Stories from Monday, April 2, 2018

DES MOINES, (AP) — The Iowa Legislature has approved a bill that will require schools to have emergency plans in case there’s a shooter on campus. The House voted unanimously Wednesday for the legislation, and follows a similar unanimous vote in the Senate earlier this month. It now heads to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds...

OKOBOJI — District Court Judge Carl Petersen on March 20 reviewed a series of corrections reports, then ordered an Okoboji burglary and kidnapping suspect back to the Dickinson County Jail. Probation officers do not think 24-year-old Jordaen Duhn — who most recently listed an Okoboji address — met all of the requirements to stay out of jail while awaiting her day in court...

There was very little floor debate this week as most of the policy bills for this year have already been dealt with. There are several major pieces of legislation that are awaiting debate, but it is still unclear if they have enough “yes” votes to secure passage. Both Republicans and Democrats spent many hours in caucus this week...

This weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys and county and state parks staff. Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake) Immediately after ice out is a good time to target channel catfish along shore using cut bait. Walleye - Fair:  Use twisters, minnows or leeches from shore. Expect walleye shore angling action to pick within the next week with increasing water temperatures...

The Western Valley Conference Visual Arts Show was held in Ida Grove on Thursday, March 22. Ten schools displayed artworks created during the school year for judging. Destiny VanBeek, a senior at Ridge View High School won first place medals in both the painting and the drawing categories.  Sophia Mendoza, a sophomore, won first place in the digital media category, while senior, Sierra Deck placed third in digital media. ...

In the midst of a prescription opioid, heroin, and fentanyl crisis that is devastating communities of all sizes and in every state, U.S. Senators. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Kennedy (R-La.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), all members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced the Opioid Quota Reform Act of 2018. ...

Recently Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation to decalare May as Motorcycle Awareness Month. The people of Iowa have an enduring regard for the perservation of life on the highways and Motocycle Awareness Days are being observed throughout the nation; and all motorcycle organizations, clubs, dealerships, groups and highway safety officials in the state should join with the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau and ABATE of Iowa in actively promoting safe operation, increased rider training, improved licensing efforts and motorist awareness and during this month and all months.. ...

The history of the Prisoner of War Camp and POW Museum at Algona is featured in the opening film, Camp Algona, at the Pearson Lakes Art Center’s Iowa Films Night coming to the Lauridsen Theater on Thursday, April 5. Also showing will be a life situation comedy written, acted and directed by Steve Kennevan, of Iowa City, called “Stuck” which takes place in the State Historical Museum in Des Moines...

The Fonda Arts Center welcomes the return of musician/entertainer Randy Welander, as he brings “Trains, Names, & Rock ‘n Roll” to the Arts Center stage for a Sunday afternoon of fun music and audience participation on April 15 at 3 p.m. Be prepared to leave with a smile and possibly even a little something extra. All this happening at the Fonda Arts Center on the northwest corner of Fourth & Main in Fonda...

The third annual Okoboji Blue Water Festival, which is a celebratory clean water event in the Iowa Great Lakes, will culminate with a prestigious musical act on stage. Michael McDonald, a world-renowned American singer, songwriter, record producer and five-time Grammy winner, will headline the Okoboji Blue Water Festival on Saturday, August 11 in Preservation Plaza at the Arnolds Park Amusement Park...

At the end of the monsters-versus-robots flick “Pacific Rim,” a breach at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean is closed, plugging a hole that allowed hellish creatures to emerge and terrorize the globe. But after the movie earned $400 million worldwide, was that portal really going to stay closed?...

• April 2- Watch Me Grow, 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. • April 3- Volunteer Luncheon, St. Mark’s Church • April 3- Storm Lake Community Blood Drive-LifeServe Blood Center, 12:30-6 p.m. KEC • April 4- BLS for Healthcare Providers Skills Evaluation, 1:30-2:30 p.m. KEC...

A simple donation can save the lives of three local hospital patients. Provide blood to those in need at an upcoming blood drive. •Albert City Community Blood Drive, Thursday, April 19, from 1-6:30 p.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 401 Spruce. Sign up to save a life today online at lifeservebloodcenter.org or by calling 800.287.4903...

The Buena Vista County Parkinson’s Support Group will meet Tuesday, April 10, at 1:30 p.m. at St Mark Lutheran Church, 1614 W 5th Street, Storm Lake. This meeting is free and open to anyone interested in Parkinson’s disease. Please contact Bonnie at 732-3383 if you have questions...

This course for family and friends of individuals with serious mental illness will equip those to better communicate with a relative, learn about new treatments and medications, handle a crisis and gain supports to take care of friends and family members. ...

The Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Wound, Ostomy and Continence nurses, Joni Boese and Alicia Heuton, are inviting ostomy patients to an Ostomy Education Day to be held at UnityPoint Health St. Luke’s on Saturday, April 7. This event is free and is designed to offer ongoing support and education to people with ostomies (colostomy, ileostomy, urostomy) and their caregivers/families...

Tyson Dukes of Okoboji, owner of InHome Fitness Solutions, is growing its service area. Tyson is a Senior Fitness Specialist with nearly 20 years’ experience as a Physical Therapist Assistant and degree in Health Care Management. Dukes has provided physical therapy in multiple settings including hospitals, home health, and long-term care. ...

On Saturday, March 24, 51.4 Entertainment, Storm Lake Honda/Textron Off-Road, The Moose 92.9 and Lake Creek Country Club organized a concert featuring Walker McGuire, Smithfield, Ted Stockton and Ronley King. The event was sold out and proceeds from the concert went to Buena Vista Regional Medical Center’s AWARE fund that provides financial support for patients fighting cancer. ...

When Iowa Public Television came knocking at the Storm Lake Public Library door in 2008, local librarian Elizabeth Huff was there to greet them. “They asked me if I would like to help ‘Raise a Reader,’ and I replied, ‘Always!’” said Huff. So when Huff was approached again in 2016 and asked if she would be willing to partner for a new Ready to Learn grant promoting science learning and literacy, she did not hesitate for a second...

DES MOINES, (AP) — Corn has been dethroned as the king of crops as farmers reported Thursday they intend to plant more soybeans than corn for the first time in 35 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in its annual prospective planting report. Profitability is the primary reason farmers indicate they intend to plant 89 million acres in soybeans and 88 million acres in corn...

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced a settlement barring the National Association of Chiefs of Police (NACOP), of Titusville, Florida, and two principals, Barry Shepherd and Brent Shepherd, from continuing to mail donation appeals to Iowans that are alleged to violate the state’s Consumer Fraud Act...

Seasons Center for Behavioral Health is hosting a free training for foster and adoptive parents on Thursday, April 19, from 6-8 p.m. at Sunnybrook Church in Sioux City. Childcare will be provided for those who attend and foster parent credit is also available. ...

If one play is good, two are even better. Buena Vista University Theater educator David Walker has proposed at idea that will encourage just that. With both the university and the high school performing on the same weekend, he wanted to see them work together...

Storm Lake High School hosted its biennial Diversity Day on Wednesday. The vibrant event, organized by the school’s International Club, showcased dozens of languages, cultures, and ethnic traditions in multiple sessions throughout the morning. Almost all of the presentations were run by students, infusing the event with the energy of each student’s heritage...

It’s time to regroup for the Storm Lake Mayor’s Committee on Parks, Trails and Urban Forestry. A year and a half into the group’s history, it has plenty of plans and ideas, but little so far to show for it. The group hadn’t met since November of last year, and joined by newly elected mayor Mike Porsch, was asked this week to define what it is trying to accomplish...

The Alta Park Board is proposing a new playground to be built next to the shelter house in City Park, working with a company that is specializing in such developments. A preliminary plan is shown, and the board is scheduled to meet with the playground developer April 3...

An attack on 18-year-old Cuban-American and Parkland activist Emma González for not speaking Spanish by an Iowa Republican congressman’s campaign staff highlights the pressures U.S.-born Latinos face on language. “This is how you look when you claim Cuban heritage yet don’t speak Spanish and ignore the fact that your ancestors fled the island when the dictatorship turned Cuba into a prison camp, after removing all weapons from its citizens; hence their right to self defense,” read a meme with Gonzalez’s photo that was posted on Rep. ...

PELLA - After dropping the opener of Friday afternoon’s doubleheader, 7-3, the Buena Vista baseball team came back to salvage a split on the day by squeezing out a thrilling 7-6 victory in 10 innings of game two. BVU couldn’t overcome five errors it made in the opener, as the Dutch scored five unearned runs, including a big two-run home run in the eighth inning to ultimately break things open...

CEDAR RAPIDS – Qualifying gymnasts from the The Turn Around’s GK Storm (Storm Lake) and GK Blaze (LeMars) teams competed in the Iowa Xcel State Championships meet March 23-25. The meet featured over 25 Iowa teams and hundreds of gymnasts from across the state. Coached by Samantha Rasmussen, Mike Copeland, Ashley Schimmer and Cassie Wells, the 22 GK Storm gymnasts competed in various levels and age divisions across the three-day meet on all four apparatuses—the vault, bars, beam and floor...

March 31, 2018

October 25, 1924 - March 27, 2018