Stories from Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Michael James Brander, age 66, of Denver, Colorado and formerly of Storm Lake, died Friday, May 24, in Spencer. A celebration of life took place Saturday, June 8, at 11 a.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Visitation took place one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to a charity of your choice or cancer research. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements...

Marita P. Kenyon, age 60, of Storm Lake, died on Thursday, June 6, at her home in Storm Lake. Funeral Mass took place Monday, June 10, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Burial will be in the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will take place Sunday, June 9, from 4 - 7 p.m. at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Storm Lake and a vigil followed at 6:30 p.m. followed by a rosary. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements...

On Friday, May 10, all Sac County second-graders came to the Sac County Fairgrounds to embark on a day of learning all about safety as they get ready for their summer. The day was organized by Steph Erpelding, Sac County Youth Coordinator at the Sac County Extension and Outreach Office. Erpelding stated, “I really hope that the information they learn today they can use for the rest of their life.”...

Storm Lake United’s Father’s Day Giveaway is officially underway! Want to win the grand prize of $50 in Storm Lake Bucks and a free round of golf at Sunrise Pointe Golf Course for Dad and three guests? To win the grand prize simply upload a photo of your dad “Grillin’ OR Chillin’ to Facebook or Instagram and hashtag it #GRJLLANDCHILLDAD...

Beginning June 10, customers will be able to “Round Up for Fireworks” at Fareway Meat and Grocery in Storm Lake. Store Manager Jason Williams said this is a way for Fareway to help support local community events such as the fireworks during the Star Spangled Spectacular...

Naturalist Lunch Box is back for summer 2019. Naturalist Lunch Box is held at 12 p.m. on selected Fridays in the summer at South Cove Park. Pack a lunch and join the fun. Naturalist Lunch Box is designed for all ages. The naturalist will present a short program on a selected topic and have hands on activities for younger audience members...

Losing a loved one is indescribable to someone who has not felt the loss of death. Hospice of Spencer Hospital’s professional team understands the tragedy of losing a loved one and they identify with the difficult decisions and emotions that the person left behind faces...

Buena Vista County Conservation and ISU Extension introduced kids to turtles Thursday, passing around a couple of the three most common types in northwest Iowa: snapping turtles, painted turtles and soft shell turtles. If you see a turtle crossing the street, you can help assist it by pushing from behind towards the direction it was headed. ...

Sac County 4-H Council took a trip to Sioux City on April 19th to discover and work on teamwork while trying to decode their puzzle at the Greatest Escape in Sioux City! Members of the Sac County 4-H Council include – Front Row L to R – Logan Blum, Anna Schmitt, Rachel Kenny, Taylor Houska, Carly Tegels, and Logan Pickhinke. ...

Verizon awarded a technology grant to the Friends of the Storm Lake Public Library to implement an Inter-generational robot program for parents and their children this coming autumn. Ozobot Evo robots and other teaching materials will be purchased to teach basic coding to those with preschool or early elementary school children. The program will end with an Ozobot Race. Registration will be required due to limited materials...

Dennis Young, a longstanding servant leader for Buena Vista University, was recognized as a Sir John Marks Templeton Life Trustee during a ceremony that capped off the spring meeting of the BVU Board of Trustees in Storm Lake. “Induction as a Sir John Templeton Life Trustee is a special honor,” BVU President Joshua Merchant said in a presentation. ...

The Sac County Extension and Outreach Office held its annual babysitting clinic at the East Sac County Elementary School last week. The participants were split into groups and observed the different aged rooms at Kids World. Ben Ringgenberg, Charlie Peyton and Bob Murley from the Sac County Ambulance showed the participants what to do when a child is choking or not breathing, Justin Ortner of Iowa State Bank taught the youth how to manage their money, and Annette Koster of BVCS ECI taught the youth ages and stages of children. ...

Northwest Iowa’s own King of the Tramps is next up in the Stone Pier Concert Series at Black Hawk Lake, Saturday, June 15. In the summer of 2011, the first Stone Pier Concert Series was introduced and the “Stone Pier Stage” was born. Today, audiences on both the land and the lake continue to be enchanted by this unique live music experience. Visiting artists have also come to love the intimate and relaxed atmosphere...

Cherokee Community Theater’s production of “Mamma Mia!” takes to the stage June 20-22 and 27-29 (7:30 p.m. each evening) and June 23 and 30 for 2 p.m. matinee shows. Tickets are $17 for adults, $12 for children through high school age. Reserve tickets by calling 712-225-4440 or visit cherokeectonline.org...

The Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame Museum will celebrate the opening of their new museum June 13-15. Visitors can explore five new interactive exhibits covering the famed Roof Garden, DJs, radio stations and Hall of Fame inductees.  Museum hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ...

Iowa gas prices have fallen 5.6 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.62/gallon to start the week. Gas prices in Iowa are 8.8 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, yet stand 18.8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. Storm Lake pump prices were only slightly below state average, with the lowest at Murphy USA at $2.53, while most stations were at $2.61 for super unleaded...

A Storm Lake man has been arrested for OWl after his vehicle allegedly struck two pedestrians and a barrier at the Tyson pork plant last February. At the time of the accident the SLPD secured a blood sample from the driver identified as Jose Antonio BalcazarGudino, age 63 of Storm Lake. The DCI Crime Lab eventually determined that Balcazar-Gudino’s blood alcohol had been .230. In Iowa, .08 is the legal limit...

Emma Boettcher, a University of Chicago librarian with family ties to Storm Lake, ended a three-day run on the TV quiz show Jeopardy! Thursday with almost $100,000 in winnings. “Being on Jeopardy! had to end sometime, and I’m not unhappy with the way it did,” Boettcher, 27, told the New York Times. “It was just marvelous to be there.”...

The Storm Lake banks recently took part in their sixth annual Food Bank Challenge, collecting items for the Upper Des Moines Opportunity panty to help the need. Front from left: Nereda Cortez and Amy Michehl of Citizens Community Credit Union and Shelley Hohneke of Security Trust & Savings Bank. Back:...

The Iowa Supreme Court has denied a request by the attorney for former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad to stop a civil trial in which Branstad is accused of discrimination against a gay former state worker’s compensation commissioner. Branstad and two former staffers were sued by Christopher Godfrey, who was pressured to quit after Branstad took over as governor in 2010 and received a pay cut. Godfrey claims it was because he’s gay. Branstad denies he knew that Godfrey is gay...

An Iowa woman accused of helping a man choke a woman to death and dispose of her body has taken a plea deal. Webster County District Court records say 27-year-old Mackenzie Knigge pleaded guilty Thursday to attempted murder and two other crimes. Prosecutors say Knigge and Phillip Williams, of Lafayette, Indiana, killed 26-year-old Jessica Gomez in Knigge’s Clare apartment in August 2017. Her body was found in a field near Clare...

After a drop in honey production and crop value observed across the state of Iowa last year, local honey producers are hoping the recent changes in weather will continue and their hives will flourish. One of those producers is Jim Kraninger of Milford. Kraninger and his partner Marlene Boernsen have been equal partners in Sioux River Bees for almost two years. Kraninger said he hopes that each of the operation’s 400-some hives average about 60 pounds of honey...

On the afternoon of Monday, June 10, at approximately 1:04 p.m. the Storm Lake Police Department was dispatched to 503D West 8th Street in reference to a report that a man was attempting to sexually assault a woman at the address. Upon arrival of police they met with an adult woman who alleged that she was approached by a male subject who lived near her residence identified as Hipolito Vargas Vera, age 37 of Storm Lake. ...

On the evening of Thursday, June 6, at approximately 10:53 p.m. the Storm Lake Fire Department responded to 601 West 9th Street in reference to a vehicle on fire. Upon arrival of fire fighters they observed a 2004 Nissan SUV with its engine compartment totally engulfed in flames. Fire fighters extinguished the fire...

ROYAL — A group of 16 to 18 Clay Central-Everly students will no longer have the option to tuition out of CC-E and into the Okoboji Community School District for the 2019-20 school year. The students will have until July 1 to decide whether or not to open enroll into Okoboji and find their own means of transportation to and from school or to tuition out into Sioux Central, Spencer or Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, allowing them access to transportation to and from school provided by the districts...

This is the seventh article in a 10-part series, a collaborative effort of the newspapers of Rust Publishing NWIA, examining the myriad issues surrounding the mental health care crisis in Iowa. Reporters and editors from the Spencer Daily Reporter, Storm Lake Pilot-Tribune and Dickinson County News have contributed to the report...

The long walk from Schaller Memorial Chapel through the Victory Arch and into Siebens Fieldhouse for the 128th commencement ceremony at Buena Vista University culminated a journey tens of thousands of miles and decades in the making for Be Dao, a native of Vietnam...

Storm Lake native Jane Andrews Erickson will be “coming home” and serving as the July 4 Patriotic Ceremony speaker for the Star Spangled Spectacular at 12:30 p.m. in Chautauqua Park in Storm Lake. Growing up in a community like Storm Lake is the best start a kid could have. ...

A Storm Lake man faces charges after allegedly assaulting his wife and threatening her with a knife held to her body. Shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday, police were called to 1500 Seneca Street #107 for a 911 hang-up call. Officers arriving on the scene determined that a domestic assault had just occurred in the apartment. ...

A giant Canada Goose makes a noisy splashdown on a retention pond next to the lake at Sunrise Park, protecting its brood. This largest of the subspecies, once extinct in the region, is now a common seasonal resident, as repopulation efforts starting in the 1960s saw a dramatic recovery. Through ‘homing’ skills, the female goose often returns to nest where it first learned to fly...

Governor Steve Bullock (D - MT), is hoping his face-to-face strategy in a rural tour of Iowa will make up for a couple key disadvantages as he lines up against 22 others eager to challenge President Trump next year. The first disadvantage is his late entry to the race—May 14—second only to Bill de Blasio, the former mayor of New York City who made his own announcement two days later...

HOLSTEIN - It was a rough outing on Monday night for the Ridge View baseball team as they took on the Kingsley-Pierson Panthers in a Western Valley Conference game. The Panthers got up early and often as they took a 17-3 decision in five innings over the Raptors...

PETERSON - The Sioux Central Rebels welcomed in Emmetsburg on Monday night and found little in the way of hitting or defense, bowing in a 16-4 defeat in three innings. “Emmetsburg is a really good team and they hit the ball well throughout the lineup,” Sioux Central Coach Kasey Krager said...

FONDA - The Newell-Fonda softball team looked to keep their momentum going on Monday night as East Sac County rolled into their home field in a Twin Lakes Conference contest. The Mustangs left zero doubt after the first inning and rolled to a 12-0 win in just three innings...

LYTTON - The Alta-Aurelia softball team got back on track with a Twin Lakes Conference win on Monday night against South Central Calhoun, 8-2. The Warriors scored a run in the top of the first. They added three runs in the third, two in the second and then two more in the sixth to hold an 8-0 lead. The Titans ended the shut out bid in the bottom of the sixth with their two lone runs...

SPENCER - The Storm Lake softball team dug themselves into a hole on Monday night against their rival, the Spencer Tigers. The green and white tried to erase and 8-0 lead and fell just shy of that, dropping a 9-8 decision. “We dug ourselves a big hole to start the game and couldn’t quite dig out,” SL Coach Mel Fisher said. “We put up a good comeback effort but should never have been in that position to begin with.”...

STORM LAKE - The St. Mary’s softball team had the Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire Titans on the ropes Monday night. They needed just three outs in the top of the seventh to claim their third win, but fate had a different story in mind as the Titans tied the game and forced extra innings where they eventually won, 8-7...

PETERSON - The Sioux Central baseball team picked up their third straight win on Monday night as they welcomed in Emmetsburg in a Twin Lakes Conference contest. The Rebels took a 7-3 decision. The E-Hawks scored once in the top of the first, but three Rebel runs in the home half gave them the lead for good. Sioux Central added four more scores in the fifth, as Emmetsburg scored twice in the sixth to conclude the scoring...

GALVA - The Ridge View softball team got back on the Western Valley Conference trail on Monday night as they welcomed in Kingsley-Pierson. The Raptors got off to a quick start and used it to take an 8-3 decision over the Panthers. “The coaches were very happy with the effort of our kids,” RV Coach Scott Phelps said. ...

LYTTON - A shaky first couple of innings made it appear that the Alta-Aurelia baseball team’s hot streak would come to an end on Monday night. However, the Warriors took over from the third inning on against South Central Calhoun to take a 16-4 decision in Twin Lakes Conference play...

FONDA - The Newell-Fonda baseball team welcomed in East Sac County on Monday night in a Twin Lakes Conference contest and managed to end their three game skid with a 3-0 win over the Raiders. The two teams engaged in what was a pitcher’s dual for the most part as N-F senior R.J. Rojas was able to take control from the hill. Rojas allowed just three hits through his seven inning shut out win and walked just a single batter. He also sent away nine Raiders on strikeouts...

STORM LAKE - The St. Mary’s baseball team was the verge of getting their first win of the season on Monday night with a 7-4 lead going to the final inning of the contest. However, Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire had other ideas and took a 12-7 decision against the Panthers...

SPENCER - The green and white baseball team hit the road again on Monday night as they went north to take on their rivals in the Spencer Tigers. SL sophomore Mark Eddie controlled the game from the mound to help the Tornadoes take a 4-2 decision over the Tigers...