Stories from Friday, July 10, 2020

Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach’s annual Land Leasing and Value Meetings for agriculture property owners and tenants will be held at 11 different locations throughout August 2020. Proper social distancing and safety precautions will be taken for each in-person mEach land leasing and value meeting will focus on current farmland value and lease rate trends, methods for determining fair ag rents for 2021 and farmland lease communication and legalities, including how to write and terminate a lease.. ...

When the federal government offered businesses the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program back in March, Des Moines restaurateur Scott Carlson immediately applied for the aid, looking for a lifeboat as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down his industry...

Beavis and Butt-Head are coming back to TV in a reimagined version of the animated series about a pair of Gen X slackers. “It seemed like the time was right to get stupid again,” Mike Judge, the creator and voice of both characters, said in a statement...

Rock band Vic Ferrari is returning to northwest Iowa for a show in the free Live at the Lake Concert Series, Saturday night, July 11, at the Preservation Plaza in Arnolds Park. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair, or pull up near the shore to enjoy the tunes from your boat...

Popular touring southern gospel vocal group New Legacy Project will perform at Bethel Baptist Church in Newell, Sunday, July 19. The concert is open to all, and begins at 7 p.m. Social distancing will be observed. The Gospel Music Awards-nominated group travels to more than 200 dates per year...

Gabriel Carbajal performed an impromptu, soulful one-man acoustic concert Sunday at the Sunset Park bandshell, as passers-by were drawn in to listen. The Schaller native and Storm Lake High School graduate has spent recent weeks in his home community during quarantine, and said he wanted to share his talents with the community before heading back to central Iowa where he now lives and works. / Pilot photo by Dana Larsen...

Family may be the great subject of Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, but he doesn’t draw straightforward portraits. In Kore-eda’s hands, family is more malleable. He tends to shift roles around like he’s rearranging furniture, subtly remaking familiar dynamics until he has, without you knowing it, undone everything...

The Bridge of Storm Lake announced today it received a grant for $10,000 from Bayer Fund, which will be used to further develop youth programs and fund their Bridge Training Kitchen. Shelly Rock, Executive Director at The Bridge noted “Part of the money will be used to fund their summer coordinator position filled by Courtney Post this year. ...

COVID Recovery Iowa has begun offering virtual support groups for parents, teens and pre-teens. Mandy Gesme, Child and Family Team Lead for COVID Recovery Iowa, said the organization has been getting many requests from parents for activities they can do with their children, and advice for how to help their teenagers through the pandemic...

Covid-19 has caused some changes to the 2020 planned activities of the Hanover Historical Society. The Festival scheduled for August 30,, will not take place. Plan on joining us in celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Hanover Village on August 29, 2021...

Get ready to be “Hooked on Savings” during the annual Ridiculous Days sales event in Storm Lake. Stop by some of your favorite stores for “Fish-Tastic” in-store deals, bargain blow-outs and sidewalk sales, beginning Thursday, July 16th and going through Saturday, July 18th. Make sure to shop early and don’t let salmon else reel in that special item you’ve had your walleyes on...

A coronavirus virus outbreak that has infected 61 inmates and five staff members at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility has claimed the life of its first inmate there. The Iowa Department of Corrections said in a news release Tuesday that 71-year-old Ray Allen Vanlengen was diagnosed with COVID-19 before he died Monday at the University of Iowa Hospital. ...

With 4th of July events canceled, a casual car show and cruise was organized for the occasion, based out of the Ace Hardware lot in Storm Lake, / Pilot photo by Dana Larsen

October 23, 1969 - June 28, 2020

Things are certainly changing over at the Cherokee Public Library. Tyler Hahn, the former Youth Librarian, has accepted the position of Library Director. Hahn has been working with the library for about 2 1/2 years with youth and special services. On June 10, Hahn was offered the promotion after expressing interest in the position. Hahn says that he’s really excited for the new position, and is grateful to the community...

The Storm Lake Farmer’s Market hours will return to normal this week - Saturdays 8-noon and Thursdays 4-6 p.m. After limited hours due to COVID-19 concerns, all of the vendors were in agreement to return to the schedule of past summers. The market will continue to be held in the parking lot across from Valentina’s Market to allow for social distancing. ...

Storm Lake’s 100+ Men Who Care donated $2,500 to SALUD on the Fourth of July. The gift will cover costs for the new program, Friends With Food, for the coming year. The pilot program has been run for three months in cooperation with the Food Bank of Iowa to deliver food boxes to homebound families in the community. ...

The city of Newell in Buena Vista County reported possible mercury contamination in the drinking water Wednesday. The city’s water supply operator noticed what appears to be a small amount of mercury in a wastewater drain at the city’s treatment plant. ...

An employee of the Spencer Park Department was terminated recently after Spencer city officials conducted an investigation into an alleged incident at Spencer’s Walmart where the former employee is alleged to have used racist comments toward a black woman ahead of her in line at the store’s checkout. The exchange reportedly occurred during a dispute over the number of items in the cart...

After a Storm Lake City Council meeting Monday in which both council members and the public struggled to hear much of what was being said, city officials are looking for solutions. City manager Keri Navratil said problems contributing to the situation include masks that muffled speech, inadequate microphone systems, and the combination of some people speaking by phone while others were...

Every dog has its day, they say. Including one that was spared by the Storm Lake City Council this week after causing a serious bite injury to a young child. A lengthy debate, and witness testimony that at times seemed trial-like, resulted in a split 3-2 vote to overturn the decision of the city manager under existing vicious animal language in the city code...

Buena Vista County’s COVID-19 case count continues to inch upward, with new cases far below the peak level of late May through mid June. The county remains the state’s greatest per capita hotspot, with almost 87 cases per 1,000 residents to date, well over double the rate of the other most hard-hit counties in Iowa...

William W. Siebens, 86, namesake for the American Heritage Lecture Series at Buena Vista University, died on June 29 at his home in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. “Bill” Siebens, son of Dr. Harold Walter and Velma Wolf Siebens, served as host for dozens of national and international leaders who visited campus to address current topics related to freedom. ...

Storm Lake antique dealer Celia Knoffhoch isn’t the kind to horse around. When she got a shot to obtain a carousel horse with an unknown past recently, she jumped, and now the beast looks out over Lake Avenue from the front window of her store, which for now remains closed...

City council member suggests legalization for 4th of July

A federal judge this week rejected a request for an emergency order to delay the process of shutting down the Dakota Access pipeline. Attorneys are appealing a ruling to shutter the pipeline during a more robust environmental review. The controversial pipeline passes through Buena Vista County near Alta, Storm Lake and Newell, on its route from North Dakota oil fields to a depot in Illinois...