Stories from Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Lowell Joseph Porath was born on January 22, 1927, in Varina, Iowa to the late Kenneth Wendel and Veronica (O’Brien) Porath. He received his education at the Varina Catholic Elementary and graduated from Mt. Lake High School. On April 22, 1947, Lowell was united in marriage to Margaret Stenke at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in rural Alpha. ...

Arlene Rose Willadsen, 96, passed away Saturday, October 27, at Walnut Ridge Retirement Community in Clive. Arlene was born at the family farm on March 21, 1922, near Sac City, to Robert and Florence (Deming) Galbraith, the oldest of six children. She graduated from Sac City High School in 1940 and taught country school in the Sac City area. ...

Marvin A. Stille, age 88, of Schaller, passed away on Sunday, October 28, at Paula Baber Hospice Home in Fort Dodge. Marvin was born on February 7, 1930, to William and Lillie (Offerle) Stille on a farm near Schaller where he grew up with his eight siblings. He graduated from Hayes Consolidate High School in 1948 and continued his education at Buena Vista College in Storm Lake...

On the evening of Friday, October 26, at approximately 6:15 p.m. the Storm Lake Police Department was dispatched to the Smokin Hereford located at 1605 West Milwaukee Avenue in reference to a reported harassment. Upon arrival police met with staff who alleged that upon terminating an employee, identified as Rebecca Yalle, age 31 of Storm Lake, Yalle threatened a restaurant staff member...

The Storm Lake second graders will be having a concert is Tuesday, November 6, beginning at 7 p.m. in the elementary gym. There is no charge for the event. This show is full of songs that will make you tap your toe, laugh and sing along including On Top of Spaghetti, Five Little Monkeys and Looby Loo...

Storm Lake - Storm Lake United is proud to announce our Annual Member’s Banquet to be held at King’s Pointe Resort on Wednesday, November 14 beginning at 6 p.m. This banquet will focus on Storm Lake United’s Mission: To enhance the quality of life in the Storm Lake area and implement creative strategies to promote business growth and tourism...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s, Schaller St. Joseph and Early Sacred Heart Parish will be offering Masses to celebrate the upcoming Holy Day of Obligation: All Saints’ Day, November 1: Wednesday, Oct. 31 6 p.m. Mass, Sacred Heart, Early 6 p.m. Mass, St. Mary, Storm Lake (for School of Faith, all are welcome)...

Joyful Praise will be performing at Lakeside Presbyterian Church during their worship service at 10 a.m. on November 11. Joyful Praise is a ladies trio from the area. The members are Roxie Brostad of Storm Lake, Judy Clausen of Albert City, and Jeri Wenell of Albert City. They are accompanied by Connie Dahlenbach of Laurens...

Buena Vista County Supervisors purchased a new motor grader and pickup for the County Engineer’s office in time for winter, after some deliberation Tuesday. Supervisors voted 3-2 to approve the purchase of a John Deere 772G motor grader, priced at $252,950. The purchase was approved after a motion to buy a John Deere 672 model failed. A Cat motor grader, recommended by the county engineer for its similarity in controls to other equipment, was also considered at a bid of $266,450. An old 1994 model motor grader, the oldest one the county owns, will be traded in as part of the purchase. The new all-wheel-drive purchase will give the county’s 13 winter routes an advantage in savings, since chains for winter weather are not needed as often, saving wear. The new equipment is rated at 275 horsepower, an upgrade from the previous 140 horsepower rating, which will provide additional torque for snow plowing. The purchase will most likely go to the Newell shed, according to County Engineer Bret Wilkinson. It is one of 13 motor graders. The county also moved to purchase a 2017 Chevrolet pick-up for the County Engineer’s office’s use for $34,000. The vehicle, with about 500 miles on it, is nearly identical to a new vehicle, with added savings. Wilkinson said the county is still touching up shoulders and driveways, getting as much done as possible in between wet weather before winter.

Trick or Treating came early in Storm Lake, as hundreds of children flocked to the downtown event Saturday morning, and the Halloween party at the library and Witter Gallery, complete with a costume contest and pumpkin painting. The Storm Lake Police booth was a popular stop, where it was estimated that 700 children had come through the line within the first hour. Katie the Naturalist and her friendly owl greeted children as well. / Pilot photos by Dana Larsen...

Fourteen Newell-Fonda students took part in the NW Heartland Honor Choir hosted by Iowa Lakes Community College Thursday. The event is designed to create a unique musical experience especially for the smaller schools in northwest Iowa. Students spend the day working together, leading to an evening concert. ...

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller urged U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Federal Student Aid Acting Chief Operating Officer Jim Manning to address the severe shortage of applicants to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program who have had their federal student loans forgiven...

DES MOINES - Olivya Vondrak of Galva, has been named to the President’s List for the summer semester at Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines. To qualify for this academic recognition, students must attain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.75, in their most recent semester, for a minimum of six credit hours...

Northwest Iowa youth in grades 4-8th are invited to sign-up to attend the 3rd annual “STEM and the ARTS Festival” (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Art) on Saturday, November 10, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Buena Vista University. The event is sponsored in partnership by Buena Vista University, ISU Extension and Outreach – Buena Vista County 4-H, and the Northwest Iowa STEM Council. ...

Trick or treating? Or rock and rolling? If you’re throwing a Halloween party tonight, or just trying to get into the spirit, there are plenty of classic rock songs perfect for the season. I’m talking real rock music here, not “The Monster Mash,” and I’m throwing “Thriller” out because it’s just plain too easy. That leaves us with a list of spooky, but also talented, tracks to make your night a treat...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s High School will be presenting Wizard of Oz Friday, Nov. 2 and Sat, Nov. 3 in the school gymnasium/auditorium. Each performance will begin at 7 p.m. Admission is $5 per adult and $3 for students and tickets will be sold at the door. The performances are open to the public. The play is directed by Ms. Melissa Schwery...

With the Senate still out of session, Iowa’s Senator Chuck Grassley returned to the Hawkeye state, but he still had something to say about the wider happenings across the world. During a media update Monday, Grassley began by fielding questions about the investigation into the death of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi. ...

Gasoline prices in Iowa have fallen 6.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.72, with some of the higher prices in the Des Moines metro area near $2.90. This compares with the national average that has fallen 2.9 cents per gallon versus last week to $2.81...

Celebrate the National Mammal of the United States.  Bison are the iconic animal of the tallgrass prairie and the Prairie Heritage Center.  National Bison Day is a big reason to celebrate.  Come to the center, at 4931 Yellow Ave,  on Saturday, November 3 from 1 - 3 p.m.  There will be a many things for participants of all ages.  Take part in crafts, games and activities throughout the afternoon.  There will be an educational presentation about bison at 2 p.m.  For the rest of the afternoon the activities can be enjoyed at your own pace.. ...

While winter may not officially arrive for another month, the O’Brien County Conservation Board is ready to help you prepare for winter recreation activities  The Conservation Board is again offering the opportunity to handcraft beautiful snowshoes...

In response to public requests, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources starting this winter will provide two accesses for ice fishing on Storm Lake. One will be at the Casino Beach Marina, where many anglers had been driving onto the lake anyway. Some trees will be removed, and the city will help the DBR to put down a rock pathway onto the ice. Another access is planned at Scout Park...

Lack of childcare isn’t just bad for parents, it’s bad for business. This is the research the Iowa Women’s Foundation will be pitching to 45 local business leader attendees this Thursday, addressing Storm Lake’s urgent need for childcare solutions as part of a multi-pronged solution...

Trick or Treating will be held at Storm Lake Senior Housing - Wednesday 5:30-8 p.m. (210 E. 13th St.) Cottages will have lights on and in the three-story building, residents will be handing out treats in the Commons room.

Over the past few decades tornadoes have been shifting — decreasing in Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas but spinning up more in states along the Mississippi River and farther east, a new study shows. Scientists aren’t quite certain why. Tornado activity is increasing most in Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa and parts of Ohio and Michigan, according to a new study in the journal Climate and Atmospheric Science. ...

Workers scale near the peak of The Legend roller coaster at Arnold’s Park, with the massive ferris wheel in the background. A good deal of off-season renovation is going on at and around the big rides at the historic amusement park.

The witching night has arrived, and with it comes the Pilot-Tribune’s treasury of chilling supernatural stories from the area’s past, drawn from interviews and writings by the local people who experienced them. Try to explain them - if you dare. • Madame Gertrude - Long-time residents of Storm Lake still insist that she had a remarkable gift - to see the unseen. ...

The Reynolds campaign is reporting great turnout at all of its campaign stops in HyVees across Iowa. Gov. Kim Reynolds, campaigning for her position for the first time since she was inaugurated after Gov. Branstad’s departure, said on Sunday that her campaign is “not going to let up.”...

The Storm Lake Board of Education approved the hiring of a school nurse for the Early Childhood Center, during a special meeting on Monday. “Some pretty hefty health care concerns” have arisen among the student population at the building this school year, Superintendent Stacey Cole told the board. She anticipates that a health professional will needed nearly full-time in the building...

By DANA LARSEN Pilot-Tribune Editor Six months after an agreement was reached to sell it, the former Storm Lake dredge still sits on the edge of the lake at Casino Beach. The Illinois firm that bought the dredge for $50,000 is apparently trying to sell it rather than move it. According to the company, it has two potential buyers, but has not yet finalized a sale...

Financial news site 24/7 Wall St. has named Storm Lake to its “America’s 50 Best Cities to Live” list. Coming in at #47, sandwiched between Snyder, Texas, and Bridgeport, West Virginia, the city was lauded for its affordability and recreation assets...

The season came to a bitter end last Friday night when two of the area schools bowed in tough first round contests in the Iowa High School Football playoffs. With the conclusion of the season for the five Pilot-Tribune area teams, it is time to name the All-Area team. This year’s team features a handful of repeat players who earned this honor last year along with a good mix of newcomers to the list...