Stories from Tuesday, October 6, 2020

A stark reminder of the COVID-19 pandemic and its necessary precautions is the colorful kiddie house at the Storm Lake Public Library. Although the library has reopened for public use, prevention efforts include keeping the popular play area wrapped up and unused. / Pilot photo by Dana Larsen...

Hunzelman, Putzier & Co., PLC has released an audit report on Buena Vista County, Iowa. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS: The County’s revenues totaled $21,593,018 for the year ended June 30, 2019, a 15% increase from the prior year. Expenses for County operations for the year ended June 30, 2019 totaled $17,337,187, a 1% decrease from the prior year. ...

A 90th Birthday is a milestone of worthy recognition! Please join us as we celebrate Evelyn Simons’ 90th birthday on Thursday, October 15th, by sending cards and wishes to 433 West Jensen Street, Newell, Iowa 50568. Love from her husband, Norman (Si), and her daughters, Leslee, Christa, Laura and Deb and families. Thanks for making her day extra-special...

Attention parents of all little monster and big ones too. Do you have a scary amount of gently used or new books lying around collecting spider webs and dust? The UPS Store in Storm Lake is hosting a Toys for Tots Literacy Program book drive. Drop off cash donations or gently used or new books at the UPS Store in Storm Lake – Located in the Citizens 1st National Bank by Wal-Mart...

Thursday, Oct. 8 7 p.m. Homecoming Trivia for Alumni Grab your favorite beverage and join us for virtual trivia to test your knowledge of Buena Vista University! Prizes will be awarded to the top three players! Space is limited for this event. you must be prerefistored by Oct. 5. Once you register, you will receive a link and instructions for joining the game...

The Storm Lake band got to play in front of the home croud at halftime on Senior night.

Alliant Energy announces completion of its plan to add 1,000 megawatts (MW) of wind production in Iowa, several months ahead of schedule and within budget. This achievement comes as the company completes its 130-MW Richland Wind Farm in Sac County, located in west-central Iowa...

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst and Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield asked each other to apologize Saturday during their second televised debate. Ernst did. Greenfield didn’t. The moment came toward the end of an hour-long debate in which the candidates also clashed on health care. WHO-TV moderator Dave Price offered the candidates a chance to ask each other a question...

People experience the death of a loved one differently. For one Spencer woman, writing was key to finding her way through the grief and loss. Mary McSwain Steele said she began to realize she wasn’t coping well after the death of her mother, Betty McSwain...

Hy-Vee, Inc. announces today that it is now offering childhood vaccinations through its more than 270 pharmacy locations in eight states. Immunizations typically given at well-child visits by a physician can now be administered by a Hy-Vee pharmacist without a prescription or an appointment. Medicaid and most insurance plans cover immunizations at no charge. The news comes at a time when many families are making plans to get their annual flu shot – of which Hy-Vee has plenty of supply...

Count the Kicks and Amerigroup Iowa are proud to announce the “Stirrup” the Stillbirth Prevention Conversation, an initiative to empower expectant Iowa women to talk to their providers about fetal movement monitoring in the third trimester of pregnancy. ...

UCHC staff collected several items to help restock the CAASA pantry. These donations are made available to clients in and around our community as another resource. Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault (CAASA) provides services to victims and survivors of Sexual Assault. All services are free and confidential to all men, women, and children. Services are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week...

Once upon a time, Storm Lake was the home to a national (and international) magazine, spreading and promoting the ideal concepts of universal traits of humankind: brotherly love, integrity, honesty, charity, and other traits we all should aspire to. ...

The Witter Gallery is putting out a call for artists for our December 2020 exhibit, “Quar-Art-Tine.” This exhibit will display a broad range of artwork created by Storm Lake area artists during the past few months. We at the gallery want to celebrate our community’s creativity, diversity, and resiliency, and to represent the broad range of ways people have experienced and coped with the changes we’ve all faced this year...

The inaugural Boji Scare fright nights continue at Arnolds Park Amusement Park every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night through October. Hours are from 8 - 11 p.m. Chilling thrills await as you enter at the Raceway and float the red waters of Demon Falls, find yourself trapped in the Haunted Chamber, make your way through the Haunted Mirror Maze, survive Terror on the Tracks, and finally escape through the Tormented Tipsy House. ...

Screwie Louie’s Bar & Grill in Newell will host a Halloween party, Saturday, October 31, 8 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Open to age 21 and over. The costume contest begins at 9 p.m., winners will be announced between 11 p.m. and midnight. Prizes are offered for Scariest Individual, Most Original Individual, Scariest Couple and Most Original Couple...

ew filmmakers can bring a rut to life like Sofia Coppola. When her characters are in a funk, whether it’s a Hollywood actor in between jobs, a few lost souls in a foreign place or a Queen, it’s never the stuff of melodrama. She has an eye for the comedic banalities of the everyday like the excruciating awkwardness of a stilted conversation or, as in her latest “ On the Rocks,” the image of an overwhelmed mother trying to nap in the glaring sunlight while a Roomba bangs its way through the apartment.. ...

Democratic congressional candidate J.D. Scholten stopped short of supporting a federal mask mandate, but said he believes there should be a COVID-19 “national plan.”  Scholten said Friday his prayers go out to President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump after it was announced they both tested positive for COVID-19. He said the president’s positive diagnosis shows that anyone is able to contract the virus...

Mark Prosser may no longer carry the Storm Lake Police Chief badge, but he’s never retired from his role of community cheerleader. Prosser shared Storm Lake’s diversity success story recently in an online fundraiser discussion of immigration for Dubuque’s Presentation Lantern Center, which has served over 1,000 immigrants from 71 countries since being founded in 2002 by the Catholic Sisters of the Presentation order...

Burying a couple of playmates in the golden corn playbox at Jones Nursery’s Pumpkin Hollow event. For three days of fun, the Storm Lake business offered a pumpkin-picking patch; petting zoo with kittens, goats and chickens; arts and crafts; photo booth; Halloween inflatables and more. A portion of the proceeds benefit Buena Vista Regional Medical Center...

Sara Huddleston is excited about the opportunity to become the first Latina to serve in the Iowa Legislature, but says she doesn’t want to be known for her ethnicity. “I’m Latino, Hispanic, whatever you want to call me - I cannot hide my skin, my dark eyes and dark hair. ...

Seven-term Iowa Representative Gary Worthan anticipates that the impact of COVID-19 will be the top challenge for the coming term. “COVID is going to be a big thing for multiple reasons,” he says. “Is going back to school going to work throughout the school year? What is COVID going to do to the budget long-term? Right now, we can’t even know for sure if we will be able to go back into session when January comes.”...