MVL Sun — 5.22.25

Mount Vernon Schools pass first reading of cell phone ban

Nathan Countryman

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun

nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com

Mount Vernon passed the first reading of a district wide policy that would spell out when students can use cell phones and smart watches while at school.

Superintendent Matt Leeman said they had original guidance from the Iowa Association of School Boards they were going with for their policy, but the Iowa Department of Education released their guidance shortly after that was a little more lenient in some areas.

Leeman said the district has had conversations with students, staff, members of the administrative team, took the idea to the district roundtable for discussion two weeks ago as well.

“We’ve taken a lot of feedback to develop a policy that fits our district,” Leeman said.

The policy spells out what wearable devices are and smart electronic devices are as well, and limits access to them during instructional time. Lunch is not an instructional time. Passing time also does not constitute instructional time.

Leeman said that the goal was to have communication with students during the school day handled by the district office, like it was done years ago. That can be done by emailing or calling the office to relay the information to students. Parents will be contacted via their preferred method of communication as well. If there is something impacting the entire school district, not just a single student, the district will use notifications like School Messenger.

The first draft spelled out the consequences for elementary, middle school and high school students for misusing a cell phone or watch.

In elementary grades, the devices are to be kept in backpacks from the beginning of the day to the end of the day. If a student is discovered with a device, teachers will confiscate the device and return it to students at the end of the day

Mount Vernon seniors reflect on past four years

Nathan Countryman Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com

Mount Vernon’s senior roundtable featured Colin Bentley, Josef Briesemeister, Seamus O’Connor, Cana Safo, Lauren Hepker, Hailey Bock and Paige Schurbon. Topics discussed include favorite activities, favorite memories, what they’ll miss, favorite teachers/coaches and their impact, advice to younger classmates and hopes for the

Mount Vernon & Lisbon advance events to

CAPS OFF

Lisbon graduates 56

Nathan Countryman

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com

Lisbon held commencement exercises at the Lisbon Lion’s Den Sunday, May 18. A total of 56 students received diplomas.

Lisbon secondary principal Jack Leighty said that he has come to enjoy the class of 2025.

“I just know that on any Tuesday or Thursday, I had to be monitoring the student section, as they rooted on the volleyball players,” Leighty said. “Mostly, it was keeping them off the court.”

Leighty said the class had an average GPA of 3.425, and were well represented at post-season competitions by the class.

Wesley Sadler was the valedictorian of the class.

He made light jokes about the speed with which students exit the parking lot at the end of the school day, noting he has been in three crashes, none of which were his fault.

He also joked about some classmates who found ways to get out of their classwork in ingenuous ways. “You have to admire the hustle,” he said.

His last bit of advice for students, though, was a home run.

at Mount Vernon High School gymnasium.

Nathan Countryman | Mount VernonLisbon Sun (From left)

Lauren Hepker, Cana Safo, Hailey Bock, Seamus O’Connor (standing in back row), Paige Schurbon, Josef Briesemeister and Colin Bentley were members of this year’s Mount Vernon senior roundtable.

Mount Vernon graduation is Sunday, May 25, at 2 p.m.

Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun

Mortarboards take to the sky at Lisbon Sunday, May 18.

for a first offense. Second offense, the device would be taken to the office, and parents would be contacted to pick up the device. Third offense, the device would again be confiscated and parents could pick up the device at school, but the student would no longer be able to utilize that device.

For fifth through eighth grade, the devices need to be in pockets during instructional time, and students would be prohibited from using them at lunch.

Leeman said that was being recommended to encourage students to be social with their peers more.

“Students told us they’re more likely to talk with their friends if those devices aren’t present,” Leeman said.

Similar to elementary schools, first offense gets taken from students and students get a warning. Second offense parents are notified and have to pick up the device. Third offense parents are notified and the device is banned for the student using at school.

At the high school level, there is one additional warning before the devices are banned outright.

“That’s because high schoolers are working on how to be able to utilize these devices in their life like they might in the real world,”

Leeman said.

After the fourth offense is when the device is blocked.

Leeman said there are exceptions for students who have a 504 or IEP that require their condition to use a smart device to monitor items for their health, like diabetics who utilize smart phones to monitor their

Favorite memories

community. Mount Vernon commencement ceremony is Sunday, May 25, at 2 p.m. at Mount Vernon High School gymnasium.

Favorite activities

The seniors on the roundtable determined that they had been involved in almost all the activities offered at Mount Vernon, with the exception of tennis.

For Colin Bentley, it was track that was one of his favorite activities to be involved in.

Seamus O’Connor was a huge fan of cross country.

Paige Schurbon was a huge fan of her time on the volleyball team.

Lauren Hepker said that choir was one activity she would really miss.

Cana Safo said that it was hard for her to pick a favorite, as she loved all the activities she has been involved in.

“Maybe marching band, because that was so different,” Safo said.

Bock said she and Schurbon had also both been in student council for all four years.

“It’s one of those activities that your decisions impact the whole high school and has some transitional skills for the real world,” Bock said.

And while they had many favorites, students noted getting involved in an activity, especially at Mount Vernon, was encouraged.

“You can always find something that fits your interests and is fun,” O’Connor said. “Even being a manager for different activities is a lot of fun.”

With Mount Vernon making it to a lot of state competitions, the favorite memories seemed to be going to those events to cheer on their fellow classmates.

Bock said one of her favorite memories was the Solon vs. Mount Vernon rivalry game in 2022, when Mount Vernon finally bested the Spartans for the first time in 19 years.

“The student section for that game was just electric,” Bock said.

Briesemeister said going to the UNI Dome for football was one of his favorite memories.

“I just wish those games would have been on a school day to get more of the student body up to the dome to cheer us on,” Bentley said.

O’Connor said that the cross country his sophomore year was one of his absolutely favorite memories and seasons.

“Just gorgeous temperatures and courses through most of that season,” O’Connor said.

Hepker said it was fun to be part of the musical.

“Teachers would work so hard to be flexible to students who were in athletics that they could still participate,” Hepker said.

Safo said the Waukee Marching Band competition, where Mount Vernon placed first ahead of Independence for the first time in 30 years, would be one of her favorite memories.

“Just a great way to end our senior season,” Safo said.

Schurbon’s favorite memory was the first outdoor volleyball match that the team participated in this fall.

Racing on the blue oval at Drake was Bentley’s

blood sugars.

Leeman said that he will work on a portion outlining when devices can be utilized during field trips, like the travel time to and from the event, as that may not be instructional time.

Board member Jason Clark recommended that when devices are taken from students, they end up at the office by the end of the day, not just in a teacher’s classroom.

“That allows us to better have tracking on which offense a student may be facing for use of a device by having that happen in one place, as opposed to that burden being on teachers,” Clark said. “It also eliminates a problem where students lose the device early in the day and a teacher’s schedule or classroom is on the other side of the building for a student to get and then race to

favorite memory.

What they’re going to miss

“Seeing my friends every day,” Bock said.

“Definitely the close-knit community we’ve had as a class,” Briesemeister said.

“Our grade has been so close, and there are very few who are going to the same school as some of their friends,” Schurbon said. “I’ve loved seeing so many of these people every day, but it’s going to be something I’ll have to build again in college.”

“I think the teachers here are all nice, and I’m going to miss so many of them,” Safo said.

Advice for younger class members

“Get involved in groups,” O’Connor said “It’s what gets you to meet so many people.”

“Definitely get involved in something, otherwise you’re going to be so bored in your four years at school here,” Bock said.

“What’s cool about Mount Vernon is there are so many students involved in multiple activities,” Briesemeister said.

“Try hard in every class, including gym class,” Schurbon said.

“It’s school – you’re here to learn,” Bentley said. “Don’t be afraid to take electives you may not have taken otherwise.”

One of the pieces of advice came after the interview was over – go out for a sport, even if it is something you might be bad at.

Briesemeister commented that one of the most fun things they had was when Cyrus Johnson joined the team.

their transportation from school. Putting it in the office is a centralized location that students would need.”

Mount Vernon Middle School principal Bob Haugse said that is similar to how things work at the schools now.

“If a device gets confiscated, it ends up in the office by the end of the day,” Haugse said. “Teachers are able to find time throughout the day to get that to the office.”

Board member Tim Keegan was worried about the devices that need to be picked up by the end of the day and offices closing at particular times. Haugse said parents find ways to pick up the devices.

A second reading of the policy with the amended changes and field trip policy will be reviewed by the board in June and in place by July 1.

“He was the jolliest guy and always had fun in all of the practices,” Briesemeister said. “He always brought so much energy and having a good time.”

Teachers/coaches who have made an impact

This was an area where the students were willing to name many of their favorite teachers and coaches. Ed Timm, Preston Pederson, and Alaina Appley were all recognized by students as favorites.

“Margo Massey was my track coach and was very ride or die on my success,” Bock said.

Cana Safo said this year’s soccer coach, Angie Knies is the best soccer coach they’ve had in the four years she has been with the program.

“She brought a whole new energy to that team,” Safo said.

“Thad Wilkins was someone who helped me gain more confidence in myself,” Hepker said. “He helped me be more comfortable with who I am.”

“Maggie Willems worked on making sure I had confidence in the sport of volleyball,” Schurbon said. “She’s the type of person who is very honest on where you stand with her.”

“There’s a teacher for everyone here that will always stand out to so many of us,” O’Connor said. “The paraeducators here are also always upbeat about their jobs as well.”

The group praised the high school librarians for their dedication to the library as well.

Bonnie Ahrens with the art room was another that

was well loved.

Hopes for the future for district, community

“That they get better parking around the district,” Bentley said.

“That nothing changes, and that this keeps the community feeling,” Bock said.

“That people start getting out of their cliquey nature at the high school earlier,” Safo said. “As the years go on, that seems to happen.”

“There just isn’t a lot of intermingling between different activities at the lower grade levels,” O’Connor said.

“We don’t have the issues they are seeing in so many larger schools, and that’s a good thing,” Briesemeister said. “We’re able to have things like the senior splash day here. People leave their cars unlocked because they aren’t worried about that at all.”

Future plans

Colin Bentley plans to attend Creighton University and major in business and finance.

Joe Briesemeister plans to attend the University of Northern Iowa where he will play football and study nursing.

Seamus O’Connor plans to attend Buena Vista University where he will study dentistry.

Cana Safo plans to attend Wheaton University and study mental health studies.

Lauren Hepker plans to attend Kirkwood Community College, with an undecided major.

Hailey Bock plans to attend the University of Cincinnatti to study nursing.

Paige Schurbon plans to attend University of Iowa and study business.

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 Sales Paul Rowland paul.rowland@mvlsun.com

Office/Sales Assistant Rochelle Ferguson rochelle.ferguson@mvlsun. com

Production Manager Heidi Owen heidi.owen@dailyiowan.com

Business Manager Debbie Plath debra.plath@dailyiowan.com

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 every Thursday 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 Rochelle Ferguson at 319-895-6216 or rochelle.ferguson@mvlsun.com for additional information. Subscription rates: Linn and adjoining counties – $55 annually; elsewhere in Iowa – $75 annually; out of state – $85 annually.

Copyright 2025 Mount VernonLisbon 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

All about that tea: Presenter gives history, guided tour of teas

Nathan Countryman Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com

Lisbon Public Library hosted Judith Leavitt from Talking Tea LLC to present about the history of tea and the different varieties that compose the beverage of choice.

Leavitt said she has been drinking the beverage since being a child, and decided to focus more research into tea when she retired, including publishing two different books on the subject.

She also collects many different tea varieties.

Leavitt started working on her first book on the varieties of teas just before COVID hit.

“We weren’t able to do any in person events until 2021,” Leavitt said.

Leavitt said there are six different varieties of teas –white, yellow, green, oolong, black and pur-eh tea.

“A lot of the varieties of yellow teas are not found outside of China because there’s one more step in the brewing process,” Leavitt said.

Leavitt said that teas all come from the same plant, some of the variety for different teas is all in how the plant is processed. Black teas are fully oxidized (meaning their leaves are dried out and rolled).

Green teas leaves are not oxidized at all to preserve their flavor.

Oolong teas have partial oxidation, with the oxidation process stopped before it’s complete to preserve flavors.

LMVAS celebrates a successful grant year

Jacob Lindauer

Lisbon-Mount Vernon Ambulance Service director

The Lisbon-Mount Vernon Ambulance Service (LMVAS) is proud to share a year of notable successes in securing vital grant funding to support our mission.

Last fall, LMVAS was awarded an $8,900 grant from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation’s Linn County Grant Program. This funding allowed the service to purchase a state-of-the-art EMS simulation manikin, a critical training tool. The manikin enables our skilled EMS providers to practice several High Acuity, Low Occurrence (HALO) interventions in a realistic, risk-free environment. It also features CPR feedback technology, allowing responders to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of their chest compressions during training. “Al,” as the manikin has been named, has already been utilized for four separate trainings since its receipt in January.

More recently, LMVAS received a $25,000 Operational Support grant from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. This generous support will help offset rising

Yellow tea the leaves are steamed to halt oxidation, and then processed in a warm/moist environment to give their unique color and flavors.

Pur-eh teas are teas that go through another oxidation process after the initial fixation of the tea.

Another variant that is important to know in tea making is the temperature at which the leaves should be prepared. Certain tea leaves will only need to be cooked at a lower temperature, with black tea leaves being the one requiring the highest temperature for brewing. Leavitt recommended getting a variable temperature boiling pot so you can get water to the temperature your tea requires and get the proper flavor from the leaves.

Leavitt said that one of the reasons she loves drinking tea is because the cost per cup is more economical than coffee or other hot beverages.

Tea cakes used to refer to how tea was packaged, with the leaves being packaged in bricks. Its history, depending on what history you follow, has the origins stretching from either 2700 BCE to 500CE.

The large majority of teas are grown in India and China. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were a lot of tea leaves lost, as it was harder to harvest the leaves during the harvest. Yet sales of tea, Leavitt said, remained high, as shops were able to adapt to the pandemic and getting tea to customers.

The polyphenols and flavonoids in most teas offer health benefits, including helping assist with memory, reaction time and attentiveness.

The beverage can help reduce blood pressure, lower

cholesterol and has benefits for the cardiovascular system as well.

In 1904 was the first invention of iced tea, and 1908 saw the first invention of tea bags, which help keep leaves from the water in brewing. Leavitt said 1950s was when Nestea was invented. The specialty tea market has only exploded since the 1990s.

The trend for afternoon teas was started by Anna Duchess of Bodham, and the differentiation between high and low tea depended on what was served that accompanied the tea.

Turkey, Morocco, Ireland, Markerash, and the United Kingdom are some of the top consumers of tea, but the United States trend line shows more people are drinking tea and better quality teas.

“The ready to drink tea market is one of the largest growing tea markets right now,” Leavitt said.

largely stagnant. Nearly 70% of LMVAS patients are covered by Medicare or Medicaid—programs that reimburse at rates below the actual cost per transport. Last year the average cost per transport was evaluated at $926 while the average reimbursement across all payers was $602.00. Medicaid rates, which are the lowest paying, have not increased in nearly a decade and are 1/4th that of some neighboring states while Medicare reimbursement has grown only about 2.5% annually—far below inflation and the escalating costs of medical supplies.

Your support makes a difference. Community donations and foundation grants remain essential to keep LMVAS operational, well-equipped, and ready to respond when you need us most.

equipment and supply costs and ensure that LMVAS can continue to deliver the high level of service our community expects, without making painful budget cuts.

Like many community-based nonprofit EMS providers, LMVAS faces ongoing financial challenges. Costs continue to rise while insurance reimbursement rates remain

Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun Judith Leavitt highlights one of the varieties of tea that attendees of Lisbon Public Library’s event on tea could sample Saturday, May 10.

Contributed photo

EMS Director Jacob Lindauer meets with members of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation to explain EMS funding challenges and showcase previous purchases from grant funding.

OPINIONS

Giant snakes don’t belong in Iowa

Living in Iowa

Dan Brawner

Cedar Rapids Animal Control officer

Michelle Timm recently appeared in a Facebook photo, holding a nine-foot-long reticulated python firmly by the neck, grinning from ear to ear (Officer Timm I mean—not the snake which doesn’t really have ears). This raised the question: what’s that thing doing in Iowa?

It turns out an unnamed home owner in Cedar Rapids found the tropical serpent frolicking unattended on their lawn and immediately called the authorities. Officer Timm, who apparently has nerves of steel promptly showed up, stuffed the monster into a bag and dropped it off at the animal shelter. The shelter workers are calling it “Sir Hiss-A-Lot”. Cute as this sounds, pythons are considered dangerous and are, according to Iowa Code 717F.1 (9e), illegal without a special permit.

Although a nine-foot python already sounds pretty scary, the problem is that they never stop growing. The largest reticulated python on record, discovered in Indonesia in 1912, measured 32 feet, 9.5 inches (longer than a school bus!). The largest in captivity, “Medusa”, currently resides at The Edge of Hell haunted house in Kansas City, Mo. Medusa is 25 feet 2 inches long and weighs 350 pounds. These snakes generally eat rats and birds and occasionally deer or goats. In 2018, an Indonesian man was reported missing. (You know where I’m going with this). He was later found inside a 25-foot-long reticulated python. Pythons are not venomous but, as constrictors, they wrap around their prey and squeeze until-well, you get the picture. Then they swallow them whole—and that’s all I’m going to say about that.

The Animal Control Center are inviting the snake’s owner to show up with proof of ownership, claim it and presumably get arrested. They are understandably eager to find a home for Sir Hiss-A-Lot—quick before it grows any bigger!

Humans have evolved to be suspicious—if not downright fearful of snakes probably since Adam and Eve. Even an infant who encounters a snake for the first time is scared of it. I was rock climbing in Phoenix one day when I heard the sound of a rattlesnake and I instinctively froze in my tracks. Iowa has several varieties of venomous snakes including the Timber Rattler, the Prairie Rattlesnake, the Eastern Massasauga and the Copperhead. If you are bitten, you must seek medical attention immediately. Venom specialists have a creepy saying, “time is tissue” meaning the longer you take to get treatment the greater risk of muscle or organ damage.

A recent article in Men’s Journal linked a video of writhing, slithering rattlesnakes emerging from their den in Colorado. It showed the poisonous serpents sliding over each other in a nightmarish number the magazine called “countless”. (They weren’t really countless— just hard to count-- inasmuch as it’s difficult to tell where one snake ends and another begins.)

There is an old saying that if you smell cucumbers and you’re not in the garden, RUN because there is an angry Copperhead nearby. This is a common misconception. Copperheads don’t smell like cucumbers or watermelons or fish. They have a very subtle musky scent. But if you do smell a Copperhead, you’re too darned close!

Fireworks bill passage steps over local control

We’ve spoken about our dislike of erosion of local control before. That we as citizens in these communities put a lot of faith in the leadership we’ve elected at city council, school boards and other positions to set policies that make sense for our community, period.

One of the bills passed by the legislature last week voids some of the local control we’ve established in the community and county on fireworks usage.

The legislature passed a bill that repeals any restrictions for fireworks on July 3, July 4, and New Year’s Eve.

For some citizens, that’s probably something they’re okay with seeing. They don’t mind the random pops and bangs throughout the day on that holiday.

Locally, though, we’ve had restrictions on fireworks usage in our communities because of requests from citizens for several

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Mount Vernon’s Chalk the Walk phenomenal

Mount Vernon has done it again. This time I am applauding their Chalk the Walk weekend.

Both our daughters and their families live in Mount Vernon. We spend a lot of time babysitting and attending numerous church, sporting and school events. My wife, Audrey and I are always impressed with the volunteers, coaches and teachers in Mount Vernon and at how well each works with the children. They are so patient. Not only teaching the fundamentals of each activity, but the life lessons of respect, loyalty, effort and team work.

I want to congratulate the 500 Chalk the Walk artists, who created the 160 drawings on the streets of downtown Mount

SUN EDITORIAL COLUMN

reasons. Veterans who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorders having a harder time because of the number of volleys in the sky. Pets in our community being put on edge by the number of fireworks being set off at all hours of the day and night.

Members of the Heritage Days committee have also worked on that issue, finding alternatives to the fireworks events in last year’s celebration with a drone show instead.

The fireworks ordinances was a local policy that made sense, passed by our communities to say “not here, please.” Even if the number of fireworks was not zero on July 3, July 4 or New Year’s Eve, it was greatly reduced.

It was disheartening to see the legislature take a step over what may seem like a small matter to them, but something that many of our communities took time to implement for the peace of mind of all citizens.

Vernon, on May 3 and 4. Though, Audrey and I have been to Chalk the Walk before, we made a special effort to be among the 20,000 visitors this year.

The event is a true testament to all who planned, organized and implemented such a fun event for so many to enjoy. It was nice that an area was also available for children to both draw and work on crafts in front of the old school.

I photographed twenty of what I considered the best drawings. In my opinion all were as good as most painting I see gracing buildings throughout Iowa and the Midwest. Thanks to all who were involved in making Chalk the Walk such a special weekend.

Summer reading camp launching July 28-31

Growing up, one thing I loved about Summer Vacation was the ability to read as many books as I wanted. With a less-structured schedule and no homework to be responsible for, I could grab a stack of books and some snacks and go find a hidden area in our backyard and read for hours. This was the absolute best way for me to spend a morning or afternoon.

During the school year I would get in trouble for reading during class time. I would hide a book beneath my desk and lift my head up every once in a while to make it look like I was paying attention to whatever my teacher was sharing with the class. I was caught most of the time. I tried this trick at family dinners when I thought that there would be a lot of visiting after the meal, but my parents would hear the scrape of the page turning against the table cloth.

So, to say that I loved reading is an understatement. It is a huge reason why I became a Language Arts teacher. Not only do I love reading, but I love seeing how words work together, and I love all the different genres in which words are used to create literature: prose, poetry, plays, etc.

However, I know that reading is not enjoyed by everyone out there. I am convinced that people who say that they don’t like reading just haven’t found the right book or were never taught the right skills with reading. Being able to read isn’t just a skill that will allow you to have something to do during downtime; reading expands your knowledge, enhances your critical thinking, and improves your communication skills.

More and more children would rather have an electronic device in their hands than a book. They have been handed phones and tablets since they were babies to soothe or distract them

and so they are accustomed to seeing bright lights and whizzing things on screens, not words and pictures that sit still and require them to think about what is happening on the page. It takes time for busy parents to sit down and read to their children and to start to show them how letters work together to form words.

These factors, combined with the pandemic, have caused the reading scores in Mount Vernon and Lisbon to go down over the past few years. Surprisingly, reading scores for fourth graders that had gone up to a score of 26 in 2022 (just one point behind the pre-pandemic level of 27) went back down to 23 in 2024. So, besides trying to get struggling and reluctant readers to read, the testing shows that we are still burdened with reaching these kids who missed so much during the pandemic and encouraging them to read.

A group of us in the community want to help with this. We know that the elementary teachers in Mount Vernon and Lisbon do an incredible job teaching students to read and working with them, but some students just need extra time that teachers sometimes aren’t able to give them during the school day. Over time it’s easy for these kids to fall through the cracks. I would encounter 7th grade students in my classes who had major reading issues and I’ve met many adults who are functionally illiterate and have just learned to cope in society.

We will be hosting a Summer Reading Camp July 28 - 31 in the mornings at Cole Library. The camp is designed for students who are struggling with reading or are reluctant readers. There will be a heavy emphasis on reading along with crafts, games, singing, outdoor activities, and more. Summer Reading Camp is free and is for children entering 2nd - 4th Grades in the Fall of 2025. Our group is

made up of former teachers, former camp staff, and others who are eager to help the children of the community. We received our inspiration from Kate Rose who ran a similar camp on a much larger scale at Coe College for many years. Hundreds of children from Cedar Rapids benefited from attending and getting that extra boost with their reading during the summer. Kate passed away a few years ago and we have wanted to honor her legacy by doing something similar in Mount Vernon to help our local kids.

Parents who would like their child to attend Summer Reading Camp can pick up a Registration Form at the Washington Elementary Office or email me at Sherene1968@gmail.com to have a form sent to them. We also need volunteers, so any High School students who would like to help out and earn Volunteer Hours may fill out the Volunteer Registration Form which are at the Mount Vernon High School Office or email me to get a form. We are also looking for donations to help have a successful camp. If you would like to make a financial donation of any amount, please contact me. We are grateful for any contributions the public might want to make to help this endeavor go well and to help to provide books, snacks, craft supplies, and t-shirts for the participants. Whatever we can do to get more kids reading and to love reading, this will be a good thing for our communities. Being literate and understanding the written word will of course help people with day-to-day things, but it will also bring joy and a greater understanding of the world around us. There are many quotes about why reading is important, but here is one by Jacqueline Kennedy that I think is apropos to this discussion: “There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.”

Whatever you do this summer, I hope you will find some time to read. Consider

C. Sherene Hansen Player

Bill Mueller Rural DeWitt

attending the Tuesday Morning Book Club at Cole Library that I coordinate. We have lively discussions and read a wide variety of books. Cole and Lisbon Libraries have excellent programming set up for their Summer Reading Pro-

grams. Look at their schedules and see what will work for you to attend. Perhaps it will work for you your child to attend or volunteer at Summer Reading Camp. Perhaps you are able to donate to our program.

Let’s become a reading community so that our children and teens see more books in the hands of the people around them. Maybe we could spend more time in a book than just reading our phones?

LINN COUNTY NEWS

Memorial Day services

Nathan Countryman

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com

Memorial Day is Monday, May 26, and a number of closures and services will be happening to mark the day.

Mount Vernon Memorial Day

The Memorial Day service at Mount Vernon will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the veterans’ memorial in Mount Vernon Cemetery. There will be no parade this year.

Members of Howard Hahn American Legion post will be selling poppies at local businesses on 17 and 24 May starting at 9 a.m. each day. Poppies will also be available at the ceremony on Memorial Day as well.

Set up for the Avenue of Flags at the cemetery starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 24. Anyone who would like to help is welcome. The Legion will retire the Avenue of flags on Memorial Day at 3 p.m. May 26.

Mount Vernon 2025 graduating senior Natalie Thuerauf will recite the Gettysburg Address and MV’s new Poet Laureate Scott Russell Morris will be presenting his original poem as part of the service.

Inclement weather site will be the MVMS auditorium – weather decision will be made at 8:15 a.m. Memorial Day.

Lisbon Memorial Day

Lisbon’s Memorial Day parade will begin at 10 a.m. from the Lisbon American Legion building and march to the Lisbon Cemetery.

Memorial Day ceremony begins at the cemetery at roughly 10:30 a.m.

Guest speaker for this year’s Memorial Day festivities is Lisbon Elementary principal Justin Brown. The winners of the “What the Flag Means to Me” essay contest from Lisbon Schools will also read their essays as part of the festivities.

Rain location for the ceremony will be Lisbon Schools, and a decision will be made Memorial Day morning if that is moved. The club recently had to launch a new Facebook page and encourages people to follow the new page Lisbon American Legion Cyclops Post 109 for that weather announcement.

Sutliff Bridge Memorial Day Service

Solon American Legion Stinocher Post #460 invites everyone to our Memorial Day Ceremony at Sutliff Bridge, a service performed especially for those lost at sea. The service begins at 6 p.m. at Sutliff Bridge in rural Lisbon area.

Mount Vernon pool

The Mount Vernon pool will not be opening on Memorial Day weekend, but May 31, according to city administrator Chris Nosbisch. There are some minor safety concerns at the pool that need to be addressed this week by contractors making improvements to the pool. “We did have staff and lifeguard training at the pool this past week where some of those items were discovered,” Nosbisch said. • No squirt guns are allowed in the facility for safety reasons

• No life jackets worn in rivers or lakes are allowed in the facility. We do offer lifejackets to check out for free at the front desk if needed.

• No goggles with nose pieces are allowed, we do allow nose plugs as they are easily able to be removed in the event of an emergency.

• No glass allowed in the facility.

• All swimmers wanting to use the diving boards or swim in the deep water must pass the deep end test administered by one of our managers or lifeguards.

Lisbon splash pad

The Lisbon Splash pad will open for the season Tuesday, May 27 (weather pending).

Closures

Mount Vernon and Lisbon City Halls will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday. Lisbon will not have a city council meeting the week of May 26. Trash pick up in Lisbon will be Friday, May 30.

Mount Vernon Bank, Hills Bank, Lisbon Public Library, Cole Public Library, Bridge Community Bank will all be closed for the federal holiday. Most Linn County governmental offices will also be closed on Monday, May 26 in observance of Memorial Day. The following services will continue to operate:

• Juvenile Detention and Diversion Services

• Mental Health Access Center

• The Sheriff’s Office will be closed; however, continuous operations will be available for routine and emergency responses. This includes the Patrol Division, Communications Division and the Correctional Center. In an emergency, always dial 911.

Vehicle registrations can be renewed online at any time at www.iowataxandtags.gov.

All Iowa Department of Transportation business locations will be closed Monday, May 26, in honor of Memorial Day. Iowa DOT driver’s license service centers All Iowa DOT driver’s license service centers will be closed Monday, May 26. The service centers will resume operations Tuesday, May 27, at 8 a.m.

MV local holding book release party May 31

Nathan Countryman

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com

“Everyone has at least 100 pages of stories about their life.”

That’s what Mount Vernon resident David Osterberg believes. Osterberg has finished work on his own memoirs with the help of Bob Campagna, and a book release party will be Saturday, May 31, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Abbe Creek Gallery and Fine Arts.

Osterberg said that the writing process took roughly a year to complete.

“It just felt like time to get some of my life story down,” Osterberg said. “For my nieces and nephews

who live on the West Coast, I may seem like an eccentric uncle.”

And Osterberg focused on keeping the memoirs brief, picking and choosing what memories in his life to focus on to be engaging with readers.

“I know my dad had done his own memoirs with Bob years ago when he was 92, and he had roughly 100 pages of really interesting experiences of how he grew up, his coaching baseball and the like,” Osterberg said. “And then he had 100s of pages of information on all these people he had met and dined with over the years that was less interesting, and I made my mind up then if I ever wrote a memoir, I’d keep it to 100 pages.”

One of the longer stretches in the book was explaining how Iowa passed a mandate that established the renewable energy standard, being the first state in the

First street field survey updates

As Mount Vernon Schools completed a survey of First Street Community Field, the district found that one more property owner has an interest in the property.

The district knew themselves, the Sauter Family, Alliant Energy and the railroad all had a portion of the field, but they also discovered Interstate Power and Light has a stake in the field, and a portion of that easement goes to ITC.

Superintendent Matt Leeman said that now that the survey has been completed, the school’s attorneys will contact the parties to try and resolve the ownership for the claims so the property can be potentially sold.

“A lot of the easements are for hills and ravine area that would make for horrible development conditions for a new property owner,” Leeman said. “It’s not super useful land.”

Traffic study at MV schools completed

The traffic study for the roads around Mount Vernon School was completed the week of May 6 through May 10.

A traffic count will be conducted over the next few months to show where the high traffic areas were and high traffic times for the district.

Superintendent Matt Leeman said that the company had chosen the week of May 6 to have a couple of large events at the school to study the impact those items have on traffic on the school.

Leeman said he expects a presentation will be made in a few months time on recommendations for improvements the school could make, and the school could be eligible for a couple of grants as well during that time frame.

“Some of the solutions could be as simple as staggering start and end times for some of our school buildings to help with traffic flow problems or creation of designated turning lanes,” Leeman said. “The plans will not come with complete plans on those items, however.”

MV schools approves purchase of kitchen equipment

Mount Vernon School kitchens in the high school and middle school will be receiving upgraded items to be installed this summer.

HONORING OUR VETERANS

nation to do so.

“That just felt like it needed that depth to better explain,” Osterberg said.

Osterberg said that working with Campagna on the project also really helped.

“He has great pictures either he has taken or can identify the best of yours to be preserved as well,” Osterberg said. “He’s encouraging throughout the writing process as well.”

Osterberg said the hardest part of the book was deciding what should or should not be included, including how much he wanted to talk about people that were in his life at different points.

“It all comes back to what gives the readers the scope of my life and all I’ve accomplished,” Osterberg said. “I spent sometime hitchhiking around France in my early life, and it’s hard to remember what it was like at times since that was so long ago, but that’s what you try to do in a memoir.”

Osterberg recommends people think about their own life stories and highly recommends working with someone like Campagna to help organize the project.

A tilting skillet/braising pan for $25,908.26, a Combi oven/gas oven for $22,557.41 and a Combi-oven/electric for $19,111.89, plus installation fees of $2,598 will be coming from the nutrition fund.

Superintendent Matt Leeman said the combination ovens will run on steam and either gas or electric, depending on what each kitchen uses. Staff will also help with the installation of the items to save on some costs. The items will be installed after students leave the building but before summer school begins for the district, as the kitchens will need to be used during that time frame.

Spots

Community Band practices

The Mount Vernon Community Band will begin practices Tuesday, May 27, at 7 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Middle School Band Room. Practices will continue on Mondays from then on, with performances at the Memorial Park Gazebo for Tuneful Tuesday concerts at 7:30 p.m. through the month of June. Director Elise Rodenberg said the group is open to any area musicians eighth grade or older.

“We’re also planning to end the season this year with a jazz band again, which was very popular last season,” Rodenberg said.

Another piece Rodenberg is excited for this season is Henry Fillmore’s Lightning Fingers, which will feature Dr. Joe Dieker on the clarinet.

“We also hope to have other featured soloists and groups this summer,” Rodenberg said.

School supply distribution sign-up

Sign-up has begun for Southeast Linn Community Center’s annual School Supply Distribution. Free supplies and backpacks are available to Lisbon and Mount Vernon students, as well as students who attend homeschool or online school in those communities. Pre-registration is required at selinn.org or by calling 319-455-2844. Those who register by Friday, May 30 will be entered into a drawing for a gift card. Final registration deadline is Wednesday, July 9. Distribution will be on Friday, Aug. 8, from 4-6 p.m. at the Lester Buresh Center in Mount Vernon. Community members interested in supporting this event can provide a financial donation, contribute new supplies, or volunteer.

Southeast Linn Community Center (SELCC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit serving Lisbon and Mount Vernon since 1986. SELCC’s mission is ‘together we share.’ SELCC aspires to be a connected community where every person thrives.

Learn with the League Event

The Mount Vernon Lisbon Unit of the League of Women Voters of Linn County will be hosting a “Learn with the League” event Wednesday, May 28, at Mount Vernon City Hall from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The topic will be Mental Health Needs and Resources in Small Town and Rural Iowa.

The speaker will be Aubrey McEnroe. McEnroe is a PhD candidate at the University of Iowa. She is passionate about mental health care and accessible services in rural and small town Iowa.

“Mental health care should not be a luxury,” she says. “It should be a fundamental right.”

After graduation McEnroe will return to her hometown of Algona to farm with her father and establish a mental health practice.

Join the conversation to learn more about the mental health needs of our community and what we can do to support this important issue.

Let’s get together to learn, advocate and meet others who believe in the power of voters!

Lisbon Water Quality Report

Lisbon’s water quality report for 2024 is now available at City Hall, on the city Facebook page, the city website and at iowaccr.org/lisbon.

Mount Vernon businesses, farms featured on television programs

Iron Leaf Press and Kroul Farms will be featured on different television programs in the coming weeks.

Iron Leaf Press will be featured on the PBS Iowa Road Trip series. The episode originally aired Wednesday, May 21, at 6:30 p.m. and can be caught again Saturday, May 24 at 9 a.m. on local PBS stations. The episode will then air online on PBS services.

Kroul Farms will be featured on the Farms of America episode 1 airing on Cowboy Channel May 26 at 6 p.m. The episode will also later air on RFD-TV later in June. The episode, as Kroul Farms noted in a Facebook post, was a sun up to sun down feature of the farm for a week last fall.

University of Saint Mary spring 2025 dean’s list

Sydney Jones of Mount Vernon was named to the University of Saint Mary spring 2025 dean’s list. Students must have a GPA of 3.5 or above to be named to the list.

Coe College spring 2025 dean’s list

Evan Brase and Henry Ryan of Mount Vernon were named to the Coe College spring 2025 dean’s list. Stu dents must have a GPA of 3.5 or above to be named to the list.

Mount Vernon student presents at Midwestern Psychological Association Conference

Owen Brase of Mount Vernon was one of 24 Central College psychology students and recent alumni who pre sented research at the annual Midwestern Psychological Association, April 9-12, in Chicago. Brase, a class of 2026 psychology major, presented Do Prototypes Impact the Way Mental Health Professionals Perceive a Depressed Patient?.

The annual conference brings together students, scholars, practitioners and professionals to share their research and connect with psychological scientists from across the Midwest and the world. Central encourages students to participate and gain valuable career-building skills and knowledge.

Central College spring 2025 graduates

A number of local residents were among the 249 gradu ates from Central College May 10. Those locals included: Lisbon - Cole Clark, bachelors degree cum laude major ing in business management.

Allyssa Jubeck, bachelors degree majoring in elemen tary education.

Mount Vernon - Brady Ketchum, bachelors degree majoring in business management.

Aidan Nosek, bachelors degree majoring in economics and business management.

Kayden Pendergrass, bachelors degree majoring in business management.

Collin Swantz, bachelors degree majoring in business management.

Belmont University spring 2025 dean’s list

Katherine Barr of Lisbon and Ashlee Elliott of Mount Vernon were named to the Belmont University spring 2025 dean’s list. Students must have a GPA of 3.5 or above to be named to the list.

Cole Corner

Cathy Boggs Cole Library

Yarn Club taking

Yarn Squad is taking a break for the summer. If you have it on your calendar you will need to move the date to Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m. when we will begin

If you are needing project support, I will be at the library this summer on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Cole Library also has a wide range of knitting and

Thursday, May 22: 8am-4pm

Mount Vernon Trailblazers 4-H

The Mount Vernon Trailblazers held their monthly meeting Sunday, May 4, at the Stoner Farm. The meeting was preceded by our annual ditch walk, picking up trash on our two and a half mile stretch of Springville blacktop. Then after that, we headed over to the Stoner Farm for our meeting where we discussed that the fair was coming quickly and that we should get our static projects going, if not already started. After the meeting was over three club members also gave a presentation on how to groom and take care of a donkey for show preparation. Our next meeting will be held at the Mount Vernon Fire Department on June 8 after our annual farm tour.

May 12 – Car unlock, 300 blk Seventh St NE

May 12 – Agency assist- accident, Linn Co

May 12 – Fire, 600 blk Eighth St NW, Mount Vernon

May 12 – Agency assist- suspicious person, Linn Co

May 13 – Disturbance, 100 E. Fourth Ave, Lisbon

May 13 – Alarm, Glenn St, Mount Vernon

May 14 – Trespassing, N First Ave, Mount Vernon

TTT Chapter EW

Jacob Stewart Club

May 14 –Disturbance, 1200 blk business 30, Mount Vernon

reporter

The Mount Vernon/Lisbon TTT Chapter met May 12th at Mount Vernon Methodist Church. Prior to our regular meeting we hosted three local girls and their parents for a camp prep party. The girls opened gifts containing all the supplies they will need to take with them to Camp Bear Creek in June. Ice cream bars and cookies were served. President Sonia Redmond called the meeting to order with 11 members present. The Chapter is presenting scholarships to two past campers who are graduating high school this spring. One graduate from Lisbon and one from Mount Vernon. We set a date to take the current campers shopping before school starts in the fall. Our next chapter meeting will be held Sept. 8.

Mary Wagner Club secretary

May 15 – Agency assist, 600 blk Truman St, Lisbon

May 15 – Agency assist- medical, 200 blk Seventh St SE, Mount Vernon

May 15 – Medical, 200 blk School St, Lisbon

May 15 – Alarm, 700 blk S. First Ave, Mount Vernon

May 15 – Motorist assist, Virgil Ave, Mount Vernon

May 15 – Trespassing, 300 blk business 30 SW, Mount Vernon

May 15 – Accident, Hillview Dr, Mount Vernon

May 15 – Disturbance, 100 blk E. Fourth Ave, Lisbon

May 16 – Medical, 600 blk First St SW, Mount Vernon

May 16 – Medical, 300 blk W. Market St, Lisbon

May 17 – Medical, 200 blk W. School St, Lisbon

May 17 – Alarm, 900 blk Commercial St, Lisbon

May 17 – Medical, 400 blk N. Jackson St, Lisbon

May 17 – Disturbance, 200 blk Seventh St SE, Mount Vernon

May 17 – Car unlock, 400 blk Third Ave NW, Mount Vernon

May 17 – Car unlock, 200 blk S. Jackson St, Lisbon

May 17 – Suspicious vehicle, E. Cass St, Mount Vernon

May

May

CLUB NOTES

POLICE CALLS

Linn County Planning & Zoning Commission discussing zoning code updates related to nuclear energy

The Linn County Planning & Zoning Commission held a meeting Monday, May 19, to discuss proposed zoning regulations for nuclear energy generation and nuclear waste storage facilities in Linn County. There will be opportunities for public comment during this meeting. This is the first public discussion of a draft zoning code that would establish local standards for reviewing land use proposals involving nuclear power or waste storage. The Planning & Zoning Commission will make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors at a future meeting.

The proposed zoning code outline application requirements, review procedures, and community protections such as economic development impacts and emergency response planning.

“While the safety of nuclear materials is regulated at the federal level, Linn County has a responsibility to ensure any proposed land use aligns with our Comprehensive Plan and addresses community impacts,” said planning & development director Charlie Nichols. “We encourage residents to come learn more, ask questions, and share their perspectives.”

Linn County values resident and stakeholder engagement. Residents unable to attend the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting on May 19 are invited to watch a recording of the meeting on the Linn County website and send their feedback, questions, or concerns to Charlie Nichols by email at Charlie.Nichols@LinnCountyIowa.gov. The feedback received will be presented to the Planning & Zoning Commission at their next meeting on June 16.

The Board of Supervisors will review the proposed zoning code at a future public meeting. The date for the Board of Supervisors meeting(s) has not been set. The Board of Supervisors has the final decision on zoning regulations for nuclear energy generation and nuclear waste storage facilities in unincorporated Linn County.

Sign up to be notified of future Planning & Zoning Commission or Board of Supervisor meetings and agendas once they are scheduled by visiting the Agenda & Minutes page on the Linn County website.

Linn County Secondary Road Department herbicide applications to begin May 19

Starting May 19, the Linn County Secondary Road Department will begin conducting roadside spot herbicide application for noxious weeds, brush, and bare-ground treatment. The project is expected to run through mid-September. Brush application will take place in District 4, which includes the following townships: Grant, Jackson, Maine, Otter Creek, Spring Grove, and Washington.

View a map of the Linn County Secondary Road Department Districts and Linn County townships on our website.

Bare-ground herbicide applications will take place throughout the county at all bridges and guardrails on secondary roads.

Such treatments may contain the herbicide Milestone whose label contains restrictions for haying. Before haying in the County right-of-way, consult the herbicide label and contact the Linn County Secondary Road Department for more information.

All Linn County Secondary Road Department employees conducting spraying are trained and certified in strict conformance with the State of Iowa’s requirements and the manufacturer’s recommendations. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and herbicide product information sheets are available upon request by contacting Megan Huck at 319892-6424 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-3 p.m.

Linn County seeks two Veteran Affairs Commission members

The Linn County Board of Supervisors is seeking Linn County residents interested in volunteering to serve on the Linn County Veteran Affairs Commission. There are two vacant seats for terms ending June 30, 2028. The commission establishes the eligibility for assistance, claims and denials, and provides guidance to the Linn County Veteran Services staff.

Commission members must be an honorably discharged veteran, a resident of Linn County, and meet the definition of “veteran” according to Iowa Code, Chapter 35.1. The five-member commission must be represented by all branches of service, to the greatest extent possible. The commission is currently comprised of veterans from the Army and Air Force. All branches of service will be considered for appointment to the commission and the nominee may be of either gender.

Serving on a volunteer commission is an excellent opportunity for Linn County residents to get involved with their local County government.

Linn County residents interested in being considered for an appointment to fill the vacancy on the Linn County Veteran Affairs Commission must submit an online application through Linn County’s website LinnCountyIowa.gov or call the Board of Supervisors Office at 319-892-5000 to request a paper copy of the application. Applications are due by May 27, 2025, at 5 p.m. The Veteran Affairs Commission meets on the second Wednesday of each month from noon-1 p.m. in Cedar Rapids. Members may serve two consecutive three-year terms.

Mowing roadside vegetation prohibited until July 15 to protect roadside habitats

The Linn County Secondary Road Department and the Linn County Conservation Department remind county residents that state law prohibits mowing roadside vegetation in the rights-of-way or medians on any primary highway, interstate highway, or secondary road before July 15.

This law protects roadside habitats for nesting game birds, songbirds, and other ground-nesting birds in the spring and early summer until they are ready to fledge. The law also protects habitats for pollinators and other beneficial insects, including crop-pest predators.

Exceptions for visibility and weed control are built into the law, but non-essential mowing – including cutting for hay – is prohibited.

Iowa Code 314.17 states:

Mowing roadside vegetation on the rights-of-way or medians on any primary highway, interstate highway, or secondary road before July 15 is prohibited, except as follows:

• Within 200 yards of an inhabited dwelling

• On the right-of-way within one mile of the corporate limits of a city

• To promote native species of vegetation or other long-lived and adaptable vegetation

• To establish control of damaging insect populations, noxious weeds and invasive plant species

• For visibility and safety reasons

• Within rest areas, weigh stations and wayside parks

• Within 50 feet of drainage tile or tile intake

• For access to a mailbox or for other accessibility purposes

• On right-of-way adjacent agricultural demonstration or research plots

Iowa’s roadsides provide a valuable refuge for wildlife. The mowing law serves as a reminder to only mow shoulders during the critical nesting season and leave the rest of the roadside for the birds.

For more information, a brochure called Iowa’s Mowing Law for Roadsides, is available at: tallgrassprairiecenter.org/ irvm-brochures.

Promotions, job changes at Mount Vernon Bank and Trust

One employee has taken on new duties and another is shifting positions at Mount Vernon Bank & Trust Company.

Melissa Kahl, who has been with the bank since 2012, will now manage the bank’s compliance program in addition to her dayto-day management of teller operations.

Briauna Jordan, in her eighth year at the bank, has been named a new customer service representative.

In addition to Kahl’s new duties, she’s been promoted to Assistant Vice President.

“Melissa was promoted to bank officer in 2020 and continues to impress in all areas of the bank,” said bank president Dave Ryan. “She is a team

player and greets both customers and staff alike with outstanding professionalism and service. I look forward to Melissa’s leadership and growth in the ever changing landscape of bank compliance.”

Kahl resides in Lisbon with her husband, Kerry, and children, Kamryn (17) and Klayton (14).

Jordan started at the bank as a teller, and in recent years grew her skills in the loan administration department. That job includes answering customer phone calls and assisting them at the loan counter.

“Briauna is a natural fit as a customer service representative,” said senior vice president Jake Krob. “With her can-do attitude and general knowledge of bank products and services, she’s been assisting customers by phone and in person for many years. We are excited to see her expand her skills and help customers in new ways.” Jordan is a Mount Vernon native who now lives in Anamosa.

Jordan Kahl

WETAP celebrates conclusion of another school year

Nathan Countryman Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun

nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com

Strong winds couldn’t keep the Washington Elementary Teachers and Parents End of Year party from happening.

Organizers just went to the back-up plan – moving the inflatables in doors, and shifting vendors and emergency vehicles to the Washington Elementary parking lot. The first year of the year-end party event it was a helicopter landing. Last year, it was llamas. This year, it was the foam cannon.

Light rain rolled into the area on top of the winds at roughly 6:30 p.m., but the event was slated to run until 8 p.m.

Popcorn, popsicles, raffles and more were among the

items that were at the event as well, and vendors including two food trucks and Bass Farms Ice Cream wagon were at the event.

Kate Neville, vice-president of Washington Elementary Teachers and Parents, said with the weather conditions, they had to cancel a landing by the AirCare helicopter this year, but children around her were still excited about the events that were held in the event.

Bottom left: The foam cannon was one of the new events this year, which was moved to the east side of Washington Elementary instead of the middle of the track. Bottom right: Two Washington Elementary students play around on the rear entrance of the Lisbon-Mount Vernon Ambulance at the Year End Party event during a tour of the vehicle .Left: Lisbon-Mount Vernon Ambulance Service EMT Cora Wheeler brought cuteness overload with her to the event with her puppy to help attract a bunch of youth early on.

Photos by Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun

MV working on Mustang Activity Complex team room building

Nathan Countryman Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com

The Mount Vernon School will work at completing the construction of the Mustang Activity Complex team room building this summer.

Mount Vernon activities director Matt Thede said the building was one of the items that was cut from the Mustang Activity Complex early on in the building of the center due to costs.

“We still stubbed in the appropriate utilities for the building when we constructed the complex, they’re just capped and in the ground,” Thede said.

The project moved forward after Thede and Brad Meester visited about the project earlier this year and presented it to the Mount Vernon Booster Clubs.

“At that meeting, we were already sitting at $200,000 in donations,” Thede said. “That was half of the cost of the project right there.”

Thede said the goal this summer is to get the shell and cement work done for the building, and work on other phases, including the different rooms in the building in future phases.

Aside from two team rooms, one for the home team and one for visiting teams, the center will allow for more

Online reservations

storage at the center, a golf simulator for golf students, and an area for the band gear to be stored closer to the complex.

Thede said the estimated cost for the project was $290,000, but they had donations for some of the concrete work and other work that trimmed from the project.

“We have the cash in hand to build the team building, and will try to do the fundraising for some of the interior spaces,” Thede said.

The goal is to have the concrete poured and then the exterior walls of the structure in by July of this year. They were looking to put the concrete in before a roof was added to save on costs of the project.

“Even if all the rooms aren’t quite finished, athletes will be able to use the team rooms this fall,” Thede said.

The team room building will be roughly 5,000 square feet.

During discussion by the school board, board member Jason Clark asked if there was any plan on how it would be cleaned.

Thede said that this might be a full two years out before it has all the items for a locker room completed, and that athletes would be responsible for cleaning it up.

Superintendent Matt Leeman said that when this is completed, there will possibly need to be discussion on

now accepted for new campground and cabins at Pinicon

Ridge Park

Newest park additions will open for use June 12

The Linn County Conservation Department has announced the new Firefly Campground along with Coneflower and Ridgewood Cabins at Pinicon Ridge Park by Central City will open for use June 12. Online reservations are now being accepted. These projects, located along the new Firefly Road within the park at the North Access west of Highway 13, has been under construction the past two years.

The 2015 Pinicon Ridge Park Master Plan originally outlined a campground and cabin project. “Camping has been consistently identified as a priority in parks due to growing public interest in outdoor experiences and nature-based tourism,” said Linn County Conservation Executive Director Dennis Goemaat. “This latest park development helps fulfill community and visitor demands for additional and upgraded camping opportunities in these natural settings. As these outdoor recreational trends evolve, parks continue to experience a significant increase in visitors,” said Goemaat.

The new Firefly Campground is the only online reservation-only campground at Pinicon Ridge Park. 32 new campsites on concrete pads feature full hook-ups (water, electricity, and sewer) at $40 a night: two-night minimum. A new

restroom/showerhouse building with four separate rooms has been added to the campground. A new playground is currently under construction and tentatively scheduled for use upon the campground opening. Two new group camps near these campsites will open at a later date. Flying Squirrel and Plains Campgrounds continue to be first come-first served at the park.

Two new wood-framed all-season cabins, Coneflower and Ridgewood, are located just west of Firefly Campground on the bluff near the Wapsipinicon

River. Features include four bedrooms (including bunk beds), bathrooms with showers, kitchen, a recreation room, a walkout basement, patio, grill,

and fire pit. These cabins will accommodate 10-12 persons at $250 a night (two-night minimum or three-night minimum on holiday weekends) or $1,500 for a week-long stay. Reservations and more about facility rentals can be found by visiting the Facility Rentals page at LinnCountyIowa.gov/Conservation (which links to the MyCountyParks.com website used for reservations).

The $4 Million campground and cabin project is funded in part by the Linn County Water and Land Legacy Bond. In 2016, Linn County voters approved a

hiring an additional maintenance staff member to the high school, as the Performing Arts Center and Mustang Activity Complex have added to the workload of staff and are constantly busy.

The Mount Vernon Booster Club will pay the school back for expenses incurred during construction, but the project is hoped to begin still this spring.

Contributed photos

An exterior artist’s rendering of the Mustang Activities Complex Team Building that will begin construction this summer. The team building will be located to the east off the concession stands at the Mustang Athletics Complex, and house space for the home team and visiting team to hold meetings, as well as additional storage for the complex.

$40 Million bond issue to support water quality initiatives, park improvements, and trail development.

To learn more about Linn County Conservation

camping opportunities, rules and regulations, and prices and fees, visit the Camping page at LinnCountyIowa.gov/ Conservation.

Congratulations MOUNT VERNON HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2025

Pictured

Calista Urmie

Caitlyn Boren

Cole Thurn

Cayden Noehl

Colin Thornton

Charlotte Hand

Cora Campanelli

Cana Safo

Colin Bentley

Cayden Scheil

Cooper Hird

Chloe Meester

Cyrus Cannon

Clare Nydegger

Cyrus Johnson

Aaron Bellamy

Aly Lashley

Bella Hasley

Abigal Moss

Annah Schultz

Bennett Harp

Adrian Buchanan

Anthony McDermott

Brandy Hills

Abbie Babcock

Andrew Barnes Ben Slauson

Adam Zehms

Annaleaha Daugherty

Betsy Louwagie

Aundrea Luerkens

Brody Nosek

Alimantou Cisse

Aylinn Feddersen

Brynlee Dudrey

Dylan Robinson

David Hultquist Dominic Kocher

Ean Grudzinski

Effie Johnson Elisha Koster

Elizabeth Morf Ellia Oesterie

Elivia Shebetka

Emmett Jordan Elsie Owen

Isabella Stimmel Jack Simmons

Graham Vavrice Gunner Fishler Hailey Bock

Grace Dehmer Grady Olberding

Gabriel Mahoney Gabriel Portillo

Gabrielle Quiroutte Garet Swartzendruber Gavin Plathe

Ethan Wood Ezra Von Essen Chapman

Eryn Jackson Ethan Hunt

Emrie Johnson Erik Lamb

Josiah Recalde

Jaden Rolland

Jake Haugse

Jake Hartman Jaks Lee Joe Breiesemeister

Kaleb Coon

Kara Swantz

Kael Riniker

Kaleb Jones

Katherine Bauer Kennedy Gracey Lacey Durgin Laney Myers

Lauren Hepker

Lily Amthauer

Libby Dix

Leo Smejkal

Natalie Thuerauf

Nicholas Alles

Marquez Ireland

Nathan Hansen

Noah Boerner

Megan Teague Molly Bany

Lincoln Alles

Mallory Kaiser

Luke Paulus

Margaret Dye

Lily Torres-Moffit

Noah Webster Nolan Davis Nova Lane Olivia Haverback

Payton Woodland Paige Schurbon

Reid Rolland Penelope Vig

Renee Vig Saevil Brazee Sage Robards Sam Schoff

Seamus O'Connor

Selah Loyd

Sarabell Steil Sarah Esbaum Sarah Sharif

Shelton Poteat II

Skyler Rodman Sydney Huber Simon Gillespie

Tatum Meyer Tyler Williams Sydney Maue

Zara Larsen

Violet Olinger Vivian Andrews Watson Krob

Zaine Brus

William Stevenson

Wylie Lange

Addie Clark

Asher Schroeder

Aidan Winders

Brianna Turkington

Aislin Andrews

Caleb Snyder

Addison Mullis

Blake Youngblut

Aiden Morrill

Brynn Epperly

Alyse Jeffrey Andrew Santis

Christopher Ricke

Daniela Padilla Toro Devin O'Brien

Dakota Clark Daylin Schaefer

Ella Farrington

Ethan Block Ethan Hoekstra

Gage Holub Evan Coleman

Carter Oakley Cayden Beatty

Kayla Happel

Kaitlynn Hasselbusch Kasey Nevins

Kaitlyn Kulper

Keira Bergmann Keegan Backes

Kayla Ries

Kolsie Bixler

Gretchen Moehlman Grayson Wollum Hayden Jackson Hunter Ford Jackson Powers Kael Chappell Jensen Nost Jacob Walerius

Laura Brade Lillian Gaiser Luca Capron

Madelyn Kulper

Tyler Sauser

Sarah Dietsch

Wesley Sadler Tiernan Boots

Savannah Valdez

Quinn Coleman Riley Stone Rachel Bartels

Payton Hansen Madison Kruse

Madison Flockhart

Presley Studt

Stipend offered for website coordinator position at Lisbon

Lisbon Schools will be offering a stipend for someone to make updates to the Lisbon Schools website moving forward.

Superintendent Autumn Pino said posting information to the website was a frustration during the recent physical plant and equipment levy vote.

There are also references on the site to people like the late Roger Teeling or former activities director Eric Ries that need to be cleared up.

“Part of that will be doing an audit of places where names are used on the website, so if we need to make changes in the future, we know where all references to a person’s name are and can make them easier,” Pino said.

Pino said she expects the job to be more front loaded in terms of the hours needed to work on the website, and was anticipating 6 to 8 hours a week at $15 per hour as the salary range for the position.

The district does not have anyone in mind for the position at the moment.

Lisbon administrators pleased with ISASP results

Lisbon high school principal Jack Leighty and Lisbon elementary principal Justin Brown were pleased with the results for the recent Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress results for the district.

At the high school level, Leighty said the district was targeted due to special education growth in different skills on the test.

Leighty said that they did a few things this year to help address that issue moving forward.

The district also had goals of having 80 percent proficiency in math and ELA.

In ELA, students were 88 percent proficient this year and math was 81 percent proficient.

Leighty said as well that seeing juniors scores staying even with scores from last year was a win.

“You usually see those scores drop for some reason in that junior year,” Leighty said.

The district showed growth of learning in every grade level this year on the ELA side.

Brown said at elementary, the magic number for them to hit was 80 percent as well.

In ELA, the elementary was at 78 percent proficient this year, which was even with scores from last year.

“We have been working with new curriculum at the elementary in language arts, so this may be just looking at where the curriculum is weak at the moment,” Brown said.

In math scores, Lisbon Elementary improved scores by 11 percent and were 86 percent proficient overall.

Lisbon approves bus purchase from Solon

Nathan Countryman

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com

Lisbon approved purchasing a used school bus from Solon.

Superintendent Autumn Pino said the bus was in good condition and would be usable for the next three to five years.

“Solon is even willing to wait to make the sale official July 1 if we needed to wait for the new fiscal year for the purchase,” Pino said.

Pino said that the deal was extremely reasonable to the point of being outlandish.

Board member John Baker said that the Lisbon fleet is currently seven buses.

“We know we’re under what we need for the number of activities we’re involved in,” Baker said.

With this purchase, the oldest bus in the fleet would be a 2010 bus that may have another year or two of service on it.

Pino said having a bus in good condition comes in handy for the fleet, in case of mechanical issues on other buses in the fleet, too.

Lisbon evaluates if time to move athletic conferences

Any move would take effect 202627 school year

Nathan Countryman

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com

The Lisbon School Board began a discussion about possibly changing athletic conferences from the Tri-Rivers Conference to the River Valley Conference.

Brandon Horman, Lisbon middle school activities director, said he and Dylan Hastings, high school activities director, had started evaluating if it was possibly time to switch conferences this year.

“It comes back to making sure our students have the opportunities to succeed,” Horman said.

Horman said that they looked not only at athletics events in each conference, but also in arts events in both conferences.

Lisbon has very strong numbers in the junior high end of sports competitions, with nearly 80 percent of seventh through 12th grade students involved in at least one activity.

“If you were to include band or choir in those numbers, they’re even higher,” Horman said.

The issue for Lisbon is that many of the other schools in the Tri-Rivers Conference do not have the numbers to field a junior high team.

“When it comes to something like junior high basketball, we may have 16 kids out and another team only has seven kids out for the sport,” Horman said. “You get two or three kids out sick in those situations, it leads to a canceled game from the other team, as they can’t field a team.”

When Horman and Hastings were evaluating conferences nearby, they were looking at conferences that would be similar in size to Lisbon. That’s why they

Lisbon getting ready for many summer events

Ella McEntaffer For the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun

LISBON — The City Council and staff are working at full speed ahead and ready for all the summer events across the community.

This was the Lisbon City Council’s last meeting until June 9, if no pressing issues arise, as Memorial Day falls on the next regularly scheduled Monday meeting date.

In terms of public safety, there have been a few updates from varying departments this week. The Police department moved the speed trailer from East Main Street to West Main Street, which temporary-interim police chief Jason Blink hopes will “alleviate some of that speed traffic that goes through there.”

The Fire Department 409 vehicle is now in service as of this past week. Public works director Travis Bagby is going to be transiting the old 409 into a public works department vehicle.

Bagby will also be replacing shelves at the Lisbon Public Library, following the conclusion of the summer reading program. The library will likely be closed for a week or two to allow for the completion of renovations.

EMS director Jacob Lindauer said that they have been pretty busy over in the ambulance department, and have been responding to lots of calls in early May.

“May is usually a bit of a lull for us,” said Lindauer. “But we’ve been running pretty hard.”

City administrator Brandon Siggins also would like residents to be aware of the gas main project that is coming up, saying that letters have been sent out by Alliant Energy to homeowners who will be impacted by the work. Gas mains in alleys will be moved to the front of properties, Alliant Energy will be coming by to do sewer inspections.

“They will need to knock on your door and schedule a time to meet with them,” said Siggins. “This will be a pretty extensive project.”

landed on the River Valley Conference. Sizes of many of the schools are comparable.

“Their junior high teams have enough enrollment to offer full football games for our middle school and junior varsity teams,” Horman said.

The trade-off for Lisbon will be going from the big fish in the Tri-Rivers Conference to being one of the schools on the smaller side in the River Valley Conference.

Horman said that Lisbon’s numbers for classification will be around Class 1A for some boys’ sports for the next few years as one of the smallest classes of eighth graders moves up to high school level next year, but the classes behind that one are larger and will eventually push sports to be classified as Class 2A. The girls have been playing at Class 2A in many of their sports this season.

“We’re one of the largest 1A track teams and largest 1A baseball teams on the boys side,” Horman said.

A switch to the River Valley Conference would be making a commitment to the Class 2A experience in athletics for Lisbon.

Superintendent Autumn Pino said that in her conversations with parents, one of the issues is while Lisbon dominates in most of the season, because they are facing some smaller schools in their conference, they aren’t as prepared for post-season play in some sports.

Horman said most of the coaches feel positively about the move, if the district were to make it, that they feel ready to compete wherever they can.

Board member Allan Mallie said the district is very unusual when it comes to enrollment in girls sports.

“We have such a high turnout to be part of our teams, that some of these girls turnout for the teams, but don’t get a chance to play more than once per season,” Mallie said. “We want everyone to have the opportunity to participate, not just practice and not have the opportunity to play.”

Horman said that they have scheduled some of the games they can right now with the River Valley Schools.

A meeting with the public will be scheduled in the next two to three weeks for an opportunity to weigh in on the decision.

Lisbon has been invited to join the River Valley Conference in the past, so Horman and Pino are certain they may be accepted if they were to switch conferences. The matter would need to come to a vote this summer or fall to give the conferences time to get schedules ready for the next school year.

From the parks and recreation department, Drayton Kamberling has been hard at work getting started on switching over to the summer events, especially with the recent conclusion of the soccer program for the season.

“We will transition into our summer programs,” said Kamberling. “Everything has been turned over to the school for their baseball and softball seasons.”

The fields aren’t the only area that has been paid lots of attention these past few weeks, but the parks and grass themselves as well, with Kamberling saying parks and recreation has been “busy mowing and weed eating, trying to get the parks cleaned up.”

However, an issue brought to light at the meeting is parking at the new Lisbon Sports Complex, with mayor Doug O’Connor saying that there isn’t nearly enough space in the parking lot. This is an issue that Kamberling and Siggins have recently discussed at length, following the opening of the complex.

“We’re going to have to figure something out,” Siggins said. “We’ve got people parking all over the place.”

Besides the parking lot, there is street parking available to the sport complex visitors, however it is limited.

The Lisbon Public Library is in need of a new librarian or library assistant, and there currently has been eight applications submitted. The hourly wage has also be increased from $18 to $20, which fits into the current city budget.

“I think we will be able to hire a really good librarian,” said library director Elizabeth Hoover de Galvez, and added that they hope to expand the reach of the children’s programs.

On that note, the summer reading program will kick-off Wednesday, May 28. There will be smores, a storyteller, and the bank will be providing free t-shirts. Kamberling will also be building a firepit for the event.

Dog Tales will continue Wednesday, May 21, and be held once a month through August. Children can drop in between 4 and 4:30 pm to read with Tilly, practicing their reading fluency and confidence in a fun and easy environment. Check the library’s calendar for future dates.

And if residents are looking for an opportunity to purchase some new reading materials, the June 14 Second Saturday event will feature a large book sale.

“People can come in a get a whole bag of books for $5,” said Hoover de Galvez.

There were also be live music, a guest speaker, and a cooking demonstration on Saturday, June 14, with many more fun summer events in the works across the community.

“As life throws you curveballs, you’ll take what you learned here to know when to hit them out of the park,” Sadler said.

Ellen Johanns was elected speaker of the class of 2025.

She used the potential walk-up music that she might have been expected to play as a point for her speech.

“In life, you have to be ready to expect the unexpected,” Johanns said.

Johanns then went through a bit of her memories of each of the members of the class of 2025 from her time with them in classrooms throughout the year.

She also adapted the seven pieces of advice Polonious gives his son Laertes in Hamlet into more modern lingo to try and connect with students in a new way from the work.

Johanns recounted that when she had graduated high school, she had been on a different major and possible career path originally, and she eventually found herself leaning to teaching English and language arts, which also introduced her to many of her friends whose own career paths differ from what they originally planned to major.

“When you get to that place where life has thrown you a pivot or unexpected result, like not getting the career, kid or relationship you expected, be glad for where those pivots eventually takes you as well,” Johanns said.

Above: Lisbon graduates listen to the speeches Sunday, May 18.

Right: Ellen Johanns delivers her speech Sunday, May 18.

Above: Andrew Santis plays the cymbals in the band’s piece during graduation.

Below: Wesley Sadler delivers the class valedictorian speech.

Photos by Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun

Below left: Lisbon seniors Kayla Happel, Rachel Bartels, Kaitlynn Hasselbusch and Aislin Andrews sing “We’ll Meet Again” with the Lisbon choir. Below center: Sarah Dietsch collects a blue delphinium from Kyla Kahl. Below right: Lisbon graduates Rachel Bartles, Caden Beatty and Keira Bergmann look at one of the cards handed out by Ellen Johanns to graduates with personalized messages to students.

Lisbon graduates walk to seek out their loved ones and deliver the class flower, the blue delphinium, to them near the end of the commencement ceremony.

Lisbon variety show held

Nathan Countryman

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com

Recorders, solos, skits and music were on the program for the Lisbon Schools variety show Wednesday, May 14.

The program kicked off with the fourth grade choir performing “Do Re Mi” from the musical “The Sound of Music.”

Fourth graders than gave a concert on recorders, including “Hot Cross Buns,” Gently Sleep, “Merrily We Roll,” and “Eye of the Tiger.” Fourth grader Gabe Resor also performed a recorder solo to “Joyful Joyful.”

Fifth graders presented “Try Everything” by Shakira, “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons and “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John.

Sixth graders had an opportunity to present variety acts as part of their part of the show, with “If I were a Fish,” “The Duck Song,” “Record Player” and “Wellerman” being some of the musical highlights.

The sixth grade choir performed “Riptide” by Vance Joy and “Life is a Highway” by Rascall Flatts.

Challenges facing SELCC with funding reductions

Nathan Countryman Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com

Nicole McAlexander of Southeast Linn Community Center presented some of the challenges facing the agency at the Voices United of Rural Linn County meeting Wednesday, May 14.

McAlexander said that April was the busiest month of SELCC’s food pantry to date, seeing 30 percent more usage this April than last April.

The organization’s crisis fund was budgeted for $9,000 this fiscal year, and they have spent more than $16,000 in aid.

McAlexander said there’s a lot of fear and uncertainty on what is going to be happening in the future. She recounted one phone call she had with a Meals on Wheels recipient worried about that program ending.

“I couldn’t tell her that Meals on Wheels wouldn’t stop, because that might happen,” McAlexander said. “But I let her know that we would find a way to keep giving food to those who need it.”

The reduction in funding from the USDA has impacted local food pantries. There is no funding for senior citizens to utilize at local farmers markets for fresh produce.

“The uncertainty makes it so hard to plan for things in the next year,” McAlexander said.

Part of that worry is the ability for the executive branch to remove non-profit status from organizations with no reason. McAlexander said the organization also has had to evaluate some partnerships they’ve had in the past that may compromise the organization’s values.

“As we’ve seen more cuts to federal funding, we’ve seen grants also get far more competitive as more organizations are trying for the same pools of money,” McAlexander said.

The one that is currently keeping her up at night are the possible cuts or changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“Our funding for SNAP is already inadequate to the amount of need, and they’re proposing an additional 290 billion in cuts to the program,” McAlexander said. “Any time that is cut, we see our usage skyrocket.”

The increased requirements for those who receive SNAP benefits just provides more hoops to jump through and further stigmatizes the users.

Despite all these challenges, though, McAlexander said she is empowered by the Mount Vernon and Lisbon community who are there to help the organization’s many needs.

This summer, thanks to grants that SELCC received, they will be offering free lunches in the communities of Mount Vernon and Lisbon. Mount Vernon United Methodist Church will host lunches on Mondays, SELCC will host Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and First Presbyterian Church of Mount Vernon will host lunches on Fridays.

“We received more than we asked for from some of those grants, which rarely happens,” McAlexander said. “We also have had people sign up to volunteer to fill those shifts very quickly.”

One of the things that McAlexander was also pointing to a point of pride was a recent survey on the food pantry usage. For 75 percent of those who responded, why they chose the food pantry was because of how they felt whenever they visited, that staff was welcoming and not judging them for the situation they were in, but provided what they needed.

That goes to SELCC’s mission statement “Together We Share.”

“The organization is somewhere people come for help and hope,” McAlexander said.

McAlexander said more than 11 percent of the population of Lisbon and Mount Vernon rely on the food pantry. If people want to know how to help SELCC, McAlexander recommends volunteering your time, making donations, helping to advocate for policies that help the organization or financial contributions.

The

Voices

next

United of Rural Linn County event is Wednesday, May 28, from 5-7 p.m. at Whitey’s Bar and Grill in Lisbon.

Photos by Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun

Above: Lisbon’s sixth grade singers use colorful ribbons during “Riptide” to accent their singing. Left: The fourth graders perform a medley of songs on recorders. Below: Avah Cook-Vawter and Aubrey Sporrrer perform a solo in “Try Everything.”

Far left top: Lisbon fifth graders Eli Boesenberg, Andrew reed, Amy Macke and Trudy Biderman play bucket drums during “Try Everything” by Shakira. Far left bottom:Ella Macke, Talia Hartelt and Addie Brown perform “If I Were a Fish.” Center top:Sophia Gogel, Rosalie Kleinmeyer, Wrenlie Bixler, Kenley Siggins and Talia Hartelt performed an SNL skit at the variety show. Center bottom: Fifth grade singers perform “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons.

Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun Nicole McAlexander presents about the funding challenges facing Southeast Linn Community Center with federal budget cuts.

CHURCHES

CALENDAR & PUZZLES

MOUNT VERNON

St. Paul Lutheran Church L.C.M.S.

600 Fifth Avenue South

Pastor: Rev. Sean Hansen www.splcmv.org; send e-mail to info@splcmv.org

Sun.: 9:30 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. Andrew Awotwe-Mensah, parish priest Sun.: 8 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.umcmv.com

Sun.: 8:30 a.m. Praise Worship

11 a.m. Traditional worship

Both worships available online at UMCMV.com

An LGBTQ affirming congregation

Community Bible Church

940 W. Mount Vernon Rd. www.mvcbc.org, 895-6269

Teaching Pastor Brandon Glaza

Discipleship Pastor Dennis Fulkerson

Youth Pastor Stephen Thomas

Sun.: 9:30 a.m. In-Person Worship Service

Wed. - 6 p.m. Encounter and Youth Group

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.

Baha’i Faith Nina Scott, Group Secretary, 319-270-9230

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

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Thursday, May 22

Story Time, Cornell College Cole Library Browsing Room, 9:30 a.m.

Fiber Friends, Southeast Linn Community Center, 10:30 a.m.

Kindergarten science fair, Lisbon Lions Den, 1-3:30 p.m.

MVLS Youth Soccer informational Meeting,

Mount Vernon Middle School, 7 p.m.

Mount Vernon fourth through eighth grade orchestra concert, Mount Vernon High School Performing Arts Center, 7-8 p.m.

Friday, May 23

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.

Lisbon PBIS Assembly for middle school, Lisbon schools, 7:45 a.m.

Saturday, May 24

Farmers Market at Rhubarb Botanicals, 681 Hwy.

1 Mount Vernon, 9 a.m. to noon.

Lisbon Alumni Banquet, Lisbon Community High School Lion’s Den, 4-7 p.m.

Sunday, May 25

Mount Vernon High School Commencement, Mount Vernon High School Gymnasium, 2 p.m.

Monday, May 26

Memorial Day. City Halls and offices closed, libraries closed, banks closed

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. Darwin Moore, Pastor Sun.: 10 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

MECHANICSVILLE

Living Hope Bible Church

Mechanicsville Memorial Building

First Presbyterian Church 408 E. First Street.

Christian Community Church of Mechanicsville

307 East First Street

563-432-7716

Sun: Sunday School 10-11am and in-person Worship Services at 11:15am with Fellowship to follow.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church

Pastor: Father James Flattery

Wed.: 8:30 a.m. — mass Sun.: 8 a.m. Mass

Mount Vernon Memorial Day Services, Mount Vernon Cemetery, 9:30 a.m.

Lisbon Memorial Day Parade and Services, Lisbon Cemetery, 10 a.m.

Tuesday, May 27

Learn to play bridge, Cornell College Cole Library Room 410, 7 p.m.

Mount Vernon Community Band practice, Mount Vernon Middle School music room, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 28

Cards, Southeast Linn Community Center, 10-11:30 a.m.

Linn Lunch Bunch, Southeast Linn Community Center, 11:30 a.m.

Learn to play bridge, Cornell College Cole Library room 108, 1 p.m.

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Unit of League of Women Voters Learn with the League Event “Mental Health needs and resources in small-town and rural Iowa,” Mount Vernon City Hall, 6:30 p.m. Lisbon Summer reading program kickoff family campfire, Lisbon City Park, 7 p.m.

Mount Vernon Middle School Talent Show, Mount Vernon Middle School, 7 p.m.

Voices United, Whitey’s Bar and Grill in Lisbon, 5-7 p.m.

Thursday, May 29

Story Time, Cornell College Cole Library Browsing Room, 9:30 a.m.

Fiber Friends, Southeast Linn Community Center, 10:30 a.m.

Across

1 ___ bowl (healthful dish)

5 Cellular protein 10 Give out 14 Expels

15 Mars with bars

16 Cold-blooded kind of monster

17 “And so …”

18 Common back-to-school purchases

20 Bit of ballet wear

22 2013 movie co-starring Scarlett Johansson in which she is never seen

23 “Going Back to Cali” rapper, 1998

25 *Abigail Adams or Eleanor Roosevelt, informally

29 *Red denizen of Sesame Street

30 Advocates for

33 Animal with luxurious fur

36 Consumer protection agcy.

37 Muse of memory

38 See 64-Across

39 *Hasty

40 Become fixed

41 Santa ___ (hot winds)

42 What three is

44 “Hmm, I don’t think so”

45 *“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a ___ to be kindled”: Plutarch

46 Eliot protagonist

47 *Pickle or asparagus unit

48 Bog

49 Placed in an air fryer instead of a microwave, say

51 State with 1,350 miles of coastline (second-most after Alaska): Abbr.

52 *Small, embedded program

54 São ___, most populous city in the Southern Hemisphere

56 Toward that place, quaintly

58 Ancient Rome and Persia

61 Own

62 Comforts

63 Almost half of Scandinavians

64 What you can’t see due to the 38-Across in this puzzle?

Down

1 Help with a crime

2 Apt name for a December baby

3 Early investor

4 Literally, “equal legs”

5 Like many a plant in spring

6 Draconian

7 Large cask for beer or wine

8 Crawl (along)

9 What a bad assistant might be

10 Teamwork inhibitor

11 Word with cake or trail

12 Spot dans la Seine

13 Many Ph.D. students

19 Some Halloween “transports”

21 Plot problems

24 ABC’s first program broadcast in color, with “The”

26 Refurbish, as an old piano

27 What one may have to do to destroy a Death Star

28 Original and influential

31 Big name in soft drinks

32 ___ Presidenta, term of address for Mexico’s leader beginning in 2024

33 Wizard’s weapon, maybe

34 “___ the Doughnut,” start of a children’s book series

35 Classic French sauce

36 Horseshoe enthusiasts?

42 Like one who might have to hoof it

43 Aspire to

46 John ___, author of “Annals of the Former World”

50 Brand of oversize Lego bricks

53 Veteran’s affliction, in brief

55 Yarn spinner

56 Does a certain prank on, informally

57 ___-to

59 Some M.I.T. grads, in brief

60 The last one flew in 10/03

SUDOKU

To play: Complete the grid so that every row, column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. There is no guessing or math involved, just use logic to solve.

Lisbon girls’ golf wins Tri-Rivers East tournament

Ryan Suchomel

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com

Lisbon girls’ golf took advantage of home course advantage Monday, May 12, winning the Tri-Rivers East Tournament by four strokes over Easton Valley at Kernoustie Golf Course.

“Playing on your home course is quite the advantage,” Lisbon coach Andy Kahl said. “Our team did a good job of managing the course.”

The Lions carded a season-best 343 over 18 holes. Freshman Kyla Kahl was the meet medalist with an 80 card.

“She had a really solid front nine (38), that set the tone,” Kahl said. “It was a solid, steady round by her.”

Eryn Jackson finished one back (81), and Carie Johnson (89) and Abby Bock (93) also scored for Lisbon.

The Lions then shot even lower Thursday, May 15, at the Rams Invitational, hosted by Dubuque Senior at Bunker Hill Golf Course.

Lisbon shot a 333, but couldn’t keep up with Dubuque Wahlert (317).

“The team played really, really well against mainly 4A schools, and Wahlert, which is maybe the top 3A school,” Kahl said. “A 333, that’s low shooting, and a good gage to see where we stack up.”

Kyla Kahl carded a 77.

Next up is a Class 3A regional meet Wednesday, May 21, at Stone Creek Golf Course in Williamsburg.

Tri-Rivers East

Team cards – 1. Lisbon 343; 2. Easton Valley 347; 3. Calamus-Wheatland 453; 4. Bellevue Marquette 454; 5. Midland 470. Also: North Cedar.

Medalist – Kyla Kahl (L) 80.

LISBON (343) – Kahl 80, Eryn Jackson 81, Carie Johnson 89, Abby Bock 93, Avery Thurn 95, Grace Bausch 100.

Ram Invitational

Team cards – 1. Dubuque Wahlert 317; 2. Lisbon 333; 3. Dubuque Senior 349; 4. North Scott 353; 5. Dubuque Hempstead 389; 6. Clinton 431

Medalist – Elin Mueller (DW) 69.

LISBON (333) – Kyla Kahl 39-38—77, Carie Johnson 41-43—84, Eryn Jackson 48-38—86, Grace Bausch 44-42—86, Abby Bock 42-45—87, Avery Thurn 48-44—92.

Lions boys’ golf season ends

Ryan Suchomel Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun

ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com

It was a tough end to the season for the Lisbon boys’ golf team.

The Lions finished seventh at the Class 2A Sectional

Whitetails Unlimited provides grants

Whitetails Unlimited has granted $255,646 to various mission-related projects in the state of Iowa over the past fiscal year. More than 90 different organizations received grants pertaining to outdoor education, habitat enhancement, and hunting and shooting sports preservation. This was done in large part with the help of Whitetails Unlimited’s 38 Iowa chapters.

Education is a top priority for WTU and consists of organizational initiatives and activities that facilitate the introduction of youth and their families to the great outdoors. As a strong advocate of hunter safety, Whitetails Unlimited is in the forefront of providing support for hunter education and shooting instructors. Generous portions of these funds were granted to several shooting sport groups throughout the state as well as sports clubs that host hunter safety courses, assist with county conservation projects, and perform outdoor youth teachings.

on Wednesday, May 14, at Tipton Country Club. Lisbon carded a 359. Tipton won it on their home course with a 306, and Cascade (316) and Dyersville Beckman (329) also advanced.

Tyler Sauser, who won a Tri-Rivers individual crown the week before, and came into the meet ranked 20th the state in 2A by 9-hole average, shot an 82, which placed

MV GIRLS’ TENNIS

him in 17th. “The greens were small and fast,” Lisbon Coach Dylan Hastings said. “They really gave us problems.”

MV girls’ tennis season ends

Ryan Suchomel

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com

It was a two tough postseason draws for the Mount Vernon girls’ tennis team.

“The Catholic schools are almost always way above our ability level,” Mount Vernon Coach Crystal Eskelsen said. Especially the ones that play in the Mississippi Valley Conference.

On Monday, May 12, at the Class 1A regional individual tournament in Camanche, the Mustangs had to go headto-head with Cedar Rapids Xavier, which proved difficult.

The Saints won all four state berths out of the region –two singles and two doubles.

Then Friday, May 16, Mount Vernon hosted a Class 1A team regional against Dubuque Wahlert. The Golden Eagles won, 5-0.

“Ashtyn Rollinger and Emily Schnoor both won their

first sets against the Eagles,” Eskelsen said. “That didn’t change the final outcome, but shows how much progress they have made over the season. They played some great tennis.”

Mount Vernon ended the season 11-6-6.

Class 1A Region 6 Tournament

Spencer (Marion) 6-2, 6-0. Quarterfinals:

(MV) 6-1, 6-3.

For Rent

House for Rent in Lisbon. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1.6 acres in town. First month’s rent + security deposit. No Pets. Available July 1. 319-361-9872

Auction

6-Storage units full of stuff (Ryan, Waltz, Coultas, Arjes, Evans, Topie) will be auctioned at 10:00 AM on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Discount Storage Units, 945 W. Business Hwy 30 (beside the golf course), Lisbon. 319-895-8899

Wanted WANTED: JUNK APPLIANCES. Will pick up for free. Farm clean-up, batteries. Will buy junk cars. 319-331-8122

Miscellaneous

Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 7-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-855-954-5087 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

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.

Miscellaneous

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 1-866-5541730

Singles – First round: Ashtyn Rollinger (MV) def. Claire McGarry (CD) 6-4, 6-7 (4), 10-8; Gemma Younadam (CRX) def. Molly Bany (MV) 6-0, 6-0. Quarterfinals: Gabi Fleming (CRX) def. Rollinger 6-0, 6-0. Doubles – First round: Evalyn Vogel/Jenae Matyasse (Cam) def. Emily Schnoor/ Nora Dye (MV) 6-1, 7-5. Mae Stoops/Alyssa Bohlken (MV) def. Ella Juergens/Allie

Claire King/Annie Elbert (DW) def. Stoops/ Bohlken

Dubuque Wahlert 5, Mount Vernon 0 Singles – Claire Mier (DW) def. Ashtyn Rollinger 4-6, 6-4, 10-7; Riley Heiar (DW) def. Nora Dye 6-0, 6-2;Claire King (DW) def. Tallulah Norton 6-2, 6-2; Annie Elbert (DW) def. Alyssa Bohlken 6-1, 6-3; Alexia Zeal (DW) def. Mae Stoops 6-0, 6-2; Emily Schnoor (MV) led Henry 7-5, 4-1 (unfinished).

Lillian Wischmeyer | Mustang Moon Lisbon’s Carie Johnson drives the golf ball down the range at Kernoustie in the conference golf meet Monday, May 12.

Postseason begins for MV soccer teams

Ryan Suchomel

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com

Mount Vernon girls’ soccer closed WaMaC play with a 1-0 win over Benton Community on Tuesday, May 13, in Van Horne. The Mustangs then closed the regular season with a non-conference loss at Iowa City Regina, 3-1. Against the Bobcats, Izzy Logue scored the winning goal.

“It was her first game back after having a huge concussion,” Mount Vernon Coach Angie Knies said. “It was a big play for us because she gained confidence and the girls felt more confident having her back.”

Mount Vernon (7-5-3) hosts Clinton (2-11-1) in a Class 2A regional quarterfinal on Friday, May 23.

“We are hungry and excited,” Knies said.

SUMMER SPORTS PREVIEWS

MOUNT VERNON BASEBALL

Coach: Charles Chatman

2024 finish: 19-18, 10-12 Wamac

Mount Vernon’s Courtney Franck (No. 23) tries to defend the ball advancing from a defender on the soccer pitch. Right: Mount Vernon’s Jonathan Winkler (No. 9) scrambles towards the soccer ball at home last week.

Boys

The Mustang boys’ soccer team closed with a 0-0 tie against Benton Community on Tuesday, May 13.

“We had some fatigued legs,” Mount Vernon coach Nathan Grosse said. “It was four matches in eight days. For us to find a way to keep a clean sheet, create some solid chances and end the regular season with a strong effort felt pretty positive.”

While the Mustangs have had a number of draws, they have only lost one match over their last 10. And of the 10,

Returning letterwinners (8): Michael Ryan, jr., CF; Colin Bentley, sr., MI/P; AJ McDermott, sr., P; Cole Thurn, sr., C; Erik Lamb, sr., 1B/OF; Garet Swartzendruber, sr., P/MI; Kellen Haverback, jr., 1B/3B; Landon Wilson, jr., P.

Outlook:

Mount Vernon returns “every inning” of pitching from last year and six full-time position players from a team that won 19 games.

Senior Garet Swartzendruber (3-2, 2.76 ERA, 1.36 WHIP/.291, 8 2Bs, 23 RBIs) has committed to play collegiately at St. Ambrose and senior Erik Lamb has committed to Grandview.

AJ McDermott was the No. 1 starter with a 6-3 record and a 2.93 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 40.2 innings pitched.

Michael Ryan hit .354 with eight doubles and 25 RBIs. Also, Colin Bentley hit .305 with three home runs and 16 RBIs, Cole Thurn hit .322 with 17 RBIs, and Kellen Haverback hit .275.

“Our depth and ability to play multiple positions is a strength,” Coach Charles Chatman said.

LISBON BASEBALL

Coach: Lance Kamaus

2024 finish: 5-24, 4-8 Tri-Rivers

Returning letterwinners (9): Wesley Sadler, sr., SS/P; Ethan Stone, so., 2B/P; Caleb Ross, jr., OF/CR; Ian Whittenbaugh, jr., 3B/P; Dakota Clark, sr., CF/P; Ethan Hoekstra, sr., 1B; Bryce Boots, jr., UT; Luke Robinson, fr., OF; Carew Kamaus, jr., C/P.

Outlook:

Last season was a transition year for the Lions, with a first-year coach and an almost all new lineup. Growing pains were felt. “We look to improve from a disappointing 2024 campaign,” Coach Lance Kamaus said. “We hope to do just that.” Kamaus said improved pitching and defense will make Lisbon a more dangerous team.

They return five pitchers – Ian Whittenbaugh (1-7, 3.74 ERA), Dakota Clark (2-8, 3.54 ERA), Bryce Boots (0-1, 4.46 ERA), Carew Kamaus (1-0, 2.00 ERA) and Ethan Stone (1-0, 8.24 ERA).

Back to lead the offense is first-team Tri-Rivers pick Clark (.366, 24 runs, 20 RBI, 16 SB). Ethan Hoekstra, a second-team TRC pick, hit .256 with 2 HR and 18 RBI. Whittenbaugh (.262, 15 RBI) and Kamaus were also second-team picks.

seven have been shutouts.

“That speaks to the play of our keeper Zion Safo, and our backline and our team as a whole,” Grosse said. “We take a lot of pride in defending, and being hard to score on, and makes us a tough team to play.”

Mount Vernon (6-4-5) begins Class 3A substate play at home against Fort Madison (8-6-1) on Tuesday, May 27. It is a long layoff for the Mustangs.

“A horribly long gap,” Grosse said. Adding they added a scrimmage against Mount Pleasant this week.

MOUNT VERNON SOFTBALL

Coach: Robin Brand

2024 finish: 30-12, 17-7 Wamac

Returning letterwinners (12): Hayden Gookin, jr., P/3B; Olivia Haverback, sr., P/OF; Libby Dix, sr., 1B/ DH; Abbie Moss, sr., OF; Kara Swantz, sr., OF; Brynlee Bettcher, jr. C/3B; Rylee Rasmussen, jr.,

UT; Lucy Wischmeyer, jr., IF; Sophia Patten, fr., 1B/P/OF; Carie Johnson, jr., UT; Carly Elliott, jr., UT; Isabelle Logue, jr., UT.

Outlook:

The Mustangs fell short of a trip to state last season, falling in the Class 3A regional semifinals to Center Point-Urbana. Coach Robin Brand is confident another seasonlong grind in a stacked Wamac, and loaded non-conference slate, will prepare the Mustangs for another shot at Fort Doge. “We inttentionally schedule tough teams each year so we can play tough competition to prepare us for the postseason,” Brand said. “So many of the top teams in the state are in our conference.”

Mount Vernon returns top pitcher Hayden Gookin (21-6, 0.74 ERA, 0.61 WHIP and 247 strikeouts in 171.1 innings pitched) and No. 2 Olivia Haverback (9-6, 2.58 ERA).

Gookin is also the top returning hitter (.446, 14 2B, 10 HR, 32 RBI). Haverback (.317, 9 2B, 20 RBI), Abbie Moss (.324, 25 RBI), Libby Dix (.312, 14 RBI), Brynlee Bettcher (.229, 8 2B, 15 RBI) and Rylee Rasmussen (.261, 16 RBI) return after solid seasons at the plate.

LISBON SOFTBALL

Coach: Abbey Shultz

2024 finish: 28-13, 17-5 Tri-Rivers, Class 2A State qualifier

Returning letterwinners (13): Addie Clark, sr., 2B; Kaitlynn Hasselbusch, sr., OF; Lily Gaiser, sr., OF; Sarah Dietsch, sr., OF; Brianna Turkington, sr., OF; Gretchen Moehlman, sr., OF; Kamryn Kahl, jr., SS; Alex Roos, jr., 1B; Lohgan Anderson, jr., OF; Emma Pleasant, so., UT; Kyla Kahl, fr., P/UT; Brynnley Patterson, fr., UT; Emma Dietsch, fr., C.

Outlook:

It should be a fun summer for the Lions, who return almost their entire lineup from a team that made it to Fort Dodge last season. “We are more confident and are continuing to set big goals for ourselves,” Lisbon Coach Abbey Shultz said. “We have a lot of experience in our lineup this year.”

It starts with freshman pitcher Kyla Kahl, who was 23-9 with a 3.26 ERA and 142 strikeouts in 172 innings pitched last season.

There is plenty of hitting, too, led by Kaitlynn Hasselbusch (.388, 8 2B, 4 HR, 27 RBI), Sarah Dietsch (.367, 7 2B, 6 HR, 28 RBI), Kamryn Kahl (.341, 11 2B, 27 RBI), Alexa Roos (.276, 9 2B, 4 HR, 25 RBI) and Addie Clark (.360, 44 runs, 7 2B, 20 SB).

1B/3B/

Renee Vig | Mustang Moon

Left:

Mustang boys qualify eight events for state

Ryan Suchomel Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com

The Mount Vernon boys’ track team qualified four relays and four individuals for the state meet during the Class 3A SQM on their home track Thursday, May 15.

“It was a really good night for us,” coach Ryan Whitman said. “We ran well, all the way around, even things that didn’t qualify.”

The Mustangs ended up second in the team standings with 102 points, only trailing Newton, which overpowered

MV girls’ advance

Ryan Suchomel

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun

ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com

the field with 178 points.

Mount Vernon had three event winners. Grady Olberding won the 1,600 in 4 minutes, 32.38 seconds. Chasen Caskey placed third and qualified for state.

Olberding and Caskey also ran on the winning 4x800, which included Seamus O’Connor and Dawson Scheil, too. They finished in 8:08.02, which was the second-best time in 3A.

The first-place distance medley relay of Colin Bentley, Logan Stanerson, Holden Hlavacek and Olberding is seeded fourth in 3A after finishing in 3 minutes, 37.86 seconds.

Left: Chasen Caskey hands off to Grady Olberding for the third leg of the 4x800 relay Thursday, May 15, in a Class 3A state qualifying meet in Mount Vernon. Seamus O’Connor, Caskey, Olberding, and Dawson Scheil won in 8:08.02 setting a new stadium record and automatically qualifying for this week’s 3A State Coed Meet at Drake University in Des Moines.

state

qualify for

16 events to state

the week before,” Swart said. “She is trending in the right direction. And is confident.”

Swart has been really impressed by Whitaker’s growth from her sophomore year to now.

“I feel real good about our chance to score some points at state,” Whitman said.

Scheil also qualified in the 800. He finished runner-up by to Harrison Laug of Grinnell by 0.09 seconds.

A wild card state entrant was Erik Lamb, who finished fifth in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 2 inches.

“Erik set a PR by two inches,” Whitman said. “That was really great.”

Whitman said the 4x200 relay missed out on a trip to Des Moines by a whisker. And O’Connor in the 800 also had a close call.

“Many years, we would have made it, but it didn’t happen this year,” Whitman said. “It was a super fast year.”

After placing fourth a year ago at the Class 3A State Meet, the Mount Vernon girls’ return having qualified in almost every event following a dynamic showing at the State Qualifying Meet on Thursday, May 15, in Mount Vernon.

“Getting 16 events in surpassed what I expected, honestly,” Mount Vernon coach Kory Swart said. “We can definitely make a run for it.”

The Mustangs won a banner, claiming the SQM with 167 points, outpacing second-place Williamsburg (124) and third-place Newton (116).

If Mount Vernon is going to contend, it will rely mainly on individual events. The Mustangs qualified in the 4x100, 4x400, 4x800, sprint medley, distance medley and shuttle hurdle, but are only among the Top 8 foursomes in two – fifth in the sprint medley and seventh in the distance medley.

“We hit on about everything we were trying to do,” Swart said. “We adjusted our lineups to get as many down to state as we can.”

Leading the charge are the field events. Sydney Maue continued her recent upwards trajectory by leaping 5 feet, 10 inches to enter state as the top seed in the high jump.

“She is motivated,” Swart said. “She has not won a state title yet. To jump 5-10, that really sets her up well for doing that.”

Maue hit 5-8 the week before at the Wamac Meet.

“Every meet she gets a little bit better with her technique,” Swart said, and noted the all-time Iowa record is 5-11.

Lucy Wischmeyer placed second in the long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 6.25 inches, and is seeded seventh at state.

Senior Libby Dix had an off night in throws, placing second in both the shot put and discus. However, the twotime state wrestling champion placed third in both at state last season and is a contender.

“She didn’t have her best day,” Swart said. “You move on to state and learn, grow, and be tougher because of it.

“Watch out for Libby at state. A motivated Libby Dix is scary. She’ll be ready to go.”

The breakout performer of the SQM was probably junior CaliAna Whitaker, who won the open 200 (25.16) and open 400 (57.62), and ran 400 anchor legs on the sprint medley and 4x400.

“She re-broke her own school record in the 200 and beat Ava (Hocker of Williamsburg) in the 400, who got her

“When you get into sprinting, the tenths (of a second) matter,” Swart said. “She’s worked on all the fine details of her starts, her acceleration … everything has gotten better this year.”

The workhorse of the Mustangs might be Evelyn Moeller. She ran a 400 (with 4x400), two 800s (open and 4x800) and a 1,500 during the SQM, qualifying in all four.

She won in the 800 and 1,500, and is ranked fifth in the 800 in 3A.

“She executed exactly as we needed her to,” Swart said. Her strong finish helped the 4x800 slot into the fastest heat at state. “The fitness level of Evelyn Moeller right now is really special.”

Other individual state qualifiers included Sam Schoff (800), Edith Dawson (3,000) and Eastin Whisner and Sorell Telecky in the 400 hurdles.

Swart said it was great to see the shuttle hurdle and 4x100 earn a spot at state.

“We weren’t sure we could do it, both were on the bubble,” Swart said. “But the girls ran great.”

Now, will it all add up inside Drake Stadium?

(Wburg) 50.27; 5.

Ericson (MV) 55.37.

– 1. Newton 1:28.68; 3. Mount Vernon (Logan Stanerson, Jaks Lee, Erik Lamb, Colin Bentley) 1:32.34.

hurdles – 1. Reilly Trease (N) 15.14; 5. Maddox Thede (MV) 16.85; 7. Brogan Meyer (MV) 17.16. 800 – 1. Harrison Laug (G) 1:59.89; 2. Dawson Scheil (MV) 1:59.98; 4. Seamus O’Connor (MV) 2:04.34. 200 – 1. Caden Klein (N) 22.09; 8. Jayden Scieszinski (MV) 24.45. 400 hurdles – 1. Caden Klein (N) 54.20; 7. Brogan Meyer (MV) 1:01.11. 1,600 – 1. Grady Olberding (MV) 4:32.38; 3. Chasen Caskey (MV) 4:36.53. 4x100 – 1. Newton 42.69; 4. Mount Vernon (Logan Stanerson, Gabriel Mahoney, Kaleb Coon, Colin Bentley) 44.45.

4x400 – 1. Williamsburg 3:24.36; 3. Mount Vernon (Holden Hlavacek, Dawson Scheil, Erik Lamb, Jaks Lee) 3:28.14.

Girls team scores – 1. Mount Vernon 167; 2. Williamsburg 124; 3. Newton 116; 4. Solon 105; 5. Washington 95; 6. Grinnell 59; 7. Benton Community 49; 8. South Tama 22. Winner, Mount Vernon placewinners High jump – 1. Sydney Maue (MV) 5-10; 6. Adrienne Ruhland (MV) 4-8. Long jump – 1. Aiden Gosselink (G) 20-3; 2. Lucy Wischmeyer (MV) 17-6.25. Shot put – 1. Ana Glawe (BC) 38-8; 2. Libby Dix (MV) 37-6. Discus – 1. Kate Shafer (S) 130-8; 2. Libby Dix (MV) 127-5. Spirnt medley – 1. Williamsburg 1:47.48; 2. Mount Vernon (Olivia Haverback, Grace Hale, Kara Swantz, CaliAnn Whitaker) 1:49.39.

3,000 – 1. Edith Dawson (MV) 11:29.18; 8. Cora Smith (MV) 12:12.03. 4x800 – 1. Mount Vernon (Sam Schoff, Madison Hoffert, Caroline Rupe, Evelyn Moeller) 9:53.50. Shuttle hurdle – 1. Newton 1:05.78; 4. Mount Vernon (Olivia Haverback, Adrienne Ruhland, Annabelle Smith, Kiersten Swart) 1:09.87.

100 – 1. Aiden Gosselink (G) 12.46. Distance medley – 1. Mount Vernon (Lucy Wischmeyer, Kara Swantz, Eastin Whisner, Kiersten Swart) 4:18.65.

400 – 1. CaliAna Whitaker (MV) 57.62; 7. Caroline Rupe (MV) 1:06.80.

4x200 – 1. Newton 1:45.03; 6. Mount Vernon (Quinn Pershing, Olivia Haverback, Grace Hale, Eastin Whisner) 1:52.43.

100 hurdles – 1. Tori White (N) 15.68; 8. Adrienne Ruhland (MV) 17.71.

800 – 1. Evelyn Moeller (MV) 2:21.79; 2. Sam Schoff (MV) 2:26.82.

200 – 1. CaliAna Whitaker (MV) 25.16.

400 hurdles – 1. Ava Hocker (Wburg) 1:05.05; 2. Eastin Whisner (MV) 1:07.25; 4. Sorell Telecky (MV) 1:08.44.

1,500 – 1. Evelyn Moeller (MV) 4:58.67; 3. Kiersten Swart (MV) 5:06.17. 4x100 – 1. Grinnell 48.65; 4. Mount Vernon (Lucy Wischmeyer, Kara Swantz, Olivia Haverback, Grace Hale) 50.20.

4x400 – 1. Solon 4:06.47; 2. Mount Vernon (Kara Swantz, Evelyn Moeller, Sorell Telecky, CaliAna Whitaker) 4:07.98.

Photos by Chris Umscheid | Solon Economist

Left: Colin Bentley runs the first leg of the 1600-meter distance medley relay Thursday, May 15, in a Class 3A

qualifying meet in Mount Vernon. Bentley, Logan Stanerson, Holden Hlavacek, and Grady Olberding won in 3:37.86 to automatically

this week’s 3A State Coed Meet at Drake University in Des Moines.

Photos by Chris Umscheid | Solon Economist

Above: Caroline Rupe hands off to Evelyn Moeller for the anchor leg of the 4x800 relay Thursday, May 15, in a Class 3A state qualifying meet in Mount Vernon. Sam Schoff, Madison Hoffert, Rupe, and Moeller won in 9:53.50 to automatically qualify for this week’s State Coed Meet in Des Moines.

Left: Edith Dawson celebrates winning the 3,000-meter run Thursday, May 15, in a Class 3A state qualifying meet in Mount Vernon. Dawson’s win in 11:29.18 advanced her to the 3A State Coed Meet this

Newton 178; 2. Mount Vernon 102; 3. Grinnell 94; 4. Washington 88; 5. Solon 80; 6. Williamsburg 71; 7.

Lisbon boys’ returning many events to state

Ryan Suchomel Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com

The Lisbon boys' track team is heading to Des Moines with their eyes set on a third straight Class 1A state championship.

What they did at the State Qualifying Meet on Thursday, May 15, in Lisbon, shows they are on the right track.

“We qualified almost everything that we wanted to,” junior Chase McFarlane said. “It sets us up for success next weekend.”

The 2025 team is following the blueprint of past champions, putting together some fast relays that can score lots of points.

“We made the decision to go all-in on the relays,” Lisbon Coach Lonnie Speidel said. “They didn’t hesitate. They did what is best for the team and it paid off.”

The Lions head to Drake Stadium with the fastest foursome in the 4x100, 4x200 and sprint medley.

All three relays include senior Quinn Coleman, senior Dakota Clark and senior Tiernan Boots, but each has a different anchor — McFarlane in the 4x100, senior Daylin Schaefer

in the 4x200, and senior Jackson Powers in the sprint medley.

“I know the guys, I trust them and they trust me,” Clark said. “We put it together and we can really do some amazing things.”

Last year at state, the Lions won the 4x100 and 4x200. Having the fastest sprint medley — which is a 100, 100, 200 and 400 — is a new twist.

“We’ve always lacked the 400 guy the last few years,” Speidel said. “We have options now with Schaefer and Powers. We’re able to put some points up.”

That new middledistance crew is making an impact. Lisbon is also heading to Drake Stadium ranked third in the 4x800, fifth in the distance medley and sixth in the 4x400.

The flip side is to load up the relays, the Lions sacrificed a little bit in the individual events, including the open 200.

“It kind of shook out at the end of the year, we were all where we belonged,” McFarlane said. “It all worked out. Our mindset is for the team.”

Not that there won’t be some individual gold to chase. Boots won the 100 and takes the top time to

state. Coleman has the third-fastest time in the 100.

Senior Gage Holub is ranked No. 2 in the 110 hurdles, only behind Lane Vokoun of Belle Plaine, who nipped him over the final dash at the SQM, 14.42 seconds to 14.45.

“I didn’t realize I was going to have that competition,” Holub said. “I didn’t look at any times or anything, and he kind of shocked me, kind of threw me off.

“But I’m glad it happened now, rather than at state, to get surprised at the end like that.”

Junior Sawyer Feldman qualified in the 3,200 and is ranked seventh. Also qualifying, but not ranked among the top eight, are sophomore Justin Snyder (high jump), Schaefer (long jump), sophomore Anthony Armstrong (800) and the shuttle hurdle relay.

How well it all works out on the blue oval is to be determined. But in the SQM, Lisbon won it with 179 points, far outpacing runner-up Bellevue (83) and third-place Belle Plaine (78) and Midland (78).

“It was nice having Belle Plaine and Bellevue here,” Speidel said. “In a lot of the

events that we needed to be pushed in, they pushed us.

“It was an awesome night. I knew if we had a good meet we’d score a lot of points, but I didn’t think we’d score that many.”

And now the board is set for state to pursue a threepeat.

“It is definitely cool to keep the tradition alive,” Clark said. “Just pick back up where we left off and do our best every time.”

“It is the standard that has been set at Lisbon the last couple years,” Holub said. “It is kind of the example we have to follow.”

Speidel knows anything can happen at state. One dropped baton can change fortunes real quick.

“You have to be on for three straight days,” Speidel said. “A lot of people don’t realize how hard that is. But I’m confident in this group. It is a great group of seniors with great leadership. I’m confident they are going to get it done.”

Lion girls threepeat state qualifying meet

Ryan Suchomel

Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com

With the Lisbon boys’ track team winning state titles, it is easy to overlook what the Lion girls have done.

On Thursday, May 15, Lisbon girl’s track team won their third straight State Qualifying Meet, scoring 113 points to top Bellevue by two points in Lisbon.

“Three years ago, the Lisbon girls had never won a district title,” Lisbon girls’ coach Brett Epperly said. “And now we’ve won three in a row. I’m so proud of these guys.”

Lisbon won with a total team effort. The Lions only had one gold-medal finish, winning the 4x100. (And had not led in the team standings until that point, the secondto-last event of the night.) The foursome of senior Brynn Epperly, freshman Quinn Roos, senior Addie Clark and freshman Brynnley Patterson finished in 51.74 seconds.

“It was great,” Patterson said. “It was a little bit of an upset. It felt good to get that gold and finish strong.”

The Lisbon 4x100 won at state last year in 50.06 seconds.

The 4x200 heads to state ranked fourth in Class 1A. The same foursome from the 4x100 finished in 1 minute, 48.50 seconds, just 0.25 seconds behind Bellevue.

“We had some really tough competition in the relays, but we PR’d in all of them because we are running against good people,” coach Epperly said.

“We knew Bellevue was ahead of us in a lot of things,” Brynn Epperly said. “That kind of motivated us. It was

Correction

good to get the win tonight.”

In addition to the 4x100 and 4x200, the Lion girls will also compete at state in the sprint medley. Individual qualifiers included Brynn Epperly in the 100 hurdles and junior Mykala Luzum-Selmon and junior Emersyn Reiter in the high jump.

And during a 2-point win, every place winner counted.

“It took everyone performing and finishing well, and everyone having confidence in themselves,” Patterson said. “It feels good for the seniors to be able to finish strong.”

“Even one point can matter,” Brynn Epperly said. “So having multiple girls in open events really mattered to us to have them place tonight.”

High jump – 1. Chase Klatt (CW) 6-2; 2. Justin Snyder (L) 6-1; 6. Leon Rogers

5-8. Long jump – 1. Anthony Harrington (M) 21-8; 3. Daylin Schaefer (L) 20-9; 5. Gage Holub (L) 20-5.25. Discus – 1. Anthony Harrington (M) 168-7; 2. Henry Reiling (L) 141-5; 6. Grayson Wollum (L) 122-11. Shot put – 1. Anthony Harrington (M) 49-4.25; 2. Hayden Jackson (L) 45-0.75; 3. Henry Reiling (L) 43-8.25.

Sprint medley – 1. Lisbon (Quinn Coleman, Dakota Clark, Tiernan Boots, Jackson Powers) 1:34.15.

3,200 – 1. Sawyer Feldman (L) 10:17.17; 3. Kyler Happel (L) 10:49.55.

4x800 – 1. Springville 8:16.26; 2. Lisbon (Drayden Nunemaker, Aiden Morrill, Brody Speidel, Anthony Armstrong) 8:18.20.

Shuttle hurdle – 1. Belle Plaine 1:01.28; 2. Lisbon (Riley Stone, Kage Fox, Ian Kelsey, Gage Holub) 1:03.56.

100 – 1. Tiernan Boots (L) 10.86; 2. Quinn Coleman (L) 11.09. Distance medley – 1. Lisbon (Dakota Clark, Chase McFarlane, Jackson Powers, Anthony Armstrong) 3:38.31.

400 – 1. Gabe Manders (B) 50.68; 4. Brody Speidel (L) 54.54. 4x200 – 1. Lisbon (Quinn Coleman, Dakota Clark, Tiernan Boots, Daylin Schaefer) 1:28.24.

hurdles – 1. Lane Vokoun (BP) 14.42; 2. Gage Holub (L) 14.45; 5. Riley Stone (L) 15.75.

– 1. Lucas Eichhorn (BP) 2:00.27;

Lisbon (Quinn Coleman, Dakota Clark, Tiernan Boots, Chase McFarlane) 43.06. 4x400 – 1. Belle Plaine 3:24.54; 3. Lisbon (Caleb Ross, Gage Holub, Jackson Powers, Daylin Schaefer) 3:26.89.

Girls team scores – 1. Lisbon 113; 2. Bellevue 111; 3. Belle Plaine 82; 4. Springville 61; 5. Easton Valley 60; 6. Waterloo Christian 57; 7. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 51; 8. (tie) Calamus-Wheatland 44 and Midland 44; 10. North Cedar 22; 11. Don Bosco 18; 12. Prince of Peace 11; 13. Valley Lutheran 6; 14. Central City 1. Winner, Lisbon placewinners High jump – 1. Kennedy Brant (GR) 5-3; 3. Emersyn Reiter (L) 5-0; 4. Mykala LuzumSelmon (L) 5-0. Long jump – 1. Annika Hultquist (BP) 16-4; 5. Brynn Epperly (L) 15-0. Discus – 1. Emma Beck (EV) 97-10. Shot put – 1. Gracee Tompkins (M) 34-4.25. Sprint medley – 1. Bellevue 1:53.68; 3. Lisbon (Paige Epperly, Quinn Roos, Brynnley Patterson, Addie Clark) 1:57.02.

3,000 – 1. Lydia Knight (WC) 13:58.95. 4x800 – 1. Bellevue 11:02.29; 2. Lisbon (Emma Pleasant, Maleeah Adams, Holley Dighton, Hallie Ries) 11:38.46. Shuttle hurdle – 1. Springville 1:08.41.

100 – 1. Leah Lambe (B) 12.75; 8. Paige Epperly (L) 14.02. Distance medley – 1. Bellevue 4:38.78; 2. Lisbon (Brynnley Patterson, Leila Mayhew, Addie Clark, Ava Ahrendsen) 4:42.44.

400 – 1. Kennedy Brant (GR) 59.97; 5. Jordyn Jarchow (L) 1:08.18; 7. Ava Mollenhauer (L) 1:10.11.

4x200 – 1. Bellevue 1:48.25; 2. Lisbon (Brynn Epperly, Brynnley Patterson, Quinn Roos, Addie Clark) 1:48.50.

100 hurdles – 1. Rowan Jacobi (S) 15.55; 2. Brynn Epperly (L) 16.76; 7. Mykala LuzumSelmon (L) 17.89.

800 – 1. Kennedy Coover (BP) 2:35.42;

Class 1A State Qualifier

Boys team scores – 1. Lisbon 179; 2. Bellevue 83; 3.(tie) Belle Plaine 78 and Midland 78; 5. Springville 57; 6. Central City 49; 7. Calamus-Wheatland 45; 8. Waterloo Christian 39; 9. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 35; 10. North Cedar 33; 11. (tie) Don Bosco 21 and Easton Valley 21; 13. Prince of Peace 12; 14. Valley Lutheran 7. Winner, Lisbon placewinners

(L)

Jennifer Tischer | Contributed photos

The Lisbon boys’ and girls’ track teams won the state qualifying meet and will be sending numerous events to the state competition this weekend in Des Moines.

Jennifer Tischer | Contributed photos

Lisbon’s Brynnley Patterson runs in the sprint medley relay at Lisbon.

Lisbon’s Kage Fox leaps over a hurdle in the shuttle hurdle relay at Lisbon last week.

In the photo for Mount Vernon boys track, the wrong athlete was identified in completing the high jump. That athlete was Erik Lamb, not Luke Paulus as was printed. The Sun apologizes for the error.