Stories from Friday, December 18, 2020

One of the most impressive Christmas trees in northwest Iowa has to be this towering two-story beauty dressed up in sliver and green, at Elements by K. Sorbe, the Storm Lake interior design store. The store has lots of unique gifts and arrangements for the holiday season, says owner Kathy Sorbe. / Pilot photo by Dana Larsen...

Cost for COVID-19 vaccine will also be waived for members once available

“The World’s Greatest County Fair” lived up to its billing by winning multiple awards and recognitions at the 2020 International Association of Fairs and Expositions “Virtual Vision” held Nov. 30 through Dec. 1. “Virtual Vision” replaced the IAFE Annual Convention, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic...

Thunderstruck, “America’s AC/DC,” will be performing for the University of Okoboji Winter Games. The concert is set for Friday, January 29, 7:30 p.m. at the Roof Garden Ballroom at Arnolds Park Amusement Park. Doors open at 6:30. As of this week, plans were moving ahead to hold a 41st annual version of the games next month, with some changes due to COVID concerns. Sign up is available on line for competitions such as broom ball, flag football, bowling, softball and many more...

If you are like me, you’ve watched all the Christmas stuff over and over. Elf, It’s a Wonderful Life, that Little Ralphie movie that plays inescapably on cable all December long, yada yada. You’ve been there, done that. Even those cookie-cutter Hallmark happily-ever-after stories, you’ve seen it all...

On December 14, Sandra Erika Chaidez, age 28 of Storm Lake, was sentenced in the Iowa District Court by the Honorable Charles Borth on a variety of matters. Chaidez had been previously placed on probation for drug charges. She faced new charges consisting of credit card fraud, identity theft, and additional drug charges...

Tyson Foods in Storm Lake may buy a wastewater treatment plant for a buck. The City of Storm Lake recently approved a request to sell its former plant to the company. Tyson has been leasing the facility since the early 1980s. With increasing requirements for treatment of phosphorate and nitrates, significant upgrades will be needed in order for Tyson to meet requirements of its treatment level permits...

Storm Lake’s Grinch has gone viral. The Grinch, infamous bad boy of the holiday season, recently demonstrated a COVID-19 test at Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake, accompanied by BVRMC’s popular character for children, Bandage the Elf...

Galva, Iowa, amateur photographer Kelly Wood finds her inspiration within nature and strives to capture the peace and beauty that surrounds her. As a busy mother, wife, and full-time employee at BVRMC, some of Kelly’s favorite ways to relax are through traveling and photography. ...

The recent blast of arctic air is growing ice on lakes and ponds over much of Iowa. Anglers are ready to get out for the popular early ice fishing season. “Many of us can’t wait to get out on the ice each winter,” said Joe Larscheid, chief of fisheries for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “Ice fishing is a fun, inexpensive activity for anglers of all ages to get outdoors and avoid cabin fever.”...

A group of about nine preschool children waited anxiously near a playground-replica of the Queen II in East Lake Park recently. The youngsters were to help cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially recognize the new park — and help break in all the new equipment...

Buena Vista County U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that Frank Klahs II of Storm Lake was elected to represent his local administrative areas (LAA) during the recent county committee election. Trent Hatlen of Rembrandt will serve as the first alternate...

July 24, 1949 - December 11, 2020

March 10, 1935 - December 12, 2020

November 23, 1929 - December 12, 2020

December 17, 1943 - December 11, 2020

March 6, 1935 - December 2, 2020

Environmental groups that want the state to regulate farm pollution running into waterways took their arguments to the Iowa Supreme Court on Wednesday. Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and Food & Water Action sued the state over pollution in the Raccoon River. ...

Tyson Foods fired seven plant managers in Waterloo following an independent investigation into allegations that they privately wagered money on the number of workers who would be sickened by COVID-19. In a statement on Wednesday, Tyson CEO Dean Banks said the firings were “based on the findings” from the investigation, though those details were not released...

Seith Monahan has resigned as Storm Lake High School Principal, effective at the end of the school year. Superintendent Stacey Cole said he has not accepted a new position, but plans to return to the Des Moines area, where he previously worked at Des Moines Lincoln High School as a teacher, grade-level coordinator an eventually administrator...

After serving as president and chief executive officer of the the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation since August 2014, Kiley Miller announced he is resigning from the organization effective February 2021. Trees Forever, located in Marion, announced its board of directors has appointed Miller as its incoming executive director...

Local school districts Storm Lake, Alta-Aurelia, Newell-Fonda, Albert City-Truesdale and Galva-Holstein saw increases in enrollment this fall over 2019. Laurene-Marathon, Schaller-Crestland and Sioux Central were among the two-thirds of Iowa districts experiencing decreases in students...

Favorable interest rates, a strong demand for land and substantial government payments helped stabilize Iowa’s farmland market in a year in which Iowa’s farmers faced the destructive onslaught of a derecho, significant uncertainties in U.S. agricultural trade and a pandemic that significantly altered market demand...

Methodist Manor Retirement Community administration in Storm Lake is wondering why their facility has only now started showing up in state listings of long-term care facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks. The state’s COVID-19 website as of this week listed 22 cases at the facility to date, six confirmed over the past week, and eight recoveries. ...

Adopt-A-Family completes 230 family mission just in time for Christmas

RAGBRAI and its 10,000 biking enthusiasts won’t be rolling to Storm Lake in 2021. The community has withdrawn as the first overnight host Sunday, July 25, along with Maquoketa which was to have been a host town later in the ride, according to ride organizer Dieter Drake. He said RAGBRAI will hope to return to both towns in coming editions...