Stories from Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Happy spring. When you look around and see all the flooding that is going on I think the 6th district has been fortunate. The governor added Audubon County to the State Disaster Declaration this week. Crawford and Buena Vista counties are already part of the declaration. ...

Master Gardeners are passionate about serving their communities and sharing gardening best practices. They share their time and expertise as volunteers in the community. Master Gardeners spearhead community beautification projects, community gardens, youth education, local food events and much more...

Parents of preschool-age (3-to-5-year-old) children are invited to join “Family Storyteller” for five sessions at the Cherokee Public Library on Monday, April 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Books, home activity kits, snacks and crafts are all a part of the free fun-filled evenings with your children...

Andriette Wickstrom of Storm Lake contributes this shot of a rare white squirrel -a genetic variation of the easter gray squirrel - at the home of a relative in Minnesota. Send your best shots to the editor, dlarsen@stormlakepilottribune.com.

A spaghetti fundraiser for the local Scout program will be held Sunday, March 31, 11 a.m – 1:30 p.m. at Storm Lake United Methodist Church. Cost is $6 per individual, or $18 for a family. The meal includes spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, bar and drink...

Morningside College student Nick Baack will perform his senior recital at Morningside College at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6, in Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Ave. Baack will be singing “It Don’t Mean a Thing” and “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me” by Duke Ellington; “Have You Met Miss Jones?” by Richard Rodgers; “Volare” (“Nel Blu, Dipinto di Blu”) by Domenico Modugno; and more...

The Facing Addiction and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence has since 1987 designated April as Alcohol Awareness Month. To bring attention to alcohol use in this country, the two organizations are inviting all Americans to participate in the “Alcohol Free Weekend” April 5 – 7. ...

The Iowa Central Community College Human Services Club collaborated with Great Western Dining at ICCC and the Elderbrige Agency on Aging for”Cooking for a Cause” - fresh Irish meals were then delivered to 16 community members in need by the Triton Sports Shooting team! Each meal included an Irish poem and a short note from the students...

Western Iowa Congressman Steve King is calling for supporters of a southern border wall to help fund his reelection campaign. In a message to supporters, King spoke of “a growing crisis at the Mexican border.” “President Donald Trump continues to meet resistance from the open borders political establishment of both parties, but the crisis is getting even worse - with 2019 now projected to have the highest number of illegal immigrants in a decade,” King said. ...

On the morning of Friday, March 22, at approximately 3 a.m. the Storm Lake Police Department was advised that a person identified as Marcos Vargas, age 33 of Early, had allegedly been involved in a domestic disturbance in Early, earlier in the morning and had fled from the scene. Police were advised that Vargas made comments that if police attempted to stop him he would attempt to elude them...

Iowa gas prices have risen five cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.61/gallon to start the week. Gas prices in Iowa are 25.5 cents per gallon higher than a month ago, yet stand 5.1 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. Storm Lake pump prices, after a rapid spike from a recent low below $2, have held unchanged over the past week, $2.49 at most stations early this week...

Kurt W. and Joyce L. Rasmus of Holstein have filed voluntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Iowa in Sioux City, February 11. The court documents state the couple has used the following business names in the last eight years: Jamin R Enterprises LLC dba Creek Fest; Back 40 Music LLC; Festival Acres LLC; Rasmus Realty and Auction Company Ltd; and Creek Fest Enterprises LLC. They are represented by Donald H. Molstad of Molstad Law Firm in Sioux City...

Storm Lake’s new Lighthouse Summer Concert Series is taking shape with a big show to kick off the summer, planned for Saturday, May 25. Headliner Dirt Road Dixie will be joined by area favorite Tantrum 2 Blind and Russ Lachey. Music will start at noon and run into the evening. The concert admission is free...

Hal Blaine was probably the best drummer, on most of the golden oldie hits that we grew up on, that most baby boomers have never heard of. The 90 - year drumming icon passed away last week, and to people of my age, and older, who listened to top forty radio from the 1960’s, into the 1970’s, I could tell you more records that Hal didn’t play drums on, than he did play on. ...

Careful attention to everyday interactions may mean the difference between a cybercrime’s success or failure. A new scam which impersonated an area employee’s email requesting to change direct deposit information prompted a social media post from the Spencer Police Department last week warning the public of the danger...

After Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro introduced a bill in February to oppose President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley said he was leaning toward support for the declaration, should the bill come before the Senate. ...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s School raised an estimated $175,000 net for the local Catholic School Saturday night at their annual fundraising ball and auction at Buena Vista University in the Dows Multipurpose Facility. The theme was “A Night to Salute” with a nod to veterans past and present, flags, military memorabilia, and tributes to those who have served. ...

The Storm Lake city government is proposing to purchase the jon boat formerly used in dredging operations on the lake. The last piece of major equipment from the operation has been used seasonally to put out and take in public docks, and the city wants to retain the boat for continued similar uses...

Family Farm Action will host a rally of farmers from across the country representing a broad group of organizations, March 30th at 10:30 a.m in Storm Lake Frank Starr Park. Organizations slated to speak include The Organization for Competitive Markets, Wisconsin Farmers Union, National Black Farmers Association, American Grassfed Association and, the National Family Farm Coalition...

The Iowa Legislature is considering two bills which may impact student loan holders in the state. The first bill would remove sanctions borrowers could face if they are delinquent or default on their loans, and the second focuses on establishing a state-level intermediary resource between borrowers and lenders...

Plans are coming together for “Homegrown” - a new take on the Iowa Food Insecurity Summit, an event to once again be hosted by Storm Lake. Organizers want the event this fall to have a different feel than two previous summits, to attract more than people involved directly with food issues - featuring food, music, storytelling and tours open to everyone...

Ammari Johnson’s sentencing hearing has received its fourth continuance since December, postponing it again until Apr. 8. “The attorneys needs additional information for the court that wasn’t ready on time,” was the only public reply County Attorney Paul Allen could afford on the continual continuances...

With spring just around the corner, it is a good time to review and prepare for the upcoming storm season. Tornadoes threaten most of the Midwest, even those outside of “Tornado Alley.” Tornadoes can be sudden and there is no guaranteed safety if you are in one’s path. Practicing tornado safety even before one hits is the best method. Follow this guide to prepare yourself and your family in the event of a tornado...