Stories from Friday, May 1, 2020

King and Scholten collide on president’s order to keep plants open

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced a new “Pass the Pork” program to connect Iowa pig farmers with food insecure Iowans. The program is an initiative of Gov. Reynolds’ Feeding Iowans Task Force led by Lt. Gov. Gregg...

The Iowa Lakes Electric Members Charitable Foundation awards a total of $12,000 to eight local hospitals within Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative’s service territory. The Foundation awarded each hospital $1,500 as a thank you to them and their staff for being there for our communities during these unsettling times...

Adam Kutz has been working on cars since he was 14 years old. Fixing problems on vehicles has been a natural fit for him, ever since he can remember. “I’ve been at it for a long time, so it just seemed right to go into business,” says Adam. Since August of 2007, A and A Automotive has been serving customers in, and around, the Storm Lake area, and they have been successful enough to build on their expertise at keeping those machines working that get folks around for business, school, and recreation on a daily basis. ...

Here in western Iowa, it’s been a long while since our prairies were the wild frontier of America, regardless of what city slickers in Des Moines might imagine. But while we’re waiting to emerge from quarantine, there’s nothing like a good western. Of course the classics can never be duplicated - The Searchers, The Stagecoach, Shane, Rio Bravo, all those iconic Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns...

The high-bank barricades in Storm Lake’s Chautauqua Park have been removed, after concern about their condition from the public and the Mayor’s Committee on Parks, Trails and Urban Forestry. The barricades were made of wooden utility poles which had degraded over the years. City officials said at a recent council meeting that no new barricades are planned, as they were determined to not be needed...

Storm Lake city officials say they have worked with the Landfill Commission and management to reopen the Buena Vista County Solid Waste and Recycle Center for yard waste collection. Arrangements are now in place to allow residents to drop off yard waste at the designated area during regular hours through May 16: Monday and Wednesday 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m...

Iowa gas prices have fallen 2.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $1.46. Gas prices in Iowa are 35.6 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand $1.30 per gallon lower than a year ago. Storm Lake prices have been stable slightly below state average, with most stations at $1.35-$1.38 earlier this week...

The North Raccoon River Watershed Management Coalition is looking to continue its work without a coordinator. The group met Friday to consider direction as the funding to employ its coordinator runs out. The coalition was formed in 2016 to improve water quality in the river watershed, encompassing Buena Vista, Calhoun, Carroll, Dallas Greene, Pocahontas, Sac and Webster county areas...

The lakefront on Lighthouse Drive between Scout Park and Methodist Manor is being restored this week. Heaving ice late in the winter a year ago did considerable damage to the lakefront. The one bid that the city received was for about $75,000, less than half of what the city’s consulting engineer had estimated for the work. ...

Central College’s annual Scholarship Celebration was scheduled for Thursday, April 23, but was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The event gives student scholarship recipients the opportunity to personally thank and share dinner with donors who help make their Central education possible. More than 700 students would have been recognized this year in P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium...

The following four faculty members have been named as finalists for the 2020 George Wythe Award for Excellence in Teaching atBuena Vista University: Dr. Bradley Best, Professor of Political Science; Dr. Lisa Mellmann, Associate Professor of Chemistry;...

The tart stalks of rhubarb are used in pies, tarts, sauces, jams, jellies, puddings and punch. Rhubarb is easy to grow and long-lived. For more information on growing rhubarb and other vegetables in your garden, contact horticulture specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. To have additional questions answered, contact the Hortline at 515-294-3108 or [email protected]...

Following the proclamation of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds Monday, April 27 that religious and spiritual gatherings are no longer prohibited, Bishop Walker Nickless of the Diocese of Sioux City is not yet lifting the suspension of public Masses he made March 16...

Nine youth started their sewing pouch during Christmas break and worked approximately 11 hours to finally complete them. Sac County Youth Coordinator created a pattern for the 4-H’ers to follow as the pattern was a little small and she wrote out step by step instructions for the girls to follow. ...

The City of Storm Lake is seeking applicants for an owner-occupied housing rehabilitation grant application. The City anticipates being able to assist six homeowners with exterior rehabilitation of their homes in later 2020 and 2021. Applicants must own and reside in their home and meet income qualifications as set forth in the table...

Overview: With the winter (hopefully) behind us, city officials want to provide a brief update on the completion of remaining work to be completed of the City of Storm Lake’s Lot B reconstruction project. Remaining items of work include: • Replacement of drainage intake at the north end of the alley at 7th Street...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center will gradually resume elective surgeries over the next few weeks. Procedures are being put in place to keep both patients and staff safe. Surgery patients will be screened prior to procedures, as well as the day of surgery. Any patients that do not pass screening or have COVID-19 symptoms will not have surgery. Patients will be encouraged to self-isolate for 14 days prior to surgery...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center’s Fitness & Health Center will be re-opening Friday, May 1 at 5 a.m. with restrictions. Every member will be asked screening questions and have temperature taken. No children under the age of 18 and customers may be asked to show ID to prove age...

Western Iowa Congressman Steve King is warning his supporters that Democrats are pushing to allow illegal immigrants to vote in November in order to “steal the election.” In an email seeking donations, King said Democrats have “wanted to do this for a while, and now they’re pushing harder than ever.”...

Tuesday April 28, 2020 around 12 p.m., sheriff’s officials responded to the 500 block of Walnut St. in Early, on a report of a suspicious car that was occupied. When the responding deputy arrived, he found a black Chrysler 200 with no license plates occupied by two adult males. Upon contact, these males tried to walk away, and were detained. Additional sheriff’s units responded...

Provides added 10% employee appreciation bonus to front line employees

Iowa’s three major public universities are planning to resume in-person classes in the fall, but they are still working out the details of what that would look like during the coronavirus pandemic. Iowa Board of Regents President Mike Richards said the schools will follow state and federal health guidelines as they develop plans to bring thousands of students back to the campuses of the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and Northern Iowa University...

Bailey Clipperton has been creating comforting sidewalk art over the last week, as shown at 518 Barton Street. The high school junior was an honorable mention winner in the WISE art competition at BVU. /Photo submitted

An Iowa sheriff has resigned after being charged in the assault of his wife and the officers who arrested him earlier this month. Calhoun County Sheriff Scott Anderson resigned Monday, just hours before a scheduled court hearing to hear evidence to remove him as sheriff...

Buena Vista University’s 129th Commencement ceremony has been moved to Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. The move occurs as a result of the BVU campus being closed this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, Commencement was to take place on May 23, 2020...

Three Storm Lake men were arrested Tuesday in a streetfight. The incident led police to also charge one of the brawlers for a domestic assault, and to arrest the same suspect again later in the same day for alleged drug sales. Police were called to a fight in the 300 block of Ontario Street Tuesday morning. ...

The Storm Lake City Council has approved $93,800 in small business relief payments to 31 locally-owned businesses. The relief payments were funded from franchise fee revenue. About 45 businesses had applied since the city government announced the program recently...

Storm Lake city officials are preparing to “open” after quarantine, but it won’t be in a rush. “We expect to be slower opening up. I’m not convinced we’ve seen all of our cases. We’re still concerned with the health of our staff, and being able to continue providing essential services,” City Manager Keri Navratil said of City Hall...

The Buena Vista County Courthouse closure was extended through May 19, during a phone link meeting of the county supervisors Tuesday. Their current policy was to expire that day, and county leaders felt they had to give direction to county employees. Supervisors chairperson Rhonda Ringgenberg said she has been hearing from worried department heads who want to stay closed under current policies...

For area high school seniors, this year was suppose to be different. Seniors were suppose to wrap up a long academic career, sometimes attending school in the same building, from preschool to 12th grade. Athletes were suppose to compete in track and field events, or start training for summer baseball or softball. ...