Stories from Friday, February 14, 2020

Tyson is welcoming their new Community Liaison, Cynthia Trujillo, with a Storm Lake United Coffee at King’s Pointe. Everyone is welcome to join at King’s Pointe Resort on Wednesday, February 19, at 10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation announces the beginning of the 2020 Business Expansion & Strategic Trends (BEST) of Iowa interviews. BEST of Iowa is a strategic partnership between economic development organizations and utility companies throughout Iowa that provides a state-wide existing business strategy. The Corridor has conducted these interviews for 14 years...

Aimee Helmers recently received the Outstanding Contributor Award for Storm Lake McDonald’s restaurant and Hart2Hart Inc., determined by peers. The honor recognizes an employee who “leaves the world better than they found it, who never fails to look for the best in others or give the best of themselves.” / Photo submitted...

The Clay County Fair announced Darci Lynne & Friends: Fresh Out of the Box Tour, with special guest Renata as part of the SRG Concert Series in the Sleep Number Grandstand at the 2020 Clay County Fair at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18. Lynne, a singer and ventriloquist, is the youngest contestant to ever win NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” while capturing the hearts of America with her sweetheart disposition and undeniable talent. ...

Tickets are on sale now for the 50th Anniversary appearance of classic rock vocal group Sha Na Na, at the wild Rose Casino in Emmetsburg, Friday, March 27. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. with the show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20. This concert will celebrate the group’s performances from Woodstock, the film Grease and the Sha Nan Na TV variety show...

Spend your Valentine’s Day with an entertaining evening of music tonight at SLHS auditorium. The students of Storm Lake High School will be performing their annual Swing Show on Friday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. highlighting jazz and swing numbers to delight audiences of all ages. Tickets are $5 at the door. Congratulations to these SLHS performers pictured who earned Straight Division I ratings from every judge at the IHSMA state vocal jazz competition earlier this week...

A children and youth book sale is being planned for the Buena Vista County Historical Museum in Storm Lake, to be held on four consecutive Saturdays - February 15, 22, 29, and March 7. Hours are 9 a.m.-2 p.m. each Saturday. Hard cover books will sell for only 10 cents, paperbacks for 5 cents...

Western Iowa Congressman Steve King thinks Republicans should target control of the U.S. House of Representatives. “Can you imagine what we can accomplish if we have a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress? And with President Trump in the White House, nothing could ever stop our conservative agenda!” King wrote to supporters...

Area Senator Mark Segebart, along with Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, has co-introduced the False Allegations Protections Bill, which would make information received on a tip line confidential, but not anonymous. The purpose of this proposed change is to make Iowa DHS Child Protective Services aware of false reports in high conflict custody cases...

The City of Storm Lake is preparing to launch its latest water quality project, constructing a wetland on property south of the Tyson Wastewater Treatment Plan located on 630th Street, west of U.S. Highway 71. The construction work will start as soon as the weather allows, city officials announced this week, and will last through the 2020 calendar year, with final restoration and project completion in 2021. ...

Newell Fonda National Honor Society set a record at their annual fundraiser tailgate Tuesday night Feb. 11, The NHS raised $3,298.41 - the most they have raised in the six years raising money for the BVRMC Oncology Department. Receiving the check for BVRMC is Janel Kaufman, Robin Koster, Melissa Temple and NHS students are Maggie Walker and Bailey Sievers. / Photo by Scott Kilbride...

Storm Lake performance helps to preserve traditions of stepping art form

Recently, Iowa Central students hosted their annual community clothing and items drive called “Share What You Wear.” The campaign represents one of the most significant community events that Iowa Central students put on to support those in need over the holiday season. Students hold the drive at Iowa Central’s Career Education Building in Fort Dodge, Iowa. 2019 marked the 15th year for this community service effort at the college...

A Fort Dodge man accused of beating a pastor to death outside a central Iowa church was found mentally unfit Wednesday to stand trial. Webster County Judge Gina Badding ordered Joshua Pendleton, 36, to undergo treatment at the Iowa Medical Classification Facility, the Des Moines Register reported. The treatment will be designed to make Pendleton eventually competent to stand trial, Badding wrote in her ruling...

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake) Ice thickness is 6-15 inches, with thinner ice on the east part of the lake. Use caution and avoid open areas near the island. Snow cover is variable. The bite has slowed down; anglers are catching perch, crappie, walleye and white bass...

Rep. Gary Worthan (R-Storm Lake) welcomed Storm Lake High School’s government class to the Iowa House of Representatives. The students were visiting the Capitol to learn about the state government’s structure and functions for a class field trip. /Photo submitted...

The Iowa House on Tuesday approved a K-12 education funding plan that would spend about $16 million more than a version approved by the state Senate. The House voted to increase state spending by nearly $108 million, for a total of about $3.4 billion. Lawmakers approved the funding after first rejecting a proposal by Democrats to spend an additional $20 million...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds wouldn’t comment Wednesday on accusations made against state officials in a federal lawsuit involving sexual arousal experiments performed on residents of a state care center for people with intellectual disabilities. Two doctors and other former employees of Glenwood Resource Center filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Monday against a state agency and several officials alleging a conspiracy to silence complaints about sexual arousal research they claim exploited fragile and dependent residents.. ...

It was only a two-mile trip from the Milford Fire Station to a structure fire northeast of the city Monday morning, but crews from Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire and Rescue were soon headed south to aid their neighboring department. Milford fire fighters were called at about 11:08 a.m. to one of Oak Hill Marina’s storage buildings in the 2100 block of 230th Avenue. Milford Fire Chief Jim Carpenter said the call for assistance went out even before his crew arrived at the fire...

Storm Lake Police were alerted Monday night on a belated report of domestic assault that had happened in the 400 block of Michigan Street.  The victim reported that she had been assaulted on two occasions in the past week by James Chester, age 45 of Storm Lake. Officers located Chester Tuesday afternoon at a residence in the 400 block of Michigan. He was charged with two felony counts of Domestic Assault 3rd Offense, and booked into county jail where he was held without bond...

Students in eastern Iowa seeking a four-year collegiate degree in agriculture may now earn one locally through Buena Vista University thanks to a partnership with Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. A student who has earned an Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), or Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in the agriculture program at Kirkwood will be accepted as a transfer student at BVU with junior class standing...

When fights broke out in Kalyn Cody’s middle school math class, he would pick up the phone and call the school office for help. Cody, a former Des Moines school teacher, tried to quell disruptive behavior in his classroom at Goodrell Middle School, but he said he didn’t have enough staff to help maintain the status quo...

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, killing more women than all forms of cancer combined. BVRMC staff is all about raising awareness on cardiovascular disease to help save lives. On National Wear Red Day, Friday, February 7, during American Heart Month, a Wear Red/Jeans Day was held at BVRMC. ...

The “black experience” is really everyone’s experience. While it it may be unique, it is not unrelatable - as perseverance is the hallmark of the American story, says Portia Gresham, Director of Residence Life at Buena Vista University. As part of BVU’s Black History Month activities, Gresham spoke on the black experience and community during a session Thursday at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion...

WEST BEND - The St. Mary’s boys were able to hit the 50 point mark on Tuesday night against West Bend-Mallard. However, the defense allowed 64 points and let the Wolverines connect on 63 percent of their shots in a 64-50 setback. The Panthers played the Wolverines tight in the opening eight minutes and only trailed by three points, 16-13. St. Mary’s was outscored by four in the second period to trail by seven at halftime, 28-21...

IDA GROVE - If the Alta-Aurelia boys basketball team took away all the points that OA-BCIG’s Cooper Dejean scored on Tuesday night, it would have been no contest. However, Dejean tortured the Warriors and sent them home with a 65-58 setback. The Warriors offense found their mojo early but allowed 21 points to the Falcons in the first quarter to trail by six, 21-15. ...

NEWELL - The Newell-Fonda and Sioux Central boys put on a show Tuesday night for the Mustang Senior Night contest. The game featured momentum swings, big shots, big misses and an overtime period. In the end, Newell-Fonda was able to come away with a four point win, 93-89 over Sioux Central...

WEST BEND/STORM LAKE - The St. Mary’s girls concluded their regular season slate on Tuesday night when they traveled to take on West Bend-Mallard. The Panther girls had just enough separation throughout the night to take a 37-30 decision for their 10th win...