Stories from Friday, February 15, 2019

Honoring those who serve is a great theme, so Paxtons Jewelry of Storm Lake chose a red, white and blue theme for their 2019 donation to the Storm Lake St. Mary’s Ball and Charity Auction March 23. The St. Mary’s Ball and Charity Auction theme will be “A Night to Salute” to honor veterans past and present...

Valentina’s Meat Market, currently on Michigan Ave, is in the process of moving into the long-vacant store front across from City Hall, at the corner of Erie and East 5th Streets, previously home of Buena Vista Stationery & Print. Valentina’s owner Don Silvio hopes to accomplish a clean-up with renovations and electrical work over the next several weeks to move his business into the larger, more accessible location. ...

Summer may seem a long way off right now, but plans are in full swing for a rocking season of concerts at Buoy’s Bar and Grill (Casino Beach Marina) in Storm Lake. The 2019 schedule begins with a Summer Kickoff Party May 25, featuring Salty View’s Acoustic Review band out of Fort Dodge...

If you’ve ever watched TV’s hugely entertaining “Jane the Virgin,” you’ll know that its star, Gina Rodriguez, is one of the most engaging, charismatic and relatable actresses out there. It was only a matter of time before she headlined a big-studio movie — a truly welcome development. But Rodriguez and her fans deserve better than “Miss Bala,” a disappointingly bland and formulaic Hollywood remake of a much grittier and bleaker Mexican thriller...

Best Musical Tony Award winner Kinky Boots is coming to northwest Iowa for one show at the Orpheum Theater in Sioux City. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13. Tickets are on sale, ranging from $25-83. Call 712-279-4850 or see orpheumlive.com. Based on true events, Kinky Boots tells the heartwarming story of two people with nothing in common — or so they think! Charlie is a factory owner struggling to save his family business. ...

The Storm Lake Police Community Service Officers continue their assignment to enforce codes of trash, nuisance and safety on private properties in the community. In 2018, they saw 1,035 contacts with people who had nuisance situations on their property, up sharply from 584 the year before, and the highest total since 2014...

Storm Lake — Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) is hosting an upcoming orientation for Storm Lake community members to learn more about foster care and adoption. Hundreds of Iowa children are currently in need of a foster family, but there are not enough foster homes in western Iowa and the Storm Lake area...

The Storm Lake Public Library Board continues to refine plans to renovate a meeting room in the facility, in hopes of attracting more public use for the space. The board has a budget of about $23,000 for the project, but a Des Moines interior designer came in with an estimate near $36,000 last month. ...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s Elementary School celebrated their 100th day of school Friday by dressing up as 100 year olds as a fun way to break up the cold weather streak in northwest Iowa! Pictured in Ms. Allie Wagoner’s class from top left – Gabrie Strom, Hannah Gatzemeyer, Aubrey Naughton, Sophia Perez and Hadley Newhouse. First row – Hayden Brinkman, Conrad Bjerk and Keytin Martin. / Photo Submitted...

Did you know that you subconsciously make over 200 decisions about food every day? The number of times we think about food from the time we wake up can be shocking. Do I eat breakfast? What do I eat? Hot or cold? Take it to go or stop for a meal? The decisions are endless...

Three years after initially transitioning and taking her new name, Rin Takahashi is finding her place in the world and just trying to fit in like many others in their 20s. When Takahashi graduated from Spencer High School in 2008, she was known by her birth name Marvin Toeung. Takahashi wrestled with the decision to transition, weighing the impact it would have on her family and friends for more than three years before taking action...

Updates from the Storm Lake Police Department, the Buena Vista County Sheriff's Office and the Storm Lake Fire Department.

National FFA Week is celebrated each year during President’s week. This year celebrations will take place from February 16 - February 23.  “Just One,” is this year’s theme for FFA. Everyone has that one decision, one risk, one conversation that makes all the difference in their lives. The National FFA wants us to imagine the impact combining each of our “Just Ones” can have.   ...

AMES — This week, the World Wildlife Fund released its 2018-2019 overwintering monarch population report. Adult monarch butterflies covered approximately 15 acres of forest canopy in Mexico, a doubling of last year’s population, and a level not seen since 10 years ago...

Artisans Road Trip participants reflect on program’s 16-year evolution

With more loans getting paid off, Buena Vista County Supervisors are looking to decrease the overall tax levy burden. With less than 1 percent carryover, Supervisors decided to increase the levy for the rural basic fund, raising it by 21.5 cents per thousand dollars. This will put the ending fund balance at about 20 percent carryover...

For proponents of recreational marijuana, a Storm Lake legislator has a buzzkill message. “It isn’t going to happen.” Iowa Senator Joe Bolckom, Democrat from Iowa City, recently introduced legislation to end the prohibition on marijuana and legalize use statewide...

Buena Vista University has announced that Steve Wozniak, who designed Apple’s first line of products, will be the 23rd William W. Siebens American Heritage Lecture laureate on Friday, Oct. 4. Wozniak joins a list of preeminent American Heritage lecturers that has included former world leaders, heads of state, and others who have reached the highest levels of accomplishment and recognition in their fields...

On November 9th the operators of the Malibu Nature Preserve knew they were in trouble! Just days before, the Woosley wildfire had jumped the 101 Freeway and headed toward the ocean. Firefighters were struggling to contain the fire and rain was nowhere to be seen. ...

A gathering of first responders and community supporters huddled on the frozen lakefront at Sleepy Hollow Wednesday evening, where rescuers had staged on the night of January 20 to try to save a father and three children who had plunged through the ice far out on the lake...

SIOUX RAPIDS - It was a battle of two area schools on Wednesday night in 2A-Region 2 quarterfinal play as Ridge View and Sioux Central went to battle. The Rebels took the regular season contest between the two teams, but the Raptors learned from their mistakes and were able to take a 70-39 decision to advance on in the region...

ALTA/IDA GROVE - The trek to a possible third straight substate final began on Wednesday night for the Alta-Aurelia Warriors. They were met with little resistance in the 2A-District 15 opener when they welcomed in Missouri Valley. A large opening run proved to be the different as Alta-Aurelia took a 66-30 decision...

STORM LAKE - The St. Mary’s boys began their District play on Wednesday night as they welcomed in winless Glidden-Ralston to the Panther Pit. The Panthers were unkind hosts to the Wildcats and sent them packing out of 1A-District 16 play with a 71-36 victory...

WEBSTER CITY - The season came to a rough end for the green and white girls on Wednesday night in a 4A-Region 1 play. The Tornadoes were matched up against a Webster City team that was able to rally a little bit in the second half to take a 51-46 decision...

DES MOINES - Thursday was one of the biggest days for wrestling in Iowa, the first day of the State Tournament. Two Storm Lake Tornadoes and two Alta-Aurelia Warriors tested their mettle in the opening round, and some consolation matches. At the end of the day, Storm Lake’s Aaron Ungs and Alta-Aurelia’s Nick Gaes moved on to quarterfinal action...