Stories from Friday, November 20, 2020

The Law Offices of Redenbaugh and Mohr, P.C., is proud to announce that Partner Brett C. Redenbaugh has been selected as a member of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers. Fellowship in the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers is by invitation only, upon sponsorship and recommendation from peers and judges and unanimous approval by the Board of Governors. ...

Iowa environmental advocates on Monday said the election of Joe Biden as president could have far-reaching implications for Iowa’s renewable energy industry, environmental protection and efforts to fight climate change.  One of the state’s largest environmental organizations, the Iowa Environment Council, saw plenty of promise in the outcome of an election, even as President Donald Trump and allies have launched court challenges to try to overturn the results...

Rembrandt, in spite of it’s size, has some things going for it, one being the home to entrepreneur Sarah Stephens, and Mint Dahlia Designs. Entrepreneurs are sometimes created by accident, and literally, it was an accident that moved Sarah forward into establishing her business.” I was in a pretty devastating snowmobile accident, in late February. ...

Thanksgiving needs a good PR firm. While Hallmark is dealing out Christmas movies by the bucketful before Halloween, name me a few good Turkey Day films. I’ll wait… *insert sound of patient whistling.Not so easy, is it? But let’s not just rush past a perfectly good holiday here. With a deep dive into the archives, here’s a list of movies to celebrate with while the cranberry sauce is running down your chin...

The City of Storm Lake postponed this week’s scheduled Community Character award presentation. The event will not be rescheduled until after the first of the year. “With the increasing COVID cases and the governor’s most recent proclamation we felt this was prudent,” said mayor Mike Porsch...

The Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources today announced that 25 municipalities with current State Revolving Fund loans for water quality projects will save a total of more than $12 million in interest over the remaining life of their loans as a result of their interest rate being reduced from 3% to 1.75%...

A local repeat offender for failing to comply with Iowa Sex Offender Registry requirements was given a suspended sentence this week, although the Buena Vista County Attorney’s office had argued for a prison term. James Bainbridge, age 40 of Storm Lake, was given a five-year suspended sentence by Judge Charles Borth for two counts of the felony as a 2nd or subsequent offense. In addition, Bainbridge will be on probation for three years...

St. Mary’s High School social studies class recently participated in the American Legion Veterans Day essay contest. The contest winners were announced on Friday, November 13. First place winner was Andrew Goettsch, second place Ellie Bacon and third place Emily Nothwehr...

Blaze orange clad hunters moving through Iowa’s timber will be a common sight when the first of two shotgun deer seasons open Dec. 5. An estimated 120,000 hunters participate in the shotgun seasons, harvesting about half of the total number of deer for the year...

In July, Buena Vista University was notified by Blackbaud, one of its third-party service providers, that it had been the victim of a ransomware attack. Blackbaud is a large provider of customer relationship management systems for not-for-profits and higher education...

As Buena Vista University students prepare to head home for Thanksgiving, most will pack all they need for the holidays and more, as students will finish the first semester with online instruction, an approach BVU has embraced thanks to innovative faculty and staff members, and grant assistance from the Iowa Department of Education and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) effort, a component of the U.S. Government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act...

September 17, 1938 - November 13, 2020

May 15, 1945 - November 16, 2020

August 11, 1951 - November 9, 2020

October 15, 1934 - November 12, 2020

March 27, 1953 - November 8, 2020

September 16, 1928 - November 9, 2020

A wrongful death lawsuit tied to COVID-19 infections in a Waterloo pork processing plant alleges that during the initial stages of the pandemic, Tyson Foods ordered employees to report for work while supervisors privately wagered money on the number of workers who would be sickened by the deadly virus...

Storm Lake Mayor Mike Porsch describes the rise in local COVID-19 cases as “alarming,” as a 14th death in the county was reported Thursday. Buena Vista County had seen 2,803 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. As of Thursday, more than 14 percent of the county’s population has been tested positive with COVID - the state’s highest per capita rate. Almost 200 new cases had been reported in the county in the past week...

Storm Lake’s Christmas parade will be the next event to fall in a year of pandemic concerns. Storm Lake United has called off the annual centerpiece to the Miracle on Lake Avenue, on recommendation from the city and public health officials. “It was just common sense based on what is going on with the numbers right now,” said Lee Dutfield of SLU. ...

Buena Vista Regional Medical Center is working to respond to a growing number of COVID-19 cases. “BVRMC will work to comply with the governor’s proclamation Monday night announcing inpatient procedures need to be reduced to 50%,” Katie Schwint, BVRMC Director of Community Development said. “All our employees are pitching in and working together to keep our elective and COVID-19 patients cared for.”...

Marcus Lumber announced Thursday plans to open a new store in Storm Lake. The store will be located in the previous lumberyard location, on Sale Barn road. This will be the second location for the 100-year-old family business. The store will feature a 17,000 square foot home center in addition to an attached drive through lumberyard. ...

It’s no surprise to Joanne Alvorez that some Latino and Hispanic voters in her community cast their ballots for President Donald Trump. In Storm Lake, the economic and political spectrum of the Latino community is vast and complicated.  There are third and fourth generations of Latinos who are well-established. There are class and ideological divides. Some Latinos in town are staunchly religious. Others work in predominantly white workplaces with high-paying jobs...

The annual Adopt-A-Family for Christmas program begins today. The Pilot-Tribune and Upper Des Moines Opportunity co-sponsor the program each year, matching generous individuals, families, businesses, clubs, classrooms and church groups with needy local families to provide the Christmas experience they might otherwise not have...