Stories from Friday, July 27, 2018

The Iowa High School Coaches Baseball Association released their All-District teams for the four classes in Iowa high school baseball. In all, 15 area players were named to teams through the three classes in the area. In the 1A Northwest District, seven players earned All-District honors. Ridge View senior catcher Jaxon Franken earned first team honors. Newell-Fonda had seniors Nate Pedersen and Jesse Haack both named to the utility spot on the first team...

With the Alta-Aurelia Warriors and Newell-Fonda Mustangs seeing their season come to an end last week, it’s that time of year to name the Storm Lake Pilot Tribune All-Area softball teams along with the player and coach of the year. It was a great year for the teams in the Pilot Tribune area with two going to State and multiple teams picking up a win in regionals...

Margaret Dick (DeFore) Ireland, 96, died on July 23, 2018 in Nashville, North Carolina after a short illness. Margaret was born on April 30, 1922 in Omaha, Nebraska. She was raised in Adair, Iowa. After graduation from Adair High School, she attended Duschene College in Omaha after which she moved to Los Angeles, California...

Mayor Al Clark has quickly filled a vacancy with Tara Hach after a feud that led chairman Leslie Mann to resign from Alta's Planning & Zoning Commission. Alta City Council approved the appointment at a special meeting Monday. Tara Hach, owner and president of Anemometry Specialists in Alta, will fill the remainder of Mann's term through the end of the year. ...

Sulit Boutique brings "shop local" into the 21st Century by ELIJAH DECIOUS Alta's first and only online boutique is shaking up the fashion scene in Buena Vista County. Thanks to young entrepreneur Liz Crum, women of all ages are feeling good about what they wear, how they buy it and what they pay for it...

Alta City Council is exploring tax and fee increases in order to make much needed infrastructure improvements over the next several years. "We need to address this head on," Clark told the council. "You're really doing a disservice if you don't plan for the future." Alta's tax rate, which is the third-lowest in Buena Vista County, is a point of pride for the city. Only Lakeside and Linn Grove have lower rates...

Storm Lake woman overcomes lupus to compete, coach in bodybuilding

McDonald's unveiled its new electronic ordering kiosks at a Storm Lake United ribbon cutting Tuesday, rolling out the beginning of what it calls the "experience of the future," to be revealed in all 33,000 of its stores over the next two years. This week, every order placed on their kiosks generated a $1 donation to the new Early Childhood Center building project with the Storm Lake Community School District...

One journey in Aurelia is coming to an end, as the owner of A Journey Home, Julie Wester, takes a different direction in her life. Wester's store on Main Street in Aurelia will be closing at the end of September. The charming home décor and furniture store has breathed new life into old pieces, making nostalgia seem modern and trendy with all sorts of refurbished items over the last two years since it opened in August 2016. ...

Most new laws which were passed during the Iowa Legislature's 2018 session and signed by the governor have gone into effect as of July 1, the beginning of the state's new fiscal year. Some of the year's most noticeable new laws in Iowa impact Iowa motorists, health care and schools...

Local officials hope issues surrounding an oil spill near the city of Doon last month will be put on hold by Gov. Kim Reynolds before more material from the clean up ends up in Dickinson County. The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday morning to draft a letter requesting the governor put a stay on oil-contaminated material being sent to the Dickinson County Sanitary Landfill. The board hopes to be present the letter to Reynolds personally...

A rural Storm Lake native has turned a battle with cancer into an unexpected role as an author. Lorraine Peterson Ernst calls her book "Recliner Row," after the imposing line of patient chairs she found waiting when reporting for chemotherapy. But don't expect a dismal tale. ...

Storm Lake has been approved as one of the state's first Opportunity Zones. Just one issue - no one seems to know how the program will work. In trying to get information, city officials have only run into more question marks. "We got an email from the state that only told us we would get some notification about the rules later. ...

A crop duster pilot from Albert City is safe after his plane struck power lines south of Storm Lake Tuesday afternoon. An area resident saw the plane hit a line in the area of 90th Avenue and 640th Street, and alerted the county communications center. The person making the report had climbed to the top of a grain bin but could no longer see the plane...

Storm Lake's United Community Health Center will receive a $1.9 million USDA loan to assist in a planned expansion and renovation project. The USDA on Tuesday announced funding for 41 projects for essential rural services in 22 states, including three in Iowa...

Organizers for the sixth annual Wood, Wine & Blues festival in Storm Lake and planning to put the blues back in the fest. "That's been kind of missing in recent years," says Lee Dutfield, activities director for Storm Lake United, the organization that plans the popular event...