Stories from Tuesday, March 31, 2020

The Buena Vista Parkinson’s Support Group will cancel it’s regularly scheduled meetings due to the COVID-19 Virus until further notice. The B. V. Parkinson’s Support Group is affiliated with the American Parkinson Disease Association, the country’s largest grass roots organization providing funds for research and patient and caregiver education and support across the United States...

Storm Lake native Abby Glass has been announced as the next principal of St. Edmond Catholic School in Fort Dodge. Glass had taught at Carroll Kuemper for nine years, and had also taught in Catholic schools in Boone and Des Moines. She had coached middle school volleyball and basketball for the Gaels in the early 2000s, while attending Iowa Central Community College...

RAGBRAI officials say the ride, and it’s Storm Lake overnight stay - is still on. Officials of the statewide ride say they have talked with the Iowa Department of Public Health and are proceeding with plans to host RAGBRAI XLVIII on July 19-25 as scheduled. ...

Helen R. Reis, age 97, of Fonda, died Thursday, March 26, at the Laurens Care Center in Laurens, Iowa. Private family services were held. Burial was in the St. Columbkille Cemetery in Varina, . The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements...

I continue to work at home answering emails and phone calls from constituents and friends. At this time we are assuming the legislature will reconvene on April 15. Last week the legislature moved forward a budget that would get us through until approximately September 1 of this year if we cannot make it back to the Capitol before the budget year ends. ...

Looking for a way to get involved? Meals on Wheels is in need of some volunteers to take food around to the over-60 homebound. Many of the normal volunteers are elderly and in the high-risk group that needs to shelter. The need for home delivery meals has increased since the COVID-19 precautions have begun, currently with 28 meals being ordered daily...

Iowa-Join Prevent Child Abuse Iowa and wear blue on Friday, April 3, to show your support for children and families during National Child Abuse Prevention Month and reinforce the message that “everyone plays a role in making great childhoods happen-especially you.”...

With foot traffic severely limited in long-term care facilities in order to protect residents from the spread of COVID-19, a group of community members answered a call through social media and traveled to Longhouse-Northshire in Spencer to offer a supportive gesture. ...

The stars of the 2011 virus thriller “Contagion” — a prescient film these days — have reunited for a series of public service announcements to warn about COVID-19. Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet and Jennifer Ehle have teamed up with scientists from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health to offer four individual homemade videos...

The wine movie is not exactly known for a bouquet of tasting notes. From “Wine Country” to “Bottle Shock,” they are usually light, amiable movies that amble through sunny fields of vines. “Sideways,” of course, is the choice vintage, but most come and go about as quickly and breezily as a bottle of pinot...

Due to COVID-19 concerns, the upcoming performance of the Sons of the Pioneers in the Community Education Performing Arts Series will be rescheduled. The show was to have been April 3. The group is looking to rebook in June. With many other performances to reschedule, the group has not been able to set a firm date yet...

Additional restrictions were placed on local businesses by Governor Kim Reynolds, effective last Thursday. In many cases, businesses can continue to offer curbside and delivery services, as well as online sales. “We’ve been trying to help the small businesses, as things change rapidly,” said Lee Dutfield of Storm Lake United. One thing he has been hearing is that some of the restaurants who continue to serve have been overwhelmed at times at supper hour, while having little business at lunch...

Jolee Linden processed through the Victory Arch on the campus of Buena Vista University when she was a freshman. It’s part of the Founders’ Day celebration that begins the Orientation celebration for freshmen, transfer, and international students. Per tradition, BVU students don’t walk through the Arch again until they are seniors, making their way as a group from Sch...

For the safety of patients and healthcare workers, new visitor restrictions are in place at three local clinics - Avera Medical Group Spencer, Milford Family Care and Sioux Rapids Family Care. Adult patients are not be allowed to bring guests into the clinic unless clinic staff deems there is a clinical reason for that guest (such as patient safety). ...

UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine – Second Avenue North has opened a Respiratory Illness Clinic effective today, last week, dedicated to the triage of patients with respiratory illnesses. “We are strongly encouraging all patients to please call your provider before coming to our facilities in order to first assess symptoms over the phone,” shares Leah Glasgo, President and CEO, UnityPoint Health-Fort Dodge...

Spencer Hospital’s Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Medicine center received two hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) chambers. HBOT is a complementary treatment that delivers 100 percent oxygen to a wound to improve time to healing. The patient receives the treatments in a fully enclosed chamber and to surround the patient with pure oxygen at greater than atmospheric pressure...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center is weathering the storm of COVID-19 concerns well. “The most important thing people can do is spread word for people to stay home,” says spokesperson Katie Schwint. As of late last week there were no confirmed cases in the county. ...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds grew emotional at a press conference Friday as she discussed the impact business closings are having on the state due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic. “The last thing I want to do is impact families and individuals and our businesses that are the backbone of our economy,” she said, adding that she hopes Iowa will soon again “have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and can have one of the highest workforce-production rates.”...

Buena Vista University’s new cheer and dance program has what one might consider the best of both worlds when it comes to the coaching staff. Director Kezia Molinsky came from San Francisco to help get the program off the ground, one of the initiatives in the BVU Strategic Plan. Molinsky’s assistant, meantime, came from a few blocks away. Tori Stille danced as a prep at Storm Lake High School. She also cheered and dance at BVU, where she earned a degree in marketing in 2016...

The Summer Lighthouse Concert Series may be taking a hit because of COVID-19 impact, but that doesn’t mean the community doesn’t need music. Plans were being made for a second summer series, aiming to build on the four-show debut season in 2019. Storm Lake United had approached the city government about funding and permits...

When Lynn “Hec” Ramsey passed away, his family held a quiet graveside service Monday morning in Lake View. A note on the Faber & Otteman Funeral Homes website said: “Due to current CDC guidelines and Governor Reynolds’ public health disaster declaration limiting all services, the family will be planning a celebration of life for Hec to be held at a later date.”...