Stories from Monday, February 24, 2020

EMMETSBURG - The Sioux Central girls’ season came to an end Friday night in a 2A Regional Semifinal, as they were never able to get the offense untracked. Emmetsburg cruised to the 51-31 win in the contest matching two 16-win Twin Lakes Conference teams...

STORM LAKE - The Storm Lake boys did everything they could on Thursday night but sometimes the other team gets hot and is able to make free throws down the stretch. That’s what Humboldt did against the green and white, taking an 81-69 decision, sending Storm Lake to their fourth straight loss...

NEWELL - It was a 1A-Region 8 semifinal contest on Friday night as the top rated 1A team, Newell-Fonda hosted a 15 win Paton-Churdan team that featured a 6-foot-2-inch center that had been torching the competition. However, the Mustang defense stepped up and forced 45 turnovers and held the Rockets to just 18 points in a 76-18 win...

DES MOINES - Friday and Saturday saw the State Wrestling tournament continue on as the semifinals and consolation rounds went down on Friday, followed by the finals and more consolation contests on Saturday. Storm Lake’s Colton Dreith saw his run at State end on Friday while Sioux Central’s Chris Ferguson was able to finish seventh in 1A at 120...

The popular musical “Beautiful: The Carole King Story,” comes to northwest Iowa for one night, at the Sioux City orpheum Theater, Sunday, April 26. Showtime is 6 p.m. Tickets range from $28.50-$86.50. Long before she was Carole King, chart-topping music legend, she was Carol Klein, Brooklyn girl with passion and chutzpah. ...

A cast of 20 bring a popular big screen classic to life on the local stage, beginning a two-week run last Friday. Additional 7:30 p.m. showtimes include Saturdays, Feb. 28 and 29; and 2 p.m. matinees Sunday and March 1. “It takes a lot of people to put a show this size together,” show director Jane Jans said. “There are a few new faces, it’s always fun to incorporate those new faces in with the older, more experienced faces. I think we’re moving like a well oiled machine.”...

There’s something happening here, what it is.. it’s perfectly clear. Okay, we changed the Crosby-Stills-Hash & Young lyrics a bit to fit, but Kee-Live is alive and well and looking forward to next year. Another winter music festival is in the books...

Fort Dodge Shellabration has announced Cheap Trick and 38 Special as headliners for 2020, following up on the success of last year’s show with Sammy Hagar and Vince Neil. The concert’s original plan for a headliner fell through recently, delaying an announcement, but bringing in two perennial powerhouse bands with legacy’s of radio hits should satisfy. Fort Dodge favorites Saucy Jack will open the show Thursday, July 2nd, kicking off the Fourth of July weekend...

Currently, the House and the Senate are in negotiations over Supplemental State Aid to our K-12 school districts. The House and the Governor are currently proposing an increase of $101 million, while the Senate is at $91 million. Based on House number, the General Fund ending balance would be $390 million, which is more than adequate to cover any contingencies outside of a major recession. ...

The first funnel week is behind us, and it has been a very busy week. House bills needed to pass from a House committee by the end of the week in order to remain eligible for debate on the floor. Anything that failed to clear a committee is most likely dead for the session. ...

A pair of Newell - Fonda students shared an oversized hoodie on Thursday night during the pajama night theme.

The 2020 candidate filing period for state and federal offices in the June 2 primary and November 3 general election begins Monday, February 24 and runs through Friday, March 13 at 5 p.m. Only candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties will file for the primary elections...

The Okoboji Pickleball Group has come forward with a progress update for the new four-court pickleball complex in Okoboji’s Speier Park. This new addition for the Lakes Area is going to happen in the summer of 2020. The court design was completed on Jan. 1, and on Feb. 11, the city of Okoboji approved placing a contract for installation of the courts, fencing and sidewalks. Weather permitting, organizers hope that the work will be completed by July...

Each year Arts on Grand is proud to offer a space for area students’ artwork to be exhibited for the public to see and enjoy. The Middle/ High School show will be Feb. 27th- March 27th. Come down and see our local emerging talent! Teachers from Spencer Middle School and High School will be submitting work for the show. ...

October may seem far away, but now is the time to apply to be a part of the 17th annual Artisans Road Trip! Applications need to be postmarked by March 1st, 2020 in order to be accepted. Why so early in the year? Quite simply, it takes a lot of time and behind the scenes work to make a great event like A.R.T. happen. Once we have our membership finalized, then we get to work on designing the brochure, updating the website, and beginning to get the word out about all of our artists!...

JoAnn Rasch, age 78, of Newell, died on Saturday, February 15, at the Paula J. Baber Hospice Home in Fort Dodge. Funeral services wereheld on Wednesday, February 19, at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Newell. Burial will be in the Newell Cemetery. Visitation took place on Tuesday, February 18, at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. ...

Republican state lawmakers are putting on hold their efforts to pass a bill requiring women to wait 72 hours for an abortion and are focusing instead on passing a constitutional amendment stating abortions aren’t protected by the Iowa Constitution...

Local blood donors are urged to schedule an appointment to save lives with LifeServe Blood Center to help make up for blood donation appointments cancelled due to the ongoing flu season. To ensure the safety of the blood supply, LifeServe and the FDA require that blood donors be feeling well and healthy on the day of their donation. Blood donors must be at least 16 years of age and weigh at least 120 pounds...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center and Cardiovascular Associates sponsored, “Ask the Cardiologist Your Heart Questions” presentation at BVRMC February 13. Jon A. Peacock, MD, F.A.C.C. was the featured speaker. The well attended Free Lunch & Learn gave the attendees an opportunity to ask their questions regarding heart health...

The Food and Drug Administration officially began enforcing limits on the sale of flavored electronic smoking cartridges as of Thursday. President Trump instructed the FDA in September of 2019 to clear the market of flavored e-cigarette products in an effort to curb use among young people. The habit is commonly known as vaping, and retailers, manufacturers or distributors of vape products were given 30 days to comply after the FDA finalized its enforcement policy in early January...

Two people arrested during a coordinated search in downtown Spirit Lake last November have again found themselves in the Dickinson County Jail. The Milford Police Department executed a Feb. 12 search warrant for the apartment of 43-year-old Angela Marie Rinkoski in the 1200 block of Sixth Street. The search resulted in multiple drug charges against Rinkoski and 42-year-old Patrick William Miles of Spirit Lake...

Media personality and sixth generation American farmer Trent Loos gave the final presentation of the 36th annual Ag Outlook, and it ended with cheers and a standing ovation. Introduced as “a voice for ag,” Loos spoke to the crowd about the spirit of the farmer as well as public perception of farming...

Coffee has been such a daily staple, for so long, for many in society. From providing the fuel, to getting us going in the morning, to the nice diversion of finding a cool little coffee shop on an out-of-town trip, coffee can be the common element, to bring people together...

Plans are already shaping up for a second Day of the Child multicultural celebration in Storm Lake next September, which will expand to include a “children’s villages” element. “It is very exciting to see the children’s villages take off this year with community leaders,” event founder Trevina Jefferson of Trepson Preschool said...

Western Iowa Congressman Steve King calls 2020 “the most interesting election I’ve been in.” Noting that he faces four primary opponents, he cited a poll from a year ago that showed a 75 percent approval rating for his work. “My gut feeling is that nothing has changed.”...