Stories from Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Wayne D. Kies, age 56, of Omaha, Nebraska and formerly of Storm Lake, died Saturday, November 2, in California. Memorial services took place Monday, November 11, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Visitation took place Sunday, November 10, from 1 - 4 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements...

Ilene Wedeking passed away November 10, at Loring Hospital in Sac City. She was preceded in death by her husband Donald in December 2011; her parents, Edward and Nellie Schnell; her sister, Juanita Schuknecht; and in-laws, Herman and Olivia Wedeking...

The National FFA organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 700,170 student members belonging to 8,612 local FFA chapters throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. Each year, the National FFA Organization honors FFA members who show the utmost dedication to the organization at the National FFA Convention...

Beach Street Boutique traveled to Buena Vista Regional Medical Center on Wednesday, November 6. Paula Radke, Owner, and Stephanie Stange brought fun fall fashions to BVRMC employees and community members as a fundraiser benefitting the Buena Vista Regional Healthcare Foundation. A portion of the proceeds were given in memory of Paula’s late husband, Tim Radke...

Iowa Central Community College hosted its Career Discover Days - a fun past week of showing off exciting opportunities as Triton Nation welcomed over 125 area high school students to the Science & Math, Music & Theatre, Visual Arts, STEM, and Technology & Communications career exploration event...

Some of us are just suckers for a Christmas movie. We don’t bother waiting for Thanksgiving. Anything with snow and lights and jingle bells has us on the edge of the sofa with a tub of popcorn, whether’s it happens to be a goofy comedy with Will Ferrell or Tim Allen, a childhood-rekindling TV animation like Charlie Brown or the Grinch, or a timeless Hollywood classic...

Arnolds Park Amusement Park representatives announced it will host two concerts in the new Roof Garden Ballroom during the 2020 University of Okoboji Winter Games. The first concert will take place Friday, Jan. 24, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. The first performance will be AC/DC tribute band Thunderstruck. On the following evening, Saturday night Hairball will bring the heat to the cold winter weather with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. in the Roof Garden Ballroom...

On Dec. 11, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will host an open house to present preliminary floodplain maps to Clay County citizens. The open house will be conducted from 5-7 p.m. in the Clay County Supervisor’s Board Room at the Clay County Administration Building, 300 W. Fourth St. in Spencer. The meeting is open to the public...

Authorities say a man burned in a fire at a northwest Iowa hog confinement has died. Le Mars Fire-Rescue says 38-year-old Jorge Orozco died Saturday at St. Elizabeth Burn Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. He’d been flown there after being taken in a private vehicle on Sept. 30 to Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars. Officials say Orozco lived in Sioux City...

A stunning sunset lit up the horizon over Storm Lake Saturday, with the lake so glistening smooth that it reflected the clouds in the water.

On the morning of Saturday, November 9, at approximately 1:15 a.m. the Storm Lake Police Department took a report in reference to a death threat. The reporting party alleged to police that a Yunier Guerra, age 37 of Storm Lake called the reporting party and reportedly threatened to kill the reporting party over an ongoing dispute...

On the morning of Sunday, November 10, at approximately 9:47 a.m. the Storm Lake Police Department was dispatched to the 100 block of Seneca Street in reference to domestic disturbance. Upon arrival of police they made contact with Cordellia Wilson, age 18 of Storm Lake and JD Albert, age 25 of Storm Lake. ...

The trial of the Iowa Climate Defenders Five (Todd Steichen, Martin Monroe, Miriam Kashia, Kathy Byrnes, and Ed Fallon) is scheduled to move forward on Tuesday, November 12 at 2 p.m. at the Polk County Justice Center, 222 5th Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309. Before the trial at 1:30 p.m., the five will hold a press conference outside the building...

The Storm Lake Library Trustees and the Witter Gallery Board President have worked out a dilemma over alcohol being served at a music and theater fundraising event being held at the art gallery this weekend. Wine was donated to be served to guests, but a citizen recently objected to the city government against alcohol being served in a city building, which led to learning of an existing policy against alcohol in the gallery without the approval of the library trustees...

The Storm Lake Board of Education approved a financial institution this week as it moves toward funding for two major projects - a new middle school gym and an Early Childhood Center to house kindergarten. Building is expected to start in the spring for both projects after earlier voter approval...

A driving error is being blamed on an accident where an SUV drove into the front entry of the Storm Lake Post Office building Sunday night around 7:30 p.m. Police say Maria Menchaca, age 58 of Sioux Rapids, accidentally stepped on her vehicle’s accelerator instead of the brake...

Storm Lake’s downtown retailers kicked off the season with the traditional Holiday Open House - “Sip, Sample and Shop,” Sunday afternoon. From top: a craft fair packed the Lake Avenue Lounge ballroom. Celia Knofflach with a vintage Santa in the wind of Celia’s Antiques, matriarch Helen Bosley welcomes visitors at Hoffmans Flower & Candle Shop, Holly Schipper is in the spirit at Sugar Bowl Gift Shop, putting the twinkle in a stunning tree at Peach Blossom, Cheri Crouch takes a breather at the end of a busy afternoon at a vintage repurposed desk at Junk Rescued. ...

Presidential candidate Kamala Harris is proposing to keep schools open until 6 p.m., but the idea isn’t a new one to the Storm Lake school district. Over the past year, the district has been looking for ways to extend the school day without breaking the budget, according to Superintendent Stacey Cole...

A dispute over socks led to violence and the arrest of a Storm Lake man for choking his step-son into unconsciousness. On Monday, police were alerted to alleged child abuse by the Iowa Department of Human Services. On Nov. 8, Jose Maldonado allegedly assaulted a 15-year-old in a Storm Lake residence by placing him in a choke hold. The boy was reportedly rendered unconscious for several seconds before coming to...

During the Buena Vista County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday morning, a public hearing was addressed concerning Master Matrix and the KAL Pork and Triple L Pork LLC. In attendance at the public hearing and there to object to the farm’s application to build a hog confinement was David Degner Sr., Ellen Degner and David Degner Jr...

Storm Lake firefighters responded to a structure fully engulfed in flames Sunday afternoon. The residence at 315 West 7th Street had been evacuated by the time firefighters arrived. The garage was fully engulfed and the east side of the home had begun to burn. ...

A parade of speakers, musicians and dancers paid tribute to longtime Storm Lake Chief of Police and Public Safety Director Mark Prosser Monday night, as he approached the end of his career in Storm Lake, and in celebration of a major award Prosser was recently presented in Washington, D.C...