State and Regional News

The Iowa Finance Authority recently announced more than $6.4 million in grants to 27 area Housing Trust Funds to support local affordable housing initiatives. The grant awards are expected to assist more than 2,500 families. Northwest Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund received over $273,000. The fund serves Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola and Sioux counties...

A Kansas man has asked an Iowa judge to let him engage in a sword fight with his ex-wife and her attorney so that he can “rend their souls” from their bodies. David Ostrom, 40, of Paola, Kansas, said in a Jan. 3 court filing that his former wife, Bridgette Ostrom, 38, of Harlan, Iowa, and her attorney, Matthew Hudson, had “destroyed (him) legally.” The Ostroms have been embroiled in disputes over custody and visitation issues and property tax payments...

Authorities say a brother and sister who attended schools in the same northwestern Iowa school district have been killed in a crash on an ice-covered road. Ella Holtzen, 18, and her brother, 14-year-old Harrison Holtzen, died from injuries they suffered in the Tuesday morning crash north of Sioux City, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office said...

Nebraska suffered more than $3.4 billion in losses from disastrous weather last year while the toll was $1.9 billion in neighboring Iowa, according to a federal report. The bomb cyclone in March caused most of the damage, said the National Centers for Environmental Information, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. ...

The second session of the 88th General Assembly of the State of Iowa gaveled in at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 13, 2020. The remainder of Monday was consumed with procedures required by the Iowa Constitution to organize the House, establish communication with the Senate and the Governor and approve the policies and rules under which the House will conduct business...

Reverend Raven returns to the area for the KeeLive Festival (formerly Jazz & Blues Fest) in Cherokee, Saturday, January 18, 9 p.m. at the VFW Hall. Bringing crowds to their feet at the hardest to please and sophisticated night clubs in the Midwest, Reverend Raven and the Chain Smoking Altar Boys play traditional blues, straight up with a big dose of passion. ...

A full moon shines weekly above the Buena Vista University arch. The January full moon is known as the Wolf Moon or Ice Moon.

Iowa lawmakers convened the 2020 legislative session Monday with taxes, workforce and child care issues on their minds. With his family including his grandparents U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley and Barbara Grassley looking on, Republican Rep. Pat Grassley was elected by voice vote and took the oath of office to take the speaker’s chair...

A judge ruled Friday that a man charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of a central Iowa pastor is mentally unfit to stand trial. A Webster County District judge found Josh Pendleton, 36, incompetent to stand trial and ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment at the Iowa Medical Classification Correctional Facility in Oakdale, the Fort Dodge Messenger reported. His trial had been set to begin in April...

Iowa regulators have approved a rate increase that’s lower than what Alliant Energy sought. On Thursday, the Iowa Utilities Board also decided that Alliant must refund around $7.5 million to customers who paid interim rate increases. Refunds will come as bill credits over 12 months...

With 41.5 inches of rain falling across Iowa last year, 2019 is now the 12th wettest year on record in the state, according to the latest Water Summary Update. “2019 was a very wet year, but so was 2018. The last two years combined were the wettest two years on record for the state,” said Tim Hall, DNR’s coordinator of hydrology resources. “These conditions have resulted in higher than normal streamflows, and good shallow groundwater conditions going into the winter months.”...

Despite more than doubling releases from its reservoir system, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers still doesn’t expect to eliminate all the leftover water from last year’s near record runoff that led to massive Missouri River flooding. The Corps had been discharging about twice the normal winter amount from Gavins Point Dam — the southernmost in the six-dam system. ...

Iowa gas prices rose 2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.39 per gallon - 1.2 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and 40 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. All that changed Wednesday. Storm Lake prices had held steady into the week, ranging from $2.25 to $2.39, with most stations at $2.30. Alta stations were at $2.31 earlier this week. By Wednesday night, prices had surged, with most Storm Lake stations at $2.44...

The City Council in Webster City has rejected a plan to sell a portion of a city park, heeding the pleas from residents who filled the meeting chamber at City Hall. A public hearing was held during the council meeting Monday night about a proposal to sell 1.25 acres (0.51 hectares) of East Twin Park to The Overland Group, a developer from Birmingham, Alabama. Its plan was to build a Dollar General store at the site, The Messenger reported...

A Dickinson County man charged with sexual assault entered a guilty plea to lesser charges recently in Emmet County District Court. David Michael Clinton of Superior received a pair of one-year sentences for indecent exposure stemming from behavior Nov. 18, 2018, in Estherville. A 17-year-old and an 18-year-old girl from Milford were with Clinton at the time...

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate launched a new digital outreach effort this week to inform survivors of human trafficking and stalking about resources available to them. Two videos will run on Facebook and YouTube promoting Safe at Home throughout the month of January, which is Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month...

A Monday morning accident claimed the life of a Spirit Lake man after the van he was driving collided with a semi-truck and tractor near the John Deere dealership on U.S. Highway 71 south of Spencer. At 11:15 a.m., Clay County dispatched received a report of a motor vehicle crash in the 3700 mile of Highway 71. ...

The sale of marijuana for recreational purposes became legal Wednesday in Illinois to the delight of pot fans — many who began lining up hours early at dispensaries. About 500 people were outside Dispensary 33 in Chicago. Renzo Mejia made the first legal purchase in the shop shortly after 6 a.m., the earliest that Illinois’ new law allowed such sales...

On December 27, around 3:15 p.m., Warren County Sheriff’s Office dispatch received a call came of two people that had gone through the ice at Summerset State Park and were yelling for help. When Warren County Sheriff’s deputies, Indianola Fire and Rescue and a DNR conservation officer responded to the scene they witnessed that Ryan Nesselroad, of Carlisle, had fallen through the ice, approximately 40 yards from the shore...

A pair of Canada geese wheel overhead at the King’s Pointe Great Lawn. Mild weather has allowed thousands of geese to remain in the area rather than migrate south.

By THOMAS BEAUMONT Special to The Pilot Few states have changed politically with the head-snapping speed of Iowa. Heading into 2020, the question is whether it’s going to change again. In 2008, its voters propelled Barack Obama to the White House, as an overwhelmingly white state validated the candidacy of the first black president. ...

Federal authorities in Iowa are placing a new priority on prosecuting violent crime and firearm offenses. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa is handling an increasing number of cases that would typically be considered state-level offenses, according to the Sioux City Journal...

After more than a century, a barn near the tiny northern Iowa community of Duncombe is getting a new home and a new look. Matt and Libby Mitchell acquired the barn built in 1915 and watched nervously Thursday as it was moved about a mile over fields to a new location...

As West Lake Okoboji is freezing over, great improvements are being made to the waterfront at Arnolds Park Amusement Park. The seawall in front of the Ferris wheel — which was in need of repair — has been completed thanks to the cooperation of the DNR and Graves Construction. ...

A Des Moines woman was charged with attempted murder after she told police that she intentionally ran over a 14-year-old girl because she believed the teenager was Mexican, authorities said Friday. Natalia Miranda suffered a concussion and severe bruising in the attack but is expected to make a full recovery...

Buena Vista Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, signed Christmas and other cards to be sent to veterans who will be hospitalized over the Christmas season. This annual holiday tradition was a highlight of their November meeting. This year the chapter signed 132 cards for the VA Medical Center in Des Moines...

Col. Steven Kremer of Cherokee, Iowa, has been promoted to brigadier general in the Iowa Army National Guard and has been selected to be the Assistant Adjutant General - Readiness. Kremer’s military career includes several levels of command in the Iowa National Guard over the course of 28 years. Most recently, Kremer served as the commander of the 185th Regional Training Institute on Camp Dodge...

On Dec. 11, the Spencer Police Department was contacted at 1:30 p.m. in reference to an intoxicated female in the Clay County Courthouse. Officers investigated the complaint and located 49-year-old Dianne Wallwey, of Spencer, in magistrate court. Spencer Police Chief Mark Warburton indicated Wallwey was acting in the capacity as an attorney at the time...

An atheist organization will fight for a display of its own on a southern Iowa county courthouse lawn if the city council decides to return a Nativity display to the site, the group’s leader said. A Nativity scene was erected Nov. 18 on the grounds of the Appanoose County Courthouse in Centerville, but some residents complained that a religious display should not be placed on government property. The display was moved Monday to a spot about two blocks south, the Daily Iowegian reported...

State budget experts say revenue growth likely will slow in the coming year. The three-member state Revenue Estimating Conference said Monday revenue in the current fiscal year is expected to grow 1.4 percent to total $7.97 billion. Next year the panel foresees a 2.7 percent increase, taking the state tax collections to just over $8.18 billion...

Autumn this year in Iowa has been cooler and wetter than normal, according to the latest Water Summary Update. Temperatures for the fall months (September, October and November) averaged 49.3 degrees, or 0.9 degrees below normal, while precipitation totaled 12.33 inches, or 4.30 inches above normal...

An Iowa State University survey says farmland values in the state rose 2.3% over the past year, despite the trade disputes and declining income. The increase was only the second in six years, according to the survey report released Wednesday. Low interest rates, strong yields and a limited amount of available land helped boost the statewide average to $7,432 an acre (0.40 hectares), said Wendong Zhang, an Iowa State assistant economics professor. ...

A firefighter climbs to the roof of a church building in Rembrandt Tuesday night. A construction worker who had been doing repairs became trapped on the roof after his hands became frostbitten with no feeling, preventing him from climbing down. / Photo contributed by Dick Bennett...

Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday announced a a public service campaign to address increased vaping by Iowa teenagers with a focus on social media and information programs for parents and students in schools. Reynolds said increasing awareness and education on the known risks of vaping will help prevent young people from suffering nicotine addiction and health problems...

A new decade will mean a new addition to Spencer’s downtown district. Planned to open in the summer of 2020, The Iowa Project Brewing Company continues to develop its 316 Grand Ave. property into the future home of a brewery and taproom. “When you come in the space, we’re going to try to keep things open,” said Nicholas Applegate, one half of The Iowa Project Brewing Company. ...

J.D. Scholten, candidate for Iowa’s 4th congressional district, announced Wednesday that he will be challenging fellow Democrat and presidential candidate Andrew Yang to a basketball game. The two were scheduled to play the game in Ames at the community center Thursday...

Jim Engle, director of the downtown resource center for the Iowa Economic Development Authority, recently wrote an impressive article referencing Cherokee’s restored, historic RR Depot so diligently saved, maintained and managed by the local Depot Renovation Inc. led by Jim Adamson, Mick Samsel and their merry band of gandy dancers...

Volunteers served a long line of needy families and individuals in the most recent Kiwanis food distribution at the former Sears store location in Storm Lake Thursday afternoon. The local group and its volunteers work with the Food Bank of Iowa to provide the distributions every other month - the basic foods given out help to get families on a tight budget through the month. ...

By NOMAAN MERCHANT Special to The Pilot The U.S. government persuaded a federal judge to prevent a private fundraising group from building its own wall next to the river that separates the U.S. and Mexico, despite the group’s longstanding claim that it is supporting President Donald Trump...

A federal court judge says the state of Iowa cannot enforce its latest attempt to stifle undercover investigations of livestock farms and denied the state’s efforts to dismiss a lawsuit challenging this year’s so-called ag-gag law. The Republican-led legislature passed the state’s second such law in March, two months after a federal judge struck down the previous 2012 law, saying it violated constitutional free-speech rights...

A new monthly survey of business leaders suggests the economy is slowing down in nine Midwest and Plains states as the U.S. trade war with China continues, according to a report released Monday. The overall index for the region slipped into negative territory at 48.6 in November from October’s 52.6...

In a recent video message, western Iowa Congressman Steve King continues to attack the impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump. King said Democrats have a “slim, slim rationale” to prove that Trump “had a motive in his head which they’ve assigned to him,” in claims that the president was seeking a political advantage over Democrat candidate Joe Biden...

The Cherokee Fire Department and City Police were summoned to a motor vehicle fire about 11:30 a.m. Thanksgiving Day in the State Savings Bank parking lot. The vehicle was a total loss as flames and large plumes of smoke billowed as firefighters courageously neared the scene to douse the fire and keep it from spreading to the bank and other nearby structures. The vehicle owner was identified as Robert William Templeman from Mayer, MN. / Photo by Beth Hanner...

The Arnolds Park City Council met in special session Nov. 20 to discuss a potential purchase of the Okoboji Middle School building. Council member John Adams said he had been approached by a handful of residents with the idea. The property’s next owners will have to emerge from a public bidding process — a Nov. ...

A Sioux City man has pleaded guilty in what authorities have called a human trafficking case in which a teenage Guatemalan girl was raped. The Sioux City Journal reports that 38-year-old Cristobal Francisco-Nicolas pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to a smuggling count and unlawful possession of identification documents. In exchange, a third smuggling count will be dropped...

After 11 years of temporary lanes and closed exit ramps, work is finally nearly complete on an Interstate 29 expansion project through Sioux City. The Sioux City Journal reports the Iowa Department of Transportation hopes to finish work on the project by Christmas. Final construction includes pouring concrete bridge approaches, installing guardrails and painting pavement...

Iowa officials are hoping to reduce water pollution by addressing problems in the small waterways that zigzag throughout the state, and they believe something as simple as name awareness can help. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Transportation have partnered since 2014 to install more than 900 creek name signs across the state. ...

Storm Lake Community Chest held their annual Storm Lake United Coffee Wednesday at King’s Pointe where they distributed around $35,000 to 28 different local organizations, including Nicole Kleespies representing Iowa State University Extension, accepting funds for the Storm Lake High School 4H program. ...

More than 85 percent of the city of Des Moines’ workforce is white, according to a recent public information request. Des Moines resident Joe Henry requested the information after he noticed in his role as a member of the city’s Civil Service Commission that few minority candidates were interviewed and hired. In response to his request, the city’s data shows the following:...

The emergence of the Cherokee School District’s hurried elementary school (PK-4) project now under way pushed to the back burner other significant facility needs totaling more than $1 million which are now part of the District’s proposed FY 2020 Feasibility Study...