Stories from Friday, July 6, 2018

Phyllis Ann Rehnstrom, age 82, of Alta, Iowa went home to her loving Lord on Thursday, June 28, 2018 at the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake, Iowa

Memorial Services will be held on Monday, July 2, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at the Hope Evangelical Free Church in Storm Lake. ...

Ronley Schnell, 90, passed away on July 1, 2018 at Sunny View Care Center in Ankeny. His funeral will be at 11 a.m., Friday July 6th, at Merle Hay Funeral Home. The family will greet friends beginning at 10. Ronley was preceded in death by his parents, wife Marilyn in 2015, son Steven, grandson Daniel Schnell, three brothers: twins Harold & Howard, Gordon, and a sister Kathryn Yeakle...

Carl Menning, age 89, of Alta, Iowa passed over to Heaven peacefully on Friday, June 29, 2018 at Methodist Manor Retirement Community in Storm Lake. A Celebration of Life will be held Tuesday, July 3, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. at Summit Evangelical Free Church in Alta. ...

Anyone who has changed a tire next to 70 MPH traffic will appreciate the MOVE OVER law update that took effect July 1. Since 2002, Iowa's MOVE OVER law has required motorists to move over or slow down for certain stationary vehicles displaying flashing lights. ...

For years, the Youth Ball Program in Alta has been an all-American display of the pride Alta takes in community involvement, providing a fun, positive environment for the town's youth through America's favorite past time. "It's always jam-packed on Sunday night," one of the busiest ones for t-ball, said director Garrett Hill. Parents, grandparents, and family all come together in pride to encourage their kids in an environment that reinforces Alta's value of responsibility in a competitive way...

The sun will come up tomorrow! The cast of Annie is in dress rehearsals putting on their last minute touches to ensure they're fully dressed with a smile before the crowd shows up for Saturday's first show. America's favorite orphan is at it again at Alta's Roxy Theater. The cast of about 70 people altogether will be putting on a time-tested classic that you won't forget. Heartwarming themes are sure to tug at the heart strings, and beaming moments of humor leave you wanting more...

Tension between Alta mayor Al Clark and chairman of Alta's Planning and Zoning Commission, Leslie Mann, has come to a head. Mann publicly submitted his resignation at Alta City Council's meeting Monday evening following a dispute over the enforcement of a code for pontoon parking...

Methodist Manor's much anticipated new facility on the lake is almost finished, said Nick Landgraf, CEO. Residents are expected to move in at the end of August. All of the building's new occupants in August will be moved over from existing Methodist Manor facilities into the building's 87 rooms, 8 of which are designed for couples. About 16 rooms will be available after this first phase of occupancy for new residents...

Is it hot in here... or is it just you? Summer is officially here, along with its long days of shimmering heat. The kind of slow simmer that provides imagery in some of the great stories ever told in literature, from "The Great Gatsby" to "To Kill a Mockingbird."...

The two longtime Storm Lake Police Department Community Service Officers have been featured in a nationally released report on Immigrants on Law Enforcement. The report was created by the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force. "One of the principles to which we subscribe is that when immigrants feel safe in their communities we all feel safer," the report reads. Following are the segments on the local officers...

In a volatile political climate, Storm Lake area immigrants are rushing to get renewals for DACA and Temporary Protective Status protections against deportation - while they can. Marie Sennett, immigration attorney with Nick Brown Law Firm in Storm Lake, feels that there is a lot of fear in the diverse community that national leadership may make it harder for immigrants to stay legally...

Storm Lake City Council members are in favor of a proposal to extend the operator contract with Buoys Bar and Grill, first-year operators of the marina at Casino Beach that the city oversees for the Iowa DNR. However, council members balked at a request to credit the company another $9,000 against future rent...

A Storm Lake man's culinary criticism began a downhill night that ended in a jail cell and multiple charges including two felonies. Police were called to Puff's bar on the afternoon of July 4th, where they were told that a patron had eaten a sandwich he ordered, then complained about it and demanded his money back. The man reportedly began making additional demands, then became angry and shoved drinks off a table before being escorted out...

Uniformity or originality? That was the question as the Storm Lake City Council grappled with plans to relax regulations on use of the downtown area, to allow some dining, retail selling and other activities on the Lake Avenue sidewalks. While some other cities are very specific about what is allowed, dictating the style and color of every bench for a uniform look, the council is leaning toward a looser set if regulations that would allow businesses more room for originality...

Patriotic speaker calls for attention to veterans' issues: "You leave a part of yourself over there."

Independence Day for Storm Lake kept up another long standing tradition again this year with the 40th annual Ride and Run that saw 93 teams enter and 86 of them finish. The overall winners were a husband and wife duo, Sam and Sarah Wensink out of Sioux Center. ...

SPENCER - Sioux Central never got on track Tuesday night against the Spencer Tigers, falling in an early hole that they were unable to escape from. The Tigers jumped on them early to take a 10-0 decision over the Rebels. The Tigers scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning to set the tone for the rest of the night. They added three more in the bottom of the second, one in the third and early game ender in the bottom of the fifth...

SLOAN - One inning was all it took on Tuesday night for the Ridge View baseball team as they were able to hold River Valley down in a 14-1 victory, their 12th on the year. All 14 of the Ridge View runs came in the first inning. River Valley scored their lone run in the bottom of the fifth...

ALTA - The offense was a tad bit slow through most of the game for Alta-Aurelia but the pitching and defense more than made up for it, the Warriors taking an 11-0 decision over Emmetsburg on Tuesday night. The Warriors scored a run in the first, third and fifth to take a 3-0 advantage. The seventh inning saw the offense find their mojo with a total of eight runs coming in that frame...

DAYTON - Mustang senior Jesse Haack came close to a no hitter on Tuesday night, allowing only one hit and didn’t walk a single Southeast Valley batter. The pitching, along with some big hits, allowed Newell-Fonda to take a 10-0 decision for their 16th win of the season...

FONDA - The Newell-Fonda bats came alive on Tuesday night in a 1A-Region 1 softball game against Trinity Christian, the Mustangs taking a 9-1 victory. N-F scored two runs in the bottom of the first and added three more in the second. After going scoreless in the third and fourth frames, the Mustangs got two in the bottom of the fifth. TC got their lone run in the top of the sixth, N-F coming back with two more in the bottom of the frame, holding TC scoreless in the top of the seventh...

EMMETSBURG/STORM LAKE - The Storm Lake boys picked up a pair of back to back wins on Monday and Tuesday night. They got a 5-3 decision over Emmetsburg on Monday night. Both teams scored a run in the top of the first, E-Burg taking a 2-1 lead after two innings. The Tornadoes had a good fourth inning as senior Brayden Hoops hit a three run bomb, giving Storm Lake a 5-2 lead. Emmetsburg got their final run in the bottom of the sixth...

STORM LAKE/SWEA CITY - It was a thriller for the home town St. Mary’s Panthers on Monday night in the opening round of the 1A-Region 1 play against Clay Central-Everly, taking a 13-12 decision in nine innings. The Mavericks got a run in the top of the first and led 3-0 after the top of the fourth. ...

STORM LAKE/EMMETSBURG - The 2018 season came to a close for the Sioux Central Rebels on Tuesday night after they were able to escape with a win on Monday. Sioux Central, having their first round 1A-Region 5 game moved to Storm Lake due to field conditions in Peterson, walked away with a 7-4 victory over Okoboji...

STORM LAKE - The error bug struck it’s ugly head on the Tornadoes again Tuesday night, four of those errors playing into four LeMars runs, the Bulldogs taking a 6-5 victory away from Storm Lake. Storm Lake broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the third, the highlight coming from SL junior Rachel Bozonie who blasted a three run home run to fuel the four run frame. ...

GALVA/ALTA - Two area schools were in the 2A-Region 1 softball tournament on Monday and Tuesday night, and only one of them came out alive following a contest against one another on Tuesday. The Ridge View Raptors won a Monday night contest, 10-0 over Sibley-Ocheyedan, but the #5 team the class, Alta-Aurelia, put an end to the Raptor season on Tuesday evening...