Business News

An entrepreneurship program is in the works to possibly begin in the fall of this year at Alta-Aurelia High School, business teacher Tim Galvin said. He will lead the program where the end product is to have students develop their own business plan and business. The project was discussed by high school Principal Scott Mitchell at the Jan. 18th Alta-Aurelia School Board meeting...

Bomgaars held a Ladies’ Shopping Night on October 25 where 5 percent of sales went back to programs to help women fighting cancer. Ron Thompson and Cindy Mortiz from the Storm Lake Bomgaars present Katie Schwint with Buena Vista Regional Medical Center a check for $1,643. / Photo submitted...

Hy-Vee, Inc. announced today that it has given more than $167.2 million in bonuses and other benefits to its employees in 2020. Over the last year, Hy-Vee introduced a variety of new and enhanced employee benefits as part of its mission to be the “Best Place to Work in America.”...

Tyson Foods is partnering with Matrix Medical Network, a leading clinical services company, to ensure the company’s U.S. team members are educated about and have access to the COVID-19 vaccines. Matrix will collaborate with Tyson Foods’ health services team to deploy mobile health clinics and expert clinical staff to support vaccine communications, administration and counseling at Tyson Foods facilities beginning in early 2021 and continuing throughout the year. ...

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) and Fareway launched their second “Fill Your Freezer” sweepstakes today to give Iowans a chance to win a $200 gift card for meat at each of Fareway’s 106 Iowa locations. Iowans who want a chance to fill their freezers with $200 in meat can visit www.iowafarmbureau.com/fillyourfreezer and select their local Fareway store. ...

A state audit has confirmed that the Iowa Lottery saw a dip of just under 5% in operating revenue last budget year and funneled less money to the state general fund.  State Auditor Rob Sand’s report covering the budget year ending June 30 included the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic. ...

Pamela Wilken, Vice President/Human Resources Officer at Citizens 1st National Bank, was awarded a certificate of completion from the 20th annual Human Resource Management School presented by the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ...

MidAmerican Energy plans to buy a Webster County solar energy development as part of a proposed subscription service that will allow companies such as Facebook to buy power generated entirely with renewable sources.  MidAmerican will purchase a utility-scale solar development under development by owned by San Diego-based EDF Renewables North America. Terms were not disclosed...

Hy-Vee, Inc. announces today that it will start hosting quarterly “Best of Local Brands” summits in 2021 to expand and enhance the product offerings at its more than 275 retail stores in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin...

Buena Vista County U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that Frank Klahs II of Storm Lake was elected to represent his local administrative areas (LAA) during the recent county committee election. Trent Hatlen of Rembrandt will serve as the first alternate...

“The World’s Greatest County Fair” lived up to its billing by winning multiple awards and recognitions at the 2020 International Association of Fairs and Expositions “Virtual Vision” held Nov. 30 through Dec. 1. “Virtual Vision” replaced the IAFE Annual Convention, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic...

One of the most impressive Christmas trees in northwest Iowa has to be this towering two-story beauty dressed up in sliver and green, at Elements by K. Sorbe, the Storm Lake interior design store. The store has lots of unique gifts and arrangements for the holiday season, says owner Kathy Sorbe. / Pilot photo by Dana Larsen...

The Boards of Directors of First Cooperative Association, Cherokee, and Alceco, Albert City, IA., have signed a letter of intent to conduct a unification study between the two cooperatives. “Marketplace dynamics are changing dramatically. The Board of Directors of both cooperatives believe this is the right time to conduct this study. ...

The COVID-19 pandemic canceled the Valero Texas Open, like it did so many prominent events across the country, but it didn’t stop the tournament’s legacy of giving back. Business partners, sponsors and individual donors of the tournament and related events including the Valero Benefit for Children still contributed more than $14 million in net proceeds for charitable organizations across the United States, including those in the Albert City area...

Registration is now open for Practical Farmers of Iowa’s 2021 virtual annual conference, “Coming Home,” which will take place Jan. 21-23. The event will feature over 50 practical, farmer-led sessions – as well as a raft of new offerings, from bilingual and youth sessions, to the premiere of PFI’s first feature-length film, to interactive formats planned specifically for the virtual environment...

As a nationwide leader in wind energy, Alliant Energy continues making progress toward a cleaner energy future. The Iowa Utilities Board has verified that more than 26.5% of the electricity Alliant Energy’s Iowa customers used in 2019 was generated by renewable resources, up from 9.9% in 2018...

Iowa’s grocery stores are taking their fight over the state’s bottle-redemption law to court. In September, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources denied the Iowa Grocery Industry Association’s request for a clearer standard in determining the distance between redemption centers and grocery stores that seek authorization to refuse the return of bottles and cans...

The Storm Lake SOS store is now settled into regular hours: Wednesday and Thursday 5-7 p.m., Friday noon-4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The SOS store is run solely by volunteers and all profits go to St Mary’s School.  New volunteers are always welcome...

It’s a crisp, sunny, late November afternoon on the east side of Storm Lake, and Amazing Graze owner Michelle Schreck is at the front counter of her food charcuterie store, helping a customer prepare an order of fine-quality meats and cheeses. Charcuterie is a French term for a branch of cooking, and food prep, devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, and sausages, but can also bring in pates’, ballotines, and galantines. ...

Twisted Graphix has a catchy, cool business name, and face it, sometimes that’s what usually draws people in first, to check out what they do. But the other thing that draws folks in, is the product. Looking at their Facebook page, you can see the vast array of pictures dedicated to what the company has created. ...