Stories from Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Witter Gallery is proud to share the work of local artist Nicole Nee. The exhibit will be open from August 6-29 during normal gallery hours. Nee’s artwork is heavily influenced by various storytelling methods, most notably mythology and folklore. As an artist, she has always been fascinated with storytelling. ...

The numbers are shocking: In 2017 (the most recent year data is available), one person died every 48 minutes in a drunk-driving crash in the United States. These deaths account for approximately one-third of all traffic deaths each year, or, 10,874 in 2017. Despite laws in every state the numbers remain similar year after year. Ultimately, drinking and driving is a choice, and it is a choice that puts all road users at risk...

Mark J. Baumhover, age 67, of Fonda, Iowa died July 4, in Sioux City, Iowa. A Celebration of Life will take place Saturday, August 17, from 4 - 6 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Fonda. The Mahaney Funeral Home in Fonda is in charge of the arrangements...

Otis J. Hansen, age 89, of Newell, died on Tuesday, August 6, at Loring Hospital in Sac City. Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, August 18, from 2 - 3:30 p.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Storm Lake. A memorial service will be held following the celebration of life starting at 3:30 p.m. ...

Marjorie M. Berkler Miller, age 102, of Storm Lake, and a former Sac County resident died August 5, at Methodist Manor Retirement Community in Storm Lake. Funeral services were held on Friday, August 9, at 10:30 a.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Burial will be in the Cedar Cemetery near Lytton, in rural Sac County. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements...

Jenny Ahlers, Sexual Abuse Advocate, CAASA, is pictured with Captain Marty De Muth of the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Department. The BVCSO donated a large supply of toilet paper to CAASA to help serve survivors. The Sheriff’s Office has partnered with CAASA to be a drop off location for paper products and personal hygiene items. ...

Excavation and utility work is under way on the site for the next Storm Lake Habitat for Humanity project, a duplex located near Gingerbread House. The local non-profit group has partnered with the school district for the first time, with the students of the high school Building & Trades program to provide the labor on the project throughout the school year, freeing up Habitat volunteers for home renovation or other projects, The partnership will be evaluated at the end of the project. ...

Sixty-eight FFA members exhibited 420 birds in the FFA Poultry Show judged Thursday at the 2019 Iowa State Fair. None were more successful than Abbigail Bean, a Sioux Central student from Sioux Rapids. Bean showed the overall champion Mediterranean, and was also named champion of all other standard breeds. ...

Exciting things continue to happen at the Prairie Heritage Center! The annual Bison Burger Picnic and Lawn Concert sponsored by the Little Sioux Valley Conservation Association and the O’Brien County Conservation Board is a great opportunity for the public to see the changes that have occurred over the past year...

Growing up in the rolling North Dakota countryside surrounded by her family’s plethora of farm animals, Brittany Tangen spent her childhood incessantly drawing and studying these creatures (especially horses) who quickly forged the cornerstone of her artistic pursuits. Even though Brittany eventually went on to become a chiropractor, she never abandoned her drawing skills or her love of bringing joy to others through art...

The Cherokee County 4-H Youth Council recently received a Cherokee County Legacy Foundation Grant to assist with the purchase of new sewing machines and BrickLAB Brick Packs. Both purchases provide enhanced learning opportunities for Cherokee County youth, according to Debbie Erpelding, Cherokee County Youth Coordinator with ISU Extension and Outreach...

The annual retired staff breakfast will be August 23. Anyone who has retired from Storm Lake Community School is invited to attend. The group will meet at Lakeshore Cafe at 8 to chat for a bit, then order from the menu and eat around 8:30. If you have questions, call Marilyn at 732-7783 or Denise at 284-2843...

Central College is adding new club sports for the 2019-20 school year, including men’s volleyball and women’s bowling with the possibility of both soon becoming varsity sports. Men’s volleyball and women’s bowling continue to be emerging intercollegiate sports, the result of increased participation at the high school level...

Seven youth from Sac County recently participated in the Scratch your Video Game Itch Camp at the Sac County Extension Office. The participants played Olympic games with Dot. For the rest of the camp, the participants used Scratch and designed their video games. ...

The following students participated in the weeklong Tech Trek camp in July at Buena Vista University: • Maddy Courtright, of Storm Lake • Megan Courtright, of Storm Lake • Claudia Tapia, of Alta • Lydia Whitmore, of Storm Lake • Autumn Wunschel, of Lakeside...

Natalie Brewer took a break from her summer internship to return to BVU to welcome a huge class of incoming freshman as a member of the Orientation Team. During introductions, Brewer, per the Orientation Team tradition, presented a gift to one new student. Brewer handed out a small puzzle, along with her explanation: “Because everyone’s story is unique, and BVU helps you along the way as you put the pieces together and discover your true identity.”...

No matter who you are, there is something for everyone at the 2019 Clay County Fair, Sept. 7-15. “While every day at the Fair is full of fun activities, there are some activities that only happen once on a special day,” said Fair Manager Jeremy Parsons...

Molly B with her band Squeezebox performed at a recent fundraiser event for Santa’s Castle in Storm Lake. The nationally-known touring performer, star of “Molly B Polka Party” on RFD TV, and member of the cast of the recent Clint Eastwood movie, “The Mule” had the crowd at the Knights of Columbus Hall up and dancing...

One of America’s hottest network television shows, “American Ninja Warrior,” has a Spencer connection this season. Seth Rogers, who carries the nickname “Big Red,” has advanced to the finals of the program, which will be aired on NBC Aug. 26. While Rogers, 19, will be a sophomore at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, his hometown is Pleasanton, California, a suburb located east of San Francisco in the Bay Area. ...

STORM LAKE - The Buena Vista University athletic department has announced its 2019 Fall Kick-off Event for Tuesday, August 27 at Lake Avenue Lounge in downtown Storm Lake. The event is free and open to the general public. It will begin with a social hour at 5 p.m. followed by the program starting at 5:30 p.m., where each of BVU’s fall coaches will give a brief preview to the crowd regarding their upcoming season...

STORM LAKE - The American Rivers Conference’s league office released its 2019 Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll this afternoon just ahead of the start of preseason camp later this week. Buena Vista was picked to finish in ninth after totaling eight points...

The new football season is underway for the Buena Vista Beavers as Head Coach Grant Mollring returns for his third season. Last year was a difficult one for the Beavers as they struggled to a 1-9 record, winning their first game and then bowing in the final nine. Mollring has four wins in his first two seasons on the sideline, but hopes that his junior class can lead the way to a better year for BVU...

A Storm Lake man has been arrested for allegedly choking his mother. Storm Lake Police were called to an address on Mae Street shortly after midnight Tuesday for a reported fight. The female victim told officers that she was engaged in a verbal altercation with her son, 32-year-old Moo Soulin when the situation escalated and he became physical and choked the victim...

The Storm Lake Public Library Board of Trustees this week approved a new program for student library cards for middle school students, in cooperation with the Storm Lake Middle School media center. Students will be able to sign up at school and return materials there, rather than being required to sign up with a parent and ID at the library as is normal policy...

Well-known former Storm Laker Keith Kollbaum passed away recently. The 1979 Storm Lake graduate is remembered for running for former disco Bojangles in Storm Lake, and as a founder of the competitive rugby program in the community. He was nominated for the Iowa Rugby Hall of Fame in 2016. A founding member of the Storm Lake Seagulls in 1980, Keith managed and played for the team as it transitioned into the Albatross a few years later...

Summer is giving us some lasting, waning moments before it’s back to school, no more vacation time, and the dimming of the longest, most beautiful days of the year, start their fall make-over. Many sites are giving their ‘best of’ for albums of 2019 so far, so why can’t we? There are some surprises this year, as the old guard looks to let the public know that they are still making viable, meaningful music, as the younger musicians are taking some great detours to new, sonic horizons. ...

Actress Isabela Moner says she didn’t expect so much action when she signed up for ”Dora and the Lost City of Gold ,” the upcoming film about the adventurous Latina explorer. Moner said she thought it would be a funny film, with Dora in a “fish out of water” kind of situation as she starts high school...

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. It is a great time to make sure that you and your family, coworkers and friends are up to date with your vaccines. It is also a great reminder to make sure that your child has all the vaccinations they need to keep them healthy before school starts...

Democrat candidate for president Pete Buttigieg wants immigrants to find work in rural America through “community renewal visas” that would be available for areas that have lost a working population or aren’t keeping pace economically. Buttigieg said places like Storm Lake in Iowa, which has a large Latino population, inspired his policy. The candidate visited the city briefly to walk in the 4th of July parade, posing afterward with a group of Hispanic dancers...

The total attendance for the 49th Annual Threshermen & Collectors Show held west of Albert City on August 9, 10, and 11 was 9,416 people. A total of 715 exhibits were brought in from all around the U.S. There were 124 featured Massey tractors and implements, plus 237 tractors of all makes and models, 26 implements, 80 antique autos, 37 trucks, 17 horses and mules, five gas engines, 70 stationery engines, 39 miscellaneous exhibits, 24 military exhibits, 31 garden and yard tractors, plus a wide variety of toy and doll show displays, and many vendors selling toys and farm related items.. ...

Produced by IowaWatch.org, the independent, non-profit news organization of The Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism. Former Vice President Joe Biden drew more people but Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a presumptive long-shot in a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, still was able to rouse Democrats and generally curious Iowans who heard both men speak at the Iowa State Fair Thursday...

After a two-day search, the body of a 65-year-old Cherokee drowning victim was recovered in the Little Sioux River by local firefighters. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s office received a report of a possible drowning near the Pearce River fishing access near Quimby Wednesday afternoon...

A group of neighborhood residents are organizing and planning a petition against building a proposed university/city recreation center partially on public land at Scout Park. The group is not against a rec center, said Rob Smith, who lives in the area, but feels the park is the wrong place for it...