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Scaring for a cause

A dilapidated hearse and a sadistic clown greet visitors.
Calling themselves “Northwest Iowa’s Best Haunted Attraction,” the non-profit Bango Haunted Crib in Schaller invites you to tour the refurbished popcorn factory and visit the attached Bango …

Local candidates split over LGBTQ, water quality issues

Candidates disagreed, but all remained civil at a forum sponsored by SALUD and PFLAG Sept. 30 at Buena Vista University. Topics on the agenda were water quality, immigration, LGBTQ-related issues and …
The City of Storm Lake is negotiating with a new operator for its beleaguered miniature golf course.  The operator of the 18-hole miniature golf course sold to Severson Properties, an …
Youth at Sunday’s Youth Justice Action Month event compete in a friendly game of dodgeball at Seneca Park.
The community came together at Seneca Park on Sunday for Youth Justice Action Month. Youth from Midwest Christian Services, foster care groups, and families from surrounding counties spent the …
The white Toyota Prius allegedly stolen from 117 N. Main St. in Alta was found here near the intersection of Ontario and West Milwaukee.
Held without bond for being ‘unauthorized alien’ Four teens – one of them an adult undocumented immigrant – were arrested in connection with a string of car burglaries around Storm …
A youngster fastens the seatbelt before riding the seat belt convincer. Below: At the bottom, Maggie Reyes has survived the ride. The sign facing the passenger says, “Remember this ride is voluntary,” and warns heart patients, back patients, those who have had hernia surgery and others not to try it.

Storm Lake Fire Department Open House

The Storm Lake Fire Department gave visitors a big jolt and the inspiration to wear a seatbelt as part of an educational activity at its open house Sunday. The Iowa State Patrol’s Seat Belt …

Council pumps the brakes on The Breeze

Councilman Don Piercy: city ‘backed into a corner’ as condo work grinds to halt The Storm Lake City Council rebuffed Shawn Foutch’s request to renegotiate the completion deadline for phase …

Supervisors pass on traffic surveillance

The Buena Vista County Board of Supervisors rebuffed a request to install traffic monitoring software that’d assist Sheriff Kory Elston and Engineer Bret Wilkinson.  The supervisors …

Alta City Council discusses incoming businesses: Andale Mex Grill and Dollar General

The Alta City Council approved a liquor license for a new Mexican restaurant — Andale Mex Grill on Oct. 5.  The owners of Andale, current residents of Lake View, showed up to observe the …

Court rejects constitutional challenge to SLPD stop

A district court judge determined a Minnesota man’s constitutional rights were not violated during a stop he claimed was unreasonably prolonged due to racial profiling.  Judge Kristi J. …

DNR to zap Spring Lake with Rotenone this fall

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is renovating Spring Lake’s fishery in Cherokee, which was clouded with turbidity and infested with rough fish as a result of the 2024 floods.  Fisheries Biologist …

Sweet home Alta

Nashville artist Lawson Harris entertained the crowd from a stage set up downtown.
Alta Hometown Days brought lots of activity to downtown Saturday afternoon and evening. The event was organized by Alta Hometown Pride in conjunction with Scooters on Main. Bounce houses, a balloon …

Beaver Pride

The marching band and cheerleaders form an alley for the team to run through at the beginning of the game against Simpson College.
Fans surrounded Peterson Field last Saturday for Buena Vista University Homecoming

Cake Dig pink diamond won by husband for wife

Angel Guerra and Linda Miller duke it out in the final round of the cake dig to find the buried gem buried in the cake. Guerra snagged it to win the .67 carat pink diamond.

Paxtons Jewelry hosted their annual balloon bash and cake dig on Saturday to benefit Buena Vista Regional Medical Center P.I.N.K. during breast cancer awareness month. BVRMC P.I.N.K. provides free …

Bridge accepts $10K grant

The Bridge of Storm Lake is grateful to Variety-the Children's Charity of Iowa for their generous $10,000 grant. They plan to use the funds to help renovate their warehouse area into a recreation, …

New playground at Kading

Playground equipment is going up at Sunrise Pointe by Kading. The playground was part of early plans of the development. Top: The arrow points to the location of the playground near the intersection …

Sports
BVU last unbeaten volleyball team in the country in Division III
And then there was one. Buena Vista remained the last undefeated team in the country in NCAA Division III volleyball following a pair of wins at the Crown College (Minn.) Triangular on Friday …
Fort Dodge rushing attack proves to be too much for Storm Lake
Fort Dodge scored 28 unanswered points in the first quarter and 14 more in the second to build a 42-0 halftime lead and the Dodgers went on to defeat Storm Lake 42-9 in a Class 4A district game on …
Newell-Fonda rushes for 400-plus yards to beat Ar-We-Va
Quarterback Gunnar Baron rushed for 248 yards and six touchdowns and running back Jackson Bellcock added 129 yards and three touchdowns as Newell-Fonda defeated Ar-We-Va 63-14 in an 8-man …
Ridge View advances to semifinals in Western Valley Conference Tournament
Ridge View played in the Western Valley Conference Tournament on Saturday and the Raptors won two of their three matches to advance to the tournament semifinals. Ridge View defeated MVAOCOU …
BVU can’t slow down Wartburg offense in setback
Buena Vista struck first against No. 11 Wartburg, but the Knights proved too be too much for the Beavers to handle in the end as they went on to hand BVU a 72-14 loss on Saturday in Waverly. BVU …

BVU women’s soccer blanked by Dubuque

The Buena Vista women’s soccer team was back at home on Saturday to face the University of Dubuque in American Rivers Conference action, but the Beavers came up on the short end 3-0. Dubuque …

Dubuque rallies to beat BVU men in soccer

Buena Vista got a penalty kick from Kenin Kapich less than 8 minutes into the game to take a 1-0 lead, and the Beavers never trailed until late in the second half when the University of Dubuque …

BVU runners take part in Dordt Invitational

The Buena Vista men’s cross country team was back on the course on Saturday to take part in the Holiday Inn Express Classic hosted by Dordt University. The Beavers came in 13th in the 8K race. …

Opinion

Reading signs in the sky

Gulls floated against a blue autumnal sky just off Storm Lake. Finally, combines are in the fields sweeping up corn and beans as if they might be worth the effort amid the trade bluster. It’s …

Editorials: Corporate welfare

The Republicans running things announced last week that they are locating a $15 billion steel mill in Southeast Iowa, near Keokuk and Fort Madison in hard-pressed Lee County. Knowing next to nothing …
This will probably be the most expensive election in Iowa history, judging by all the money that’s being spent on political advertising. The political ads seemingly run non-stop. I’ll bet …
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart came to Storm Lake on October 3 to inspire volunteers who are working to get out the vote. Canvassing strategies in the past have focused on visiting the party …
I’m about to show my age again in this article. In the last article I wrote, I talked about some of the cool stuff that you can find on YouTube. Now, I’m going to chat about things that make me …
Election analyst Nate Silver says the outlook for the Nov. 3 general election strongly favors Democratic candidates. But he adds that Republicans have one major advantage: money. Will that be …
Family & Friends

Cake Dig pink diamond won by husband for wife

Angel Guerra and Linda Miller duke it out in the final round of the cake dig to find the buried gem buried in the cake. Guerra snagged it to win the .67 carat pink diamond.
Paxtons Jewelry hosted their annual balloon bash and cake dig on Saturday to benefit Buena Vista Regional Medical Center P.I.N.K. during breast cancer awareness month. BVRMC P.I.N.K. provides free …
Leigh Madsen, left, of the Alta PEO chapter, has no trouble selling an Iowa State bowl cozy to Holly Cullen of North Liberty.
A ton of pumpkins, or at least it looks like it, were put up for sale in front of the parish center where St. Mary’s Fall Bazaar & Bake Sale took place Saturday. Vendors were set up in the …
Storm Lake St. Mary’s fifth and sixth graders traveled to Sioux Rapids to enjoy an afternoon at Gabrielson Park –– Gustafson Lake. Conservation staff instructed students on canoeing, and then …
Matt Pearson, left, new president of the Storm Lake Hy-Noon Kiwanis Club, presented a plaque Monday noon to outgoing president Steve Mead in recognition of Mead’s leadership of the club during the …
Front row from left: Sandra (Tscherter) Witt, Merri (Kolb) Johnson, Christy (Anderson) Hyndman, Nancy (Galvin) Webb, Connie (Ballantyne) Ludwig, Denise (Gustafson) Fredericksen and Kelly (Peterson) …

Buena Vista Co. Conservation Events

Fall Fun Day Join the Buena Vista County Conservation Staff for the annual Fall Fun Day on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 1-3 p.m. All the fun will take place in the Timber Ridge Campground at Buena …
Briar Cliff Homecoming King and Queen Emma 
Erickson and Derek
Schering.

Erickson crowned Queen at Briar Cliff University

Seniors Emma Erickson and Derek Scheuring have been crowned Briar Cliff University’s 2026 Homecoming Queen and King. They were selected from a court of ten seniors chosen by their classmates for …

City celebrates volunteerism with appreciation event

The City of Storm Lake’s fourth annual Volunteer Appreciation Reception will be held Thursday, Oct. 15 at King’s Pointe Resort ballroom, 5:30-7 p.m. The informal evening event is organized …

P.E.O. scholarships available

Sioux Rapids P.E.O. Chapter GJ announces that applications are being accepted from area post-secondary women students for scholarships of $500 to be awarded in November 2026.   We have moved our …

Upcoming Blood Drives

Thank you for confirming your 2026 blood drive dates. St. Mark Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 6 from 12:30-5:30 p.m. United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall on Friday, …

Seasonal closing dates set for outdoor facilities

    It's been a fantastic summer, but like the season, all good things must come to an end. Soon the City of Storm Lake Parks Department will put some of our outdoor facilities into …

Delta Dental of Iowa announces Dr. Kevin Duque of Storm Lake as one of first four recipients of revolving loan funds

Just months after launching the Delta Dental of Iowa Revolving Loan Fund, $1.25 million has been distributed to four rural dental practices, supporting 45 jobs while strengthening access to dental …
My Favorite Recipe

UnityPoint welcomes Dr. Jorge Vendrell

We are happy to welcome Dr. Jorge Vendrell, Buena Vista family medicine physician at UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine –– Buena Vista, and his wife Norma, who moved to Storm Lake in August. They …

Reading incentive

St. Mary’s K-5 are doing a reading incentive tied to the country's 250th birthday. It will promote daily reading and share key facts about our country's history, landmarks and monuments. Daily …

Please join us to celebrate Mavis Aronson’s 100th birthday. An open house will be held for her on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 2-4 p.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Albert City. No gifts, please.
Caring Paws Rescue, the new animal shelter for Storm Lake and Buena Vista County announces that they have set up accounts at local grain elevators.   Farmers may deliver grain to the following …
The Buena Vista Parkinson’s Support Group will hold  its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, October 13 at 1:30in the library at St Mark Lutheran church. Program by Emily Gutzmann from the …
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Obituaries
Ethel Pounds
Ethel Louise (Kuhlman) Pounds was born on Sept. 6, 1945, to Frederick and Roberta (Clough) Kuhlman in Des Moines. Ethel left this earth on Sept. 14, 2026, at 81 years of age. Ethel grew up in …
Maribeth Wolf Phillips
Maribeth Wolf Phillips, 65, formerly of Storm Lake, passed away on Aug. 24 at her son Keith's home in Hephzibah, Ga. Memorial services will take place Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 at 2 p.m. at …
Michael Erickson
Michael Erickson, 72, of Storm Lake, died Aug.14, 2026 at Accura Healthcare in Cherokee. Visitation took place on Aug. 23, 2026 at Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Graveside services …
David Anderson
David Harold Anderson, 98, of Storm Lake died Sept. 30, 2026, at home surrounded by his family. Celebration of life services will take place at a later date. Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in …
Harlan Broberg
The Greatest Generation lost one of its shining lights on Sept. 21, 2026. Harlan Broberg was a man who embodied the values of integrity, hard work, sacrifice, love of family, humility, dignity and courage. He blessed …