Stories from Friday, February 26, 2021

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack to be the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for the second time. Secretary Vilsack formerly served eight years under President Obama.  In response to the confirmation vote Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw made the following statement: ...

Route 86 Music is excited to announce the creation of its new record label called Route 86 Records. Owner Gary Lambert is excited to bring artists in under this label and has already released several singles. Artist Rock a la Carte kicked things off with the release of their single “So Much Better (Together)” featuring talents from not only Rock a la Carte but also bands Boon & Lambert, Vinyl Nights, Triple Shot and Ten Seven...

Buena Vista University (BVU) and Community 1st Credit Union have put their respective stamps on a Strategic Partnership that will benefit both organizations as they strive to enhance the communities and states they serve. Under the agreement, Community 1st Credit Union employees, their spouses, and dependents may receive grant funding to lower the overall cost of education while enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus. ...

‘Murder on the Orient Express’ begins 2-week run

Rock the Roof kicks off the music season in the Iowa Great Lakes, Thursday, March 18 at the Roof Garden Ballroom in Arnolds Park. The show begins at 6 p.m. Think of it as a St. Patrick’s day celebration, a day late. The always entertaining Rock a la Carte will be performing. Tickets are $20 for a set of two, $32 for a set of four, or $90 for a reserved booth for up to 6. Masks are required except while seated. Tickets will be available at wwww.eventbrite.com...

The Songs and Strings Benefit Fundraiser will be hosted by the Fort Dodge Opera House, Saturday, March 27, beginning at 7 p.m. Admission for a night of area musical talent will be free. Free will donations go to Broken Strings Inc. Performers include Jeremy Ober, Cory Waller, Jesse Wilson, Clint Reidel, Danny Grause, and program founder Scott Kirkhart, a Manson native and member of the local band Salty Views Acoustic Review...

The Storm Lake Rotary Club will not host its annual Storm Lake Father Daughter Dance this season. Rotarians said the decision was made with “great sadness.” “Due to the current climate around the COVID-19 pandemic, we feel it is an inappropriate time to host an event and invite people into a group gathering,” the club board said in its announcement. “Please mark your calendars now for Saturday March 5th, 2022, time to be determined...

Iowa gas prices have risen 15.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.60 to start the week. Local prices jumped at a slightly slower pace. Most Storm Lake stations were at $2.59 early this week, up from $2.49 a week earlier. Gas prices in Iowa are 28.2 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 27.4 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. Stations across the state ranged from $2.21 to $3.14 to start the week...

The Storm Lake Public Library had an unfortunate leaking roof at the beginning of this week which will affect curbside pick-up. For the foreseeable future, the following library materials in the adult section will not be available to patrons: all nonfiction, all biography, and all Spanish language. Also, fiction books with author’s last names from Beatty to Brunstetter will not be available...

Emerald ash borer has been detected in Cherokee County for the first time. The discovery was made after City of Aurelia workers noticed telltale S-shaped tunneling under the bark of ash trees. This is the 77th county in the state where this invasive pest has been found...

The family of Lary and Patricia Gunville, is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary. They were married March 2, 1971. Their family includes children: David (Tonya) Hinners; Donna(Chuck) Ryherd; Dawn (Herb) Simpson, Dale Hinners & Daniele Balthazar; and Tina Arceo; 13 grandchildren, 3 step-grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren Your family congratulates you on this wonderful golden anniversary and wish you many more years of love and happiness! Cards of congratulations can be sent to: 325 Seneca St., Apt. ...

After a lukewarm response from the staff at the elementary school, the Storm Lake Board of Education opted not to hire an assistant principal. Instead, the board agreed to add an additional student services director to the staff to help carry the administrative load...

Four Storm Lake High School 10-12 grade iJAG (Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates) students traveled to the Capitol Building in Des Moines recently. Students spent the day touring the capitol, walking in the underground tunnels, listening to Governor Reynolds speak about her support for iJAG, speaking with legislators, and sharing what iJAG has done for our lives. ...

Apollo Price, age 41 of Storm Lake, was sentenced in the Iowa District Court by the Honorable Andrew Smith. On February 24, Price entered a guilty plea for the crimes of Possession of Methamphetamine, a serious misdemeanor and Domestic Abuse Assault, a simple misdemeanor. Price was sentenced to two days in the Buena Vista County Jail for each offense...

Seasons Center for Behavioral Health has multiple options for free community suicide prevention trainings in the area. There are currently two options, a brief, 2-hour training for an applicable process to help individuals in crisis and a 2-day intensive suicide prevention workshop with powerful audiovisuals, discussions, and simulations...

Area fishing report

May 22, 1925 - February 21, 2021

The risk of flooding generally remains low across most of Nebraska and Iowa because the snow across both states is expected to melt gradually in the coming days. But the amount of ice on some rivers, particularly the Platte River in eastern Nebraska, remains a concern because chunks of ice can create flooding as it melts by creating ice jams that block the channel of the river. So officials will be watching how the ice melts closely...

Unanimous support Ten bills passed through the Senate without opposition: SF 285 deals with suspension of student participation in the all Iowa opportunity scholarship program; SF 315 removes some reporting requirements for Iowa Department of Administrative Services; SF 343 provides access to confidential records by parole board and department of corrections; SF 354 addresses continuing education requirements; SF 363 regulates certain tobacco related products; SF 364 deals with deductions related to the Paycheck Protection Program for fiscal year filers; SF 366 deals with state taxes and collections; HF 386 strikes reporting requirements for school organizations that are non-profit; HF 231 provides special sentencing for sexual abuse committed during a burglary; and HF 308 addresses eligibility requirements for students under the senior year plus program.. ...

LINCOLN - The Buena Vista volleyball team picked up its second win on Tuesday with a 3-1 win on the road against Nebraska Wesleyan University (0-2, 0-2 A-R-C). Junior Sydney McLaren finished with 13 kills. Her total is now up to 655 career kills which moves her to just 13 below eighth place on the program’s all time list. ...

LINCOLN - The Buena Vista women’s basketball team began the fourth quarter on an 11-2 run to help break open a two-point game and help lift the team to a big American Rivers Conference road win at Nebraska Wesleyan on Wednesday night. BVU led 42-40 at the start of the fourth quarter in a game that featured 10 ties and 13 lead changes throughout the first 30 minutes. ...

Warrior grappler ends career with a pin at State

MILFORD - The Sioux Central boys gave favored Spirit Lake a spirited battle in a 2A Substate semifinal Tuesday, but were forced to foul in the end as the Indians pulled away for the 65-52 win. The teams played even early with both offenses clicking. ...

On Thursday night the Tornadoes season was ended by the Carrol Tigers with a 62-45 loss in the semifinals of substate. Storm Lake never led the game but kept it quite close, with the Tigers’ highest lead in the first half being only three points with five ties...

SIOUX CITY - The Newell-Fonda boys fought an uphill battle much of the night Tuesday, ending their season in a 1A Substate semifinal at the hands of Remsen St. Mary’s, 61-41. The Hawks grabbed the early lead in the Sioux City East gym with a couple of three-point plays, but the Mustangs came storming back to take a 10-7 advantage, to the delight of a good turnout of blue and white fans...

Mustangs cruise to 75-37 win in District final, meet KP at State Wed.

A total of 750 doses of vaccine were administered in Buena Vista County last week, serving people primarily in Phase 1B including those age 65 and up and individuals considered Tier 1 priority. Of those 750 vaccines, 678 people started their vaccination series and 72 completed them. BV Public Health continues to receive 300 prime doses allocated from the state per week to divide among vaccine providers in the county. Last week HyVee received 200 doses from the federal allocation...

On February 22nd, Buomkuoth Lol, age 19 of Carroll, had his probation revoked in the Iowa District Court by the Honorable David Lester. Lol was on probation for Attempted Burglary, Assault, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Operating a Motor Vehicle without Owner’s Consent, an Aggravated Misdemeanor stemming from crimes in Storm Lake...

Thirty-five Tyson Foods locations including the Storm Lake pork plant have been recognized by The North American Meat Institute for their dedication to making a positive environmental impact. The Environmental Recognition awards recognize a company’s dedication to continuous environmental improvement, as witnessed by the development and implementation of Environmental Management Systems...

Storm Lake Police Chief Chris Cole received a Department of Defense Patriot Award Wednesday for his, and the department’s, support of employees in the National Guard and Reserves. The nomination was made by police officer Tyler Munden, who serves with the 185th Air Refueling Wing, who said that the police department “goes above and beyond the call” to accommodate military obligations, and helps by communicating with the families of the service members to ensure they are taken care of. ...

By DANA LARSEN Pilot-Tribune Editor Storm Lake High School has met Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ mandate to reopen all schools for in-person teaching by mid-February, but a majority of families chose not to return to full-time classes. About 200 families opted for students to return to the building full-time, representing less that a quarter of the school’s 840-student population...

A youngster shovels his way through the late season drifts, gathering powder for a snowman during the Big Snow Showdown event last weekend at Season’s Center. / Photo by Joseph Hopper

SL leaders also worry about TIF legislation