Stories from Friday, June 21, 2019

The Citizens First National Bank of Storm Lake and Early, Iowa is pleased to announce the addition of Jim Porter to Citizens’ lending team as Farm Manager and Jake Heuton to Citizens’ lending team as Vice President, Agricultural & Commercial Lending...

Lake View Diner is bringing a new flavor of cuisine to town: Macedonian. Sam Ilazi and his daughter, Tima, anticipate opening up the new diner on Lakeshore Drive across from Awaysis Park for all day breakfast, lunch and dinner with a wide variety of family-style American, European and Asian options—a combination of things Ilazi says Storm Lake doesn’t have yet...

It’s futile to ask “why more” in the movie business, but it’s hard not to go in a little suspicious of a fourth “Toy Story.” The trilogy was so perfect. What more could we ask of Woody and Buzz? What more did we as an audience need? If we got another, would it live up to the unbridled joy and emotional satisfaction of the first three? And if it was bad, would it tarnish the others?...

It’s a long-known fact that art inspires poetry. Ode to a Grecian Urn by John Keats is a prime example. It’s wonderful, then, to see a great collaboration by Vermillion, S.D., artist Nancy Losacker and rural Vermillion poet Norma C. Wilson in Rivers, Wings & Sky, a paean to nature and a gentle yet impassioned plea to save the land and all it holds...

The Clay County Fair announces 19 new contests for the 2019 Clay County Fair. Whether you are a baker, a tinkerer, a photographer, or an at-home brewer, there is something for everyone to get involved in at this year’s Fair, Sept. 7-15. Along with the new contests, increased cash premiums and added prizes will make 2019 a year of change for exhibitors. ...

With teachers in short supply, the Storm Lake School District has a new idea on where to get tutors for students in the Alternative High School program who may need extra help. “We have a whole high school full of kids who are really good at math,” says Superintendent Stacey Cole, adding that such people “don’t just fall out of the sky.”...

Buena Vista University has launched a new track within its existing Teacher Leadership, Curriculum, and Instruction (TLCI) master’s degree program designed from the ground up for the full-time K-12 educator powered by Discovery Education, the leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms. ...

“I’d like to get the public out there, to explore all this region has to offer. The byway is just full of natural resources, cultural resources, tons of history. There is a lot to see, explore and learn.”

A very special weekend is being reserved at The Meeting Place in Galva for quilters and sewers to come together on Friday and Saturday, July 27-28, 2019. This two-day retreat is designed as an opportunity to leave those pesky chores at home and pour one’s heart and soul into one’s craft while enjoying quality time with fellow sewing enthusiasts. ...

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Straight Alliance Group of Spencer met Monday evening to make pride flags at Spencer Public Library. The group produced approximately 25 flags which will decorate the trees of supporters in the Spencer community to coincide with pride month. ...

The following area students recently graduated from Buena Vista University: • Melanie Brashears of Storm Lake earned a master of science in education in professional school counseling. • Jasmine Demers of Storm Lake earned a master of arts in organizational leadership...

Stampin’ Up Demonstrator Cary Brown will teach a fun make-n-take greeting card class at The Meeting Place in Galva on Tuesday, July 2 at 6 pm. Participants will learn how to cut and stamp six six personalized greeting cards in this two-hour class. All supplies are provided, and the cards are easy to assemble. Beginners are encouraged to attend. Ages 12 and older are welcome with a parent or adult helper...

An American Red Cross babysitter’s training course was held at The Meeting Place in Galva on Tuesday, June 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. During the one-day training, these 10 participants learned about basic child care and first aid from Jean Grove, owner of Tri-State Plus CPR in Sioux City. ...

The 2019 concert season of the Storm Lake Municipal Band is well underway and it has been an exciting season already. With members ranging in age from high school to retirees, the band is in its 84th season of entertaining the citizens of Storm Lake. The director is Mr. Adam Perry of Peterson...

Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Iowa set a record for rain and snow over the past 12 months. The Des Moines Register reports that the state saw nearly 51 inches of precipitation from June 2018 through May of this year. That’s about 16 inches more than the 34.42 inches the state averaged per year from 1981 to 2010...

An Emmet County man has been accused of stealing nearly $30,000 from a north-central Iowa high school booster club he helped manage. The Sioux City Journal reports that Timothy Loock, of Estherville, has been charged with first-degree theft. He had been treasurer of the Estherville Lincoln Central School District booster club from 2015 until November, when he was removed from the position...

A northwest Iowa company that’s been fined thousands of dollars for the stink coming from its plant lost its lawsuit targeting the city of Sibley’s odor ordinance. Judge Leonard Strand of the U.S. District Court in Sioux City granted Sibley’s motion for a summary judgment, rejecting claims by Iowa Drying & Processing that the ordinance was unconstitutionally vague, the Sioux City Journal reported...

A trailer, designed by the Shayla Bee Mini Bees for auction to raise funds for the child and family health nonprofit, was allegedly vandalized by a group of juveniles Sunday afternoon. The project was parked in the open lot behind Audio-Video Connection in Spencer when the reported vandalism took place. ...

This is the last article in a 10-part series, a collaborative effort of the newspapers of Rust Publishing NWIA, examining the myriad issues surrounding the mental health care crisis in Iowa. Reporters and editors from the Spencer Daily Reporter, Storm Lake Pilot-Tribune and Dickinson County News have contributed to the report.

Local residents from Buena Vista and Clay County can join together with the American Cancer Society to raise funds and awareness in an effort to free the world from the pain and suffering of cancer by participating at the Relay For Life of Clay County. The Relay will begin at 4 p.m. at the Clay County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 29...

1948 “Johnabilt” raises PTSD awareness slowly but surely

CORRECTIONVILLE - The Ridge View Raptor baseball team broke a six game losing skid on Wednesday night after besting River Valley, 12-7. Ridge View built up a 7-0 lead through the first two and a half innings as River Valley made it 7-3 after three. The Raptors scored twice in the fifth, Wolverines once, making it 9-4. It was 10-6 after the sixth and then Ridge View scored twice in the seventh to River Valley’s once...

SLOAN/CORRECTIONVILLE - It was the first time in a handful of games that didn’t go in Ridge View’s way on Tuesday night. The Raptor softball team struggled and saw their four game win streak come to an end against Westwood, RV dropping a 13-1 decision in three innings...

GILMORE CITY/ALTA - The Alta-Aurelia Warrior baseball team got back to play on Tuesday night with a contest against West Bend-Mallard. The Warriors took a high scoring 22-11 contest against the Wolverines for their seventh straight win. A-A junior Logan McCoy picked up the win...

WEST BEND/ALTA - The Alta-Aurelia softball team got back out on the field Tuesday night as they went to West Bend-Mallard for a Twin Lakes Conference contest. The Warriors jumped on the Wolverines early and took a 13-0 contest in just three innings...

LYTTON - The Mustang baseball team hit the road on Wednesday night to take on the South Central Calhoun Titans in a Twin Lakes Conference game. Newell-Fonda used a strong pitching effort from senior R.J. Rojas to take a 5-1 victory to move to 8-8. “R.J. Rojas threw a tremendous game for us. Besides striking out 13, he did a great job of leading us,” N-F Coach Bo Darrow said. “There was a time in the third where they got something going but R.J. got us back in sync.”...

LYTTON - The Newell-Fonda softball team got off to a bit of a slow start on Wednesday night but eventually got off of the ground to take a 13-4 decision over South Central Calhoun. “We struggled with our bats in the first inning and need to come with more energy beginning in warm-ups,” N-F Coach Courtney Darrow said. “We did a nice job putting the ball into play when we had runners in scoring position as well as using our speed on the base paths and challenging the defense.”...

PETERSON - The Sioux Central and St. Mary’s baseball teams went at one another in a Twin Lakes Conference battle on Wednesday night. The Rebels were able to overpower the struggling Panther team by taking a 13-3 decision in five innings. The Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the top of the first, but four runs by the Rebels in the home half of inning made it a 4-2 game. ...

ROYAL/PETERSON - The young Sioux Central softball team tried to keep it close for most of the night against MMCRU but ended up dropping a 10-1 decision. “We did not play the way we wanted to coming off a win from the previous night. We faced a very hittable pitcher, but just weren’t able to find the holes,” Rebel Coach Kasey Krager said. “They did a nice job of making players, but we needed to be the aggressor. It was also a night where we gave them too many free bases between walks and errors.”...

STORM LAKE/LE MARS - The Storm Lake baseball team continued their recent win streak on Tuesday night after a 4-2 home win over Algona. All four of Storm Lake’s runs came in the first inning as Algona scored once in the second and then once in the fifth...

TERRIL/LE MARS - The Tornado softball team came out of the gates strong on Tuesday night in a non-conference contest against Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire and used it to propel themselves to an 8-1 win, their fourth in a row. “Another good victory even though we did not have good at bats and just went through the motions offensively,” SL Coach Mel Fisher said. ...

For the past 12 years, Storm Lake native Nate Bjorkgren has been living his dream on the sidelines of professional basketball. Through the minor leagues of the NBA Development League to the major league of the NBA, Bjorkgren has now found success at both levels...