Stories from Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Rhonda R. Staton, age 62, of Alta, Iowa passed away Wednesday, October 7, in Sioux City. A Celebration of Life Service will take place Tuesday, October 13, at 10:30 a.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in STORM LAKE. Burial will be in the Buena Vista Memorial Park Cemetery in Storm Lake. ...

Private graveside services for Robert D. Grienke, 82, of Aurelia, formerly of Alta, will be held at a later date. There will be no visitation. Inurnment will take place at Elk Township Cemetery, rural Alta. The Redig Funeral Home of Aurelia is in charge of arrangements...

Iowa’s statewide precipitation was 3.76 inches below normal for the 2020 Water Year, according to the latest Water Summary Update. The 2020 Water Year, running from Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020, ended with a total of 31.51 inches of precipitation in Iowa. ...

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps qualifying low-income Iowa homeowners and renters pay for a portion of their primary heating costs for the winter heating season. The assistance is based on household income, household size, type of fuel, and type of housing...

With the help of Friends with Food, a few more can be fed. The Food Bank of Iowa, St. Mark Lutheran Church, and SALUD Multicultural Health Coalition of Storm Lake have partnered together to offer a monthly food delivery to those who are permanently or temporarily homebound and with no easy access to transportation. ...

Library officials and library board members joined in a retirement party for Ruth Freese, who has worked with the library since 2007. City Manager Keri Navratil presented Freese with a copy of a City of Storm Lake resolution of appreciation for her service...

The Healthiest State Annual Walk was held on Wednesday, October 7. Leading up to the walk, the Healthiest State Initiative held a School Mascot Challenge. St. Mary’s Catholic School was the winner of the challenge and will receive $1,000 towards health and wellness...

A series of minor thefts in early September had Lakes Area store clerks scratching their heads. Newspaper racks were empty. Storefront vending boxes were cleaned out, and copies of the Sept. 2 Dickinson County News were hard to come by just 24 hours after the weekly newspaper was distributed throughout the Iowa Great Lakes...

The DNR’s weekly fishing report. Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake) Storm Lake has a daily limit of 3 walleye, and all 17- to 22-inch walleye must be released; no more than one walleye longer than 22 inches may be taken per day. Walleye - Fair: With cooler water temperatures, look for fish to start feeding closer to shore. ...

Iowa has a good chance of normal to above-normal temperatures through the end of next year after getting nearly 4 inches less precipitation over the past year, climatologists report.  That could mean continued trouble with drought and low stream levels, even with forecasts for extra snow this winter...

Despite the rise of COVID-19, just like in years past walkers made their way from Spencer Hospital’s Grand Avenue Park and into downtown Spencer adorned in pink for the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk. Although there were some new health precautions like masks and social distancing, there was a great turnout as friends and families joined the walk in its come and go “COVID style” format over two hours, celebrating survivors, honoring loved ones who have lost the battle to cancer and raising awareness for those who still fight the disease. ...

Nearly 30 people are killed every day in drunk-driving crashes in the U.S., or one death every 50 minutes, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Despite the fact that many bars have been closed during the pandemic, and traffic levels lowered with fewer cars on the roads during strict lockdowns, some states have reported an increase in DUI cases since the outbreak of the pandemic. ...

Age: 69 Hometown: Rochester, MN/Fort Dodge, IA Instrument:  Guitar-Fiddle-Mandolin How did you first become interested in making music? I played cornet in the school band at St. Mary’s grade school in Owatonna, MN.   In high school I started playing the guitar and writing songs...

Witter Gallery’s annual Halloween party, which regularly draws hundreds of visitors of all ages, is unfortunately not taking place this year. However, the gallery is still celebrating Halloween and reaching out to the community by holding an all-ages pumpkin decorating contest and giving away some scarily-awesome prizes...

Iowa singer-songwriter Chad Elliot will be performing at Century Farms Distillery, Spencer, on Sat. Oct. 17th for a night of great drinks, great food by Papa’s Smoking Meat and Catering, and great entertainment. Come early to get the best seats. The concert will be 5-8 p.m...

Voters will have the opportunity to elect four members of the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Cherokee County Council at the Nov. 3, 2020, general election. “The council members elected this year will be involved in bringing educational opportunities to Cherokee County for the next four years,” said Terry Janssen, Regional Extension Director. ...

Carmen Morrison serves as a resident advisor on campus at Buena Vista University. She plays third base, first base, and catcher for the Beavers in softball. The junior from Arlington, Wash., coordinates the popular BV Buddies mentor program in the local schools. She also serves as secretary for both BVU’s Ag Club and Beaver Animal Rescue & Care (BARC)...

Buena Vista University held its Homecoming Coronation ceremony virtually Friday night, complete with formal-wear COVID-19 masks. Congratulations to Queen Tania Toj Lopez and King Tanner Frost.

Scientists from around the country and at The Nature Conservancy, a global conservation organization, have recently completed a multi-year assessment of terrestrial ecosystems throughout the United States to determine landscapes that will prove resilient in a changing climate. ...

Nancy Beveridge’s new book “A Great Family Pet” is a heartwarming story about a pet parakeet named Chippie and his adventures with his new family. The writing experience brought back pleasant memories for the former elementary school teacher. An 87-year-old grandmother and resident of Wel-Life long-term care facility in Alta, Nancy wrote the book two years ago, before moving to Alta to be near her daughter, a school nurse for Alta-Aurelia. ...

Michael Chowdhury, the new general manager of King’s Pointe city-owned resort, was introduced during a city council meeting last week. A native of Ayr, Scotland and educated in Uganda, Chowdhury has a long history in the hospitality industry, working with Marriott, Hilton, and other branded and non-branded hotels...

One of two inmates who escaped from Sac County Jail in Sac City Friday- was captured Saturday morning. At presstime, the other escapee remained at large, considered dangerous. Around 4:30 Friday, the two inmates overpowered a female correctional officer. ...

God got a good one when Jane Shannahan Spooner, 97, passed away on May 7, at Methodist Manor in Storm Lake. Born on September 28, 1922 to Laura and James Shannahan in Des Moines, the stage for Jane’s long and vibrant life was set in 1925 when she won the popular Healthy Baby contest at the Iowa State Fair. ...