Stories from Wednesday, December 4, 2019

ALTA - It was a battle of area teams on Monday night as the Alta-Aurelia Warrior ladies played host to the Ridge View girls. What started as a close contest through the first eight minutes grew out of control as the rest of the contest went on as the Raptors were able to get the better of A-A, 70-30...

ALTA - At one point the Alta-Aurelia boys basketball team could have packed it in down by double digits in the second half. Instead they battled back against Ridge View, but two late Raptor freebies sealed their win, 43-40. “It was a great win to start the season and gives our young players some confidence going forward,” RV Coach Alex Warnke said. “We found out that we have plenty to work on, but will just be focused on seeing growth as a team going into our conference games later this week.”...

Iowa gas prices have fallen 2.4 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.38 to start the week. Gas prices in Iowa are 5.1 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, yet stand 16.5 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. Storm Lake pump prices also fell slightly, and remained under state average, with a low of $2.28 and most stations at $2.33 for super unleaded...

The Prairie Lakes AEA Board of Directors recently met with representatives from GR Consulting Services to discuss the Chief Administrator search process. The Board identified desired leadership characteristics and needs of the agency. The application process in open now through January 6, when GR Consulting will meet with focus groups to review the interview process. ...

In a rare move, the Storm Lake City Council has reversed its own earlier vote. Two weeks ago, the council voted to deny paying expenses for the mayor, city manager and a council member to travel to Washington, D.C. to see Storm Lake Public Safety Director Mark Prosser receive a national award. At the time, a majority of the council felt that the three city representatives should be forced to pay their own way instead of their expenses going on a city credit card...

On the heels of the recent election, all three incumbents on the Storm Lake Board of Education were sworn in for another term - from left, Dave Skibsted, Emilia Marroquin and Melea Raveling. School district Business Manager and Board Secretary Trudy Pedersen swore in Peter Steinfeld, who was re-elected by the board to serve as president for 2020, then tables were turned as Steinfeld swore Pedersen in for her appointed position for the coming year...

Iowa officials are hoping to reduce water pollution by addressing problems in the small waterways that zigzag throughout the state, and they believe something as simple as name awareness can help. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Transportation have partnered since 2014 to install more than 900 creek name signs across the state. ...

After 11 years of temporary lanes and closed exit ramps, work is finally nearly complete on an Interstate 29 expansion project through Sioux City. The Sioux City Journal reports the Iowa Department of Transportation hopes to finish work on the project by Christmas. Final construction includes pouring concrete bridge approaches, installing guardrails and painting pavement...

After a year that has seen some of the worst flooding ever in parts of the Midwest, concern is already rising that the spring of 2020 may bring more high water to places that still haven’t fully recovered. Flooding ravaged much of the Missouri and Mississippi River basins earlier this year, reaching record levels in many places. ...

Normally, Dana’s Dozen is reserved for movies, but I just couldn’t let you suffer those horrific radio sets for one more holiday season. Looking at you, Madonna, and “Santa Baby.” And you, Paul McCartney with “Wonderful Christmastime.” And certainly you, New Kids on the Block and your “Funky Funky Christmas.” Don’t get me started on “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer,” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” or that “I Want a Hippopotamus” song. ...

The Crooners will present their annual Christmas concert on Sunday, December 15 at 1:30 p.m. The concert will be presented at the Nemaha United Methodist Church, 120 4th Avenue N in Nemaha. The choir will be singing “Have You Heard? A Celtic Christmas” by Lloyd Larson...

The community is invited to hear the cantata, “The Voices of Christmas” by Joseph Martin, which will be presented by the St. John Lutheran Choir on Saturday, December 7, at 6 p.m., and again on Sunday, December 8, at 9 a.m. at the St. John Lutheran Church, 402 Lake Ave., Storm Lake...

Funeral services for Marilyn Jean Glienke, 91, of Aurelia, are Wednesday, December 4, at 10:30 a.m., at the St. John Lutheran Church in Hanover, with Pastor Zachary Viggers officiating. Burial will be at the Church Cemetery. Visitation was held Tuesday at the St. John Lutheran Church in Hanover. The Redig Funeral Home in Aurelia is in charge of arrangements...

Jack B. Schramm, 69, of Sioux City passed away Sunday, December 1, following a short battle with cancer. A Memorial Service will be held 10 Friday, December 6, at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel with a visitation one hour prior to service time. Reverend Doug Dill will officiate. Online condolences can be expressed at www.meyerbroschapels.com...

Who has not experienced a church Christmas program hilariously out of control? The Sioux City Community Theatre outrageous holiday show gives you a program set for laughs. “Christmas Belles,” is a Southern farce about squabbling sisters, family secrets, a surly Santa, a vengeful sheep, and a reluctant Elvis impersonator. ...

Adorable stuffed foxes are the chosen signature character for Santa’s Castle animated showplace in Storm Lake. Hundreds of the little beasts populate the Castle, challenging kiddies on a scavenger hunt, waiting to be taken home, or just simply populating every spare inch in the various displays - even while the Castle’s namesake takes a bath!

4.0 Seniors Albers, McKenna Brummer, Russel Grothe, Jordan Kofmehl, Kate Wiese, Katlyn Wunschel, Kenzee 3.9-3.0 Seniors Allen, Cassandra Bailey, Beth Blackmore, Hanna Blum, Dawson Droegmiller, Jaden Gross, Logan Hansen, Chance Hinkeldey, Taya Kron, Veronica...

On October 29, members from the Ridge View FFA chapter traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana, for the 92nd National FFA Convention and Expo. On the way to convention, the chapter toured the Floyd County Museum in Charles City, Iowa, Rock Island Arsenal, the John Deere Pavilion, Lagomarcino’s Confectionary, Komatsu, and the Caterpillar visitor center...

It happens all the time. Just mentioning the word math sparks an automatic response that is rarely positive. “Whenever I tell people I’m a mathematician they always say, ‘Oh, I hate math,’ or ‘Calculus sucked,’” said Juergen Kritschgau, a doctoral student in mathematics at Iowa State University...

The Storm Lake Board of Education has selected Peter Steinfeld to continue serving as president for the coming year, and Dave Skibsted to continue as vice president (though Steinfeld joked that there may have been Russian interference in the votes which were cast on slips of paper during the most recent school board meeting.) The board opted for meetings to be held on the third Wednesday of each month...

Iowa Central Community College Culinary and Baking and Pastry Arts students prepped over 80 turkeys, 200+ lbs. of green beans, 400+ lbs. of potatoes, 1,700 bread rolls, 1,200+ portions of pie, and many other trimmings to create nearly 1,900 meals for the community Thanksgiving dinner in Fort Dodge...

In a letter to members of Congress, 80 law enforcement leaders from around the country, including Storm Lake Public Safety Director Mark, Prosser, speak out with a plea to pass legislation for citizenship help for families of officers who die in the line of duty...

For area farmers, it’s a good news/bad news sort of season. The good news is that yields have come in close to average - about the best that could be hoped for after a very late start to planting for most growers. The bad news is that market prices are dismal, so much so that without government subsidies, many Buena Vista County farmers would be losing money on the crop they’ve just harvested...

Students from the Advanced Ecology class at Storm Lake High School delivered a enthusiastic explanation of their current project, to rejuvenate the dilapidated high school courtyard, during a city council meeting Monday. An impressed council agreed to act as fiscal agent so the students can apply for a $50,000 grant through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, that if successful would cover much of the project cost. ...

Alejandro Vargas Lopez, age 21 of Storm Lake, was jailed Saturday night after arson incidents at Vista 3 Theater and in the movie aisle of the Walmart store. According to police, Vargas felt that movies were “ruining the world.” Police were called to the theater around 10 p.m. Between movie showings in one of the theater rooms, a person allegedly poured diesel fuel additive on the movie screen and on a theater seat and then attempted to ignite them...

“Four years of Donald Trump, we can overcome,” Joe Biden told an attentive crowd at Buena Vista University Sunday. “I believe he had done significant damage to our country nationally and internationally - I think he’s damaged the soul of the country. Eight years of Donald Trump would fundamentally alter the very character of this country.”...