Stories from Tuesday, February 28, 2017

December 25, 1924 - February 22, 2017

February 11, 1930 - February 23, 2017

This week Rep. Gary Worthan (R-Storm Lake) met with members of the Hope Evangelical Free Church and their Pastor, James Roland. The group was visiting the Capitol to talk with legislators and thank them for their work. Pictured here are Peter Roland, William Roland, Pastor James Roland, Heidi Roland and Rep. Garry Worthan (Storm Lake)...

This month, the Iowa County Engineer’s Association began hosting a publicly accessible website dedicated to providing information about county roads, engineers, projects and contacts in Iowa. The web address is: www.iowacountyroads.org The site will narrate county road functions, needs and costs, provide an overview each, and offer links for connecting to every individual County Engineer’s local website. ...

There is a remote island on Lake Superior where people have been mining copper for the last 5,000 years. Today that island - Isle Royale - is a national park, and home to some of the best preserved archaic aged copper-working sites. Samantha Olson has dedicated her graduate research to understanding the people who mined copper on the island thousands of years ago, and she excavated two Middle-Late Archaic sites on the north side of Isle Royale National Park to determine the nature of the sites. ...

St. John Lutheran Church, 402 Lake Ave., Storm Lake, is pleased to invite the community and area to hear a rising young organist in recital on Sunday, March 5, at 3 p.m. At the console will be David Lim, a teaching assistant at the University of Iowa who was a recent winner in a national competition sponsored by Immanuel Lutheran Church, Evanston, Illinois. He will feature selections by Bach, Franck, Saint-Saens, Liszt, and arrangements of hymns by George Shearing on the Dobson organ...

Robert Johnson, one of our frequent entertainers, returns to the Senior Center on Monday, March 6, to present another great program of familiar songs, playing several instruments. The entertainment begins at 11:15 a.m. The seniors meet at the Sunrise Pointe Club House at the municipal golf course. Dinner Date lunch following the entertainment. You are encouraged to call a day or two ahead if you plan to stay for lunch. Call 732-2828 or 732-5158. All Seniors are welcome...

The Clay County Regional Events Center and Positively Spencer Youth will host Clay County’s seventh annual Family Fest at the Events Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 4. Family Fest is free for all to attend and is open to the public. Families can enjoy activities for all ages and learn about what local businesses, groups and organizations can do for families. ...

The Classic Nashville Road Show, starring Katie Deal and Obie Award winner Jason Petty, will be at the Rosemary Clausen Center for Performing Arts in Holstein on Saturday, March 4. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. This performance will feature classic hits from the likes of Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, June Carter Cash, Hank Williams, George Jones, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash – plus many more. ...

Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) students from the area have received scholarships from the DMACC Foundation for the spring semester. The recipients include: Alexis Briley, Liberal Arts, Rembrandt, $500 DMACC Foundation

Western Iowa Tech Community College Following is a list of WITCC graduates and their hometown. An asterisk (*) denotes students graduating with honors. Area graduates include: Storm Lake Holstein Benjamin Hayden, Hannah Nailor and *Ulysses Tank Peterson...

Western Iowa Tech Community College Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC) is pleased to announce the President’s List, full-time students who achieved a 4.0 grade point average during the 2016 fall semester. This is followed by the Scholar’s List, full-time students who achieved a 3.5-3.99 grade point average during the 2016 fall semester...

A GOP-led legislative subcommittee has approved a bill that would allow an unlimited number of students in Iowa to enroll in for profit virtual schools that receive state education funding. A subcommittee of the Senate Education Committee approved the bill Thursday. It now heads to the full committee...

A special meeting for 2017-2018 kindergarten students and their parents is scheduled for March 9 and 10 at Storm Lake Elementary School. Three sessions will be held for this parent/child event. One session will be held on March 9 at 6 p.m. Additional sessions will be held on Friday, March 10 at 10 a.m. ...

Kylie Sundblad, a student at Northwestern College in Orange City is participating in a social work practicum this semester. A practicum is a 400-hour field course which provides students with an opportunity to practice fundamental social work skills in a professional setting, ensuring their understanding of the demands of the social work field. Students are working within a wide variety of field sites, ranging from child and family services to community development...

District Individual Events Speech Contest held at Manson NW Webster High School, Saturday. February, 25, Ridge View Speech Team Results: The Ridge View Speech Team received 11 “I” Ratings – “I” rating is a superior rating and advances to State IE Speech. ...

ONE… The Only Tribute to Metallica, was established in 2008, in their hometown of Minneapolis, MN. These four horsemen have expanded from the Twin Cities and brought North America an amazing national level touring tribute to the biggest hard rock and heavy metal band of all time...

The Cherokee Community Theater will present the Pulitzer Prize-winning play ‘Death of a Salesman’ at the Cherokee Community Center on March 10-12 and March 17-19. Show times will be 7 p.m. on Fridays and Sundays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. In the drama, written by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman dreams of being a successful salesman - somebody who has both wealth and freedom. ...

The Sioux City Symphony Orchestra (SCSO) will host the 9th Iowa Piano Competition (IPC) March 9-12, 2017, at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Sioux City, Iowa. The three-round, four-day competition attracts world-class competitors from around the globe. ...

Average retail gasoline prices in Iowa have not moved in the past week, averaging $2.32/gallon. This compares with the national average that has fallen 0.3 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.27. Storm Lake prices remained a bargain, inching down a few cents in recent days to begin this week at $2.13 a gallon for super unleaded at most stations...

With Sioux Central schools experiencing a high number of students absent due to illness this month, the school nurse is urging that all families follow the school’s sick child policy. “Fever is an obvious sign of illness of when your child should not attend school. ...

If you have a child born between 1993 and 2009, or received a birth certificate during that time in the small wallet-size format, local and state officials are encouraging replacement of the certificates. The documents do not contain all of the information that the 8.5x11-inch full-sizer certified bith certificates do. Newer certificates also have stricter security standards to deter identity theft...

Sherry Allen of Schaller was the biggest instant-scratch game winner in Buena Vista County during calendar year 2016, winning $100,000 in the $100,000 Mega Crossword game with a ticket purchased at Al’s Liquor in Storm Lake. Kya Kya of Storm Lake was the county’s latest and biggest lotto winner during the same period, winning $18,250 in the Pick 4 game with a ticket purchased at Asian Food Market in Storm Lake...

Above is an updated concept drawing for the campground proposed at the Storm Lake Marina at Casino Beach. An earlier drawing shown for the City Council last week will not be submitted as part of the grant application. A DNR sovereign lands permit will also be sought. Planned is an 24-space RV campground with restroom and bathhouse, nine rental cabins, and possibly a tent camping area. The campground sites will be designed for season-long rental. / Courtesy Jason Etnyre, Storm Lake Public Works...

There is one week left before the first funnel deadline. If a bill has not been through the committee process in the chamber it originated in by the end of next week it will be dead for this year, but will be eligible to be picked up again next year. Bills that go through Ways and Means and Appropriations are exempted from this rule...

WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Joni Ernst are asking the Justice Department to explain the penalties against an Iowa nursing home that was ordered closed and ordered to pay $100,000 to federal taxpayers over “grossly substandard care” that was essentially “without value.” Grassley and Ernst said The Abbey of Le Mars was on a federal watch list for two years during the Obama Administration because of concerns about care...

The former Arnolds Park man who was caught in a 2012 child predator sting has been released from a Florida prison. Frederick Joseph Wilson was added to the list of Florida Sexual Offenders and Predators on Friday. He was released from prison and began five-years of probation on Wednesday, Feb. 8, according to Florida Department of Corrections records...

A Storm Lake woman and child jumped from a window of their house Sunday to escape after the woman was reportedly assaulted by her boyfriend. Storm Lake Police responded to a report of the domestic assault made later that morning and met with the victim. ...

A Storm Lake man was arrested twice in a little over 24 hours, once on drug charges, and a second time for making threats to neighbors shortly after being released from jail. Saturday night shortly before midnight, Storm Lake Police responded to an apartment at 510 East 6th Street after receiving anonymous information that illegal drugs were possibly being used in the apartment...

A new bill going before the Senate Education Committee could help with transportation cost in school districts that have high volume mileage in their bus routes. The Senate Education Committee chair Amy Sinclare (R-Alberton) introduced a bill last week that addresses transportation and district cost per pupil. ...

DES MOINES — Bills introduced in the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature this session purport to enforce immigration laws, but academics say some proposals are redundant and could face legal challenges. The legislation comes amid a national spotlight on immigration. ...

While everyone else was recovering from the blizzard, Dan Stephenson, well-known area water recreation enthusiast, spent the weekend water skiing on a portion of open lake at Twin Lakes. Stephenson has water skied in every month of the year except for January. ...

Mother focuses effort on enhancing flu awareness

The bats appeared to be in mid-season form on Friday as the Buena Vista baseball team began its 2017 campaign with a pair of lopsided victories down in St. Louis over both Fontbonne and UW-Platteville, respectively. Senior Kendall Candor drilled a two-run home run in the third inning of the opener against Fontbonne to cap a three-run inning and then drove in two more with a single in the fourth to make it a 7-0 contest. ...

DUBUQUE - Senior Ernesto Garcia and sophomore Brad Kerkhoff capped off the NCAA Central Regional Tournament on Saturday with sixth place finishes to help lead the Buena Vista wrestling team. Garcia advanced into the semifinal round of the 125-pound bracket before suffering his first loss of the day, an 8-1 setback to eventual champion, CJ Pestano of Central College. ...

Alex DeRoos, an eighth grade student wrestling for the Junkyard Dogs (Alta-Aurelia’s youth program), was crowned the 171 pound State Champion on Sunday, February 26th at Wells Fargo Arena. Alex, the son of Louie and Sherry DeRoos, and five time NW Iowa District Champ for the Junkyard Dogs, started through his bracket of 32 on Saturday with two falls, one over Sawyer Springer (Fort Dodge) in 36 seconds and another pin over Camden Krueger (Denver-Tripoli) in 1:40 securing a spot on the podium. ...

The Twin Lakes Conference teams and coach of the year have been announced as no TLC members remain in postseason basketball. Four area players were named to the first team, two of the second and three to the third while first year head coach Evan Franzmeier was named TLC Coach of the Year...

DENISON - The dream season for the Alta-Aurelia Warriors came to a screeching halt on Saturday night at the hands of the #2 team in 2A, the Kuemper Knights of Carroll, in a 67-49 loss in a Substate Final. “Saturday night was a tough night. Carroll Kuemper is a very good team that will win a game or two next week in Des Moines,” Warrior head coach Evan Franzmeier said. “We didn’t have a matchup (size wise) with (Matt) Dentlinger.”...

Assault On the morning of Sunday, February 19, at approximately 12:15 a.m. the Storm Lake Police Department was dispatched to Buena Vista University in reference to an assault. Upon arrival police met with the reporting party who alleged that a Joseph Coll, age 22 of Albert City, physically assaulted the female student in White Hall...