Stories from Friday, February 16, 2018

Guest speaker Tim Peterson spoke about Youth Girl’s Basketball program. This program includes 2nd-6th grade boys and girls and is part of Storm Lake CommunityEd. Each of the grades has between 10-15 members. Practices were held at the old Alta High School gym...

Representatives of the Alta Education Association asked Schools Superintendent Lynn Evans if the board would be willing to re-open last year’s early retirement incentive offer. That program was 60% of the difference between base wage and the individual’s current base salary minus Teacher Salary Supplement funds...

Iowa Lakes Corridor CEO Kiley Miller spoke with the Alta City Council recently. “We would certainly like to have Alta back as an investor, but that is not my purpose,” he said, citing quality job development in the region as they key priority for the Corridor moving forward...

City of Alta/Alta Municipal Utilities recently received a $12,207.76 distribution check from its participation in the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities’ Safety Group Insurance Program. All cities and municipal utilities carry comprehensive insurance to cover areas such as auto, property, general liability, employee benefit liability, crime/fidelity bond, equipment breakdown, workers’ compensation, umbrella liability, public officials’ errors and omissions, data compromise, law enforcement liability, and employment practice liability.. ...

A 911 call Monday afternoon sent sheriff’s officials to 322 Main Street in Alta for a potential assault situation. The reporting party said another person inside the residence had received a threatening phone call from an individual who said he was coming to the house...

The Alta City Council plans to enact an Employee Benefits Levy that will bring a modest raise in taxes. Four council members present for a budget workshop Tuesday night voted unanimously in favor of a resolution for the levy, which is used by a number of Iowa cities. Clerk Megan Peterson suggested that a levy only be used to cover FICA and IPERS on employees - about $45,000 per year - to ease pressure on the general budget...

When a blood donor makes a lifesaving donation with LifeServe Blood Center, they’re not just receiving the immediate gratification of saving three local lives. Earn online store points and save lives in your community. • Alta Community Blood Drive, Thursday, March  1, 2018 from 2-6 p.m. at Alta Community Center, 23 N Lake...

Area jewelry maker Melinda Kimblad is starting to sell her handmade jewelry at Daily Apple. Her jewelry is a little different than the typical jewelry beads. She uses lava rocks. Melinda started making jewelry when she purchased beads from her sister-in-law. She started to design various bracelets, necklaces and earrings using the lava rocks right after Christmas...

Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg announced the fourth annual Give Back Iowa Challenge on Monday. The challenge is issued to employers and runs from April 1-May 31, to engage Iowans in employer-supported volunteering. “Volunteerism is an integral part of what it means to be an Iowan,” Gov. Reynolds said. “Through service, Iowans are making the lives of others better and meeting community challenges, while also transforming their own lives.”...

More than 25 Realtors® from around northwest Iowa traveled to Des Moines on Tuesday, February 6 for the Iowa Association of Realtors® annual Legislative Bus-In Day. After an update on statewide issues facing today’s property owners, over 300 Realtor® members descended en masse upon the Iowa capitol to visit with local legislators...

Brook Hoover and the Surf Zombies will be performing Sunday, February 18 at Byron’s in Pomeroy. Showtime is 5 p.m. Band founder, guitarist and songwriter Hoover returns to the lineup that features Ian Williams, Trevor Treiber and Luke Ferguson with guitar-driven surf instrumentals, rock and rockabilly offerings...

Spencer Community Theatre welcomes audiences to the third show of its 58th Anniversary season, Bus Stops. Tickets go on sale to the public on Tuesday, February 13 for all six performances of this romantic comedy. Based on William Inge’s timeless story, this light hearted comedy features a bus full of weary travelers held up at a rural Kansas diner during a howling snow storm...

Family Fest, in its eighth year, was created to provide families an outing where they can enjoy activities for all ages while learning about what local businesses, groups and organizations can do for families. This event will be held March 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m...

The poodle skirts turned out in force for Spencer Community Theatre’s Sweetheart Sock Hop Saturday night. The combination themed “1950s meets Valentine’s Day” event afforded the guests an evening to dress the part and partake of refreshments from the decade...

The Storm Lake Public Library trustees are considering an update to the contract linking the facility and the Witter Art Gallery that shares the building. The contract recently surfaced. It was apparently initiated by the city council, and could date back to before the library building was completed in 1971...

Members of the Storm Lake Public Library Board of Trustees listened in on a State Library Association webinar this week addressing who should be responsible for pay of library staff and maintenance of buildings. The narrator noted one case of an Iowa Library Director who was making low pay. ...

Hugh Perry, local wildlife photographer donated 25 beautiful Buena Vista County photos for a 2018 calender as a fundraiser for the Witter Art Gallery. Calenders were available in 27 places, mostly in Storm Lake but also including Albert City and Alta. Carol Peterson, chairperson for the distribution of the calenders thanks the local businesses for their eagerness to make the calenders available. “This truly was a community effort to help with funding challenges,” Peterson said...

Celebrate National Dental Month by having a little fun with animal teeth. “Let Me See You Smile” will be a fun family activity. Come out to the Prairie Heritage Center, 4931 Yellow Ave, on Monday, February 26 at 6:30 p.m. Take a look at various different types of teeth and get a feel for what kind of animal uses the different teeth. This program is sure to make someone smile...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s School will be giving away a $2,200 14 karat yellow gold bangle bracelet created especially for the Paxtons Chest of Chance fundraiser at the St. Mary’s Ball and Charity Auction “Diamonds and Dust” March 17. The bracelet opens to easily fit on the wrist and is topped with a deep violet genuine tanzanite gemstone, surrounded by .25 carat of shimmering diamonds – a perfect addition for any special occasion like the St. Mary’s Ball and Auction...

On the afternoon of Wednesday, February 14, at approximately 12:37 p.m., the Storm Lake Fire Department responded to 502C West 8th Street in reference to a mobile home on fire. Upon arrival of fire fighters they observed heavy smoke coming from the mobile home. Fire fighters forced entry into the residence and extinguished the fire...

On the morning of Wednesday, February 14, at approximately 8:20 a.m., the Storm Lake Police Department was dispatched to 205 West 6th Street in reference to a suspicious person. Upon arrival of police they located a 17 year old female of Clarinda, in the commons area of the apartment complex’s basement. Police allege that the 17 year old was wanted under a Pick Up Order issued by Juvenile Court for fleeing on February 13...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s School held an impromptu “Pink Out” Friday night – despite the cancellation of their basketball game versus East Sac County High School due to inclement weather. The Hall of Fame inaugural induction ceremony also had to be cancelled...

WANTED On the evening of Tuesday, February 13, at approximately 9 p.m., the Storm Lake Police Department located a wanted person. Police located and arrested Breeanna Nikole Hill, age 26 of Sioux City, at the McDonald’s Restaurant located at 800 Seneca Street. Hill was wanted out of Buena Vista County on a warrant charging her with Identity Theft and unauthorized Use of a Credit Card (both aggravated misdemeanors). Hill was booked into the Buena Vista County Jail on a $2000 bond.

A proposed urban watershed initiative by the City of Cherokee was supported by the Cherokee County Board of Supervisors at last week’s Board meeting. Supervisor Duane Mummert, the City’s Parks Director, explained details of the City’s grant application for watershed funding to create a retaining pond along Railroad Creek northeast of the Cherokee Community Center designed to hold a three to four inch rain and release it into the creek at a slower rate to avoid furture flooding as has occured in the past.. ...

The NWIA Regional Airport Board of Trustees voted to approve the date for the Doug Yost Challenge — an aerobatic competition — at the Spencer airport from Aug. 3-5. The airport has hosted the event for over six years, which attracts aviation super-fans of all ages each year...

Simonsen Rendering of Quimby, announced recenty that it is ceasing its rendering service as of Friday, February 23. After that date, the company will no longer pick up and remove dead farm animals. Eleven employees are affected by this announcement and they will be offered the opportunity to apply for jobs at Simonsen Manufacturing in Quimby...

Raise a Glass to Water, a wine social awareness event, will be held at InnSpiration Winery in Linn Grove on March 8th at 6 p.m. This event is planned exclusively for women landowners and farmers in the North Raccoon Watershed including Buena Vista County...

On Saturday, Feb. 10, many Buena Vista University students took part in Winterfest – an annual weekend event that includes outdoor tournaments, various winter-themed games, snacks, and prizes. This year’s activities included ice hockey, broomball, ice skating, and a skating race...

Seniors across Iowa and in many parts of the Elderbridge service area spoke out in a unique way recently in the hopes that their concerns will be heard by state lawmakers in Des Moines. Diners at Elderbridge congregate meal sites in Mason City, Clear Lake, Kanawha and Spencer are writing letters of protest on paper plates. ...

Many Buena Vista University students expanded their creativity and cultural awareness during this year’s January Interim — a three-week program that gives students the opportunity to travel, enroll in unique on-campus courses, and participate in internships...

The Reason Foundation released its 23rd Annual Highway Report ranking all of the nation’s state-owned highways for performance and cost effectiveness. Iowa’s state transportation system attained a ranking of 15th overall. The study also named Iowa as having the largest change in ranking of all 50 states in the past two years, jumping to 15th overall from the 40 spot held in 2015. ...

January 28,2018

STORM LAKE - The Turn Around hosted its first-ever home gymnastics meet, A Dream of Spring, on Feb. 10-11. The event was held at the Storm Lake High School gymnasium and was the work of over 100 volunteers. The home teams, GK Storm of Storm Lake and GK Blaze of LeMars, competed against seven other teams from across the region. ...

The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) released its 2018 Preseason Softball Coaches Poll on Tuesday, and the league coaches have Buena Vista tied for fourth with 39 total points. BVU and Wartburg each tallied the same total and were each 10 points back of Coe College for third. Luther College was the unanimous pick to win the league title with Central behind in second...

The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) released its 2018 IIAC Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll on Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 14), and Buena Vista has been picked by the league coaches to finish third. Coming off a tie for third a year ago, the Beavers totaled 48 points in the poll to finish just in front of Coe (43) and just behind the University of Dubuque (55). ...

MANNING - The 2017-18 season came to a harsh end for the Raptor girls on Tuesday night as they fell against IKM-Manning in 2A-Region 8 quarterfinal play, 93-52. Ridge View got out to an early 5-3 lead, but IKM took over from there with a 17-0 run and claimed a 47-30 halftime lead thanks to a buzzer beater. IKM kept the heat on the Raptors by scoring the first nine points of the second half, putting the game away...

OKOBOJI - The Sioux Central girls could never quite get into the game on Tuesday night again the Okoboji Pioneers as their season came to a close, 56-39. Sioux Central held the lead with a minute to go but a quick little run by Okoboji put the Rebels behind the eight ball going to the second, down 14-10. ...

SIOUX CITY - The Storm Lake boys found it to be a rough night on Tuesday night against the Sioux City East Black Raiders as they dropped their fifth straight contest, bowing 97-65. The green and white came out strong with a 17 point opening quarter, but they gave up 34 to the Black Raiders in the opening eight minutes, finding themselves in a hole early. ...

STORM LAKE - The last time the green and white advanced in girls basketball regional action was back in the 2010 season as the current team was still in grade school. Wednesday night saw the streak come to an end as Storm Lake hung on against the Carroll Tigers in a 56-53 thriller...