Local News

Storm Lake’s proposed electric bike and scooter ordinance is getting a second chance — but a controversial helmet requirement won’t be coming along for the ride. After months of debate and a failed vote in September, the Storm Lake City Council reached a compromise during a work session Monday evening, agreeing to eliminate a proposed helmet mandate for riders under

Voters in Buena Vista County and across Iowa will decide today (Tuesday, Nov. 3) whether raising certain state tax rates should require a larger majority of lawmakers. Amendment 1 would change the Iowa Constitution to require approval from at least two-thirds of the elected members in both the Iowa House and Senate for specified tax legislation. The amendment would not

A Laurens nursing home is facing a proposed $10,000 state fine after inspectors alleged employees failed to properly perform CPR on a resident who later died. According to an Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing investigation, the incident happened Oct. 6 at the Laurens Care Center. State inspection records indicate a female resident was in the dining room when

Voters in the CFNP Precinct in Buena Vista County should be aware of a detour when traveling to their polling place on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. According to the Buena Vista County Auditor’s Office, voters in the precinct who cast their ballots at Albert City City Hall and are traveling from the south will need to follow the posted

A piece of land that once served as a childhood playground for one local family is now being turned into a place for the entire community to enjoy. Massop Legacy Park was officially dedicated Thursday afternoon in Lakeside, following the donation of 3.53 acres of land by John and Marlene Massop to Buena Vista County. The property sits just south

Two teenagers from Cherokee are facing multiple charges following an investigation into a vehicle burglary and an attempted vehicle burglary in Storm Lake. According to the Storm Lake Police Department, officers were dispatched to a reported vehicle burglary in progress in the 900 block of Ontario Street at approximately 1 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. Upon arriving in the area, officers

A summer camp promotional campaign serving six Northwest Iowa counties, including Cherokee and O’Brien, has earned national recognition for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 4-H staff. The team was selected as the national winner of the Promotional Package Team Award from the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals. The award recognizes a coordinated campaign promoting camps for

A Pocahontas man will spend nearly 22 years in jail after being sentenced on federal drug charges. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa says 47-year-old Jordan Mefferd was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in June of this year to multiple counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Evidence