Estherville Police Department

06/02/2026

🚨 SCAM ALERT 🚨

We’ve been notified of scam activity in which fraudsters are impersonating Bank Plus by spoofing our phone number and directing customers to a fake website that looks like ours.

Please remember:

- We will never ask for sensitive information like your card number, account number, or online banking information.

- Do not trust unexpected calls, texts, or links, and do not visit unfamiliar websites.

- If something seems suspicious, hang up immediately.

- Always contact us using a phone number you know and trust.

Customers enrolled in Online Banking alerts or who use a debit card may still receive legitimate fraud notifications. Please review those carefully.

If you have any concerns, please reach out to us directly. Your security is our priority.

Member FDIC

06/02/2026

The Estherville Police Department was alerted today that one of our neighboring law enforcment agencies received a phone call from a concerned person, in regards to a call they received from an alleged employee that worked at Bank Plus. The phone number came up as the Bank Plus bank in Estherville and the male subject advised the reporting party, that their bank account had been compromised. At this point, the male subject asked the citizen for all passwords associated with their account. No passwords were given out in this situation. This is a public notice to NOT give out any personal information to anyone over the phone. Bank plus did not call this reporting party in this situation. With technology today, a person can use their computer to spoof the phone number and make it appear that it comes from a legitimate business. If anyone receives any calls like this and has any questions, please reach out directly to your bank or even the sheriff's office. Do not give out any of your personal or private information to anyone that calls or texts you.

05/31/2026

Update: This power outage issue has been located thanks to Estherville City Electrical personnel. Power has been turned back on by the Estherville Power Plant until repairs to a substation are completed outside of city limits. Thank you for your patience.

Power is out within city limits as a main power outage. In addition, non emergent phone lines with Emmet County Dispatch are also down. We are working to resolve this matter as soon as possible.

05/28/2026

This black lab was located in the 1500 block of 3rd Avenue South and is most likely blind. If this is your dog please contact the Estherville Police Department at 712-362-3515

05/24/2026

05/22/2026

Funeral Procession Etiquette

As a sign of respect to the grieving family, when you meet a funeral procession, please be mindful - Carefully yield to the procession, pulling over if possible.

Here are some of the best ways to show respect and honor the event:
1. Pull over or slow down in the safest way possible.
2. Move to the furthest lane from the procession.

05/18/2026

With tonights storm please report your damages to the following link. https://report-ia-state.orioncentral.com/?m=DB276CF8-8D79-41A5-AFA5-9EFB4CB702AA

Most communities have power backup, with some rural area still without power. Crews are out working to insure power is back on ASAP.

05/18/2026

Severe storms moved through our service territory this evening, causing power outages in some areas.

If you are experiencing an outage, please report it by calling 800-225-4532 or through your SmartHub account.

⚠️ Storm Safety Reminder:
Stay far away from downed power lines. Always assume they are energized and dangerous. If you see a downed power line, report it immediately by calling 800-225-4532.

Keep children and pets away from any fallen lines or electrical equipment.

If a power line falls on your vehicle, stay inside the vehicle and call for help.

Our crews will be responding to outages as soon as conditions are safe to do so. Thank you for your patience.

05/16/2026

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) is partnering with law enforcement across Iowa to support the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. This seatbelt-focused enforcement campaign will run from May 18-31, 2026.
Seatbelts remain the single best defense against serious injury, and while most Iowans take safety seriously, even one unbuckled fatality is too many. In 2025, 121 people who died in Iowa traffic crashes were not wearing a seatbelt. These unrestrained occupants accounted for 47% of all 2025 traffic fatalities, a tragic number that is entirely preventable.
“No matter the type of vehicle you’re traveling in, where you’re seated, or what type of road you’re driving on, the best way to protect yourself in a crash is to buckle up,” says Brett Tjepkes, Iowa GTSB Bureau Chief. “If this enforcement effort helps people to change their habits and start buckling up consistently, we’ll consider the mission a success.”
All it takes is one click and a few seconds to protect yourself and your loved ones every time you get in the car. Make safety a habit by buckling up in every seat, every time.
GTSB works with city, county, state, and local organizations to develop and implement strategies to reduce death and injury on Iowa roads using federally funded grants.

05/16/2026

Good morning Storm Lake

We’ve recently seen an increase in kids riding scooters and e-bikes throughout the city. Often riding double, ignoring stop signs, and failing to obey traffic laws.

Yesterday, a child was struck by a vehicle after failing to yield at a stop sign while riding a scooter.

Thankfully, the injuries were not worse, but it is an important reminder of how dangerous these situations can become.

Scooters and e-bikes are not designed for multiple riders, and many young riders do not fully understand the rules of the road.

Parents, we need your help. Please talk with your kids about traffic safety, supervision, and responsible riding before another preventable tragedy occurs.

Our officers can only do so much. Keeping kids safe takes all of us working together.




Buenos días, Storm Lake.

Recientemente hemos observado un aumento en el número de niños que circulan en patinetes y bicicletas eléctricas por toda la ciudad. A menudo lo hacen llevando a un pasajero, ignorando las señales de alto y sin respetar las leyes de tránsito.

Ayer, un niño fue atropellado por un vehículo tras no ceder el paso en una señal de alto mientras conducía un patinete.

Afortunadamente, las lesiones no fueron de mayor gravedad; sin embargo, este incidente sirve como un importante recordatorio de lo peligrosas que pueden llegar a ser estas situaciones.

Los patinetes y las bicicletas eléctricas no están diseñados para ser utilizados por varias personas a la vez, y muchos de los jóvenes conductores no comprenden plenamente las normas de circulación vial.

Padres: necesitamos su ayuda. Por favor, hablen con sus hijos sobre la seguridad vial, la importancia de la supervisión y la conducción responsable antes de que ocurra otra tragedia que podría haberse evitado.

Nuestros agentes tienen un alcance limitado. Mantener a los niños a salvo es una tarea que requiere la colaboración de todos nosotros.