 in the Iowa House this fall. House District 11 is comprised of Buena Vista and Sac counties. Worthan issued the following statement:...

The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill Wednesday that would slash the number of refugees the United States admits each year by a third, and give states the right to refuse to resettle refugees in their borders. Passing the committee with 18 votes to 9, the Refugee Program Integrity Act would also allow Congress to set the yearly ceiling for refugee admissions, a power that currently belongs to the president...

A Storm Lake man has been arrested after threatening to open fire with a machine gun in the local Walgreens store. Police were called to the store Wednesday morning after a threat had allegedly been made by an irate man who called the store and threatened to come in with a weapon...

You are invited to attend a Public Information Meeting on March 22, between 5 and 7 p.m. at the Alta Community Building, 409 Highway 7, in Alta. The proposed improvements along Iowa Highway 7 from the junction of Iowa Highway 3 in Cherokee County to 900 feet east of Northwestern Drive in Storm Lake in Buena Vista County will be displayed and discussed...

Responding to a new complaint about an oil sheen on the east side of the Storm Lake marina, the DNR and multiple Storm Lake staff and officials investigated to find the source of the oil Thursday morning. They found what appeared to be a water spigot on the outside of the dredge cabin that was dripping oil. By shutting down a valve inside the cabin, they stopped the leak...

David Tallman of Cherokee captured this sunset on Storm Lake recently. / Photo courtesy of David Tallman

This week has been what one might call an "on and off" situation. What I mean by that is simple --all standing committees are done, so we spent a lot of our time passing bills on the House floor. Most of these were Senate Files. We would do a lot of bills, and then pause for a while, and then start up again. ...

Area lakes are now ice free with rising temperatures, meaning fishing should start picking up soon. Here is a look at the DNR Fishing Report. Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake) Storm Lake is ice free. Look for early spring temperatures to bring on the bite. ...

SIOUX CITY - A state senator from Sioux City has decided to challenge fellow Republican Steve King for his seat in Congress. Sen. Rick Bertrand filed the primary election papers Thursday. The 46-year-old Bertrand is a Sioux City real estate developer. He was first elected to the state Senate in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. He can run for King's 4th District seat while maintaining his state Senate seat...

Established in 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through its core programs-AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Social Innovation Fund. AmeriCorps is a network of local, state, and national service programs that connects over 70,000 Americans each year through incentive service to meet community needs in education, the environment, public safety, health, and homeland security. ...

Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, is asking the Justice Department to weigh in on the newly emerging problem of the exploitation of nursing home residents on social media. In a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Grassley noted that in multiple cases around the country, nursing home workers have been caught taking photos and videos of residents in vulnerable positions and posting them on social media outlets such as Snapchat...

The Clay County Regional Events Center will host the second annual Rock'n Bac'n Brew'n from 1-11 p.m. Saturday, April 2. Rock'n Bac'n Brew'n 2016 will be bigger, better and more fun than last year with double the breweries, double the bacon vendors and double the seating for audiences wishing to enjoy live bands all day...

Jimmy Wayne, best known as an award-winning country music singer with hits "Paper Angels" and "I Love You This Much," will share his personal comeback story while performing at Seasons Center for Behavioral Health's annual fundraiser on Saturday, April 30, at the Clay County Regional Events Center in Spencer...

Paul Loos has 434 wins on his record with his Fonda and Newell-Fonda basketball teams. He has a string of nine straight State Tournament appearances, four state titles, and four 1A Coach of the Year honors on his resume. Add one more prize to the trophy case - the IHSAA Basketball Hall of Fame...

Two former leaders of the Storm Lake Albatross Rugby Club have been nominated for the Iowa Rugby Hall of Fame, class of 2016. One of the founding members of the Storm Lake Seagulls in 1980, Keith Kollbaum managed and played for the team as it transitioned into The Albatross in 1983. ...

Buena Vista freshman wrestler Brad Kerkhoff had a solid season on the mat this season, but the 149-pounder was also awarded for his success off of it by being named a Scholar All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). To be eligible, a wrestler must maintain an overall cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher and meet one of three criteria: qualify for the NCAA Championships, place in top six at the NCAA qualifier, or win more than 66 percent of matches and wrestle in 50 percent of scheduled dates.. ...

Cheyanne Boland drilled a three-run, walk-off home run to dead center in the fifth inning of the opener against Northwestern College (IA) to send the Beavers to a 12-3 victory Wednesday. The bats went more silent in the nightcap as the Red Raiders scored a pair of late runs for a 3-1 win...

Schools from all over western Iowa are taking part in the BVU High School Elite Indoor Meet. Seven hours of events were held Friday night, with competition continuing today. Nathan Carlson of Storm Lake claimed the shot put title Friday with a throw of 50 feet 11.5 inches. See Tuesday's issue for more meet results...

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Senior Adam Woodbury etched his name into University of Iowa men's basketball lore Friday afternoon in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center. The Sioux City, Iowa, native tipped in a Mike Gesell missed field goal with less than a second remaining in overtime to send the seventh-seeded Hawkeyes to a 72-70 victory over No. 10 seed Temple. It is Iowa's first buzzer-beating victory since defeating Kansas State in 2008...

No. 22 and fourth-seeded Iowa State (22-11) hopes to earn a fifth Sweet 16 appearance when it faces 12th-seed Arkansas-Little Rock (30-4) Saturday afternoon at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Tip-off is 6:10 p.m. (TNT)The line has Iowa State -7. Iowa State led by as many as 18 and went on to defeat Iona, 94-81, in the first round Thursday afternoon. The Cyclones shot 50 percent from the field, 10-of-22 from long distance. with 28 points from senior Georges Niang...

These young ladies are students at The Turn Around studio in Storm Lake, competing in the Xcel State Gymnastics Championships in Waukee this weekend. Back, L-R: Taylor Christen, Ashley Schimmer, Hailey Reimer, Irelyn Ahlers. Middle, L-R: Abby Bodholdt, Venus Gonzalez, Emma Petersen, Analia Wilke, Marley Hewitt, Kylie Christensen, Taylor Robertson. Front, L-R; Neely Bacon, Alexis Barber, MacKenzie Harder, Issabelle Landgraf. Not pictured: Amber Hofmeister...

Legend has it, when Greece ruled the world their warriors threw short spears into the bottoms of wine barrels for entertainment in their leisure time, and such gatherings were the first dart tournaments. Thousands of years later, each Sunday evening at 6, a group of regulars gets together at Brewsters to do a little dart throwing in their leisure time. ...

Storm Lake High School Choral Music students will be holding their final concert in Schaller Chapel on Monday, March 21, ending a tradition that began in 1996. Next year, the music program will move to the performing arts auditorium now under construction at the high school...

Jessy Bibler and Travis Smith were married February 20 at Lakeside Presbyterian Church in Storm Lake. Parents of the couple are Rick and Yumi Bibler and Cindy Bibler of Alta and Ted and Julie Smith of Storm Lake. Jessy is a graduate of Buena Vista University and currently teaches at St. Mary's. Travis is a graduate of Iowa State University and works at Alta Implement and farms. The couple is living outside of Storm Lake...

Spring has arrived! One of the signs of the season -- especially in Northwest Iowa -- is WIND! Looking for something fun to do over the holiday break? Focus on the fun of the windy spring season with a family friendly program hosted by the O'Brien County Conservation Board...

On March 5th, 630 fathers and daughters attended the 15th Annual Father Daughter Dance at the Storm Lake Elementary School. The event to strengthen family bonds hit record attendance again this year with guests traveling from communities around northwest Iowa. ...

The UMW Lenten Breakfast will be held Wednesday, March 23 from 8-9 a.m. at the Storm Lake United Methodist Church in the Family Life Center (enter on the east side through the canopy entrance). Tickets are $3.50. The guest speaker will be David Johnson from the Evangelical Free Church. Everyone is welcome!...

September 10, 1951 - March 15, 2016

November 17, 1921 - March 5, 2016

July 27, 1922 - March 15, 2016

December 12, 1921 - March 15, 2016

Recently, Rep. Gary Worthan (R-Storm Lake) welcomed Buena Vista County Engineer Bret Wilkinson, Buena Vista County Treasurer Sherie Elbert, and Buena Vista County Auditor Sue Lloyd to the Iowa House of Representatives. The group was visiting the Capitol to talk to legislators during Iowa State Association of Counties' Day on the Hill. Pictured here are Bret Wilkinson, Sherie Elbert, Sue Lloyd, and Rep. Gary Worthan...

Foreign exchange student Katrine Lia from Norway has been attending Storm Lake High School her senior year. Katrine participated in the high school Spike Out Cancer event that supports Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Oncology. She posted a photo from that event on Instagram in connection with her host program, EF Education Foundation for Foreign Study, Inc. ...

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach - Buena Vista County will be hosting a babysitting clinic for youth in 5th grade and 6th grade on Monday, March 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The clinic will be held at the United Methodist Church's Family Life Center at 211 East 3rd Street in Storm Lake. A fee of $10 covers lunch, snacks and childcare resources. Financial assistance is available...

Each year, thousands of Iowans' lives are changed by brain injuries. A car crash, a fall on the ice, or a hard bump on the head can cause what's known as 'traumatic brain injury' or TBI. Often, the complications of TBI, which include changes in thinking, language, or even general emotions, are often missed. Because of this, TBI is often called a silent epidemic. March is Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month in Iowa...

The Buena Vista University Gender and Women's Studies Class, in partnership with Centers Against Abuse & Sexual Assault (CAASA), will be hosting a Sexual Assault Awareness 5k on Saturday, April 23 at 10 a.m. at Circle Park in Storm Lake (located across from the south end of BVU Football Field). ...

The Diabetes Health Fair will be held Tuesday, April 12 from 4 - 6:30 p.m. (see schedule below) at the Hope Reformed Church, located at 919 Grande Ave., Spencer. The Diabetes Fair is free and includes information and resources from exhibitors, as well as experts talking about diabetes management and prevention. Everything you need to know about diabetes, healthy eating and active living under one roof - it's entertaining, educational and informative...