Stories from Wednesday, January 15, 2020

With 41.5 inches of rain falling across Iowa last year, 2019 is now the 12th wettest year on record in the state, according to the latest Water Summary Update. “2019 was a very wet year, but so was 2018. The last two years combined were the wettest two years on record for the state,” said Tim Hall, DNR’s coordinator of hydrology resources. “These conditions have resulted in higher than normal streamflows, and good shallow groundwater conditions going into the winter months.”...

Iowa regulators have approved a rate increase that’s lower than what Alliant Energy sought. On Thursday, the Iowa Utilities Board also decided that Alliant must refund around $7.5 million to customers who paid interim rate increases. Refunds will come as bill credits over 12 months...

A judge ruled Friday that a man charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of a central Iowa pastor is mentally unfit to stand trial. A Webster County District judge found Josh Pendleton, 36, incompetent to stand trial and ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment at the Iowa Medical Classification Correctional Facility in Oakdale, the Fort Dodge Messenger reported. His trial had been set to begin in April...

Iowa lawmakers convened the 2020 legislative session Monday with taxes, workforce and child care issues on their minds. With his family including his grandparents U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley and Barbara Grassley looking on, Republican Rep. Pat Grassley was elected by voice vote and took the oath of office to take the speaker’s chair...

A full moon shines weekly above the Buena Vista University arch. The January full moon is known as the Wolf Moon or Ice Moon.

Reverend Raven returns to the area for the KeeLive Festival (formerly Jazz & Blues Fest) in Cherokee, Saturday, January 18, 9 p.m. at the VFW Hall. Bringing crowds to their feet at the hardest to please and sophisticated night clubs in the Midwest, Reverend Raven and the Chain Smoking Altar Boys play traditional blues, straight up with a big dose of passion. ...

The Holy Rocka Rollaz return to the area Friday, January 24, for an Okoboji Winter Games concert. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Lakes Art Center. Tickets are on sale at $35 on the center’s website. Take an authentic trip back to the fantastic ‘50s this Winter Games weekend! If it’s the classic early rock ‘n’ roll and rockabilly of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash (and many more!) that you want, played just the way those legends played it… you have found your dream band. ...

Female filmmakers were shut out, “Parasite” made history and “Joker” edged out “The Irishman,” “1917” and “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood” in Monday’s Oscar nominations. Todd Phillips’ R-rated superhero smash “Joker” topped all films with 11 nominations to the 92nd Academy Awards, while Martin Scorsese’s elegiac crime epic “The Irishman,” Quentin Tarantino’s 1960s Los Angeles fairy tale “Once Upon a Time ... ...

The St. Mary’s Dance team has been invited by the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union to perform at the 2020 Girls’ State Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena - a first in school history. More details on the performance will be announced soon, according to coach Victoria Stille...

Five Buena Vista University students will spend the second semester in the nation’s capital as part of the University’s longstanding partnership with The Washington Center for Internships & Academic Seminars, an effort that for more than two decades has seen BVU students living, working, and learning in Washington, D.C...

Casey’s General Stores has launched a new “Cash For Classrooms” program that allows customers in Storm Lake and across the region to choose schools they would like the company to consider for more than $50,000 in upcoming donations. Part of the award process is the number of times a school has been selected by Casey’s Rewards members as their designated “Cash For Classrooms” school until February 14th. The school with the highest totals will have the greatest chance to receive an award...

NASA’s planet-hunting TESS Mission keeps giving astronomers new realities to examine and explain. Case in point: astronomers using the tools of asteroseismology - the observations and measurements of a star’s oscillations, or starquakes, that appear as changes in brightness - have learned more about two stars bright enough to be visible in a dark sky to the naked eye. These red-giant stars - older, “retired” stars no longer burning hydrogen in their cores - are known as HD 212771 and HD 203949...

Hollace June Drake passed away suddenly on January 7, in her home in Storm Lake. Memorial services were held on Sunday, January 12, at the United Methodist Church in Storm Lake. Visitation took place prior to the serving starting at 1 p.m. A reception took place at the church following the service. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements...

The Storm Lake Knights of Columbus will be holding its annual Free Throw Championship for boys and girls ages 9 through 14 (as of January 1) at St. Mary’s gym. The date is set for Sunday, January 19 with the doors to open at 2:30 p.m. with the competition to begin at 3:00 p.m...

STORM LAKE - Buena Vista junior guard Dominic Sesma has been recognized for his stellar play over the course of the last week by being named the American Rivers Conference Men’s Basketball Performer of the Week, for the period ending January 12. Sesma averaged 19 points over two games last week which included wins over both Loras (92-88 OT) and Dubuque (93-77), respectively. ...

SIOUX RAPIDS - It was another Twin Lakes Conference tilt on Monday night for the Sioux Central girls basketball team. They welcomed in the Titans of Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayshire for the battle, and were able to come out with a 10 point win, 58-48...

SIOUX RAPIDS - The Sioux Central boys basketball team seized control early on Monday night against Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire and never really gave it up. The Rebels were able to take a 71-44 decision against the Titans for their sixth win of the year...

SPENCER - The Storm Lake boys swim team got back in the pool for the first time in 2020 on Friday night as they took on Spencer and Sioux City. The Tornadoes fell to Spencer, 56-21 and to Sioux City, 83-7. “I was pleased with our performance. Every swimmer either had a personal record or an improved time for our last meet,” SL Coach Jaymie Bral said. “It had been three weeks since we have been able to get in the pool because of BVU’s Christmas Break which closes the pool down.”...

For the past 17 seasons Dick Jungers has been at the helm of the Newell-Fonda girls basketball ship, winning two State Titles under his direction as he continues to inch closer to 400 wins, sitting at 377 as of January 13. Coach Jungers got another award to add to his collection this week when the National Federation of State High School Associations named him as the 2018-2018 Central Section Girls Basketball Coach of the Year...

ALTA - The St. Mary’s Panthers basketball teams visited the Alta-Aurelia Warriors on Tuesday night for a girls and boys Twin Lakes Conference double header. The two teams ended up splitting the games on the night, as the Panther girls were able to set down the Warriors 43-30, and the Warrior boys ran away against the St. Mary’s boys, 66-27...

Jane Pittman, 83, of Storm Lake, passed away Saturday, January 11, at her residence Private family graveside services will be held at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Cherokee, Iowa. Rev. Cris Decious will officiate. It was Jane’s wish to be cremated. There will be no visitation. The Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, Iowa is assisting the family with the arrangements. Online condolences can be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com...

STORM LAKE - The Storm Lake boys got off to a bit of a slow start on Monday night against the Ridge View Raptors. For the first half, Ridge View appeared to be in control and in line to get the upset, but the Tornadoes began to press in the final 16 minutes to turn it around, taking a 50-36 decision...

Lyle Letsche, 85, of Cherokee, passed away on Saturday morning, January 11, at Accura Healthcare in Cherokee. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 16, at 11 a.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Cherokee, Iowa. Pastor Jonathan Riggert will officiate. ...

STORM LAKE - For the first time this season, the Storm Lake girls basketball team was able to put their name in the win column on Monday night. The Tornadoes were able to withstand the challenge from the Ridge View Raptors to take a 47-46 decision. “It was a real battle. ...

Falls are one of the most frequent causes of injuries in every workplace. The farm is no exception. Kent McGuire, CFAES Safety and Health Coordinator at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Science, says falls are often caused by slips or trips. Losing traction on a surface can lead to imbalance that results in a fall. Tripping over objects or uneven surfaces may also result in a fall. In 20% of all falls, injuries occur to more than one area of the body...

LifeServe collected 50 whole blood units and 18 double red cell units at the first National Blue Blood Drive in Storm Lake January 9. The Iowa Concerns of Police Survivors, LifeServe Blood Center, Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office and King’s Pointe Resort joined Storm Lake Police in organizing the effort...

Spencer Public Library’s “Dewey Days” celebration kicked off by telling Dewey’s story from the beginning. (Pictured) Vicki Myron, former Spencer librarian and author of the best-selling book, “Dewey: The Small-Town Cat Who Touched the World,” read the first chapter of her book to the audience gathered in the library’s round room Sunday afternoon, telling the story of the cold January morning in 1988 when she first discovered the 8-week-old kitten abandoned in the library dropbox who would become the international celebrity and library cat, Dewey Readmore Books. ...

The 2020 homecoming court for Storm Lake St. Mary’s High School has been announced. Queen candidates include Perla Arreguin, Alondra Rangel and Jaquelin Ocegueda. King candidates are Chase Hurd, Francisco Gonzalez and Sam Peters. Homecoming coronation will be Thursday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. in St. Mary’s Gym. The Homecoming basketball games vs. Manson Northwest Webster will be played on Friday, Jan. 24 with the girls’ game starting at 6 p.m. and the boys’ game to follow...

Iowa gas prices have fallen 1.5 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.40 to start the week. Local pump prices were a different story. The took an overnight leap from $2.33 to $2.44 at most stations mid volatile international prospects, then settled back several cents cheaper. $2.30 at some pumps Tuesday. Gas prices are 4.0 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 32.2 cents per gallon higher than a year ago...

Buena Vista County will likely take on inspections of tattoo parlors. Kim Johnson of the Environmental Health department told county supervisors Friday that the state is apparently going to stop regular inspections of the tattoo facilities, but the county Board of Health feels that inspections still need to take place...

An addition is being planned to the Buena Vista County Conservation office near the county park. The department has outgrown its space, with one staff member forced to use a folding table for lack of an office. The department hopes to add a couple of office spaces, a kitchenette so group gatherings can be held, and an enclosure for education animals. ...

Several BVU School of Education students joined Dr. Ann Monroe-Baillargeon, Dean of the School of Education, and Dr. Leslie Haas, Assistant Professor of Education, in presenting a check for $367 to Storm Lake Elementary School Principal Barb Lange on Thursday...

Local environmental leaders are hoping that REAP won’t be RIP. Buena Vista County Conservation Director Greg Johnson recently talked with the county board of supervisors about the negative impact the area could see without the state’s Resource Enhancement and Protection program, which has poured some $2.1 million into local projects...

Buena Vista County Supervisors debated a list of funding requests from outside agencies Tuesday during a budgeting session. After discussion, supervisors planned to grant funding as follows (the plan is tentative and could change depending on budget realities):...

A short-lived effort to preserve the vacant Cobblestone Balloom at Lakeside has been suspended. After launching a $1 million online gofundme.com campaign last week, the anonymous organizer is deactivating the campaign and refunding the several hundred dollars in donations that came in within the effort’s first couple of days, according to an announcement Monday...

The effort to bring the Little Sioux River back into its banks at Linn Grove continues. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) intends to restore the site to its pre-disaster condition, while county officials advocate for improvements that will help prevent the same kind of problems from occurring again in the future...

Thirty-one bands and over 600 students took part in the two-day 2020 Triton Jazz Festival at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge. Newell - Fonda was named the first place winner in Class 1A.

By KATHIE OBRADOVICH Iowa Capital Dispatch Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday announced what may be her most ambitious agenda to date, centered around a one-cent sales tax increase that would be offset by cuts in income taxes, property taxes and other state revenue streams...

While conversation might not fix what’s wrong in the country, it is probably where a solution will start. Or so says Eric Schnurer, founder of the Greater Good Gathering initiative, who brought such a conversation to the Buena Vista University campus in Storm Lake on Sunday - the first site to host such an event besides New York and Los Angeles...