Stories from Friday, March 16, 2018

March 15, 2018

February 13, 1925 - March 1, 2018

ACCDIENTS On March 12, at approximately 9:49 p.m., at 1520 East Lakeshore Drive in Storm Lake, a vehicle driven by Todd Manley of Cedar Falls, struck a fire hydrant owned by the City of Storm Lake. Total damages were estimated at $500.

Quad County Corn Processors, a 12.5-million-bushel corn processing biorefinery in Galva, Iowa, recently donated $250 to Sac County 4-H members. The donation will help defray the annual participation cost of each individual 4-H member in Sac County. Quad County Corn Processors’ employee Dave Juelsgaard (second from the left) is pictured here with members of the Sac County 4-H Innovative Pioneers Club at their March 12 meeting at the Wall Lake Community Center...

Mark Radke of Aurelia was the guest speaker at The Meeting Place in Galva on March 8.  During his one hour educational program, Mark’s topic was fly fishing.  Radke started fly fishing at age 43, and he talked about rods, reels, where and how to find fish, ponds versus streams, line weights, casting, different kinds of trout and bluegills, three different types of flies, waders and boots, best weather for fishing, fly fishing in Iowa and out west, making flies and getting started. ...

U.S. Air Force Airman Lexi G. Vander Woude graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force...

Spring is just around the corner.  Birds are migrating back into our area.  Want to learn more about who’s who in the bird world?  Birding can be a rewarding hobby for people of all ages. “Beginning Birding” will be held at the Prairie Heritage Center on Monday, March 19 at 6:30 p.m.  This is meant for the very beginner in the birding world.  Participants will learn about basic bird identification and binocular use.  Participants will come away from the event with the skills needed to begin a new hobby.. ...

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) of Storm Lake will hold its third annual Tech Trek-Iowa camp at Buena Vista University during the summer. On March 20 at 6:30 p.m. the group will be hosting a community information event at the Our Place diversity center (114 E. Third Street, Storm Lake) to further promote the camp and inform the community about upcoming fundraisers to continue hosting the week long camp in Storm Lake...

Bach has been quoted as saying, "The great object of music is to touch the heart."  Bravo Amici, in concert at Holstein last week, did all that and more.  In point of fact, they nearly shattered the audience's capacity for sheer happiness.  Such an exalted state of being can only be reached if a person is willing to accept what is offered openly and unconditionally.  Listeners who were lucky enough to be in the Clausen Center that night opened their minds as well as their ears.   ...

It was a very rewarding evening for a few of the Farm Credit Services of America employees as they delivered grant checks totaling over $9,000 to local recipients. Dave McCoy hands Alta Fire Chief Bubba Reetz a check for $6200 to use for SCBA replacement equipment as Kevin Flaherty, Shane Holtorf, Tom Hinkeldey, and a host of firefighters look on. ...

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach-Buena Vista County, the Office of Civic Engagement-Buena Vista University, and SALUD. of Storm Lake invites all interested parties working with, supporting or interested in food insecurity issues to join individuals from Northwest Iowa to share ideas, learn about new and existing grass roots projects, program and funding opportunities, and learn about how you or your organizations can work together to spark a difference in your community...

On the evening of Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at approximately 7 p.m. the Storm Lake Police Department responded to 120 Highway Street #10 in reference to locating two wanted persons. Upon arrival of police they made contact with and arrested Jacquelyn Troxel, age 33 of Schaller, and William Bailey, age 37 of Ruthven...

The Storm Lake Board of Education is progressing in the process to choose a new Superintendent of Schools. On Tuesday, the board is scheduled to set an interview schedule, review interview questions, and look at input from potential focus group members who will also be involved in the process. Afterward, they expect to go into closed session to evaluate applicants’ credentials, then return to open session to approve the candidates selected as finalists to bring to Storm Lake for interviews...

The Witter Gallery wants to showcase work from the community. Do you have work that you own or have created and would like to share it with the community? This is you chance to share your artistic talent or art that you have collected. The exhibit will be two weeks long in May...

Saturday, March 31st is the Annual Egg Hunt in the Park at Buena Vista County Park. Join the conservation staff to learn about animals that lay eggs and meet some of the education animals. After the program the egg hunt will begin. The eggs contain goodies and other prizes...

Alta-Aurelia High School will present Suitable For Hanging, March 16-17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Roxy Theater. Charlie Hackle is confronted with one of the toughest situations one could face: he is madly in love, and he has lost a day in his life that just happened to be his wedding day. Understandably, his fiance is upset in addition to his future in-laws. Other “little” incidents exponentially inflame their ire...

Local resident Ben Rumbo and his wife Ofilia Rumbo opened a new gym at the beginning of the year. EnerGym is open 24 hours for members. During the week Rumbo keeps the office open throughout the day to provide personal training services to his clients. Rumbo is in the gym early in the morning and late at night...

Zone Home Entertainment hosted a United Coffee March 14, introducing their new Sales Manager, Jose Ibarra, and showcasing new furniture on display. “We are excited to introduce the community to our new staff member and highlight our new furniture section,” said Jeff Bowles, co-owner...

Holsteins VT Industries is excited to introduce a newest product line, VT EnVivo™ Residential Doors. Featuring a wide variety of sophisticated looks and excellent craftsmanship, the EnVivo Door Collection from VT Architectural Wood Doors elevates the style of any residence...

Warrior Speech performed well at State Individual Speech Contest in Carroll on Saturday. Fourteen of our entries received overall I ratings (including five straight I’s) and two received overall II ratings. Seniors: • Elizabeth Hill: Musical Theatre I I I (I), Improv I I I (I)...

There are two possibilities for a sidewalk project to the school area in Alta, schools superintendent Lynn Evans told the school board this week, after meeting recently with the Alta Parks Board. One would be a sidewalk through City Park running to the bridge area near the playground. The other possibility would be a sidewalk from the stop sign at the elementary school to the bridge area...

Alta-Aurelia school officials revealed a first glance at the proposed budget for the coming year this week - the first under a consolidated district. Under the proposed budget, revenue would total $18.271 million, down from $20.756 estimated for the current year (which included tornado safe room construction). Of the total, $3.67 million would come from property taxes...

​Tuesday morning’s guest speaker was Julie Langner, Alta-Aurelia School Librarian. The library held an Elementary Book Fair from March 5-13. Currently, funding is needed for purchase of non-fiction books for the high school section. This is as academic upgrade which will add to existing books. ...

Alta-Aurelia school leaders are beginning to discuss the possibility of replacing football bleachers at Alta and Aurelia fields, and making them disability accessible. Quotes on potential projects were shared with school boards this week. Iowa Direct Equipment offers a U-shaped ramp for existing Aurelia home bleachers at $15,782 installed, or a new set of home bleachers with an elevated front walk, side and back rails, cutouts for two wheelchair areas and a rail for one row at $27,130. ...

A newly-energized Alta Park Board has an ambitious agenda on its plate, including a plan for a potential new City Park playground. Four of the five members began terms in January. “For the past two or three years, we would only have two or three people show up for our meetings. Now we have a full body, and they are all excited to get to work. Everybody is charged up about how to serve the community,” said chairperson Randy Ericksen...

Alta-Aurelia schools are leaping into the STEM era in a big way, seeking several more grants this season to fund new programs focusing on science, technology, engineering and math. Three of the district’s teachers who are already incorporating STEM efforts gave a presentation to the school board Monday...

This week was busy as we worked to send Senate bills over to the House ahead of our next legislative deadline. Most days were filled with long debates on a number of bills, spanning a wide variety of topics. One of these was Senate File 2243, which prohibits false or misleading caller identification information to any person with an Iowa area code and is physically located in the state...

We are winding down the second funnel week of the session. To remain alive, a bill must have passed one chamber of the Legislature and been approved in a standing policy committee in the opposite chamber. As a result, the first part of the week concentrated on floor debate in order to get a few bills approved and sent to the Senate in order for them to have time to pass them through a standing policy committee. ...

Rep. Gary Worthan (R-Storm Lake) filed his nomination petitions to the Secretary of State’s office to seek re-election to District 11 in the Iowa House this fall. Rep. Worthan is filing his petitions with staff from the Secretary of State’s office.

Parents representing the Alta Warrior PTO approached the Alta-Aurelia school boards this week asking for funds to evaluate the large wooden playground at the school. Known as Altagether Playground, it was built by community volunteers in an emotional campaign in 1993. Parents are becoming concerned about the age and condition of the facility, Kayla Wilson told the board...

A Storm Lake man has been arrested for violating Iowa Sex Offender Registry laws, just six days after he had been arrested on child endangerment causing bodily injury charges. Storm Lake Police were notified of the registry violation earlier this week by the sheriff’s department...

Four area counties are among the 46 in the state that so far have joined a national opioid lawsuit - Buena Vista, Clay, O’Brien and Sac. BV County supervisors say they felt they should get in on the ground floor of the movement, to protect the county against possible future costs of dealing with an epidemic of addiction...

Students at Buena Vista University and Storm Lake High School took part in #NationalWalkoutDay events Wednesday, on the one-month anniversary of the shootings at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Students walked out of classes for 17 minutes, in honor of the 17 Parkland victims. ...

At the one month anniversary of the latest school shooting rampage, Buena Vista University staged a panel discussion, “Addressing Gun Violence in Our Schools” this week. The event sought to bring perspective to the violence which seems to be increasing in both frequency and body count...

July 14, 1988 - March 9, 2018

WATERLOO - The Buena Vista men’s tennis team played its first match of the spring and of the Iowa Conference season by taking on Loras College, but it was the Duhawks coming away with a 9-0 victory over BVU. Loras swept through doubles play and took all six singles matches in straight sets from a Beaver team looking to get more experience under its belt...

With the conclusion of the boys basketball season, the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association named their first All-State teams for all four classes. For the Pilot Tribune area, only one player was honored this season. Newell-Fonda sophomore Bryce Coppock was named to the 1A third team. Coppock led the Mustangs with 21.9 points per game while hitting 44.5 percent of his shots. He made 75 percent of his free throws and had 96 assists...

OMAHA, NE - The Turn Around’s GK Storm gymnastics teams competed in their last meet of the regular season on March 10-11 at the Golden Invitational meet hosted by Nebraska Gold Gymnastics. The event, held at Skutt Catholic High School, featured 17 teams from across the Midwest competing on the vault, bars, beam and floor...

STORM LAKE - The track and field season kicked off on Tuesday night at Buena Vista University’s Lamberti Recreation Center for the Lakes Conference indoor meet. Both the boys and girls in the green and white took part in the indoor meet that saw some good times for some of the athletes...

Since taking over as girls’ basketball coach at Newell-Fonda High School, Dick Jungers has coached the Mustangs to numerous State tournament appearances and usually finds his team in the State championship game, which they did this season. He has 13 wins at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines and brought home a State title in 2015...

Keith and Betty Movall of Newell, along with Nancy Movall and Tom Whalen of Yutan, NE are pleased to announce the engagement and upcoming wedding in August, of their son Mike Movall and Stevie Reynolds, both of Centennial, CO. Stevie is the daughter of Patricia & David Reynolds-Dougherty of Enola, PA & Jan & Gary Reynolds, of Ocean View, DE...