Stories from Wednesday, November 27, 2019

On the afternoon of Friday, November 22, at approximately 3 p.m. the Storm Lake Police Department was dispatched to the Storm Lake Elementary School in reference to an assault. Upon arrival of police they were advised that a 10 year old male of Storm Lake physically assaulted a staff member which required the staff member to seek medical attention at a local medical center...

You might say they bleed blue and gold. Buena Vista University students have taken on a year-long “Blood Battle” with fellow Iowa private colleges Simpson, Central and Wartburg. The college with the most donations will receive a traveling trophy. BVU and Lifeserve Blood Bank held the second blood drive in the effort this week...

Bernie Saggau, the Denison boy who came to Buena Vista in the 1940s and ended up directing the Iowa High School Athletic Association for 42 years, closed his 23-year tenure with the BVU Board of Trustees by accepting the Sir John Marks Templeton Life Trustee award this fall...

An Iowa law allowing people to use lethal force to defend themselves doesn’t apply to defendants who engaged in criminal activity prior to the perceived threat, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday. The ruling reverses an Iowa Court of Appeals’ order in May issuing a new trial to Miguel Angel Lorenzo Baltazar, 21, of Des Moines. ...

In endorsing Democrat Joe Biden for president on Saturday, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack said, above all, the former vice president’s personal losses give him “the capacity to comfort” and “the need to heal” a divided nation. Vilsack, who served eight years in the Obama administration with Biden as secretary of agriculture, said during a morning rally in Des Moines that Biden could step into the office with an immediate command of domestic and global issues at a time when events demand “you can’t be a rookie in this business. ...

Gathering provisions for the winter - a fox squirrel with black walnut.

On October 12, the Ridge View FFA soil judging team traveled to Iowa State University in Ames to compete in the state soil judging competition. The team placed fourth overall and will travel to Oklahoma City in May for the national competition. In addition, Katlyn Wiese was the state soil judging champion individual. Russell Brummer was the individual high score on the knowledge exam and placed seventh overall...

The Iowa 4-H Foundation has announced applications are now available for its 4-H scholarship program. Over 100 scholarship opportunities valued at over $110,000 will be awarded. The various scholarship awards range in amounts from $500 to $10,000. Some of the scholarships are open to students pursuing any field of study, while others are open to students pursuing degrees in agriculture, food and nutrition, ag business, animal science and journalism...

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that more than 5,800 Iowa students have received the new Future Ready Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship for fall 2019. Early numbers show more than $6.6 million has been awarded for the fall semester, helping pave the way for more Iowans to acquire the education and training needed for good-paying, high-demand jobs. ...

A local 4-H team composed of Cherokee County 4-H member Zach Erpelding and Sac County 4-H members Kaydon Erpelding and Levi Steinkamp brought home first prize from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s first-ever AgOvation competition. AgOvation is a research-based competition that challenges youth to explore and develop innovative science-based solutions to agricultural problems that they identify in their own communities. ...

Storm Lake High School hosted its National Honor Society induction November 14 at the high school auditorium, with speaker Seith Monahan and the traditional candle lighting and charges to scholarship, service, leadership and character. Inductees include seniors Magan Coyle, Antonio Gonzales, Esteban Huerta, Cathleen Manivong, Jaceline Medina, Kao Xiong. ...

The independent underground would not be what it is today without pioneers like Strange Music cofounder Tech N9ne. Tech’s unparalleled tour schedule and signature rapid-fire “chopper” style combined with the business acumen of Strange Music CEO Travis O’Guin have molded Strange Music into the number one independent hip-hop label in the world...

The BVU Concert Band, under the direction of Ms. Tiffany Wurth, director of athletic bands, presents its annual winter concert, Sunday, December 8, starting at 2 p.m. in Schaller Memorial Chapel on campus. The concert is open to the public, admission is free...

The Iowa Film Series presents: “POW Camp” and “Belle’s Midnight Ride” will be offered at the Lakes Art Center in Okoboji, Dec. 5, 6:30 p.m. By special request the facility will return the Camp Algona documentary, which made a debut here in 2018. The film documents the experience of German prisoners of war at the camp during World War II...

Indie country/rock trubador Bonnie Whitmore will grace Byron’s in Pomeroy December 15, 7 p.m. She may have a heart of gold, an outsize personality and a roof-raising laugh, but don’t be fooled: her debut album has a body count. No fewer than two men die by Bonnie’s own hand over the course of the record: one of them is burned alive, one the victim of a knife that, in Whitmore’s own words, “just slipped.”...

Schaller’s Hometown Pride in cooperation with the city of Schaller is in the planning stages of building a trail. The first phase of the trail will extend from First Street to the Jaycees’ ball field and will offer a safe and pleasant avenue to walk or bike to the ball field or Jaycee’s building...

Make plans to attend Miracle on Lake Avenue on Thursday, December 5th in Storm Lake. With many activities for you and your family to enjoy, you won’t want to miss this awesome annual holiday celebration! The night kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with various kid’s activities sponsored by Storm Lake retailers! This year’s kid’s activities are as follows: Letters to Santa at Hoffman’s Flower Shop, Create an Ornament at Paxtons Jewelry, Coloring Pages & Cookie Decoration Demo at Storm Lake Bakery, Fresh Popped Popcorn compliments of Lakeside Marina at Hoffman’s Flower Shop, a Christmas Movie at Zone Home Entertainment, Storm Lake Orchestra students performing at Brown’s Shoe Fit, Face Painting with Witter Gallery at Rust’s Western Shed, SL Elementary Incredi-bells performing at Better Day Café, and appearances downtown by Santa and the Storm Lake High School Vocal Ensemble.. ...

The annual Adopt-A-Family for Christmas program is well underway. The Pilot-Tribune and Upper Des Moines Opportunity co-sponsor the program each year, matching generous individuals, families, businesses, clubs, classrooms and church groups with needy local families to provide the Christmas experience they might otherwise not have...

Julián Castro promises that on January 1, 2020, Democrats will hold the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate, in what he says will be a “tsunami year” for Republicans. He told a crowd of about 20 at Coffee Tree in Storm Lake Saturday that veteran Republicans in Congress around the country are beginning to flee into retirement. “They know what’s coming. They are going to lose big,” he said...

The t-shirt read simply, “Daddy.” The normally silent and antiseptic halls of the Buena Vista County Courthouse were as raucous as a day care on Monday for the first local celebration of National Adoption Day. Five families finalized adoption of six children, one after another, during the event, and celebrated together with cupcakes and balloons...