Stories from Tuesday, November 10, 2020

In the 1860’s, Storm Lake was merely a barren settlement on the northeast shore of the lake. Since there were no trees in the vast surrounding prairie, lumber was practically non-existent. The settlement consisted of a few crude buildings: an unfinished small hotel, a grocery store, tents and sod houses. That was about to change...

Superman, that boring lug, has thankfully flown the coop. Writer-director Thomas Bezucha’s Western thriller “Let Him Go” reunites Diane Lane and Kevin Costner, who as the Kents were easily the warmest presences in the otherwise dully dour “Man of Steel.”...

Award-winning, Iowa songwriter Chad Elliott will release his 24th album, Tangle with the Ghost, on Nov. 13. “I am so proud of this album. The songs are universal, but it is Iowa music. Everyone who played on this album is from my home state. I love that,” Elliott said...

Award winning Australian singer/ songwriter Peter D. Harper creates a heady mix of original roots music through his creative use of the harmonica and the didgeridoo. Harper and his band Midwest Kind will be returning to Byron’s in Pomeroy for a concert Sunday, November 22, 5-9 p.m...

Iowa Senate Republicans re-elected Jack Whitver as the chamber’s majority leader and selected Sen. Jake Chapman, R-Adel, as president of the chamber for the upcoming General Assembly. During a press conference at the Capitol on Friday, Whitver said Republican victories Tuesday night were indicative of Iowans’ approval of Gov. Kim Reynolds and the conservative trifecta in the Iowa Legislature...

Some GOP lawmakers, including Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, have fallen in line with President Donald Trump’s claim that he will win the election if the “legal votes” are counted. “If you count the legal votes, I easily win,” Trump said Thursday night, without citing any evidence that votes have been cast fraudulently or illegally. “If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us.”...

The state of Iowa has recently made rapid antigen testing for the SARS-CoV2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19, available for preschool through 12th grade students attending public or private schools in Clay County. Local schools, Clay County Public Health, Spencer Hospital and Avera Medical Group Spencer have worked together to develop a process to make this testing easily accessible and free for students...

A $2 million grant of federal CARES Act funding distributed by the state of Iowa will support university research of a nanovaccine to protect against COVID-19 infections. The project will build on previous research and existing patents by Iowa State University and University of Iowa researchers affiliated with the Nanovaccine Institute based at Iowa State. The fast-track project is expected to be largely completed by the end of the year...

There is still time to participate in “Laura’s New Heart 5K Run/Walk,” being organized by her family and held this month through November 14. The socially-distanced event encourages anyone to run or walk the 3.1 mile distance at the time and place of their choosing. The distance does not have to be completed all at once. There are no fees or registration needed, but those who complete the task are encouraged to send a picture showing “heart hands” to annekatie21@gmail.com by the 14th...

Kenneth Edsel Klatt, the son of Emil and Etta (Steffen) Klatt was born on August 4, 1927, in Spencer. His childhood years were spent in the Royal, area where he attended country school and graduated from Rossie High School in 1945. He was baptized and confirmed in the Royal Lutheran Church...

Gary M. Heflin, age 74, of Rembrandt, died on Tuesday, November 3, at his home in Rembrandt. Funeral Mass was held on Friday, November 6, at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Burial was in the Calvary Cemetery in Charles City. Visitation took place at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements...

Marilyn L. Harvey, age 77, of Alta, died on Tuesday, November 3, at the Sanford Senior Care in Sheldon. Funeral services were held on Friday, November 6, at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Burial was in the Buena Vista Memorial Park Cemetery in Storm Lake. ...

Enjoy Iowa’s natural landscapes fishing Iowa’s rivers and streams this fall. A unique angling challenge is hidden around every bend. “You are never far from one of Iowa’s many rivers,” said Greg Gelwicks, Iowa DNR interior rivers research biologist. “Fall is a great time to give them a try.”...

The fourth annual Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Women in Ag Leadership Conference addresses topics that are timely and challenging. The conference features speakers ready to share leadership knowledge and skills participants can apply to succeed in farm or agribusiness careers. This year’s conference is Nov. 30, 1-3:30 p.m., and Dec. 1, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The conference is a virtual event sponsored by Farm Credit Services of America...

Customers struggling to pay their energy bills may qualify for additional assistance this year if they also experienced COVID-19-related income losses, as several states have added pandemic relief funds on top of their annual low-income home energy assistance programs, or LIHEAP...

Abby Bean of Marathon, IA was awarded the $2,000 Hy-Vee/4- HIIFAA Foundation Scholarship by the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement (IFAA). Abby’s parents are Craig and Chris Bean. The IFAA established the Winner’s Circle Scholarship Program in 1990 to provide incentives for college-bound youth seeking post-secondary education in an area of agriculture. Over $180,600 were awarded in scholarships to 98 youth this year by IFAA...

The Buena Vista County Historical Society will host a Veterans Day meal, November 11. Serving will be curbside at the museum in Storm Lake, 214 West 5th Street. Meals can be picked up by parking at the front entrance, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. The menu includes barbecue pork on a bun, a bag of potato chips, apple sauce, a dessert bar and bottle of water, all for $7...

Many Hands Market in Spencer’s $500 monthly donation for October was received by The Bridge of Storm Lake. Katie Cannon presented the donation to Jay Dahlhauser, Operations Director for The Bridge. As part of this donation, they also received $300 of vouchers to support those they serve. ...

Trepson Foundation is preparing to open its new day care/preschool location at 800 Oneida Street #1 later this month, with a ribbon cutting to be scheduled in December. Owner Trevina Jefferson said that preliminary fire code and building code inspections have been completed for the facility, and Department of Human Services officials have taken a look at the location...

The Storm Lake SALUD multicultural health organization is reorganizing. “The group has intentionally not been very structured, but it’s time to hand something more structured on to younger folks to continue forward,” said Di Daniels, one of the founders...

Storm Lake Police responded to a report of an intoxicated man attempting to leave a residence on E. 5th Street at 12:30 a.m. Friday morning. As officers arrived, the driver fled northbound in an alley, trying to elude police. A short time later he struck two parked cars and crashed into a house in the 700 block of Superior Street, doing an estimated $13,500 damage...

Pop up shops have been in existence, for some time now – other than a few attempts over the years in the Storm Lake business district to establish a few, the city really hasn’t seen many. Places such as Junk Rescued have evolved from pop up shop status, to having a storefront for their business. ...

Storm Lake public schools plan to carry over COVID-19 protections into second semester in 2021. “Every county in Iowa is going up with cases. Right now, there’s no reason to expect that a less safe model would be a good idea,” Superintendent Stacey Cole told the Pilot-Tribune this week. “We’re hopeful that less restrictions may be needed come spring - but who knows what will happen with a vaccine.”...

As COVID-19 case numbers rise rapidly in the area and statewide, a Buena Vista Regional Medical Center physician is urging local residents to don masks, avoid gatherings, and get flu shots. In a video message to the community, Emergency Room Medical Director and BVRMC Chief of Medical Staff Garrett Feddersen noted that “COVID right now is kind of going wild across the United States. We know numbers are climbing across the U.S., in Iowa and specifically in northwest Iowa.”...