A Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper
Log in
Subscribe

Massop Legacy Park dedicated

Family, supporters and friends attended the ribbon cutting and dedication held Oct. 29 for Massop Legacy Park. Marlene Massop is seated and her daughters Karen Keenan and Rachael Kies Ennis are behind her. Third from left is Doug Massop beside his wife Katie.
A 3.8 acre donation of land directly south of the outlet dam in Lakeside has been donated by John and Marlene Massop to Buena Vista County to become Massop Legacy Park. A ribbon cutting and …
A gofundme account has been organized to help Kaylee Nachtigal’s family. Go to gofundme.com and search “Support for Kaylee Nachtigal’s Family.” A goal of $12,000. The support raised through this fundraiser will help cover Kaylee’s funeral costs and give her family the time and space they need to grieve without the added weight of financial stress.
A Dickens woman died and others were injured from a collision on Highway 110’s curve near the Storm Lake Airport two days ago. A statement Sheriff Kory Elston issued on Wednesday morning …

Early voting over 1,900

Buena Vista County Election Deputy Karla Ahrendsen reports over 1,900 absentee ballots had been requested, mailed out or voted in person at the auditors office, 317 E. Fifth Street, as of Wednesday …
Mike Frantz walked door to door on Kelvin Road last Sunday.
“My name is Mike Frantz. I’m running for Iowa state senate and I’m here to introduce myself to you…” …
Emcee Charles Hernandez points to the winner, Chanthavy Phimsen, who took home $100. At right is contest organizer Dalia Rivera Andrade of Raices Student Organization at Buena Vista University.
“Whoever drinks or throws up is out,” announced emcee Charles Hernandez ominously. He conducted Sunday’s hot pepper eating competition at Storm Lake Middle School, in its first year as part of …
Aztec Dancers from Omeyocan Dance Company perform in the gym.
Fiesta Latina brought bright colors, lively music and flavors to savor at Storm Lake Middle School last Sunday afternoon. The event is sponsored by Raices Student Organization at Buena Vista …

Republicans stump at Nutra Tech

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-New Hartford, his wife Barbara and Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Dubuque, pose for a photo after a rally at Nutra Tech on Tuesday afternoon. Hinson is vying to be Iowa's junior senator …
The bins will be customized to specifically meet the specific guidelines of the program. Colors will also be changed and logos added.

BV recycling center to install battery collection bins county-wide

Buena Vista County Solid Waste & Recycle Center was the recipient of a $9,900 grand from the Buena Vista County Community Foundation which is being matched by the Solid Waste Agency and member …

Avian influenza rears its head in Sac County

Avian influenza struck a turkey barn in Sac County.  The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reported on Wednesday afternoon that a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza …

Storm Lake Marina gets no takers

Not a single vendor submitted a proposal to run the Storm Lake Marina.  Conservation Director Greg Johnson told the board of supervisors on Tuesday that no vendor submitted a proposal to …
The Sioux Rapids Historical Association received a grant to create a directory for Lone Tree Cemetery.
The Sioux Central Wrestling Club received the largest grant in the Fall 2026 cycle of awards announced by Buena Vista County Community Foundation Sunday. Sioux Central Wrestling Club will match …
Aric Loew, Special Ed teacher, flings some eggs into the mess.

Bombs away!

SPLAT has “come back,” the celebration by Newell-Fonda PK-8th graders upon reaching their Positive Behavior Intervention Support goal for the quarter. Students get tickets for positive behavior …

Chills & Thrills

Mild weather brought together hundreds of costumed kids and parents to trick-or-treat up and down Lake Avenue. Storm Lake United organizes the annual affair.

Corridor Connections panel to highlight local and state resources

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation will be hosting a Corridor Connections event on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at King’s Pointe in Storm Lake. This event will include a …
Police and Courts

Assaults, burglaries and handguns in Newell domestic assault string

A Newell man was arrested for a string of incidents of domestic misconduct over the last two years, ranging from the burglary of a North Fulton Street residence, pointing a handgun to his wife’s …

Online sex sting yields arrest of Spirit Lake man

Online sex sting yields arrest of Spirit Lake man A Spirit Lake man was arrested for allegedly soliciting sex with a 14-year-old girl.  Greg Wiederin, 62, was booked into the Buena …

Estate asks for contempt hearing against CRMC, UnityPoint

The Estate of a deceased Marcus farmer requested a hearing to show whether UnityPoint Health and Cherokee Regional Medical Center …

Sports
Pairings announced for 2026 Times Pilot/Kiwanis jamborees
Pairings for the 2026 Storm Lake Times/Hy-Noon Kiwanis Girls and Boys Basketball Jamborees have been announced. The girls jamboree will be held on Saturday, Nov. 21, at Storm Lake High School. …
SL youth tackle football program wraps up season with scrimmage
Storm Lake Youth Tackle Football wrapped up the program last Thursday with an intra-squad scrimmage. Storm Lake Youth Tackle Football is a competitive football program that teaches participants the …
BVU beats Central to clinch No. 2 seed in ARC tournament
For the second straight match, the Buena Vista volleyball team recovered after dropping the opening set at Central last Saturday by rolling to three straight wins to knock off the Dutch for the first …
Prep football playoffs
QUARTERFINALS THIS FRIDAY CLASS 4A Newton at Cedar Rapids Xavier Glenwood at Sergeant Bluff-Luton Pella at Carlisle Waverly-Shell Rock at Western Dubuque CLASS 1A …
Newell-Fonda lands three players on 8-man football all-district first team
The all-district football team for 8-Man District 1 was released and Newell-Fonda had eight players represented on the team. Quarterback Gunnar Baron was voted to the first team offense, as was …

SL’s Lopez makes honorable mention all-Siouxland volleyball team

The Siouxland Conference released its all-conference team for volleyball and Storm Lake had one player recognized. Back row player Nailea Lopez was voted to the Division 2 honorable mention team …

Freifeld takes second to lead BVU in women's wrestling debut

The Buena Vista women’s wrestling team took the mat for the first time this season at the annual Luther Hill Invitational hosted by Simpson College on Sunday. Savannah Freifeld highlighted the day …

BVU men's basketball tabbed to finish sixth in ARC coaches poll

The 2026 American Rivers Conference men’s basketball season is slated to be an exciting one as it is up in the air who really could come out on top in February. Nebraska Wesleyan was selected as …

Opinion

We dug a deep hole over a decade

It’s been a tough 10 years. Trump. Covid. More Trump. A decade of decline for Iowa — dead last in mental health beds and women’s health care. Next to last (chasing Mississippi) for economic …

Editorials: Endorsing moderation

Moderation is all we ask. Iowa has been under one-party rule for over a decade. It shows. We have become meaner and poorer. Our schools are weaker. Regulations are spurned as the rivers run toxic and …
Mary and I spent the past week driving to the east coast and back. We visited our daughter and her husband in northwest Indiana and our son and his wife in Washington, DC. Like so many of Iowa’s …
“CBS Sunday Morning” was in full swing for Halloween on Oct. 25, running a segment on ghost building signs. Ghost signs are found on the sides of old brick buildings where the business names …
Government of the people belongs to the people.   So, it should come as no surprise that one of their most frequent concerns is how government spends taxpayers’ money. Those concerns …
Certain admirable qualities have identified the United States for many, many years: prosperity, power, creativity, entrepreneurship, world leadership, personal freedom. You can probably name others. …
Family & Friends

Dominican restaurant opens Saturday

Lady is seated on the couch with her family, from left: her father, Leonardo; her sister Ebelenny, her mother Ana, her brother Leonardo and her sister Seline.
Lady M Sazon, Iowa’s first Dominican restaurant is ready to open this Saturday at 805 Flindt Dr., Suite 3 in Storm Lake. So says Lady Marte, whose thorough search of the internet turned up zero …
Storm Lake STARS Mentoring Program met with the Storm Lake School Board to share updates and gratitude for their continued support. A couple mentor/mentee match-ups shared their experience in the …
Representing Storm Lake Middle School are, from left: David Corona and Emmett Stansberry, French horn; Neha Patel, oboe; Makenna Mills, percussion; Ciamary Tarin, Trombone; Nidhi Patel, bassoon; Yami Orellana-Hernandez and Liza Bumstead, Clarinet (not pictured).
Eight of the eleven Storm Lake seventh grade band students who auditioned were selected to perform in the the 52nd Annual Northwest Iowa Middle School Honor Band Festival. These students earned …
St. Mary's students will take part in the ICDA 7/8 Honor Choir held at Storm Lake High School on Nov. 3. Students have learned music at school and will join over 200 other students for a concert that …
My Favorite Recipe

Pepanyan family shares favorite Armenian recipes

Marine and Vahe Pepanyan with Daniel and Ana.

Marine Pepanyan is a busy lady. This summer she was swimming coach for kids from six-years-old to 18 for the Storm Lake swim team; she now teaches Multi Language Learners (MLL) to grades nine through …

The Legend of Callejon Dick Davis

Subscriber Dick Davis is a benefactor of the arts in Storm Lake, responsible in part for mosaic murals throughout town and seven bronze sculptures of children.

The Panteon, Zacatlan’s cemetery, glowed in candlelight and was golden and aromatic being festooned in marigolds. Families seated themselves near graves which they had cleaned and cleared of weeds. …

‘Playful’ otters

These cute river otters faced off with the camera at a pond near Brook Creek between Linn Grove and Alta. “The otters and beaver show up now and then,” said resident Ila Galvin, “We try to …

Tattooing teachers to support Rebel NASA trip

Large tattoos for Wendy Meyers.

Every year Sara Riedemann, the high school math teacher at Sioux Central, takes her AP calculus and AP precalculus seniors to a NASA competition in Texas. But there’s a cost to it. Each of the …

Members of the Storm Lake and area communities have the opportunity to meet Jane Olson, author of “World Citizen: Journeys of a Humanitarian,” as she offers insight and inspirational accounts …
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Independent film features SL pastor

“Littles” features 32 kids.

The public is invited to Vista 3 Theater in Storm Lake for a double feature of family-friendly films by Ketcham Pictures Nov. 7 at 5 p.m. A special screening will mark the premiere of …

Cherokee Symphony opens season with Pops Concert Nov. 8

The Cherokee Symphony will present its Fall concert with the theme, “American Composers and Friends,” on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. in the upper level of the Cherokee Community Center. This will be …

Hear ye, hear ye, Raptor Nation!

The Ridge View High School Music and Theater departments invite the public to step back in time for an enchanting evening of music, theater and feasting! The Madrigal performance will be …
Joel Wernimont

Iowa native to perform at Fonda Arts Center

Joel Wernimont will take the stage at Fonda Arts Center on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. The location is the northwest corner of Fourth and Main. Admission, as always, is free, as are refreshments! …
Obituaries
Lester Ness
Lester John Ness, 73, passed away after a long struggle with declining health on October 30, 2026, at his residence in St. Anthony, Idaho. He is survived by his sisters, Mary (Wade) Ward of Sugar …
Delmar Carlson
Delmar “Del” Carlson, 78, of Albert City died Nov. 1, 2026, at Ava’s House in Sioux Falls, S.D. Funeral services will take place Friday, Nov. 6, at 10:30 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in …
Darwin Schmidt
A private family graveside service for Darwin “Butch” D. Schmidt, 88, of Fairmont, Minn., formerly of Early, will be held in Union Cemetery in Early. Darwin passed away Sunday, Oct. 25, …
Caryl Dukes
Caryl Maxine Dukes, 87, was received into Heaven Saturday evening, Oct. 24, 2026. She took her last earthly breath at Brio in Johnston, after spending her final days surrounded by the love of many …
Janet Pedersen
Janet “Jan” Pedersen, 85, of Anthem, Ariz., and formerly of Newell, passed away peacefully at her home on Aug. 29, 2026. Memorial services will be held Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 10:30 a.m. at …