Stories from Thursday, February 2, 2017

Firms suggest ‘Disney’ style, ‘Director of Fun,’ and ’curb appeal’

Storm Lake High School presented its annual Showcase of Speech Monday night at the new SLHS auditorium, just ahead of the State Large Group Speech contest on Saturday. Among the acts were this high-flying scene from the musical theatre group “The Manly Men,” and a memorable moment from the readers theatre group presenting “13 Reasons Not to be in a Play.” / Pilot photos by Dana Larsen...

The mantra ‘blessing not a burden’ has been at the forefront, more so now than ever, of the immigration debate. As the new United States administration begins its work, there is much anticipation, and anxiety, regarding what will happen to immigrants, from ‘dreamers’ to those just coming to the states. ...

Miguel Saldana-Ortiz, age 34 of Storm Lake, was sentenced in Buena County District Court to serve 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree and one count of Lascivious Acts with a Child, all Class C Felonies...

Western Iowa Congressman Steve King has re-introducing the Davis-Bacon Repeal Act in the 115th Congress. Senator Mike Lee introduced a companion bill in the Senate: “No one can claim to be a fiscal conservative if they think the federal government needs to inflate the cost of wages,” said King. “Originally passed in Congress in the 1930’s, the last Jim Crow Law left in America to keep African Americans out of the Labor force in New York, the Davis-Bacon wage scale is an outdated law that sets the federal wage scale at union scale,” King said. ...

The Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office received several reports of people being scammed out of money Wednesday. The callers are stating that a relative is in jail and they in turn request money. “This is a scam. Report it immediately to your local law enforcement. Do not under any circumstances provide these people with any personal information or any money,” Sheriff Kory Elston advises...

Members of the Galva Economic Development Corporation (GEDC) hosted their 9th annual spaghetti supper to raise funds for community betterment projects in Galva. Their 2017 project is to raise funds to purchase and install four new pieces of playground equipment in the Galva City Park for younger children in the 2-5 age category. ...

A high school senior from Cherokee has been named the 2017 Iowa Pork Queen by the Iowa Pork Producers Association. Clare Conley won the crown at the 45th annual Iowa Pork Congress banquet in Des Moines. She is a senior at Cherokee Washington High School and plans to attend Iowa State University in the fall to pursue a degree in agricultural studies. Clare is the daughter of Bonni Conley of Cherokee...

DES MOINES — Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will soon become governor of Iowa, but she isn’t in a hurry to draw attention to herself or point to future changes in priorities or style. For weeks since President Donald Trump announced he’d appoint Gov. Terry Branstad as ambassador to China, Reynolds has said little more than she’s ready to be governor and intends to implement policies backed by her predecessor...

“ABC School’s For Me,” a kindergarten informance, will be held on February 7 at 7 p.m. in the Storm Lake Elementary Gym. There will be 165+ students taught by Miss Hope Backman, Mrs. Kathy Bowman, Mrs. Diane Brandt, Mrs. Anne Hoffard, Mrs. Amy Jesse, Miss Mary Kate Mooney, Mrs. ...

ESTHERVILLE — The defense attorney for Lee Christensen has formally notified the court that the Estherville teenager will appeal his second-degree murder conviction. An Emmet County jury handed down the guilty verdict on July 1 and Christensen is currently being held at the Anamosa State Penitentiary, where he will be required to serve 85 percent of a 50-year prison sentence...

Get ready to dance your winter blues away. The popular cover band Wicked Fun from Omaha will return to Storm Lake to headline Faith, Hope & Charity’s Lose the Winter Blues fundraiser at King’s Pointe Resort AWAYSIS Ballroom Saturday, February 4th. There will also be live and silent auctions...

There is a murder afoot and area residents have a chance to help solve the crime. Iowa Lakes Community College is throwing a 1920s-themed interactive murder mystery party called “Crime and Punishment” Friday, Feb. 10 and Saturday Feb. 11. It is a fundraiser to help students from Palo Alto County who are attending, or will be attending, Iowa Lakes...

JOURNEY, with special guest ASIA, will perform at Battery Park at the Hard Rock in Sioux City Friday, June 30 at 7:30 p.m. JOURNEY is one of the most popular American rock bands of all time, creating some of the best-known songs in modern music, with iconic hits such as “Faithfully,” “Any Way You Want It,” “Wheel In The Sky,” “Separate Ways,” “Only the Young,” “Open Arms,” “Lovin, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” “Who’s Crying Now,” and the seminal “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which is the top-selling digital catalog track in history. ...

This past Sunday the Fonda Volunteer Fire Department had their annual Omelet/Pancake Breakfast. This was a free will donation that they do every year to raise money for new tools, equipment, and classes for the firemen to use for their community. It was held from 7:30 a.m until 12:30 p.m at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Fonda. They served pancakes, omelets, sausage, toast, and drinks. They also took eight omelets to the workers at Valero, the ethanol plant in Albert City...

Nick and Angie Snyder bought this house located at 802 5th Street in Storm Lake from Buena Vista University and hired Tom Mader/Heartland Building Moving of West Bend to move it to Seneca Street across from Fareway. The move is set for today. The route will be down 5th Street to Otsego to Lakeshore to Cayuga and then on to Seneca. ...

Lois Endersbe (McDonald) age 80, formally of Alta, peacefully passed away in her sleep after a nine-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was born on February 3, 1936, to Leo and Helen McDonald in Emmetsburg. Lois was preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Bill and Bob. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Bob; children,...

October 10, 1951 - January 29, 2017

Wanted person On the afternoon of Monday, January 30, at approximately 12:45 p.m., the Storm Lake Police Department responded to the Buena Vista County Courthouse in reference to locating a wanted person. Upon arrival police located and arrested Taylor Maschino, age 35, of Fort Dodge who was wanted out of Buena Vista County on a warrant charging her with Violation of Probation reference Possession With Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine...