Stories from Friday, June 5, 2020

Residents of the Lighthouse Drive area expressed concern to the Storm Lake City Council this week about the reconstruction of the lake shoreline in that area, between Scout Park and Methodist Manor. Two of the property owners told the council that they are concerned that the hedges planted on the repaired shoreline will grow to block the view of the lake...

The Alta P.E.O. awarded its annual scholarship to Chloe Kruger, a graduating senior from the Alta-Aurelia class of 2020. Her integrity and strength of character were key aspects for selection as the recipient. The $300 scholarship is for the 2020-21 academic year when she will be attending Iowa Central Community College pursuing a career as a medical laboratory technician...

As if trips to the grocery store weren’t nerve-wracking enough, U.S. shoppers lately have seen the costs of meat, eggs and even potatoes soar as the coronavirus has disrupted processing plants and distribution networks. Overall, the cost of food bought to eat at home skyrocketed by the most in 46 years, and analysts caution that meat prices in particular could remain high as slaughterhouses struggle to maintain production levels while implementing procedures intended to keep workers healthy...

2020 was supposed to be the year to update the resume, find that new job, get started on a career path after graduation, or spend your remaining income earning years on a relaxing, less time consuming venture. Suddenly, we are thrown into a global pandemic crisis that has affected almost every working American, through either job loss, reduced income, or business closure. ...

In Steven Clay Hunter’s 23 years as an animator at Pixar, he has drawn a seven-armed octopus, a Canadian daredevil and a wheezing toy penguin. But there were scenes he never expected to animate until he began working on his short, “Out.” Hunter wrote and directed the nine-minute Pixar film, which recently debuted on Disney+. ...

It’s not the first time that Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” has been freshly urgent, but Lee’s 1989 film has again found blistering relevance in the wake of George Floyd’s death. On Monday, Lee released a short film titled “3 Brothers” connecting the death of Radio Raheem (played by Bill Nunn) in “Do the Right Thing” to the deaths of Floyd and Eric Garner. ...

After a strong response to its first Drive-In Movie fundraiser, the Buena Vista County Fair is adding more such events, with films to be shown on the back of the grandstand at the fairgrounds in Alta for viewers in their vehicles to maintain social distancing...

The music season kicks off this weekend at Innspiration Wines and Vines in Linn Grove. The Gary and Dani Show will perform tonight at 6:30 p.m., and local favorite Charlie Leissler IV is scheduled for Sunday, 3 p.m. The Gary & Dani Show are a husband and wife duo based in Sioux City. Their musical interests can be traced back to childhood, both playing in orchestra since grade school...

Facts & Fables From The Buena Vista County Historical Society & Museum

Storm Lake city officials are reminding people to keep their yards in shape. “With abundant moisture and warmer temperatures, how quickly grass and weeds can grow is amazing.  Green grass and leafy trees are a welcome change from the stark, colder days of winter,” city officials said in an emailed statement. ...

March 2, 1939 - May 31, 2020

The Storm Lake United Methodist Church is hosting their first virtual Vacation Bible Camp the week of June 22-26. All students age 3 through finished 6th grade in our community are invited to join. Grandparents might even be interested in enrolling grandchildren who live in distant locations. ...

Abby Bean, from Buena Vista County was awarded the Peterson Family 4-H Scholarship through the Iowa 4-H Foundation this spring. The Iowa 4-H Foundation has announced the recipients of over 90 Iowa 4-H scholarships valued at more than $100,000. Over 400 applications were submitted and scholarships have been awarded to recipients from 54 counties across the state of Iowa with a wide variety of 4-H experiences...

The ROTC Gold Medal is awarded by local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution to outstanding Senior cadets at the college or university level. This year Buena Vista Chapter, DAR, awards the Gold Medal to Gavin Plowman of Buena Vista University. Buena Vista University’s Reserve Officer’s Training Corps cadets are part of the Cyclone Battalion in Ames, which includes students from Iowa State University,...

Workers smooth out a new street extension from Sunset Park Road, one of two that will serve as accesses to a new condominium development on the site of the failed Sunset Bay project adjacent to the municipal golf course. Building on the site is expected to begin this month. / Pilot photo by Dana Larsen...

A Storm Lake man faces felony Sexual Abuse and Incest charges after alleged multiple sexual assaults against a juvenile in Storm Lake earlier this year. Police allege that Mario Delapaz, age 35, abused the juvenile from January to April. Police received a belated report in May, resulting in a joint investigation by Storm Lake Police, the county sheriff’s Department, Iowa Department of Human Services, Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault, Mercy One Child Advocacy Center and The Buena Vista County Sexual Assault Response Team. . ...

A Storm Lake City Council work session spurred by a 4H youth’s request to allow chickens to be raised in the city turned into a spirited discussion this week. Some of the council members thought having chickens in the city shouldn’t be a problem, while others felt they should only be raised in the country...

Nine-term western Iowa congressman Steve King was defeated by Republican challenger Randy Feenstra in Tuesday’s primary, after a contentious race. The well-funded Feenstra emerged from a field of four GOP challengers. The 51-year-old businessperson from Hull has served in the state senate since 2009...

The first COVID-19 fatality in Buena Vista County was reported Tuesday, and another spike saw the county’s confirmed case total rise by 138 within 24 hours as of Thursday. Public Health officials did not release any information on the individual who passed away, including age or location...

Peaceful protest tonight in SL park

State health officials are working on a new system to alert Iowans about COVID-19 outbreaks at meat processing plants. “We have been working on a more systematic process for being able to announce those outbreaks as they are detected,” said Sarah Reisetter, deputy director of the Iowa Department of Public Health. She didn’t elaborate...

Don’t go out alone, 18-year-old Calvin Grosvenor was taught. It’s considered the number one rule for open water diving - and last week it saved a life on West Lake Okoboji. Grosvenor is credited with not only bringing his diving partner to the surface of the lake during an emergency, but swimming him to shore and performing CPR until help arrived...