Stories from Monday, January 28, 2019

The Iowa Department of Public Health has reported high levels of influenza in northwest Iowa as identified through community school absenteeism and the reported number of cases of influenza. The level has necessitated Lakes Regional Healthcare (LRH) in Spirit Lake to implement restrictions on those visiting hospital patients...

On the evening of Thursday, January 24, at approximately 7:30 p.m. a Storm Lake Police Officer stopped a vehicle at 700 Russell Drive when he observed the driver was wanted. Police made contact with and arrested Gustavo Gracia, age 24 of Storm Lake who was wanted out of Woodbury County, IA on a warrant for Failure to Appear in Court reference Driving While Suspended and Speeding...

Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa on Friday expressed astonishment that State Department officials are working to undermine broadly bipartisan legislation signed by President Trump to promote justice for Americans victimized by terrorism. In a letter today to President Trump, Grassley, a former chairman and senior member of the Judiciary Committee and author of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1992 and its 2018 amendments, described how State Department officials are seeking to ignore the collective will of Congress and the President at the expense of American victims of terrorism.. ...

Dennis Dean McLaughlin, age 76, of Lake View, passed away on Saturday, January 19, at Loring Hospital in Sac City. Dennis was born on November 6, 1942, in Storm Lake, to Lester Eugene “Red” McLaughlin and Henrietta (Fischer) McLaughlin. He was baptized on April 18, 1943, at the Lakeside Presbyterian Church in Storm Lake. Dennis attended Storm Lake Public Schools graduating with the class of 1961. He earned his bachelor of arts degree at Buena Vista College on August 21, 1965...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Auxiliary is offering three $500 scholarship opportunities for those looking to pursue education in a health related field. Application deadline is March 31, and winners will be awarded in April. Three categories are offered Criteria for applicants are as follows:...

Vivian Keenan, Ashley Green, Alondra Meléndez, Gabe Elsden, Cole Keenan and Kendall Snyder. This may be the first year that twins have been named to the St. Mary’s High School homecoming court (Cole and Vivian Keenan).

2/1 - Wear Red Day 2/4 - Watch Me Grow, 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. OB department 2/5 - Storm Lake Community Blood Drive-LifeServe Blood Center, 12:30-6 p.m. main entrance 2/6 - BLS for Healthcare Providers Skills Evaluation, 9-10 a.m. KEC 2/6 - Ask the Cardiologist, Speaker: Dr. Herbert Hartman III, Cardiovascular Associates, 12-1 p.m. KEC...

SPIRIT LAKE – Seasons Center for Behavioral Health and Autumn’s Center are hosting the seventh annual Winter Games Free Kids’ Carnival on Saturday, January 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bedell Family YMCA in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Attendees can choose from many different activities, including: face painting, carnival games, inflatables, rock climbing wall and a craft table. ...

February is American Heart Month. This is the time to enhance awareness about heart disease, the number one killer of both men and women in this country. Heart Disease is responsible for roughly one in every three deaths. According to the American Heart Association, more of us than ever – about 92.1 million Americans – suffer from cardiovascular disease...

Storm Lake High School musicians took part in the High School Jazz Competition on the Iowa Lakes Estherville Campus January 17 and 18. Here are images from their trophy-winning performance.

By MARK KENNEDY Pilot Reviews It’s said that January is one of the prime months that Hollywood chooses to dump its most embarrassing films and “The Upside” doesn’t exactly disprove that notion. Few films in memory have squandered so much acting talent in such a cliche-ridden, exploitative and dishonest way. It deserves its frozen grave...

The Clay County Fair announces a night with Foreigner as part of the SRG Concert Series in the Sleep Number Grandstand at the 2019 fair on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 7:30 p.m. “One of the greatest rock acts of all time will be a perfect start to the 2019 fair,” fair manager Jeremy Parsons said. “I know this high energy show will have the crowd singing along the whole time.”...

Join Storm Lake St. Mary’s supporters in a Night to Salute Saturday, March 23 for the annual St. Mary’s Ball and Charity Auction as tickets are now on sale to the public. Those interested in attending and supporting St. Mary’s can purchase tickets online at stormlakecatholic.com or by stopping in the parish or school offices. Chairs for the event are Seth and Etta Smith with co-chairs Dr. Seth and Deanna Harrer...

The holiday Tour of Homes in December raised $2,400, as a new addition to the Pilot-Tribune’s Mr. Goodfellow program. These funds will be donated to assist three preschool programs in the area. Shown are Tammy Koth of Ready. Set, GROW! of Alta and Storm Lake (right), and Margo Peterson of Mustang Child Care Center in Newell (left), with Gale Randall, honorary chairperson of the Mr. ...

Former Pilot-Tribune writer Marjorie Miller celebrated her 102nd birthday Monday. Long-time area residents may also recall reading articles from Marjorie in the Sac City Sun, Odebolt Chronicle, Sioux City Journal and Des Moines Register. A social features writer, one of her most memorable assignments was an interview of famed jazz musician Louis Armstrong in 1965. ...

By Gary Worthan State Representative With the pomp and circumstance of opening the 88th General Assembly and the pageantry of inaugurating the Governor behind us, we began the second week of the session. With the Martin Luther King holiday on Monday we gaveled in on Tuesday morning for a short week. Most of the week involved organizing the standing committees, adopting rules, setting schedules for presentations and assigning sub-committees for bills filed prior to the beginning of the session...

By DAN A. HUSEMAN State Representative The Legislature was not in session on Monday because of the Martin Luther King holiday. A snowstorm hit central Iowa Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, and by Thursday morning, we were under a winter weather advisory and wind chill warning. Most legislators were rushing to finish up their work and committee meetings by Thursday evening so they could head for home. Hopefully the weather will settle down in the next couple of weeks...

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake) Ice conditions on Storm Lake are improving, but are still variable; use extreme caution. Avoid ice along pressure seams, near the big island and any other off-colored ice in areas that were recently open water and are now covered with thin ice. ...

By DANA LARSEN Pilot-Tribune Editor The Storm Lake City Council touched on plans for city-wide clean up, during a recent budget discussion. The events had been held every five years, but leaders plan on changing to a three-year cycle, despite the costs associated with picking up residents’ unwanted items at the curb...

Embattled western Iowa Congressman Steve King is facing a growing challenge for a 4th District House of Representatives seat where his hold once seemed impenetrable. At least three other Republicans plan to challenge him in the 2020 primary, and at least two others are pondering bids for the office...

By DANA LARSEN Pilot-Tribune Editor A group of 10 local residents set out recently on the second annual, semi-official, Storm Lake Taco Tour - consuming spicy treats marathon-style at six different restaurants in the city that specialize in such fare...

WALL LAKE - It was a solid night on Thursday for the Alta-Aurelia grapplers as they were in a triple dual meet against three other teams. A-A managed to best West Bend-Mallard and East Sac County, but were tripped up by Southeast Valley. Warrior senior Nick Gaes hit a big milestone for his wrestling career by picking up his 150th win...

CARROLL - The Storm Lake boys swimming team got back in the pool on Tuesday night and suffered a pair of setbacks. They fell to Spencer, 98-42, and to Carroll, 190-24. The Tornadoes were without two of their top swimmers as senior Cole Keenan was at the St. Mary’s Homecoming Coronation, and senior Waylon Stark battled an injury that kept him out of the lineup. However, Coach Roger Peterson saw a handful of personal bests for his boys...

LE MARS - The green and white girls fell into an early hole against the LeMars Bulldogs on Friday night and just never found their footing for the rest of the game. Storm Lake bowed to their Lakes Conference foe, 65-24. The first quarter set the tone of the rest of the game as the Bulldogs hammered on the Tornadoes, claiming a 25-point edge after the first eight minutes, 29-4. ...

STORM LAKE - It was Homecoming for the Panthers on Friday night when they welcomed in a dangerous Pocahontas Area squad. St. Mary’s kept pace in the first quarter, but then the Indians took over the rest of the way, denying a Homecoming win for the Panthers, 76-30...

ALTA - The Alta-Aurelia girls showed some flashes in the first quarter, but were unable to continue building momentum on Friday night against Manson-NW Webster. A good first quarter was not enough for A-A as they dropped a 64-21 decision. “We played a very nice first quarter and competed with great energy. Manson went on to control the rest of the game,” A-A Coach Adam Rapp said. “We didn’t do a good job with transition defense tonight and had a lack of communication on our half court defense.”...

ALTA - The Alta-Aurelia boys basketball team came out firing on all cylinders on Friday night with the emotional weight of Senior Night on their shoulders. The trademark defense of the Warriors saw them jump all over Manson-NW Webster and almost cruise to a 69-45 decision...

NEWELL - A slow first half caused some harm to the Newell-Fonda boys on Friday night when they welcomed in South Central Calhoun. A late rally by Newell-Fonda fell short as the Titans claimed a 66-59 decision. The length of SCC gave Newell-Fonda some fits offensively in the first quarter, their shots not falling as SCC held a five-point lead, 13-8. The Mustangs tried to get back into the game in the second quarter, but the Titans kept them at arm’s length and built up a 10-point lead, 29-19...

SIOUX RAPIDS/ROCKWELL CITY - Friday night started a big two games in two nights stretch for the Sioux Central boys. They welcomed in East Sac County on Friday night and was able to keep their win streak alive with a 54-38 victory. “We really emphasized winning the first four minutes and were able to do that with a quick start,” Rebel Coach Stephen Tjaden said. “We made some adjustments defensively and did a great job of communicating in our zone.”...

SPENCER - It was a good night for the Storm Lake wrestlers on Friday evening as they competed at the Lakes Conference meet. They were able to crown four individual champions and take third as a team. Spirit Lake took the team crown with LeMars finishing second...

LE MARS - It was a first quarter to forget on Friday night for the Storm Lake boys basketball team. A mix of turnovers and other poor decisions in the first eight minutes laid out the story for the night. With their own Lakes Conference destiny in their hands, the green and white stumbled and bowed to the LeMars Bulldogs, 78-52...

NEWELL - Friday night had the feel of a State tournament game in the middle of the season. It was a showdown between the two top teams in the Twin Lakes Conference, but more importantly, a battle of unbeaten schools as Newell-Fonda and South Central Calhoun waged war on the hardwood. In what was almost a standing room only crowd, Newell-Fonda showed why they are the top team in 1A, knocking off the no. 5 team in 2A, 61-49...

By ELIJAH DECIOUS Pilot-Tribune Staff "Is she going to be OK?" Juan Rodriguez asked the doctor in Des Moines after his granddaughter, Andrea, was transported by ambulance to a capital-city hospital on a rough winter day last February. It was too windy to take her by helicopter a few hours after the car crash that ultimately paralyzed her from the waist down...