Stories from Monday, September 27, 2021

Storm Lake High School theatre department will present “South Pacific,” November 4, 5 and 6 at the high school auditorium. Showtime will be 7 p.m. each night. Tickets will be sold at the door, $6. The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical premiered on Broadway in 1949, based on author James Michener’s book “Tales of the South Pacific,” and was praised for an anti-racism message. ...

A rundown of notable films coming out this fall: Out now “Dear Evan Hansen” (In theaters): Stephen Chbosky directs this star-studded adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical, with Ben Platt reprising his role as a painfully shy teenager. “The Guilty” (In theaters; On Netflix Oct. 1): Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a demoted police officer working the emergency dispatch phone lines who takes a call from a kidnapped woman...

While 2021 marked the return of the Clay County Fair after a year’s absence, it also served as the 90th anniversary of two very historic builds in the city of Spencer. “1931 would have been a very busy summer in Spencer,” fair manager Jeremy Parsons said. “I am sure when grandstand construction started that spring, they had no idea that they would also be rebuilding downtown later that summer. Lots of concrete was poured, that’s for sure.”...

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued its plan to address high drug prices as part of President Joe Biden’s push to take on anticompetitive practices across the economy. But while it addressed in detail abusive practices by drugmakers, it was a lot more superficial about the practices of much-larger corporations that serve as drug middlemen and as some of the country’s largest insurers...

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued its plan to address high drug prices as part of President Joe Biden’s push to take on anticompetitive practices across the economy. But while it addressed in detail abusive practices by drugmakers, it was a lot more superficial about the practices of much-larger corporations that serve as drug middlemen and as some of the country’s largest insurers...

The Iowa Hospital Association has named Dr. Sonia Sather, hospitalist for Spencer Hospital, as a recipient of the 2021 Hospital Hero awards. As such, Sather will be honored during IHA’s virtual annual meeting in October. “Dr. Sather been a hero to many, helping patients manage complex medical conditions, while doing the extra things that exemplify her compassion,” hospital president Bill Bumgarner said. ...

Strong social ties can have a direct and positive impact on overall health. However, over the past 18 months, the ways we have connected with others have changed and many Iowans may not be feeling as connected to the places they live, learn, work and play...

A ransomware attack by the BlackMatter gang forced New Cooperative, an association of Iowa corn and soy farmers, to take their systems offline but it said it created workarounds to receive grain and distribute feed, a person close to the business said...

At Monday’s Cherokee School Board meeting, a pre-cooked 3-2 vote killed a motion to remove coaches’ contracts from the consent agenda and bring them into the open for further public discussion. The result of Board member Brian Freed’s motion that was seconded by Patty Brown, was a quick 3-2 no vote, with members Jodi Thomas, Angie Anderson, and Laura Jones nixing Freed’s proposal without hesitation...

The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld a child endangerment conviction in a case involving a 6-year-old boy who was subjected to a literal, physical tug of war between his divorced parents. The ruling stems from the appeal of Charles Tewes of Milford, who claims there was insufficient evidence to support his 2020 conviction on the child endangerment charge...

The Linn Grove Dam and adjacent park were damaged during historic flooding events in 2018 and 2019 on the Little Sioux River. Buena Vista County Conservation Board is planning a restoration project that will restore the functionality of the dam as well as improve recreation and fishing access, public safety, and long-term sustainability. ...

Buena Vista University (BVU) and Rembrandt Enterprises Inc., entered a Strategic Partnership to strengthen the workforce and communities across Iowa. This partnership allows for employees of Rembrandt Enterprises Inc., as well as eligible family members of full-time employees, to receive grant funding to lower the overall cost of education while enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus. ...

Cynthia Trujillo, Tyson Foods Community Liaison, presents a $1,000 check to Hope Haven Assistant Director of Development, Scott Koedam. Hope Haven’s “Faith, Hope & Charity” division is in Storm Lake, IA. This division is an ICF/ID (Intermediate Care Facility for the Intellectually Disabled) and is a 24 hour a day, total care service for children. Hope Haven is grateful to Tyson for their generosity and support...

This year has not delivered many heavy, high intensity rain events to Northwest Iowa. A lack of rainfall can hurt crops, but it does have a positive side – erosion and soil loss are reduced. However, I believe most farmers would prefer adequate moisture, and heavy rainfall events are something that often accompanies that gift of moisture. At any rate, we have a great soil resource in Northwest Iowa and keeping it that way is a long-term benefit to all of us!...

DNR fishing report: Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake) Water clarity is roughly 1-2 feet. Most areas along shore are free of vegetation. Channel Catfish - Fair: Use cut bait or dip baits fished on the bottom in areas along shore with rocks. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Cast lures along shore and docks.  Many areas near shore have only sparse vegetation patches with plenty of casting opportunities. Use weedless lures if fishing in areas with heavier vegetation. ...

Reported sexual assaults have sparked large protests on college campuses in at least seven states just weeks into the new school year, which advocates say reflects both a greater vulnerability among students who spent last school year learning remotelyand a greater ability among young people to make themselves heard on the issue...

As of Sunday, 65 new COVID-19 cases had been reported in Buena Vista County within a seven-day period, a rate that has recently been steady. The testing positivity rate was at just under 15 percent for the previous seven days, up very slightly, and well above the state average of 8.9 percent. In the period 312 tests were reported among county residents, down 9 percent from the previous week...

Shane Holtorf was looking for the perfect acreage around Storm Lake - some place to rework everything to his family’s dreams and specifications. The only problem was that the search was pretty extensive, and exacting. “We looked at over 20 acreages, including spots to build on, and we just didn’t like anything that popped up,” says Shane. ...

A full house crowd was on hand for the Triton Stampede, a new Iowa Central Community College rodeo event, with the championship round held Saturday night at the Webster County Fairgrounds. The crowd also enjoyed exotic treats - ostrich burgers and ostrich chili from Iowa-raised birds, served by the ICCC Culinary Arts program...

Storm Lake’s tourism numbers experienced a bounce-back over the summer, especially in July and August. “It was a good season. We didn’t know what COVID would bring us, and we were very happy to be able to get back closer to normal,” City Manager Keri Navratil told the Pilot-Tribune...