Stories from Thursday, March 30, 2017

LAKE CITY - Newell-Fonda and Sioux Central competed at the Early Bird track meet in Lake City on Monday night with no team score being kept. Sioux Central boys results: Blake Cavanaugh finished sixth in the long jump after a leap of 16’10.25. Chase Jessen ran a 2:21.4 in the 800 meter dash which earned him sixth place. The Rebels had two top five finishes in the 3200 meter run as Dawson Hatch placed second with a time of 11:30.98 while Wyatt Erickson finished fourth with a time of 12:00.43...

I jumped about two feet in the air when the gas pump at the Gas and Go Away started talking to me. I mean, there are people who won’t speak to me; why would my gas pump? Sure enough, there was now a little speaker attached to the front of the pump that wasn’t there the last time I filled up. ...

As the nation debates the pros and cons of both the Affordable Care Act and the American Health Care Act, I think it’s important for us to discuss what the tangible issues are within our currently healthcare system that need to be addressed. For rural Iowans, one of the most pressing issues is the lack of access to mental healthcare treatment for those who need it. ...

People think they understand human trafficking because they’ve seen action movies like “Taken.” But reality tends to be more subtle, though grindingly tragic, and it exists in communities across Iowa, perhaps right in front of their faces. That is the message of Amber Lawrence, who travels the state for the Iowa-based Teens Against Human Trafficking organization, trying to protect young people from being “Taken” down a heartbreaking road in which life expectancy is a stark seven years...

“We’ll see more wars fought in the next century over water than oil.” “It’s like air,” Iowa Flood Center Director Larry Weber told the Storm Lake City Council during a storm water management study session Monday. “Communities that don’t have it won’t be able to exist.”...

The maid did it. Storm Lake St. Mary’s Schools held their 2017 St. Mary’s Ball and Charity Auction with a murder mystery theme “Mystery at the Forum” Saturday night in the Buena Vista University Siebens Forum raising an estimated net $147,000 to operate the local preK-12 Catholic school. The mystery was played out over social media in recent months, loosely based upon the popular board game Clue, complete with a murder victim, suspects and a “crime scene.”...

Vigilant staff at a branch bank in Storm Lake helped police to capture an area man who was making an attempt to pass a forged check for the third time in less than a week. Storm Lake Police were called to Citizens First National Bank’s main location Tuesday morning on a report of a forgery...

Crews have cleared the site of a former Volkswagen dealership on Lakeshore Drive across from King’s Pointe, most recently used by YouniQue Adventures Camper Rentals, to make way for a new home interiors store that is in the planning stages. Also, the Lakeshore Cyclery store next door has obtained land in the area, behind the existing store, for a future expansion that will provide more storage space, additional parking and a test-riding area...

Spring turkey hunting success and safety comes down to the same thing – proper planning. Preseason scouting can put hunters in the right position when turkeys come off the roost, increasing their chance for success. That same preseason preparation should happen with equipment and with the hunting plan, said Jeff Barnes, recreation safety officer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources...

WASHINGTON — Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) have re-introduced the Saving Kids from Candy-Flavored Drugs Act to increase the criminal penalties for marketing candy-flavored drugs to appeal to children. Law enforcement reports that drug dealers frequently combine drugs with chocolate or fruit flavors or package the drugs to look like candy or soda to attract youth. ...

It may have been a little cool and damp, but the conditions didn’t stop local Pony Express Riders from celebrating the 50th-anniversary ride Saturday morning. Departing from the horse barns and outdoor arena on the Clay County Fairgrounds, riders covered the original 100-mile routes that Stub Johnson, Leo Gray and Wayne Nielsen rode on March 25, 1967. ...

Diamond Vogel Paint and Keep Iowa Beautiful have announced the grant awards for the 2017 Paint Iowa Beautiful program. Several local public service projects were accepted for free paint. • Storm Lake: Chautauqua Park shop building • Alta: Buena Vista County Ag Society fairground buildings...

Average retail gasoline prices in Iowa have fallen 2.7 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.28. This compares with the national average that has fallen 0.9 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.28/gallon. Storm Lake prices fell slightly more than average,to start the week at $2.12 at many stations...

The Clay County Fair is announcing an evening of classic rock ‘n roll featuring Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone with special guests The Grass Roots and The Buckinghams. This act will be held in the U.S. Cellular Grandstand at the 2017 Clay County Fair on Sunday, September 10 at 7:30 p.m...

Despite some earlier setbacks, officials of the Creek Fest outdoor music festival at Cherokee have announced that “The Party in the Pasture” will be returning this summer to the same location, with the same popular camping options. The dates for the show will be August 4-5...

Celebrate country legend Patsy Cline’s greatest hits and her behind-the-scenes life story in “Patsy Cline & Friends,” at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City, April 3. Tickets are on sale now, see Orpheumlive.com for information. The show stars critically-acclaimed vocalist, C.J. ...

June 2, 1921 - March 23, 2017

April 26, 1947 - March 22, 2017

The world of bicycle riding is changing rapidly. Among the hottest trends are electric-motor-assist bikes and recumbent tricycles. According to Larry Godfredson at Lakeshore Cyclery in Storm Lake, demand for such options is growing so fast that these new models are moving out the door nearly as fast as they come in...

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach- Buena Vista County is offering a food safety training for food service managers April 3 at the ISU Extension and Outreach Office in Storm Lake. “Certification in ServSafe meets the new 2014 Iowa Food Code requirements to have a certified food protection manager in all establishments,” said Katie Knobbe, class instructor and ISU Extension and Outreach Nutrition and Wellness Specialist. ...

Sandy Ehrig, economic development administrator for the Iowa Farm Bureau, will be co-hosting “The Journey to Your Vision” seminar in Storm Lake May 11. This event will be held at Prairie Lakes Arrowhead Education Building, just west of Dairy Queen. Every business faces peaks and valleys as they progress through stages of growth. Do you know what stage your business is in and how you can reach the next level?...