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75 years at the organ

“Crown Him With Many Crowns,” Suzanne Winterhof launches into a soaring hymn Sunday at St. John Lutheran Church.
Judging from the smile on her face, Suzanne Winterhof is happiest when she’s playing the organ. And she’s been doing so in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod   for 75 years. Winterhof …

Wasted Storm Lake taxpayer money: Judge finds that lawyers overcharged city

As TIF lawsuit fees balloon, city council mulls property tax hike, cuts in services A judge ruled that the City of Storm Lake’s lawyers charged unreasonably high rates to the taxpayers and …
The swan pair on the Tim Humes pond and and their cygnets are normally seen on and around the island.
The Iowa Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program is a success story that impacts our area today. Started in 1993 by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and concluding in 2022, the swans we see no …
Buena Vista County Auditor’s Office staff, from left: Lynnette Jacobs, Yvonne Sandhoff, Karla Ahrendsen, Sue Lloyd, Meredith Woodworth, Sharon Henkel.
In-person absentee voting opened Wednesday morning in Buena Vista County, giving residents an early chance to participate in the 2026 general election before crowds gather on Nov. 3. “You’d …
Research associate Sauda Abdullahi, left, gathers information from the women in attendance about the quality of their maternal care.
New and expectant mothers gathered at the Storm Lake Elementary School on Saturday for a community discussion on maternal health. The event was hosted by SALUD, in partnership with the Iowa Maternal …
Thrive Iowa Buena Vista local personnel, from left: Navigators Carter Andersonand Ana Gonzalez and Coordinator Sarah Johnson. Their offices and this poster are located in the SLCSD annex building.

Timko keynote speaker at Thrive opening

The public is invited to the official launch of Thrive Iowa Buena Vista County. The event takes place Monday, Oct. 19 at 10 a.m. on the campus of Buena Vista University, 610 W. Fourth St. …

Holstein mulls new city hall

The City of Holstein is poised to build a new city hall.  The council emerged from a special meeting Sept. 24 with the conclusion that a new city hall “would better serve the community” …

Area fire departments receive grants from Iowa Select

Iowa Select Farms and the Deb & Jeff Hansen Foundation has launched a new “Farm to Frontline” initiative, providing $222,000 in support to 65 rural fire departments across Iowa, including …

How fast can you eat 10 hot peppers?

The Hot Pepper Eating Competition is a new event that will kick off Fiesta Latina Oct. 25 from 12:15-1 p.m. at Storm Lake Middle School. Ten participants ages 18 years or older, will each have …

DNR investigating feedlot manure spill near Cleghorn

A statement the DNR issued on Friday afternoon reported the DNR’s Spencer field office received a report of manure in Bear Creek, a tributary to Mill Creek. An open feedlot with an overflowing …

Marching up a storm

The mass band players are joined by directors, in front, Shannon PoorBear, Cindy Mickens and Ashley Stueven.
The Storm Lake High School marching band was joined by seventh and eight graders to become 170 students strong for the annual mass band night Oct. 2. The next day, the Tornado marching band competed …
Police and Courts

Racial slurs, death threat at Marathon apartment complex

Bradley Kraft, 59, was booked into Buena Vista County Jail last Tuesday for first-degree harassment. The charge stems from an alleged encounter between Kraft and a Storm Lake woman who was instructed …

Sports
Ridge View dominates MVAOCOU to clinch No. 2 seed in district
Ridge View scored 26 unanswered points after the first quarter as the Raptors clinched second place in the district after a 33-6 win over MVAOCOU on Friday at Holstein. Ridge View, now 5-3, will …
Spencer scores 28 unanswered points in second quarter to beat SL
Spencer scored 28 unanswered points in the second quarter to pull away as the Tigers went on to defeat Storm Lake 42-7 in a Class 4A district game on Friday at Spencer. Spencer opened up the …
Riceville running game too much for Newell-Fonda in season finale
Riceville scored three touchdowns in the first quarter to take control and scored four more touchdowns in the second quarter to pull away as the Wildcats defeated Newell-Fonda 68-20 in an 8-man game …
Alta-Aurelia can’t slow down Hinton in regular season finale loss
Hinton scored four touchdowns in the first quarter to take control and then added three more touchdowns in the second quarter to pull away as the Blackhawks defeated Alta-Aurelia 61-20 in a Class 1A …
SL drops pair of matches in conference tournament
Storm Lake played in the consolation round of the Siouxland Conference tournament last Thursday and the Tornadoes were defeated in a pair of matches. Storm Lake was defeated by West Lyon 25-18, …

BVU spikers dominate Loras for 17th straight win

Buena Vista won its 17th straight match to begin the season on Friday as the Beavers picked up a commanding 3-0 win over Loras, extending its current streak to 27 straight sets won in the process. …

BVU men, women defeated by league rival Loras in soccer

The Buena Vista men’s soccer team hosted Loras on Saturday, and despite getting the second career goal from freshman Kenin Kapich, the Beavers dropped an 8-1 match to the Duhawks. Loras broke …

Sioux Central boys finish runner-up in Twin Lakes Conference meet

Lucos Wernimont was the overall champion to help Sioux Central to a runner-up finish in the Twin Lakes Conference cross country meet last Thursday at Pocahontas. Southeast Valley won the team …

Opinion

Iowa’s cancer crisis — facts and its future

The most recent National Cancer Institute State Cancer Profiles (2018-2022) reported that Kentucky had the highest age-adjusted cancer rate (519.0/100,000) and that Iowa had the second highest cancer …

Jones smells success along rural routes

Chris Jones says he is not measuring for drapes in the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture’s office at the state capitol just yet. The Democratic challenger to Republican incumbent Mike Naig is, …
Iowa has approved a path to as much as $1.5 billion in tax incentives for a proposed steel mill in Lee County. The company, Mesabi Metallics, is owned by India’s Essar Group, which has faced …
Early voting is now open in Iowa and will be until Nov. 3, Election Day. The ballot in Greene County towns poses two special question to voters, both relating in some way to taxes. We need to pass …
This Saturday, Oct. 17, some Americans will take to their streets for a fourth No Kings Rally, and in that light, I’ve been watching the latest French protests with interest. Protests in America …
Like most Iowans, we paid our property taxes a couple weeks ago. In the past three years, the taxes on our 90-year-old home have increased nearly 50%. The taxes on our modest metal Times Square …
Family & Friends

Look-alikes

Viola and Emily Bedel, of the Bay Area, at the Star Spangled Spectacular parade with their father Tony Bedel and twin dolls.
They say, twinning is winning. Here are some we’ve run into over the past few months
The Alta class of 1969 held its 57 year class reunion on Oct. 9 at the Cobblestone in Storm Lake. Twenty-one members of the graduating class of 67 members attended the event. Special mention was made …
The annual Stille reunion was held Sept. 27 at the Odebolt Community Center. A lunch was served by Mary Lee Wlliams with the help of other members of the family. There was much reminiscing among the …
Storm Lake I.O.O.F Lodge #221 made a generous donation to the Silver Creek United Methodist Church for their mission project – back packs for the schools. The donation from the lodge was …
Sarah Schoper Salazar helps Kely Carmona and Ana Sanchez.
Lakeside Presbyterian Church has initiated a program called Homework Help held Thursdays from 5-6 p.m. in the church’s dining room. Volunteers help students ages K-12 with homework in an …
Congratulations to the new members of the Newell-Fonda Chapter of National Honor Society. Front row from left: McKayla Hanson, Ellie Sievers, Vienna Wingert Back: Jack Olsen, Ian Harrer, Will Voyles, …
My Favorite Recipe

October is Pork Month

Alyson and Jaelyn Hartnett

October is Pork Month so we are featuring the Buena Vista County Pork Producers royalty this year –– BV County Pork Queen Jaelyn Hartnett and BV County Miss Pigtails Alyson Hartnett.   …

BVU king and queen

Bryson Fredericksen of Aurelia has been crowned Buena Vista University homecoming king. Here he is with queen Hope Vanderlinden.

Feed the Farmer

Making sandwiches 
were, from left: 
Cael Phelps, Ruby Phelps and Jessa Fetrow.

Storm Lake FFA members and the Agriculture Leadership class planned and hosted Feed the Farmer on   Oct. 2, at Platinum Crush in Alta. Members and students practiced the FFA motto "Living …

Popcorn sales to benefit Caring Paws

Caring Paws Rescue is selling Jolley Time Koated Kernels as a fundraiser this month. There are nine fabulous flavors to choose from. The snack bag is seven cups and family bag is 20 cups... and …

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Obituaries
Roberta Nixon Waddell
Roberta Nixon Waddell, 70, of Sioux Rapids passed away on Oct. 13, 2026, at UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s in Sioux City. A celebration of life will be held on Friday, Oct. 23, from 5-7 p.m. at …
Karen Lalone
Karen Francis (Makowski) Lalone passed on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, on a spectacular autumn morning that beheld a bright sun, blue sky, golden trees and the first sparkling frost upon the earth’s …
Linda Currie
Linda L. Currie, 85, of Coralville passed away on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Windmill Manor. Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church in …
Dianne Sue White
Dianne Sue White, 83, of Storm Lake died Oct. 14, 2026, at Methodist Manor Retirement Community in Storm Lake. Memorial Mass will take place Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic …
Deanna McDonald
Deanna “Dee” McDonald passed away suddenly on Sept. 29, 2026, at Deerfield Retirement Community in Urbandale. Private family services will be held at a later date. Fratzke & Jensen …