Stories from Thursday, January 5, 2017

Through the first 12 games of the season, the Buena Vista women’s basketball team is sitting at a 7-5, 3-0 in the conference, record averaging 71 points and 44 rebounds a night. According to head coach Janet Berry they are in good position at this point in this season...

Slow start brings trouble for Storm Lake STORM LAKE - The Tornado girls fell behind early against LeMars and were not able to get back into the game on Tuesday night dropping a 48-29 decision. The Tornadoes could only muster eight points in the opening half while giving up 22 to the Bulldogs...

Twelve games have passed in coach Brian Van Haaften’s 25th season on the sideline for the Buena Vista Beavers and his team stands at six wins and six losses. Three of the 12 foes for the Beavers are currently ranked in the D3 top seven as of January 3rd. All three of those came up as close contests for Van Haaften and his players...

Storm Lake win streak snapped on frigid night STORM LAKE - The wind chill made it feel like -15 on Tuesday night as the Storm Lake Tornadoes had issues getting their shots to fall against LeMars. They dropped a 65-53 decision. The first frame was a back and forth affair between the Lakes Conference foes until LeMars went on a nine point run to end the quarter leading 19-12. ...

To all City Council members: Garbage on water bills is a bad idea. I have lived in my house for 20 years. I keep a coffee can on my counter for scraps and I take them outside and put them in a compost barrel. I keep two receptacles in my kitchen. One for recycles in clear bags and another for non recyclables...

A mechanical failure in a cooker is being blamed for a Tuesday night blaze that caused over $6,000 in damage to the Storm Lake Tyson Foods pork plant. Luckily, Storm Lake fire fighters were already at the station for their normal weekly training session. “If you’re going to have a fire, do it on Tuesday,” Fire Chief Mike Jones reflected afterward...

A Storm Lake family has been decimated by a sudden tragedy. Just after celebrating Christmas with her family, Choua “Ka” Yang began to feel ill, and after returning home, collapsed. She was diagnosed with a stroke. She was airlifted to a Sioux City hospital, but had suffered extensive brain damage, and on Dec. 27, was pronounced dead, leaving five young children without a mother...

Representatives from the Sioux Rapids Historical Association visited county supervisors Tuesday, sharing the story of the re-discovery of what they believe to be the first pioneer cemetery in Buena Vista County. Someone hunting for arrowheads located the unknown site in an isolated pasture off Old River Road west of Linn Grove, prompting the historical society to investigate, with the permission of the landowner...

After meeting in closed session Monday evening, the Storm Lake City Council voted to sever its ties with Kinseth Hospitalities Companies, the corporation that has managed the city-owned King’s Pointe Waterpark Resort for the past seven years. “The council appreciates everything that Kinseth Corporation has done at the hotel to bring it up and make it profitable, but they are interested in going a different direction,” City Manager Jim Patrick said after the vote...

Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Iowa ag secretary notes economic challenges, progress on water quality, expanded renewable fuel retail options

As the Storm Lake City Council considers the possibility of mandating garbage service, some residents are expressing opinions. In a recent study session, city officials expressed concerns about litter and illegal dumping. The Storm Lake Police Department gets over 1,000 complaints a year about garbage and junk in residential yards, and one potential solution would be to require residents to contract for garbage pickup, with the fee handled through city water billings...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center First Embrace Obstetrics celebrates the first baby of 2017. New parents, Mike and Lora Scharn are excited to announce their first child, Jackson Edward Scharn born Tuesday, January 3 at 9:45 p.m. Jackson weighed 6.9 lbs. and measured 19” long. Nurses in BVRMC First Embrace gathered important items a newborn would need and presented it as Jackson’s birthday cake. / Photos submitted...

Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire Chief Chris Yungbluth continues his investigation near the back of a condominium complex at 1306 Country Club Drive. A Wednesday night fire caused extensive damage to the building. / Photo by Russ Mitchell

At their December 21 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Storm Lake Community School District has passed a resolution in support of “The Promise of Iowa” campaign. The goal of the statewide campaign is to focus attention on the future of Iowa public school students and to rally support for public education in Iowa...

RENWICK — Once-bustling Renwick, Iowa, lost its grocery, hardware store, school and Ford dealership years ago, but when its sole bar closed last June, it seemed to some residents there wasn’t much of a town left. So a group of seven friends and spouses who had met for beers at the bar for decades took matters into their own hands. ...

In the late 1880’s, Buena Vista County was flourishing. Settlers had pretty well conquered the harsh elements of the region, the county government and law and order had been established, towns had been settled, two railroads were built bringing in scores of foreign settlers and providing freight transportation with outside markets, and commerce and culture were rapidly developing. ...

I always enjoy receiving stuff in print media, and I enjoy it when one of my subscriptions comes out with a hummer of an issue, as is the case of the latest Guitar World magazine with guitarist/songwriter Annie Clark, aka ‘St. Vincent’. Annie is on the cover, sporting her crazy head full of curls, her Ernie Ball/Music Man signature electric guitar, and wearing a bikini t-shirt. ...

Billy Gilman, runner-up of The Voice season 11, will be at the Hard Rock in Sioux City on January 21 at 9 p.m. Gilman burst onto the national stage in 2000 releasing the hit single “One Voice.” His debut album was certified double platinum in the United States, and he was included in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the youngest singer to ever reach #1 on the Billboard Top Country Album charts. ...

Applications are being accepted for the U.S. Citizenship Class offered at the Storm Lake Public Library. The 8-week course introduces students to historical and cultural information used on the Naturalization Test. Classes will be held on Wednesdays, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., beginning January 18. ...

Iowa Justice for Our Neighbors is holding a second community conversation related to immigration issues. It is going to be on “Know Your Rights and Family Preparedness” held at Our Place Sunday January 8th from 5:30 to 7 p.m. With concerns of deportation looming, this is to help folks understand how to be prepared and to be aware of their rights...

On Friday, December 30th five youth attended an Apple Butter and Angel Food Cake Workshop at the East Sac County Middle School. The youth learned the importance of using a research tested recipes, how to use the hot water bath and they were able to make apple butter and go home with a fair ready project. ...

May 24, 1957 - January 1, 2017

September 21, 1927 - December 30, 2016

Tom Huseman, Alta, was elected as 2017 chairperson for the Buena Vista County Board of Supervisors, replacing Don Altena, who served in that capacity through 2016. Huseman said he was surprised to be nominated. “I’ve only been on the board for three years, and I still have a lot to learn. I though maybe I would be nominated as vice chairperson first,” he told the Pilot-Tribune...

Wanted persons • On the afternoon of Thursday, December 29, at approximately 2:20 p.m., the Storm Lake Police Department responded to 705B West 8th Street in reference to locating a wanted person. Upon arrival of police they located and arrested Nee Htoo, age 28 of Storm Lake, who was wanted out of Buena Vista County on a warrant charging him with Failure to Appear in Court reference Harassment 1st Degree...

Internationally-known racer Fredrik Noren has signed on with TiLube/Storm Lake Honda to compete in the East Coast Region of the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross Series. Storm Lake Honda has fielded a long list of accomplished professional riders. Noren is a native of Sweden and former Swedish National Champion who entered the 250cc class in 2016 and qualified for six main events. He finished the past season 10th overall in final point standings of the Outdoor Pro Motocross Championship...

CARF International announced that Genesis Development has been accredited for a period of three years for its Community Employment, Community Housing, Community Integration, Employment Planning, Organizational, Services Coordination, Supported Living, Mental Health Assessment and Referral (Adults and Children), Mental Health Crisis Intervention (Adults and Children), Mental Health Crisis Stabilization, Mental Health Outpatient Treatment (Adults and Children) and Applied Government Standards programs. ...

Tyson Foods, Inc. president and incoming chief executive officer Tom Hayes and chief financial officer Dennis Leatherby today told investors at the Bernstein Consumer Summit that the company continues to see growth in its retail and foodservice businesses...