Stories from Wednesday, August 22, 2018

STORM LAKE - For the seventh straight year the Storm Lake Kiwanis held their triathlon which doubled as a fundraise to help eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. There were 45 entries this year with two three person teams taking part in the event...

The Storm Lake Board of Education has approved a one-year contract with the Donovan Group to assist communication services. The district isn't big enough to have a communications director of its own, Superintendent Stacey Cole told the board at its most recent meeting. The district will pay the Wisconsin-based firm $2,500 per month for the service, which will include social media pushes and an information campaign for a proposed new Early Childhood Center...

Tornadoes look to make it three straight over Braves The Storm Lake and Cherokee rivalry game continues on as the green and white have taken the past two contests against the Braves in the battle for the Battle Axe. “Any time you can beat a big rival it’s a big win,” SL Coach Rudy Wieck said. “It’s a big deal to get out of Cherokee with a win.”...

Storm Lake city officials are promising to look into neighbors' complaints about a recently-vacated home on Hickory Lane. Two of the neighbors approached the city council Monday, saying that the home has called into disrepair, with weeds, garbage, and animals entering the house. They said that they feel it is a health and safety threat to the neighborhood...

Santa's Castle will be hosting a Taste of Storm Lake Thursday, August 23, 5-6:30 p.m. "We are asking all persons young and old to stop by, eat a tasty meal and write a letter to the future generations of Santa's Castle who will open the capsule at a date to be determined - twenty five or fifty years from now," Castle curator Ron Stevenson said...

The Sunken Grove and Leo Shimon Marsh Wetland Complex becomes Grand Central Station twice a year for migrating ducks, geese, pelicans and shorebirds that stop to rest and refuel before resuming their journey. The nearly 1,300 acres of wetlands, marshes, prairies and timber is surrounded by some of the most productive farmland in the world in southwest Pocahontas County...

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate's annual State Fair Straw Poll shows incumbents were favored in the races for governor and three out of the four races for Congress. More than 3,200 State Fair attendees participated in the poll. It was conducted on iPads inside Secretary Pate's booth throughout the State Fair...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds received word on Monday that the Trump Administration has approved her request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration for 30 counties impacted by flooding and severe weather from June 6-July 2. In the area, Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, O'Brien, Palo Alto and Pocahontas counties were included...

Forecasters issued flood warnings and watches in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa at the start of the week as heavy rain continues to fall. By 9 a.m. Monday radar indicated that more than 5 inches of rain had fallen in the past 24 hours in some areas...

Even though the sun had just set Monday evening when the American Legion Riders made their way down Grand Avenue, two lines of more than 350 motorcycles kept the street visible with their headlights. After leaving from Hutchinson, Kansas, on Aug. 19, the riders gathered at the National Guard Armory in Spencer for a ceremony and dinner...

A therapy dog for the Storm Lake Middle School, a first for the school district, was formally approved by the Board of Education at its most recent meeting. Assistant principal Jaymie Bral proposed the pilot program, trained the dog and covered the expense...

A Storm Lake area farm family was honored in the 2018 Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards presented at the Iowa State Fair Wednesday. S & S Farms - Tom, Mike, Mark, and Ethan Smith - were cited for many environmental protection efforts on their land...

For the Alta artist behind "Bipolar Creativity' studio, paint proves to be the best form of therapy.

Buena Vista County's Board of Supervisors adopted a new requirement for certain county employees claiming benefits for their spouse. The new affidavit, presented Tuesday by Payroll Deputy Leigh Madsen, will require the signature of employees and their spouses claiming health insurance benefits for their common law marriage...

The active, progressive Cherokee Trails Committee continues to work hard towards its goal of expanding a scenic, appealing trail system in Cherokee and Cherokee County. Two upcoming, exciting events are scheduled as more residents use the accessible trails system that winds through the City. There also is a convenient, scenic trail established at Martin Access east of Larrabee that takes in the Little Sioux River Valley and its fantastic geography...

Marlys Ewoldt, age 89, of Alta, Iowa died on Monday, August 20, 2018 at the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake, Iowa. Funeral services will be held Thursday, August 23, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Hanover, Iowa. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will take place Wednesday, August 22, 2018 from 5-7:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in ALTA. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Alta is in charge of the arrangements...

Robert Joseph O'Brien, 88, passed away Friday, August 17, 2018 with his loving wife of 64 years and children by his side. Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, August 23, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Burial will be at 3:00 p.m. ...