Stories from Friday, January 3, 2020

Former St. Mary’s educator Brad Wilkening will present “Lessons of the Holocaust,” at the Newell Public Library, Monday, January 27, 6-8 p.m. Admission is free. Wilkening has been studying an lecturing on the Holocaust for years. His presentation gives historical background on the Nazi party’s rise to power, shares stories from survivors that in many cases he has met personally, and uses the history to encourage his audience to make righteous decision in their own lives...

County singing legend Lorrie Morgan will be on stage at the Wild Rose Casino in Emmetsburg, February 28. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., the show starts at 7. Tickets are on sale at $20 through wildroseresorts.ticketforce.com. Lorrie Morgan, a child of the Opry, staked her claim as being one of the youngest to have made his/her debut at the Mother Church of Country. ...

Omaha-based rock/soul group The Kris Lager Band will be one of the main attractions for the KeeLive Music Festival in Cherokee (formerly Cherokee Jazz & Blues Fest), Saturday, January 18. Showtime is 9 p.m. at Little Sioux Events Center. Doors open at 8. For advance tickets, see keelivemusicl.com...

Arch Allies, with their reputation as “America’s Ultimate Rock Tribute Show,” will rock the Clay County Fairgrounds Events Center Saturday, February 8. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Featuring the hits of Bon Jovi, Boston, Journey, Styx ,REO Speedwagon and Def Leppard, this high energy band knows how to connect with an audience and faithfully recreate some of the best music from the ‘80s...

Freekbass will be on stage at Byron’s in Pomeroy, Friday January 17. Showtime is 7 p.m. Freekbass is one of the world’s great bass players. He has been on the cover of Bass Musician Magazine, Bass Guitar Magazine/UK, three times, and has been featured in Bass Player Magazine numerous times. ...

Flu cases remain on an upward swing in Buena Vista County as the new year begins. Buena Vista County Public Health reports that both Influenza A and B cases are being seen, A dominating in an early outbreak in the state, and B rising later. “It’s a pretty sick time of the year locally,” Public Health Director Pam Bogue says. ...

Buena Vista County officials have just received unwelcome news that counties will now be held responsible for paying court costs for indigent juveniles and adults in guardianship situations. “In this county, that could be a lot of people - it’s like handing them an blank check that we have no control over,” said county supervisor Paul Merten...

“Can we stay here, please? Mary is pregnant! She is about to give birth!” a group of students pleaded. “Go away. You are a stranger and we don’t know you.” a high school student responded through a crack in the door. The disheartened students turned and walked down the hall, looking for another home for Jesus...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center has been named as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Obstetrics for a second consecutive year. According to the Women’s Choice Award®, BVRMC is in the top 17% of 4,982 U.S. hospitals offering obstetrics. Trish Winger, Director of First Embrace Obstetrics, credits the superior care by doctors and nurses at BVRMC...

Sugar Bowl Gift Ship will host a book signing Saturday, January 25, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. with Tom Murray, self-published author of “Fathers, Sons and the Holy Ghost of Baseball.” Murray is a native of Storm Lake and grew up in Bancroft. His father, John Murray, will be inducted into the St. Mary's Hall of Fame on Friday night, January 24, between the homecoming girls and boys basketball games. ...

He laughs at the irony now, but local businessman Bob Shaw's familial connection to the sport of foosball spurred donations of several foosball tables to area school districts. The first of the donated tables was installed at Spirit Lake High School in late November. ...

Junk Rescued and Harper Moon Photography are moving to a new location at 516 Lake Avenue - formally the Quilt Shop, just down the block. The two businesses are selling some furniture and decor items ahead of the transition at their current building, 524 Lake...

March 19, 1996 - December 15, 2019

February 5, 1929 - December 26, 2019

January 9, 1937 - December 25, 2019

September 22, 1986 - December 26, 2019

October 3, 1947 - December 31, 2019

On December 27, around 3:15 p.m., Warren County Sheriff’s Office dispatch received a call came of two people that had gone through the ice at Summerset State Park and were yelling for help. When Warren County Sheriff’s deputies, Indianola Fire and Rescue and a DNR conservation officer responded to the scene they witnessed that Ryan Nesselroad, of Carlisle, had fallen through the ice, approximately 40 yards from the shore...

The sale of marijuana for recreational purposes became legal Wednesday in Illinois to the delight of pot fans — many who began lining up hours early at dispensaries. About 500 people were outside Dispensary 33 in Chicago. Renzo Mejia made the first legal purchase in the shop shortly after 6 a.m., the earliest that Illinois’ new law allowed such sales...

A Monday morning accident claimed the life of a Spirit Lake man after the van he was driving collided with a semi-truck and tractor near the John Deere dealership on U.S. Highway 71 south of Spencer. At 11:15 a.m., Clay County dispatched received a report of a motor vehicle crash in the 3700 mile of Highway 71. ...

A Linn Grove man was arrested Tuesday night for assaulting his wife in front of their 7-year-old child, wielding a weapon. Marcial Salmeron-Martinez, 46, was reportedly holding a machete during the incident. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office received a report around 6 p.m. of a domestic incident at a rural residence west of Webb...

Buena Vista County will continue to use the state master matrix in handling sometimes controversial livestock confinement developments, but not without pondering the alternative. “What if we don’t adopt the master matrix, and have people put up a confinement anyway that meets the requirements?” County Supervisor Paul Merten asked during Thursday’s annual organizational meeting of the board. “Some counties are not adopting it. We’ve been on it since it came out, but what happens if we don’t.”...

Diane Yang was as surprised as anyone when she was elected to city council. Because she hadn’t run. Or even voted. The Truesdale woman - believed to be the first Asian immigrant elected to public office in the area - only found out this week that she had been elected back in November - hours before she was to be sworn in on New Year’s Eve...

Suddenly, it is illegal to sell tobacco or vaping products to anyone under age 21 - though some convenience store clerks in Storm Lake said earlier this week that they were not aware of the change. After President Donald Trump quietly signed a bill that raises the federal legal smoking age to 21 last week, those who are underage are being abruptly cut off from buying the products. But will the change have an impact?...

Two unique housing projects that will add over 150 units to Storm Lake’s housing supply are now moving forward, albeit later than their developer had planned. The former South School annex building is nearly complete, with seven apartments likely to be available in February or March, according to Shawn Foutch, of JMAE Construction of Johnston, related to Foutch Brothers developers, a Kansas City company specializing in renovating schools and other historic buildings...

STORM LAKE - Nicole Lange scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Destiny Einerwold added nine point and nine boards, but Mount Marty was able to hold off the Buena Vista University women’s basketball team, 73-62, in a game that was recorded as an exhibition game for the Beavers on Monday...

Despite getting off to a quick start on Thursday night against Coe, the Buena Vista men’s basketball team cost themselves with miscues down the stretch, and the Kohawks made their free throws in the late going to take an 86-80 contest in double overtime...