Stories from Monday, August 27, 2018

The rapid increase of opioid overdose deaths in rural communities across the country has far outpaced the overdose rate in urban areas, and an Iowa State University-led research team wants to know why. The researchers' goal is to identify prevention strategies and use big data to predict which communities may be at risk, said David Peters, an associate professor of rural sociology at Iowa State who is leading the five-year project. ...

Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach will host a "Powerful Tools for Caregivers" course at the First Presbyterian Church in Paullina every Thursday evening from 4:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. beginning Oct. 4 through Nov. 8. The program is open to the public and registrations are now being accepted...

Storm Lake boys finish sixth in first meet SPENCER - The Storm Lake boys finished sixth at the Spencer Invitational with 135 points. The girls did not have a scoring varsity team. LeMars finished first in the boys meet with 58 points and the next closest was Spirit Lake at second with 103...

Warriors bow in three sets to SEV Jaguars GOWRIE - The Alta-Aurelia volleyball team just couldn’t break through on Thursday night against Southeast Valley, bowing in three sets for their second loss of the season. The set scores were 19-25, 20-25 and 14-25...

Youth participants at the 4-H Science of BBQ day camp learned a variety of grilling methods, including cooking with gas and charcoal. Youth explored various meat cuts and how cooking temperatures and the composition of the meat can affect the barbecuing process. ...

POCAHONTAS - Despite the early season concerns on the offensive line, the Sioux Central Rebels had little issue running the football on Friday night against Pocahontas Area. The Rebels rolled up 228 yards on the ground in a 25-7 win over the Indians...

IDA GROVE - The game started with a bad omen for the Ridge View Raptors on Friday night. On their first play of the game, they fumbled the ball away to OA-BCIG which ultimately set the tone for five turnovers on the night in a 40-16 loss to the Falcons...

Nashville recording artist Mitchell Tenpenny will headline the first Bash@BVR music festival, Saturday, Sept. 1 at the raceway grandstand in Alta. Four other artists and bands are on the packed card, with music starting at 4 p.m. Tickets are $25, with VIP and camping packages available...

AURELIA - The Alta-Aurelia Warriors were able to use a handful of big running plays on Friday night, along with some hard nosed defense, to pick up their first win back in Class A, downing Lawton-Bronson, 25-17. L-B took advantage of a Warrior miscue in the early going, returning a fumble 32 yards only 22 seconds in to the game to take a 7-0 lead. A-A came right back with a 40 yard touchdown run by junior Anthony Krier to tie it back up at 7-7 with 11:23 in the first quarter...

MAXWELL - Newell-Fonda got on track early and often with big plays against Collins-Maxwell on Friday night, using a handful to build an insurmountable lead and came away with a 53-14 win. The Mustangs got going early with 10:34 left in the first as junior quarterback Bryce Coppock hooked up with Damon Bartek for a 62 yard touchdown with the point after good. A little less than six minutes later, the two hooked up again, this time for 53 yards, N-F holding a 14-0 lead after the first...

CHEROKEE - The turnover battle in football is always one of the keys preached to the players every single week of the season. The Storm Lake Tornadoes forced three Cherokee turnovers, turned those into 15 points in the first half, and used a punishing ground game in the second half to pick up a 33-13 win over the Braves in the battle for the Battle Axe. This is the third straight season the Tornadoes have won the Battle Axe contest...

The City of Storm Lake will be temporarily closing the 600 block of Lake Avenue from 3-9 p.m. for the Storm Lake High School Music Department Beach Party on Thursday, September 6. Food sales, merchandise sales, and games will be held within the venue...

Majority of Republicans, Democrats and Independents approve of reforms before Congress

Storm Lake's first natural body building competition, Northwest Iowa Championship, showed its strength on Saturday, August 18, thanks to the promotion and organization of Storm Lake's own Lindsay Westfall. One of her main goals of the competition, to raise awareness of natural body building in our area, was accomplished, she said...

The arrest of a Mexican farmworker in the death of an Iowa college student renewed calls to change immigration laws, but it also focused attention on the immigrant workers whose labor is essential to the state's agricultural industry. Hours after authorities found the body of Mollie Tibbetts and charged the suspect with murder, politicians including President Donald Trump, the Iowa governor and two senators expressed outrage that Cristhian Bahena Rivera had been able to live illegally in the U.S. ...

Market prices have some 'farming for free'

Holstein native helps to relate painful experience in a new ag safety project

Students were greeted by high fives from school staff and Buena Vista University volunteers as they walked into school Friday morning, dubbed the first weekly "High Five Friday" of the school year.

"With the support of our community, our families and residents, we dared to dream four years ago on how we could provide a setting that allows us to provide care to the community without sacrificing a home setting," said Nicholas Landgraf, CEO of Methodist Manor, at their new facility's first open house Wednesday after much anticipation. What started out as a small community project turned into a full-fledged replacement of the nursing home's old building by the lake...

Virgil Paulsen, age 86, of Storm Lake, Iowa died on Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at the Methodist Manor Retirement Community in Storm Lake, Iowa. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Burial will be in the Galva Township East Cemetery. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements...

***"I was instantly (mad at myself)... Stupid, stupid," he said, about driving on a sloped grade with uneven terrain. "I thought, 'this four-wheeler is gonna catch on fire and burn up; I don't want to get toasted too.'"