Stories from Friday, June 4, 2021

Despite a growing momentum for initiatives aimed at creating more diverse and inclusive work spaces, several barriers still exist that limit the success of these efforts. To implement meaningful change, a team of researchers says a holistic and systematic approach is needed to ensure practitioners, educators and researchers are all working from the same playbook. ...

As Pride Month begins, I’d like to describe how I came to an important decision I made as an ally of the LGBTQ community. I do my best to be inclusive of all sorts of people. I have a lot of friends in the LGBTQ community. I like to think people know I’m a safe person, and I value different types of people...

Grunge Unplugged will be on stage at Shiny Top Brewing in Fort Dodge for a free show Thursday, June 17, starting at 7 p.m. The acoustic trio of Lee, Willard and Jaymnick, from southern Minnesota, is on their “Iowa Invasion Tour” for 2021, specializing in covers of popular ‘90s alternative and grunge bands. Check out their tracks of Alice in Chain and Pearl Jam hits on Soundcloud...

Siouxland Humane Society is offering a morning of Baby Goat Yoga, Saturday, June 12 at the society headquarters, 1015 Tri View Avenue, Sioux City. The event is a fundraiser to help care for homeless and abused animals at the shelter. There are two one-hour sessions available, 8:30 or 10 a.m. ...

Husband and wife duo Fishin’ for Olives returns to the Innspiration Wines & Vines outdoor stage for a show Sunday, June 13. Expect plenty of soft rock and Americana covers.

Toward the end of HBO Max’s “Friends” reunion special, host James Corden asks the six actors to imagine what their characters’ lives would be like today. Chandler and Monica would be married. So would Ross and Rachel. With kids, of course. Same with Phoebe. The only mystery was Joey, which actor Matt LeBlanc answered with a joke...

Thunderstruck, America’s top touring AC/DC tribute show, will perform in a free all-ages show at the Arnolds Park Preservation Plaza, part of the Live at the Lakes series. Recreating the “Thunder From Down Under” Thunderstruck is constantly adding new cities and aims to please every crowd, playing the songs you know and love from all eras of AC/DC. ...

Buena Vista County Conservation is hosting a series entitled “Building Better Birders and Citizen Science Workshops.” There will be four workshops focusing on all different species of birds and will be held throughout the summer at various conservation properties. These workshops will be conducted by Kelly McKay (BioEco Research and Monitoring Center) with assistance from Mark Roberts (Clinton County Conservation), and Brian Ritter (Nahant Marsh Education Center)...

The Storm Lake Municipal Band is gearing up for its 86th season of performances in the park, under the direction of Tom Musel of Storm Lake. Concerts are held at the Sunset Park Band Shell each Sunday through June and continuing through July 11th. The weekly concerts are at 2:00, with the exception of the July 3rd concert, which is scheduled for 5:00 as part of the Star Spangled Spectacular celebration. ...

Fundraising for the 2021 Star Spangled Spectacular kicked off this week, and the committee is looking for the community’s help in keeping its favorite Star Spangled Spectacular traditions alive. The Spectacular is planned annually by volunteers, who look toward the community and its businesses to provide funding for fireworks, entertainment, insurance, golf cart rentals, shirts, postage, and other supplies and day-of needs. ...

These volunteers, firefighters, their children, scouts, and others (some left before the photo was taken) put up and took down the hundreds of flags at the Buena Vista Courthouse and at King’s Pointe for Memorial Day to honor area veterans who have died. ...

This Sunday, June 6th, at the Storm Lake United Methodist Church there will be a special time during the 9:30 worship service for the blessing of infants and children who are age two or younger. Jesus loved the little children and he set a wonderful example for us when he took children in his arms and blessed them. ...

Ashlee Sammons and Grace Kiboko were the recipients of scholarships given by the Storm Lake United Methodist Church. Ashlee Sammons will be a junior at Northwestern College next fall where she is majoring in Christian Education and Youth Ministry. Grace Kiboko will be a sophomore next fall at Texas Christian University where she is majoring in Youth Advocacy and Educational Studies...

Trevina Jefferson, Morgan Roberts and Pennie Kragel were among 248 graduates to receive bachelor’s degrees at Northwestern College during commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 8. Twenty-nine students received Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees, while the rest of the graduating seniors were granted Bachelor of Arts degrees...

Emily Krakau and Keisha Trimble were among 129 graduate students who were awarded a Master of Education degree from Northwestern College during commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 8. Glenn Van Ekeren, a 1974 graduate of Northwestern College who is president of Vetter Health Services, gave the commencement address. He is a prolific author and motivational speaker...

Additional drawings will be added this summer in two of the Iowa Lottery’s well-known lotto games: Powerball® and Lucky for Life®. Powerball will move to drawings three times a week with a new Monday drawing added to those currently held on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Lucky for Life will move from two drawings per week to drawings each night. The changes are designed to produce more winners, and in the case of Powerball, generate larger, faster-growing jackpots...

Jennifer Sievert has joined Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative as the new Vice President of Customer and Corporate Relations. As vice president of customer and corporate relations, Sievert will lead a team of over 10 dedicated employees. Sievert’s leadership responsibilities are robust and are a vital part of the cooperative’s service to their member-owners, encompassing marketing, member services, economic development, communications, billing and customer service...

December 23, 1956 - May 29, 2020

August 25, 1954 - December 17, 2020

October 27, 1952 - May 28, 2021

May 28, 1944 - May 28, 2021

An unexpected discovery by an Iowa State University researcher suggests that the first humans may have arrived in North America more than 30,000 years ago – nearly 20,000 years earlier than originally thought. Andrew Somerville, an assistant professor of anthropology in world languages and cultures, says he and his colleagues made the discovery while studying the origins of agriculture in the Tehuacan Valley in Mexico. ...

Students at Iowa’s public universities are preparing for tuition increases as they shoulder the cost of the Iowa Legislature’s decision to not increase higher education funding this fiscal year. Citing millions in COVID-19 relief funding and declining enrollment in four-year institutions in the state and country, Iowa Republicans kept funding levels for fiscal year 2022 the same in its $1 billion education budget. Legislators, however, did not freeze tuition...

Imagine Iowa Great Lakes and the Dickinson County Trails board announced the Tatanka Ska Trace Trailhead project which will be the focal point of where the Tatanka Ska Trace trail meets with the Spine Trail. The trailhead location is perfect as this is where the trail running north and south through the county connects with the rail trail spanning east and west...

On May 17, the Storm Lake Police Department received a report of possible child abuse to a 2-year-old child at a residence in Storm Lake. Police were advised that upon a custody exchange of the child, suspicious injuries were observed. The SLPD launched an investigation with the Iowa Department of Human Services and the MercyOne Child Advocacy Center in Sioux City. ...

Storm Lake schools officials are wrestling with a void in traffic safety at the busy intersection near their new Early Elementary School, slated to open in January. Plans are in place for additional lanes, stop lights and railroad crossing protection - but all that won’t be complete until summer of next year. For the half a school year before then, options are few to control one of the most dangerous intersections in the area...

The Storm Lake School District will enter the North Central School Consortium for the first time, eager for a place to send students with behavioral extra needs. The district will pay $78,000 up front to join the consortium for next school year. Actual cost is based on the size of the district and how many of its students are sent to the facility. Any unused funds are returned to the home district...

The fourth Storm Lake Taco Tour kicked off Saturday, and by the time the smoke cleared, seven restaurants and over 300 tacos later, Delicias was crowned the Best Taco in Town. Participants gathered at La Original, the first of seven restaurants they would visit to put the city’s authentic taco recipes to the test. The group used exacting ballots to rate the delicacies on taste, sauce and presentation...

Fourth District Congressman Randy Feenstra recently took a fact-finding visit to the U.S./Mexico border that he describes as “eye opening.” “I’m a good friend to Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales. He told me, ‘You really have to come down here and see what is occurring,’” Feenstra said in an interview with the Pilot-Tribune this week...

A rural Iowa ‘renaissance’