Stories from Tuesday, August 17, 2021

The 17th Annual Hanover Tractor Ride will be held on Saturday, August 28. Please note that this is not the “traditional” Saturday for the event. The tractors will gather 8:00-8:30 a.m. at the Hanover Village at the intersection of M-27 and C-65 south west of Alta, The ride will travel east going to a destination south of Storm Lake where there will be a stop at an interesting barn. It will continue back to the Galva City Park for lunch and return to the village...

Special guest, Tesla, will be replaced by Great White as the opener for Styx on the Iowa State Fair Grandstand August 18, 2021. This change does not impact other Grandstand show. Tickets are still available for the following Grandstand Shows: Casting Crowns with special guest Jordan Feliz (Aug. ...

Witter Gallery is excited to offer the Storm Lake community an “Introduction to Bookbinding” class, taught by writer and bookbinder Mary Sue Morgan on Saturday September 4, 2021 at noon. Mary Morgan has been creating books since 2014 and is the founder of Dolly’s Destiny Book & Art. ...

After a year of cancelled performances and virtual concerts, singer Marilyn Maye is thankful to once again see audiences in person. The 93-year-old has filled spaces big and small across the country with her voice over the decades, including 65 consecutive years at the New Inn in Okoboji. ...

Described by Rolling Stone as “pure Americana heart and soul”, The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash are the voice and vision of songwriter Mark Stuart. Since forming the band in 1995, he’s performed with most every major artist in the country and Americana music community. ...

Storm Lake woman Evelin Basteiro Cesar pled guilty Friday in District Court to forgery, while a second forgery charge and theft charges were dismissed. Casar, 30, is expected to receive a suspended sentence under the plea agreement, with two years probation...

The following account was recently compiled by the Fort Dodge History website. Darrell Lindsey was honored posthumously for staying at the controls of his B-26 bomber in World War II after its right engine had been hit by heavy German fire over France. He was 25 years old at the time of his death...

A screenplay by Buena Vista University alum Jennifer Galm has been named a quarterfinalist in the 2021 Atlanta Film Festival, one of the largest and longest running festivals in the country. “I knew the Atlanta Film Festival screenplay competition was well-respected and highly competitive,” says Galm, a 2014 BVU graduate. “I had made a goal to be recognized by the ATLFF for my work.”...

Enjoy and share the beauty of your flower garden all year long. Pick and dry a few flowers to use in flower arrangements, craft projects or as gifts for friends and family. Pick the flowers when they are at peak bloom and blossoms are dry. Cut flowers for drying mid-day when they contain less moisture to reduce the dry time...

Hello! I’m Alex McDougall, and I was a Rising Star Intern this summer for Lyon, O’Brien, Sioux, and Osceola counties. Throughout the summer, I learned about Extension careers and focused on creating youth programs so that I could gain more experience educating youth of younger ages...

Iowa has tossed out tens of thousands of expired COVID-19 vaccine doses and could toss out hundreds of thousands more if demand for the vaccine continues to lag in the state, health officials there said. Iowa Department of Public Health spokeswoman Sarah Ekstrand said last week that the state has tossed more than 81,000 doses of the vaccine, the Des Moines Register reported...

MercyOne’s commitment to safety means they do everything they can to protect people. That’s why MercyOne will require all colleagues and medical staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in all MercyOne health care ministries. “As a faith-based health ministry, we have pledged to protect the most vulnerable. Our patients and their families expect us to provide a safe environment for their care, and that includes being vaccinated,” said MercyOne CEO Bob Ritz...

A group of central Iowa physicians and one of Iowa’s largest health care providers are facing off in court and accusing each other of being motivated more by money than by patient care. For the past 25 years, the physicians who make up The Iowa Clinic and the hospital network known as UnityPoint Health-Des Moines have enjoyed a partnership that has resulted The Iowa Clinic’s cardiologists practicing at UnityPoint facilities, including Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Iowa Lutheran Hospital and Methodist West.. ...

An area man who distributed methamphetamine was sentenced recently to more than six years in federal prison. Jeremiah Bottjen, age 38, from Primghar, received the prison term after a March 4, 2021, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance...

Garlock Slough Wetland Complex, on the southwest side of West Okoboji Lake, is a 900-acre mix of native remnant prairie, restored prairie, natural marsh and reconstructed wetlands protecting Iowa’s most valuable lake. It filters 11 percent of the watershed through its 41 wetlands that make up 246 acres of the complex. In addition to water quality benefits, the area reduces soil erosion with restored prairie and shortgrass eskers on the ridges...

With COVID-19 cases continuing to climb in Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds still faces a court challenge questioning her right to impose limits on business activity during a pandemic. The owners of several central Iowa taverns are pursuing a civil lawsuit against Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Public Health, alleging Reynolds unlawfully imposed pandemic-related restrictions on taverns and bars last summer...

As Buena Vista University students begin to arrive back on campus, COVID-19 policies currently in place make mask wearing and physical distancing on campus optional, other than the move in period when masks are necessary. Vaccination is not mandated but “highly recommended” for students, according to the university’s policies posted online...

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has secured an option to purchase 50 acres on the shoreline of East Okoboji Lake in Dickinson County. INHF must raise all funds through donations or pledges by September 7 to purchase the property outright.The property includes 2,020 feet of natural shoreline - according to INHF, the last remaining undeveloped, private-owned stretch of shore on East Okoboji...

In the late 1800’s there were many general stores serving the needs of the rural population located in small villages which have disappeared from the map. One was the Hanover General Store almost ten miles from other small towns. This store lasted longer than most and was closed in the mid-1960’s. ...

A woman who laundered funds from her illegal business pled guilty August 9 in federal court in Sioux City. Yesenia Ledesma-Ledezma, age 23, from Albert City, was convicted of money laundering and agreed to forfeit property she acquired with proceeds from her illegal business...

Newly released 2020 Census figures show both Storm Lake and Buena Vista County with growth, while the local county has the highest diversity index in the state. Storm Lake’s Census count is up 669 residents, from 10,600 in the 2010 Census to 11,269 in 2020 - though that count remains much lower than the 13,000 that city officials had estimated...

The Field of Dreams game was picturesque for many as the sun set on the historic game. The first Major League Baseball game to take place in Iowa was held in Dyersville this past Thursday and Marlene Morrow got tickets to take herself and eight-year-old Kolten Iehl...