Stories from Monday, January 20, 2020

There’s usually one film that tops lists whenever powerful legal thrillers are debated — “To Kill a Mockingbird,” set in the 1930s. Now comes a film showing how little has changed since then, based on a murder in the same Alabama town where Harper Lee wrote her masterpiece...

Magic realism is most convincing when it places ordinary characters in extraordinary situations. That’s exactly what South Dakota State University associate professor Steven Wingate does in his novel Of Fathers and Fire. Tommy Sandor, disenchanted teenage son of a single mother, Connie, lives in 1980 Suborney, Colo., at the height of the Iran hostage crisis. ...

Coming March 14 to the Community Education Performing Arts Series is the popular family musical group, The Hall Sisters. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at Storm Lake High School Auditorium. For ticket information, visit the CE office or call 712-732-5711. The Hall Sisters have established themselves as one of the up-and-coming and premier acts in the country pop genre. ...

Seasons Center for Behavioral Health and Autumn’s Center are hosting the eighth annual Winter Games Free Kids’ Carnival on Saturday, January 25, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Bedell Family YMCA in Spirit Lake. Attendees can choose from many different activities, including: face painting, carnival games, inflatables, rock climbing wall, and a craft table. ...

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig was among many with ties to the agriculture industry in the state of Iowa who offered some thoughts on the U.S. Senate’s vote to pass the USMCA trade agreement. “I want to thank President (Donald) Trump for his commitment to negotiating better trade deals for America’s farmers,” Naig said. ...

The Buena Vista pep band made sure to keep the Beavers hyped up against Simpson College.

Teepa Snow MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, one of the nation’s most dynamic and uplifting dementia care experts, and founder of Positive Approach® to Care (PAC), will present Coping with Challenging Situations in Dementia Care on Thursday, April 9 at King’s Pointe Waterpark Resort in Storm Lake. Nurses, Nursing Home Staff and at home caregivers, and anyone affected by dementia are encouraged to attend...

Come and ask the cardiologist your heart questions. Buena Vista Regional Medical Center hosts Jon A. Peacock, FACC, MD and the BVRMC EMS Team during a free luncheon on Monday, February 17, 2020 in the Kallmer Education Center from 12 - 1 p.m. Seating is limited, please RSVP to 712.213.8683 by February 13. This event is sponsored by Buena Vista Regional Medical Center...

3 - Watch Me Grow, 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. OB Department 4 - Storm Lake Community Blood Drive-LifeServe Blood Center, 12:30-6 p.m. St. Mark’s Church 4 - BLS for Healthcare Providers Skills Evaluation, 1 - 2 p.m. KEC 6 - Young at Heart, The Joy of Mission Trips, Speaker: Dr. John Pymm, 10 a.m. KEC...

With secure patient messaging from MyUnityPoint, your care team is always just a click away. Buena Vista Regional Medical Center and UnityPoint Clinic uses secure patient messaging to provide a confidential and convenient way for us to communicate with you about your health care. ...

We all have a remedy – a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate – for lifting our spirits when we’re in a bad mood. Rather than focusing on ways to make ourselves feel better, a team of Iowa State University researchers suggests wishing others well. “Walking around and offering kindness to others in the world reduces anxiety and increases happiness and feelings of social connection,” said Douglas Gentile, professor of psychology. ...

Snow falls, the lake freezes, and students shuffle all over campus to class in coats and boots at Buena Vista University. Or, they saunter to a stadium in a t-shirt and shorts in Phoenix. Or even across the world, in Madagascar! What’s happening? J-Term, short for January Term, is in full swing as Beavers build their future lives...

The O’Brien County Conservation Board is offering people of all ages the opportunity to “Emerse in Nature – Spend Time Outdoors.” This 2020 outdoor series will offer a monthly experience for people to connect with natural spaces around them. The programs will involve only as much physical activity as each person wishes to expend. The events will provide a block of time for participants to connect with the natural world around them...

In 2020, the O’Brien County Conservation Board is holding a series of programs each month to get you thinking about what is going on above your head! “What’s Up” kicks off on Thursday, January 30 at 6:30 p.m. with a “Focus on Planets … and Stars.” The STAR LAB portable planetarium will be set up in the conference room of the Prairie Heritage Center. ...

Four students from Buena Vista University’s Honors Institute were awarded $5,000 this fall to follow their research, scholarship, and creative curiosity. These Innovation Fellows will use fellowship funds, provided through the Collier Endowment, in an extended learning opportunity beyond BVU during the summer of their sophomore or junior year...

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host three Master Gardener winter webcasts at their office located at 209 Centennial Drive in Cherokee. Participants will learn about climate change, native plants and tips for designing gardens that encourage children to spend more time outdoors...

Francis “Fran” H. Carlson, age 83, of Alta, died Tuesday, January 14, at the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake. Funeral services were Saturday, January 18, at 10:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Alta. Burial will be in the Buena Vista Memorial Park Cemetery in Storm Lake. Visitation took place Friday, January 17, 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...

Newly appointed Iowa Adjutant General Benjamin Corell told state lawmakers during his first address to the Legislature that the Iowa National Guard is getting ready for its biggest deployment in a decade. To prepare, the guard is looking for partners in and out of the federal government to boost its technical training, especially in cybersecurity...

“What would it take to look at learning differently?” That was the question that motivated some members of the Storm Lake High School staff to begin exploring an opportunity for passion learning in short, intense class offerings within the school year...

The Glacial Trail Scenic Byway’s ancient scenery is about to get a modern upgrade. An “audio interpretive trail” is being prepared, and is expected to be installed and unveiled in March or April. Technology is planned for several stops on the trail. Visitors will be able to use a cell phone app or call a toll-free number to hear information about each of the historical or environmental sites along the self-guided tour...

Ever wonder what the view is like from your friendly neighborhood DOT snowplow? Here’s a look of the snowstorm Friday as seen on flint Drive in Storm Lake.

Plans for the new Early Elementary School took a step forward, as the Storm Lake Board of Education approved the architect’s design and prepared to put the project out to bid. The project is on pace for a groundbreaking ceremony in July and opening in January, 2022...