Stories from Friday, May 14, 2021

Jadeyn Metzger has recently joined Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica) in Storm Lake as a customer service specialist.  “We are glad to have Jadeyn join our team”, said Angie Vaughan, FCSAmerica’s regional vice president of retail operations for northwest Iowa. “Jadeyn is looking forward to meeting and working with our customers. We invite our local producers to stop by our office to meet her.”...

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly from April through November. “Many farmers across Iowa were grateful for the much-needed rainfall we received over the weekend,” said Secretary Naig. “With cooler and drier conditions for much of last week, farmers made significant planting progress and are ahead of schedule this year.”...

Benchmark Woodworks in Storm Lake has always been known for high-quality home and office remodel work in northwest Iowa and why they continue to move forward with cutting edge designs should come as no surprise. Modernizing kitchens, bathrooms, and other home areas has been a specialty of Benchmark, as they have kept on the latest trends in bringing homes up to speed. ...

The 3rd Annual Barnyard to Blue Ribbon Bike Ride will take place during the Buena Vista County Fair, Saturday, July 10. Registration will be from 10-11 a.m. at the fairgrounds, with the ride starting at 11. The registration fee of $20 includes a koozie and tank top. Pre-registration is appreciated, but you can register the day of the ride as well...

The nation’s largest skatepark officially opened May 7 after a 4:30 p.m. presentation by local dignitaries. More than a decade in the making, Lauridsen Skatepark is along the Principal Riverwalk in downtown Des Moines, across Second Avenue from Wells Fargo Arena. The facility will hold the only U.S. Olympic qualifying event, the Dew Tour May 20-23. Skateboarding will make its debut as an Olympic sport at the Tokyo Olympics, set for July 23-Aug. 8...

Okoboji - Treasure Village has been providing positive family entertainment for almost 50 years. The summer of 2021 will be its 49th season, and the staff at Treasure Village is saddened to announce that the family theatre will not be opening this summer. ...

Buena Vista Community Theatre has started rehearsals for the musical Little Shop of Horrors at the Roxy Theatre. “We’re already working hard and having fun getting this fun show ready. We look forward to performing for you,” the directors said. Show dates are June 18, 19, 20, 25, and 26. Ticket information will be released soon. / BVCT photo...

Rising Nashville singer/songwriter Morgan Myles will offer the Sunday funday concert, Givin’ & Groovin’, at Twin Lake’s Traditions, May 30, 7 p.m. The acoustic event is a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in support of Jaime Morgan, a Woman of the Year candidate for the society...

Storm Lake Community School District is participating in a Summer Food Service program. Meals will be provided to all children without charge and are the same for all children. Meals will be provided, at a first come, first served basis, at the sites and times as follows:...

Storm Lake Police broke out the “Yum Vee” for the season last weekend. The converted military surplus Hum Vee is outfitted with a freezer, allowing officers to cruise the neighborhoods handing out ice cream treats as one of their outreach programs to the youth of the community. / SLPD photo...

Dr. Jesse Ulrich was named Iowa Central Community College President in March. Ulrich, a 2005 graduate of Buena Vista University, will complete his term as Superintendent of the Fort Dodge Community School District on June 30, then assume his new post at ICCC...

Mediacom Communications announced the selection of Ellie Lago, a Newell-Fonda High School senior, as a recipient of the company’s World Class Scholarship program. The award recognizes thelocal student for outstanding leadership and academic accomplishments. Mediacom annually selects 60 graduating seniors who each receive $1,000 scholarships to support their post-secondary education...

On May 3, 2021, Mayor Porsch issued a Proclamation establishing May 15 through 22 as Storm Lake Proud Clean-Up Week for residential properties in Storm Lake.  Beginning on Friday, May 14, disposal containers will be located at the City’s Public Services yard located at 433 Vilas Road. The residents of Storm Lake are encouraged to bring unwanted items to that location for proper disposal. Items must be non-hazardous, non-construction material and originate from residential properties. Following is the schedule of available times:. ...

Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake) Water temperatures are around 60 degrees. Black Crappie - Fair: Try a tube jig with a small minnow. Yellow Perch - Fair: Look for perch along shore using minnows fished on a jig. Fish are 8-11 inches. Some sorting is needed. ...

All are invited to join family and friends at the the annual Memorial Day potluck brunch at the Nemaha shelter house following the 8:00 service at the cemetery. If desired, bring your table service and a dish to share. Beverages will be provided.

Storm Lake United and The City of Storm Lake are excited to announce a free concert in Sunset Park on Saturday, May 22nd in conjunction with Storm Lake Proud Week. The morning starts with a city-wide park clean-up and concludes with a concert at the bandshell starting at 1:00 pm...

The community Christmas tree’s days are numbered. An evergreen on the Buena Vista County Courthouse green is diseased with dying branches, and attempts to treat, fertilize and mulch it have shown no results. The tree has been used for a number of years for the Miracle on Lake Avenue tree lighting to kick off the holiday season. ...

When the Iowa Senate set priorities at the beginning of the year, they included helping Iowa recover from the pandemic, passing tax relief for hard-working Iowans, and implementing responsible, conservative budgets for the state. This week WalletHub reported Iowa ranked second in the country for fastest recovery following the pandemic. ...

There’s a pretty good chance that, in the next several weeks, Northeast Iowa will be visited by a few wandering black bears coming down from Minnesota and Wisconsin ahead of the breeding season. It’s been an annual occurrence in this region each spring since 2014...

The first step of emergency use authorization of Pfizer vaccine for 12-15-year-old adolescents, recommendation from the FDA, has happened. The next step is for the CDC to approve the use and we should receive an update on that today. This would allow another 5% of the U.S. ...

Facing the inevitable, Storm Lake isn’t waiting for the emerald ash borer. The city has undertaken an aggressive effort to remove ash trees before the voracious insects get to them. The ash borer was first identified in Buena Vista County in Alta, in 2017, where many trees have been killed. The pests, native to Asia, have been identified in 80 of Iowa’s 99 counties. In the area, Sac County was added to the infected list in 2020, and Cherokee County in 2021...

The Storm Lake Public Library will reopen to the public June 7, with a 50 percent capacity and a request for masks to be used by patrons. The library board discussed the process this week, noting that there have been some complaints about the facility remaining on lockdown for many months. Currently, the library is open by appointment only...

BVU Class of 2020 celebrates the commencement a pandemic took from them, find closure on the lakeshore

Secretary of State muses on restoring election confidence during SL visit

City begins planning for another water tower: “We have to realize that we can’t just turn on the tap and assume that the water will always be there. We shouldn’t just be looking at our need today, but what those needs will be 20 or 30 years from now.” - City Manager Keri Navratil