Stories from Friday, May 28, 2021

The Alta Fire Dept. (AFD) will celebrate its 140+1 anniversary on Aug. 21-22 with a softball tournament fundraiser, dunk tank, bouncy house, concession stand, parade and appreciation meal fundraiser. Last year’s plans were altered due to COVID, but the event is back on track...

Friday May 21.the Alta-Aurelia Shooting Sports Trap team traveled to a shoot near Ruthven. The host team was the GTRA Bulls Eyes. There were 6 teams in competition at the shoot. Those placing for Alta-Aurelia are as follows. High School boys: Cale Brechwald was 3rd place breaking 49 of 50. High School girls: Addisen Reeves was 2nd place breaking 45 of 50...

1st place: Matthew Castaneda, 2nd place: Lilah Gustafson and 3rd place: Addilyn Langschwager

The annual Memorial Day program hosted by the Alta VFW Post 6172 will be held Monday, May 31, 10 a.m., at the Alta-Aurelia High School gym in Alta. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. The veterans to be honored are Lyman Johnson, Jessie Lookingbill and David Lydell, as well as Auxiliary member Melvin Schnetter...

A measure used in Alta-Aurelia schools, nurse on call and doctor on call, has reduced frequency of filing claims for staff members. Brian Lockin of Lockin Insurance Agency in Aurelia spoke on the topic at the May 12th A-A School Board meeting. He discussed loss ratios and ways the district can and is correcting some trends. ...

Long-time Storm Lake residents Lee Thorson and Roxy Fudge are moving this weekend. They would appreciate a card shower to their new address: 2660 N. Scott Blvd., Iowa City, 52245.  

The Turn Around Dancers Present their 6th Annual Dance Concert, Feet Don’t Fail Me Now. It will be held in the Storm Lake High School Auditorium on June 5 at 6 pm and June 6 at 4 p.m. There will be a variety of performances from jazz, tap, ballet, modern/contemporary, tumbling and hip hop; ages 3 to 18. ...

During commencement last weekend, the Highest Scholastic Honors students were called to the stage to receive medallions. Eleven seniors completed their high school careers with grade point averages of 4.0 (straight A) or above. They are Chelsea Baccam, Bailey Clipperton, Holly Dierenfeld, Mark Eddie, Benjamin Gallagher, Ethan Gasner, Che Der Ya Moo, Yu Sandar Myint, Leonardo Nera, Ellen Scully and Divy Jayce Vithayasab. / Photo by Dana Larsen...

When current CMA and CMT Music Award-nominated and Curb Records recording artist, Lee Brice, isn’t selling out arenas, writing and recording songs, or building new brands like American Born whiskey, you’ll find the family man with his wife Sara, two young boys, and daughter. ...

Neil Anders, veteran singer/songwriter from Odebolt, belts out a rendition of “The Weight” by The Band, during a Saturday afternoon concert in the Sunset Park bandshell - the first outdoor public concert in Storm Lake in more than a year. The show was a finishing stroke to the day’s Storm Lake Proud cleanup effort. Storm Lake United is working on a second concert with Anders later this summer...

The Clay County Fair has announced several grandstand shows for its 2021 run. Skillet with special guest Ledger is set for Saturday, September 11 at 7:30 p.m. One of the best-selling rock bands of the 21st century, the two-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum Wisconsin quartet, Skillet, ignites seismic anthems highlighted by chantable choruses, thunderous rhythms, symphonic electronics, and intricate musicality. ...

Climate change is making Iowa’s water quality problems worse, including nitrate pollution and toxic algae, a panel of experts told the nonprofit Iowa Environmental Council Wednesday. That means the federal government needs to change crop insurance rules and other programs that support we’ve-always-done-it-this-way agriculture in Iowa, they added. A return to more natural river flows and more sustainable farming practices would help, according to the panel...

Rivals to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley are lining up as the 87-year-old incumbent deliberates another term. Democrat Dave Muhlbauer released a video Monday announcing his candidacy for Grassley’s Senate seat. Muhlbauer, a farmer, served as a Crawford County supervisor for four years. He lost re-election in November...

The new Alta playground was under construction this week. The workers took time during recess for the nearby school to answer questions for the kids that were watching.

In addition to its work in prevention, the recently-formed Buena Vista County Suicide Prevention Coalition is looking at the possibility of providing caring baskets for families that experience suicide. The group hopes to share comfort items, as well as information about the grieving process and resources for anyone who may need counseling or other services...

Storm Lake Superintendent of Schools Stacey Cole paid homage to the members of the board of education during a recent meeting, noting that May is School Boards Recognition Month. “There just aren’t words to express the gratitude we feel for all of your support this past year,” she said, noting the many changes and additional efforts required to respond to the pandemic...

Storm Lake Community School District Foundation announces the awarding of nine classroom educator incentive grants in the Storm Lake District for the 2021-2022 school year. The foundation is funding $8,000 worth of classroom grants to support needed efforts of classroom teachers. These grants were announced by Mike Porsch, Executive Director of the foundation at the district’s retirement luncheon on May 24th...

On May 24th, 2021, Webster Vang, age 36 of Storm Lake, was sentenced in the Iowa District Court by the Honorable Nancy Whittenburg for the crime of Possession of a Firearm or Offensive Weapon by a Domestic Abuse Violation Offender, a Class D Felony. ...

UScellular customers in northwestern Iowa now have additional access to the company’s 5G network. New 5G equipment in seven cities offers coverage to multiple communities across Iowa. UScellular recently added 5G coverage in parts of Dickens, Emmetsburg, Maurice, Sheldon, Sioux Center, Spencer and Storm Lake. Currently, more than 650 cities across Iowa are covered by UScellular’s 5G network...

Families who make their living on farms often are exposed to situations beyond their control, causing them to experience exhaustion and distress. At any time, unstable prices, weather, crop or livestock disease, or equipment and communication breakdowns may make the reality of farm living difficult to deal with...

Buena Vista University (BVU) and Ag Partners have entered into a Strategic Partnership that will benefit both organizations as they work to strengthen people and the areas they serve. Under the agreement, Ag Partners employees, as well as 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. ...

Helen Wilhelmina Rasmussen, age 94, of Albert City, Iowa died on May 19, 2021 in Olathe, Kansas. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, May 25, at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Columbkille Catholic Church in Varina, Iowa. Burial will follow at the Fairfield Township Cemetery in Albert City, Iowa...

Robert (Bob) Harris Hoch, age 84, of Storm Lake, Iowa passed away at Methodist Manor on Tuesday, May 18. He fought a courageous battle against lung cancer and was surrounded by his two sons, Jeff Hoch and Curt Hoch and his home care team from Unity Point, Melissa and Pam...

On May 24th, 2021, following a contested hearing, Keith Germann, age 67 of Storm Lake, was sentenced in the Iowa District Court by the Honorable Andrew Smith for the crime of Operating While Intoxicated Third of Subsequent Offense, a Class D Felony. ...

The Storm Lake Board of Education plans to continue the Instructional Support Levy taxation that is set to expire at the end of next school year. The levy would be continued for five additional years up to 10 percent maximum set annually by the school board, funding by a mix of property tax and income surtax. During fiscal 2022, the Instructional Support Levy is anticipated to generate $935,000, which can be used for any general fund purpose. A public hearing was set for June 16 at 11 a.m...

The Test Iowa Site offered at Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake will be closing June 4. The number of people who utilize the Test Iowa Clinic has been consistently declining over the past several weeks. “With daily volume of tests dramatically decreasing over recent weeks, we feel the original mission of the BVRMC Test Iowa site has been fulfilled. ...

Storm Lake doesn’t hire fire chiefs very often. Only a handful of leaders have held that position, for long stretches of time, since the department was formed. After a meeting of the Civil Service Commission this week, Glenn Schlesser was selected as the next chief. He currently serves as assistant chief with a volunteer fire service in the Chicago, Illinois fire service. He has been involved in firefighting for 16 years, with three years as assistant chief...

The senior class of Raptors at Ridge View High School hurls caps into the air for the culmination of their commencement ceremony, held at the football field. / Ridge View photo

For 15 years, Keith Schmidt served Buena Vista University as Head Coach for the cross country and track and field programs. For the past 20 years, Schmidt has served as Director of Facilities Management for BVU. As he departs into retirement this week, Schmidt leaves as the reigning Education for Service Award winner, an honor presented annually to the top staff member at BVU...

Albert City Fire Department responded to a fire in a turkey brooder building on Sunday afternoon. The building was a total loss and several thousand five-day-old turkeys were destroyed. There were no injuries reported. The ACFD was assisted by the Newell and Marathon fire departments...

The process of COVID-19 vaccination has picked the low-hanging fruit - 42.5 percent of the Buena Vista County population had been fully immunized against COVID-19 as of midweek. “The tricky part is to get the other half,” says Julie Sather, county Public Health administrator...