Stories from Friday, May 15, 2020

Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative has signed on to a letter that urges members of Congress to provide economic relief for rural America. Specifically, the letter calls for Congress to support additional stimulus package relief for food and ethanol processing plants, and the farmers and ranchers who serve them—most of whom are also electric cooperative members. ...

It’s a sunny, May afternoon in Storm Lake, and there looks to be a few more cars, and people populating the downtown area. Politeness abounds, as folks seem to give others plenty of room to maneuver the sidewalk area. There aren’t a lot of people walking around the downtown area, and most of the ones that are look to have some different spring attire that they are wearing. ...

Northwest Iowa’s own Brad Morgan will perform for the Twin Lakes Float-In, Saturday, June 20. Showtime is 2 p.m. Brad will provide a solo acoustic country show. Grab your boat and float on in. Morgan, a singer-songwriter from Manning, has an easy-going sound, with his midwest roots apparent in crowd favorites like “Unlocked,” “Catchin’ Nothin’ But a Buzz,” Plan B is for Beer,” and “Perfect for Me.” Brad has released a full length album and a pair of EPs. ...

Regional favorite the Jay Clyde Band will perform in a street dance for this summer’s Early Crossroads Days. The show starts at 9 p.m. July 18. The Manson-based band has been building a following with a broad range of country, current rock, southern rock and ‘80s/90s pop in its repertoire. This band combines artists who have played in many different bands, and have had many different experiences musically...

Queen Latifah, Rebecca Breeds and Thomas Middleditch are set to star in three new CBS shows for the 2020-21 season as the network adds a reimagined “Equalizer,” a show based on “The Silence of the Lambs” and a comedy about organ donation. Queen Latifah steps into the role of a retired special-ops agent who fiercely believes in justice in “Equalizer,” playing a character previously portrayed on TV and film by Edward Woodward and Denzel Washington...

War is futile. War is a waste. War lays ruin to generations of promising young people. It’s the message of so many war films, but even more when the war in question is not between nations but between urban gangs — youths killing each other over petty grievances and turf battles that mean nothing to anyone else. Such films generally do not conclude there’s anything useful about gang violence...

Shellabration Inc. Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Shellabration and Downtown Country Jam events in Fort Dodge. “The health and safety of our attendees, volunteers, sponsors, contractors and community will always be our highest priority. ...

More than 500 Iowa students from virtually everywhere across the state to compete in this year’s National History Day in Iowa state contest. For the first time in its existence, the contest moved to an online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifty-four students from 24 different Iowa communities took top honors during the state contest and advanced to the National History Day national contest where they will compete online in June for top honors...

For your safety, Buena Vista Regional Medical Center is asking that anyone who has an appointment at BVRMC please call ahead to register at 712.732.4030. The Patient Access team will assist with registration needs.

The Storm Lake City Council will discuss the prospects for a skate park during their next set of budget discussions. The city was approached by a citizen asking for the attraction to be reconsidered. A skate park was proposed by local youth years ago, and a plan was professionally drawn for a park to be located in the Seneca Park area behind the police station, but the project was never funded...

Buena Vista County Supervisors are discussing a reassignment of the general relief program. Linda White, with the community services office, is planning to transition out of the relief position eventually. The county recorder’s office is prepared to take it on, with some training, which would move general relief back into the courthouse building...

Storm Lake City officials will not rush to lift quarantine restrictions, including reopening City Hall. “We have a very small employee base, and we have already had one person sick with the [COVID-19] virus. Some of our departments only have four or five people, and we don’t want to risk a spread that could have a whole department out ill,” City Manager Keri Navratil told the Pilot-Tribune this week. “We will be looking at a softer, slower opening.”...

With quarantine lingering, parents picked up their elementary schoolers’ belongings at the curb, with staff members delivering the items to the parents’ vehicles on Monday and Tuesday. / Source: Storm Lake School District

This weekend, the Witter Gallery will be producing their tenth live stream crafting video. The gallery is using Facebook to live stream fun and educational craft tutorials for children and adults. The videos are live streamed every Saturday at 12 p.m. on the gallery’s Facebook page, and can also be rewatched later...

Nolan Wells from Storm Lake, will graduate with a bachelor of science degree from the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). Majoring in Agronomy, Wells will join a network of 46,000 CALS alumni sharing their talents and making a difference around the world...

A local mother - daughter team has been making masks and they’re placing them in front of their house, the home is located on 3rd St. right next to the Harker House. / Photo submitted

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake) Anglers have had good luck from shore and in the main lake. Storm Lake has a daily limit of 3 walleye and all 17- to 22-inch walleye must be released; and no more than one walleye longer than 22 inches may be taken per day. ...

Due to the potential health risks and uncertainty due to COVID-19, the Catholic School Foundation for the Diocese of Sioux City has decided to restructure the 24th Annual Bishop’s Dinner for Catholic Schools to an online event for 2020. The event was scheduled to be held September 12, but it will now be held online on September 13. The theme for the event will be the “Bishop’s Fundathon for Catholic Schools.”...

If the Buena Vista University Class of 2020 handed out a “Most Likely to Stay Active Award,” certainly Bazyl Horsey, a computer science major from Storm Lake would find himself in the running. Horsey, after all, spent time as a BVU senior doing, but not limiting himself, to these activities:...

News of the Asian Giant Hornet’s arrival in Washington state has spread a lot farther than the actual invasive insect, and there is no evidence it has arrived in Iowa or will ever be here, according to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach specialists...

September 28, 1922 - May 7, 2020

Building and business closures for weeks or months reduce water usage, potentially leading to stagnant water inside building plumbing, Storm Lake city officials warn. This water can become unsafe to drink or otherwise use for personal or commercial purposes. EPA recommends that building owners, building managers, and businesses take steps to flush the building’s plumbing before reopening...

The Storm Lake Police Association was proud to present a donation today of $500 to Upper Des Moines Opportunity to help those in need. The department thanks you to those citizens and businesses that have donated to the police association, allowing SLPD to pay it forward to our community. / SLPD photo...

Governor Reynolds opened up 77 of Iowa’s 99 counties last week. Businesses like restaurants, churches, and dentist offices that had been closed previously are able to open under controlled circumstances. These are the first steps to getting Iowa up and running again. Counties still not opened up are Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Dallas, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fayette, Henry, Iowa, Jasper, Johnson, Linn, Louisa, Marshall, Muscatine, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Tama, Washington, and Woodbury...

The Schaller Chamber of Commerce has cancelled its events for Schaller Popcorn Days, which had been scheduled for July, after the carnival contracted for the event decided it would be unable to participate.

The American Legion Auxiliary in Aurelia has canceled Memorial Day services and dinner on Monday, May 25. However they will be decorating veterans’ graves with flags and white crosses and plan on flying the flags if weather permits.

Deacon Travis Crotty, a native of Varina, will be ordained as a priest. The ordination mass in Sioux City will be live streamed on KTIV Television’s website, Saturday, June 6, 10 a.m. Due to the Center of Disease Control recommendations and out of concern for the health of the faithful and the clergy, the public will not be invited to attend the ordination at the Cathedral of the Epiphany...

The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office on Monday released the name of the 58-year-old man who died of an apparent gunshot wound inside a rural Ireton farmhouse Saturday night. Authorities have charged 70-year-old Gregg Winterfeld, of Spirit Lake, with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Grant Wayne Wilson, of Cleghorn...

A worker patiently grades the ground behind the Storm Lake Middle School, a first step toward constructing the new $3 million gym planned for the facility. The reproofing project at the middle school is underway at the same time, and preparations are beginning for a conversion of an existing multipurpose space inside the building into additional classrooms to address overcrowding issues. /Pilot photo by Dana Larsen...

The Storm Lake School District will have no shortage of willing contractors as it looks to begin construction on a new Early Elementary School projected to open during the 2022-23 school year. Seven different companies bid for the project during a meeting Tuesday, with base bids ranging from $14,840,000 from Klinger Construction, Sioux City, to a high of $18.2 million. The bids are complicated by a number of alternates to the project...

A new program in the Storm Lake Community School District will help ensure children have access to nutritious meals through at least June 30. The Meals-to-You program features the delivery of 20 shelf-stable meals-including 10 breakfasts and 10 lunches-directly to each eligible student’s doorstep for free, every two weeks. It has been made possible through a partnership involving SLCSD, Baylor University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture...

A Storm Lake has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for possession of over 100 videos of child pornography. Ariya Mangsanhanh, age 24, received the prison term this week after a November 8 guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography...

The five Republicans competing for the 4th District Congressional seat took a deep dive into COVID-19 response and other issues in a spirited first live debate event in Spencer this week. The candidates applauded the response efforts of President Trump and Governor Reynolds, fellow Republicans...

Storm Lake’s annual Star Spangled Spectacular festivities have been canceled for 2020 amid COVID-19 concerns. The annual celebration has been going on for over 40 years. Michael and Tony Pertzborn, Star Spangled Spectacular 2020 commodores, along with co-commodores Brandon Frank and Jeff Bowles, made the decision following an increase in recent cases reported in Buena Vista County and national recommendations for community safety...

A Test Iowa site will be opened at Storm Lake High School parking lot starting at noon on Saturday, expected to continue through May 24. The site will be the eighth in the state. A strike team also began testing residents at Methodist Manor Thursday...