Stories from Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Donald A. Bobolz, 78, of Storm Lake, passed away bravely Thursday evening from a bout with cancer, November 29, at his home in Storm Lake. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, December 4, at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee. Rev. Cris Decious will officiate. ...

Bernard “Ben” Meyer, age 95, of Storm Lake, died November 29, at the Methodist Manor Retirement Community in Storm Lake. Funeral Mass took place Tuesday, December 4, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Burial will be in the St. ...

Patricia A. Patten, age 79, of Alta, died Friday, November 30, at her home in Alta.  Memorial services were held Tuesday, December 4, at 11 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Alta. Visitation took place Monday, December 3, from 5 - 8 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Alta. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Alta is in charge of the arrangements. ...

Ray Mittelstadt, age 94, of Storm Lake, died Friday, November 30, at the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake.  Funeral services were held Tuesday, December 4, at St. John Lutheran Church in Storm Lake. Burial was at the North Lawn Cemetery in Fort Dodge, on Tuesday, December 4, at 2 p.m. ...

Raymond Steffen, age 78, of Storm Lake, and formerly of Albert City, died Wednesday, November 28, in Fonda.  Funeral Mass will take place Wednesday, December 5, at 2 p.m. at the St. Columbkille Catholic Church in Varina. Burial will be in the church cemetery with full military rites. ...

December 5: Public Planetarium Show (theme: Life on the North Pole), 4 p.m. December 8: Santa visits! 2: p.m. - 4 p.m. December 8: Public Planetarium Show (theme: Life on the North Pole), 4 p.m. December 9: Santa visits! 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. December 9: Public Planetarium Show (theme: Life on the North Pole), 4 p.m...

UnityPoint Hospice has rescheduled its annual Hospice Memorial Service to Sunday, December 9th at 2:30 p.m. at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 1614 W. 5th St., Storm Lake. “It is a time for honoring memories and celebrating the lives of loved ones who are no longer with us,” said Chaplain Norman Prather. There will be a short service followed by a time of fellowship...

The Storm Lake Public Library will host an Adult Coloring Night on Thursday, December 6th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Come and enjoy a relaxing and creative evening and bring a friend. Coloring pages, pencils, and snacks will be provided by the Friends of the Library organization...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s Parish is hosting Our Lady of Guadalupe events this season, culminating December 11 with the traditional Mananitas (serenade) at 10 p.m. and a midnight mass with a mariachi band at the church. On December 12, a rosary will be held at 5:30 p.m. followed by a mass celebrating the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to San Juan Diego, followed by a celebration and traditional dancing in the parish center. All parishioners of St. Mary’s and associated parishes are invited...

Des Moines - Teacher-librarian Val Ehlers spots a student holding a thick chapter book. She knows his reading level and what he’s been working on in class, so she intervenes. “Is that a right-fit book for you?” Ehlers asked the Marshalltown student. It’s not, so he returns to the shelves to find a new one...

Fifty-one Storm Lake High School students traveled to Fisher Theater on the Iowa State campus to view a student production of It’s a Wonderful Life: a Live Radio Play, on Friday, November 30. Students also attended a pre-show talk about the production and a post-show talk by the student actors in which they explained the benefits of being involved in activities during college and talked about their various majors and how theater and performance contribute to preparation for a wide variety of careers. ...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s Middle School Mock Trial Team earned several outstanding performances in the regional competition this month under the direction of attorney coach John Murray and Ms. Laura Anderson. Bethany Parisea and Avery Fetrow were awarded honorable mention for outstanding attorney and Avery Smith and Melanie Rosales were awarded honorable mention for their portrayals on the stands...

The St. Mary’s dance team entertained the fans during halftime of the boys basketball game on Monday night.

Fourth graders from Storm Lake Elementary toured the inner workings of United Bank of Iowa. Here, the kids stand in awe of the money counter and dispenser, getting the chance to hold thousands of dollars in a stack.

For the first time in the past decade, Buena Vista University will be hosting a winter formal dance - the Winter Ball. Thursday’s event will follow the traditional All-Campus Christmas Dinner in the Siebens Forum ballroom, where faculty and staff serve the meal to the students...

The tugboat used in the island restoration is on ice at the staging area near the Storm Lake campground, not quite complete with its mission to finish the Big Island work rip-rap work this season, after the same company was employed by the DNR to rebuild Shorty’s Island off Lakeside the summer before. ...

In need of a jolt of holiday joy? Or a comforting spot of romance or silliness or spirituality? Television has you covered. There are classic old movies (“It’s a Wonderful Life”) and a sleigh full of new wannabes; Christmas carols galore; the majesty of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; and, for New Year’s Eve homebodies, Manhattan’s Times Square ball drop among the possibilities...

The 2nd annual Guitars and Gifts country music concert will help Upper Des Moines Opportunity to put a smile on every child’s face this holiday season. Nashville hit maker, Jordan Davis will be headlining with CJ Solar, and Manson’s Scott Kirkhart kicking things off...

The deadline is approaching to bid on the Literary Baskets, a silent auction fundraiser by the Storm Lake Friends of the Library. There are 26 baskets total, and all can be seen and bid on at the library. New this year is a raffle. The prizes are two Casey’s gift cards and a Visa gift card, all in denominations of $25. Raffle chances are $2 each and can be purchased at the front desk...

Buena Vista University’s Academic Affairs Committee has been discussing changing the academic calendar to include a May term, according to report by the student newspaper, The Tack. Unlike many colleges, BVU’s academic calendar includes a January “Interim” term, which results in the end of the school year later than on some campuses. Other schools that end the school year earlier in the spring often offer an optional term starting in May...

A Des Moines man who tried to escape police attention in Storm Lake slipped up when he gave an officer a fake name - and it turned out that the ID he used was wanted for outstanding warrants. Monday night, an officer stopped a car on East Milwaukee Avenue for a traffic offense. ...

Mitch McDonald was presented with the SLPD Police Officer of the Year Award by Mayor Mike Porsch during Monday’s city council meeting. Public Safety Director Mark Prosser said the honor is based on job performance, professionalism, attitude and other factors. ...

Sens. Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst of Iowa have joined the growing list of cosponsors of the new First Step Act (S.3649) that could reduce the number of federal prisoners and the length of their sentences. A coalition of 28 senators, 14 Republicans and 14 Democrats, have now sponsored the legislation - endorsed by the President - to reform America’s criminal justice system...

The trial of an Indiana man accused of killing a Fort Dodge woman has been moved to Mason City. The Des Moines Register reports that a judge on Friday approved the move for 26-year-old Phillip Williams’ trial for first-degree murder in the August 2017 death of 26-year-old Jessica Gomez. Williams’ attorney requested the change of venue, citing pretrial publicity. Earlier in the week, Williams’ co-defendant in the case, Mackenzie Knigge, also had her trial moved out of Webster County...

The Witter Art Gallery staff has been perfecting their own technique for making alcohol ink mugs, in preparation for a class on December 8. The alcohol ink created a marble-like design on a white mug. / Pilot photo by Dana Larsen.

After a lengthy hashing-out, the Storm Lake City Council decided Monday to open up a proposed corporate discount for the King’s Pointe waterpark to the public. Punch cards will be sold for $60 each, good for 10 visits to the indoor water park through the remainder of the winter. The cards will be available at the resort desk as soon as they can be printed, likely by this weekend...

Tyson Foods has successfully completed the $2.2 billion acquisition of Keystone Foods from Marfrig Global Foods. The meat giant filed documents Friday with the Securities Exchange Commission for a $1.8 billion loan to help float the buy-out. This acquisition for the company that is Storm Lake’s largest employer includes eight foreign processing plants and three innovation centers in China, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia that Tyson says will help meet growing international demand. ...

With just days left to reach its goal, the Adopt-A-Family for Christmas project has seen a heart-warming season, with 197 families adopted. The Pilot-Tribune and Upper Des Moines Opportunity co-sponsor the program each year, matching generous individuals, families, businesses, clubs, classrooms and church groups with needy Buena Vista County families to provide the Christmas experience they might otherwise not have...

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union has named Storm Lake Dance Squad Coach Colleen Wabeke its CHARACTER COUNTS! Coach of the Year. Affectionately known by her team as “Coach Co,” the Storm Lake coach has guided one of the most accomplished dance teams in the state. At the 2018 Iowa State Dance/Drill Team Contest, the Tornadoes earned first place in the Hoopla category...

By ELIJAH DECIOUS Pilot-Tribune Staff Storm Lake resident Noe Casco has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of 22 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, all aggravated misdemeanors. Judge Andrew Smith handed the sentence down, as recommended by prosecuting Assistant County Attorney Paul Allen...

Members of the new Storm Lake High School Advanced Ecology class paid a visit to the city council Monday, schooling local leaders on a plan to improve cleanliness in the city. The group has been studying the local environment, focusing on the watershed, and proposing to get involved through some small group action projects...

Brittany Turnquist recently signed to continue her softball career at Morningside College. The Class 2A third team all-state outfielder will join the Mustangs in the fall of 2019. Front row (L to R): Carrie Turnquist, Jon Turnquist, Brittany Turnquist, and Morningside Head Coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann. Back Row: Alta-Aurelia Head Coach Dave Turnquist...

Storm Lake professional triathlete Matt Hanson placed second Sunday at the Ironman Argentina South American Championships, including a 2:45 marathon. The performance qualifies him to return to the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, in 2019...

HOLSTEIN - A slow start on Friday night gave Lawton-Bronson the momentum they needed to keep Ridge View away from making a comeback in the Western Valley Conference opener. The Raptor boys did all they could to get back in the game but bowed 51-42. L-B took a 13 point edge after the opening frame, 20-7. ...

HOLSTEIN - Free throw shooting is one of the most fundamental parts of basketball. The Ridge View girls found out how big it was as they made 25 free throws against Lawton-Bronson to win a 51-46 decision to begin Western Valley Conference play. “We struggled to find any offensive rythym for much of the night. ...

NEWELL - The Mustangs of Newell-Fonda dug themselves into another hole on Friday night, this time against Twin Lakes Conference foe Sioux Central. The Rebels were able to deny the Mustangs another comeback by holding on for a 77-64 victory. “It was a great team effort from our guys, we came out with a high level of intensity and were really able to extend the game with a great second quarter,” Sioux Central Coach Stephen Tjaden said. ...

EMMETSBURG - The Tornado girls never quite got on track Monday night against Emmetsburg. They were tied up early but after an E-Hawk, bucket, Storm Lake never got the lead as E-Burg led wire to wire for a 50-27 win. “Emmetsburg came out of the gates with a lot of energy on Monday night and we were not able to match it,” SL Coach Sam Lipps said. “They were able to take us out of our game offensively for most of the night.”...

EMMETSBURG - It was really a tale of one quarter on Monday night for the Storm Lake boys basketball team. They were in firm control of the majority of the game sans the second quarter. After the final horn, Storm Lake went home with a 69-35 win over their former Lakes Conference rival, Emmetsburg...