SPORTS | 10 Football: MV overcomes CP-U 30-26
MVLSUN.COM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 • $1.50
Chili teams wanted for 20th Annual Mount Vernon Chili Cookoff Grab your favorite chili recipe, gather your crew and get ready to turn up the heat! Team registration is open for the 20th Annual Mount Vernon Chili Cookoff, taking place Saturday, Oct. 24, in historic uptown Mount Vernon. The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group (CDG) is looking for teams ready to help celebrate 20 years of one of the community’s favorite fall traditions. This year’s goal is to fill 1st Street with 30 competing chili teams. Teams can begin setting up at 10 a.m., with cooking officially underway at 11 a.m. All chili must be prepared and cooked from scratch on-site before public tasting begins at 3:00 p.m. Teams will compete for cash prizes through both local judging and the popular People’s Choice vote. But competitors won’t have to wait until tasting begins for the fun to start. The Cookoff atmosphere will build throughout the day with music, a bags tournament, beer stein holding competition and other activities while teams cook, decorate their spaces and enjoy a little friendly competition. The bags tournament begins at 12:30 p.m., with registration at 11:30 a.m. Teams are also encouraged to have fun with their setup, including decorations and costumes. Public tasting runs from 3–5:30 p.m., followed by the announcement of the 20th Annual Chili Cookoff winners at 5:45 p.m. The team registration fee is $25, and each team must prepare a minimum of five gallons of chili. Ingredients are prepped and cooked on-site, and teams should plan to provide their own 10-by-10foot canopy, cooking equipment, ingredients and utensils. Ready to compete? Register your team and find complete rules and event information on the 20th Annual Mount Vernon Chili Cookoff event page at VisitMVL. com.
INSIDE Opinions - 4 & 5
Reconnecting on the Hilltop
Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Shanelys Sanchez-Robles and Sunny Howard (represented by Isabella Rivera at the ceremony) are crowned as homecoming royalty Friday, Oct. 2. Nathan Countryman Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
celebrated on the hilltop. Events this year included class reunions, an nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com all alumni dinner, pep rally and many home sporting events. The Ramily reconnected in Mount Vernon Shanelys Sanchez-Robles and Sunny Friday, Oct. 2 through Sunday, Oct. 4, when Howard were crowned as the Homecoming Cornell College’s homecoming activities were Royalty at the pep rally Friday, Oct. 2, after
students had voted for the duo in elections throughout the week. Friday evening concluded with Dueling Pianos and activities in the Small Athletic and Wellness Complex. CORNELL HOMECOMING | 3
Excessive rain delays construction and park repair in Lisbon The Lisbon City Council lamented the street and park projects that have been continuously put off as Johnson County experienced daily, nearly constant rain for several days
silt, a curb was still ripped up on South Washington Street and will need to be repaired. Athletic practices were also moved because field conditions have been too wet to practice. City administrator Brandon Siggins said a project to pour concrete and dig holes for light poles has also been delayed at the Lisbon Sports Complex. “When you get 6 inches of rain over a 2-week span, it's just everything so saturated right now,” Siggins said. “Hopefully after tomorrow and Wednesday, it'll dry out.” Grace Olson and Cadence Dighton With the consistent rain in town, the new For the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun sports complex on the northwest side of Lisnews@mvlsun.com bon has seen some water retention. As Lisbon city administrator, Brandon After much of Iowa endured consistent and Siggins, shared that information, council heavy rainfall throughout late September, the members became concerned about the water Lisbon City Council lamented several small retention at the sports complex. construction projects and park activity being Councilmember Nate Smith raised the delayed throughout the week when it met concern of a missed opportunity regarding Sept. 28. not tiling the field. According to Smith, addDespite preparing roads for excess rain and ing the tile now would tear up the field.
Addressing Smith’s concern, councilmember Kevin Steele presented a second suggestion: a Dutch drain. Brandon Siggins, Lisbon’s city administrator, explained that the area is wetter than most places in town because it was professionally engineered for storm water to run off there. However, Siggins mentioned that the unprecedented amount of rain received recently made the area more wet than normal. Thus, if the rain lets up, the water retention should not continue to present an issue. Grace Olson is a senior in the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Grace is a student in the Iowa Community News class. Cadence Dighton is a junior in the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Cadence is an intern with the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.
| Records - 7 | Firefighters Salute - 8 & 9 | Sports - 10-12 | Public Notices - 16 & 17 |
18
NEWS
2 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026
MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN | MVLSUN.COM
Common Roots worship service, meals begin
108 1st St SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314 Phone: 319-895-6216 news@mvlsun.com
Nathan Countryman Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
The Roots partnership between First Presbyterian Church of Mount Vernon, United Methodist Church of Mount Vernon and Seeds of Faith Lutheran Church has expanded with a once a month joint worship service during the weekdays. The three churches had previously partnered for their mid week youth groups, with youth from all three congregations meeting weekly for events and learning. According to Pastor Vicki Fisher the extension of a church service once a month was to give more people a chance to worship midweek throughout the year. “There as a survey recently that showed that 41 percent of people regularly have to work on Sundays,” Fisher said. “This is an opportunity to extend a worship opportunity in the middle of the week and provide more family friendly atmosphere.” The first service was held Wednesday, Sept. 30, at United Methodist Church of Mount Vernon, with Roots Youth Group activities following the evening worship. Youth members from all three church groups participated in helping to lead the worship service, telling stories from the gospels and reading from scriptures. A light meal was also served as a portion of the event, and childcare
Volume 157 I Issue 41
The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun strives for accuracy and fairness in reporting news. If we’ve made an error or a report is misleading, let us know about it: news@mvlsun.com
STAFF
Publisher Jason Brummond jason.brummond@dailyiowan.com Editor Nathan Countryman nathan.countryman @mvlsun.com Sports Ryan Suchomel ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com Advertising Manager Paul Rowland paul.rowland@mvlsun.com
Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Members of the United Methodist Church Praise team help lead the joint worship service Wednesday, Sept. 30. will be provided. The services will rotate between the three churches in coming months, with October 28’s service at Seeds of Faith Lutheran Church in Lisbon and Nov. 18’s worship service being at First Presbyterian Church. “These three churches have
worked together on a number of ecumenical services before, including an election eve service in 2024, joint Good Friday services,” Fisher said. “I love that we have trust with one another to try these things to reach more people.” “It’s nice to have deep personal cooperation and trust,” Fisher said.
MVHPC approves certificate of appropriateness for work on property Nathan Countryman Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
The Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission approved a certificate of appropriateness for the extension of a rock retaining wall at 615 Sixth Street N.W. The property, owned by Laura Nogaj, has had previous work approved, including the installation of a concrete driveway, a porch and work on gutter and downspouts. The retaining wall is the next piece of work Nogaj was addressing on the property. Commission member Guy Booth raised concerns about not knowing where the work on the retaining wall begins and ends, as the visual image was just of an A.I. rendering of the completed work, not of detailed plans of said fence on the property. Booth also raised concerns that the drainage would be eventually draining towards an alleyway on a non-permeable surface, allowing water into an alleyway and potentially to a neighbor’s property. The Nogaj property has been a continued discussion, with her neighbor raising concerns at city council meeting back in June of water infiltrating her home from across an alley after a concrete parking slab was installed. The city of Mount Vernon took no stance on correcting erosion in the alley at that time, citing no longer needing alley access or maintenance any further since moving to radio water meter reads and garbage disposal now being street side and the matter is now a civil matter between neighbors. Commission member Grace Chamberlain Rowray reiterated the purview of the commission has to remain on items covered in their guidelines adopted last year, and that doing more puts the commission at risk of overstepping what they can and can not approve. Commission member Kim Benesh asked
a question that has come up previously in commission meetings – what if actions the commission has approved does damage to another property in the historic district. Chamberlain-Rowray explained that if there is damage from an action, the commission would not be liable, as they were addressing a matter on another home and it could be hard to prove that other actions taken led to the other issues. The commission are not engineers, so addressing knock-on effects of slopes of driveways is not something they address, just the impact to the aesthetics in the property. Nogaj also noted that this is the rainiest year in the state in several years, with previous years being a drought like conditions, so both landowners can’t prove what is causing the issues they are facing. Nogaj again reminded the commission they are looking at if actions taken are aesthetically pleasing and non-damaging to the historic nature of the house or district, and that drainage issues are not the purview of the commission. Nogaj said she could consider moving the water to drain into a catch basin via a PVC pipe and drain into a catch basin, but she also said because of slope of the property, she has neighbors with elevations higher than hers that have water draining onto her property as well, and that drainage would potentially end up in that space. The guidance she has received from contractors and the city is to drain water towards the alley. When Booth noted there was not a diagram that showed the scope of the work including length of the extended wall, Nogaj said this project also amounts to landscaping work, and aside from the material needing approval from the commission, landscape work does not require permits from the city or county. She also noted Booth speaking on behalf of her neighbor at the June city council meeting might prove he has a conflict of interest and should recuse himself from voting on
“We really want to share God’s passion and the wideness of God’s love,” said Pastor Erika Uthe of Seeds of Faith Lutheran Church. “Having this opportunity to continue gathering together and spreading that love and building a community is what I look forward to.”
this matter. Booth said he had no conflict of interest. “I don’t know why my property has become a lightning rod,” Nogaj said. “I’m trying to address my own water infiltration issues and finding contractors to work with.” Commission member Mary Evans said that the 169 pages of guidelines are what they can rule on, and work by the commission went into updating those rules went on over the past couple years. Commission member Mike Guerber moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the work. Evans seconded. The measure passed unanimously. The commission also approved a certificate of no material effect for an installation of a door replacing a spot for a window at 106 First Street West, the rear of the Bigs BBQ and Brew Pub space. Nanette Rambo explained that she was wanting to install the door to give access to the roof in a second story apartment. She said there may be additional work that is needed to the building’s roof. Commission member Guy Booth said that he was concerned that approving the door might require a point of access for the building with something like a set of stairs to get to said door. Rambo said that if other work is required to have the door, she would make those steps happen. “It might speed up some of the other work on the project,” Rambo said. The commission approved the certificate, as long as that work is approved by the city or county and meets all their safety requirements to allow to happen. Mayor Tom Wieseler also spoke at the top of the meeting, commending members of the commission for serving. He noted that the new requirement of attending training for open meetings and records is a new requirement for members. Wieseler said he was responsible for appointing roughly 82 different members to serve on different commissions for the city, and thanked new members for being on the commission. Mike Guerber was appointed as vice chair, Grace Chamberlain-Rowray as treasurer and Guy Booth continuing as secretary.
Production Manager Heidi Owen heidi.owen@dailyiowan.com Advertising Director Juli Krause juli.krause@dailyiowan.com Reporting Interns Cadence Dighton Grace Escritt Digital/Social Media Interns Abigail Princehouse
Official Newspaper: Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Bertram, Linn County, Mount Vernon Community School District, Lisbon Community School District The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun (USPS 367-520), a division of The Daily Iowan, is published weekly on Thursdays by Student Publications, Inc., 100 Adler Journalism Building, Room E131, Iowa City, Iowa 52242. Periodicals Postage Paid at the Mount Vernon Post Office and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun, 108 1st St SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314. Subscriptions: Contact Paul Rowland at 319-895-6216 or paul.rowland@ mvlsun.com for additional information. Subscription rates: Linn and adjoining counties – $55 annually; elsewhere in Iowa – $75 annually; out of state – $85 annually. Copyright 2026 Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun, a division of The Daily Iowan and Student Publications, Inc. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in print and online editions, are the property of Student Publications, Inc., and may not be reproduced or republished without written permission.
mvlsun.com
MVLSUN.COM | MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN
NEWS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | 3
COMMUNITY PROFILE
?? | For the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Marie DeVries, 75, of Mount Vernon, poses for a photo at Fuel Arts and Espresso on Sept. 30, 2026. DeVries has lived in Mount Vernon for 44 years and is a member of the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council. Name: Marie DeVries Job: Retired, previously worked in planning, communications, reporting, and editing. Age: 75 Education: Marie attended Regis High School graduating in 1969, then she attended the University of Iowa for her undergraduate degree majoring in political science and sociology, she graduated from the UI in 1973. Then she obtained her master’s degree in urban studies from the University of Minnesota Mankato, she graduated in 1976. Family (including children’s ages): Marie is married to Steve DeVries, 77, they have two sons together, Cullen, 48, and Casey, 45. Childhood hometown: Cedar Rapids, Iowa How long have you lived in Mount Vernon? 44 years Favorite part of job: Enjoyed every job and the work she did. Most challenging part of job: Enjoyed every job for up to nine years, but then was ready to move on. Hobbies/interests: Pickleball Church and/or other memberships: Board member for the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council and a member of the non-official chapter of Women for Water, a group focused on water quality volunteer work. Favorite book(s): “Land” by Maggie O’Farrell, an Irish historical novel. Favorite TV show(s): Doesn’t watch TV. Favorite movie(s): Doesn’t keep favorites, but she really enjoyed “Hamnet.” Favorite music genre: Blues Favorite sports team(s): Indiana Fever Favorite food: Not picky, likes everything and willing to try new things Favorite vacation spot: Ireland and Italy, she is of Irish descent and has been to Ireland five times, but she also enjoyed her trip to Italy. Greatest role model: Gloria Steinem because of her activism and because she co-founded Ms. magazine. Favorite quotation: Not sure What do you like best about Mount Vernon? She loves having Cornell College in town, her husband taught and coached there before he retired, because of the impact the college makes on the town. She also appreciates the Mount Vernon City Council’s support of the local arts and the arts council.
Two juveniles injured in rural Springville crash Lisbon-Mount Vernon Ambulance service helped transport two Springville juveniles to area hospitals following a crash. According to Adam Munier with the Linn County Sheriff's Office, first responders were paged to Hwy. 151 at Carlton Lane west of Springville for a crash at 7:41 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2. Officers discovered a 2004 Honda CR-V which was northbound on Hwy. 151 had lost control, crossed the median and rolled before coming to a rest along the north shoulder. The driver was transported to University of Iowa Hospitals and clinics with non-life threatening injuries. The passenger was transported to St. Luke's hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Springville Fire and Linn County Sheriff's Rescue were also dispatched to the scene. The accident remains under investigation at this time.
CORNELL HOMECOMING from 1
The Rams took on the Ripon College at 2 p.m. Saturday at Van Metre field. The Rams came out victorious against Ripon, 42-28. The Rams celebrated their highest-scoring Homecoming win since 2017, thanks to a break-out offensive effort that saw them accumulate 256 yards on six touchdown plays alone. Cornell exploded for 559 total yards on the day. Alum and attendees were also directed into Uptown Mount Vernon Saturday morning and afternoon. The Rams softball team helped bus tables at 1st Street Breakfast Company in Mount Vernon as a fundraiser.
Photos by Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Top: The Cornell College dance team performs at the pep rally Friday, Oct. 2. Above left: Cornell College cheerleaders interact with a fan at the pep rally Friday, Oct. 2 Above right: The Cornell College homecoming royalty takes part in a game ahead of coronation at the pep rally. Left top: Dueling Pianos was the Friday evening entertainment Friday, Oct. 2. Left bottom: Students play on an inflatable at activities at the Small Athletic and Wellness complex Friday, Oct. 2. Below: The Cornell College cheerleaders take part in a cheer at the pep rally Friday, Oct. 2
4 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN
OPINIONS/NEWS
OPINIONS
Hawks… Hawkeyes—What’s Rain, rain go away the difference?
MVLSUNCOM
SUN EDITORIAL
Living in Iowa Dan Brawner Mark Twain once wrote that the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. Today, I’m guessing that Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt would agree. Apparently, Sen. Schmitt had been planning this a long time. You might say, he had his entire professional future riding on it. Leading up to the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, held on Sept. 29, Schmitt’s people even dropped a teaser story that ran in Axios, suggesting that Schmitt is such a sharp, charismatic individual, J.D. Vance might choose him as his vice presidential running mate. Mr. Schmitt was going places—that’s for sure! And what was the thing that was about to propel this relatively unknown former Missouri attorney general into the national spotlight and maybe into the White House? Schmitt was primed to nail former special prosecutor and Trump antagonist Jack Smith to the wall. It seems Schmitt had secret information linking Smith to Fani Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia who had investigated Donald Trump for election interference. The purpose of the Senate hearing appeared to be aimed at trapping Smith into perjuring himself. When it was Schmitt’s turn to question Smith, he could barely contain his excitement. “Did you go to an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and the Atlantia Hawks on February 3, 2024?” Schmitt asked. He had set the hook. Now he waited. Smith asked to have the question repeated. “What city would that be in?” Smith asked. “Atlanta,” said Schmitt, triumphantly. This was it! Schmitt had him. If he could show that Smith was in Atlanta, there could have been a meeting between him and Fani Willis! They could have been plotting together against President Trump. All it would take would be for Smith to deny it. “No,” said Smith. Schmitt then had a staffer hold up a huge poster board with a photo of Willis and a printout of some text messages. “I don’t think you know that we have this stuff, so I’ll give you a minute to process it so you don’t, you know, perjure yourself,” Schmitt said with a sneer. Once Smith took a look at the poster, he understood the confusion that would make Sen. Schmitt the laughing stock of Washington. With the help of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Smith explained that on Feb. 3, he had attended a women’s college basketball game in Maryland, featuring Caitlin Clark, playing for the Iowa HAWKEYES. “You got the teams wrong,” said Klobuchar. Hawks… Hawkeyes—what’s the difference? Schmitt must have been desperate to wriggle out of this. Maybe Jack Smith had trans-gendered the men of the NBA Atlanta Hawks into a women’s college team. Had he also magically beamed them into Maryland? It was all so confusing. Had he, Eric Schmitt, accidently mixed up the name “Smith” with “Schmitt” and had just accused himself of perjury with the whole world watching!? Being from the Show Me state can have its disadvantages. Sometimes you can show too much.
We could stand to have more dry days this coming week. Over the past few weeks, the ground for many residents have become oversaturated. The sound of sump pumps have been a constant reminder that too much of something we might have needed in the middle of September can also have a negative impact. At least once a week for the past few weeks there have been flash flood
watches that turned into flash flood warnings, as storms that started at 2 a.m. continued their barrage of rain well into 6 a.m. in the morning. Events like the Marching Mustangs Invitational were canceled because of the weather. And there have been reports of basements sopping in a little too much water and people always going “it could be worse. It could be like 2008 and the flooding that happened then.” Over in Lisbon, one of the concerns has been the water on the Lisbon Sports Complex field. And we understand city council members concerns. The City of Lisbon has put good money into that complex, with the goal of getting those fields to be competition ready to play. For more than
two growing seasons work went into get grass firmly established on the soccer fields, as some lower raining summers made that a tough accomplishment. Flash forward to the past few weeks where the constant rain has made having outdoor activities like football and soccer likely not happening to not damage grassy fields too much, and those same fields retaining water. Too much ponding can be just as bad as a drought to a field. We think it is something the city is right to monitor moving forward and adapt to other drainage items in the future if it continues to be a problem early on. Better to fix a known issue early in these fields lives then regret doing nothing and having a problem that only gets worse down the road.
The crisp, damp air of fall “Wildwood” in the next few weeks, as well as this week a dip into the awesome “Coyote vs. Acme” Looney Tunes film that they tried to shelve instead of release to movie theaters. “Coyote vs. Acme” looks like it finally made back what it cost to make compared to other Warner releases this past year. I tend to make it a mission every Halloween season to find a horror series I haven’t watched fully before and clean up my Nathan Countryman pop culture blind spots. Some of them have been excellent (the Universal Horror monsters, Child’s Play, Final DestinaThe rain can go away at any time now. tion franchises), some of them have been mixed (Friday the Fall is one of my favorite seasons of the year. There’s usually 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Conjuring franchise) and an abundance of apple flavored things (if you’re not a fan of some of them have been ones I will likely never visit again pumpkin spice/cloves), and it’s the weather where you usu- (Amityville Horror franchise and Saw come to mind). This ally need just a light jacket. year I am probably going down the “Insidious” rabbit hole. It’s a time where you can leave a window open all day and This coming weekend, I’ll be up at Wartburg College for bundle under blankets as you get to sleep. homecoming, hanging with friends and celebrating 20 years Except, of course, when rain starts falling at 2 a.m. And out of college. then you’re left with the “is the storm bad enough to get out This rainy fall, though… The ground is so moist and it seems of these warm covers and shut the windows or is the patter- like every other day we’re being told a flash flood or flood is ing just going to be enough to keep me awake and potentially imminent. And all the while they are talking about this comconsidering a stumble to the restroom?” ing winter being a heck of a potential heavy year of the other It’s also the time of year where spooky films are in the- dreaded four letter word you dare not utter too early in the aters or the ones that were released in the summer come to a season… streaming service, if you didn’t get to them in movie theaters. Probably best to shut the windows before that finally It looks like the Bijou is getting “Verity” and Laika Studios gets here.
ny side
GUEST COLUMN
Iowa’s private school voucher program is a budget busting sham Mike Bergman Congratulations Iowans, we will cross the $1B threshold this school year of our tax payer dollars being given to private schools. I shouldn’t say “given to” because that would be unconstitutional. But apparently it’s OK when the payments are “laundered” through families who then give it to private schools. Don’t get me wrong, I am not anti-private schools. I fully accept, for some families, they are a better fit than their public school options. However, for my entire life the private schools did just fine without the massive infusion of tax payer funds. With Iowa now running a $1.2B annual budget deficit is this really the best use of tax payer funds while the public school budgets keep falling further behind the rate of inflation? A quick review of Iowa’s voucher program (aka: Education Savings Account (ESA); All Iowa K-12 students, regardless of family income, are eligible for the $8148/ year payment
There is no cap on the total amount dispersed. Now approx. $350M per year 80% of the recipients were already attending private schools without vouchers Starting next year, donations made to private schools will be eligible for a $1700 federal and state tax credit (another taxpayer give away to the wealthy courtesy of the big beautiful bill) Private school tuition has increased dramatically since vouchers became available. Average tuition in the higher grades is several thousand dollars more than the voucher payment, still making it unaffordable for the targeted lower income families. Iowa law now makes it difficult for the state auditor to verify how the funds are being used (SF 478). This law was signed shortly after the ESA law. Coincidence? Audits in Florida and Arizona, which have similar ESA programs, have uncovered significant fraudulent activity. This program is branded as “School Choice” by its proponents. There has
always been school choice as long as the applicant was a good enough student, athlete or not needing special accommodation. The ESA does not change any of that. Private schools are still allowed to cherry pick the best students and athletes, while public schools have to take everybody that walks through the door. Additionally, most legitimate private schools have always had tuition assistance available for desirable applicants. This situation results in a higher concentration of lower performing and special needs students in the public system while having to deal with shrinking budgets at the same time. By no means is it a level playing field. I understand why some families would prefer to have their students in these “hand-picked” environments. Just like the previous 100 years, they should pay for it themselves. How did such an obviously flawed law get enacted in Iowa? As early as 2018, providing state funds for private school tuition became one of Kim Reynolds highest priorities. After five years of Reynolds
OPINIONS/NEWS
MVLSUN.COM | MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN
brow beating and threats to non-compliant Republicans, the bill was signed into law during the second week of the 2023 legislative session. According to employees of the Heritage Foundation, they supplied model legislation and provided moral support to reluctant legislators. C’mon Iowa, since when is it OK for an extreme right wing organization to write our laws for us? With Kim Reynolds, who just happens to be the least popular governor in the nation, out of office in January, it’s possible some Republicans will regain their courage and agree to undo the damage of this seriously flawed law. A special shout out to our state senator, Charlie McClintock, for standing up for his constituents and voting against this bill. This defunding of our public schools is particularly harmful to House District 83. HD 83 is unique in that it is serviced by six small school districts and two larger ones. In my travels around the district, I have found overwhelming support from residents for their school. While maybe not perfect, I have found none of the “horror stories” that supporters of the voucher program like to cite. In small towns, the schools are a source of civic pride, increased
economic activity and property values. Residents of these towns are unhappy seeing their local school getting shortchanged while their tax dollars are subsidizing Iowa’s wealthiest families to send their kids to private schools. It must also be noted there are no private schools in this district so a family wanting to choose a private school does not even have easy access to the benefit they are paying for. As a 60 year follower of Iowa high school sports, it’s always been a given that private schools win a disproportionate number of state titles. They can control their enrollment numbers to play in the smaller classes while stocking their rosters with higher caliber athletes. That hasn’t changed, but now public school parents have to suffer the indignity of subsidizing private school recruiting and scholarship programs. On a related note, Alburnett has an outstanding football team this year, rated highly in Class 2A. I watched them play Class 1A Iowa City Regina a couple of weeks ago. The Pirates put up a good fight but lost 28 – 12. To a casual observer, Regina looked like a 4A team, with several D1 college prospects, yet they play in Class 1A. Regina has won 8 state football titles the last 20 years and is a heavy favorite to win it again this year. Des
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | 5
Moines Dowling has won 11 titles in the last 20 years. No public school comes close. Public school parents should not have to subsidize this literal uneven playing field. Finally, when discussing the private school voucher situation with HD83 constituents, they are reminded our incumbent representative, Cindy Golding, voted in favor of it. It is the most damaging law I’ve seen in my life for Iowa small town stability and well-being. With Kim Reynolds out of the way, we can undo the damage this law has caused.
BUSINESS SERVICES
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Standing up for Democracy
We are determined to keep demonstrating our absolute contempt for this lawless regime until it falls—and it will Someone remarked to me recently that the weekly fall. We know, too, that the current POTUS and his wailing, STAND UP multi-partisan rally at First and First in Mount whining enablers detest joy and ridicule, so we crank those Vernon on Saturdays from noon to 1 p.m. is the best party out every Saturday, in all kinds of weather, with all kinds in town, and they’re right! of signs. It’s always a blast, which also applies literally when If you’re craving some positivity, please feel free to join talking about how supportive the motorists always are us. Make your own sign or hold one of ours. Exercise your with their horns at that intersection. We wave, dance to First Amendment rights. You’ll be amazed how good you our music, and flash “peace” fingers to passersby, even to feel after you do. those who flash middle fingers at us! Our fun, however, should never be mistaken for any lack Lori Niemi of seriousness. Mount Vernon
Iowa’s water crisis takes center stage on campaign trail The state’s water quality problems have persisted for decades, but candidates are increasingly making clean water a priority on the 2026 campaign trail Madelyn Johnson The Daily Iowan
As Iowa politicians campaign on promises to address the state’s “water crisis,” questions remain on what that crisis actually entails — and what state leaders can do to fix it. Water quality has become a recurring issue on Iowa’s campaign trail this election season, with many candidates pitching solutions to what they describe as a statewide water crisis. Iowa’s water quality challenges are longstanding and complex, provoking discussions about policies that could address them and how much progress the state has made. Iowa’s water quality problems are nothing new. Matt Ohloff, a policy advocate for the Environmental Law and Policy Center said Iowa has experienced high levels of water pollution for decades, with agricultural runoff contributing heavily to nutrient pollution in the state’s waterways.
A report from Polk County found over 80 percent of the nitrate in Iowa’s waterways comes from agricultural practices. Farm fertilizer is the largest source, estimating around 40 percent, followed by nitrogen from agricultural crops at 22 percent, and nitrogen deposited from the atmosphere at 20 percent. In 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency established nitrate thresholds, finding that waterways exceeding 10.0 milligrams per liter of nitrate require nitrate removal systems to be deployed. The study found nitrate levels exceeded 10.0 mg/l, the highest threshold, 13 percent of the time since 2005, and levels exceeded 5.0 mg/l 50 percent of the time. It noted nitrate levels vary yearly depending on rainfall and agricultural runoff. Chronic exposure to high levels of nitrate has been linked by scientists to health concerns including colorectal cancer, thyroid disease, and neural tube defects. While scientists have found evidence of correlation between the two, it has not been found that nitrate exposure inherently causes these health problems. Iowa’s cancer rates are another topic of conversation amongst Iowa lawmakers, as Iowa has the second highest cancer rates in the country and
has one of the only rising cancer rates in the country, according to the Iowa Cancer Registry. In response to growing levels of pollution in Iowa waterways, the state developed Iowa’s nutrient reduction plan in 2013. The goal was to decrease the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus entering Iowa’s waterways by 45 percent. “It hasn’t worked in the ways we thought it would,” Olhoff said. “It’s not requiring farmers to adopt any practices, it’s just providing incentives and having farmers voluntarily adopt agricultural practices.” Polk County’s report found a decline in nitrate levels since the 2000s, but not to the degree the reduction plan had hoped. In Des Moines river, the study found a 36 percent decrease in nitrate levels as of 2025. Olhoff pointed to conservation strategies such as using cover crops and applying fertilizer in smaller doses, but said farmers are not required to implement these efforts. According to a study by Iowa State University, 23 percent of farmers in Iowa regularly use cover crops, and 29 percent use them intermittently. Cover crops can successfully reduce nitrate in waterways by about 30 percent, a study by the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance found. Doing the best thing for
agriculture in Iowa, along with protecting Iowan’s and their drinking water is a highly discussed topic amongst Iowa lawmakers. Iowa Sen. Janice Weiner, D-Iowa City, proposed a cancer, water, and agricultural task force to investigate the state’s cancer rates, water quality, and potential causes. “Everyone deserves clean water, it doesn’t matter where you live,” she said. “In order to be able to address the issues, we have to know what’s in the water and in real time.” Weiner highlighted the importance of funding the Iowa Flood Center’s water WATER CRISIS| 6
ADVERTISE OR SUBSCRIBE
319.895.6216
Painting • Drywall • Siding Tile Floors • Tuckpointing • Decks • Replacement Windows Prefinished Hardwood Floors • Flat Roofs • Roofs Bath & Kitchen Remodel • Repairs • Insured
NEWS
6 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026
WATER CRISIS from 5
network, which provides real-time readings of water composition every 15 minutes. She added floodplains should not be used for agricultural practices, as it can
create high amounts of runoff into waterways. This issue is being debated on both sides of the aisle this election season, with both Democrats and Republicans in agreement that change needs to happen. Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn identified cleaning Iowa’s water as a campaign priority at Marionnette Mill-
MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN | MVLSUN.COM
er-Meek’s Triple M Tailgate on Sept. 12. “The fight for clean water, the fight to lower our cancer rates, these are pro-life issues,” Lahn said. “If we’re not conserving the ground under our feet, if we’re not conserving the lives of our people, if our kids are leaving, we are conserving the wrong things.”
POLITIFACT
In Iowa’s U.S. Senate race, fact-checking Ashley Hinson’s claim about Josh Turek’s voting record Anna Mitchell The Daily Iowan
Across advertisements and interviews, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, has repeatedly criticized Iowa Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs, for missing a substantial number of Iowa House votes during the 2026 legislative session. “Josh Turek skipped 58% of the votes at the Statehouse this year,” Hinson said in one ad, posted Sept. 2 on Facebook. Hinson, who represents Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, is running against Turek for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat, currently held by retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. It’s accurate that Turek missed a substantial number of votes in the Iowa House this session. Some experts said they don’t consider the absences to be unusual for a candidate who is on the campaign trail, but they also noted that Turek’s number of absences still far outpaces others.
Turek’s missed votes Politifact Iowa did the math. According to the Iowa House Journals, of the 445 votes held on the House floor during the Jan. 12 to April 2 legislative session, Turek missed 261 — which is roughly 58%. The numbers align with findings from KCRG and KTIV. In a statement to PolitiFact Iowa, the Hinson campaign said, “The bottom line is that Josh Turek skips votes to support farmers, veterans, and rural communities but votes like a liberal when he does show up.”
Kedron Bardwell, Simpson College professor of political science, told PolitiFact Iowa its analysis is accurate, based on the tracking of legislative votes. The number, though, only applies to House floor votes. It does not take committee or subcommittee votes into consideration. Turek had the second-most absences of any member in the Iowa House during the 2026 session. Only Rep. Jerome Amos Jr., D-Waterloo, missed more votes, according to KTIV. Bardwell said it is not uncommon for representatives to be absent on occasion, but the large volume of missed votes is what stands out in Turek’s case. “Even going back a few years, there’s very few candidates that I can find that ran for higher office and missed as many [votes] as he did,” he said. Bardwell said his research of legislative votes this year shows the percentage of missed votes for representatives rarely exceeded 20 to 30% — a stark contrast to Turek’s figure, which is nearly double that. Jack Hunt, editor and publisher of the Iowa Legislative News Service who has 30 years of experience covering the Statehouse, said a large number of absences are not unexpected in this case. “Any legislator running for another office tends to miss days out at the Capitol,” Hunt said. Hunt said in Iowa, a bill doesn’t reach the floor unless the majority party expects it to pass, and he couldn’t recall a single instance this session when a bill was decided by a single vote.
Because of this, Hunt said, in his opinion, floor votes are “simply performance,” and Turek’s absence is not as significant as his opponent says. “When I see the ads, ‘Oh, [Turek] missed 58% of the votes,’ my honest thought is ‘So what?’ Hunt said. “It’s probably absolutely true, and it is utterly meaningless.” When contacted by PolitiFact Iowa , the Turek campaign said, “Josh Turek is one of Iowa’s most effective and bipartisan legislators, voting with Republicans more than 700 times to lower costs, cut taxes, and keep Iowans safe.” Turek’s longer voting track record The 58% figure stands out among Turek’s career voting record. As Iowa Capital Dispatch reported, Turek has had an 81% attendance record since taking office in January 2023, according to Legiscan data. In 2025, the Iowa House recorded 379 House floor votes. Turek missed 37, or 9.8%.
Samantha DeFly | The Daily Iowan
Iowa Rep. Josh Turek, D-Pottawattamie, watches the Condition of the State address during the second day of the 2026 Iowa legislative session at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. In 2024 and 2023, Turek the House floor during the outpaces others. missed 12.2% and 5.4% of Jan. 12 to April 2 legislative We rate the statement votes, respectively. session, Turek missed 261, True. or roughly 58%. Some experts said Our ruling absences aren’t unusual for Hinson said Turek someone campaigning, but “skipped 58% of the votes they also noted that Turek’s at the Statehouse this number of absences still far year.” Of the 445 votes held on
MVLSUN.COM | MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN
OBITUARIES KATHRENE DIX Kathrene Mary Dix, 72, of Mount Vernon, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. Visitation was Sunday, Oct. 4, with a rosary recited at 3:30 p.m., Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church, Mount Vernon. Funeral Mass was Monday, Oct. 5 at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Mount Vernon. Burial followed at Saints Peter & Paul Cemetery in Solon. Kathy was born Feb. 8, 1954, in Cedar Rapids , the daughter of Raphael and Elizabeth (Becker) Pisarik. She was united in marriage to Minor Dix Jan. 4, 1975, at Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Solon. Kathy was devoted to caring for her family. She loved playing games and spending time with her family and grandchildren. Kathy served many roles at Saint John’s. She enjoyed gardening and was a member of the Twin City garden club. Kathy is survived by her husband, Minor Dix; children, Alison (Melissa) Dix, Justin (Cara) Dix, and Kasey Dix; grandchildren, Libby, Andrew, Audrey, Mack, Will, Gabby, and Dylan; siblings, Francis (Teri) Pisarik, Terese Pisarik, Larry (Kathy) Pisarik, John (Jane) Pisarik, Ron (Nancy) Pisarik, Mark (Luann) Pisarik, Steve (Susan) Pisarik, and Mary (Ron) Holubar; sisters-in-law, LeAnn Pisarik and Joyce Pisarik; and many nieces and nephews. Kathy was preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Dennis Pisarik and Patrick Pisarik.
MARJORIE WHITLEY Marjorie Ann Whitley, 91, of Mount Vernon, passed away Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids. Marjorie Ann Whittemore, born July 22, 1935, in Cedar Rapids to Carl and Verla (Keith) Whittemore. She graduated from Delhi High School, in Delhi in 1953. She started her career in the telegraph office of the Union Pacific Railroad Company in Omaha, Neb. It was there she met her husband of 54 years, Wesley Whitley. They were married Dec. 2, 1955, and had four children, Mark, Carla, Ann, and Judy. Marj devoted her life to the people she loved. She took great joy in their successes and gave great support during difficult times. She enjoyed several passions; gardening, painting,photography, scrapbooking, genealogy, traveling, and decorating her home. It would not be an exaggeration to say she’s made, and decorated, several hundred cakes for family and friends over the years. Marj was a devout member of the Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, where she sang in the Chancel Choir for decades. Additionally, she was a member of the Dillion’s Furrow Antique Club; PEO, D.T. Chapter, and worked with the Boy Scouts of America, and the Campfire Girls Many people held a special place in her heart. The Damon-Moore and Denniston families were especially close. Linda Stoneking, her dear friend, was a big part of the reason why Marj was able to live in her home for many years, and for that, the family and Marj are grateful. Marj is survived by her brother David (Jan) Whittemore and sister Judy Husmann; children, Mark (Heidi) Whitley of Lisbon, Ann (Mike) Wattleworth of Mount Vernon, and Judy (Al) Whitley-Steed of Kansas City, Mo.; grandchildren, Mark (Sara) Whitley, Lindsay (Joey Rook) Kula, Holly Myers, Stacy Wattleworth, John (Deb Johnson) Wattleworth, Ashley (Bryan) DeMatto, David (Venice) Riggins, Keith Riggins, Hannah Whitley, Jonathon (Lexi) Whitley; great-grandchildren, Adrianna (Joe) Strain-Whitley, Connor Wattleworth, Brooklynn Myers, Cadence Kula, Vincent and Lillian Sayre, Lincoln Felice, Brady and Tucker DeMatto, Carter, Aaiden, and Ryland Riggins and Daruis and Vita Riggins; sister-in-law Elsa Staley; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She is preceded in death by her parents Carl and Verla Whittemore; husband, Wesley Whitley; daughter, Carla Whitley; brothers, Bob Whittemore, Don Whittemore, and Carl Lee Whittemore; and granddaughter, Whitley Ann Wattleworth. Marjorie’s celebration of life will be held at the Mount Vernon United Methodist Church in Mount Vernon, Saturday, Oct. 10. The visitation will be held at 2 p.m., followed by the celebration of life at 3 p.m. Reception to follow. Those unable to attend are invited to watch the service via livestream. Please find the livestream link on Marjorie’s obituary page and share your support and memories with her family at www.stewartbaxter.com In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to the Mount Vernon United Methodist Church or the Lisbon – Mount Vernon Ambulance.
RECORDS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | 7
Spots Scouting for Food coming up Local scouts will be in the neighborhoods to collect food donations for Scouting for Food Saturday, Oct. 24. Most needed items at the food pantry include canned proteins, canned hearty soups, canned ravioli and SpaghettiOs. For non-food items – bathroom tissue, paper towels, laundry detergent, body wash and shampoo. Please make sure that the items you set out are not expired, and that any donations are placed in a visible area for Scouts to see as they traverse the communities to pick up donations the morning of Oct. 24. “We very much appreciate the scouts' efforts, as well as the generosity of our community,” said Nicole McAlexander, director of SELCC.
MV High School History Night The Mount Vernon High School History Night will be held Monday, Oct. 26 at Mount Vernon High School Commons from 5-6 p.m. Come learn about history projects Mount Vernon High School students have completed.
Tree plantings happening at Pleasant Grove Heritage Park The Be Original 4-H Club and members of Big Grove for Good will be planting trees at Pleasant Grove Heritage Park in the early afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 10. Rain date for the event is Sunday, Oct. 11.
Ciha recognition ceremony The Lisbon Public Library is planning a recognition ceremony for the Ciha family, Thursday, Oct. 15, at 6 p.m. The recognition ceremony will be a chance for members of the Ciha family to see some of the impacts of their donations to the library. The donations from Phyllis and Howard Ciha also benefited Lisbon Fire Department, Lisbon-Mount Vernon Ambulance Service and the Lisbon Community School District Foundations, as well as churches in Mount Vernon and Lisbon.
MVLCDG Small Business networking event Join Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group for the quarterly Mount Vernon-Lisbon Small Business Networking event, an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and learn more about the businesses that make up our community. Open to all local business owners, managers, and community leaders, this gathering is designed to build relationships within our community. The event is generously hosted and sponsored by Danielle, owner of Iron Leaf Press. Refreshments and snacks will be provided. See you at Iron Leaf Press on Thursday, Oct. 15, from 5-7pm
Washington Elementary Halloween Parade Washington Elementary School will be hosting a Halloween parade Friday, Oct. 30, beginning at 2:15 p.m. The parade will take place on Washington Elementary’s track. Parents can congregate on the track grass area to watch the parade. Kids are encouraged not to wear masks that cover faces, please.
Hwy. 1 Marching Band Classic Mount Vernon High School will be the host of this year’s Hwy. 1 Marching Band Classic. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Martha Parsons Family Activity Complex in Mount Vernon. Event starts at 7 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m. Mount Vernon, Solon, Anamosa and Lisbon will perform at the festival this year. Admission to the event is free, and the concession stands will be open that evening.
SELCC holds free Community Eats! dinner Oct. 15 Southeast Linn Community Center’s next Community Eats! will be held Thursday, Oct. 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. at SELCC. We’ll be serving cheesy potatoes two ways – with ham and without – along with steamed vegetables. Dine in or carry out. The free dinner is open to residents of Lisbon, Mount Vernon, and the surrounding areas. All ages are welcome, and there is no registration required. Community Eats! is held the third Thursday of the month. Next month’s Community Eats! will be Nov. 19. To learn more, contact Southeast Linn Community Center at (319) 455-2844 or info@selinn.org.
Cole Crafting Halloween event Thursday, Oct. 22 Crafts are one of my family’s favorite ways to celebrate the season. I think there is something particularly special about taking the time to make art together. Now that it’s October, Halloween has dominated our crafting sessions. Get your family involved in the spooky fun and join me on Thursday, Oct. 22 from 6-7:30pm for cat, bat, and witches hat crafts. Geared to the whole family, each craft will be set up in its own station and participants can stop in at any time during the program. All supplies are provided, and the program is completely free – just like all our public library program.
Happy Halloween! Thursday, October 8: 8am -10pm Friday, October 9: 8am - 5pm Saturday, October 10: 10am - 4pm Sunday, October 11: 12pm - 10pm Monday, October 12: 8am - 10pm Tuesday, October 13: 8am -10pm Wednesday, October 14: 8am - 4:30pm Thursday, October 15: 8am - 4:30pm
Monday: 9:00 - 5:00 (Lunch: noon - 1:00) Tuesday: 1:00 - 5:00 Wednesday: 9:00 - 5:00 (lunch noon-1) Thursday: 1:00 - 7:00, Friday: 1:00 - 5:00 Saturday: 10:00 - 1:00, Sunday: Closed
CLUB NOTES Mount Vernon Lions Club The Mount Vernon Lions Club met Monday, Sept. 28, at the Lester Buresh Center. Jeff Meeker, Cornell Athletic Director and head volleyball coach was the speaker for the evening. He talked about athletics at Cornell and how they have changed over his 25-year career. He also compared the athletic experience at an NCAA Division III school like Cornell to the major conference schools that compete in televised national events. The next Lions club meeting will be Oct. 26, when Doug Shannon will have the program. Dick George Club reporter
POLICE CALLS Sept. 28 – Medical, 200 blk Old Lincoln Hwy, Mount Vernon Sept. 28 – Welfare check, 200 blk N. Walnut St, Lisbon Sept. 28 – Medical, 200 blk business 30, Mount Vernon Sept. 29 – Medical, 100 blk Fourth St SW, Mount Vernon Sept. 29 – Medical, 1100 blk business 30, Mount Vernon Sept. 29 – Medical, 800 blk Shade Tree Ct, Lisbon Sept. 29 – Welfare check, 100 blk First St SE, Mount Vernon Sept. 30 – Car unlock, 400 blk Fourth Ave SW, Mount Vernon Sept. 30 – Medical, W. Main St, Lisbon Oct. 1 – Accident, 700 blk First St SW, Mount Vernon Oct. 1 – Accident, 600 blk N. Jackson St, Lisbon Oct. 1 – Welfare check, N. Washington St, Lisbon Oct. 1 – Accident, 500 blk Palisades Rd SW, Mount Vernon Oct. 1 – Agency assist- medical, Linn Co Oct. 2 – Disturbance, 300 blk Seventh St NE, Mount Vernon Oct. 3 – Car unlock, 300 blk business 30, Mount Vernon Oct. 3 – Agency assist- accident, Linn Co Oct. 3 – Animal control, 700 blk Fifth Ave NW, Mount Vernon Oct. 3 – Theft, 300 blk business 30, Lisbon Oct. 3 – Car unlock, 800 blk W. First St, Mount Vernon Oct. 4 – Medical, 300 blk W. South St, Lisbon Oct. 4 – Harassment, 600 blk S. Washington St, Lisbon Oct. 4 – Car unlock, 400 blk N. Washington St, Lisbon Oct. 4 – Suspicious activity, 700 blk Regal Ridge Cr, Lisbon Oct. 4 – Motorist assist, 200 blk business 30 SW, Mount Vernon Oct. 4 – Medical, 600 blk W. First St, Mount Vernon Oct. 4 – Car unlock, 200 blk Candlestick Dr NE, Mount Vernon
FIREFIGHTERS SALUTE
! u o y e t u l a s We
8 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026
MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN | MVLSUN.COM
MOUNT VERNON FIREFIGHTERS
Thank you for your service.
Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Members of the Mount Vernon Fire Department include Charles Link, Zach Barrett, Jason Salir, Andy Pitlik, Chris Santis, Nathan Goodlove, Sean Dietrich. Not pictured are: Jason Blinks, Derek Boren, Nick Boren, Sean Boren, Mike Buser, Jacob Buster, Jayden Casey, Mason Ciari, Mac Cons, Will Goodlove, Bob Haugse, Aubrey Hendrickson, Kelly Joseph, Caleb Keegan, Tim Keegan, Mark Krob, Jerod Lynch, Lori Lynch, Dane Markegard, Lisa Nosbisch, Ethan Plotz, Bob Studt, RJ Sutton, Cliff Weaver, Todd Weaver, Peter Weber, Mehrdad Zarifkar. Editor’s note - The Mount Vernon Fire Department rescheduled their normal Monday meeting, so fewer members of the department were present for the photo.
Fire Prevention Week: Protect your family by practicing home fire escape plan, testing smoke alarms Home fires claim more lives in a typical year than all natural disasters combined During Fire Prevention Week (October 5-11), the American Red Cross of Iowa reminds everyone of the dangers of home fires, which claim seven lives every day in the U.S. To help protect your household, test your smoke alarms each month and practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes.
Tips for creating your home fire escape plan and practicing your 2-minute drill: • Everyone in your household should know two ways to escape from each room in your home. • Smoke is dangerous. Get low and go! • Decide where to meet once you get outside. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home,
such as a neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet. • Get out and stay out. Never go back inside for people, pets or things. • If a fire starts, you may have less than two minutes to get to safety. Time your fire drill and find out: what’s your escape time? • While practicing your escape plan, teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.
Smoke alarm safety: • Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. • In addition to testing your alarms once a month, change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it. • Also check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years or older, they need to be replaced because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Local Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers provide emotional support, financial assistance, and information to help families begin the process of recovery. Most of the 65,000 emergencies that the Red Cross responds to each year are home fires. So far in 2026 alone, local Red Cross Disaster Action teams have responded to more than 440 home fires in Iowa. For emergencies like home fires, our volunteers provide comfort during what can be the worst days of people’s lives. Learn how you can volunteer for our Disaster Action Team at redcross.org/DAT
Home Fire Campaign saves lives Since October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Cam-
paign, working with community partners, has saved at least 2,479 lives by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans and installing free smoke alarms in high-risk areas across the country. To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/homefires.
FIREFIGHTERS SALUTE
! u o y e t u l a s We
MVLSUN.COM | MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | 9
LISBON FIREFIGHTERS
Thank you for your service.
Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Members of the Lisbon Fire Department include (from left) Jamien Moore, Matt Nuckolls, Jonah Light, Aaron Nost, Brandon Siggins, Dale Happel, Ted Harapet, Lyndon Dudley, Brad Dixon, Dawn Brus, Kaler Patten, Dan Patten, Dave Herboldsheimer, Bill Studt, Kevin Steele, Jake Siggins, Brett Epperly and Jim Hendricks. Not Pictured - Jason Blinks, Bob Brus, Nick Brus, Chris Caspers, Tanner Frank, Brian Hall, Jake Hansen, Aaron Helmrich, Amber Herboldsheimer, Drayton Kamberling, Rod Kelley, Rich Krob, Julie Light, Joe Long, Nick Macke, Evan Coleman, Jeff Silver, Alan Svatosch, Tyler Vanous, Nikki Sporrer and Bryce Werderman.
SPORTS
10 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN
MVLSUNCOM
MV FOOTBALL
MV overcomes CP-U 30-26 Ryan Suchomel Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com
CENTER POINT — Mount Vernon football's trip to Center Point-Urbana was a disaster. Until it wasn't. The Mustangs scored two late touchdowns and got a huge fourth-down stop to rally and beat the Stormin' Pointers 30-26 on Friday, Oct. 2, at Rogers Field. "It means so much," senior Jakob Yock said. "The first half did not go how we wanted. At all. We couldn't get in a grove. "But like we talk about every day, one team, one family. That's what we did. We came together. We knew what we had to do. And we came out and won." Mount Vernon (5-1, 2-0) were behind nearly the entire game, and things looked tough when the Mustangs trailed 26-9 late in the third quarter. Add to that the collective groans amid the Mustang faithful every time they saw a yellow flag on the field. At times it seemed every flag was thrown to wipe out a good Mount Vernon offensive play. To the officials credit, they threw a lot of flags against the Stormin' Pointers, as well. Mount Vernon ended up with 15 penalties for 145 yards, and CPU had 13 penalties for 124 yards. "It's hard," Mount Vernon coach Brad Meester said. "It disrupted our flow. But that was the hand we were dealt. You've just got to keep fighting. "That's the thing about this game. Things weren't going our way and this game could've easily gone the other way. This team could've gone in the dump. But they found a way and kept fighting." And a penalty might have helped saved the game. After Mount Vernon QB Noah Olsen scored on a 4-yard run with 6:05 left in the game to cut the lead to three, 26-23, CPU got the ball back. The Stormin' Pointers ran eight plays to reach the Mustang 40-yard line. Mount Vernon called its second time out with 2:22 remaining before third-down-and-3. But a motion penalty backed CPU up to
third-and-8. AJ Ditch ran 3 yards on third down, setting up a fourth-and-5 for the game. Yock, who had been shifted to a stand-up nose guard spot, knifed through the defense and tackled Riley Haney for a loss to turn the ball over. "They figured with my speed we could beat them, so they moved me to nose guard," Yock said. "And that was the goal there." Meester said Yock (5-foot-9 and 180 pounds) wasn't the typical pick to play heads-up over the center, but knew he was a disruptor. "He's just so quick, and he's a tough kid," Meester said. "He's about as tough as they get. "You can see that when he runs the ball, but he does the same on defense. He's got a great knack for the ball." So thanks to that big tackle for loss, Mount Vernon had the ball back, trailing 26-23, with 1:21 to play, and no timeouts. Well, the timeouts weren't needed. But first, a little context. At this point in the game, Mount Vernon junior quarterback Noah Olsen had struggled. He was just 1-for-14 passing for four yards. "I didn't feel so good; we messed up a lot of things," Olsen said. "A lot of things weren't working." Olsen had taken several deep shots over the first three-and-a-half quarters, but either overthrew receivers, or, in one case, was the victim of a drop. "It was a tough night trying to find a connection," Meester said. "He could've gone in the tank there, but he kept fighting. "He made a huge play when we needed it at the end." The play isolated junior Easton Reasland on the outside. Olsen was throwing to him no matter what, and it just so happened while the ball was in the air, the CPU player defending him slipped and fell. Reasland got under the bomb, hauled it in, and headed to the end zone untouched for a 60-yard score. He ran in the final 10 yards with his fist in the air. "We kind of drew that up in the end," Olsen said. "We thought (Easton) was the best guy to do it. He hasn't gotten many targets this year and we thought they wouldn't
Lucy Wischmeyer | Mustang Moon
Above: The student section at Mount Vernon released confetti to celebrate the first touchdown of the homecoming game Friday, Sept. 25. Below: Mount Vernon’s Holden Hlavacek advances the ball down the field in play earlier this season. put their best guy on him, so we went at him." The TD catch continued Reasland's journey this season that started in a timeshare at quarterback. He eventually gave way to Dubuque Hempstead transfer Olsen and moved to receiver to help the team. "He's doing a great job at receiver," Meester said. "He's adjusted very well and embraced it." With Jack Carnes' fourth point-after of the night, it was 30-26 with 1:19 to play. CPU got the ball back and moved from their own 19 to the 31, but senior Seth Rushford came up with an interception to seal the win. "Really, there were three or four scores we left out there," Meester said. "But we came through in the clutch." Before the late-game fireworks, most of the night was a rock fight. CPU (2-4, 0-2) rolled up 174 yards on the ground, including three touchdown runs by quarterback AJ Ditch (31, 61 and 4 yards). (Who, according to Dave Ryan, is the son of Cornell Hall of Fame athlete Matt Ditch.) Ditch finished with 146 yards on 21 carries. Haney had 152 yards on 21 carries. The Stormin' Pointers also got a 98-yard kickoff return by Karter Duffy. Yock finished with 78 yards on 18 carries. Junior Luke Robinson, running mostly out of the slot, had seven carries for 85 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown in the second quarter. "We know when we come into Center Point, it is a battle," Meester said. "We knew we'd face some adversity, but it lasted longer than we would've wanted." The now sit atop the Class 3A District 3 standings. But now has to run the District 3 gauntlet. Next up is Central DeWitt (3-3, 1-1), then a trip to the Rock Bowl to face Dubuque Wahlert (4-2, 1-1). Both teams beat Mount
Vernon a year ago. The Mustangs close it out against Davenport Assumption (3-3, 2-0). How it all shakes out is anyone's guess. Central DeWitt beat Dubuque Wahlert 22-19 on Friday. But Assumption beat Central DeWitt 42-13 in Week 4. And Wahlert took care of CPU 38-0 in Week 5. "Losing (to CPU) would've been tough," Yock said. "But we won, so we're going to celebrate, watch film, and get ready for Central DeWitt." Team stats MV CPU First downs 15 13 Rushes-yds. 35-189 49-174 Cmp.-Att.-Int. 2-14-1 2-9-1 Pass yds. 64 8 Total yds. 253 182 Fum.-lost 2-0 0-0 Punts-ave. 5-32.8 2-19.5 Pen.-yds. 15-145 13-124 Mount Vernon 2 7 7 14 — 30 Center Point-Urbana 0 18 8 0 — 26 MV - Safety. CPU - AJ Ditch 31-yard run (run failed). CPU - Ditch 61-yard run (run failed). MV - Luke Robinson 9-yard run (Jack Carnes kick). CPU - Karter Duffy 98-yard kickoff return (run failed). CPU - Ditch 3-yard run (Riley Haney run). MV - Noah Olsen 1-yard run (Carnes kick). MV - Olsen 4-yard run (Carnes kick). MV - Easton Reasland 60-yard pass from Olsen (Carnes kick). INDIVIDUAL STATS Rushing - MV: Luke Robinson 7-85, Jakob Yock 18-78, Holden Hlavacek 2-16, Graham Yanda 1-7, Noah Olsen 7-3. CPU: Riley Haney 21-152, AJ Ditch 21-146, Garrett Lnenicka 3-(-5), Brexton Hammersland 1-(-3), Ryker Berns 1-(-7), Karter Duffy 2-(-9). Passing - MV: Noah Olsen 2-14-64-1. CPU: Ryker Berns 1-8-5-1, AJ Ditch 1-1-3-0. Receiving - MV: Easton Reasland 1-60, Jakob Yock 1-4. CPU: Karter Duffy 2-8.
MVLSUN.COM | MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN
SPORTS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | 11
MV VOLLEYBALL
Mustangs 3-1 at Bobcat Invitational Ryan Suchomel Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com
Nothing is ever easy for No. 8 (3A) Mount Vernon volleyball this season, but the Mustangs still reached the 20-win mark last week. On Tuesday, Sept. 29, Mount Vernon (21-8, 2-2 WaMaC East) won a five-set thriller at Independence 23-25, 25-22, 25-21, 20-25, 15-8. "It is always good to win a fifth set," Mount Vernon coach Maggie Willems said. "It prepares you for the postseason and tight matches. "It helps to have the knowledge that you can go and win that fifth set." Senior Sophia Meester led the attack with 19 kills. Junior Madelyn Paulus and senior Brynlee Bettcher each 12 kills, and senior setter Madison Hoffert had 13 kills to go with 54 assists. Senior libero Mavrik Schweer had 25 digs. Mount Vernon then went 3-1 at the Western Dubuque Bobcat Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 3. They beat Cedar Rapids Jefferson (21-9, 21-5) and Anamosa (21-15, 21-16) before falling to No. 3 (4A) Western Dubuque (25-14, 25-18). The Mustangs bounced back to beat No. 3 (1A) Wapsie Valley 25-14, 22-25, 15-10. "It is good to play teams we have not yet seen this year," Willems said. "Western Dubuque and Wapsie Valley pushed us to play at a high level, and execute specific to our opponent. That went well with Wapsie Valley, and we were not able to be as effective against Western Dubuque." Meester finished the four matches with a team-best 28 kills. Bettcher added 23, Paulus 16 and Hoffert 10 to go with 75 assists. Schweer led the team with 40 digs.
Lucy Wischmeyer | Mustang Moon
Top: The student section holds up balloons denoting Mavrik Schweer getting 1,000 career digs. Left: Mount Vernon’s Kinley Nissen serves the ball in play at home Tuesday, Sept. 22. Above: Mount Vernon’s Madelyn Paulus spikes the ball Tuesday, Sept. 22. Right: Mount Vernon’s Ella Wilson serves the ball Tuesday, Sept. 22.
LISBON VOLLEYBALL
Lions cross 20 win mark this season
Ryan Suchomel Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com
Lisbon volleyball reached the 20-win mark last week and also fell to 0-5 in the River Valley South. The Lions are paddling like crazy, swimming upstream in their first year in the new league. "It is the 10th year in a row we've won at least 20 matches," Lisbon coach Lance Kamaus said. "And to do it in a transition year like this, where we only brought back three letterwinners. That is really
saying something to maintain that standard." Lisbon (20-10, 0-5) was swept at West Liberty (25-17, 25-16, 25-11) on Tuesday, Sept. 29, and then at home by No. 10 (2A) Regina (25-20, 25-11, 25-17) on Thursday, Oct. 1. The Lions hung with the Regals in the first set, and after starting down 10-1 in the third set, narrowed the gap to 16-15 before giving way. "And Regina wasn't making errors, we were making points," Kamaus said. "The ability to do that against a really good opponent is encouraging. We just need
to do it more consistently." Against the Comets, Shea Benhart led with eight kills and Quinn Roos added six kills. Kinsley Jo Kamaus had 21 assist and 15 digs, and Kyla Kahl had 15 digs. Against the Regals, Kayla Bergmann led with seven kills, and Benhart and Roos each added five kills. Kamaus had 22 assists and Kahl had 15 digs. The Lions closed out the week Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Northeast Invitational in Goose Lake, going 3-1. The lone loss? To an RVC South team, No. 7 (3A) Wilton, 21-13, 21-14. Otherwise, Lisbon beat RVC North
programs Maquoketa (21-10, 21-13) and Camanche (21-12, 17-21, 15-12) and then topped former Tri-Rivers foe Bellevue Marquette (21-6, 21-18) for third place. "Wilton is the best team we've played all year, and we showed improvement from the first time we played them," Kamaus aid. "We ran our offense much more consistently, and the kids felt they played better." On the day, freshman Ella Czarnecki led the Lions with 18 kills. Benhart had 17 kills, Bergmann 12 and Roos 9. Kamaus finished with 56 assists and 25 digs, and Kahl had 41 digs.
SPORTS
12 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026
MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN | MVLSUN.COM
CROSS COUNTRY
MVLXC girls' ninth at Dan Huston invite, boys' 12th Ryan Suchomel Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com
In cross country, the path is never a straight line. Due to a rain out, Mount Vernon-Lisbon had gone 18 days without a competition in the middle of the season. So, it was back to training, with an occasional "moral day" including an ice cream run to Dan & Debbie's Creamery in Ely. For the record, MVL senior Evelyn Moeller, who is setting course records everywhere she runs this fall, goes for a scoop of Coffee Oreo. Future NIL deals take note. Moeller won two more races last week, taking the title at the Williamsburg Invitational on Tuesday, Sept. 29, in 17 minutes, 27.7 seconds. On Saturday, Oct. 3, she ran 17 minutes, 8.5 seconds at the Dan Huston/Steve Johnson Invitational in Waverly. "Another course record, and that one was a tough one to get," MVL coach Williamsburg Invitational Girls team scores - 1. Williamsburg 68; 2. Pella 111; 3. Solon 131; 4. ADAM 144; 5. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 160; 6. Tipton 174; 7. Van Meter 196; 8. PCM 244; 9. Pella Christian 268; 10. North Scott 271; 11. Marion 283; 12. Mount Pleasant 338; 13. Bettendorf 347; 14. West Delaware 355; 15. Burlington 358; 16. Washington 395; 17. Bondurant-Farrar 407; 18. Baxter 409; 19. Carlisle 497. Top 5 - 1. Evelyn Moeller (MVL) 17:27.7; 2. Harper Winegarden (W) 18:52.0; 3. Laura Streck (VM) 19:29.4; 4. Channing Becker (W) 19:59.0; 5. Maddie Gorsh (W) 20:00.7. MVL - 1. Moeller 17:27.7; 14. Rose Pisarik 20:54.2; 36. Miranda Sellner 21:53.6; 42. Sorell Telecky 21:59.5; 67. Kate Martin 23:00.2; 69. Torie Johnson 23:05.6; 88. Josie Bothell 23:55.9. Boys team scores - 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 80; 2. Pella Christian 125; 3. ADM 164; 4. Bondurant-Farrar 173; 5. Pella 183; 6. Baxter 203; 7. North Scott 204; 8. Washington 208; 9. Marion 222; 10. PCM 229; 11. Carlisle 233; 12. Van Meter 316; 13. Grinnell 320; 14. Mount
Kory Swart — a Salted Caramel guy — said. "A lot of phenomenal runners over the years. That's a pretty prestigious record." Moeller won at the 32-team event hosted by Wartburg College. And, for a change, the second-place runner actually saw her finish. Natalie Anderson of MOC-Floyd Valley finished about five seconds behind her in 17:12.2. "That was a great experience for her," Swart said. "There is always someone else. That'll help her prepare for the state meet." Swart was impressed how the girls team performed in Waverly, where they finished in ninth place, after a lackluster race in Williamsburg, where they finished fifth. "(Williamsburg) might have been the best lesson we received all season," Swart said. "You can't take things for granted, otherwise, we might be disappointed at the SQM (state-qualifying meet) if everyone doesn't do their job. We were flat at Williamsburg."
Of course, the long layoff or the noon start time (to stay ahead of more rain) might've thrown the Mustangs off, too. "It was really weird, but you've got to adapt," Moeller said of the noon start. "You never know what time you are running during championship season. So you've got to keep adapting." The boys’ squad wasn't bothered by the early start. Anthony Armstrong said they were excited to miss a day of classes. "We didn't have school Monday, either, so it was a four-day weekend," said Armstrong, who doesn't get ice cream at Dan & Debbie's, only a bottle of cream soda. "So that was great." MVL boys’ won the Williamsburg team title, even with senior Chasen Caskey nursing an injury. Swart said he planned to let him heal up this week in advance of the WaMaC Meet on Oct. 14 and the SQM on Oct. 21. Kyler Happel finished third overall in 16:43.9 and Armstrong was sixth in 16:49.3. "I'm always either behind him, or I try
to beat him," Armstrong said of Happel. "We really push each other." Freshman Casey Swart was 15th, sophomore Connor Teague was 17th, and Chasen Caskey was 39th. Mount Vernon finished with 80 points, beating Pella Christian (125) and ADM (164). "We performed well and won the meet, but I'd like to see a tighter pack," Coach Swart said. Wish granted. The MVL boys’ finished in 12th place among 39 teams at Waverly. Armstrong led the way that day (16:39.4), followed by Casey Swart, Happel, Teague, and freshman Dashtyn Caskey. Only six seconds separated the first four runners. "If we get a fifth score with those other four, we'll really have something," Swart said. Overall, Swart was really excited about "championship season" after Saturday. "We had 21 personal records (at Waverly)," Coach Swart said. "We got the message after Williamsburg. It is encouraging they responded so well."
Pleasant 333; 15. Williamsburg 339; 16. Tipton 340; 17. Solon 417; 18. West Delaware 442; 19. Burlington 518; 20. Vinton-Shellsburg 520. Top 5 - 1. Max Handorf (Baxter) 16:25.8; 2. Aden Wolfe (G) 16:40.2; 3. Kyler Happel (MVL) 16:43.9; 4. Ryler Hanson (BF) 16:45.0; 5. Collin Cook (M) 16:46.1. MVL - 3. Happel 16:43.9; 6. Anthony Armstrong 16:49.3; 15. Casey Swart 17:19.9; 17. Connor Teague 17:20.9; 39. Chasen Caskey 18:03.1; 47. Dashtyn Caskey 18:19.7; 67. Hawke Mason 18:47.4.
494; 20. Cedar Rapids Xavier 510; 21. Blake 517; 22. Onalaska 564; 23. Rockford 566; 24. Austin 576; 25. Burlington Notre Dame 618; 26. Earlham 723; 27. Marshalltown 777; 28. Kasson-Mantorville 781; 29. Davenport Assumption 800; 30. Waverly-Shell Rock 867; 31. Osage 901; 32. Kingsland 1010. Top 5 - 1. Evelyn Moeller (MVL) 17:08.5; 2. Natalie Anderson (MOCFV) 17:12.2; 3. Charlee Gall (CF) 17:37.7; 4. Joley Sullivan (DC) 17:52.5; 5. Gianna McCombs (PV) 17:53.0. MVL - 1. Moeller 17:08.5; 57. Rose Pisarik 19:59.0; 80. Miranda Sellner 20:25.3; Sorell Telecky 20:30.1; 151. Caroline Rupe 21:43.5; 171. Torie Johnson 22:07.9; 199. Josie Bothell 22:55.1; 217. Aubrey Sellner 23:26.2; 227. Clara Vavricek 23:54.2. Boys team scores - 1. Iowa City Liberty 84; 2. Wayzata 87; 3. Cedar Falls 107; 4. West Des Moines Dowling 128; 5. West Des Moines Valley 224; 6. Iowa City High 242; 7. Davenport Central 260; 8. Dubuque Hempstead 272; 9. Norwalk 279; 10. Linn-Mar 308; 11. Decorah 325; 12. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 349; 13. Gilbert
395; 14. Clear Creek Amana 420; 15. Davenport Assumption 426; 16. Ames 432; 17. Dubuque Senior 491; 18. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 492; 19. Clear Lake 554; 20. Blake 556; 21. Rockford 574; 22. Marshalltown 616; 23. KassonMantorville 627; 24. Earlham 670; 25. Nodaway Valley 709; 26. Columbus Community 748; 27. Burlington Notre Dame 750; 28. Williamsburg 751; 29. Waverly-Shell Rock 761; 30. Solon 798; 31. Rochester Lourdes 850; 32. Cedar Rapids Washington 878; 33. Kewaskum 960; 34. Newton 997; 35. Onalaska 1041; 36. Austin 1050; 37. Osage 1080; 38. Mid-Prairie 1125; 39. Clayton Ridge Guttenberg 1144. Top 5 - 1. Keegan Decker (ICL) 15:06.8; 2. Dominic Williams (CF) 15:19.1; 3. Jacob Tallman (Gilbert) 15:22.5; 4. Cole Carrizales (CRP) 15:30.7; 5. Preston Johnson (M'town) 15:31.6. MVL - 53. Anthony Armstrong 16:39.4; 58. Casey Swart 16:43.0; 60. Kyler Happel 16:44.7; 61. Connor Teague 16:45.2; 134. Dashtyn Caskey 17:35.2; 172. Logan Ericson 17:56.7; 185. Hawke Mason 18;09.4; 247. Brinson Grenis 18:51.6.
Dan Huston/Steve Johnson Invitational Girls team scores - 1. Wayzata 77; 2. Cedar Falls 102; 3. Pleasant Valley 106; 4. Iowa City High 183; 5. West Des Moines Valley 187; 6. Williamsburg 215; 7. Linn-Mar 246; 8. Mid-Prairie 316; 9. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 334; 10. Clear Creek Amana 344; 11. Clear Lake 362; 12. Davenport Central 364; 13. Dubuque Senior 389; 14. Decorah 411; 15. Solon 414; 16. Kewaskum 450; 17. Newton 470; 18. Boone 475; 19. Rochester Lourdes
LISBON FOOTBALL
Lisbon loses to Northeast 26-21 Ryan Suchomel Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com
It was almost a huge win for Lisbon football. Instead, No. 10 Northeast scored twice in the fourth quarter to pull it out, 26-21, on Friday, Oct. 2, in Goose Lake. "The message prior to the game was, if we can hang in there, make it a game and get to the fourth quarter ... we'll see," Lisbon Coach Alex Dean said. "The boys executed. We were where we wanted to be at the end of the game. Ninety-nine percent of the time, we played great." Playing a ranked and undefeated Northeast team, Lisbon led 21-14 after three quarters. But the Rebels scored to open the fourth quarter, finishing a 95-yard drive with a 4-yard run by Aidan Feddersen. But Lisbon blocked the point after, and stayed in front, 21-20. Ryder Meeks got the block. "He used his speed and was able to get a fingertip on it," Dean said. The next Lisbon offensive series was derailed by a holding penalty and an illegal procedure that made it 1st and 26 from
their own 14. As a result, Northwest (6-0, 3-0) got the ball back at midfield. A few plays later, the Rebels took the lead with a 10-yard TD run by quarterback Mazzen Esklidsen. The 2-point conversion run was stopped, however. "The guys never let the moment get too big for them," Dean said. "Northeast has some great players. It was the next-play mentality." Trailing by five points, the Lions tried to mount a game-winning drive. They pushed into the Rebel red zone, but a fumble resulted in 2nd-and-34. Then QB Tyler Kubovec connected with senior receiver Kaden Martin for a 28-yard pass. "Kaden is a guy in our offense that doesn't always see the limelight, but has really progressed," Dean said. "He does a lot of dirty work and makes our offense go. It doesn't always show up on the stat sheet." But the drive stalled, and the Rebels ran out the clock. Northeast finished with 339 rushing yards, with 185 for Esklidsen and 154 for Feddersen. Meeks finished with 127 rushing yards
and a TD for Lisbon. Kubovec was 9-for-21 passing for 153 yards. Ethan Stone had six catches for 78 yards. In addition to Meeks' third-quarter touchdown, Kubovec connected with Leon Rogers on a 34-yard scoring strike and also ran for a 5-yard TD in the first half. Klayton Kahl had an interception for the
Lions (2-4, 0-3). Next up is Senior Night at Walmer Field on Friday, Oct. 9. Lisbon hosts Camanche (0-6, 0-3). "I'm excited for the seniors who have contributed so much to the program," Dean said. "We'll take care of what we need to take care of."
MVLSUN.COM | MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN
NEWS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | 13
The Iowa Children’s Museum brings free coding activities to local libraries “Cracking the Code” events, sponsored by the Alliant Energy Foundation, introduce children to coding and problem-solving through hands-on play The Iowa Children’s Museum is bringing free, hands-on coding and problem-solving activities to libraries across Eastern Iowa this fall and winter through its Cracking the Code program. Made possible with support from the Alliant Energy Foundation, the program gives Pre-K and elementary-aged children opportunities to build, experiment, and think like computer programmers, no computer required. By bringing Cracking the Code directly to public libraries, The Iowa Children’s Museum can reach families throughout the region with free educational experiences in their own communities. Children will explore concepts such as pattern recognition, sequencing, and decomposition (breaking down large tasks into smaller ones), which are crucial in developing problem-solving skills.
Activities include programming a BeeBot to navigate a path, experimenting with commands using a Finch Robot, and creating patterned obstacle courses. These activities encourage children to test ideas, make adjustments, and try again, building creativity, persistence, and critical-thinking skills. “Cracking the Code gives children the opportunity to experience coding concepts in a way that feels approachable, active, and fun,” said Jeff Capps, executive director of The Iowa Children’s Museum. “We’re grateful to the Alliant Energy Foundation for helping us bring these experiences into public libraries, where families can participate for free. Partnerships like this help us expand access to playful learning and give more children opportunities to learn through play.” Cracking the Code events are free and open to all, with no coding experience required. Upcoming events include: • Oct. 7, 2:30–4 p.m. — Victor Public Library
• Oct. 9, 10–11 a.m. — Belle Plaine Community Library • Nov. 14, 10:30 a.m.–Noon — Lisbon Public Library • Nov. 18, 2–3:30 p.m. — Keck Memorial Library • Nov. 20, 3:30–5 p.m. — Kalona Public Library • Dec. 12, 10–11:30 a.m. — Hiawatha Public Library • Dec. 28, 2–3:30 p.m. — Cedar Rapids Public Library—Busse Branch • Dec. 30, 2–3:30 p.m. — Burlington Public Library • Jan. 18, 10:30 a.m.–Noon — Fairfax Public Library • Jan. 23, 10:30 a.m.–Noon — Williamsburg Public Library • Feb. 6, 10–11:30 a.m. — Washington Public Library • Feb. 15, 2–3:30 p.m. — Columbus Junction Public Library • Feb. 20, 10:30 a.m.–Noon — Wellman Public Library Cracking the Code is part of The Iowa Children’s Museum’s ongoing work to bring playful learning experiences beyond the museum’s walls and into communities across Eastern Iowa.
Lisbon City Council addresses SCAM ALERT: Fraudulent calls missing water bills possible targeting families
The Lisbon City Council discussed residents’ water bills, flooding concerns at the sports complex, and preparation for October festivities during Monday night’s meeting Kenna Mertes and Cadence Dighton For the Mount VernonLisbon Sun
The Linn County Sheriff's Office has received multiple reports from residents regarding a new phone scam. Fraudsters are contacting individuals shortly after a family member has been arrested, targeting them when they are most vulnerable.
news@mvlsun.com
During Monday, Sept. 28’s Lisbon City Council meeting, it was reported residents were not receiving their water bills in the mail. City administrator Brandon Siggins said the bills are sent to Cedar Rapids for processing because of the paper’s thin material. This has led to some bills being either damaged during processing or sent to locations even outside of Iowa. According to Siggins, he and the Lisbon city clerk Christina Eicher spoke with other communities and found that Lisbon is not the only post office that is facing this issue. Siggins and other Lisbon officials discussed transitioning to paperless billing in response to the ongoing mailing issue. Some officials attended training on a cloud-based service that would allow residents to view utility bills and monitor water usage online in real time. “You can actually log into a site to see your bill, your usage and everything in real time,” Siggins said. City council members recognized this system could save the city money on printing and postage in addition to providing residents easier access to their account information. “Yeah, we spend $400 a month on postage, sometimes more than that,” said council member Nathan
of recent arrestees How the scam works:
• The Caller: Claims to be an official from Linn County Corrections. • The Pitch: Offers to release the family member from jail for a specific fee. • The Excuse: Claims the payment covers the cost of an electronic ankle monitor and enrollment in an education program required for release.
Protect Yourself:
Kenna Mertes | For the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Lisbon City Council members and Parks and Recreation Director Drayton Kamberling discuss upcoming needs for Halloween festivities during the Monday, Sept. 28, council meeting. Smith. Until a change is made, officials said residents have the option to enroll in automatic payments through their checking accounts to ensure their water bills are paid on time. Payments are withdrawn on the 20th of each month. If the 20th falls on a Sunday, the payment will be pulled the following day on the 21st. Council officials recognize that some residents may still prefer receiving paper statements. “There’s always going to be the ones that are going to be sent. There’s just no way around it. But hopefully, it’s just less,” said Siggins. However, an online
billing plan could reduce misplaced bills and give residents easier access to their account information. Officials said they will continue exploring options to address concerns about residents missing water bills. Kenna Mertes is a senior in the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Kenna is a student in the Iowa Community News class. Cadence Dighton is a junior in the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Cadence is an intern with the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.
ADVERTISE OR SUBSCRIBE:
319.895.6216
• Verify the Source: The Linn County Sheriff’s Office will never call you to demand immediate payment over the phone for release programs. • Hang Up and Call Directly: If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately. Contact the Sheriff's Office or the jail directly using an official phone number to verify your family member's status. • Do Not Send Money: Never give out credit card numbers, wire money, or buy gift cards in response to an unsolicited phone call.
NEWS
14 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026
MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN | MVLSUN.COM
Lisbon City Council approves $39K money transfer to local LLC Budget Blinds project gets another installment Monday night as part of 10-year TIF plan with Lisbon Nicholas Aagesen and Cadence Dighton For the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun news@mvlsun.com
The Lisbon City Council unanimously voted to approve a f $39,244 transfer to Mustang Investments LLC Monday as part of the tax rebate program. Mustang Investments operates Budget Blinds in Lisbon. City administrator Brandon Siggins said this is part of a 10-year repayment plan through 2031 and the council can approve the transfer with the proof it received that Mustang Investments paid its taxes. The Budget Blinds property is located at 950 Commercial St., next to the Fareway in Lisbon. The business offers customer window covering to customers across Eastern Iowa. Siggins said Budget Blinds should “only get one or two more payments until they have reached their maximum rebate for the agreement.” Tax increment financing, or TIF, is a program where a city forms an agreement with a company that purchases a property. If that property value increases and the city collects more in property taxes, some of the additional revenue can be rebated to the company, according to Iowa City's website.
Peering into the past: class researches King Chapel King Chapel has been closed since the 2020 derecho, but some students are getting a peek inside as they contribute to research ahead of the restoration process. While the college waits for state and federal agencies to complete their reviews and allow repair work to begin, a group of 16 students suited up in safety gear to explore the inside of the building for their Second-Year Seminar class, Modern Art Museums, during Block 1. Cornell’s Construction Project Manager Beth Orth led them on a tour, discussing the architecture of the 1882 building. “The archives already have information on the memorials of the windows, so if you could find out the other symbolism and dive deeper, that’s what we are looking for,” Orth said as she guided students around. The inside of King Chapel looks different than what some alums might remember. The pews and seating have been removed, and many areas have been boarded up. Still, the magic of the old building remains, visible in the colorful windows and tall arches. The empty stage still seems to hold the whispers of those who spoke over the last century, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Frank Lloyd Wright, and Amelia Earhart. The SYS class, taught by Assistant Professor of Art History Michael Feinberg, focused on the study of museums and their evolving role in society. Students learned about museum operations, exhibitions, and potential career opportunities in the field. Then, the class divided into small groups to curate an exhibition on King Chapel—choosing their own topics. “I want students to learn effective research and communication skills,” Feinberg said. “At the same time, I hope King
After voting to make the payment, the council also voted unanimously to move the money to the TIF fund to cover the expense. This agreement with Mustang Investments was previously approved by the council. Lisbon uses TIF to help “bring in new business to town”, Mayor Doug O'Conner said in an interview with The Sun after the meeting. The city builds infrastructure in districts where TIF can be used. TIF districts include the Lisbon City Park and an industrial project north of town. Lisbon also used a rebate agreement to bring Fareway to town. The city will pay the grocer $750,000 over 15 years as part of the deal. Nicholas Aagesen is a senior in the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Nicholas is a student in the Iowa Community News class. Cadence Dighton is a junior in the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Cadence is an intern with the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Photos by Nicholas Aagesen | For the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Top: The Budget Blinds facility at 950 Commercial St. in Lisbon. The Lisbon City Council approved another TIF payment for the company when it met Monday. Right: Lisbon Mayor Doug O’Connor and City Administrator Brandon Siggins catch up before the city council meeting begins. Chapel helps students acquire a more complex understanding of the history of Iowa, Mount Vernon, and of course, Cornell College. I also hope that the community can use the exhibition to feel more connected to a historic building that has defined life at the college for more than 140 years.”
The research The student teams went to the Cornell archives in the library, dug through yearbooks, and read through old issues of The Cornellian. They also had the opportunity to go inside the building twice. “Our group’s focus was on the Mount Vernon and Cornell community’s use of King Chapel,” said sophomore Wesley Haynes. “King Chapel stands apart from every other building here, and we questioned what the building means for everyone.” Sophomore Java Johnsen enjoyed seeing what unfolded inside the building over the past 140 years, including the visit by MLK, performances by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and a drag show. “Everything was definitely a lot more community-wide, with campus and the town coming to events. I found it interesting, also a little hopeful,” Johnsen said. “That really sells the importance of King Chapel to me.” Other students focused on the Gothic architecture, music over the years, and the stained and painted glass windows.
Behind the collaboration The partnership between Orth and Feinberg began taking shape over the past year. Both were new employees at Cornell and frequently attended employee welcome events together, where conversations about King Chapel transitioned into discussions about how students might contribute to its future. “From my perspective on the construction side, there’s history that we have the opportunity to get right now that we’re not going to have the opportunity to gather in the future when construction is taking place,” Orth said. “And so we could pay an architect or a consultant to come in and do it, but after talking with Michael, we realized his class could be very helpful and gather that information.” Feinberg was eager to use his skills as
Contributed photo
an art historian to fulfill this need on campus, while also giving students a unique hands-on research experience. At the end of the course, the students presented their findings at the SYS Symposium. For Feinberg, the project gave students a chance to connect with an important part of Cornell’s history while putting the citizenship goals of the SYS curriculum into practice. “Citizenship entails honoring the shared culture and history of the community,” Feinberg said. “Our class’s exhibit pays homage to the rich history of King Chapel, including how it has functioned as a physical place for the community to gather. Students were
able to meet the need for more research on the chapel’s history and design features. At the same time, the students’ exhibition also reminds the broader community of the catalytic role the Chapel has always played in shaping the college’s values.” From the past to the present, the iconic building has been part of the lives of thousands of Cornell alumni and Mount Vernon residents. While only a small number of students have been in the building recently, the construction team looks forward to a future when a restored King Chapel once again becomes a part of every student’s Cornell experience.
MVLSUN.COM | MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN
NEWS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | 15
Lisbon parks and rec director shares rain-related update Cadence Dighton Mount Vernon Lisbon-Sun
Additionally, Kamberling instructed the council to be on the lookout for road news@mvlsun.com closures in the agenda at the next Lisbon City Council meeting on Monday, Oct. Lisbon parks and rec director, Drayton 12, for Lisbon’s annual Halloweentown Kamberling, gave an update on the current festival. flag football and soccer seasons in light of Kamberling also took a moment to the recent rain. address the fence around the baseball “We’re going to go into late October, fields, owned by the school, at Lisbon a little longer than we normally do,” City Park. Going forward, the fence will Kamberling said. “We just want to ensure remain in place through the fall, and the that we get the kids all their soccer and flag baseball team will take care of picking football games that we talked about at the up leaves and any other debris in the fall beginning of the year.” and spring.
Fire chief introduces fire prevention week activities
which first through third grade students will create a fire-related poster, and the winners of the contest will be driven home Lisbon fire chief, Brandon Siggins, by Dale Happel in a fire truck. brought fire prevention week activities to Additionally, Happel spoke with the the attention of the council at the Lisbon school and has arranged a time for students City Council meeting Monday, Sept. 28. to visit the fire station and learn about how Fire prevention week, which is the first things are run within the department. week of October, is a busy time between the Lisbon Fire Department and Lisbon Cadence Dighton is a junior in Schools. the University of Iowa’s School of Specifically, Lisbon Schools has Journalism and Mass Communication. coordinated with the fire department to Cadence is an intern with the Mount host their annual fire poster contest in Vernon-Lisbon Sun.
Heavy rainfall leads to flooding, multiple wastewater bypasses across the state Following several days of heavy rainfall across the state, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages Iowans to stay out of streams until the waters recede. Several communities and facilities experiencing flooding across the state have notified DNR Field Offices of flooding impacts and wastewater bypasses. Currently, the department is unaware of impacts to municipal drinking water supplies or fish kills. DNR staff will continue
to monitor these situations and assist impacted communities. Heavy rainfall events can overload wastewater collection systems, which are underground sewer pipes that carry sewage to a treatment plant. Some collection systems are particularly vulnerable due to aging infrastructure. With sewage pipes overwhelmed, excess water has nowhere to go and can back up into basements through floor drains. Bypassing can lower the water level and
alleviate pressure in the collection system, keeping sewage from backing up into basements, which could present health risks. It is recommended people and pets avoid these areas and stay out of flooded waterways. WAPELLO COUNTY – Several inches of rain fell in a short amount of time, causing a stockpile of pressed wastewater sludge (biosolids) to become saturated near an agricultural site northeast of the City of Kirkville, causing a runoff event into a
drainage ditch, which outlets to Cedar Creek. Staff from the DNR Field Office in Washington responded and are monitoring the situation. Water samples have been collected in the area, and a soil berm is being constructed on the property to prevent further impacts to Cedar Creek. The remaining biosolids will be land-applied and excavated from the road ditch. As a precaution, the public is advised to avoid Cedar Creek north of Kirkville at this time.
Indian Creek Nature Center highlighted at speaker series Nathan Countryman Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
“You never know who is going to visit,” said Sarah Botkin, Amazing Space manager at Indian Creek Nature Center. Botkin was presenting at the Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center’s adult speaker series about the Indian Creek Nature Center, which includes the Amazing Space, the building center that opened September 2016. Indian Creek Nature Center began back in 1973, after some residents of Cedar Rapids traveled to Minnesota and saw nature centers and preservation of nature in that state and brought that back home. Botkin said there are three areas the center looks to address to complete their mission. The first focuses on environmental education. That environmental education comes in the number of field trips from area schools to the center on an annual basis. Their nature based preschool as well gets young kids out in nature to appreciate it. Botkin said there are also a number of adult programs, including chicken keeping classes (the only way someone can keep city chickens is with certification from those classes), beekeeping classes, watercolor classes, willow weaving classes and items like the citizen science project. “We’re getting ready for Project Feeder Watch, which is when people come out and do a bird count over the course of an hour to document the different birds of different species who visit the feeders on a given day,” Botkin said. “It helps us know what species are in the area and thriving.” The center is open seven days a week from March through October, and then six days a week from November through February (closed on Mondays). The second part of the mission focuses on environmental restoration and protection. “One of the ways many notice that is the tallgrass prairie that starts at the driveway to the center,” Botkin said. “Those are some of the native plants many would have seen in Iowa back in the day.” Botkin said many of those native plants were changed due to farming. “I’m not opposed to farming, just that the topography of our land changed due to the crops that are now grown,” Botkin said.
Wetlands and bioswales on the property help to retain water, not just flow it downstream immediately after a storm. The parking lot also has permeable pavers, allowing water to seep through. The third part of the mission is creating champions of nature. Those come through many of the activities that volunteers help support at the nature center, including fundraisers like Nature’s Noel Dec. 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or helping with creating the syrup for the Maple Syrup festival that is held the third weekends in March. Botkin said her job as manager of Amazing Space is also to highlight the building, one of the only certified living buildings in the state of Iowa, and one of 80 in the world. “To be a living building we had to highlight the center is regenerative, has a net zero usage of energy and net zero use of water,” Botkin said. Solar panels help on the energy side, while the water collection efforts help on catching the water that works to be net zero water. Inside is also a plant wall, which brings elements of the outside into the inside of the building and Botkin said helps bring fresh air into the building. The building has features like highlighting the different animals you will see in the adjacent Indian Creek. A recent addition for the center has been investing in all terrain wheelchairs (two adult, one child), which allow people with mobility issues to traverse trails around the center. “We recently had a gentleman who was wheelchair bound for a number of years come out and use one of those chairs and raved how it was one of the best days of his life to be able to get out and enjoy nature once again,” Botkin said. The chairs have a four hour charge and are offered free of charge. The center also has an electric bus, which allows them to take students in the preschool to locations like Bass Farms. In the past five years, the center also had a 200 acre farm donated to the center. Botkin said that 200 chickens are at the farm currently, with their eggs being used by local restaurants and available at the gift shop at the center as well. In the derecho of 2020, the pole barn located at the farm was damaged and so a new facility was constructed. The farm is where the majority of the bee
hives are located as well, and honey sold in the gift shop comes from that farm. Botkin said the nature center itself exits on under five acres of land and has 19 staff members. “We rely heavily on the help of our volunteers, with more than 300 volunteers each year,” Botkin said. “It takes 200 volunteers alone for the Maple Syrup festival every spring.” As well, if anyone has spruces, evergreens or other trees that can be trimmed for the Nature’s Noel, the center is looking for those donations. “We lost roughly 60 percent of the canopy of trees at the center in the derecho,” Botkin said. “It’s not quite as noticeable here as places like Wanatee Park in Marion, but we’re still discovering some trees that are dying from that event.” A questioner asked if they have noticed impacts of global warming in animal populations. Botkin said they are not an advocacy organization, but things like Project Feeder watch highlight the decline of bird populations. “When we are doing weather programs, we talk about the impacts of rain or lack of rain and temperatures as something kids can monitor,” Botkin said. “In recent years when we’ve had air quality issues in the summer, we’ve taken kids indoors on some days. We’ve never had to do that before.” One of the ones the center noticed this year – temperatures got above freezing a week earlier in February then they have in the past. A questioner asked about who the center was owned by. Botkin said they are an independent agency, having purchased land for themselves. A questioner asked about if nut trees were producing nuts this year. Botkin said the center was impacted by some of the early frosts that have hurt trees in the area from this past winter, including The Big Apple Orchard west of Mount Vernon. A questioner asked about the plans for the farm that Indian Creek Nature Center runs – do they plan on continuing to grow field crops like corn and beans. Botkin said that the plan is to get into more regenerative agriculture, including growing crops like hay field and pasturing
Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Sarah Botkin presents about the Indian Creek Nature Center Thursday, Oct. 1. the fields out for cattle. “We’re not quite ready for goats, pigs and other animals, but that is also in the long term plans,” Botkin said.
What’s next for the Adult Speaker Series Today (Oct. 8 at 1 p.m.), American Civil War Oregon Trail 1840’s by Barry Grove - This presentation depicts the life of a common soldier. Content includes uniforms, music, diet, battlefield tactics, personal affects (toothbrush, razor, pip, money, comb), weapons, medical treatments, and equipment. One segment introduces Lewis Baker (reenactment). Baker was from Kentucky, fought for the confederacy, a resident of Marion for 45 years, died in 1931, and was buried in Marion. Oct. 15 at 1 p.m., Understanding Economic Inequality in the US by Todd Knoop - Economic inequality is driving much of our political polarization and social conflict. This presentation focus on two questions. First, how much has economic inequality in the US (and in other countries) worsened? And second, what can we say about why economic inequality is worsening?
PUBLIC NOTICES
16 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 IowaPublicNotices.com LINN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
CEDAR RAPIDS, LINN COUNTY, IOWA MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 10:00 A.M. (These are the minutes in their entirety. Archived minutes can be found at www. linncountyiowa.gov) The Board met in session at the Linn County Jean Oxley Public Service Center. Present: Chairperson Running-Marquardt, Vice Chairperson Scheetz and Supervisor Meisheid. Board members voting “AYE” unless otherwise noted. Chairperson Running-Marquardt called the meeting to order. Motion by Running-Marquardt, seconded by Scheetz to approve minutes of September 14 & 15, 2026 as printed. Motion by Scheetz, seconded by Meisheid to approve accounts payable ACH dated 9/18/2026 in the amount of $1,600.30; for a total of $1,600.30 and voids totaling $1,600.30. Carter Baldwin, LIFTS Dir., presented a memorandum of understanding between Linn County LIFTS and Linn County Emergency Management Agency for emergency transportation support. This MOU is to establish a framework for coordination between LIFTS and EMA in the event of an emergency requiring transportation support associated with activation of the Linn County Radiological Emergency Preparedness Plan. A similar MOU was in place prior to Duane Arnold being shut down so they are bringing this back for approval with the upcoming reopening of Duane Arnold. Legal staff and Budget and Finance have reviewed the MOU. They did revise the MOU to add the suggestion of a clause for compensation that the Board must approve it. Discussion took place regarding compensation relevant to how, if and when reimbursement would take place and from which entities along with the schools and cities who would be impacted. Dvorak did not have the names in front of him and will send the list to Supervisor Meisheid. Supervisor Running-Marquardt thanked Baldwin for their previous discussions about this especially since the disaster side of things can get complicated. She appreciates all the work that was put into this. Motion by Running-Marquardt, seconded by Scheetz to authorize the Chairperson to sign a memorandum of understanding between Linn County LIFTS and Linn County Emergency Management Agency for emergency transportation support. Baldwin also discussed a public purpose statement for the use of public funds to purchase drinking water for LIFTS bus drivers. They would like to purchase 5-gallon water jugs that are put on a cooler so that the LIFTS drivers can fill their personal reusable water bottles to take with them while performing their assigned routes. They don’t have availability to get water throughout the day unless they stop during their breaks. It does get very hot on the buses during the summer, and this water would benefit them health-wise. Board members shared that they feel looking at a water filtration system would be wise. Also, there is an opportunity to see what a cost comparison is versus paying for the jugs of water. Motion by Running-Marquardt, seconded by Scheetz to approve a public purpose statement for the use of public funds to purchase drinking water for LIFTS bus drivers. Todd Taylor, Auditor, discussed the Auditor Administration's request to carry over fiscal year 2026 funds in the amount of $25,000 for overtime and a temporary Account Technician. There are unexpected challenges faced by the Admin. division during fiscal year 2027 including SF2472 changes impacting the valuation and tax process, an FMLA leave and an unexpected migration from GovSense to Net Suite for Governments. The Board will approve Wednesday. Taylor then discussed the Auditor Elections request to carry over fiscal year 2026 funds in the amount of $37,500 for upcoming retirement cross-training, payout and equipment purchase. This would cover the salary for the Elections Deputy replacement to allow for up to 2 months of cross training, anticipate leave payout (less expected use) for retirement of Elections Deputy and an archive Election Tape Scanner to scan receipt style thermal printouts which can be more than 50 feet long on election night. The Board will approve Wednesday. Public Comment: Jon Lee, 2510 Sisley Grove Rd. SW, Cedar Rapids, spoke relating to the noise limit that was written into their ordinance setting two levels. The exemption is not for this plant; it is how the plant will operate every day for years. He questioned how loud it would be during those hours since Alliant hasn’t modeled or estimated it. Alliant told him that Siemens has not given them the numbers since the numbers don’t exist anywhere. Noise standards are Linn County’s and not the states or the DNR’s. Lee is asking for 3 things before October 20th and those are: ask Alliant to provide sound modeling for start up and shut down at the site; put a question to their own staff and attorney’s about when paragraph c was written for facilities that trigger more than a thousand times a year; and section 107-180 file he asked if what they wrote was what they intended. In June he asked the Board to press for air and weather monitoring where they live and nothing has changed so he is asking again for that. Lee urged them to vote no when this comes before them and to protect what matters. Motion by Scheetz, seconded by Meisheid to approve payroll authorizations (detail is available upon request). Adjournment at 10:22 a.m. Respectfully submitted, TODD E. TAYLOR, Linn County Auditor By: Amanda Brown, Deputy Auditor Approved by: KIRSTEN RUNNING-MARQUARDT, Chairperson Board of Supervisors Published in the Sun October 8, 2026.
LINN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
CEDAR RAPIDS, LINN COUNTY, IOWA TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 9:00 A.M. (These are the minutes in their entirety. Archived minutes can be found at www. linncountyiowa.gov) The Board met in session at the Linn County Jean Oxley Public Service Center. Present: Chairperson Running-Marquardt, Vice Chairperson Scheetz and Supervisor Meisheid. Board members voting “AYE” unless otherwise noted. Chairperson Running-Marquardt called the meeting to order. Public Comment: Jon Lee, 2510 Sisley Grove Rd. SW, Cedar Rapids, had questions for the Board before the Public Health Director would speak at the meeting. He discussed multiple questions presented at prior meetings and the lack of answers people are receiving. Lee has asked Public Health to not support a waiver for on-site air and weather monitoring. Every agency he has spoken with has pointed him in the direction of another agency for an answer. He presented 3 questions for the Board to ask Public Health: whether a health screening will be run, which program is looking at the health effects of the plant, and put in writing who is responsible for the health of the people. Lee then asked the Board to vote no when the rezoning comes before them. The Board heard updates from the following Department Heads: Dave Thielen, LCCS Executive Dir. – budget is within expectations; General Assistance working to utilize the CRST building as an overflow shelter this winter; continued work on grant applications; legislative update; Juvenile Detention received two new cars and will be sending two old cars to auction; update on Ryan White Program new grant application; walk-in traffic and referrals to the Mental Health Access Center have skyrocketed recently; provided information on Family Transformation Services. Supervisor Running-Marquardt suggested that Child Care Services give a presentation to the Board to help keep the public aware of the amazing program they have. Supervisor Meisheid is in support of the idea and would like to see more updates from the departments that Thielen oversees, allowing them to share the great work they’re doing. Thielen continued: update on Home Health public health grant; legislative update on Heritage Agency on Aging. Dennis Goemaat, Conservation Dir. – the recent rain has caused a rough month recently causing contractors to fall behind; Mountain Bike Trail completion date moved back to October; minor flooding in Morgan Creek Park; Forestry Invasive Species Control has started; update on trail projects including Grant Wood Trail, Dows Maniti Trail, and Morgan Creek Trail; Riverside playground at Pinicon Ridge project is open for bids; update on pedestrian bridge replacement at Pinicon Ridge; route study underway for a proposed trail from SE Cedar Rapids to Mount Vernon; recently hosted Iowa County Conservation System annual conference. Pramod Dwivedi, Health Dept. Dir. – Morgan Valley Energy Center technical review update; HHS District 7 Request for Proposal support provided to Black Hawk County; discussed recent meeting with Mayors of Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha; working towards third Public Health Accreditation Board reaccreditation; expansion of on-site STI and HIV testing; developing public dashboards using wastewater surveillance data for drugs, COVID-19, and influenza; shared seasonal influenza vaccination advertisement directed towards agricultural population; provided recent air quality statistics; restoring public map layers for historical arsenic, nitrate, and E. coli water-test results and exploring the addition of historic well-drilling records; increased calls regarding rabies. Supervisor Running-Marquardt asked Dwivedi to answer questions presented during public comment, starting with if his department could do a study on the health impact of the area around the Morgan Valley Power Plant. Dwivedi replied that his department is not equipped to do those kind of special studies but suggested reaching out to academic professionals such as at the U. of Iowa where they have seasoned staff that do those kinds of studies. Any public health impact studies his department has performed previously for the county has been based off of secondary data which is already available data. Running-Marquardt then continued by addressing air-quality, asking for clarification on the data table provided during his presentation. She requested that future data tables include a column that gives a range of where it is at as well as what specific data is peaking during a day that is considered moderate or unhealthy. Dwivedi assured that his department follows the EPA AQI (Air Quality Index) and that they have a very rigorous compliance program so they can connect with the industries and let them know if its above, noting they have issued fines in the past if the industries do not contain their pollution into the air. Running-Marquardt then asked Dwivedi if there is a public health program that looks at cancer impacts. He responded no, but there is secondary data they look at and provide to the public. Dwivedi noted that he has shared very comprehensive peer-reviewed reports in the past with the Board which is unique in the state of Iowa. Running-Marquardt inquired if there is a tie between the local air quality and cancer rates. Dwivedi stated that there are multiple risk factors connected to cancer - including environmental, food, water, genetics, or even bad luck - making it very difficult to pinpoint exact causes. He referenced a previous cancer-cluster study he was involved in that came back inconclusive due to the numerous variables involved. He noted the state has a lot more resources available to assist the public. Running-Marquardt then discussed a case from her legislative years where there was a pocket of children experiencing severe asthmatic reactions, with at least one dying. There was a company nearby where the public health department put up air monitors and worked with the company to significantly reduce the particulate matter in the air. The severe asthma rates in the neighborhood then significantly went down due to the air monitoring and procedures put in place.
Dwivedi advised his department cannot recommend the on-site air monitoring unless it is proven through the scientific process that it makes sense to install. He assured they are following every scientific protocol and will not treat this any differently from anything else his department regulates or permits. Public Health has submitted their initial technical review to the DNR but have not heard back yet. Running-Marquardt asked if the Board could see the review and Dwivedi agreed to check with his staff. She asked if they have presented the information to any other community leaders and he responded that no they have not, but they have never done that before at this level. Running-Marquardt asked Dwivedi to recommend against the waiver so his department can have the scientific data that is needed to protect the people of Linn County. Dustin Peterson, Veteran Services Dir. – budget update; discussed services provided to veterans in August 2026; next Cedar Valley Veterans Network event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on October 7th at the Cedar Rapids Big Grove; Reps with Vets is held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at 3 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building; Coffee and Camaraderie is held on the 2nd Friday of each month at 11 a.m. at the Newbo City Market; IDVA (Iowa Dept. of Veterans Affairs) grant allocation recently received; 20th annual Five Seasons Stand Down recently held; working on reducing scheduled appointment window; legislative update. Supervisor Running-Marquardt inquired if the County Communications Department could assist with advertising the event to reach more veterans and Peterson agreed to check into the possibility. Phil Lowder, I.T. Dir. – budget update; fully staffed; KPIs are tracking as expected; discussed patch numbers noting an expectation for patches to increase. Supervisor Running-Marquardt expressed her appreciation with Lowder’s assistance in a countywide email. She acknowledged how hard his job is when it comes to protecting everyone and all of the valuable information. She then requested that Lowder check into how many county staff members have undergone cyber security training. Adjournment at 10:49 a.m. Respectfully submitted, TODD E. TAYLOR, Linn County Auditor By: Ana Brunscheen, Executive Assistant Approved by: KIRSTEN RUNNING-MARQUARDT, Chairperson Board of Supervisors Published in the Sun October 8, 2026.
LINN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
CEDAR RAPIDS, LINN COUNTY, IOWA WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 10:00 A.M. (These are the minutes in their entirety. Archived minutes can be found at www. linncountyiowa.gov) The Board met in session at the Linn County Jean Oxley Public Service Center. Present: Chairperson Running-Marquardt, Vice Chairperson Scheetz and Supervisor Meisheid. Board members voting “AYE” unless otherwise noted. Chairperson Running-Marquardt called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Motion by Running-Marquardt, seconded by Scheetz to approve minutes of September 16, 2026 as printed. Motion by Scheetz, seconded by Meisheid to approve claims accounts payable checks dated 09/23/26 #71022374 to #71022399 in the amount of $58,952.10; and ACH in the amount of $914,524.41; for a total of $973,476.51. Motion by Scheetz, seconded by Meisheid to approve payment to Todd Taylor in the amount of $294.80 for travel reimbursement. Motion by Running-Marquardt, seconded by Scheetz to approve Consent Agenda as follows: Resolution 2026-9-124 WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 331.903(1), Code of Iowa, Carolyn Siebrecht, Linn County Recorder, has submitted to the Board of Supervisors, Linn County, Iowa, for approval of Matthew Black, for appointment as Deputy Linn County Recorder, and................................ WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors, Linn County, Iowa, finds Matthew Black to be qualified to serve as Deputy Linn County Recorder and that the appointment of Matthew Black will not exceed the number of deputies authorized for the Linn County Recorder’s Office by the Board of Supervisors, Linn County, Iowa. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT AND IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors, Linn County, Iowa, that the appointment of Matthew Black as Deputy Linn County Recorder by Carolyn Siebrecht, Linn County Recorder, is hereby approved. Resolution 2026-9-125 A Resolution approving a Final Plat for STEPHENSON'S ADDITION. The following description is a summary of Resolution No. 2026-9-125 as passed and approved by Linn County Board of Supervisors, effective September 23, 2026. STEPHENSON'S ADDITION, Lot 7 and Alley in Fractional Block 1, Town of Paris, and part of the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 20, T86N, R6W of the Fifth Principal Meridian, Linn County, Iowa, containing a total of 0.63 acres, including 0.15 acres of public road right of way, divided in two lots named Lot 1 and Lot A, subject to easements of record, and more particularly described by metes and bounds as follows; BEGINNING at the Southwest Corner of Section 20, T86N, R6W of the Fifth Principal Meridian, Linn County, Iowa, being the southwest corner of a 99 foot by 120 foot parcel; THENCE along the westerly line of the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of said Section 20 and said parcel, North 00° 07' 05" East, 99.00 feet to the northerly line of said parcel; THENCE along the northerly line of said parcel, South 89° 49' 35" East, 33.00 feet, to the southwest corner of Lot 7 of Fractional Block 7, Town of Paris; THENCE along the westerly line of said Lot 7 and the westerly line of the alley in said Fractional Block 1, North 00° 07' 05" East, 82.50 feet, to the northerly line of said alley; THENCE along the northerly line of said alley, South 89° 49' 35" East, 132.00 feet, to the Easterly Line of said Fractional
Block 1; THENCE along the easterly line of the said alley and said Lot 7, South 00° 07' 05" West, 82.50 feet, to the southerly line said Lot 7; THENCE along the southerly line of said Lot 7, North 89° 49' 35" West, 45.00 feet, to the easterly line of said parcel; THENCE along the easterly line of said parcel, South 00° 07' 05" West, 99.11 feet to the southerly line of the SW 1/4 of the SW ¼ of said Section 20; THENCE along the southerly line of the SW 1/4 of the SW¼ of said Section 20, North 89° 46' 18" West, 120.00 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING; The southerly line of the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 20, T86N, R6W of the Fifth Principal Meridian, Linn County, Iowa, is assumed to bear North 89° 46' 16" West. The full text of the Resolution may be inspected in the Linn County Auditor's Office located at 935 Second Street SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, during regular business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or on the Linn County website at www.linncountyiowa.gov. Approve and authorize the Chairperson to sign an agreement between Linn County Family Transformation Services and The Humble Language Institute to provide interpretive services (on-site and remotely) for clients of the Linn County Early Childhood Iowa (LCECI) funded Healthy Families Nurturing Parenting Program at the rate of $45 an hour, effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Approve and authorize the Chairperson to sign a Linn County Children's Mental Health Assistance Program Fiscal Year 2027 Provider Agreement between Linn County and Ume Blossom Therapy LLC. The billable unit is based upon services provided ranging from $95 to $225 per hour, effective September 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Approve the Auditor's request to carry over fiscal year 2026 funds in the amount of $25,000 for overtime and a temporary Account Technician. Approve the Auditor's Elections request to carry over fiscal year 2026 funds in the amount of $37,500 for upcoming retirement cross-training, payout, and equipment purchase. Dave Beuter and Sheriff Gardner, Sheriff’s Office, discussed the following continuing public purpose statement for the use of public funds for food and refreshments related to qualifying full-day or extended Linn County Sheriff’s Office training sessions; for drinking water and electrolyte-replacement beverages related to qualifying Linn County Sheriff’s Office SRT and specialty operations; for modest consumable items related to Linn County Sheriff’s Office community outreach, public relations, and recruitment activities; and for food and beverages related to qualifying Linn County Sheriff’s Office major incidents, emergencies, and extended operations. This was discussed previously with the Finance Director who has since retired. Due to the amount of training required by code and the amount of overtime it would take to comply this is the most effective way. Board members highlighted the need to be transparent regarding the use of public funds for food and drinks and do not have any issues with the ones just discussed. They emphasized that this builds public trust. Motion by Running-Marquardt, seconded by Scheetz to approve a continuing public purpose statement for the use of public funds for food and refreshments related to qualifying full-day or extended Linn County Sheriff’s Office training sessions. Motion by Running-Marquardt, seconded by Scheetz to approve a continuing public purpose statement for the use of public funds for drinking water and electrolyte-replacement beverages related to qualifying Linn County Sheriff’s Office SRT and specialty operations. Motion by Running-Marquardt, seconded by Scheetz to approve a continuing public purpose statement for the use of public funds for modest consumable items related to Linn County Sheriff’s Office community outreach, public relations, and recruitment activities. Motion by Running-Marquardt, seconded by Scheetz to approve a continuing public purpose statement for the use of public funds for food and beverages related to qualifying Linn County Sheriff’s Office major incidents, emergencies, and extended operations. Beuter then discussed a proposed quote from Tek84 to provide the Intercept Whole Body Security Scanning System for the Linn County Correctional Center. They applied for a grant through the state after identifying the need for a full body scanner to help identify contraband items on or in people. Motion by Running-Marquardt, seconded by Scheetz to authorize the Chairperson to sign the acceptance of the price quotation in the amount of $154,000 from Tek84 to provide the Intercept Whole Body Security Scanning System for the Linn County Correctional Center. Beuter next discussed a purchase order PO963 in the amount of $59,000 to Tek84 INC. to cover the five-year annual Body Scanner extended warranty plus preventative maintenance/service for the Linn County Correctional Center. This is in connection with the previous agenda item. Motion by Running-Marquardt, seconded by Scheetz to approve purchase order PO963 in the amount of $59,000 to Tek84 INC. to cover the five-year annual Body Scanner extended warranty plus preventative maintenance/service for the Linn County Correctional Center. Brad Wylam, Planning & Development, discussed Third and Final Consideration of a request to rezone 23.23 located in the 400 block of Wilder Drive, Cedar Rapids, Iowa from Agricultural (AG) to Rural Residential 2-Acre (RR2) District. No oral or written objections have been received. Approval is recommended. Motion by Running-Marquardt, seconded by Scheetz to approve Third and Final Consideration of Ordinance 8-9-2026, a request to rezone 23.23 acres located in the 400 block of Wilder Drive, Cedar Rapids, Iowa from Agricultural (AG) to Rural Residential 2-Acre (RR2) District. Wylam then discussed a Final Plat for The Wilder Side First Addition, located in the 400 block of Wilder Drive, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This is a non-buildable lot currently that approval of the final plat would change to buildable. The neighbor is currently the owner of this lot. Motion by Running-Marquardt, sec-
MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN | MVLSUN.COM onded by Scheetz to approve Resolution 2026-9-126 A Resolution approving a Final Plat for THE WILDER SIDE FIRST ADDITION. The following description is a summary of Resolution No. 2026-9-126 as passed and approved by Linn County Board of Supervisors, effective September 23, 2026. BEGINNING at the Center of Section 19, Township 83 North, Range 6 West, of the Fifth Principal Meridian, Linn County, Iowa; Thence S89°53'54"W, along the North Line of Auditor's Plat No. 120, in accordance with the Plat thereof Recorded in Deed Record 452 at Page 169 of the Records of the Linn County Recorder's Office, 110.31 feet; Thence N89°39'25"W, along said North Line, 287.62 feet, to the Northeast Corner of Shreeves First Addition, in accordance with the Plat thereof Recorded in Book 3570 at Page 596 of the Records of the Linn County Recorder's Office; Thence S89°29'11"W, along the North Line of said Shreeves First Addition, 243.03 feet, to the Northeast Corner of Korff's First Addition, in accordance with the Plat thereof Recorded in Book 9 at Page 403 of the Records of the Linn County Recorder's Office; Thence S89°06'30"W along the North Line of said Korff's First Addition and the North Right-of-Way Line for Carlton Road, 33.00 feet; Thence N89°49'17"W, continuing along the North Line of said Korff's First Addition, 655.73 feet, to the Northwest Corner thereof, and the Southwest Corner of the Southeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter of said Section 19; Thence N00°40'02"W, 716.10 feet along the Easterly Line of Cedar Rapids Parks Property; Thence N15°49'47"E, 50.75 feet, to the Southwest Corner of Indian Creek Woods First Addition, in accordance with the Plat thereof Recorded in Book 2037 at Page 94 of the Records of the Linn County Recorder's Office; Thence N89°53'30"E, along the South Line of said Indian Creek Woods First Addition, 1310.39 feet, to the Southeast Corner thereof, and a Point on the East Line of said Southeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter of said Section 19; Thence S01°01'39"E, along said East Line, 768.36 feet, to the POINT OF BEGINNING. Said The Wilder Side First Addition contains 23.36 Acres, and is subject to easements and restrictions of record. The full text of the Resolution may be inspected in the Linn County Auditor's Office located at 935 Second Street SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, during regular business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or on the Linn County website at www.linncountyiowa.gov. Public Comment: Carolyn Siebrecht, Recorder, introduced her new Deputy Recorder, Matthew Black. She also expressed her sincere appreciation for Deputy Recorder Teresa Sackett’s years of service and wished her well on her upcoming retirement. Supervisor Running-Marquardt congratulated Sackett for her decades of service to Linn County. She is excited for Black to step into his new role and the smooth transition. Customer service and consistency are what make the Recorder’s Office such an outstanding office. Supervisor Meisheid expressed her congratulations to Sackett. She has known her since before she graduated high school and has always been a dear friend and a familiar face. Meisheid thanked Sackett for dedicating her life to Linn County noting the big shoes to fill and how happy she is for her. Adjournment at 10:23 a.m. Respectfully submitted, TODD E. TAYLOR, Linn County Auditor By: Amanda Brown, Deputy Auditor Approved by: KIRSTEN RUNNING-MARQUARDT, Chairperson Board of Supervisors Published in the Sun October 8, 2026.
LINN COUNTY LIST OF BILLS PAID
FOR 09-17-2026 THROUGH 09-23-2026 https://www.linncountyiowa.gov/413/ Accounting-Services VENDOR DESCREIPTION AMOUNT 32 GENTLE DENTAL LLC DENTAL SERVICES............................................$517.00 ABBE CTR FOR CMH CONTRACT LABOR.. ..................................................$3,369.67 HEALTH ASSISTANCE................$1,374.68 ACCESS SYSTEMS TECHNICAL SERVICES.........................................$1,560.00 ACCURO SOLUTIONS LLC WORK COMP EXPENSE......................................$140.69 ADCRAFT PRINTING CO INC OFFICE SUPPLIES.........................................$1,122.00 ALL TEMP REFRIGERATION MAINTENANCE REPAIR.............................$332.00 ALLEGRA OFFICE SUPPLIES.....$1,205.18 ALLIANT UTILITIES UTILITIES..$7,707.13 ALLIANT UTILITIES - ASSISTANCE GENERAL ASSISTANCE....................$1,939.58 AMN HEALTHCARE LANGUAGE SERVICES INC GENERAL ASSISTANCE............ .......................................................$50.00 ANAHEIM CORPORATION CONTRACT LABOR.......................................$4,807.38 ANDERSON ERICKSON DAIRY CO FOOD & PROVISIONS.............................$155.61 ANDERSON-BOGERT ENGINEERS & SURVEYORS DESIGN SERVICES....$20,931.00 ANNEX ON THE SQUARE GENERAL ASSISTANCE.....................................$900.00 ANTON SALES HARDWARE..........$194.36 AREA SUBSTANCE ABUSE GENERAL ASSISTANCE................................$20,037.24 AT&T MOBILITY GENERAL ASSISTANCE.. .....................................................$170.00 BAKER GROUP MAINTENANCE REPAIR.... ................................................$54,270.00 BANACOM SIGNS AND MORE LLC DECAL...........................................$150.00 BELCHER, MARY TRAINING EXPENSE...... .......................................................$90.75 BREEDEN, DEBORAH J INMATE EXPENSE .......................................................$26.00 BROOKE ARP PLC/ENVISION THERAPY GENERAL ASSISTANCE................$328.96 BURKLE, WILLIAM J GENERAL ASSISTANCE...........................................$900.00 BUTTERFIELD, CHRISTOPHER J TRAINING EXPENSE.................................$32.09 CAMPBELL SUPPLY TOOL EXPENSE......... .....................................................$130.86 CAPITAL SANITARY SUPPLY - CEDAR RAPIDS CLEANING SUPPLIES ................. ..................................................$2,013.71 CEDAR RAPIDS MUNICIPAL UTILITIES ASSISTANCE GENERAL ASSISTANCE........ .....................................................$192.17 CENTURYLINK COMMUNICATIONS LLC UTILITIES.....................................$279.08
CHARM-TEX INC CLEANING SUPPLIES ... .......................................................$36.90 GENERAL ASSISTANCE................$251.70 CHILDREN OF PROMISE MENTORING PROGRAM GENERAL ASSISTANCE........... ..................................................$3,456.00 CHRISTENSEN, JONATHAN W EMPLOYEE MILEAGE.......................................$197.60 COMMERCIAL APPRAISERS OF IOWA INC LEGAL SERVICES................$1,710.00 CONSOLIDATED ENERGY COMPANY PARTS........................................$1,030.15 CONTINUANT INC UTILITIES........$845.32 CORRIDOR ENERGY COOPERATIVE MAINTENANCE REPAIR................$985.80 CR/LC SOLID WASTE AGENCY LANDFILL FEES..............................................$762.55 CRAWFORD SUPPLY COMPANY FOOD & PROVISIONS.................................$276.48 CRITICAL HIRE PLC CRITICAL HIRE PROFILE REPORT .................................$50.00 CROWBARS PARTS........................$60.24 CUSTOM HOSE & SUPPLIES INC MAINTENANCE REPAIR...........................$23.72 CYPRESS LOFTS LLC GENERAL ASSISTANCE...........................................$900.00 D&D REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS LC GENERAL ASSISTANCE.......................$900.00 DAVISON, ROBERT W ATTORNEY FEES.... .....................................................$136.00 DIAMOND DRUGS INC PRESCRIPTIONS.. ................................................$29,196.67 EASTERN IOWA HEALTH CENTER TRAINING EXPENSE............................$7,637.00 ELITE FIRE AND AUTOMATION MAINTENANCE REPAIR..........................$4,946.48 ESCO ELECTRIC CO MAINTENANCE REPAIR..............................................$785.99 FACION, DAVID WELL PLUG.........$700.00 FOUNDATION 2 INC CONTRACT LABOR.... ................................................$59,632.54 FOUR OAKS FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S SERVICES HEALTH ASSISTANCE............... ..................................................$1,388.94 FREEDOMREMI GENERAL ASSISTANCE... .....................................................$900.00 FRESH START MINISTRIES CONTRACT LABOR.......................................$2,500.00 GAZETTE COMMUNICATIONS ADVERTISING................................................$175.00 LEGAL NOTICES...........................$210.15 GORDON FLESCH COMPANY INC COPIER LEASE & FEES...........................$6,749.69 GRAINGER W W INC MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES.....................................$282.29 HACAP GENERAL ASSISTANCE................. ..................................................$1,187.50 HAUSERS WATER SYSTEMS VA BOTTLED WATER..................................$23.00 HAWKEYE FIRE & SAFETY SUPPLIES & INSPECTIONS...............................$443.29 HAWKEYE READY MIX INC CONCRETE..... ................................................$10,387.20 HIAWATHA WATER & SEWER DEPARTMENT GENERAL ASSISTANCE......$242.57 HI-WAY PRODUCTS INC HARDWARE....... ..................................................$1,991.62 HOLUB & SONS LLC BUILDING AND GROUNDS..................................$2,596.30 HP INC OFFICE SUPPLIES.........$2,441.58 HUMBLE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE THE CONTRACT LABOR....................$2,412.50 HUNTER QUALITY CONTRACTING LLC INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL................... ................................................$11,500.00 IMON COMMUNICATIONS UTILITIES........ .....................................................$559.90 INDEPENDENCE LIGHT & POWER TELECOMMUNICATIONS UTILITIES.......$69.95 INSIGHT PUBLIC SECTOR SOFTWARE...... .......................................................$32.90 IOWA FIRE PROTECTION INSPECTION...... .....................................................$671.00 IOWA NORTHLAND REGIONAL TRANSIT COMMISSION GENERAL ASSISTANCE...... ..................................................$1,596.00 JPMORGAN CHASE BANK NA ***PCARD STATEMENT (DETAILS ON THE WEBSITE) ..............................................$240,410.22 KEEFE SUPPLY COMPANY COMMISSARY ITEMS........................................$2,730.88 KOLTHOFF, ALIDA TRAINING EXPENSE..... .......................................................$44.69 L L PELLING MAINTENANCE EXPENSE..... ..............................................$232,841.22 LAMERE, JOSEPH TRAINING EXPENSE.... .......................................................$34.04 LINDER TIRE SERVICE INC EQUIPMENT EXPENSE...................................$2,287.08 LINN COOP OIL INC #395000 (CONSERVATION) FUEL............................$3,057.27 LINN COOP OIL INC #395050 (ROADS MISC) FUEL.............................$24,415.24 LIONBRIDGE TECHNOLOGIES LLC CONTRACT LABOR..............................$127.13 MAKA BLIND CO MAINTENANCE EXPENSE........................................$4,560.00 MAQUOKETA VALLEY RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE MAINTENANCE EXPENSE.. .....................................................$104.64 MARGARET BOCK HOUSING GENERAL ASSISTANCE.................................$380.00 MARTIN MARIETTA MATERIALS INC ROCK.........................................$7,063.63 MARTIN, ANNETTE ATTORNEY FEES......... .....................................................$405.60 MCKESSON MEDICAL-SURGICAL GOV SOLUTIONS MEDICAL SUPPLIES.............. .....................................................$143.64 MEDEA INC NARCAN FOR VENDING MACHINES......................................$3,000.00 MEDIACOM GENERAL ASSISTANCE.......... .......................................................$65.00 MENARD INC CLEANING SUPPLIES ......... .....................................................$121.97 TOOLS..........................................$108.64 WOOD...........................................$257.46 MEYER, CASEY CLOTHING ALLOWANCE . .....................................................$188.28 MIDAMERICAN ENERGY UTILITIES.......... .......................................................$42.02 MIDAMERICAN ENERGY - ASSISTANCE GENERAL ASSISTANCE................$562.19 MOYNA MATERIALS LLC ROCK................ ..................................................$3,056.65 MURDOCH FUNERAL HOMES GENERAL ASSISTANCE..............................$2,000.00 NAVIGATE WELLBEING SOLUTIONS WELLNESS PROGRAM............$49,605.25 NEELYX LABS INC GENERAL ASSISTANCE ..................................................$1,677.57 NORTHEAST DISTRICT ISAA TRAINING EXPENSE......................................$300.00 OMNIHEALING PSYCHOTHERAPY WORK COMP EXPENSE...........................$200.00 ORKIN LLC PEST CONTROL.........$259.29 P&K MIDWEST INC PARTS..........$130.89 PERFORMANCE FOODSERVICE LLC FOOD & PROVISIONS................$5,135.45 PIPE PRO INC BUILDING AND GROUNDS .....................................................$514.13 POINTE AT CEDAR RAPIDS THE GENERAL ASSISTANCE.................................$900.00 PREMIER CASE MANAGEMENT WORK COMP EXPENSE........................$1,109.30 PRITCHARD, DEREK J TRAINING EXPENSE.............................................$30.96 PUSH PEDAL PULL OFFICE EQUIPMENT . ..................................................$1,796.00 RAPIDS REPRODUCTIONS OFFICE
PUBLIC NOTICES
MVLSUN.COM | MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN
EQUIPMENT ...................................$40.00 REDDISH, GARRET OFFICE EXPENSE....... .........................................................$7.39 REXCO EQUIPMENT INC PARTS................ ..................................................$3,732.17 RULE, ADRIENNE M TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT...................................$31.46 SAFE PLACE FOUNDATION, THE GENERAL ASSISTANCE.........................$1,800.00 SCHIMBERG COMPANY MATERIALS ....... .....................................................$116.92 SCHMID, DYLAN TRAINING EXPENSE...... .....................................................$559.00 SCHNEIDER, SARAH TRAINING EXPENSE .......................................................$61.56 SCOTT MEADOWS SENIOR HOUSING LP GENERAL ASSISTANCE................$789.00 SICKELS ENTERPRISES LLC GENERAL ASSISTANCE.................................$870.00 SKELTON, DEBORAH M ATTORNEY FEES.. .....................................................$272.00 SPRINGVILLE COOP TELE ASSN UTILITIES................................................$67.50 STEWART BAXTER FUNERAL & MEMORIAL SERVICES GENERAL ASSISTANCE....... ..................................................$2,000.00 SYMBOL ARTS LLC BADGE - Y. ABEL....... .....................................................$112.50 TANAGER PLACE HEALTH ASSISTANCE.... ................................................$10,747.14 TAYLOR, TODD SPECIAL ELECTION OBSERVATION...................................$294.80 TENNANT SALES AND SERVICE COMPANY CLEANING SUPPLIES ............$372.34 TRILIX MARKETING GROUP INC TECHNICAL SERVICES...........................$1,600.00 TRINITY SERVICES GROUP INC WEEKLY INMATE MEALS.......................$15,811.80 UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE - RECORDER DNR RENEWAL POSTCARD MAILING....................................$1,600.30 VERIZON WIRELESS UTILITIES...$268.72 WAYPOINT GENERAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE .......................................$2,916.66 WEBER STONE CO INC ROCK....$3,830.86 WENDLING QUARRIES INC ROCK............. ................................................$18,157.49 WOODCOCK, CHARLES W TRAINING EXPENSE...........................................$559.00 YAUSLIN, KENDRA A TRAINING EXPENSE .....................................................$620.00 ZETRON INC E911 IA-NCM02-OPTIONS MAINTENANCE........................$30,362.21 TOTAL....................................$975,076.81 ** Pcard detail can be found at https:// www.linncountyiowa.gov/413/Accounting-Services Published in the Sun October 8, 2026.
Setting the Time, Date, and Location for a Public Hearing on the Project; and Authorizing the Posting of a Notice Seeking Competitive Bids for the Project. Motion for the approval of the Resolution Tentatively Approving the Plans, Specifications, Form of Contract and Estimated Total Cost for the Mount Vernon Community School District Parking Lot Improvement Project; Setting the Time, Date, and Location for a Public Hearing on the Project; and Authorizing the Posting of a Notice Seeking Competitive Bids for the Project. Motion made by: Maggie Hartzler Motion seconded by: Jason Clark Voting results: Unanimously Approved Recessed at 7:53 PM. Back at 7:58 PM. E. Approval of Change to Design Fees for Shive-Hattery Motion for the approval of the payment for design fees to Shive-Hattery in the amounts totaling $33,500.00, as presented. Motion made by: Jeremy Kunz Motion seconded by: Suzette Kragenbrink Voting results: Unanimously Approved F. Approval of 26-27 Student Fees Motion for the approval of the 26-27 Student Fees, as presented. Motion made by: Jason Clark Motion seconded by: Kristi Meyer Voting results: Unanimously Approved G. Approval of 26-27 Breakfast & Lunch Prices Motion to approve the recommended Breakfast and Lunch prices for 20262027, as presented. Motion made by: Suzette Kragenbrink Motion seconded by: Jason Clark Voting results: Unanimously Approved H. Approval of 26-27 Student Fines/ Charges Motion for the approval of the 26-27 Student Fines/Charges, as presented. Motion made by: Kristi Meyer Motion seconded by: Maggie Hartzler Voting results: Unanimously Approved I. Approval of Facility Rental Fees Motion to table the approval of the Facility Use and Fee Schedule until the next meeting. Motion made by: Jason Clark Motion seconded by: Suzette Kragenbrink Voting results: Unanimously Approved 2. Program Division A. Approval of First Reading Amendments/Updates/Rescissions Motion for the approval of the first reading of the listed policies, as presented. Motion made by: Jason Clark Motion seconded by: Maggie Hartzler Voting results: Unanimously Approved 3. Personnel Division A. Approval of New/Amended Contracts Motion for the approval of the contract(s), as presented. Motion made by: Kristi Meyer Motion seconded by: Maggie Hartzler Voting results: Unanimously Approved 4. Administrative Division A. Approval of 26-27 Handbooks Motion for the approval of the attached handbooks reflecting the 26-27 school year, and to amend the MVHS Student Handbook to remove the Physical Education Statement/Philosophy. Motion made by: Kristi Meyer Motion seconded by: Maggie Hartzler Voting results: Yes: Rick Elliott Yes: Jeremy Kunz Abstain: Jason Clark No: Suzette Kragenbrink Yes: Kristi Meyer Yes: Maggie Hartzler B. Approval of FY2025 Audit Motion for the approval of the Fiscal Year 2025 audit, as presented. Motion made by: Jason Clark Motion seconded by: Kristi Meyer Voting results: Unanimously Approved C. Approval of Insurance Renewal Agreement Motion for the approval of the 26-27 insurance agreement in the amount of $486,168.74, as presented. Motion made by: Jeremy Kunz Motion seconded by: Maggie Hartzler Voting results: Unanimously Approved VI. Board Report 1. Reports 2. Unfinished Business 3. Upcoming Meetings to Note VII. Consent Agenda Motion to approve the consent agenda, as presented. Motion made by: Suzette Kragenbrink Motion seconded by: Jason Clark Voting results: Unanimously Approved 1. Greeter - Suzette Kragenbrink 2. Minutes 3. Bills 4. Financials 5. Open Enrollments 6. Resignations 7. Out of State Trip Requests 8. Agreements VIII. School Board Calendar
CITY OF LISBON REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2026 CALL TO ORDER: The City Council of Lisbon, Iowa, met in regular session on September 28th, 2026, at 7:00p.m. with Mayor Doug O’Connor presiding. The following City Council members were present: John Bardsley, Nathan Smith, Kevin Steele, Rick Scott and Rawley Alger. OTHERS PRESENT: Brandon Siggins and Grace Olson. CONSENT AGENDA: Motion by Bardsley, seconded by Scott to approve the consent agenda consisting of minutes of September 14th, 2026, list of bills, and alcohol license for Whitey’s Bar and Grill. All Ayes. Motion carried 5-0. Grace Olson, a student with the University of Iowa, introduced herself and two other students who will be covering Lisbon and Mount Vernon council meetings in the coming months as part of their education. Motion by Bardsley, seconded by Alger to approve TIF Rebate to Mustang Investments in the amount of $39,244 per their TIF agreement. All Ayes. Motion carried 5-0. Motion by Smith, seconded by Bardsley to approve Resolution 31-2026 Approving TIF Rebate Transfer. Ayes: Bardsley, Steele, Alger, Scott, and Smith. Absent: None. Nays: None. Motion carried 5-0. The council received the following reports from city departments: Parks & Recreation Director Drayon Kamberling – soccer is going well weather allowing and preparing for Halloweentown. City Administrator Brandon Siggins – Fire prevention week will be the first week of October. Curb repairs, F550 is repaired, leaf vac maintenance, Well 5 update, sports complex update, Windstream update, met with Alliant for their project, attended the League conference, congratulations to Christina on completing her presidency of the League Board. Discussed utility bill mailing issues. Will be working with Christina on TIF reports, auditor items, and other reports. Stump work will continue as weather allows. Thank you to the coaches and parents for being understanding about sports activities being moved due to the weather and ground conditions. Mayor Doug O’Connor adjourned the meeting at 7:20pm.Christina Eicher, City Clerk Doug O’Connor, Mayor Published in the Sun October 8, 2026.
CITY OF LISBON LIST OF CLAIMS
9-28-2026 VENDOR NAME DESCRIPTION AMOUNT ACCESS SYSTEMS TECH SUPPORT.......... .......................................................989.21 ACCESS SYSTEMS LEASING COPIER LEASE.............................................327.98 AFLAC CANCER INSURANCE..........177.80 ALLIANT UTILITIES UTILITIES....6,778.23 BALTES, TONY SHREDDER SP CMPLX/ HWY 30 DITCH...............................586.10 BRECKE INC. 125 E MAIN ST - REINVEST GRANT.......................................12,510.09 CENTRAL IOWA DISTRIBUTING PARKS RESTROOM SUPPLIES...................110.00 COLLECTION SERVICES PAYROLL DEDUCTION..........................................54.39 DELTA DENTAL OF IOWA VISION INSURANCE...............................................138.70 EASTERN IOWA GARAGE DOORS SHOP DOORS MAINTENANCE....................75.00 EICHER, CHRISTINA LEAGUE MILEAGE.... .........................................................94.25 FAREWAY STORE INC. DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT PAYMENT.............50,000.00 HILLS BANK FEDERAL W/H.......11,195.31 IOWA DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ANNUAL WATER USE FEE...............120.00 JORDAN'S PROPERTY CARE INC PARK WEED & FEED.................................500.00 JUNCTION AUTO LLC TAHOE MAINTENANCE............................................131.94 KLUESNER CONSTRUCTION INC 125 E MAIN ST - REINVEST GRANT......3,080.00
LEDERER WESTON CRAIG ATTORNEY FEES.............................................2,091.00 LINN COUNTY TREASURER PAVEMENT MARKINGS..................................2,962.17 LYNCH DALLAS LEGAL LEGAL FEES......... .......................................................385.00 MOYNA MATERIALS LLC SPORTS COMPLEX MATERIALS.............................58.74 MT. VERNON-LISBON POLICE DEPT. Q1 POLICE SERVICES.....................92,826.80 MUSTANG INVESTMENTS LLC TIF REBATE..........................................39,244.00 PRAIRIE ROAD BUILDERS INC SEAL COAT PROJECT..........................60,912.09 RODMAN, CHRIS AFLAC REFUND....76.54 ROTO-ROOTER CORP. 125 E MAIN ST REINVEST GRANT..........................500.00 SIMMERING-CORY IOWA CODIFICATION ANNUAL WEB HOSTING FEE..........475.00 SPEER FINANCIAL INC MSRB FILING FEE .......................................................350.00 SPRINGVILLE READY MIX, INC 125 E MAIN ST - REINVEST GRANT.........498.88 SUN LIFE FINANCIAL LIFE INSURANCE.... .......................................................549.85 U.S. BANK CREDIT CARD CHARGES........ ....................................................4,255.52 U.S. POSTAL SERVICE UTILITY BILLING POSTAGE........................................463.93 UNITYPOINT HEALTH MEDICAL SUPPLIES................................................63.27 UNTOUCHABLE SERVICES F550 MAINTENANCE.........................................3,857.42 VEENSTRA & KIMM INC. WELL 5 ENGINEERING FEES.............................5,661.04 WELLMARK BLUE CROSS HEALTH INSURANCE..................................15,796.19 WOODS, KEITH CLOTHING ALLOWANCE WOODS.............................................59.99 YTT DESIGN SOLUTIONS SPORTS COMPLEX ENGINEER FEES.................3,191.25 PAYROLL...................................36,825.08 GRAND TOTAL:......................$357,972.76 FUND TOTALS 001 GENERAL FUND..............122,804.58 002 LIBRARY FUND........................22.49 110 ROAD USE TAX.................76,326.19 112 EMPLOYEE BENEFIT FUND............... ..................................................12,150.21 125 TIF FUND...........................50,000.00 126 DOWNTOWN REINVEST PRG........... ..................................................16,551.62 133 BUDGET BLINDS..............39,244.00 337 SPORTS COMPLEX PHASE 1............ ....................................................3,543.04 339 NEW CITY WELL.................5,661.04 600 WATER FUND....................11,218.36 610 SEWER FUND...................17,192.57 670 SOLID WASTE FUND..........3,258.66 GRAND TOTAL:......................$357,972.76 Published in the Sun October 8, 2026.
MOUNT VERNON COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES
07/13/2026 06:30 PM Through effective and intentional collaboration, the Mount Vernon Community School District will be an exemplary district of choice. Attendance Voting Members Rick Elliott, Board President Jeremy Kunz, Board Vice-President Jason Clark, Board Member Suzette Kragenbrink, Board Member Kristi Meyer, Board Member Maggie Hartzler, Board Member Non-Voting Members Matt Leeman, Superintendent Michael Marshall, School Business Official I. Call to Order President Elliott called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM. II. Approval of Agenda Motion to approve the agenda, as presented. Motion made by: Kristi Meyer Motion seconded by: Maggie Hartzler Voting results: Unanimously Approved III. Public Comment Nelson Baethke spoke on Constitution Day. Kurt Hancock spoke on the importance of Constitution Day. IV. Superintendent Report V. Information and Action Items 1. Facility Division A. Presentation of Athletic Culture/ Values B..Approval of Parking Lot Amendment Motion for the approval of the amendment to the current parking lot project to include a parking lane within the previously approved scope, as presented. Motion made by: Jeremy Kunz Motion seconded by: Suzette Kragenbrink Voting results: Unanimously Approved C. Parking Lane Design Plans Presentation The Board engaged in discussion with Dave Panos from Shive-Hattery on plans for the new parking lane. D. Approval of Resolution Tentatively Approving the Plans, Specifications, Form of Contract and Estimated Total Cost for the Mount Vernon Community School District Parking Lot Improvement Project;
1..Special Meeting-- Monday, August 3, 2026--6:00pm in HS Library 2. School Board Meeting-- Monday, August 10, 2026- 6:30pm in HS Library 3. School Board Meeting, Monday, September 14 -6:30pm in HS Library 4. School Board Meeting, Monday, October 12- 6:30pm in HS Library IX. Meeting Adjournment Motion for adjournment. Motion made by: Kristi Meyer Motion seconded by: Jason Clark Voting results: Unanimously Approved Adjourned at 9:47 PM. Published in the Sun October 8, 2026.
MOUNT VERNON COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
BILLS JULY 13, 2026 Vendor Description Fund Amount Adam Mclaughlin Official Activity...146.82 Akers, Robert Official Activity..........291.09 Andrew James Mark Official Activity.......... .......................................................168.83 Benjamin Gilbert Binder Strength and Speed Activity....................................1500 Bloomsbury Farm Field Trip Activity.....900 Bret Miell Official Activity...............170.89 Brick Kabela Official Activity...........141.64 BSN Sports, LLC Uniforms Activity............ .....................................................1527.56 Carlos D Nelson Basketball Scrimmages 6/13/26 Activity......................................90 Causeteam Various Camp T-Shirts Activity .....................................................6730.95 Chad Wollum Basketball scrimmages 6/13/26 Activity......................................90 Charles Brittain Supplies Activity........470 Charles Chatman III Strength and Speed Activity...............................................1500 Cohen Nachtigall Official Activity......232.5 Cornell College Cornell college rental agreement Activity...............................897 Cutting Edge Graphics Adding the 2026 decal Activity.........................................8.5 Dave Annen Official Activity.............446.1 DiCicco, Matthew Official Activity....166.61 Douglas Yanecek Official Activity...169.43 Durgin Electric LLC Cat 6 Cable pull from Durgin Electric Activity..................3090.96 Elizabeth Dix Strength and Speed Activity. ..........................................................1500 Fareway Supplies Activity................111.28 Gary's Foods Supplies Activity........218.11 HAHN, NIKOLAS Official Activity.....145.06 HART, GARY Official Activity...........152.33 Hayden Ulloa Official Activity..............165 Hunter Moffit Official Activity.........154.65 Iowa City Athletic Officials Assoc. Assigning Baseball/Softball Officials Activity........ ............................................................400 Iowa Girls Coaches Assoc Girl Coaches fees 2026-27 schools year Activity......105 Jacob Krob Camp Refund Activity.......180 Joe Shoemaker Official Activity......162.33 Kabela, Michael Official Activity......141.64 Keith Schmitz Official Activity.............165 Klayton Bolkema Official Activity....298.28 Knobbe, Pat Official Activity............147.43 Kona Ice Of Cedar Rapids LLC camp snacks Activity.....................................375 Kory Swart Reimburse for workout books Gi Activity..........................................39.99 Kronaizl, Kirk Official Activity..........293.28 Linn Coop Oil Co. HS Baseball Fund Activity..................................................4713.81 Linn Mar High School Varsity Softball entry fee Activity......................................200 Mark Beerends Official Activity......124.33 Mark Phillips Official Activity..........289.94 Matthew Casebolt Official Activity..826.98 Michael Federer Official Activity.....176.98 Mount Vernon Ace Hardware Supplies Activity..................................................63.53 Mount Vernon Booster Club B/G State Qualifying Track meals Activity.........877.5 Nugent, Joseph Official Activity......173.82 Oskaloosa Community Schools Softball varsity entry fee 6/6 Activity.................125 Riddell All American MS helmet recondition Activity...................................2199.48 Rob Bowman Official Activity.........151.08 Roland-Story CSD Softball Varsity entry fee 6/1 Activity.....................................180 Schroeder, Steve Official Activity......146.1 Schultz Strings 1/2 cello, 3/4 bass Activity ..........................................................2800 Seagren, Scott Official Activity........116.87 Solberg's, Inc Balance of PO 263193 Activity......................................................9.5 Sportboardz Record board update Activity ............................................................105 Sports Graphics Supplies Activity........147 Ted Wernimont Official Activity......148.74
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | 17 The Cold Life 2 Ultimate Plunge Baths Activity..............................................12364.4 Timothy Sullivan Official Activity.........190 Tracy Stone Official Activity..............142.8 Val Binsfield Travel Reimbursement Activity.........................................................34.8 Vaughn, Kyla Strength and Speed Activity ..........................................................1500 West Music Co Music Activity.........439.72 Williamsburg CSD Girls Wrestling entry fee 12/8 Activity...................................280 eBOARDsolutions, Inc. Simbli Renewal Capital Projects..................................9400 Frontline Technologies Group LLC Time & Attendance - 26-27 Capital Projects........... .....................................................6999.58 iBenzer, Inc Bumpect Pro Vertical 2.0 Prote Capital Projects.............................17732.2 InTouch Receipting Annual software and maintenance Capital Projects.............2737 Marco HS Copier Lease Capital Projects.... .......................................................1800.7 Piper Sandler & Co Series 2026 SAVE Bond Financial Agent Capital Projects........ .....................................................52382.5 Radio Communications Systems Maxxess SSA Capital Projects..........................1085 Riverbend Sports Turf Deep Cleaning of Softball Field Capital Projects.............3000 School Outlet Desks for classroom Capital Projects.........................................2431.73 Shive-Hattery, INC. Parking lot project Capital Projects.............................4210.16 TimeClock Plus, LLC 25-26 Agreement Capital Projects................................22179 UMB Bank NA Administrative Fee 185418746 Capital Projects.................600 Advantage Administrators Flex Fees General.....................................................3038 Ahlers & Cooney, P.c. Attorney Fees General....................................................462.5 Alliant Energy Utilities - June General........ ...................................................40062.99 Altorfer Inc Yearly Generator Service General.....................................................1112 Apple Inc iPad WiFi - 128GB - Silver General.......................................................712 Bankers Advertising Company Computer Bags General...................................3431.6 Basepoint Building Automations service call General..........................................702 Benjamin Hopkins Scoreboard General..... .......................................................221.25 Campbell Supply Custodial Supplies General..................................................405.15 Carquest Transportation Supplies General. .........................................................76.12 Cedar Rapids Comm School Dist 2nd Semester OE General......................35225.36 Century Link Fax General..................76.06 City Of Mount Vernon Water/Garbage General................................................5413.01 College Community School District 2nd Semester OE General..................30352.66 Companion MS Library, Annual Renewal General...............................................3642 COVENANT WORKPLACE SOLUTIONS, LLC July EAP Services General.......457.15 Department Of Education Vehicle Inspecation General........................................1000 Diane Buffo Phone General.................360 Double S Enterprises LC black dirt for new locker room General...........................1140 Durgin Electric LLC service call MS light General..............................................407.6 Follett Content Solutions Books General.... .......................................................100.94 Hawkeye Environmental, LLC mold testing ES General...........................................340 Hawkeye Fire & Safety Co. fire extinguisher inspection General.........................1830 Heartland Area Education Agency Braille transcription order General................1636 Heartland Business Systems ELIN setup General............................................1202.5 Hobart Service service call for ES dishwasher General.............................1471.18 Imon Communications LLC Internet General................................................1273.98 Interstate Power Systems, Inc. Bus Repairs General.................................3568.22 Iowa Assoc Of School Bd IASB Membership Dues FY27 General.....................5764 Iowa City School District 2nd Semester OE General..........................................4931.33 Iowa School of the Deaf January - May 2026 Deaf Language General..........1417.5 Iowa Testing Programs ISASP testing 2025-26 General...........................6601.15 ISFIS, INC ISFIS 2026-27 Renewal General .....................................................2100.25 It1 Source LLC APC Symmetra Battery Module General.............................6502.86 John Parkhurst Sub Bus Driver to Six Flags General..................................451.36
Juicebox Interactive Yearly website hosting General.........................................1838 Kenwood Records Management Annual shredding General...........................457.28 Lightspeed Technologies Redcat with Clearmike General..............................1572 Linder Tire Services Bus Repairs General.. .......................................................743.12 Linn Coop Oil Co. Fuel General......2905.99 Linn-Mar Community School 2nd Semester OE General...............................9020.57 Lisbon Comm Schools 2nd Semester Concurrent Enroll General...................1532.91 Marco PaperCut Fax General.........2803.38 Martin Brothers Custodial Supplies General...................................................5472.75 Mechanicsville Fiber Fiber General.......400 Midwest Alarm Services service call General................................................1070.02 Midwest Bus Parts Inc. Parts General........ .......................................................193.05 Midwest Wheel Transportation Supplies General............................................141.48 Mike Jones DOT Physical Reimbursement General.................................................110 Modern Piping, Inc. HVAC Work General... ...................................................17771.67 Mount Vernon Ace Hardware Maintenance Supplies General...........................1165.89 Neal''s Water Conditioning Serv. Salt General..................................................441.62 Office Express Classroom Supplies General.....................................................163.04 P & K Midwest Inc mower parts General... .......................................................743.99 Plumb Supply plumbing supplies General. .........................................................44.16 RelayHub, LLC Medicaid General....2234.3 Roto-Rooter camera drain line General...... ............................................................197 Rowell, Jakob Scoreboard General...277.5 RSAI RSAI District Membership Dues General.................................................750 SAI Conference registration General..2447 Schindler Elevator Corp service call General.....................................................636.76 School Bus Sales Company Transportation Supplies General...............................281.7 Schumacher Elevator Co. inspection General..................................................248.04 Sherwin-Williams supplies General............ .......................................................175.35 Siteone Landscape Supply herbicide and seed starter General........................873.15 Springville Community Schools 2nd Semester OE General........................5535.88 Student Publications, Inc. Newspaper Posting General...............................559.91 Tanager Place Mental Health Support Services General....................................12950 TWIN STATE TECHNICAL SERVICES, LTD Network Support General.....................171 Under-Hill Truck & Auto Repair, LLC Bus Repairs General...............................2130.6 University Of Northern Iowa Tuition General........................................................3608 Untouchable Services Bus Repairs General .....................................................4719.68 Van Meter Company supplies General....... .......................................................261.46 Verizon phone General....................211.99 Weber Communications Inc privet locate of pole lights General...........................300 Wieneke Land Solutions spray/fertilize campus grounds General................8380.5 Anderson Erickson Dairy Purchased Food Nutrition..........................................817.96 Gary's Foods Purchased Food Nutrition..... .........................................................227.1 Jamie Luneckas Lunch account refund Nutrition...............................................100 Jennifer Theriault Reimbursement for parking Nutrition....................................15 Kids In Need Senior Lunch donation Nutrition................................................1341.47 Michael Glenn Coleman Purchased Food Nutrition..........................................117.14 School Nutrition Association Iowa Conference registration Nutrition.................1168 Scot Korte Lunch account refund Nutrition .........................................................60.95 SNA Depository SNA Mebership dues Nutrition...................................................385 Stephanie Turner Lunch account refund Nutrition..........................................119.29 Published in the Sun October 8, 2026.
IOWA NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION IOWA PUBLIC NOTICES DATABASE: IOWAPUBLICNOTICES.COM
CALENDAR & PUZZLES
18 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026
MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN | MVLSUN.COM Edited by Will Shortz No. 0903
CHURCHES MOUNT VERNON St. Paul Lutheran Church L.C.M.S. 600 Fifth Avenue South Pastor: Rev. Harrison Goodman, Vacancy Pastor www.splcmv.org; send e-mail to info@splcmv.org Sun.: 11 a.m. In-person worship Please refer to our website or contact the church directly for additional worship information. First Presbyterian Church 301 1st St. N.W. www.firstpresmv.com 319-895-6060 Pastor: Rev. Lori Wunder Sun.: 9:30 a.m. in-person worship. Online services stream beginning at 9:20 a.m. on Facebook St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Rev. Ken Glaser, Pastor Sun.: 8:30 a.m. Mass Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Justus Hallam, Bishop Meeting at: 4300 Trailridge Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids Sun.: 11:30 a.m. in person services. Also an option for digital worship services. United Methodist Church Pastor Vicki Fisher www.umcnv.com An LGBTQ affirming congregation Sundays: In-person and live stream at 8:30 a.m. (Praise Service) and 11 a.m. (traditional service); Sunday School (pre-k through eighth grade; Adult classes) at 9:45 a.m. Livestream link for both services can be found on the church website. Wed.: Rooted Youth Group at 6:30 p.m. (Sixth through eighth grade, multi-church youth group with First Presbyterian and Seeds of Faith Lutheran Church. Follow our Facebook page. Community Bible Church 940 W Mt. Vernon Rd. mvcbc.org, 895-6269 Teaching Pastor Brandon Glaza Discipleship Pastor Dennis Fulkerson Family, Youth, Children Pastor Lonnie Speidel Sun.- 9:30 Worship Service, 11 AM School, 6 PM Sr. High Youth Group Wed.- 6 PM Encounter and Jr. High Youth Group
livinghopegmc.org Pastor Andrew Bee Services live streamed at Living Hope Global Methodist Church’s YouTube page Sundays at 9:45 a.m. Sun.: 9:45 a.m. — In-person worship. Seeds of Faith Lutheran Church, ELCA 798 Brenneman Lane, 455-2599 (Off Hwy. 30 on eastern edge of Lisbon) www.seedsoffaithlutheran.org/ Pastor Erika Uthe 9 a.m. — In-person worship. Services also livestream via Seeds’ Facebook Page.
BERTRAM United Methodist Church 319-365-8077 Rev. Jay Admundson, Pastor Sun.: 10:30 a.m. — In-person worship service
MARTELLE Christian Church Sun.: 10:30 a.m. — in person worship service Services also stream online at Martelle Christian Church’s YouTube page. United Methodist Church Sun.: 10:30 a.m. Worship service. No Sunday school.
SPRINGVILLE United Methodist Church Sun.: 9 a.m. Worship service. Wed.: 6:30 p.m. Praise service Faith Christian Fellowship Pastor Joseph Bielema Sun.: 9:30 a.m. worship at Springville Memorial Library, in the Buresh Room (264 Broadway Street) St. Isidore Catholic Church Sat.: 6 p.m. Mass
Linn Grove Presbyterian 2000 Linn Grove Rd., Mt. Vernon Sun: 9 a.m. in-person worship, also, weekly readings, prayers and sermons are posted on the church’s Facebook page.
MECHANICSVILLE
Baha’i Faith Nina Scott, Group Secretary, 319-270-9230
First Presbyterian Church 408 E. First Street.
CrossLife Community Church Pastor Erik Bennett Sun.: 10:30 a.m. – In-person worship service. Services also livestream on Facebook page.
LISBON Living Hope Global Methodist Church 200 E. Market St., 455-2000
Living Hope Bible Church Mechanicsville Memorial Building
Christian Community Church of Mechanicsville 307 East First Street 563-432-7716 Sun: Sunday School 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Worship service 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. St. Mary’s Catholic Church Pastor: Father James Flattery Thurs.: 8:30 a.m. — mass Sun.: 8 a.m. Mass
COMMUNITY CALENDAR Thursday, Oct. 8
Story Time, Cornell College Cole Library Browsing Room, 9:30 a.m. Fiber Friends, Southeast Linn Community Center, 10:30 a.m. Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center Adult Speaker series “American Civil War Oregon Trail 1840’s” by Barry Grove, LBC, 1 p.m. Warriors Book Club, Lisbon Public Library, 4 p.m. “The Room” by Harold Pinter, Cornell College Armstrong-Youngker Hall Plumb-Fleming Black Box Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 9
Bingo, Southeast Linn Community Center, 10-11:30 a.m. Linn Lunch Bunch, Southeast Linn Community Center, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. “The Room” by Harold Pinter, Cornell College Armstrong-Youngker Hall Plumb-Fleming Black Box Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 10
Rhubarb Botanicals farm store, Rhubarb Botanicals farm, 9 a.m. to noon “The Room” by Harold Pinter, Cornell College Armstrong-Youngker Hall Plumb-Fleming Black Box Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 11
“The Room” by Harold Pinter, Cornell College Armstrong-Youngker Hall Plumb-Fleming Black Box Theatre, 2 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 12
Bingo, Southeast Linn Community Center, 10-11:30 a.m. Linn Lunch Bunch, Southeast Linn Community Center, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mount Vernon School Board, Mount Vernon High School Library, 6:30 p.m. Lisbon City Council, Lisbon City Hall, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 13
Lego Club, Cornell College Cole Library Room 108, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Yarn Squad, Cornell College Cole Library, 6:30 p.m. Hwy. 1 Marching Band Classic, Mount Vernon High School Martha Parsons Family Activity Complex, 7 p.m.
Across
1 Things that have icons 5 She’s possessive 8 Sales spiel 13 She can speak more than 20 languages 14 Lead-in to haw 15 Followed 17 Show with the classic episodes “The Puffy Shirt” and “The Little Kicks” 19 Authorize 20 Noodle 21 On, in French 23 Successes for sluggers, for short 24 Like some pants or haircuts 27 Big laugh 28 What dogs do the most in the spring and fall 32 School unit 34 Reached a payment date 36 “Please give this high priority!” 37 Character with a famous opening line? 38 Like an overtired toddler 42 Twice-told tale? 43 Sweetums or Baby Doll 45 March Madness org. 48 Open, as a bottle 49 One might feature rivers and bluffs 52 Hastens 53 Apple purchase 54 Comedian Jon 56 Its motto is “Industry” 58 Sorta 59 Luxuriates outdoors, in a way 64 Emergency alerts 66 Complete fiasco, slangily 68 Steak option 69 Emmy-winning role for Tina Fey 70 Up the ___ 71 Words that might be seen on a docent’s badge 72 Letters found near some bars 73 It might be paved with good intentions
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 16 18 22 25 26 28 29 30 31 33 35 39 40 41 43 44 46 47 49 50 51 53 55 57 60 61 62 63 65 67
Down
The “A” in L.P.G.A.: Abbr. Slangy “mouth” found in a 20-Across Self-righteous type Confess, say Spotted youngster that might be spotted on the savanna Fish with fused fins One end of the Suez Canal Many a “Bridgerton” lady Alternative to a bed-and-breakfast Slavic title Place for storing belongings in a 32-Across Cause of a squeaky voice, maybe Place to study Factor in a clothing purchase ___ Minor Something a suspect enters Sketches Leave a mark Hearty Islamic “commander” Show to be bogus Tool found in a 32-Across What choreologists study Garment that is typically around six yards long Captain Hook’s right-hand man Evergreen trees with red arils Cat that can purr but can’t roar Invigorate Skilled performer 2, 4, 6 and 8, e.g. Surface of a well-used wok Pocket rockets, e.g., found in a 49-Across “Well, shucks!” Polyhymnia or Clio Group with the 1994 12x platinum album “CrazySexyCool” “Tarnation!” Distantly Underground entrance found in a 73-Across Bread that may have a pocket Skeleton, say ___ Lock (PC key) Orchestra setting
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Voices United candidate forum, First Street Community Center, 5:30 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.)
Thursday, Oct. 15
Story Time, Cornell College Cole Library Browsing Room, 9:30 a.m. Fiber Friends, Southeast Linn Community Center, 10:30 a.m. Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center Adult Speaker series “Understanding Economic Inequality in the U.S.” by Todd Knoop, LBC, 1 p.m. Write Together, Lisbon Public Library, 1:30 p.m. Cornell College Touch Grass event, Cornell College Cole Library, 1-3 p.m. MVLCDG Small Business Networking event, Iron Leaf Press, 5-7 p.m. Phyllis and Howard Ciha recognition ceremony, Lisbon Public Library, 6 p.m.
MVLSUN.COM | MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN
NEWS
Linn County P&Z Commission schedules second meeting for review of Morgan Valley rezoning application Linn County Planning & Zoning Commission will meet Monday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. at the Kirkwood Hotel, Ballroom B (7725 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids) to review the Morgan Valley Energy Center Gas Power Plant Rezoning Application for a second time. This is a public meeting and public comment will be taken on the rezoning application. The Planning & Zoning Commission first discussed the Morgan Valley Energy Center Gas Power Plant Rezoning Application at a meeting on September 28. The Commission tabled voting on its recommendation and requested Alliant Energy provide additional details on wastewater treatment and discharge, startup and shutdown noise impacts and mitigation, comprehensive air quality monitoring, the project’s greenhouse gas emissions goals, and how the project can better align with the County’s comprehensive plan. The rezoning application documents submitted by Alliant Energy are available on the Morgan Valley Energy Center webpage of Linn County’s website.
PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION MEETING When: October 19, 2026 Time: 6 p.m. Where: Kirkwood Hotel, Ballroom B | 7725 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids Members of the public can attend in person or watch and listen virtually Join meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/291050545249136?p= hkSkZ8Zww4f9d8mqUv
Linn County opens public voting for snowplow naming Linn County is inviting residents to help name eight of its snowplows as part of a snowplow naming contest. Following the name submission period that ended September 4, the Linn County staff selection committee narrowed the list to 44 names from more than 200 names submitted by residents. These 44 names now advance to the public voting phase. Residents can now
The Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) meeting will include an opportunity for public comment for people who attend in person. Comments will be limited to five minutes per person. Members of the public may also submit comments in advance through the Morgan Valley Energy Center comment form on the Linn County website. Linn County staff will summarize comments received in advance and share them publicly during the meeting. During the meeting, the PZC may take one of the following actions: • Recommend approval of the application • Recommend denial of the application • Table the application and request additional information If the PZC recommends approval, it may also recommend that the application be approved with additional standards or requirements. The PZC does not have the authority to impose additional standards. However, it may recommend that the Board of Supervisors impose additional standards. The Board of Supervisors may accept the PZC’s recommendations of additional standards, choose not to require them, and/or impose additional standards of its own. The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing and first consideration for the Morgan Valley Energy Center Gas Power Plant Rezoning Application on Tuesday, October 20 at 6 p.m. at the Kirkwood Hotel, Ballroom B (7725 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids). Members of the public can sign up to receive notifications about future meetings and agendas once they are scheduled. Visit the Agendas & Minutes webpage on the Linn County website to sign up. For more information about natural gas electric generating facilities in Linn County, visit the Natural Gas Electric Generating Facilities webpage. select up to eight of their favorite names using the online voting form. One vote per person. Voting will remain open through October 6. The eight names receiving the most votes from Linn County residents will be declared the winners and added to eight of Linn County's snowplows. The names will also be incorporated into the County's Track-a-Plow system, allowing residents to see the named plows in action during the winter season. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined through a blind draw. Winners will be contacted by Linn County staff and invited to take a photo with their named snowplow. They will also receive a Linn County swag bag during a future open house event. Residents are encouraged to cast their votes and help choose the names that will be seen on Linn County roads this winter.
Celebrate Photographer Appreciation Month with Keep Iowa Beautiful’s 17th annual Photography Contest In recognition of October as Photographer Appreciation Month, Keep Iowa Beautiful is inviting photographers of all skill levels to enter the 17th Annual Keep Iowa Beautiful Photography Contest. The contest highlights the people and places that make Iowa unique—its landscapes, wildlife, and communities. “The Keep Iowa Beautiful Photography Contest is an opportunity to celebrate Iowa’s photographers and the many ways they capture our state’s beauty,” said Andy Frantz, Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful. “Their work reminds us of the pride Iowans have in their communities and the places they call home.” Entries are open through Friday, Dec. 11, and may be submitted in six categories: • Iowa Landscape: Capture Iowa’s gorgeous landscapes, including but not limited to: farm fields, rolling hills, and wooded forests. • Iowa Water: Feature Iowa’s beautiful water systems with photos of Iowa rivers, streams, ponds and lakes. • Iowa Cities: Iowa’s urban centers are hubs of history, culture, and beauty. This category features images of Iowa’s cities, street scenes, and urban landmarks. • Iowans In Action: This category aims to portray the spirit of Iowa through photos of the people that live, work, and play in Iowa. All means of action can be captured: biking, running, fishing, hunting and hiking are but a few. • Iowa Wildlife: Iowa is home to a variety of
beautiful critters. This category showcases Iowa’s beauty through pictures of Iowa’s wildlife animals: mammals, fish, birds, bugs and more! • Hometown Pride: 100+ Iowa towns have participated in our “Hometown Pride” program. This category features images of Hometown Pride towns and/or photos of activities by Hometown Pride committees. Please review the list of Hometown Pride towns to see if your photo qualifies. Prizes will be awarded in each of the six contest categories: $100 for first place, $75 for second place, and $50 for third place. In February 2027, first-place photos will be shared on Keep Iowa Beautiful’s social media pages, where the public can vote for their favorite. The photo with the most votes will earn an additional $100 prize and the title of Public Favorite Photo. At that same time, a panel of judges will select the winners of the Robert D. Ray Best of Show Awards, honoring the contest’s top overall photographs. Best of Show prizes include $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for third place. Back this year: a special Youth Award will be presented to one photographer in grades K–12 (age 18 or under). The youth winner will receive $100, and their photo will also be eligible for all other contest categories. A $5 fee is required for each photo entered. Contest rules and entry guidelines can be found on Keep Iowa Beautiful’s website: https://keepiowabeautiful.org/ photography-contest/.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | 19
CLASSIFIEDS Wanted To Rent
Miscellaneous
Currently looking for a rental property so I can visit a friend at Care Initiatives in Mechanicsville. Retired teacher, quiet, non-smoking, looking for a house or apartment to rent for the winter, possibly from a snow-bird going South for the winter. Gary Sanders 319/337-7739 land line, so no texts. garyiclabor@yahoo.com
For Rent 42'x42' Private storage unit in Mt Vernon-Lisbon area. 10'x16' overhead door, concrete floors, insulated, electric included, $800/ month, call for inquiry 319361-9872.
Miscellaneous No more cleaning out gutters. Guaranteed! LeafFilter is backed by a no-clog guarantee and lifetime transferrable warranty. Call today 1-855-913-1560 to schedule a FREE inspection and no obligation estimate. Get 15% off your entire order. Plus, Military & Seniors get an additional 10% off. Limited time only. Restrictions apply, see representative for warranty and offer details.
Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-844-376-4154. Does your basement or crawl space need some attention? Call Thrasher Foundation Repair! A permanent solution for waterproofing, failing foundations, sinking concrete and nasty crawl spaces. FREE Inspection & Same Day Estimate. $250 off ANY project with code GET250. Call 1-866-554-1730 Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 7-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-855-9545087 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.
Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waiving ALL installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to Audien Hearing. The world’s change and vary by dealer. first hearing aid with touch- (Offer ends 12/31/25.) Call screen controls. No tiny 1-866-456-3917. buttons, apps or prescripMount Vernon-Lisbon tions. 45-day risk free trial. Free shipping. Lifetime support. More than 1.5 million happy customers. Call Audien 1-855-304-1545.
NEWS
16 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026
Mount Vernon students participate in Bassfest Contributed photos
Kellen Johanningmeier, Jordan Blau, Cooper Pisarik, Sam Mueller, Konnor Stewart, Nathan Stewart, Lucian Biondo-Gemmell, Barrett Sukow, and Charlie Studt attended Bassfest in Tipton Wednesday, Sept. 30. Seventh through 12th grade bass choir students from area schools worked with Pat Fagen from Cedar Rapids Washington High School. Students worked together and practiced the process of learning music over the final product.
Linn County seeks volunteers for Data Center Advisory Committee Linn County is seeking residents to serve on a volunteer Data Center Advisory Committee. The committee is part of Linn County’s work during its 18-month moratorium on new large-scale data centers in unincorporated Linn County. The moratorium, passed July 1, 2026, gives the County time to evaluate whether its current zoning regulations are adequate to address emerging issues related to data center development, including potential cumulative impacts on public infrastructure, water resources, electrical infrastructure, emergency response capabilities, transportation systems, and long-range land use planning. The committee will review Linn County’s current regulations for large-scale data centers and provide recommendations on potential code updates and additional considerations for the Board of Supervisors. Linn County seeks a diverse representation of views, experience, and geographic balance on the committee. “When the Board of Supervisors approved a temporary pause on data centers, our intent was to slow down, listen, and thoughtfully evaluate how we plan for the future,” Linn County
Supervisor Brandy Meisheid said. “Important decisions about our communities deserve careful consideration, opportunities for public input, and collaboration with those who will be affected. The Data Center Advisory Committee is an important part of that process.” Linn County will select 20-25 residents to serve on the committee. Linn County will also invite every city in Linn County, as well as the Boards of Supervisors in Johnson and Benton Counties, to select one representative each. Linn County’s goal is to have a committee of up to 40 people to provide diverse and valuable perspectives to inform Linn County’s approach to data center development in unincorporated Linn County over the next several years. “A mix of perspectives is critical to help ensure our plan and regulations reflect the needs of our communities. Growth does not stop at jurisdictional boundaries, and our planning shouldn’t either. The work of the advisory committee will bring together neighboring jurisdictions, public officials, community stakeholders, and residents to listen, learn from one another, and develop recommendations with a regional perspective," Meisheid
said. The Linn County Data Center Advisory Committee will meet 6-8 times from December 2026 through June 2027. Meetings will be held in person the first Wednesday of each month from 6-8 p.m. at the Linn County Public Service Center, 935 Second St. SW, Cedar Rapids. Each meeting will focus on a specific data center-related topic. A subject matter expert will present on the topic, and committee members will discuss the topics in small groups with a facilitator and prepare summaries of their discussions to help inform future decisions by the Board of Supervisors. Because the discussions are intended to build from one session to the next, committee members will be expected to attend a majority of the meetings, so recommendations reflect a shared understanding of the issues. Linn County expects the meeting topics to include: • Energy and grid infrastructure • Water resources • Siting and planning • Zoning regulation and lifecycle Applications are available on Linn County website at LinnCountyIowa.gov or by calling the Board of Supervisors office at 319892-5000. Applicants must live in Linn County.
The meetings will be open to the public. All committee members will be required to participate in open meetings and open records training, which takes approximately one and a half hours. The deadline to apply is Oct. 19.
MOUNT VERNON-LISBON SUN | MVLSUN.COM