Stories from Tuesday, December 22, 2020

During these dreary days of doom and despair, cartoonists could be considered essential workers in helping people cope with continuous coronavirus concerns and other serious issues.  According to a quote on the website of nationally known cartoonist, Bob Mankoff, “Humor is physically and psychologically healthy, especially in the way it blocks stress.” Personally, I find myself grabbing the comic pages the minute that my daily newspaper arrives, allowing me to start my morning with a smile or a smirk after laughing at the latest creations in Cornered, Non Sequitur, Pearls Before Swine, and Dilbert. ...

Blood drives in Storm Lake, Sioux Rapids

The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for the first of several COVID-19 vaccines seeking its approval. As distribution begins, Iowa State University experts are available to comment on the safety of the vaccine, the history of such rollouts and the reason some people may refuse to get vaccinated...

A new survey suggests that the average Iowa drinks for four days in a row over the holidays. Almost half of respondents say drinking at Christmas is a family tradition. Over a third say they gift booze to loved ones at Christmas. Lockdown, social isolation, working from home… this year has been a tough one for many of us. ...

“With our diversity of cultures, we really get a lot of unique names,” reported Tracy Terry, First Embrace Obstetrics. “It’s really fun to hear the stories about how parents pick the name.” Most popular boy names: Four way tie between Emmanuel, Nathan, Isaac, and Ian. Christopher, Charlie, Dylan, and Liam were popular as well...

The Iowa Health Care Association has released details for upcoming steps as health care workers and residents in long-term care settings are the first priorities for vaccinations. There are three pharmacies that have been assigned to complete vaccine administration in long-term care facilities across Iowa...

It’s a well-known holiday fact, and such holiday competition gets the over-the-top treatment in such movies as “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, and “Christmas With The Cranks”. The brightest, flashiest, and cheesiest lights, Christmas trees, displays, and blow up Santas all make an entrance, seemingly en masse, as soon as Thanksgiving is over, on to the lawns, roofs, and houses across America...

Local ice is unsafe for fishing, according to the DNR fishing report this week. Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake)
Limited fishing activity last week due to skim ice. The lake has iced over, but ice is unsafe for fishing; the DNR recommends a minimum of four inches of clear ice for fishing...

Benjamin Peters of Storm Lake was named to the Wartburg College Fall Term Dean’s List. The college recognized 517 students for Fall Term. The list honors students who earned a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above in at least four course credits during the term. Three of the four course credits have to be graded with a traditional letter grade...

On May 26, 2020, Pope Francis approved a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Father Michael McGivney.  The miracle involved the healing of Michael “Mikey” Schachle from fetal hydrops, which causes a fatal accumulation of fluids throughout the body of an unborn child. ...

St. Mary’s Catholic PreK-12 School is approaching Christmas break with very minimal COVID-19 cases and wants to say thank-you to all the students, staff, and families for a great first semester. The students and staff at St. Mary’s have done a fantastic job following the new protocols and adapting to the new normal of wearing face masks, social distancing in the classrooms, and frequently washing hands...

June 1, 1925 - December 15, 2020

Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Brian Schatz (D-HA) applauded the Senate passing their Cannabidiol and Marijuana Research Expansion Act, a bill to encourage scientific and medical research on marijuana and its compounds including cannabidiol, or CBD...

At its monthly meeting held December 15, 2020, the Buena Vista Regional Healthcare Foundation elected officers for 2021. Suzette Radke, Aurelia, was elected Chair; Joshua Newhouse, Storm Lake, Vice-Chair; and The Reverend Duane Queen, Storm Lake, Secretary-Treasurer...

Buena Vista County has had 3,543 confirmed COVID-19 cases to date as of Monday. Nearly 18 percent of the county’s population has tested positive - easily the highest per capita rate in Iowa. The county has seen 22 deaths - COVID was the underlying cause in 19 cases, a contributing factor in three...

Albert City - Truesdale Elementary students created care packages for each resident at Pleasant View Nursing Home in Albert City. Mrs. Laura Sievers spearheaded the project with the help of funds from a Thrivent Action Team grant. With the support of classroom teachers, Amy Stepec and Bradi Sievers, the students in 5th and 6th grade create a craft, a handwritten note, and were able to stuff the packages with items to show the residents that someone has been thinking about them. / Photo submitted . ...

With the year nearing its end the Clay County Board of Supervisors have hosted a number of organizations for their annual reports and updates. Clay County Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons was one of those on hand Tuesday morning, thanking the board for their support and revisiting the year of 2020...

Former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has spent years, if not decades, telling his fellow Democrats they needed to do more to aid rural communities and reach out to them. But he has often lamented that no one listened. Now, he’s going to try again...

Gov. Kim Reynolds’ administration is using $10 million in federal pandemic relief funds to pay the salaries of state police officers, who have played only a small role in Iowa’s virus response. The expense is listed in a state report as going toward “State Government COVID staffing” at the Iowa Department of Public Safety. The report claims the money will support payroll expenses for employees “whose services were diverted to a substantially different use as a result of COVID-19.”...

STORM LAKE - The St. Mary’s girls picked up their second win in three outings last week, hitting for 30 points in the second half to put away fellow Twin Lakes team Southeast Valley, 54-43. Friday’s matchup was a rock-em-sock-em affair with plenty of scrambling on the planks. ...

STORM LAKE - The Tornado girls struggled Friday, falling 73-39 to a high-powered Spencer squad ranked #15 in 3A. The Tigers led 24-8 after a quarter and 45-17 at the break to improve to 7-1 on the season, 3-0 in the Lakes Conference. Storm Lake is 1-7, 0-3 headed into the holiday break. ...

ALTA - The Warrior girls got off to a good start Friday, but couldn’t keep pace with West Bend-Mallard, falling 55-41 in Twin Lakes play. Alta-Aurelia held a 13-10 lead after a quarter, but the Wolverines owned the second frame to take a 29-20 margin to the locker room. AA led fourth quarter scoring 11-9, but could not pull close. The Warriors gave up 45 rebounds and 21 turnovers, and had five of their shots blocked...

NEWELL - Not many teams are looking forward to playing Newell-Fonda right now. After suffering their first loss in two years and swapping rankings with Algona Garrigan, the now-#2 Mustangs are back on a tear, putting away Manson NW Webster Friday 69-26...

HOLSTEIN - The Ridge View girls rebounded from a tough two-point defeat by West Monona last Tuesday to put away OABCIG at home Friday in a low-scoring affair, 39-29. The Raptors led from the opening moments, up 10-8 after a period, and 19-14 at the break. ...

Iowa State lost the Big 12 championship game, yet still earned a spot in its first major bowl game. Oregon won the Pac-12 title after being a late replacement and is back in a New Year’s Six bowl for the second straight season. It’s been two different roads to what could be another great Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix when No. 12 Iowa State faces No. 25 Oregon on Jan. 2. It airs on ESPN...

ORANGE CITY - The Tornado wrestlers headed into break on a winning note, picking up a pair of narrow wins Thursday at MOC-Floyd Valley. Storm Lake took the win over MOC-FV 42-37, helped by opponent forfeits at four weight classes. Storm Lake results:...

STORM LAKE - The Storm Lake boys took it to #8 ranked Spencer Friday, maintaining a lead throughout the second half on the way to a 62-55 win. The Tornadoes broke out to a 5-0 start, but both teams then struggled to find traction, ending the quarter tied at 11. The Tigers faced an aggressive SL defense, as the Tornadoes built a 27-17 halftime advantage, and pushed the lead to 14 by the end of the third...

STORM LAKE - In the mythical Rumble in the Jungle, it was the Jaguars coming out on top of the Panthers Friday night at St. Mary’s. The black and white fell behind early, 15-10 in the first quarter and 35-18 at the half, as Southeast Valley prowled to a 66-28 win. St. Mary’s was shut out in the fourth quarter...

ALTA - The Warriors picked up their second win of the week Friday, pummeling West Bend-Mallard 72-24. Alta-Aurelia took control early with a 25-5 first quarter, and led 47-13 at half half, before easing off in the fourth. Cade Rohwer led the scoring with 19 for AA, along with nine rebounds a block and four steals. ...

NEWELL - The Mustang boys showed some scoring power Friday in a runaway 83-30 victory over winless Manson-NW Webster. Newell-Fonda put up 26 points in the first quarter to 4 for MNWW, and poured on 33 in the second. Sophomore Carter Sievers led NF with 18 including three triples. ...

HOLSTEIN - Ridge View handed #10-ranked OABCIG its first loss of the season Friday, 50-43. The Raptors took a 10-6 lead after a quarter, and held a narrow 19-17 edge at break. The Falcons went on a nine-straight run into the third, but RV responded with a15-2 run of their own for some breathing room. OABCIG pulled within a deuce in the late going, but the Raptors made their free throws down the stretch...

What is expected to be the largest housing development in Storm Lake history cleared a first hurdle Thursday night, gaining the blessings of the Planning & Zoning Commission on a 4-1 vote. Approval came despite the voicing of multiple concerns by a board member and some neighbors...

Congressman-elect Randy Feenstra declined to refer to Democrat Joe Biden as president-elect during a public-television appearance.Feenstra is a Republican who will represent the 4th Congressional District in northwest Iowa. He said he looks forward to Jan. 6, when the House of Representatives will consider what in the past has been a largely ceremonial confirmation of the Electoral College results...

The on-again, off-again condo project, on the east side of Storm Lake, is back on-again, and in full swing towards getting completed. Shawn Foutch, and his Johnston, Iowa-based company, JMAE, are heading up the construction, and the sight of a new build going up in the City Beautiful, has many area residents excited in a region where houses, and apartments get bought, and rented quickly. Both Shawn, and his wife Meg, are involved in the company operations...

No one is getting off scott-free under a pandemic that has strained both nerves and bank accounts to a breaking point. A recent study found over 80 percent of Americans reporting financial stress this year. “It’s been a circle-the-wagons year,” says Carol Ehlers, family finance specialist with Buena Vista County ISU Extension. The agency has been offering a “What About Me: My Wellbeing” series of virtual classes this season to address the impacts...

Craig Williams, newly-elected Iowa Senator for area District 6, has been appointed to several key committees for the session beginning January 11. The Republican from Manning will serve on Ag & Natural Resources, Appropriations, Commerce, Government Oversight and Local Government committees...

After successfully hosting the event on six previous occasions, we carefully and thoughtfully made this difficult decision to withdraw from hosting in 2021. Some of those factors taken into consideration are as follows: • COVID -19: Professionals working in the medical field, law enforcement agencies, public health, emergency management and local government have worked through long hours and stressful conditions to provide and maintain services. ...