Stories from Friday, May 24, 2019

Jensen Funeral Homes, Inc. of Storm Lake received the Iowa Award of Funeral Service Excellence at the 139th Annual Iowa Funeral Directors Association (IFDA) Convention held May 14-16, 2019 at the Prairie Meadows Hotel & Conference Center in Altoona, Iowa...

For a small facility, Ben Rumbo’s Energym on Erie Street packs quite a punch. As of January, that could be taken more literally with kickboxing and boxing classes—one of the first of their kind in the area—that have encouraged Storm Lakers to shape up in an engaging, more fun form of fitness that keeps them accountable...

The Fonda Arts Center presents “Music From the Fabulous ‘50s and ‘60s,” performed by Larry Henschke, Sunday, June 6. Showtime is 3 p.m. Admission and refreshments are free. Larry, a Fonda native, has a wide repertoire of classic music - rock, pop and country. He has been a member of several well-known bands around the region since the early 1980s, including Phoenix, Sneak Attack, Hundred Proof, Show Jam and Steppin’ Out. He’s a favorite the Arts Center, located at Fourth and Main in Fonda...

Veteran northwest Iowa rockers Tantrum 2 Blind will be on hand to back up headlining county band Dirt Road Dixie at the first Lighthouse Concert Series event, in Storm Lake this Saturday. Admission is free at the Awaysis Park area. Russ Lachney, a local favorite “one man band” from Algona with country, pop and alternative tunes, kicks off the music from noon-3 p.m., Tantrum takes the stage 4-7, and Dirt Road Dixie from 8-11...

The annual Cherokee Rodeo Parade is set for Saturday, June 1, starting at 4 p.m. - the first big area parade of the season. Nearly 100 participants are expected. The route begins at Washington High School and stretches to the Cherokee County Fairgrounds, where the evening rodeo and other activities will follow. /Photo Submitted...

On the evening of Sunday May 19 at approximately 10:25 p.m. SLPD Storm Lake Police were called to 410 W 8th St. for a report of an assault. Officers spoke with the victim, who advised she had been assaulted by Darleen Samuel, age 28, of Storm Lake.  The victim reported that Samuel had also broken a window in the house during the assault.  Officers located Samuel inside the residence found that she had sustained a laceration to her arm that required medical attention.  EMS was contacted and called to the scene.  Samuel was transported by ambulance to the Buena Vista County Regional Medical Center where she was treated and released.  Samuel was then transported to Buena Vista County Jail where she was charged with Assault and Criminal Mischief-5th, both simple misdemeanors. ...

Sac County will host a Home Base Iowa designation event today at 4:30 at East Sac County Middle School. Sac County will become the 93rd HBI area in Iowa. The Sac County Board of Supervisors, Sac City officials, area veteran groups, and East Sac Middle School students and staff will take part, and Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg are expected to attend...

The Buena Vista County Historical Society Board is hosting a Memorial Day Picnic on Monday, May 27. Serving will be form 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the museum in Storm Lake. On the menu are pork burgers, salads, pies and ice cream. Cost is $7 for adults, $3 for children under age 12. The picnic is a fundraiser for the historical society, and assists with museum operating costs. Tickets will be available at the door (Railroad Street entrance.)...

The City of Storm Lake issued a reminder this week that city code requires regular trimming of property. Weeds and grass cannot be allowed to grow higher than eight inches on average. “Accumulation of dead weeds or grass that are exposed to public view, on any non-farm property.” is also a violation. The provision does not apply to prairies, wetlands, or similar area of naturalized perennial vegetation which are certified by an enforcement officer to not constitute a nuisance. ...

Jerry Kahl is best known for cutting trees. But over his career, he’s developed a passion for them, and a wealth of information on helping them to avoid his chain saw. The proprietor of Jerry’s Tree Service and Synergy Gallery - with its earthy art and furnishings created from some of the wood he harvests - gave a presentation last weekend about hazard trees, including the threat of emerald ash borers...

Memorial Day weekend is typically recognized as the official start to the summer vacation season. Now that warmer temperatures have arrived to stay, motorists will be ready to make the most of this long holiday weekend. The Iowa State Patrol wants to remind everyone that traffic safety should be a central part of your Memorial Day travel. As you make your plans, please remember the following:...

September 20, 1927 - May 18, 2019

July 5, 1919 - May 9, 2019

Guided Tree Walk offered June 4 in Cherokee Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach and the Cherokee County Conservation office will host a Guided Tree Walk on June 4 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Cherokee Mental Health Grounds. The program is free and open to the public...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s held their annual Baccalaureate Mass last week for the St. Mary’s High School graduating seniors as part of a school Mass. Parents of seniors were on hand to give their students their caps and mortarboards as part of the moving annual “capping ceremony.” After the Mass, the student body, faculty and staff lined the school hallways as an “honor guard” to bid farewell to the departing seniors on their last walk through the school hallways before commencement. ...

Spencer High School graduate and Mercyhurst University religious studies professor Rich McCarty has been advocating for LGBTQ rights at the intersection of religion and civil discourse since he realized the Bible “did not condemn mutual and or loving same sex relationships.” McCarty shared at the Des Moines Art Center Thursday, May 23...

A small log cabin sits near Pillsbury Point, along the shore of West Lake Okoboji. “With inexpressible sadness, I now recall some of the scenes and events that transpired in that humble but happy home …” Abbie Gardner Sharp wrote in “History of the Spirit Lake Massacre.”...

The speaker for the 46th Anniversary Memorial Day Parade of Flags ceremony in Storm Lake will be Mike Fry, who served for over 20 years in the United States Army, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan and one tour on Homeland Security duty. Memorial flags will be dedicated for the following local service members: Raymond Taphorn, U.S. ...

Need someone to deliver meals on wheels? Ed will do it. Need some dishes washed? He’ll do that, too. But if you need him to be recognized for how much he helps out, he is nowhere to be found. “They’re looking for you, Ed!” said someone at the table as they tried to give him a plaque...

“This election is going to be fought in the center,” said moderate Democratic presidential candidate John Delaney at a roundtable on immigration Wednesday—a topic he says should not be political in the first place. On the signature topic of the hour, he toted his credentials as a spear head of bipartisan reform with a 2013 bill that had support from both parties but failed to be brought up for a vote...

U.S. Rep. Steve King said the first legislative hurdle in giving 25-year-old Storm Lake native Jaci Hermstad access to a potentially lifesaving drug in her battle with Lou Gehrigs’s disease could be cleared before the end of the week. King introduced the legislation, which would bypass standard Food and Drug Administration procedure, earlier this week...

“We are literally on the edge of Jaci’s life,” Scott Randall read from his phone after his name was picked from the basket to ask questions of Senator Joni Ernst at Saturday’s Storm Lake town hall visit. “She deserves to get this chance.” Lori Hermstad’s relayed quotes, read to the junior senator, were a final plea for help in desperation as the Hermstads race against time to get an experimental drug to their only living daughter before she dies...

GALVA - The Ridge View softball team continues to show some offensive firepower in the young season with an 11 run effort against OA-BCIG, taking an 11-1 win after five innings. “The coaches were happy with how we made adjustments as the game went along,” RV Coach Scott Phelps said. “We did a very nice job of putting the ball into play especially when we got two strikes on us. Emerson (Else) threw a very nice and solid gam and kept moving the ball around.”...

GLIDDEN - The St. Mary’s Panthers softball team kicked off the 2019 season on Wednesday night as they hit the road to take on Glidden-Ralston. The young Panther team showed their composure through the five inning contest, but fell in a 13-3 defeat. “The girls executed all the little things and kept great composure throughout the entire game,” SM Coach Shane Schreck said...

SPIRIT LAKE - The no. 5 ranked team in 1A, Newell-Fonda, jumped out early and often against Spirit Lake on Wednesday night, showing little fear against the larger school. The early onslaught of offense allowed the Mustangs to take an 11-7 win for their second victory of the season...

FONDA - It was an early season tilt between two area teams as Newell-Fonda welcomed in St. Mary’s for what was the Panthers’ season opener. The Mustangs were able to pull away in the latter innings to take a 9-5 win over St. Mary’s. “This was a good test for a lot of our young guys. ...

HOLSTEIN - It was a battle between pitchers on Wednesday night in the OA-BCIG and Ridge View baseball contest. Both starting pitchers went the distance on the hill, but in the end, the Falcons did a little more on offense than the Raptors, taking a 2-0 contest...

STORM LAKE - It was one of those nights for the Storm Lake baseball team on Wednesday evening. The green and white welcomed in the Pocahontas Area Indians and used pitching along with defense to completely shut down the PAC lineup. Storm Lake got their first win of the season, taking a 3-0 contest...

STORM LAKE - It was a tale of two halves on Wednesday night in the 2A Substate 1 semi-final between Storm Lake and Spencer. The Tornadoes and Tigers played about as evenly as they could in the opening 40 minutes, and then SL senior Jose Martinez took over in the second half. Martinez buried the Tigers in the final 36 minutes of the contest to boost the green and white to a 5-0 win, sending them to the 2A Substate 1 finals on Saturday night against Sergeant Bluff-Luton...