King's Pointe

The orange slide at King’s Pointe underwent a complete paint job this week. Safe Slide Restorations from Fredericktown, Mo., started earlier this year in Sea Word and finished their working tour in Storm Lake. It took around 400 gallons to cover the twisting giant and spray couldn’t be used because of the nature of the polysiloxane paint. Saran wrap was wrapped around the support structures of the slide because the paint tends to drip, said project manager Adam Rowland. It should last five to eight years. Times photo by Dolores Cullen

Family waterpark pass set at $240

The Storm Lake City Council passed a $240 season pass rate for King’s Pointe Waterpark for up to five family members.

Four children could be added to the plan at $40 each and family passes will be on sale for $225 on the second Monday of December and throughout the Holiday season.

Single passes are $125.

The council approved a list of bills at $1,277,698.85, King’s Pointe bills at $101,896.31 and Sunrise Pointe Golf Course bills at $1,145.

By Tom Cullen

Room revenue, occupancy and a number of other indicators at King’s Pointe were up, as the resort posted a $300,000 cash flow for the year ended in June.

Storm Lake Community Development Director Mike Wilson updated the major financial metrics The Storm Lake Times reported in January on King’s Pointe.

The resort posted $2.6 million in room revenue in the fiscal year ended in June, a 12% increase from the last fiscal year. Occupancy at the resort and cottages were 72.7% and 49% respectively. Both increased six and seven percentage points respectively.

Resort to clear $300,000 after paying debts

Sales tax support may not be needed

By Tom Cullen

King’s Pointe will net a $300,000 profit after debt service this year, marking an upward swing in profitability the resort hasn’t enjoyed in its eight-year existence.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley will visit Storm Lake during a four-county tour of northwest Iowa next week.

Grassley will visit Storm Lake Monday at King’s Pointe Conference Center at 7:30 a.m. Monday morning. He will be available until 9 a.m.

“You can’t have representative government without dialogue between elected officials and the people we represent,” Grassley said. 

Grassley is running for a seventh term in the U.S. Senate next November. He will square off with Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids; Tom Fiegen, D-Clarence; or Bob Krause, D-Waterloo.

Super Blood Moon

Hannah Campbell of Storm Lake took this picture of the rising harvest moon over King’s Pointe Sunday evening at 7:13 p.m. from the Chautauqua Park jetty. “That means the eclipse was just beginning – the moon was entering the Earth’s penumbra – though the eclipse wasn’t yet visible to our eyes,” she said. The surface of the moon would later appear red as the eclipse progressed.

Summer school at Storm Lake Elementary School came to a fun conclusion last Friday with a visit from King Splash and free books.

Carter Shima swims the 100 meter freestyle during the Storm Lake Whitecaps’ home opener against Eagle Grove last Wednesday night at King’s Pointe Waterpark. TIMES photo by JAMIE KNAPP

Giant sculpture to greet riders

Town meeting Tuesday

By DOLORES CULLEN

Matt Ricklefs gives the Fishpipe an enthusiastic thumbs up after its inaugural spin at the ribbon cutting for the new attraction at King’s Pointe water park Friday, May 22. The operator of the ride controls the speed at which this padded ball rotates, sort of like a giant Bingo cage. At the slower speeds, one can walk, even run. At higher speeds, it becomes impossible to maintain one’s balance. At that point it’s time to fall down and enjoy the wet ride. Ricklefs, an IT employee at Central Bank, is also a mentor in the TeamMates Mentor program.