Darrow is an All-American

Morgan Darrow's final throw was her best, and it was good enough to gain her All-American honors and a new school record on Saturday afternoon during the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by DePauw University.

The junior came into competition with the ninth-best throw among the 16 entries. She capped off her preliminary round with a heave of 13.55 meters to give her the eighth spot among the nine qualifiers into the finals. Then, she needed her best heave of her career to solidify All-American honors and she did just that on her final attempt, recording a toss of 13.79 meters (44-3.0).

Darrow, the lone qualifier for the Beavers in 2010, was an NCAA qualifier in the event last season and failed to place in the top eight. Her toss this season breaks the old school record of 44'10 3/4" which she set as a sophomore.

Ornelas Sentenced

A Storm Lake man charged with an attempted sexual assault was sentenced in Buena Vista County District Court after pleading guilty to reduced charges.

Last July, Storm Lake police charged 43-year-old Miguel Elias Ornelas with third-degree sexual assault, a class “C” felony… indecent contact with a child, an aggravated misdemeanor… and lascivious acts with a minor, a serious misdemeanor. Police allege he attempted to sexually assault a 13-year-old girl at 515 College Street.

Ornelas was given a one-year sentence on the aggravated misdemeanor charge of indecent contact with a child… suspended after serving 60 days. He was given the same sentence for third-degree sexual abuse. He was placed on one years probation… to register with the sex offender registry… and to pay fines, surcharges, and costs of two-thousand dollars.

SL City Council Agenda

The Storm Lake city council Monday afternoon will hold public hearings on three zoning requests and a change in notification for public hearing notices.

Also on today’s agenda… awarding the bid for the Sunrise Campground renovation project… engineering agreements for the airport runway protection zone project and the West Sixth Street extension project… and the final reading of an ordinance regulating adult businesses.

The Storm Lake city council meeting is open to the public… beginning at five o’clock Monday afternoon at city hall.

2010-2011 SL School Calendar

The Storm Lake school calendar for next school year has been approved. The first day of class will be August 23rd… with the last day on May 25th.

Superintendent Paul Tedesco says the start of classes in later than in recent years, with only seven days of class in August. He notes the calendar includes seven possible snow make up days.

Christmas break will be from December 23rd through January fourth… with spring break from April 21st to the 25th.

Fatal Farm Accident

A rural Albert City man was killed in a farm accident Thursday afternoon. Buena Vista County Sheriff Gary Launderville says the sheriff’s department along with ambulance and rescue personnel were called to 5334 170th Avenue about 4:50 Thursday afternoon, where there had been an accident involving a skid loader.

Launderville says the preliminary investigation shows the farm resident… 75-year-old Ervin Bolte… was working with a skid loader and suffered fatal injuries when he was pinned between the hydraulic arms of the bucket and the front frame. Bolte was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident remains under investigation. The sheriff’s department was assisted at the scene by the Albert City Fire Department, Buena Vista Regional Medical Center ambulance, and the Buena Vista County Medical Examiner’s office.