Stories from Wednesday, November 6, 2019

FORT DODGE - It was the final meet of the season for the Storm Lake girls swim team as they went to a Regional swim meet that featured nine other teams. The green and white finished in eighth place and were unable to send anyone to the State meet this season...

Recent St. Mary’s graduate, Jake Heitman, was recently announced as the new junior high boys basketball head coach. Heitman, a 2019 graduate, will teach the youngsters about the game of basketball this season. A Storm Lake native, Heitman spent his entire tenure as a student at St. Mary’s as a four sport athlete, playing football, basketball, track and baseball. He believes that playing all four sports helped him with his leadership qualities and how to be successful at most anything in life...

Wilbert D. “Willie” Vilas, age 92, of Storm Lake, died October 31, at Methodist Manor Retirement Community in Storm Lake. Funeral services will take place Friday, November 8, at 10:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Storm Lake. Burial will be in the Storm Lake Cemetery. ...

Joanne Estelle Shatto, age 90 of Early, passed away on Monday, November 4, at her home in Early. Joanne was born at home on November 15, 1928, in Early, to Martin and Anna (Ungrue) Pluth. She was baptized at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Early on November 25, 1928, by Father Dalhoff. ...

Peggy Miller, age 81, of Ames, and formerly of Storm Lake, died November 3, in Ames at Accura Health Care. Memorial services will take place Wednesday, November 6, at 1 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Burial will be in the Kiron Cemetery in Kiron at a later date. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements...

Prairie Lakes AEA is offering free Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings at various locations across its region. This six-hour training course is designed to teach ANY adult who works with youth, how to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (ages 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge, or is in crisis...

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is partnering with the USDA Farm Service Agency to conduct 2018 Farm Bill workshops in Northwest Iowa throughout December. Producers, agri-business personnel, landowners and other interested parties will have an opportunity to learn about the program election and enrollment process regarding the 2018 Farm Bill, as well as discuss farm stress management and financial decision-making. ...

The Storm Lake Police Association continues with their “Be a Better Human” campaign by recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As part of this campaign the Association and Chief Mark Prosser collected hats, warm blankets and snacks from staff and donated all to the BVRMC Oncology/Infusion Center. Pictured left to right are Leah Sundblad, Susan Buckendahl, Robin Koster, Ray Eickholt, Gracie Vrieze, Matt Younie, Melissa Temple and Megan Julius...

Local Breanna Horsey, of Storm Lake, completed a summer internship at City of Storm Lake. Horsey was one of 179 Buena Vista University students to complete an internship during the 2018-19 academic year.

A petition calling for the Okoboji Middle School building to be sold via a public bid process will have its day at the polls next week. The issue will share the Nov. 5 ballot with three open seats on the Okoboji School Board. The petition for public bid was submitted to the Okoboji School District shortly after the school board voted July 19, 2018, to sell the property to the Imagine Iowa Great Lakes Beautification group for $1.1 million. ...

Six Storm Lake Middle School students were recently selected for participation in the 32nd annual Opus Honor Choir Festival. Pictured above, back row: Seanna Lincoln, Ana Quej Flores, Grace Kenkel. Bottom row: Ellie McClellan, Emma Dierking, Hailey Anderson...

Each year the Northwest district and Iowa FFA officers plan and facilitate Greenhand Fire Up Conferences for FFA members in the Northwest district. Northwestern College welcomed 259 students from 32 FFA chapters from all over the Northwest district on October 15...

Buena Vista University students set up a friendly haunted hallway to welcome trick or treaters. With a live (sort of) DJ playing Halloween hits, creative lighting to light the way from chamber to chamber, and costumes including a dinosaur and a shark, there was fun for all. Pumpkin decorating wrapped up the visit...

ESTHERVILLE — The Iowa Lakes Community College Music Department is proud to announce the 20th Annual Elizabethan Madrigal Feaste. This year’s festivities will be held at the Estherville Campus SERT Building on Saturday, Dec. 7, with performances held at noon and 6 p.m...

Come celebrate the legendary Sons of the Pioneers on the group’s 85th anniversary tour. The western/cowboy music legends will be performing Friday at Spencer Community Theater. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Since 1934, the storied Sons of the Pioneers have set the standard for western music, painting unforgettable images and stories of horses, cattle, cowboys, tall timber, cool water, canyons, and prairies. ...

Breaking news from Santa’s Castle - the 5th annual “A Little Before Christmas Crawl” is happening Tuesday, November 12th. Suit up in your ugliest holiday sweater and get ready for the fun, 5-9 p.m. This event is one of the major fundraisers for Santa’s Castle operations...

Applause echoed throughout the Spencer Family YMCA as Democratic candidate for president Pete Buttigieg took the stage in a Spencer gym crowded with over 500 people Monday afternoon. The presidential hopeful first energized the crowd by asking them to envision a future without President Donald Trump, saying “we cannot afford four more years of what we’ve been going through as a country.”...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has named 14 officials to a committee she’s created that will make recommendations for removing racial bias from the Iowa criminal justice system and help reduce recidivism among former offenders. Reynolds says the group’s recommendations will form the foundation of a package of legislative proposals aimed at advancing her second chance initiative which will include her continued push for a constitutional amendment that grants felons the right to vote...

Tuesday city/school election results in Buena Vista County: In the contested Storm Lake School Board race, Dave Skibsted (372 votes), Melea Raveling (369) and Emilia Marroquin (325) were easily re-elected. Sherise Gibson-Ellis had 105 votes. For Storm Lake City Council, Tyson Rice (281) and Kevin McKinney (296) were re-elected, but the high vote total goes to first-time candidate Maria Ramos with 311 to win the remaining seat. ...

Emergency responders from the Spencer Fire Department, Spencer Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Spencer Hospital were called to 1408 13th Ave. W. Monday following an emergency center broadcast of a house fire with the resident possibly still in the home...

By DANA LARSEN Pilot-Tribune Editor With the countdown to the holidays underway, they work into the night painstakingly hanging Christmas record album sleeves to cover the walls - likely wondering who these guys Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley are...

Prospects for adding new traffic control lights at the busy intersection where a new Early Childhood Center school will be constructed look to be green-lighted. While the project is not yet in writing, the DOT has indicated verbally that they feel the intersection at 90th Avenue and West Milwaukee/Highway 7 at the west edge of Storm Lake is a good candidate for a traffic light project, and urged the city to apply to their traffic safety division for the funding...