Stories from Friday, April 9, 2021

A jury has convicted a 71-year-old Spirit Lake man of second-degree murder for the May shooting death of another man in a rural northwestern Iowa home. Gregg Winterfeld was found guilty on Wednesday for the May 9 killing of Grant Wilson, 58, of Cleghorn, the Sioux County Attorney’s Office said Thursday in a news release...

Bids will be let late this year for a massive project to replace the Linn Grove bridge, the longest and highest bridge in the county. Hopes are to begin construction in spring of 2022. Buena Vista County supervisors discussed the project this week with County Engineer Bret Wilkinson...

Buena Vista Raceway in Alta has released its schedule for the 2021 season, with action starting June 2 and continuing on Wednesday nights. BVR will again be promoted by Trent Chinn, under IMCA sanction.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig this week commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Conditions report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly from April through November. “With recent warm and dry conditions across the state, many farmers are eager to begin fieldwork with an eye towards planting,” said Secretary Naig. ...

Michael Chowdhurry, general manager of Storm Lake’s city-owned King’s Pointe Resort, hosted an open house last week, and is shown speaking to community guests. Chowdhurry is leaving his position after a year, due to health issues. The open house also served to introduce Nick Korth, the new food and beverage manager at King’s Pointe. ...

Iowa artist Tara Moorman is featured in the current exhibit “Letters to My my Ancestors” at Blanden Art Gallery in Fort Dodge. The show runs through May 8. “I spent the majority of my life painting and creating art,” Moorman says. “My favorite medium is watercolor for its magical qualities. ...

We all have our guilty pleasures. After all, you can’t sit around and watch “Citizen Kane” ALL the time. Some movies are so unbelievably cringe-worthy that the actors probably just wish we would forget them, but they are just too darn fun not to watch. These are my picks for the best of the worst - you may love to hate ‘em...

The northwest Iowa farming community is enjoying an air of optimism this spring that it hasn’t seen in several years. In the latest edition of “Today’s Land Owner” published by Stalcup Ag Service in Storm Lake, Chad Husman writes that with the growing season around the corner, improved grain demand has crop prices on the upswing...

The Storm Lake City Council agreed to a zoning ordinance change that would allow small-scale warehousing operations in R-4 high-density residential areas, but with an adjustment to the proposal. City Code Officer Scott Olesen suggested that warehouses could be acceptable on some R-4 sites and not on others, depending on the proximity to homes, street location and access status. ...

The Storm Lake Parade of Flags Foundation will host a Memorial Day program this year on the courthouse lawn, May 31 at 10 a.m. Due to pandemic concerns, the board respectfully requests that the public wear masks and social distance three to six feet apart. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be canceled rather than moving indoors where social distancing would not be possible...

A citizen approached the Buena Vista County Board of Supervisors Tuesday with concerns over street lights no longer functioning at the intersections of Highway 3 and Business 71, and Highway 3 and County M44. Margie Robinson said the lights had been out for six months to a year, and asked why no one had fixed them. The intersections are dark and hard for motorists to locate at night, she said...

A flotilla of Canada geese patrols the Storm Lake shoreline near King’s Pointe, a sure sign of spring and nesting season. / Pilot photo by Dana Larsen

May 20, 1933 - March 22, 2021

Regularly, farm safety is emphasized each Fall around harvest, including the scheduled Sept 19-25, 2021 National Health and Safety Week (which is traced to President Franklin Roosevelt in 1944). However, many of the risk factors relate equally to the Spring planting season. So much so, that I want to raise the ever-important moniker: “think safety” now!...

Bright yellow daffodils, colorful tulips and fragrant hyacinths brighten our spring gardens. Give them the care they need to extend their spring display and keep them coming back for years. Hybrid tulips and hyacinths are short-lived stars of the spring garden. ...

Storm Lake Middle School would like to congratulate SLMS students who participated in National History Day this year. More than half a million middle and high school students participated in this contest. Students benefited by using reading and research skills, problem solving skills, and critical thinking...

Do you have a passion for gardening and like sharing gardening tips with others? If your answer is yes, ISU Extension and Outreach has just the program for you. Beginning this fall, the Master Gardener training will be offered online. Participants should apply at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener/become-master-gardener by July 1. ...

November 23, 1934 - April 4, 2021

January 1, 1972 - March 26, 2021

Beginning this week, all Iowans who are at least 16 years of age are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, and Iowa’s public transit systems are prepared to take riders to their appointments. Public transportation in Iowa provides access to employment, education, social activities and healthcare. ...

The Western Valley Conference Art Show was held March 25 at River Valley High School. Ridge View students brought home several awards. Left to Right: Cameron Spina - Excellence Award, Blue Ribbon: RyAnne Steffen - Red Ribbon: Hannah Yockey- Red Ribbon: Maguire Neumann - Best of Show, 1st Place Painting, Judges’ Award, Blue Ribbon: Viv Leonard - 1st Place Photography, Judges’ Award, 2 Blue Ribbons: Emilie Sawatzky - 2nd Place Printmaking: Marney - Blue Ribbon. / Photo submitted...

The budget process is in full swing this week and as a result I am up to my eyeballs in alligators. Last minute requests from departments, requests for tweaks in budget language from department heads, code editors, LSA, my colleagues in the House and from the lobby, along with contacts from citizens from home and around the state putting in one last plug for their favorite project...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday she plans to take legislative or executive action to forbid the use of “vaccine passports” to prove individuals had received the COVID-19 vaccine. Reynolds encouraged Iowans to get vaccinated as soon as possible, taking whichever form of the vaccine they could find. But, she emphasized, deciding to be vaccinated is a personal choice and would not be required by the state...

Iowans would consider paying for cleaner water if someone had a good idea how to accomplish that, a study found. But most of Iowans surveyed weren’t familiar with the centerpiece of Iowa’s cleanup effort, the voluntary and widely criticized Nutrient Reduction Strategy. And farmers who were asked about water quality issues tended to say the problems are less serious and less farm-related than other poll respondents thought...

AMES - Senior Alison Schweers carded a round of 82 and tied for third overall to help lead a trio of Buena Vista University women’s golfers, who competed individually, during the DMACC Spring Invite on Tuesday at the Ames Golf & Country Club. Schweers finished just two strokes back of individual medalist Megan Tanhe of Coe College.  Sophomore Cara Kempadoo finished her round with a 94 and freshman Emily Powers added a 103. A total of four teams and 26 golfers took part in the event...

STORM LAKE - The Buena Vista women’s soccer team was back home inside of J. Leslie Rollins Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, but the Beavers came up short against Nebraska Wesleyan, 6-0, during an American Rivers Conference match-up. The Prairie Wolves had 28 shots in the opening half and scored a late first half goal to go in front 3-0 at the break. NWU began the second half with a goal just under three minutes into play for a 4-0 cushion before adding two more goals in the final 15 minutes...

STORM LAKE - Braedan Evans and Zachary Tretler each scored goals for the Buena Vista men’s soccer team on Wednesday afternoon, but it was Nebraska Wesleyan finding the back of the net with just under one minute left in regulation en route to a 3-2 victory over the Beavers at J. Leslie Rollins Stadium...

STORM LAKE – Caleb Eggleston knew he’d tackle subjects like biology and art as a Buena Vista University freshman. He also anticipated taking down opponents as a 141-pound wrestler for the Beavers. But, a colt? Training a colt? That’s something Eggleston didn’t expect. He welcomes the bonus, a result of his place on BVU’s new rodeo team...

STORM LAKE - The Tornadoes boys soccer team took a 1-0 victory over the Sioux Center Warriors on Tuesday to start their season off. Senior Brian Munoz scored the lone goal of the game in the first half and had four shots on goal. Sophomore Deryk Hernandez is credited with the assist while junior Josh Reyes had six saves at the net...

STORM LAKE - The Tornado girls soccer team fell 4-1 to the Sioux Center Warriors on Tuesday dropping to 0-1. Senior Cynthia Rodriguez had the lone goal for the Tornadoes and sophomore Arlette Sandoval had 12 saves at the net. Senior Annie Bullock led the Warriors with three goals, five shots on goal, and an assist, while sophomore Ava Winterfeld had seven saves...

SPENCER - The Sioux Central girls took second to the Spencer girls in a head-to-head golf meet on Tuesday evening with 237 to the Tigers’ 207. Sophomore Kendra Casey led the Rebels and carded a 48 to come in second overall. Michelle Anderson had 61, Abril Morales and Abby Rentsch had 65, Emma Lonning carded a 65 while Madison Thomsen had 73...

CORRECTIONVILLE - The Ridge View girls golf team participated in a golf meet hosted by River Valley and took fourth as a team while Junior Emma Vohs carded 45 to take fifth on the individual results. The Raptors had a 212 behind OABCIG with 197, Westwood with 197 and Kingsley-Pierson with 190. They led MVAOCOU with 220, Woodbury Central with 221, West Monona with 223, River Valley with 354 and Lawton Bronson with 471...

GOWRIE - The Newell-Fonda girls competed in the Richard Ryan Relays hosted by Southeast Valley on Tuesday and came away with second in the team scores. The Mustangs tallied 116 points with Manson Northwest Webster taking first with 144 points. The Mustangs were ahead of St. Edmond with 89 points, South Central Calhoun with 76, West Bend-Mallard/Gilmore City-Bradgate with 66, Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire with 65 and Paton-Churdan with 14...

ORANGE CITY - The Storm Lake Tornadoes competed in the Dutch Relays hosted by MOC-Floyd Valley on Tuesday. The boys placed fifth with 47 points. MOC-Floyd Valley won the meet with 163 points. For the Tornado boys individual eventsJailen Hansen won the long jump event with a leap of 21-05.75 and Jailen Hanson took second in the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.45 seconds. ...

SIOUX RAPIDS - The Sioux Central Boys Invitational was held on Monday and Newell-Fonda and Alta-Aurelia headed up to compete in it. Newell-Fonda won the invitational with 154 points. Sioux Central took third with 135 points behind Manson Northwest Webster at 143 points. Alta-Aurelia placed fourth with 122 points followed by Harris Lake Park with 87 points...

HOLSTEIN - The 80th annual Ridge View Relays were held on a windy Wednesday and the Alta-Aurelia and Ridge View teams, as well as the Sioux Central girls competed in the meet. The Ridge View boys took second place with 116 points behind Lawton Bronson with 148. ...

The local COVID-19 vaccination effort is beginning to reach out for harder-to-reach populations, including minorities and college students. A clinic is being set up for local Hispanic and Latino populations on Sunday, April 18. at AEA. SALUD multicultural health coalition is helping Public Health to reach those residents...

The Storm Lake board this week approved the purchase of new lighting for the football field, fulfilling a longtime goal. The current lights date back 60 years to when the school was built.The low bid for just under $94,000 was approved from Premium Quality Lighting. The system includes LED light fixtures, a glare shield to reduce the impact of the lights on Russell Street residences, and wiring to a new control box. The district hopes to have the lighting installed in July...

Storm Lake schools are planning an innovative summer school program for this upcoming season, expecting increased numbers of participants. The school board this week approved spending approximately $90,000 on curriculum for the summer themed around “Invention,” from Pre-K Partnerships company in partnership with the National Inventors Hall of Fame...

Senator will make decision on running for another term in October or November

After a one-year absence, Iowa DNR crews returned to Storm Lake to net walleye and harvest eggs for future stocking of the popular gamefish in Iowa waters. “We started out of the gate really good, and we’re seeing great numbers of fish in the nets. The water temperature is really helping,” Fisheries Biologist Ben Wallace said...

The Storm Lake City Council this week approved an agreement with the Kick it Forward organization to build a mini-pitch soccer field at the current site of the Chautauqua Park tennis courts. Kick it Forward, based in Des Moines and promoting soccer accessibility in Iowa, will raise the money for the 60-by-120-feet mini-pitch project including LED lighting. ...