Stories from Wednesday, December 26, 2018

COUNCIL BLUFFS — Emergencies don’t take a holiday. The American Red Cross urgently needs blood and platelet donors to make an appointment now to give and help ensure patients can get the treatment they need at a moment’s notice. In November 2016, a 100-foot maple tree fell on Mike McMahon, causing life-threatening injuries. ...

December 17 is a special day for Carrie Schmidt, it’s her dad’s birthday. Carrie’s dad, Ed Demers, died at the age of 42 from leukemia. Years after his passing she became a Thirty-One bag consultant and found a way to pay tribute to Ed’s memory every year and help patients fighting cancer at Buena Vista Regional Medical Center...

2 - Storm Lake Community Blood Drive-LifeServe Blood Center, 12:30 - 6 p.m. Main Entrance 3 - Young at Heart- NO MEETING 5 - Childbirth Class, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. KEC 7 - Watch Me Grow, 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. OB Department 8 - Sibling Class, 6:30 p.m. KEC...

AMES – Lifting weights for less than an hour a week may reduce your risk for a heart attack or stroke by 40 to 70 percent, according to a new Iowa State University study. Spending more than an hour in the weight room did not yield any additional benefit, the researchers found...

On the evening of Thursday, December 20, at the Storm Lake Police Department following a tip via social media identified an alleged additional participant in the fight that occurred at the Oasis Night Club on December 16. At approximately 11:30 p.m. ...

Sac City - Many people find it challenging to prepare healthy meals. Several factors, including perceived lack of time and decreased kitchen skills, contribute to this challenge. ISU Extension and Outreach- Sac County is hosting a program series that will help participants learn ways to overcome these challenges. The series, Healthy and Homemade, will consist of three programs:...

MOVILLE - After a few close losses to start their season, the Newell-Fonda boys were back at it on Friday night looking to get back to .500 before the holiday break. The Mustangs got out early and never really looked back while using a strong second half to pull away against Woodbury Central, taking 76-45 decision heading into the holiday break...

Albert City-Truesdale youngsters took part in the schools’s annual Winter Concert recently. Both choir and band performed for an appreciative crowd.

NEWELL/MOVILLE - It was another night of pressure defense forcing turnovers for the Newell-Fonda girls on Thursday night as they played host to Kuemper Catholic. The Mustangs remained unbeaten with a 73-39 victory. “This was a good win for us as we were able to force a lot of turnovers and created some more scoring opportunities with our defense,” N-F Coach Dick Jungers said...

STORM LAKE - The Storm Lake girls refused to lose Thursday night in their final home game of 2018. Down by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter, the green and white girls charged back against OA-BCIG to tie it up late in regulation before taking the overtime victory, 47-45 for their second win of the season...

STORM LAKE - The Storm Lake boys knew they had a tall task in front of them on Thursday night against the unbeaten and #10 team in 2A, OA-BCIG. With the aid of another fast start and some big shots, the Tornadoes were able to give the Falcons their first loss of the season and head into winter break with some momentum, 75-68 the final score...

Miss Denton’s third grade classes are partnered with Stifel Nicolaus for the 2018 - 2019 school year Partners In Excellence program. On Wednesday, December 19 , the class got a visit from them. Everyone got in on the holiday fun by playing the ‘saran wrap’ game, Items are wrapped tightly in a saran wrap ball and each student got a turn trying to unwrap them. The class finished by decorating cookies with frosting and sprinkles...

King’s Pointe in Storm Lake will ring in the New Year with a holiday themed murder mystery dinner show New Year’s Eve - “A Dickens of a Killing.” Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $49 plus tax per person, including admission, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a champagne toast at midnight. Hotel accommodations are available...

Local favorite Harper and The Midwest Kind will be playing at Byron’s in Pomeroy, January 13, 5-9 p.m. Award-winning Australian singer/songwriter Peter D. Harper -- known in the music world simply as “Harper” -- creates a heady mix of roots music through his creative use of the harmonica and the haunting drone of the didgeridoo. ...

The Sound Of Music is coming to northwest Iowa for two shows next month at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City. Tickets are available for Monday, Jan. 21 and Tuesday, Jan. 22. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. each night. The hills are alive with this brand new national touring production of The Sound of Music. ...

The Clay County Fair and Events Center will welcome Hairball back to the Clay County Regional Events Center at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22. “We’re excited to add Hairball to the Events Center winter schedule,” CEO Jeremy Parsons said. “Announcing before Christmas gives rock fans the perfect opportunity to purchase tickets at a special stocking stuffer presale price of just $18 this week.”...

Edward James McDonald, “Ed” left this world quietly on December 3, at his winter home in Litchfield Park, AZ. Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 27 from 5 - 7 p.m. and a Funeral Mass will take place on December 28, at 10:30 a.m., both at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Fonda. Interment will be in Mt. Zion Catholic Cemetery...

Nyine Shwe, age 76, of Storm Lake, died on Thursday, December 20, at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City.  Memorial services were held on Saturday, December 22, at 3:30 p.m. at the Sliefert Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Visitation will take place an hour prior to the service at the funeral home. The Sliefert Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements...

Faye Madesen Murphy, age 59, of Newell, died on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 at the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. A Time of Remembrance will take place on Wednesday, December 26, from 1 - 3 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements...

Randal Brisbois, age 64, of Alta, died December 18, at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa.  A Celebration of Life took place on Saturday, December 22, from 5 - 7 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Alta. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Alta is in charge of the arrangements. ...

Charlotte Josephine (McGuire) Sitzmann joined the Lord surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday, December 19, at the Methodist Manor. Funeral Mass was held on Saturday, December 22, at 10 a.m. at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Burial is in the St. ...

Cornelius Wabeke, age 83, of Newell, died on Wednesday, December 19, at the Good Samaritan Center in Newell. Funeral services was held on Saturday, December 22, at 3:30 p.m. at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Newell. Burial was in the Newell Cemetery. Visitation was held before the service at the Church The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Newell is in charge of the arrangements. ...

The Storm Lake Board of Education heard about several efforts and innovations in their most recent meeting. Here are a few of them: • Meet ’n’ Greet - In addition to a “High 5 Friday” in which community members visit the elementary school, administrators and teachers have come to stand in front of the building to greet incoming students each morning. School board members noted that the effort is giving kids and parents a good start to their day, and is being talked about in the community...

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake) Ice is variable from 5 to 8 inches in most areas. Some areas have deteriorated during the warmer temperatures. Use caution if venturing out and check ice thickness often. Walleye - Fair: Use minnows and jigging spoons. ...

Storm Lake Pentecostals Church held a live nativity December 16, with children playing all the familiar roles.

Law enforcement is finding renewed optimism for change after Congress passed the First Step Act, hailed as a bipartisan landmark reform for the federal criminal justice system in the country with the world’s largest prison population. Authored by Sen. ...

Previous priorities from conservative lawmakers that attempted to change food stamp requirements as part of the new Farm Bill were walked back after the midterms, leading the House and the Senate to pass a compromised version signed by President Trump Friday...

By DANA LARSEN Pilot-Tribune Editor The latest Iowa State University Land Values survey shows a slight decline in value per acre for both the local area and statewide. Buena Vista County agland slipped from an average of $9,171 a year ago to $9,114. ...

Chief administrators of the Iowa area education agencies will make mental health the key talking point with legislators this year, and according to Prairie Lakes AEA leader Jeff Herzberg, it’s about time. Among their recommendations is to create a universal screening process for mental issues...

The Storm Lake High School Dance Team spread the spirit with a holiday-themed performance at Thursday’s basketball games.

You can mark your calendars by it, just about the time Christmas hits, so does cold and flu season. "Just this week, we started to hear about more confirmation of Infuenza A at the local clinics and schools, said Pam Bogue, Director of Buena Vista County Public Health...