Discussions on solar panels, LED lights continue for MVCSD
Nathan Countryman
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
Discussions on solar panels and LED lights continue for the Mount Vernon Community School District.
Superintendent Matt Leeman said he had met with Terry Dvorak of Red Lion Solar about a proposal for solar panels for the district. The goal of looking into solar panels is to help bring the district’s energy costs down by $32,000 a year for the next 30 years, or roughly $5.2 million in general expenditure savings.
“We’re probably going to need to do additional infrastructure work, like moving to LED lighting to bring the district’s energy usage down,” Leeman said.
Those retrofits for LED lights or solar panels could be paid by physical plant and equipment levy funds, not the general fund.
Areas for the first phase of panels from Red Lion include an area between the middle school and high school, the middle school roof, near the transportation center and administrative offices of the district.
School board president Rick Elliott said there is no immediacy to act on this issue, that the board can continue researching their options for the next few months, but that making switches to LED and solar would be beneficial.
“I know we cut almost a third of our energy bill when we made the switch to LED lighting at First Street Community Center,” Elliott said.
The arrays that will be close to ground level will be raised arrays, like those at Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center, which would allow vehicle parking underneath them.
Board member Tim Keegan asked what happens if the district were to construct a fourth building, would they be able to keep energy usage below the 20 kilowatt hours they are trying to do?
Another concern was with buying a new controller for the HVAC systems if that would help reduce electrical usage by the district. Leeman said being able to set temperatures in buildings when not in use, like a higher temperature for the auditorium when there isn’t a show happening, would definitely help. The district would be replacing controllers for the HVAC systems, not thermometers, however.
The board took no action on any solar or LED plans and will continue discussions at October and November’s meetings with additional research. Dvorak from Red Lion is slated to present to the board in the future as well his proposal.
Hunting for mushrooms in Palisades-Kepler
Nathan Countryman
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
Members of the Prairie States Mushroom Club and those interested in learning more about mush rooms took part in a mushroom foray at Palisades Kepler State Park Saturday, Sept. 14.
More than 30 people participated in the foray, led by Clay Packard, which meant multiple groups were formed to traverse the woods.
The group started at Cedar Ridge Trail, but almost immediately were off trail to scout where mushrooms are bound to be found – in the woods surrounding the trails.
As some hunters noted, the recent dry spell in the weather made the hunt a little more challenging, as many of the fungi speci mens that were located were drier and less resilient than they would be after a recent rain.
Still, many were still excited about the many different specimens they were finding.
There was Chicken of the Woods. There were honey shrooms.
There were puffballs. Some species of chanterelle. Even some dead man’s fingers.
“I’m just amazed at how many differ ent mushrooms we’re seeing on today’s foray,“ Glen Schwartz, secretary of the Prairie State Mushroom Club said during the hike in Palisades Kepler State Park.
As some, like Jeanne Muellerleile, found honey mushrooms, other hunters were able to highlight how it sometimes grows in proximity to other species of mushrooms that are more deadly. The distinction between the two was in coloring.
Others had help from more seasoned mushroom guides to point out how to identify locations where you might find mushrooms like Chicken of the Woods if they were out foraging at a future location.
Clay Packard, leader of the foray, recommended to anyone possibly foraging for mushrooms for the first time that any mushrooms you consume should also be done with small quantities. Even if a mushroom is not deadly, some of them can have side effects on your digestive tract and better to acclimate your body to them in your diet.
The foray stretched to the nearby campgrounds to the north of the trail before detouring down a dry creek bed back to the start of the Cedar Ridge Trail.
Palisades Kepler State Park was bustling with activity Saturday, explained Friends of the Palisades Kepler State Park president Gail Brown because of the mushroom foray, a Raptology event the Friends group
Nathan Countryman |
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Jeanne Muellerleile looks at the differences between a honey shroom and a similar looking species on a club member’s phone to help her distinguish in the future.
was also hosting, and local Boy and Girl Scouts troops participating in “get into a state park” day. More than 150 people were involved in activities at the park on that beautiful Saturday, the Friends of the Palisades Kepler State Park highlighted in a post on Facebook Saturday afternoon.
One injured in airplane crash
Mark Anton, 65, Mount Vernon, was injured in a single engine airplane crash south of Hwy.
30 Thursday, Sept 12, at 1:20 p.m. Anton was transported by Lisbon-Mount Vernon Ambulance Service with non-life- threatening injuries.
According to Sgt. David Omar of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, first responders were indicated of a plane crash at 1:20 p.m. south of Hwy. 30 and east of Cedar River Road in a farm field.
Responders found a single engine airplane had crashed in a farm field, causing no damage to anything other than the plane.
Ag program being explored for MVCSD
Nathan Countryman
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
Mount Vernon is starting to look at adding an agriculture program to curriculum in the future.
Superintendent Matt Leeman met with superintendent Autumn Pino to investigate any operational sharing that could be conducted between Springville and Lisbon Schools. Lisbon Schools is tapped out on operational sharing, but there could be sharing opportunities for Springville. For Mount Vernon Schools, the need is for a potential transportation director sharing agreement.
During that discussion, Leeman and Pino visited about options for sharing educational programs between the two districts. One area that was floated was an ag program. That would be a 28E Agreement between the two districts.
Leeman said in his discussions with principal Steve Brand about possible barriers between the two districts for that type of sharing, the schedules between Lisbon and Mount Vernon not directly lining up and transportation were the two largest barriers. Leeman asked if there
The cause of the crash is unknown and is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration. Also responding to the crash were Mount Vernon-Lisbon Police and Mount Vernon Fire Department.
Volume
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would be a possibility of finding an instructor internally who could teach a program, and Brand said that may be a possibility.
Leeman said if they were to offer a teacher to get certification for teaching the classes, they would pro-rate the cost of receiving that education.
“What that would mean is we’d lock in an instructor for a term of five years,” Leeman said. “If they were to leave the district early, they’d have to pay the remainder of the cost of their certification back to us.”
Leeman said he and Brand will be looking at the numbers to see if this is viable.
“Worst case is if we can’t find this internally or enough interest, then we can work with Lisbon to potentially provide this career and technical education learning for our students,” Leeman said.
The goal would be to have an instructor teach three classes ag related to start and slowly grow the program from there.
Board member Tim Keegan said he was a huge proponent of this moving forward, noting the success at Center Point-Urbana and Cedar Rapids Prairie to institute successful ag programs at their schools.
“There is no reason agricultural classes wouldn’t be a success at Mount Vernon in the future,” Keegan said.
Board member Lance Schoff wondered if the additional classes at Kirkwood would help as well for this type of program.
Corrections
In the Sept. 12 Mount Vernon Lisbon-Sun, the Mount Vernon football story said that junior Jase Jaspers had an interception return for a touchdown. The interception return was actually made by senior A.J. McDermott. The Sun regrets the error.
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Photos by Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Right: Glen Schwartz shows off a deflated puffcap mushroom, which he almost confused with an acorn shell.
A batch of honey shrooms grow next to a tree in Palisades Kepler State Park.
A large mushroom specimen in the park, with a dollar bill for perspective.
Members of area Girl Scout Troops return from a brief hike of Cedar Ridge Trail and decide where they are heading next in the park (Raptology was mentioned by several scouts and their families).
Above: Members of the foray take a brief break in Palisades Kepler State Park Saturday, Sept. 14.
Left: Glen Schwartz shows off one of his finds to another member on the mushroom foray.
Deafinitely Dogs highlights differences of service dogs, emotional support animals
LBC Adult speaker series returns for fall series of events
Nathan Countryman
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
Sherry Ross, co-founder of Deafinitely Dogs was the speaker at Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center’s adult speaker series, which is returning this fall. Check the LBC website for a full slate of upcoming speakers in the series.
Ross explained the importance of service animals and the differences between classes of trainings animals received.
“At Deafinitely Dogs, our dogs matter,” Ross said. “They are just as important to us as the people we serve, and our goal is they get to live a happy, healthy life doing the tasks they love.”
Ross said one area that differentiates them from other training animals – They believe in only positive reinforcement training.
“We want to teach smart, thinking dogs, who are better at navigating life at all times,” Ross said.
Each dog, even from the same litter of puppies, has their own personality and interests.
At Deafinitely Dogs, the dogs are supported their whole life. Most dogs are partnered with their person for their life.
As the company is nearing 10 years in existence, Ross said that one concern is some of their service dogs are nearing retirement age for their particular owner. In those cases, the goal is to have a dog training to replace the dog currently in the owner’s life that meets the owners needs, while allowing the current dog to step down in responsibilities as they near the end of their working life. Deafinitely Dogs is one of 23 organizations nationwide that was selected to help with training dogs for military health care in Bethesda, Md., about the minimal training amounts of service dogs needed.
Service dogs are animals who are trained to be near a human at all times when they are in public. They function much like a walker or wheelchair, and are allowed anywhere a human has to have tasks to complete. They are allowed in stores, movies and restaurants. The animal is specifically trained for an individual to aid in several tasks, depending on the care the person needs.
“One distinction for service dogs is it is very rare they are trained to deal with multiple people,” Ross said. “When they have their cape on, they are a working dog
and know they have jobs to do.”
Owners are trained how to speak up on behalf of the dog to stop people from petting or interacting with said animal if that is not wanted.
Facility dogs are animals who work in a designated facility, usually around children or patients in an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. setting. They are more available to interact with multiple people in a day, but are still a very task oriented dog.
Therapy dogs, much like facility dogs, are there to work in areas like libraries, schools and hospitals and provide comfort and emotional support to people as needed. Ross said that many of these animals are good at emotional support.
The category that causes a lot of issues are emotional support animals.
“Emotional support animals can be absolutely anything,” Ross said. “They have almost no training at all, but they provide emotional support for someone with a psychological disability. Those owners think because they have an emotional support animal, it has the access rights trained service animals have. They do not have those rights.”
The only animals recognized as service animals are dogs and miniature horses.
Deafinitely Dogs have animals that work in schools, funeral homes, senior living centers, mental health counselors as well as private individuals.
One of the biggest success stories for Deafinitely Dogs was their service dog who worked at a care facility during COVID. When those nursing homes were locked down, because that dog has already been licensed and working in the facility, they were allowed in every day. Ross said that was what helped many of those residents through that time was interacting with that dog throughout lockdowns.
A lot of their service animals are helping soldiers coping with ailments like post traumatic stress disorder. As part of their visits, they learn what type of care a person needs and how an animal can help them.
She shared the story of Axel, a soldier who returned to Cedar Rapids and had PTSD. Axel had originally been looking for an animal to help with his disabled son, but as the crew at Deafinitely Dogs was visiting, they discovered how bad his PTSD was becoming and how isolating it was for Axel.
“He went from living and being happy to going out in his 20s before the service, to when he came back only be willing to go to his job during the day, but not wanting to do that when he came home at night,” Ross said. “He was having nightmares and flashbacks to his service, and his violent nightmares would push him to sleep on the couch or after an instance where he startled his son, sleep in the basement to protect them.”
After Axel met Tucker, that changed. That dog has been able to help disrupt his nightmares. Because of that service animal, Axel is able to go out to events and hang out with people and friends with Tucker by his side.
Ross said that explains the impact of a service animal goes beyond one person and a dog. Those interactions allow them to do so much more.
At this point, one of the greatest needs for Deafinitely Dogs is people willing to be Puppy Raisers. They are raising socialized puppies who will eventually be trained as a service animal. Puppy raisers can foster a puppy from anywhere from six months to the full two years of training. Those raising the puppies need to be at classes with the dogs every Tuesday evening where they will work on age appropriate skills to be trained with the puppy. They also need to be willing to take the puppies out and exposed to different environments as
part of the training.
Their next biggest need is financial support, followed by advocacy to let people know they exist. Volunteers are also welcome.
The average cost for Deafinitely Dogs to train a dog from puppy to active service is roughly $28,000. Ross said they run leaner than some other agencies, where the national amount ranges between $35,000 and $50,000. The cost of dog food and veterinary care has been rising in recent years.
Deafinitely Dogs has a graduation rate of 67 percent, compared to the national rate of 40 percent. The COVID-19 pandemic did impact some of their graduation rate, as some dogs found they just wanted to be pets as opposed to service animals.
Deafinitely Dogs has a 100 percent team retention rate.
For more information on Deafinitely Dogs, check out deafinitelydogs.org.
What should you do when you see a service dog in person?
• Do not distract the dog by making dog noises or noises at the animal.
• Talk to the handler of the animal, not to the dog, unless you are given permission from the handler.
• You can ask the handler about their dog, but do not ask about the handler’s disability.
• You can ask to pet the dog – but do not expect to always be able to pet the animal. That animal is a working dog, and their handler knows what interactions work best for the animal.
Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun Sherry Ross and her service dog Dewey meet people after the speech was over.
Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun Sherry Ross highlights the organizational chart of Deafinitely Dogs and what the group routinely takes care of.
OPINIONS
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to eat our pets
Living in Iowa
Dan Brawner
“The country is being lost!” presidential candidate Donald Trump warned us during his recent debate with Kamala Harris. “We’re a failing nation.” In other words, America is going to the dogs. But wait! It gets worse. “In Springfield, they’re eating dogs!” Trump growled. “They’re eating cats. They’re eating…the pets of the people that live there. And this is what is happening in our country. And it’s a shame.”
Should we, in Iowa, be concerned for our pets? You know what they say: As goes Springfield, Ohio, so goes the country. But who are “they,” the shadowy pet-eaters? It’s Haitian immigrants, those ravenous Haitians! Like swarms of locusts. Apparently, they’ll eat anything. Of course, this is laughably untrue and during the debate, Kamala couldn’t help but laugh out loud when she heard it.
The rumor started when Springfield resident Erika Lee posted on Facebook that some woman saw her dead cat hanging on a tree about to be butchered by a Haitian who lived there. Ms. Lee later admitted she heard the story fourth hand from a neighbor’s daughter, whom she never even met. Nevertheless, the story went viral on X and it was picked up by the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe and J.D. Vance who only later acknowledged it might not be true.
But Trump has never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. Even after the report was debunked, he continues to double-down on the tale of dog-eaters, expanding it to include ducks and geese, poached from local ponds and city parks, devoured by Haitian immigrants like marauding zombies in search of human brains. To be fair, the old shark-and-battery story wasn’t pulling in the MAGA crowds like it used to. He needed some new material.
Of all the dark omens, why did Trump pick dog-eating immigrants as a sign of the Apocalypse? Although it is widely known that Trump himself hates dogs--he refers to women and disloyal employees as “dogs”— somewhere in the dim recesses of his three-chambered, reptilian heart, there lies the knowledge that people love their dogs. And we don’t want them eaten.
And yet, humans have a long history of eating dogs. The ancient Aztecs bred dogs for food. Some Native American tribes once considered dog a ritual delicacy. Members of the Lewis and Clark expedition (1803-1806) consumed a total of 193 dogs and favored it above any other meat. Lewis remarked in his journal, “I prefer it to lean venison or elk and it is very superior to the horse in any state.” (High praise, indeed.) To this day, China eats 10 to 20 million dogs annually. It was only until 2018, that it became illegal in the US, as part of the Farm Bill, to slaughter dogs and cats for food.
It’s sad that Trump believes we live in a dog-eatdog world. Trump was the first president since William McKinley (1897-1901) to not have a dog. As more and more of the former president’s associates abandon him to his madness and desperation, he might recall the famous advice of Harry S. Truman, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”
SUN EDITORIAL
School attendance policies passed at Lisbon, MV
Both Mount Vernon and Lisbon have amended their school attendance policies to be reflective of changes required at the state level.
For the majority of parents in the Mount Vernon and Lisbon School systems, running awry of these policies is very unlikely, especially with the interventions both schools have set up to remind students and parents of how close they are to the thresholds throughout semesters and the school year. Yet both schools are raising awareness so they are in compliance and educating parents of the changes now before problems will arise.
The policy is addressing a trend that has been spotted both statewide and nationally, that there is an increase of absenteeism from schools that began after the COVID-19 pandemic. Lisbon secondary principal Jack Leighty said it was a goal of the district to increase attendance, as the district slipped in that metric in the past year back at the August school board meeting.
Mount Vernon has had an attendance panel prior to this
It’s all about perspective on construction headaches
Nathan Countryman
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
new law from the state, so much of what happens at the district up to the first four unexcused absences will look the same to parents. It’s what happens after those four absences that is new.
As Mount Vernon and Lisbon both noted – students who have illnesses will always be excused absences, and they can make up class work they miss while sick. The best option for students who are sick, just like employees who are under the weather, is to stay home and not spread illnesses where possible.
Linn County district attorney office has also let schools know unless a case is severe and all other interventions have been attempted, they are not interested in pursuing these cases.
For schools, as Mount Vernon’s superintendent Matt Leeman said, the mission remains to educate students and implement these policies in a way that isn’t punitive and has multiple points of contact before a student has to make up any lost credits.
of the working day, especially as an editor when you might have to give one up at the end of the day and when you return, that spot is gone again.
But infrastructure improvements are important, and if they’re being done will eventually benefit those in the uptown, no matter how many minor headaches they throw in the spanner.
Short term pain for long term gain.
ny side
That quote has stuck with me from the August Lisbon School Board meeting, about their construction woes.
Over the past month, Alliant Energy has been doing work on underground in the alleys behind our business, where many of us who work in uptown choose to park. It’s been a minor inconvenience, and part of that is not knowing which level of the alley they would be working on during certain days of the week. One day, the upper lot was fine, the very next there’s a road closed sign in front of you as you were looking to turn. Finding a parking place is a minor headache
And when I look at this, I just think of the infrastructure improvements my sister Andrea is enduring over in Tipton. She lives in an apartment on Cedar Street (which many in the town know as Main Street). And Cedar Street from about Seventh Street to Second Street was torn up in Tipton most of this summer. I didn’t realize that there was no other access to her apartment aside from the front door until she shared the story of she and the kids discovering that one day after work began and they were landlocked to the apartment until crews realized and were able to properly address the matter. When I went down to Tipton for an early birthday dinner with her, my niece, nephew and visiting aunt and uncle in early September, the work on many of the roads was just being finalized.
But a new headache for Andrea is happening, as the sidewalk work outside her apartment is happening this week. She, her husband Justin and the kids will have to relocate to a motel while the sidewalk work is completed, as it will shut off their access to the apartment while the sidewalks are drying after being poured. Not how she wants to spend her birthday, no doubt, no matter how nice the renovated Tipton Motel may be.
And suddenly, being frustrated about a minor inconvenience like having to circle the block to find a parking space doesn’t seem as much of a headache any more.
It’s all about perspective. Suddenly, that headache isn’t as bad as what someone else is enduring.
Rep. Cindy Golding among those filing lawsuit
A group of nearly 40 Iowa Republican lawmakers announced their plan to file lawsuits in state and Federal courts asking for rulings that the Iowa Utilities Commission’s approval of the Summit pipeline project is illegal and unconstitutional. That includes Representative Cindy Golding, who represents Mount Vernon and Lisbon and other areas of rural Linn County. While Linn County is not impacted by the Summit pipeline, other pipelines have been proposed that would have gone through rural communities in Iowa.
The IUC’s June decision, which has sparked outrage across the state, has been condemned as not only disastrous and dangerous but also a clear violation of the rights
of Iowa landowners, noted the Republican lawmakers.
The pipeline project has raised serious ethical and Constitutional concerns, particularly regarding the potential safety risks it poses to Iowans living in cities such as Charles City, Waverly, and surrounding communities.
The intervenors have taken a firm stance against the Commission’s decision, asserting that it prioritizes corporate interests in tax credits over the safety, property rights, and well-being of Iowa’s citizens. Recent polls indicate that more than 80 percent of Iowans are opposed to the pipelines.
“The Iowa Utilities Commission’s approval of this project is a gross overstep of authority, trampling on the rights of our landowners and putting the safety of Iowans at risk,” said State Rep. Charley Thomson, a leading member of the Republican Legislative intervenors. “This CO2
pipeline is not only unethical but unconstitutional, and we will not stand by while the safety of our citizens is jeopardized.”
The Republican legislators’ lawsuits argue that the decision was made without proper consideration of Constitutional requirements and of the severe negative impact the project will have on landowners and communities throughout Iowa. The lawmakers argue that safety concerns, particularly for densely populated areas, have been largely overlooked and require immediate legislative and judicial review.
Mark Cisneros, who represents House District 91, spoke in opposition to the pipeline at the press conference. Cisneros noted he isn’t from Floyd County or other counties impacted in the lawsuit, but the use of eminent domain impacts all Iowans.
“If they can use eminent domain to steal someone else’s property, they can use it to take mine,” Cisneros said. “Even if this doesn’t impact me right now, I want to get ahead of this and be on the right side of this fight.”
The Republican lawmakers have also had several meetings to discuss strategy concerning possible new legislation to reform Iowa’s eminent domain system
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
New postmaster starting at Mount Vernon
I am honored to introduce myself as the new Postmaster of Mount Vernon. My name is Crystal Cummings, and I bring nine years of proven experience in customer service and community engagement. I am deeply committed to serving the residents of Mount Vernon and ensuring that the Postal Service meets the needs and expectations of our community.
I am excited to bring dedication and expertise to Mount Vernon, and I look forward to engaging with you and addressing any needs or concerns that may arise.
A key priority for me is the successful local implementation of the Postmaster General’s 10-year Delivering for America plan. This comprehensive plan is investing $40 billion in our nation’s outdated postal network to improve service reliability locally and across the country. I am confident that, as the Postal Service makes financial investments across our state, Mount Vernon, will reap the benefits of our unprecedented modernization. I am passionate about working with our dedicated team to deliver the highest level of service to our community.
I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming weeks and months. Your feedback and support are invaluable as we continue to evolve the Postal Service to better meet the modern mailing and shipping needs of our customers. Together we can ensure that Mount Vernon continues to grow and thrive.
Sincerely,
and to correct deficiencies in the statutes governing the functions of the IUC when the new legislative sessions begin. Their goal is to create stronger statutes defending private property rights and better ensuring the safety of communities.
“We are determined to fight this reckless decision in the courts and in the General Assembly,” added Rep. Thomson. “This isn’t just about stopping one pipeline. It’s about safeguarding our communities, our land, and our Constitutional rights from future overreach.”
Work has also went to continue fights in North Dakota and South Dakota over the pipeline. Former U.S. Representative Steve King spoke about the status of the project in those areas at the press conference.
“They say they have permission to dig, but they don’t have a permit for this pipeline,” King said. “The project is tied up in litigation in North Dakota and they have no route through South Dakota at this time.”
The Intervenors encourage Iowans to stay engaged in this critical issue and to support efforts to ensure that landowner rights and citizen safety are prioritized over corporate gain.
The Intervenors include Senator Kevin Alons, Sena-
tor Rocky De Witt, Senator Lynn Evans, Senator Jesse Green, Senator Dennis Guth, Senator Mark Lofgren, Senator David Rowley, Senator Sandy Salmon, Senator Jason Schultz, Senator Jeff Taylor, Senator Cherielynn Westrich, Representative Eddie Andrews, Representative Brooke Boden, Representative Steven Bradley, Representative Ken Carlson, Representative Mark Cisneros, Representative Zach Dieken, Representative Dean Fisher, Representative Dan Gehlbach, Representative Thomas Gerhold, Representative Cindy Golding, Representative Helena Hayes, Representative Bob Henderson, Representative Steven Holt, Representative Heather Hora, Representative Thomas Jeneary, Representative Bobby Kaufman, Representative Joshua Meggers, Representative Anne Osmundson, Representative Bradley Sherman, Representative Jeff Shipley, Representative Luana Stoltenberg, Representative Henry Stone, Representative Mark Thompson, Representative Charles Thomson, Representative Skyler Wheeler, and Representative Derek Wulf.
Additional reporting from the press conference provided by Nathan Countryman.
Linn County encourages early applications for temporary use/ special
event permits for public events
As fall and winter events draw near, Linn County reminds event organizers they must apply for a temporary use/special event permit for public events in unincorporated Linn County. These permits are essential to ensuring events comply with local zoning regulations and safeguards are in place to protect attendees, vendors, and event organizers.
Examples of public events that may need a temporary use permit include concerts, markets, 5Ks, memorial rides, haunted houses, temporary assembly, etc. Temporary use permits are also required for portable concrete mixing plants in unincorporated Linn County.
Event organizers should contact the Planning & Development Department before applying for the permit or investing significantly in the event to avoid potential issues or financial loss should the application be denied.
Applicants are encouraged to submit applications at least 60 days before the start of the activity or event to avoid expedited fees. Applications for activities or events that are submitted fourteen (14) days or less from the start date of the event are subject to an expedited application fee of $500, compared to the standard application fee of $100.
Required permit application materials include:
• Completed application form signed by the property owner and/or applicant
• Application fee
• Minor site plan, event map, or race route
• Severe weather plan
• Certificate of liability insurance
Temporary use/special event permit applications are available on the Linn County Planning & Development website. For questions about the permit application, call the Planning & Development Department at 319-892-5130 or email plan_ dev@LinnCountyIowa.gov.
Food and Beverage Permits
• Food and Beverages: Public events involving food or beverage service need to work with a licensed mobile unit (food truck/trailer), or the vendors (caterer) must have either an annual temporary event license from the State of Iowa or secure a temporary food service license from Linn County Public Health. Applications for a temporary food service license must be submitted at least three days prior to the event. Contact Linn County Public Health at 319-892-6000 with questions about event-related food and beverage service.
• Alcohol Sales: Public events selling alcohol must obtain the necessary permits and licenses from the Linn County Auditor’s Office. Contact the Office at 319-892-5300 or email Auditor@LinnCountyIowa.gov to start the permit process.
programmatic, and capital projects over requests for operating support. Grant funds may be used only for expenses that have not yet been incurred.
Look to the future
IA 52314
Crystal Cummings Postmaster Mount Vernon,
Look to the future, Folks!
Look ahead five years. Iowa, already an OB-GYN desert in 2024, will lose even more gynecologists due to unintended consequences because the 6-week abortion ban has made appropriately practicing medicine for them a near impossibility.
Now imagine that you – or your wife, daughter, mother, sister – need to see an OB-GYN. Perhaps it is a pregnancy that your general practitioner has determined high risk. Perhaps it is a test result that indicates the possibility of cancer. Whatever the situation, time is of the essence. But the earliest appointment is three months out – due to the shortage of OB-GYNs.
Do we want this future for our daughters and granddaughters? Will we allow women’s health, and even their lives, to be put at risk because some in state government feel a need to control the personal lives of over half the population?
The only way to prevent this scenario is to elect Democrats to the Iowa legislature and U.S. Congress. Vote for Kent McNally for Iowa House. Vote for Sarah Corkery for U.S. House. Mary Palmer Mount Vernon
Linn County accepting applications for Legacy & Community Attraction Funds
The Linn County Board of Supervisors is now accepting applications for the Legacy & Community Attraction Fund grant program. The Board of Supervisors established the Linn County Legacy & Community Attraction Fund to foster and support long-standing, new, and diverse community events and organizations in Linn County.
Grant funds must be used to substantially promote Linn County history or culture and/or work to draw in residents and outside visitors alike. Priority is given to requests for events,
Audit report released for City of Lisbon
Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn & Co. P.C. CPAs have released an audit report on the City of Lisbon.
The auditors reported that the City’s receipts for its governmental funds totaled $2,875,311 for the year ended June 30, 2024. The receipts included $1,210,348 in property tax, $35,973 in other city taxes, $384,658 in local option sales tax, $176,940 in tax increment financing collections, $810,655 from intergovernmental sources, $36,837 from use of money and property, $15,930 from licenses and permits, $38,726 from charges for services, and $165,244 in miscellaneous revenues. The City’s receipts for its proprietary funds totaled $1,216,014 of which $1,203,323 was from charges for services,
Preferred applications will be for projects/programs that accomplish the following:
• Promote Linn County through opportunities for historical education or community attraction
• Demonstrate a return on investment
• Do not duplicate current or long-standing events in Linn County
This is a competitive grant process open to nonprofit organizations located in Linn County or that have a branch location in Linn County. A total of $50,000 is available this year. To provide substantial, quality awards, a maximum of five awards will be granted.
The application deadline is October 31 at 4:30 p.m. Application information is available on Linn County’s website LinnCountyIowa.gov.
$1,458 from interest on investments and $11,233 in miscellaneous revenues.
Disbursements for its governmental funds totaled $5,137,962, and included $608,138 for public safety, $464,893 for public works, $490,696 for culture and recreation, $110,330 in community and economic development, $394,553 in general government, $427,360 for debt service and $2,641,992 for capital projects. Disbursements of the City’s proprietary funds totaled $1,162,894, of which $949,959 was attributable to its business type activities, $159,841 for debt service, and $53,094 for capital projects.
This report contains recommendations to the city council and other city officials. The city has responded that corrective action is being taken for each item. City administrator Brandon Siggins said at the city council meeting that the one area the city continues to work to address is segregation of duties, which is hard for a small staff to do.
A copy of the audit report is available for review in the office of the Auditor of State and the City Administrator’s office.
Lisbon looking to implement district career and academic plans
Lisbon Schools is looking to implement more efforts to implement district career and academic plans (DCAP) over the next school year.
High school principal Jack Leighty explained that the district teachers are being taught about how to implement DCAP to benefit students at the district.
The high school also benefited with Perkins money to purchase some new equipment for different classes. That includes a gaming tower computer that the video classes will benefit from usage for rendering in digital videos, a couple more drones for videography work and a heat press for creating t-shirts for Lisbon, INC.
The district has also visited with Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) for efforts that will work in DCAP efforts for the district.
“We’re hoping to allow students to utilize Pride Time throughout the year to be able to visit with college visits or looking at different career pathways,” Leighty said.
Lisbon Pride boosters help elementary playgrounds
The Lisbon Pride Boosters recently made a donation of new and updated equipment for the Lisbon Elementary recess programs.
Those donations include new flag football belts, a whiffle ball set, hula hoops and other equipment to give students options to play with at recess.
Elementary principal Justin Brown said along with the improvements to the playground this past school year, that has inspired recesses to be more fun.
Another benefit of the turf playground that Brown has noticed this fall – less dirt and debris from outside is being tracked inside the elementary.
‘A
Lisbon council approves contract with St. John’s Catholic Church
Nathan Countryman
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
The City of Lisbon approved a change to the contract with Saint John’s Catholic Church for long term care to graves at Lisbon Cemetery.
City administrator Brandon Siggins said that the old contract did not specify long term care to the graves, and the city was proposing an additional $250 to cover the cost.
“There’s more work that goes on in the cemetery each year, and every grave is different,” Siggins said. “Some years are wetter than others, and some have more sinking that needs to be addressed.”
Council member Nathan Smith asked why there was not a consideration of billing for the allotted time instead of a flat fee for those types of repairs.
Public works director Travis Bagby said the city proposed a flat rate to the church and they agreed to it.
This work only covers for needed dirt work and reseeding for grave plots. Cemetery stone repairs is another joint project between the city and the church when that work is needed to be completed, with the church sharing in those costs.
Lisbon History Center rental application discussed by city
The City of Lisbon also approved a change to a resolution for the application process for tenants above the Lisbon History Center.
The City of Lisbon owns the Lisbon History Center building, and it is usual for the city to have a chance to review applicants and conduct a background check before a lease is signed.
City administrator Brandon Siggins was looking to change the language that would allow either the city administrator or city clerk to review rental applications and approve prior to a tenant’s occupancy, instead of the matter having to come before the entire council. That would help with approving applications in a more timely fashion and, as Siggins noted, not make a tenant go before the entire city council to rent an apartment.
Siggins said the most recent tenant was one that did not go through those processes, and the city wants to make sure the resolution is in place to make sure proper steps are followed for the next tenant.
Council member Mike Williams and John Bardsley both agreed with the language of the resolution.
Council member Nathan Smith asked if the language had been looked over by the city attorney to protect the city from discrimination claims.
Siggins said that is his next step is making sure the language is appropriate from the attorneys, as well as spelling out criteria to legally approve or reject an applicant.
The issue will come back before the next council meeting.
Lead/copper service lines
The City of Lisbon is close to finished on their lead/copper service line study. If people have not completed the brief questions on lead/copper service lines that come into their home, they are encouraged to contact Christina Eicher at Lisbon City Hall. There are fewer than 200 that are needed for the service line inventory.
Journey from the Bell Curve to the Big Bang’ presentation Sunday
at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church
Dr. Roger A. Dana will be presenting a speech on “A Journey from the Bell Curve to the Big Bang” at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church Sunday, Sept. 22, at 2 p.m. All are welcome to attend this event. Pastor Lori Wunder said the congregation is committed to the belief that science and faith are not mutually exclusive. The bell curve is ubiquitous in science as it accurately describes the outcomes of many experiments or observations directly or the statistics of measurement errors. It is particularly important in understanding the performance of communication, radar, and navigation systems, for example, as it described the statistics of ever-present radio noise. On the journey from the bell curve to the big bang, we start with an empirical proof of the Central Limit Theorem, discuss radio noise (that annoying stuff you hear between radio stations if you have an old-style AM/FM radio), and then describe one of the most intriguing theorems in all of physics and engineering: Shannon’s limit on digital communications. The journey continues to the dawn of satellites and space probes, when dream-
Solon High School hosts Armed Forces
Night at Friday’s football game
Solon High School is proud to invite all active-duty personnel and veterans to attend “Armed Forces Night” September 20 at the Mount Vernon Mustangs vs. Solon Spartans football game.
This special event is a tribute to the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our nation.
All active-duty personnel and veterans will be admitted free of charge with proof of service. The evening will feature a series of pre-game festivities, including the Presentation of our nation’s colors by the Solon American Legion’s Color Guard, the Mount Vernon American Legion’s Color Guard, the Iowa National Guard, and the sophomore football team. The “Honored Veteran” of the night will be introduced, and newly enlisted personnel
ers first thought of exploring our solar system. They were confronted with the reality of communications at long distances, Shannon’s limit, and radio noise. In their quest to find the lower limit to this noise, two researchers from Bell Labs measured the radio-frequency remnants of the Big Bang and received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery. That discovery was the first empirical evidence that the Big Bang actually happened and from a Christian perspective is evidence of God’s act of creation.
This talk is intended for anyone with curiosity about this connection. It focuses on the underlying concepts, not on the mathematics. It is also a lesson on the rigor and beauty of the scientific method that uncovers unexpected connections and deeper understandings.
Roger A Dana received a bachelor of science in applied mathematics and engineering physics from the University of Wisconsin Madison and a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Stanford University. After grad school he worked for three years at Hughes Aircraft Company where he learned about radar and developed radar detection
into the Iowa National Guard will be recognized.
Additionally, all active-duty personnel and veterans will be honored on the field during a special halftime ceremony.
Small American flags that have flown on the graves of past veterans will be on sale at the gate to wave during the festivities.
“We are excited to host this event and show our appreciation for the sacrifices made by our military personnel,” said Brenda Scott of the Solon Booster Club. “It’s a small way for us to give back and honor their service.”
algorithms. The next 24 years were at Mission Research Corporation where he worked on trans-ionospheric RF propagation, channel models, and mitigation techniques for comm, nav, and radar systems. During the last 15 years of employment, he was at the Advanced Technology Center of Collins Aerospace and worked on problems at the intersection of physics, mathematics, and electronic systems. He is now “retired,” working as a consultant in these technical areas.
Michael E. Moore, age 77, of Appleton, passed away peacefully at his home on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. He was born to the late Earl and Wanda (Michels) Moore on December 26, 1946, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and was the big brother of Kate. Mike grew up in Cedar Rapids and rural Mt. Vernon where he attended Mt. Vernon High School, excelling in football, wrestling, and was a member of the Civil Air Patrol. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Mankato State University and earned his Master’s Degree from the University of Northern Iowa. He greatly valued the pursuit of knowledge and passed his love of learning on to his children and grandchildren.
On December 28, 1968 he married his high school sweetheart, Linda Moore (Richardson). They shared 43 years together before kindly allowing the other to find joy in love once again. They taught their children and grandchildren that sometimes love means letting go and that wishing the other true happiness is the greatest gift you can give.
Mike pursued many professional endeavors throughout his lifetime, including working construction as a young man, agricultural sales, and ownership of a small business. However, it was his time as a social studies teacher and football/wrestling coach at Dike High School (Iowa) that fulfilled him the most professionally. As head wrestling coach at Dike, he produced tough wrestlers, many state qualifiers and place-winners, and one individual state champion. He felt there were few problems in the world that a good cross-face cradle couldn’t solve. He loved the outdoors and people, longing to connect with both. Family camping trips with regular excursions into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area with family, friends, and his wrestlers were valued opportunities to do just that. He loved history and shared it through reenacting the events and culture of the French and Indian War and early American explorers. Mike loved to set off on long road trips on his BMW motorcycle, smoke cigars and play checkers with his best friend, Rick. He loved to talk about his grandchildren and children always wanting them to know just how proud he truly was of them.
On November 28, 2015, Mike married his Annie (Ann Marie) at a small service in Cedar Rapids, IA. Friends for more than twenty years, they became the greatest of companions talking politics and history all while weathering the storm of Mike’s recovery from a major stroke. Ann Marie, born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, attempted to teach him French. Mike spoke it whenever and wherever he could despite the fact that most of the time it was anything but French. Ann Marie would simply roll her eyes and chuckle and leave it at that.
Mike dreamed of visiting Nova Scotia and riding the train across the entire country of Canada. He wanted to show his children and grandchildren the beauty of the land and tell them the stories that lived in his heart. Michael is survived by his children: Sean (Jan) Moore, Kendra (Michael) Schmidt and step-son Robert (Julie) Coutinho; his grandchildren: Sam and Anna Moore and Brady and Grant Schmidt; his sister Kate (Keith) Shelton; first wife Linda Moore; and many nieces, nephews, and friends. He is preceded in death by his wife Anne Marie Moore and both of his parents.
Our family would like to thank Jennifer Guerrero for her wonderful work as Mike’s caretaker; Nicolle Girard for providing him with friendship and companionship; and Compassus Hospice for their care in Mike’s final months. You all gave our family comfort and a chance to catch our breath. We are incredibly grateful. Per the family’s wishes, a celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Barnyard Buddies
Hello everyone, I am here to tell you about what the Barnyard Buddies did at their most recent meeting Sept. 8. The first thing we did was look at our financial report to make sure everything was correct. We then looked at how much we sold at Solon Beef days. We sold 3,100 pork burgers, 600 loins, and 1,100 drinks. We then discussed that record books are due Oct. 15 and awards night is Nov. 10 from 1-4 p.m. The last thing we discussed was what our next month’s meeting would look like.
We plan on electing officers and maybe pumpkin picking. Thank you for reading about what the Barnyard Buddies did at their most recent meeting.
Claire Thuerauf Reporter
Spots
Child safety seat inspection
Lynch Ford-Chevrolet will be hosting a child safety seat inspection tonight (Thursday, Sept. 19) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the dealership. This free session is for all expecting parents, new parents or guardians who wish to be educated on proper car seat installations for their vehicle.
Lisbon Music Boosters Soup Supper
Lisbon Music Boosters will be hosting a soup supper today (Thursday, Sept. 19), from 5-7 p.m. Menu includes soup and chili, dinner roll, dessert, and a variety of drinks. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens and students in alternative kindergarten through eighth grade, and kids preschool and under eat free. Proceeds benefit the Lisbon Music Department.
Lisbon Community Blood drive
The Lisbon Community Blood drive will be held Wednesday, Oct. 2, from 2:30-6:30 p.m. at Lisbon High School Cafeteria. Book an appointment for the blood drive by contacting Kaitlyn Silver at ksilver@lisbon.k12.ia.us. All 16-year-old donors must have a parental consent form. Be sure to eat and drink before donating blood. For more information, visit bloodcenter.org.
Lisbon parks and recreation movie night
Lisbon Parks and Recreation will be hosting their rescheduled movie in the park night Saturday, Oct. 5, beginning at 7 p.m. at Lisbon City Park. Apple cider, hot chocolate, popcorn and M&M’s will be available for the fall movie night.
Cornell College Spirit Squad Kids’ Clinic
Cornell College Spirit Squad will be hosting a kids’ dance and cheer clinic Saturday, Oct. 12, and Sunday, Oct. 13 at Cornell College’s SAW Main gymnasium. Clinics run 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, with a showoff performance at the end of the ses sion Sunday. Cost is $43 for either dance or cheer clinics. Students are able to choose between either dance or cheer clinics. Each track is designed to be engaging and age-appropriate, ensuring every child has a blast while learning new moves.
Students will learn a fun routine over the course of their chosen clinic. All students will then have the opportunity to perform their routine at the conclusion of the second day of camp.
Fees include instruction from coaches and team mem bers and a free T-shirt.
Students need to pack a lunch and snacks for the day of the clinic.
For any questions or concerns email gmccoy@cornell college.edu or aklein@cornellcollege.edu
High school, middle school book groups starting up again
With the school year settling in, Cole Public Library’s -
dle schoolers and one for high schoolers. September is the first meeting of the year, so each group will gather for a brief informational session to recommend titles and
The high school group is meeting Monday, Sept. 23, at 3:30 p.m. in the Browsing Room and the middle school group is meeting Saturday, Sept. 28, at 1 p.m. in the Browsing Room. Both groups meet once a month from September through May and are a great way for teens to
All books are provided to members free of charge
September 19: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
September 20: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
September 21: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
September 22: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
September 23: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm
September 24: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm
September 25: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm September 26: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm
Sept. 9 – Agency assist- animal control, Cedar CO
Sept. 9 – Medical, 400 blk Fourth Ave SW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 9 – Medical, 400 blk Fourth Ave NW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 9 – Medical, 600 blk First SW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 10 – Disturbance, 1225 blk First Ave NW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 10 – Accident, 1800 blk Palisades Rd SW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 10 – Alarm, 200 blk business 30 SW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 10 – Medical, 300 blk N. Monroe St, Lisbon
Sept. 10 – Medical, 300 blk W. Main St, Lisbon
Sept. 10 – Welfare check, 300 blk business 30 SW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 11 – Alarm, 200 blk E. business 30, Lisbon
Sept. 11 – Alarm, 100 blk W. Main St, Lisbon
Sept. 12 – Disturbance, 300 blk Palisades Rd SW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 12 – Agency assist- accident, Linn Co
Sept. 12 – Accident, 100 blk W. First St, Mount Vernon
Sept. 12 – Medical, 100 blk First St SW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 13 – Welfare check, Hwy 1, Mount Vernon
Sept. 13 – Accident, Hwy 1, Mount Vernon
Sept. 13 – Juvenile issue, 200 blk School St, Lisbon
Sept. 14 – Criminal mischief, 500 blk First St NW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 14 – Welfare check, 100 blk S. Hwy 1, Mount Vernon
Sept. 14 – Warrant, 300 blk business 30 SW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 15 – Disturbance, 400 blk Second St NW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 15 – Accident, 400 blk business 30 SW, Mount Vernon
Sept. 15 – Juvenile issue, 100 blk W. First St, Mount Vernon
Sept. 15 – Agency assist – traffic stop, Linn Co
Sept. 15 – Medical, 400 blk W. Main St, Lisbon
Michael Moore
MV sweeps Solon
Ryan Suchomel
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com
No. 1 Mount Vernon really didn’t want to give up a set to No. 11 Solon on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
The Mustangs pushed the sweep over the finish line, taking down the Spartans 25-11, 25-16, 28-26.
“I think in rivalry matches, the faster you can win and get off the court, the better,” Mount Vernon Coach Maggie Willems said. “I didn’t want the gym to get any more excited. Gritting it out in set three was really important.”
Solon junior Kiley Devery hit back-toback aces to put the Spartans up, 25-24, in the third set. Mount Vernon responded with a pair of kills from Sydney Maue.
Following a kill by Solon junior Jozie Lahr, senior Paige Shurbon delivered with a kill, and the Mustangs closed the set and match on a Spartan passing mistake.
“It was good,” senior setter Sydney Huber said. “We’ve got to learn to play with pressure. They are a really good team. So, it was fun.”
The night wasn’t all fun. Defending 3A
Player of the Year Chloe Meester rolled her ankle on a stray volleyball during pregame warmups, and was limping a bit to start the match.
“We didn’t know if she’d be able to go,” Willems said. “To her credit, she gutted it out. She was not going to miss a chance to play against Solon.”
And if you’ve got a Chloe Meester, it is a pretty good idea to remind the other team what they are facing.
Chloe Meester scored the first four points for the Mustangs, three on kills and one on a block.
“She usually gets momentum going our way,” Willems said. “I think just putting Chloe into the back of the mind of anybody’s defense is not a bad way to start a match.”
Hobbling around the court at times, Meester still finished with a match-best 15 kills. Maue added 13 kills, junior Cali Whitaker had 10 kills and Paige Schurbon had eight kills.
Huber has so many options.
“Sydney Maue was a great addition and is so fun to play with,” Huber said. “Everyone can get kills. That’s the most fun.
“We have so many great hitters, we can mix up so much stuff.”
Whitaker, a junior, provides an interesting option at the net. She doesn’t rattle the floorboards with her kills like future Division I players Meester and Maue, but knows where the open spots are.
“Cali has improved so much from last year to this year,” Willems said. “She’s confident and her IQ is high.”
“It has been a big step up,” Whitaker said. “You just have to believe that your teammates trust you. They help you have
the confidence and keep the game fun.”
As for Chloe Meester, she got a rare weekend off to rest her ankle. The topranked Mustangs (14-2) played Tuesday, Sept. 17, in an outdoor match at No. 9 West Delaware, and next head to the Red Oak Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 21. “Chloe is always impressive,” Whitaker said. “But we always talk about having grit as a team. She really showed us how. She trusted we’d help her out when her ankle was hurting.”
Mustangs trot over Wildcats 15-13
Ryan Suchomel
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com
No. 3 Mount Vernon didn’t get hacked or slashed on Friday the 13th, instead escaping Benton Community, 15-13, in Van Horne.
“We knew it was going to be a close game,” Mount Vernon coach Brad Meester said. “They match up really well. They are big up front and their skill positions were fast. It was a heck of a matchup.
“For us, it was a lunchpail type of day.”
Mount Vernon (3-0) never trailed and overcame three turnovers.
“The defense did a good job pulling us out of those situations,” Meester said.
The Mustangs opened the scoring with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Kellen Haverback to Watson Krob.
And then Mount Vernon went for the 2-point conversion. Jase Jaspers scored on a run. Meester said they saw some-
thing they liked in the film and wanted to take advantage.
“That changes the game,” Meester said of the 2-pointer. “The other team has to keep up with it and chase the points. That was good for us. It helped change the game a little bit.”
The Bobcats scored on a 1-yard Dylan LeFebvere run, but failed to convert, and trailed 8-6.
Before half, Ethan Wood scored on a 5-yard run and Bennett Harp kicked the extra point to make it 15-6. Wood, normally a tight end, got involved in the running game Friday. As did Jaspers, normally in the slot.
“We knew we needed a little size inside,” Meester said. “With Ethan and Jase (Jaspers) back there, it gave us more of a dynamic look.”
Jaspers finished with 79 rushing yards on 15 carries, and Wood had 36 yards on nine totes. Regular RB, senior Cooper Hird, had four yards and Haverback added 53 rushing yards.
The second half was mostly a stalemate until the Bobcats scored in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard pass from Carson Nolan to Mayson Mitchell. Down three points they opted to kick the extra point.
Photos by Avery Arens | For the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Above: Mount Vernon’s Sarah Esbaum (No. 11) taps the ball over the hands of Solon defenders.
Left: Coach Maggie Willems, Eryn Jackson (No. 5), Sophia Meester (No. 17), Sydney Maue (No. 9), Cali Whitaker (No. 3), Sydney Huber (No. 15) and Chloe Meester (No. 16) celebrate the victory on the court.
Benton had one final drive that started with 56 seconds left. The Bobcats got into Mustang territory but Wood came off the edge and forced a fumble with 22 seconds left. Joe Briesemeister recovered it.
“The defense did a great job and got a key turnover at the end,” Meester said.
The Bobcats finished with just 190 yards. Mount Vernon had eight tackles for loss and five sacks, including two by Nova Lane, and one each for Wood, Tyler Williams and Kael Riniker.
“The game is won up front,” Meester said. “That’s the way it has always been.”
Junior QB Haverback finished with 75 yards on 10-of-20 passing with one touchdown and three interceptions.
“We had a ton of highs, and also had some low points,” Meester said. “We were able to ride those out. We found a way to do it. No matter what happens, you keep pushing forward.
“There are going to be moments it doesn’t go your way. We rally around each other and keep pushing.”
And now another scary Friday night, a trip to Hwy. 1 rival and No. 1 Solon (3-0) on Sept. 20.
Meester said they were treating it like any other week. But, of course, it is not like any other week.
“We all know that. It is not a secret,” Meester said. “It is a big game.”
Mount Vernon broke Solon’s chokehold on the series in 2022 with a 17-14 win, ending a 19-game losing streak.
Mount Vernon won 17-0 a year later, then Solon got revenge last fall, 37-20.
Opposite page: Mount Vernon’s Kellen Haverback (No. 8) tries to protect the ball during a tackle by the Benton Bobcat defense.
Top: Mount Vernon’s Ethan Wood (No. 22) tries to get a few more yards out of a carry following a Benton tackle attempt.
Right: Mount Vernon’s Watson Krob (No. 1) prepares to catch the ball in the endzone despite the Benton defense trying to thwart the play.
Far right: Mount Vernon’s Jase Jaspers (No. 9) evades a tackle and toes the sideline boundary to eke out a few more yards on a play at Benton Sept. 13.
CROSS COUNTRY
MVLXC girls finish second, boys fifth at CR Invitational
Ryan Suchomel
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com
The two-month cross country season can be a delicate balance.
Teams want to be racing their fastest times at the end of the calendar, for conference, districts and state.
Teams also want to be challenged. And they want to win a few, if possible.
Mount Vernon-Lisbon has had a big serving of elite competition to start the season. First, a huge field of 4A programs in Ames. Then last week, the Mustangs finished second (girls) and fifth (boys) at the Cedar Rapids Invitational at Seminole Valley Park.
“There is a fine line of being hungry at end of the season, but also being prepared for it,” MVL Coach Kory Swart said. “It is touchy. Lot of things to factor in.”
The No. 4 (3A) MVL boys
finished behind ranked 4A teams No. 10 Prairie, No. 4
Ankeny Centennial, No. 15 Cedar Rapids Kennedy plus Bettendorf on Thursday, Sept. 19.
Moustafa Tiea of Iowa City West won the race in 15 minutes, 38 seconds. MVL’s Grady Olberding was just a few seconds behind, placing second in 15:42.2.
“Tiea is great; he’s really good,” Swart said. “Grady ran a great race that day to keep up with him.”
Both the Mustangs teams are dealing with a little gap issue between the top two runners and the next three athletes to cross the finish line.
“You don’t want wide spreads (between first and fifth runners),” Swart said. “But Grady is a spread wrecker. But that’s a good problem to have.”
After Olberding, Dawson Scheil was eighth, Seamus O’Connor was 30th, Chasen Caskey 39th, and Zane Van
Regenmorter was 52nd.
On the girls side, Kiersten Swart finished fifth in 19:23.6, followed by 10th-place Evelyn Moeller. Rose Pisarik was 25th, Sam Schoff was 38th, and Cora Smith was 41st.
“Kiersten and Evelyn really had great races to lead the way for us,” Swart said. “Now we work on 3 to 5, and get them a little bit closer.”
As a team, No. 2 (3A) MVL girls only trailed No. 3 (4A) Ankeny Centennial in the team standings, and beat No. 15 (4A) Cedar Rapids Prairie and No. 18 (4A) Davenport Central.
And while the team titles have been out of reach against the big schools, Swart sees a ton of growth a few weeks into the season.
“We are definitely getting pushed,” Swart said. “But winning meets is fun, too. Hopefully we can do that as we move down the line.”
MVL has a rare week
without a competition before a Monday, Sept. 23, race at Solon.
“We’ll get in a couple good workouts and also have a little fun,” Swart said. “We’ll have scavenger runs and also an ice cream run.”
The Mustangs follow the Solon Invitational with three meets across eight days to start October.
CEDAR RAPIDS INVITATIONAL
Boys team scores – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 68; 2. Bettendorf 87; 3. Ankeny Centennial 91; 4. Cedar Raqids Kennedy 95; 5. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 130; 6. Iowa City West 159; 7. Davenport Central 163; 8. Waterloo West 234; 8. Waterloo West 234; 9. Davenport North 278; 10. North Scott 280; 11. Dubuque Wahlert 306; 12. Cedar Rapids Xavier 307; 13. Muscatine 311; 14. Marion 356; 15. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 390; 16. Cedar Rapids Washington 414; 17. Clinton 444. Medalist – 1. Moustafa Tiea (ICW) 15:38.0.
MVL – 2. Grady Olberding 15:42.2; 8. Dawson Scheil 16:01.2; 30. Seamus O’Connor 17:04.8; 39. Chasen Caskey 17:16.3; 52. Zane Van Regenmorter 17:46.5; 60. Anthony Armstrong 18:00.5; 67. Cayden Scheil 18:17.8.
Girls team scores – 1. Ankeny Centennial 35; 2. Mount
4.
5.
6.
10.
Photos by Lucy Wischmeyer | Mustang Moon
Vernon-Lisbon 119; 3. Cedar Rapids Prairie 132;
Davenport Central 137;
Bettendorf 146;
Marion 158; 7. Dubuque Wahlert 220; 8. Iowa City West 226; 9. Center Point-Urbana 234;
Muscatine 266; 11. Clinton 269; 12. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 280; 13. Cedar Rapids Xavier 299; 14. North Scott 325; 15. Cedar Rapids Washington 360; 16. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 459; 17. Davenport North 490. Medalist – 1. Anika Mohrhauser (AC) 18:42.9.
MVL – 5. Kiersten Swart 19:23.6; 10. Evelyn Moeller 19:52.9; 25. Rose Pisarik 20:55.7; 38. Sam Schoff 21:35.0; 41. Cora Smith 21:41.8; 55. Claire Jensen 22:10.7; 57. Josie Bothell 22:18.9.
Caroline Rupe | Mustang Moon Mount Vernon-Lisbon’s Evelyn Moeller runs at the Cedar Rapids Invitational Thursday, Sept. 12. Moeller finished 10th overall in the race.
Lions topple Wildcats 49-6
Ryan Suchomel
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com
Columbus took its first drive down the field and punched it in. It was the first points allowed by Lisbon this season.
And the last points for the Wildcats on Friday, Sept. 13, at Walmer Field. Lisbon won, 49-6.
“I thought we weren’t playing to our full potential at the beginning,” senior lineman Ethan Hoekstra said. “Then later on in the game, we gained enough energy, scored touchdowns left and right, and smacked them right back in the mouth.”
Columbus (1-2, 0-1) was expected to be one of the teams to challenge the Lions in Class A District 5.
“That was good for our defense,” coach Dylan Hastings said of the Wildcat touchdown, a 5-yard plunge by Riley Kaalberg that capped a 6-play, 80-yard drive. “I wouldn’t say I was happy, but it was good we were able to overcome adversity.”
After piling up 80 yards on that first drive, Columbus only had 112 more yards the rest of the game.
“We just responded,” senior linebacker Jacob
LISBON VOLLEYBALL
Walerius said. “We filled holes and stopped the ball. Tackle, tackle, tackle.
“We tackled.”
After the first Lisbon drive ended at the Columbus 11-yard-line, the next two went for touchdowns.
The first on a 55-yard option keeper by quarterback Dakota Clark, and the second on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Clark to Quinn Coleman.
The second TD was set up by a blocked punt. Coleman blocked it and Tiernan Boots recovered.
Up 14-6, the Lions scored twice in the final five minutes of the second quarter.
First, Clark scored on a 39-yard punt return.
“He is electric,” Hastings said of Clark. “The thing with Dakota, you get the ball in that kids’ hands, and you never know what is going to happen.
“He’s really comfortable back there. We can count on him.”
There are not many starting quarterbacks who also return punts … but Clark enjoys the added responsibility.
“My coaches just really trust me to handle the ball,” Clark said. “It felt good to finally get on my feet and trust my instincts. I really hit it hard and then my guys blocked for me so
I could do my job.”
Lisbon (3-0, 1-0) leaned on its two-minute offense to finish off the first half, going 56 yards in four plays – all passes by Clark.
Clark connected with Gage Holub twice, including a three-yard TD pass with 30 seconds left in the half.
Clark finished the game 10-of-13 passing for 120 yards.
Boots finished with 238 rushing yards on 18 carries.
“It helps when we hit one thing a lot, then go back to the other and they are not really expecting it,” Clark said. “We have a bunch of different athletes, a bunch of different weapons. We can hurt them all over.”
Lisbon added three more touchdowns in the third quarter. Clark connected with Grayson Wollum for a 16-yard TD, Boots had a 61-yard TD run and a 40-yard TD. Holub kicked all seven extra points. It was 49-6 at the start of the final quarter, and the continuous clock ensured it didn’t last long.
“The boys had a great week of practice, and they knew it was going to be a good game,” Hastings said. “They were ready for this game, and I think that showed tonight.”
The Lions next travel to Highland on Sept. 20. The Huskies are 2-1, with wins over North Cedar and Van Buren County and a loss to Danville. Lisbon beat them 57-6 last fall.
“This entire week we were talking that (Columbus) were one of our best games we were going to see all year,” Hoekstra said. “That didn’t matter. We put up 49. It didn’t matter at the end of the day. It was a huge statement game.”
U MV First downs 8 17
Rushes-yds. 22-(-48) 22-91
Cmp.-Att.-Int. 9-22-1 14-23-1
Top: Lisbon players Grayson Wollum (No. 23) Daylin Schaefer (No. 28) and Tiernan Boots (No. 7) converge on a Columbus player Friday, Sept. 13.
Bottom: Lisbon’s Dakota Clark (No. 1) evades the tackle of a Columbus player and advances the ball down the field.
Passing yds. 139 186 Total yds. 91 277
Rushing – Columbus: Riley Kaalberg 26-109, Tyson Kaalberg 3-39, Fritz Figaro 6-20, Angel Venzor 4-15, Trevor Phillips 3-9. Lisbon: Tiernan Boots 18-238, Dakota Clark 2-61, Quinn Coleman 3-2, Ryder Meeks 1-(-1).
Passing – Columbus: Trevor Phillips 2-5-0-1. Lisbon: Dakota Clark 10-13-120-0, Ryder Meeks 3-3-8-0. Receiving – Columbus: Angel Venzor 2-0. Lisbon: Quinn Coleman 4-51, Grayson Wollum 3-44, Gage Holub 3-19, Tiernan Boots 2-8, Ben Kelley 1-6.
Lisbon splits 2-2 at Kepros Invitational
Ryan Suchomel
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
ryan.suchomel@mvlsun.com
Not every volleyball trip has to be a serious showdown. No. 12 Lisbon went 2-2 at the Kepros Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 14, at Crestwood High School in Cresco.
But the Lions enjoyed pizza and bowling the night before in nearby Decorah during an overnight trip near the Minnesota border.
“We did some team bonding stuff,” Lisbon coach Lance Kamaus said. “And along the way you get to play some competitive volleyball, which helps out, as well.”
Crestwood happens to be Kamaus’ alma mater, and the Lions have been making the long bus ride for many years now.
“It is a pretty good deal,” Kamaus said. “The kids fundraised to pay for this, selling cupcakes, etc., and they enjoyed it a lot. The volleyball is icing on top of the cake.”
In pool play, Lisbon beat Clayton Ridge 21-13, 17-21, 15-10 and Waukon 21-19, 21-17, before falling to North Fayette Valley 16-21, 21-12, 15-11.
That set up a winner’s bracket semifinal against Crestwood, and the host team won, 21-18, 21-17.
During pool action Mykala Luzum-Selmon had 41 kills to pace the offense. Kamryn Kahl had 20 kills and Sarah Dietsch added nine. Kaitlynn Hasselbusch had 71 assists and libero Kyla Kahl led with 33 digs.
Earlier in the week, the Lions lost a Tri-Rivers cross-division showdown at Springville, 25-21, 18-25, 18-25, 25-23, 15-13.
“Just a lot of unforced errors on our behalf,” Kamaus said. “A lot of hitting errors that were not reflective of who we were.”
Up two sets to zero, the Lions lost the final two sets by two points, each.
“I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve been up 2-1 and lost the match,” Kamaus said. “Credit to them, they fought back. They are one of the top teams in the area in 1A.”
Hasselbusch had 43 assists in that five-set showdown. LuzumSelmon had 18 kills, Dietsch had 14 and Kamryn Kahl added 12. Freshman Kyla Kahl led with 20 digs.
Rowan Jacobi paced the Orioles with a match-high 23 kills. The good thing is the match doesn’t count in the Tri-Rivers West, where the Lions (7-4) are going for their eighth title in a row this fall. That starts Thursday, Sept. 19, with a home match against Calamus-Wheatland.
Then Lisbon hosts its annual Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 21, starting at 9 a.m. in the Lion’s Den.
“It is going to be a barnburner,” Kamaus said. The nine-team field includes No. 5 (1A) Holy Trinity and No. 9 (2A) West Burlington, among others.
Jami Martin-Trainor | For the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Top: Lisbon volleyball player Sarah Dietsch serves the ball during a match between the Lisbon Lions and the North Linn Lynx on Sept. 5, 2024 at Lisbon High School. The Lions beat the Lynx, 2-0.
Kerry Kahl | Contributed photo
Right: Lisbon players including Kaitlynn Silver (No. 10), Sarah Dietsch (No. 13), Kaitlynn Hasselbusch (No. 7), Makayla Luzum Selmon (No. 8) and Kyla Kahl (No. 11) celebrate a Kamryn Kahl (no. 4) point on the court at Thursday’s game.
Jennifer Tischer | Contributed photos
St Peters and Paul Fall Fun Auction
Nathan Countryman
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
The Saints Peter and Paul Fall Fun Auction was held in the rural Solon church Sunday, Sept. 15.
Lunch menu included pork burger, pork loin, choices of sides, drinks and cookies.
Members of the chapel also prepared kolaches for sale, a long going portion of the fun auction.
Upstairs, the bidding was fierce on silent auction items from 11 a.m until 1 p.m. when bidding officially closed.
A number of raffles were also held at the event, including a cookie in a jar raffle, where numerous cookies in a jar were sold and a winning raffle winner was drawn. Jim Bledsoe won that $100 prize. Mary Hollenbauer won a gift basket featuring items from The Local, Iron Leaf Press and other shops. Nancy Vincent won the Yock’s Landing gift basket. Will Dix won the Mount Vernon Bank and Trust fire pit, and Justin Dix won a gift basket from Silver Spider, Amanda Daye and Mary Joe Neggers. Jan Henie won the Hy-Vee trucks and tractor trailer, while Lou Ann Pisarik won the International Harvester tractor model. Maddy Boren won the handmade quilt.
The t-shirt silent auction determined which of Iowa’s three regent universities T-shirts would draw the most money. The UNI Panthers shirt drew a bid of $20, the University of Iowa shirt $70 and the Iowa State university shirt drew $71.
The fundraiser raised more than $3,000 for the day in silent auction alone.
The chapel will be holding a capital campaign starting later this year for needed improvements and care for the historic church.
CTE classroom at Lisbon likely to be finished by late October
Nathan Countryman
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
The career and technical education wing at Lisbon Schools is on track to be completed by late October.
School board member John Baker said that the contractors have switched to a weekly meeting to update on how the progress is going.
Roofing on the CTE building will be finished in the next week.
Weights were moved to the new weight room in the first week of school, and work is now finishing up in the lobby outside the Lion’s Den.
The work on the old gymnasium floor is the next process, with contractors patching where weights had damaged the older floor before installing a new rubber type floor in that gymnasium.
The old gymnasium will also serve as a storage space for the new classrooms that are being finished in the CTE wing.
Board member Allan Mallie said that while the new concession stand has been operating for Lisbon volleyball games, the overhead doors to close the concession stand are on order and should be in the next week.
Work on the exterior of the new weight room’s visual pops, including the red panels have been installed to be seen from Business 30.
“It’s fun to be here and see the progress that is being made,” said superintendent Autumn Pino.
Lisbon’s new weight room benefits more than student athletes
Lisbon’s new weight room has already seen increased usage for classes, reported middle school activities director Brandon Horman.
Horman said the speed and conditioning class offered by the district has grown from 79 students last year to 122 students this year. That class utilizes the weight room space.
As well, the junior high school is now spending two to three days in the weight room space to be trained on how to properly utilize the weight room space.
“It’s awesome to see kids walk in that space and know it’s going to be used,” Horman said.
Any given day, that amounts to 200 students using the space. Horman said that more than 60 percent of secondary students use the weight room on a daily basis.
There was also an increase in usage in the weight
room in junior high and high school athletes over the summer. Horman noted that was due to many of the coaches hosting individual times in the gymnasium and reminding athletes the importance of strength and conditioning.
The one area that was value engineered out of the weight room project was new weights and equipment, due to the cost. He’s worried that the older equipment will damage the floor that the district spent more on.
Horman said it may be time to consider a fundraiser to look at investing in updating the equipment. Horman said that type of fundraiser would require a significant amount of funding.
Board member John Prasil again recommended that students going out in the community to fundraise this fall could raise quite a bit of funding for needs.
“There’s enough community members who will remember those fundraisers conducted in the past, that have done it themselves in our community,” Prasil said.
Photos by Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
A youth puts in her raffle ticket for the raffle for the Silver Spider and art supplies basket.
Kolaches and other baked goods were for sale at the fall fun auction Sunday, Sept. 15.
Above: Helpers serve up the lunch at the fall fun auction Sunday, Sept. 15.
Left: The number is drawn in the cookie in a jar raffle at the fundraiser Sunday, Sept. 15.
date.
Darrin Gage, Dir. of Policy & Admin.
– FY24 and FY25 budget overview; KPI’s; working on various policies (Vicious Animals; Courthouse Security; General Assistance and Weather-Related Closings); attending budget software training and joint Learning Institute; finalizing the audio/video projects; Homeless Shelter (fire suppression, egress; elevator); Jail Isolation Cells nearing completion; Secondary Road Headquarters bid in October; Urban County Coalition meeting Friday; and a Fall Department Head meeting has been requested (budgets and policy review).
The Video Surveillance Policy’s latest revision clarifies the roles of IT and Facilities. Need to follow up on Compensation Board legislative change.
Adjournment at 10:10 a.m.
Respectfully submitted, JOEL D. MILLER, Linn County Auditor
By: Rebecca Shoop, Deputy Auditor APPROVED BY: KIRSTEN RUNNING-MARQUARDT, Chairperson Board of Supervisors
Published in the Sun September 19, 2024. CITY OF LISBON REGULAR COUNCIL
MEETING MINUTES
SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2024
CALL TO ORDER: The City Council of Lisbon, Iowa, met in regular session on September 9th, 2024, at 7:00p.m. with Mayor Doug O’Connor presiding. The following City Council members were present: John Bardsley, Rick Scott, Mike Williams, Kevin Steele and Nathan Smith.
OTHERS PRESENT: Brandon Siggins, Travis Bagby, Doug Shannon, and Dave Schechinger.
CONSENT AGENDA: Motion by Williams, seconded by Scott to approve the consent agenda consisting of minutes of August 26th, list of bills, Treasurer’s Report for August and Alcohol License for Whitey’s Bar and Grill, LLC. All Ayes. Motion carried 5-0. Motion by Smith, seconded by Williams to approve annual contract with St John’s Catholic Church for maintenance costs. All Ayes. Motion carried 5-0. Motion by Bardsley, seconded by Smith to approve FY24 Audit results. All Ayes. Motion carried 5-0. Motion by Bardsley, seconded by Scott to approve Resolution 28-2024 approving the process for History Center tenant application reviews. Roll call vote. Ayes: Bardsley, Steele, Smith, Williams, Scott. Absent: None. Nays: None. Motion carried 5-0.
The council received the following reports from city departments: City Engineer Dave Schechinger –Business 30 is moving along well with an October 10th deadline, watermain items are nearing completion.
Public Works Director Travis Bagby –millings are being placed on road near 4L, bunting field and alleys. Extra millings are being offered to dustless properties that have been grandfathered in. Work continues with City Clerk Christina Eicher on the lead and copper survey.
Police Chief Doug Shannon – report submitted.
City Administrator Brandon Siggins –Thank you to everyone that came to support the pancake breakfast. 1,400 people attended for a $16,000 profit, a record year. Thank you to Ely Fire Department for use of the grills and cooler and to all the businesses that helped sponsor the event. Finished up items for the audit, nuisances, Highway 30 work, Meyers Farmstead meetings, Des Moines training next week, lead survey and work on ambulance director contract.
Mayor and council thanked staff for the quick response recently to a water main issue and all those that came out to support the fire department pancake breakfast. The Dolly Parton Library program has reached over 200 participants. Motion by Smith, seconded by Williams to go into closed session at 7:16pm pursuant to Iowa Code Chapter 21.5(j) to discuss possible purchase/sale of real property. Roll call vote. Ayes: Bardsley, Steele, Smith, Williams and Scott. Absent: None. Nays: None. Motion carried 5-0. Motion by Smith, seconded by Scott to out of closed session at 7:46pm. Roll call vote. Ayes: Bardsley, Steele, Smith, Williams and Scott. Absent: None. Nays: None. Motion carried 5-0. Motion by Smith, seconded by Bardsley to have City Administrator Siggins proceed as discussed in the closed session. All Ayes. Motion carried 5-0. Mayor Doug O’Connor adjourned the meeting at 7:47pm. Christina Eicher, City Clerk Doug O’Connor, Mayor Published in the Sun September 19, 2024. CITY OF LISBON
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COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF SHARON A. WILKINS, DECEASED CASE NO. ESPR047114
NOTICE OF PROBATE OF WILL, OF
OF
AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS To All Persons Interested in the Estate of Sharon A. Wilkins, Deceased, who died on or about August 3, 2024:
You are hereby notified that on September 3, 2024, the Last Will and Testament of Sharon A. Wilkins, deceased, bearing date of August 29, 1981, was admitted to probate in the above named court and that Michael Wilkins was appointed Executor of the estate. Any action to set aside the will must be brought in the district court of said county within the later to occur of four months from the date of the second publication of this notice or one month from the date of mailing of this notice to all heirs of the decedent and devisees under the will whose identities are reasonably ascertainable, or thereafter be forever barred.
Notice is further given that all persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned, and creditors having claims against the estate shall file them with the clerk of the above named district court, as provided by law, duly authenticated, for allowance, and unless so filed by the later to occur of four months from the date of the second publication of this notice or one month from the date of mailing of this notice (unless otherwise allowed or paid) a claim is thereafter forever barred.
Dated September 5, 2024. Michael Wilkins, Executor of Estate 834 Shade Tree Ct Lisbon, IA 52253 Guy P Booth, ICIS#: AT0001014 Attorney for Executor Guy P. Booth Law Office 425 2nd St SE, Suite 1010 Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Published in the Sun September 19, 2024
NOTICE OF PROBATE THE IOWA DISTRICT COURT FOR LINN COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF CARL W. SHIPLEY, DECEASED CASE NO. ESPR047128 NOTICE OF PROBATE OF WILL, OF APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTOR, AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS
To All Persons Interested in the Estate of Carl W. Shipley, Deceased, who died on or about August 30, 2024:
You are hereby notified that on September 6, 2024, the Last Will and Testament of Carl W. Shipley, deceased, bearing date of December 30, 2020, was admitted to probate in the above named court and that William Shoop was appointed Executor of the estate. Any action to set aside the will must be brought in the district court of said county within the later to occur of four months from the date of the second publication of this notice or one month from the date of mailing of this notice to all heirs of the decedent and devisees under the will whose identities are reasonably ascertainable, or thereafter be forever barred.
Notice is further given that all persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned, and creditors having claims against the estate shall file them with the clerk of the above named district court, as provided by law, duly authenticated, for allowance, and unless so filed by the later to occur of four months from the date of the second publication of this notice or one month from the date of mailing of this notice (unless otherwise allowed or paid) a claim is thereafter forever barred.
Dated September 6, 2024. William Shoop, Executor of
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MV adopts attendance policy updates
Nathan Countryman
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
The Mount Vernon School Board approved adopting the language from the compulsory attendance from Iowa Association of School Boards and the Department of Education.
Matt Leeman said for many parents, the interventions that are implemented when students hit certain attendance thresholds will not be new.
“Prior to this, Mount Vernon already had an attendance panel that reviewed the data weekly and followed up with students and parents about why they be missing school,” Leeman said. “That will continue with this plan.” If a student misses more than 15 percent in a grading period (seven days in a quarter, 14 days in a semester), the student, their guardians and a school official will discuss why a student has been absent so much and come up with a plan to get the student engaged in school. Officials will remain in contact with that student’s guardian for the remainder of the school year to make sure they are following a plan to keep the student engaged.
Students will be warned at four unexcused absences in a semester that they are missing too many classes. If a student misses six days in a class, the student may lose credit for that class. At that time, a student can request a hearing which a counselor, an elective instructor, core curriculum instructor, principal and assistant principal will hear the case. The goal with the panel is to be as impartial to a student as possible, Leeman said. If students do not like the decision of the panel, they can appeal to the superintendent and eventually the school board. Students will remain in the class until the panel has come to a decision. If a student loses credit to absences, they will be assigned to supervised study hall or online course work.
Students will have up to 10 days to complete make up work for any missed school days.
If a student misses too many days in a class, they will have the class marked as failed but have the opportunity to recover the credit in an in-person or online course.
One of the big concerns is what is an excused or not excused absence from the district. One of the ones that was a gray area for Mount Vernon was the difference between an athlete attending a state sporting event, and a student choosing to spectate at a sporting event. For the state, the student spectating the event would be facing an unexcused absence.
“We don’t want our policy to be punitive to students, we want our students to be successful,” Leeman said.
Another gray area is the instances where a parent chooses to hold a student back because of the weather conditions on the ground if the school decided to still be held that day.
“That’s a call we get from parents a lot at the elementary school,” Washington Elementary Principal Kate Stanton said.
Board member Tim Keegan asked to explain how days are accumulated as being missed.
At the high school level, students are marked absent from each period, so if they were just missing one period for some reason, they are only marked missing for that. At the elementary level, attendance is taken twice a day, so if a student misses attendance for the morning but was in by the afternoon, they are noted as missing for half a day.
Board member Jason Clark said he was happy with a number of changes that were made by Leeman to the policy from what was originally proposed. He was asking for help in defining absences that happen due to vacations to have more flexibility for students to have an opportunity to make up the work prior to the vacation.
“I know students aren’t penalized for the work they missed and have 10 days to complete the work when they return, but there are kids who like to complete that before they leave,” Clark said.
Leeman said the important piece is that the school has an action plan and making sure students and parents know there is an issue before any disciplinary actions are taken.
“Our goal is to make sure our students don’t slip through the cracks, as well as to not be punitive to our students,” Leeman said. “Our goal is to make sure they are learning and being educated.”
Board member Lance Schoff said as it’s outlined in writing, there are a lot of steps that must happen before students meet with any punitive action and they are informed along the way of what is to happening.
Concrete work to happen at transportation building
The Mount Vernon Community School District will be completing concrete work at the transportation building this fall.
According to superintendent Matt Leeman, the work is looking to address a number of dips in the concrete that are three to five inches of drop.
“It’s making it hard to get buses in and out of the building,” Leeman said.
The bid was from Camacho for roughly $25,000 to replace the concrete utilizing SAVE/PPEL funds.
Board member Lance Schoff asked if there was any plan on moving the transportation building in the next 10 years.
Leeman said with the bonding capacity of the district tied up at the moment, that doesn’t seem likely and it makes sense to make the repair with concrete to give more life to the building than revisiting the issue in two or three years from now for more asphalt work.
DCAP, EBR reporting
The board also heard reports on the district’s career and academic planning (DCAP) and the evidence based reporting (EBR) grading from Michelle Boyden.
On DCAP, Boyden said the purpose is to help students grow in knowledge of what professions work for them —through students knowing their interests, knowing their potential career goals, opportunities to explore different career options, know the salaries and develop plans following high school.
One of the changes they will be implementing to the DCAP this year is giving students an opportunity to reflect on what they’ve learned with their experiences, especially during J-Term where many students take part in internships. Teachers will finalize their new DCAP plans in November from J-Term, and then administer that new reflection post during J-Term. The group will then take what they learned in J-Term and those reflections as a chance to review feedback and improve in the future.
Part of the DCAP plans that parents participate in happens during course registration, when students and parents determine which classes students should register to fit with their academic goals.
On EBR, Boyden said work was ongoing to take Matt Townsley’s recommendations for improvements back to the program. The goal is students will develop transferrable skills from the learning.
“Part of that is realizing that if you want to write an effective argument, you have to know a lot about the topic you’re arguing about,” Boyden said. “If you’re writing a paper on a topic, you likewise need to know a lot about the topic.”
MVCSD Foundation continues work on RISE program
Nathan Countryman
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
The Mount Vernon Community School District Foundation continues work on their Retired Iowans Supporting Education endeavors.
Amie Roberts, MVCSD Foundation director, said that the work kicked off in July with a session about tax changes that happened in 2023. At that point, those over 65 no longer pay income tax. RISE is an opportunity for those who are retired to devote portions or what they used to pay in income tax directly to the school foundation.
At the foundation level, there is an opportunity to direct the money to general district fund, to the foundation or to a fund designated the superintendent fund, which would allow the superintendent to apply the funds to the areas with the greatest need.
“The idea behind all of this is to get retirees to donate the amounts of income tax they have directly to the schools through the school foundation,” board president Rick Elliott said. “They could choose to support schools to a partial amount, or as they have in the past.”
If people are interested in learning more, contact Amie Roberts at the Mount Vernon Community School Foundation.
MVLCT receives Iowa Arts Council grant
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) announced last week awards of $1,678,389 from seven grant programs to strengthen the arts, culture and creative industries across the state and provide Iowans with access to enriching cultural experiences. IEDA approved 173 awards to Iowa organizations and Iowans in more than 60 communities from the Art Project Grant
New
Foundation wall being fundraised for will be installed in
MVHS lobby
The next fundraiser for the Mount Vernon Community School Foundation will be a digital board to be installed in the Mount Vernon High School lobby.
MVCSD Foundation director Amie Roberts said the goal will be between $16,000 and $25,000 to get this digital board installed.
“The $16,000 allows us to get it installed, while the $24,000 to $25,000 allows us to implement all of our goals with the board,” Roberts said.
The digital board will be similar to the digital boards being installed in Lisbon High School’s new lobby renovation, and will include information on ongoing community school foundation projects, projects by the different parent and teacher organizations, alumni hall of fame information, upcoming activities and highlights of current activities.
There will also be a maintenance cost for the board to maintain access to the cloud the information stored on the board each year.
Roberts said that she would be the one who would be maintaining and updating the board with relevant information. She was asking permission from the district to hang the digital board in a spot designated in the lobby.
Program, Cultural Capacity Building Grant Program, Cultural Leadership Partners Program, Greenlight Grant Program, Iowa Artist Fellowship Program, Iowa Community Cultural Grant Program and Iowa Screenwriters Grant Program.
Mount Vernon Lisbon Community Theatre was awarded a Cultural Capacity Building Grant for operating support in the amount of $5,000 a year for three years to fund their new Elliott Studio Series project.
“The Corridor is full of talented artists and creators. The Elliott Studio Series opens the door for those same artists to pursue projects that otherwise may be unattainable,” said Trevor Baty, MVLCT president. “We’re able to create smaller, more intimate productions that are more challenging and introspective, as well as support passion projects or scratch a show off a ‘bucket list.’ This series aims to let our art be about the art and share unique experiences with our audience.”
More information about the series and how to apply to direct a show can be found at www.mvlct.com.
The grants are administered by the Iowa Arts Council and Produce Iowa, the State Office of Film and Media, both part of the IEDA. Funding is made possible by an appropriation from the Iowa Legislature and a matching state partnership grant from the federal National Endowment for the Arts. Projects awarded funding range from arts and cultural festivals and live theatre performances to exhibitions, film productions and community public art projects.
“Arts and culture are integral to economic vitality,” said IEDA director Debi Durham. “They not only drive growth within our communities but also enhance the quality of life, making our state a more attractive destination for both visitors and new residents.”
Iowa’s leading arts, cultural and heritage venues also serve as tourism attractions and anchors to vibrant downtowns, generating local spending and supporting Iowa companies in their efforts to attract talent by enhancing Iowans’ quality of life. Learn more about the IEDA and Iowa Arts and Culture at culture.iowaeda.com.
CALENDAR & PUZZLES
CHURCHES
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
Pastor Carla Burge
Sun: 9 a.m. in-person worship, masks requested 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
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Thursday, Sept. 19
Story Time, Cornell Public Library Byerly Room, 9:30 a.m.
Fiber Friends, Southeast Linn Community Center, 10:30 a.m.
League of Women Voters Linn County Mount Vernon-Lisbon Unit Candidate Forum, Mount Vernon Performing Arts Center, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
LBC Adult speaker series “Art in the Community” by Steve Maravetz, Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center, 1 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 20
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.
Saturday, Sept. 21
Lincoln Highway Arts Festival, uptown Mount Vernon, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 23
Lisbon City Council, Lisbon City Hall, 7 p.m.
Lisbon Public Library Reading friends book discussion group, Lisbon Public Library, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 24
Farm to Fork lunch at Bon Appetit, Cornell College Thomas Commons, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (farmers market runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
200 E. Market St., 455-2000 livinghopegmc.org
Interim Pastors
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 Jack Ray 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
Lego Club, Cornell college Room 108, 3:30 p.m. Democrats for Democracy, The Plantiful Pantry, 6 p.m.
Yarn squad, Cornell College Cole Library Room 326, 6:30 p.m.
Learn to play Bridge, Cornell College Cole Library room 108, 7-9 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 25
Early out for Mount Vernon, Lisbon Schools. 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, 1-3 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 26
Story Time, Cornell Public Library Byerly Room, 9:30 a.m.
Fiber Friends, Southeast Linn Community Center, 10:30 a.m.
LBC Adult Speaker Series “What is a Public Library?” by Elizabeth Hoover de Galvez, Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center, 1 p.m.
Jessica Monier Fall Faculty Recital “An Evening of Soviet Era Piano Music,” Cornell College Armstrong Youngker Hall Recital Studio, 7 p.m.
Mount Vernon Homecoming Parade and festivities, Mount Vernon Martha Parsons Activities Complex, 6 p.m.
Across
1 City sitting spot
6 One shown in a crowd cutaway at a sporting event, perhaps
11 Word on a diamond-shaped yellow road sign
15 Gondola’s path
16 Ancient Greek marketplace
17 Yacht spot
18 *Rod-shaped parasite
20 Hard-core
21 Base figure, for short
22 Garden divisions
23 Made a bundle
25 “From your lips to God’s ears”
27 *Soup or sandwich
30 Point to
31 Mash-up
33 “Green”
34 Fraction of a watt-hour
36 “Foyle’s ___” (British TV drama)
37 Exploits
39 Technology used in writing the starred clues?
42 Suffix with proto-
44 Straight, informally
45 Rook’s opposite
46 Take for a ride
47 Most diabolical
50 Disturb
54 *Embarrassment from a self-own, perhaps
56 Businesswoman Huffington
58 “Peace”
59 Command
60 Noted speedway sponsor
61 Laura of “Enlightened”
62 *Grade-A quality
66 Call it a day
67 Folklore foes
68 Headdress for the archbishop of Canterbury
69 Places to get masks
70 Kingpin on “The Wire”
71 Correct, as writing
1 Like the longer route, maybe
2 Martial art with movements like “Parting the Horse’s Mane” and “Grasp Bird’s Tail”
3 One way to get around town
4 Clod
5 Annapolis frosh
6 Persian’s realm?
7 They often clash
8 Forecast word
9 Poetic palindrome
10 She originated the role of Fanny in “Funny Girl”
11 Like pangolins
12 Small sofa
13 Fallopian tube, e.g.
14 Make one out of two?
19 18th-century French novelist whose name means “the wise man”
24 Charge for money, say
26 Friends, in slang
27 Major tributary of the Missouri
28 Farming prefix
29 NYY rival
32 “Well, shoot!,” more colorfully
35 Fix
38 Deleted scene, e.g.
39 Afro-Caribbean religion
40 Plant in the mint family with healthful seeds
41 Mobile dinner table
42 Banned chemical contaminant, for short
43 Bungle
48 One half of the merger that formed Paramount Global
49 Insisted
51 Not remote
52 Starting position, maybe
53 Ran out
55 Rainflies can cover them
57 Identifying words from a familiar voice
59 Stoke
61 Makes ineligible for competition, for short
63 N.Y.C. luggage tag letters
64 Defenseman who scored a Stanley Cup-winning “flying goal”
65 ___ Dae-jung, Nobel-winning former president of South Korea
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.
Mount Vernon’s homecoming events coming up
New route for Thursday’s homecoming parade
Nathan Countryman Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
Mount Vernon Community School District homecoming activities are coming up the week of Monday, Sept 23 through Saturday, Sept. 28.
Monday’s dress up day for high school is pajama day. For the second year, band alumni are encouraged to come and play with the Marching Mustangs ahead of the game Friday, Sept. 27. A rehearsal for alumni wanting to play with the band at the homecoming game is being held Monday, Sept. 23 at 6:45 p.m. at the Martha Parsons Activity Complex. Alumni will rehearse the national anthem and learn where they stand on the field.
The cross country teams will race at Solon Invitational Monday, Sept. 23, beginning at 5 p.m.
Tuesday’s dress up day is camouflage day. The Mount
Vernon volleyball team will host Center Point-Urbana Tuesday, Sept. 24, with varsity play beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday’s dress up day is pink out day. Mount Vernon will have an early out on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
Thursday’s dress up day is “Rhyme without a reason” day. Homecoming parade, coronation and powderpuff football will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26.
This year’s parade route has been adjusted. The parade will line up at Washington Elementary School and then briefly turn on Palisades Road before heading north on Third Avenue. The parade will then head west on Third Street Southwest (College Boulevard Southwest) and proceed to 15th Avenue Southwest. The route will then proceed south towards Palisades Road. The parade will head east towards the school and conclude at the entrance to the Mount Vernon Schools, and events will move to the
Martha Parsons Family Activity Complex.
Friday’s dress up day is Spirit Day. Friday, Sept. 27, will host the Alumni Hall of Fame inductees at 9 a.m. in the Mount Vernon Performing Arts Center.
The Mustangs will face off against Mount Pleasant Friday evening, with fresh/soph starting at 5 pm. and varsity beginning at 7:15 p.m.
The Marching Mustangs will participate in the Linn-Mar Marching Band Competition Saturday, Sept. 28. The Mount
Vernon homecoming dance is 9 p.m. Saturday evening at the Mount Vernon High School.