Solon Economist — 7.23.26

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Community donations and public education expand access to lifesaving tools

Thanks to generous donations by the community the Solon Fire Department recently purchased a new Automated External Defibrillator (AED), which is located in this box along Main Street across from Buff’s (208 E. Main St.). The unit is accessed by calling 9-1-1 and a dispatcher at the Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC) will provide the necessary code to unlock the cabinet while getting first responders en route.

Ella McEntaffer Solon Economist news@soloneconomist.com

The Solon Fire Department recently installed a new public access automated external defibrillator, or AED, in downtown Solon after generous donations from community members made the purchase possible. At the same time, the Solon Public Library ran a free hands only CPR, choking response, Narcan® administration, and AED awareness classes in partnership with Johnson County Ambulance Service (JCAS).

A weekend full of memories for a lifetime

Olli (left), Mac (middle), and Ray Dalrymple of Solon pose for a picture in an oversized chair provided by Tim Gordon/Gordon Lumber Company, during Solon Beef Days Saturday, July 18.

More photos of Beef Days on pages 5-8

School board debates potential changes to athletic policy

New state law allows eighth graders to play high school sports

Grace Escritt Solon

Economist news@soloneconomist.com

At its regularly-scheduled meeting on July 16, the Solon Community School District’s Board of Education held a discussion regarding how to proceed in response to a new state law allowing eighth graders to participate in high school athletics.

The law, House File 2591, states eighth graders are allowed “to participate in any extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition that is provided by a school district, non-public school, or charter school on the same basis as students who are enrolled in grades nine through twelve.” It was officially

signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds on June 2.

Cassie Rochholz, a member of the school board, explained although this law allows eighth graders to participate in high school athletics, it does not require that a school district make this option available. Implementation — and to what extent — is completely optional.

“It is up to each district to decide whether or not they want to allow that,” she said. “Now, it’s up to the district as to whether or not this is something that we want to do.”

Overall, the school board has complete autonomy over how it will respond to this new allowance. Rochholz said before the board’s next meeting, members plan to discuss and determine whether this allowance will be adopted. In the case it is, the board will also be responsible for determining who is eligible, when, under what conditions, and more.

Rochholz said during the meeting that according to her understanding, the intent of HF 2591 is to assist schools in filling gaps in athletic programs that otherwise do not have enough students to fill a team. However, she said Solon has “not had a problem to date” when it comes to filling a full roster for both JV and varsity teams.

“As a result of that, I don’t find us to be in a situation where allowing eighth graders to fill a roster is something that we need to entertain,” she said.

According to the board’s first readthrough of its updated Policy 504.06, which is currently only in draft state, in the case the district decides to permit an eighth grader to play up, that student would not be able to compete in a middle school and high school sports program during the same sport season. The draft’s current language

Cadence Dighton | Solon Economist

Ella McEntaffer | Solon Economist

Together, the efforts are designed to improve survival rates by making both lifesaving equipment and training more readily available.

Solon Assistant Fire Chief Scott Wolfe said the new AED became possible after the department shared its need during the annual firefighters breakfast fundraiser.

"We put out literature at the firefighters breakfast that we were in need for a new defibrillator," Wolfe said. "They saw what our need was and ended up donating the money, and we were able to buy a new defibrillator."

Tom and Linda Gross made the lead donation after learning about the department's need. Wolfe said Linda's father served as a battalion chief with the New York City Fire Department, making the project especially meaningful to the family.

Additional donations from community members exceeded the amount needed for the replacement unit, allowing the department to purchase another AED.

"In this day and age, budget requests are so tight that we're sometimes unable to get equipment that we need," Wolfe said. "We'll do something like that as a fundraiser."

Wolfe said the department is continually reminded of the community's support, and is grateful for all that the community does for the department.

"If we need something and we send something out looking for help, we always get it from the people in our fire district,” Wolfe said. “It's truly unbelievable."

The new AED is housed in a bright yellow public access defibrillator cabinet on Main Street near the bandstand, directly across from Buff's (208 E. Main St.). During a cardiac emergency, anyone can call 911, and emergency dispatchers will provide the means to unlock the cabinet so the AED can be retrieved before first responders arrive.

The department also oversees another public access AED in the uptown area, while the City of Solon maintains an additional unit at the Solon Recreation and Nature Area (SRNA).

Wolfe said getting an AED to a patient quickly can dramatically improve survival.

"Early CPR and early defibrillation is what saves lives in a cardiac event," he said. "Anytime we can get a defibrillator out in the public close to somebody that's in arrest, the better chance they have for survival."

He hopes people won't be intimidated by using an AED if the need ever arises.

"It's so simple," Wolfe said. "You open the box, and the box talks to you. It walks you right through what you need to do. All you have to do is listen to it."

He said even his eight year old granddaughter was able to follow the instructions during practice.

Modern AEDs analyze a person's heart rhythm automatically and only deliver a shock when one is medically appropriate. If no shock is advised, the device instructs users to continue CPR until it reassesses the patient.

Wolfe also encouraged residents to download the free PulsePoint® app, which alerts CPR trained volunteers when someone nearby is experiencing a cardiac arrest and identifies the

nearest public access AED.

While the fire department is expanding access to lifesaving equipment, the Solon Public Library is helping residents build the confidence to use it.

Sixteen people attended the library's first free community CPR program Wednesday, July 8. Participants learned hands only CPR, choking response, Narcan® administration, and how to use an AED through instruction provided by JCAS personnel.

Librarian Mykle Clark said the idea grew out of a desire to offer practical programs that directly benefit the community.

"It's an issue everywhere in America, but it's also an issue in Iowa,” Clark said. “People over 40 are experiencing adverse health effects at earlier and earlier ages.

The library plans to continue expanding its health education offerings. The library recently partnered with JCAS to offer a CPR practice kit that patrons will soon be able to check out and use at home.

The CPR class also complements the library's ongoing Libraries with Heart initiative, which provides blood pressure monitoring resources and promotes heart health awareness.

"It's all going in the same vein of, 'Let's keep our community happy, healthy and thriving,'" Clark said.

For Wolfe, the combination of accessible AEDs and trained community members is exactly what improves outcomes.

"When somebody's heart stops, every minute matters," he said. "The more people who know CPR and the more accessible these defibrillators are, the better chance someone has of going home to their family."

Volume 146 I Issue 30 Of a Little Weekly Miracle PO Box 249, Solon, IA 52333 Phone: 319-624-2233 news@soloneconomist.com

The Solon Economist strives for accuracy and fairness in reporting news. If we’ve made an error or a report is misleading, let us know about it: news@soloneconomist.com.

STAFF

Publisher Jason Brummond jason.brummond@dailyiowan.com

Editor Chris Umscheid chris.umscheid@ soloneconomist.com

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Production Manager Heidi Owen heidi.owen@dailyiowan.com

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states it would have to be one or the other.

Dr. Tim Brown — vice president of the board — explained the board will have to make a quick — although careful and considerate — decision due to HF 2591.

“What’s in the best interest of all of our students has to be a primary concern,” he said.

Voicing a nuanced view on the subject, Megan Laing — board member — expressed that although allowing eighth graders to compete at the high school level could be equitable in some situations, it could also be the opposite in others.

“To me, perhaps using an eighth grader to complete a team at a high school level — that previously could not have been completed without an eighth grader — is potentially equitable because it allows those kids in high school to participate in a team or complete a

team sport,” she said. “[However,] bringing someone up who shows excellence or a promise of excellence in a skill to surpass other kids that we said we would provide opportunities for in high school is problematic for me.”

Later on in the discussion, Dr. Davis Eidahl — superintendent — explained preferences regarding how to respond to this potential allowance varies from each coach and program. He outlined that for instance, some coaches may want to pull all eighth graders up to play at the high school level, whereas others may be against the idea unless a unique circumstance arises.

Eidahl and Laing also acknowledged that in the case of pulling all students up, this could increase costs due to having to hire more coaches and pay them for longer.

One final idea debated by the board was how to interpret “athletic contest or competition.” From the bill’s language, it is unclear

as to exactly what programs this allowance encompasses. The board will be doing research and searching for clarification before the next meeting.

Altogether, the board’s view on how to approach this new allowance is nuanced, though there are multiple different perspectives and scenarios that will be considered before a decision is made.

“I am on the fence a little bit right now, and I just don’t have a really good perspective of what I feel,” Rochholz said. “I don’t want to prohibit an athlete from being able to reach their fullest potential. If this creates an opportunity, I am all for that. At the same time, I also don’t want to prohibit an opportunity for a high schooler to engage in athletic sports or any sort of activity like this.”

At its next meeting on August 20, the board will have a clearer idea regarding how it plans to approach this subject during the 2026-27 academic year.

Solon couple named National Conservation Volunteers of the Year

Betsy

Penisten

Communications & Development Manager Iowa Wildlife Federation

DES MOINES — The Iowa Wildlife Federation is proud to announce that longtime conservation leaders Sue and Joe Wilkinson of Solon have been named National Conservation Volunteers of the Year by the National Wildlife Federation. The award was presented during the 90th Annual Meeting of the National Wildlife Federation, held June 14–17 in Providence, Rhode Island.

“For me, this is a full-circle moment. As a teenager, I read the National Wildlife Federation magazine cover to cover, and years later, when I started attending these annual meetings, I was in awe of the people receiving this recognition. It's very humbling to be here today,” said Sue Wilkinson.

Sue and Joe have been members of the Iowa Wildlife Federation since 1988 and have dedicated nearly four decades to conservation in Iowa. Throughout the years, they have served as board members, volunteers and ambassadors for wildlife and the outdoors, helping strengthen the organization and expand its impact across the state.

At events such as the Iowa Nature Summit and other community gatherings, Sue and Joe regularly volunteer their time to connect Iowans with conservation. They share information about programs such as School of the Wild and the Iowa Gray Fox Project, helping inspire support for wildlife, habitat and outdoor education.

"What sets Sue and Joe apart is not just what they do, but how consistently they do it," said Ryan Smith, executive director of the Iowa Wildlife Federation. "They are dependable, generous with their time and always willing to step in wherever help is needed. Their leadership and dedication have strengthened our organization

and helped advance conservation across Iowa."

The National Conservation Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding National Wildlife Federation affiliate volunteer whose time, talents and service have advanced conservation efforts. To learn more about the Iowa Wildlife Federation, visit www.iawildlife.org.

Interns Ella McEntaffer, reporter Cadence Dighton, reporter Grace Escritt, reporter John Charlson, photographer/ reporter

Abby Princehouse, digital/ social media, sports reporter Breck Goodman, digital/social media, sports reporter

Official Newspaper: Solon, Johnson County, Solon Community School District, Solon Tri-Township Emergency Response The Solon Economist (USPS 500860), a division of The Daily Iowan, is published weekly on Thursdays by Student Publications, 100 Adler Journalism Building, Room El31 Iowa City, IA 52242. Periodicals Postage Paid at the Solon Post Office and additional offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Solon Economist at PO Box 249, Solon, IA 52333. Subscriptions: Contact Catherine Bilskie at 319-624-2233 or catherine. bilskie@soloneconomist.com for additional information. Subscription rates: Johnson and adjoining counties – $55 annually; elsewhere In Iowa –$75 annually; out of state –$85 annually.

Copyright 2026 Solon Economist, a division of The Daily Iowan and Student Publications, Inc. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in print and online editions, are the property of Student Publications, Inc., and may not be reproduced or republished without

National Wildlife Federation contributed photo

Sue and Joe Wilkinson receive the National Conservation Volunteers of the Year award at the 90th Annual Meeting of the National Wildlife Federation in Providence, Rhode Island on June 16.

Corriene Keith

Corriene “Connie” Keith, of Solon, 84, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, surrounded by her family at the Solon Care Center. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at the Solon United Methodist Church. Celebration of Life will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at Solon United Methodist Church. Brosh Chapel and The Avacentre are assisting the family at this time.

Connie was born on February 13, 1942, in Nichols, the daughter of Clifford and Alberta (Hintz) Perkins. She graduated from West Branch High School, class of 1960. Connie was united in marriage to Marshall “Buck” Keith, on October 7, 1961, in West Branch at the United Methodist Church. She worked a various secretarial jobs at WMT, Solon Vet Clinic, and many years working with her husband Buck at Tri-States Mill and Elevator. Connie enjoyed baking, cooking, gardening, tending to her flowers, sewing, embroidery, cross-stitch, watching the Hawkeyes, boating on the Coralville Lake, and most of all spending time with her family especially the grandchildren. Christmas was a very important time to celebrate the season by decorating her home, sharing her baked goods with family and neighbors. She was an active member of the Solon United Methodist, welcoming newcomers, teaching Bible and Sunday school for many years.

Connie is survived by her children Kirk (Nancy) Keith of Onslow, Kelley (Mike) McLaughlin of Coralville and Lance Keith (Sheila Wubbens) of Montezuma; her grandchildren Adam (Amy) Keith, Molly (Jacob) Werner, Matthew McLaughlin, Ryan McLaughlin, Haley McLaughlin, Marshall (Ashley) Keith, Jarod Keith and Grace Keith; six great-grandchildren; sister Bev (Bill) Madden; brothers-in-law Bob (Pam) Keith and Jim (Elaine)Keith; sister-in-law Kathy (Ellis) Smith; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She is preceded in death by her parents; her loving husband of sixty-one years, Marshall “Buck” Keith, her brother Bob Perkins; sister Janet Cunningham, sister-in-law Bonnie (Jim) Washburn, brother-in-law Bill Warren, and nephew Mark Cunningham. Memorials may be directed to the Moments Hospice and or the Solon Fire Department. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.broshchapel.com

COLLEGE NEWS

Haege graduates from Mount Mercy University

CEDAR RAPIDS – Frank Haege, of Solon, graduated from Mount Mercy University on June 7, 2026. Hage received a Bachelor of Business Administration and earned Cum Laude honors.

Mount Mercy University students named to Spring 2026 Dean’s List

CEDAR RAPIDS — The following students are named to Mount Mercy University's Spring 2026 Dean's List. Students with a semester grade point average of 3.60 or better and who are graded for six or more semester hours are eligible for inclusion on the Dean's List.

Ely – Melanie Buresh, Catie Reittinger, and Riley Sauser Solon – Tyler Bell, Rose McAtee, Joshua Milliman, and Maria Milliman

SOLON PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS

Visit the Library as we prepare to finish Summer Reading with refreshing outdoor parties and reading prizes! We’re throwing a FOAM PARTY, Thursday, July 30, at 2:00 p.m.! Wear a swimsuit or active-wear clothing that can get wet, and please bring a towel. Goggles are also encouraged to keep foam out of little eyes.

July 31 is the LAST DAY for the Library’s Summer Reading Program! Get your slips and tickets turned in for a chance to win one of our grand prizes! Small prizes and t-shirts will be available while supplies last! Already finished slips 1-5? Visit the Library to pick up a half-sheet of extra slips! Can’t attend Library programming to earn SECRET CODES? The Library has plenty of activities ready for patrons who drop in!

Are you moving soon or looking to clean out old stuffed animals? Donate them to the Library! Each season, the Library offers plenty of prizes and rewards for reading goals and other seasonal activities that hundreds of children and families happily receive. We are always looking for more donations of stuffed animals to help our programming needs. So, please consider donating any good condition stuffed animals to the Library. Call or visit the Library if you have any questions about donating directly to us, the Friends of the Library, or the Library Foundation. You can also visit our website at www.solon.lib.ia.us/about/donate to learn more about our donation policies. Thank you for your support!

Library programs

Storytimes at the Library are going strong with two available times every Tuesday at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Join us for singing, dancing, reading, and playing games. We encourage families to pick the most comfortable time to attend. These events will be identical. Don’t worry about missing either one!

Ever wanted to know what it takes to make a home garden that welcomes bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollen and nectar loving friends? Join us Tuesday, July 28, at 6 p.m., with special guests Master Gardeners Marie Schmidt and Lucy Hershberger, as they present on gardening strategies and techniques for building better Pollinator Gardens! This program is intended for adults, but teens are welcome. No registration required.

Get ready to beat the heat with the Library! Join us Wednesday, July 29, at 3 p.m., for Water Wars! We’re breaking out the water blasters, water pom-poms, and our sprinklers for some refreshing outdoor fun! Spray water in a free-for-all, or play games like Capture the Flag or Elimination Mode. There will be water bottles and popsicles! Feel free to bring your own water blasters, too. Participants are also encouraged to bring towels, sunscreen, bathing suits, and a change of clothes. This program is intended for teens (6th - 12th graders). No registration is required.

Library access

Regular Library hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Sundays. Please always refer to our website calendar or call to check hours as weather may impact our ability to be safely open.

The Library will be open Friday, July 24, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Everyone is welcome at the Library and our programs. Please contact us with access needs.

While you’re waiting

While you’re waiting to read the very popular Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, here are some book recommendations that other readers have enjoyed!

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Throughout her life Sybil Van Antwerp has used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings around half past ten Sybil sits down to write letters--to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter. Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has. A mother, grandmother, wife, divorče, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a full

life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett. Oxford, Mississippi, 1933. Abandoned by her mother one Christmas Eve, eleven-year-old Meg LeFleur has learned the hard way to rely on no one. Now one of the unadoptable "big girls" at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, she fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed. Birdie Calhoun, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford to ask her socialite sister to help the struggling family she's left behind. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie discovers her sister's seemingly charmed life is a tapestry of lies. Then, Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman running low on luck with little left to lose. When their fates--and Meg's--converge, Charlie comes up with an audacious plan for them to take control of their lives. But in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife and women's freedom is fragile, even the smallest act of defiance can have dangerous consequences.

Yesteryear: a novel by Caro Claire Burke. One morning, Natalie wakes up in a life that isn't hers. Her home, her husband, her children--they're all familiar, but something's off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she's expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. In the jubilant aftermath of the Allied victory in Europe, Cal Jenkins, a man wounded not in war but by his inability to serve in it, shares a single, life-altering moment with Margaret Salt, a woman determined to outrun her past. Cal is married to Becky, whose spiritual gifts help the living speak to the dead, while Margaret's husband, Felix, is serving at sea, believed to be safe until a telegram suggests otherwise. What begins as a fleeting transgression becomes a complex secret that irrevocably binds all four of them in unexpected ways. As their small Ohio town remakes itself in the postwar boom, the Salt and Jenkins families remain in each other's orbit, and the consequences of choices made long ago begin to emerge, reshaping their lives in ways that will forever impact the next generation.

The book club for troublesome women by Marie Bostwick. By 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan is living the American woman's dream. She has a husband, three children, a station wagon, and a home in Concordia--one of Northern Virginia's most exclusive and picturesque suburbs. She has a standing invitation to the neighborhood coffee klatch, and now, thanks to her husband, a new subscription to A Woman's Place--a magazine that tells housewives like Margaret exactly who to be and what to buy. On paper, she has it all. So why doesn't that feel like enough? Margaret is thrown for a loop when she first meets Charlotte Gustafson, Concordia's newest and most intriguing resident. As an excuse to be in the mysterious Charlotte's orbit, Margaret concocts a book club get-together and invites two other neighborhood women--Bitsy and Viv--to the inaugural meeting. As the women share secrets, cocktails, and their honest reactions to the controversial bestseller The Feminine Mystique, they begin to discover that the American dream they'd been sold isn't all roses and sunshine--and that their secret longing for more is something they share.

History of the Solon Public Library, Part 17

Dick Schwab, who built the Timber Dome in the Solon Recreation and Nature Area, built and donated the circulation desk for the new Solon Public Library. The circulation desk is made from white oak from the Lake Macbride area, and its countertop is granite mined in India.

Johnson County Historic Poor Farm open house to showcase new commercial kitchen

Saturday, August 8 NEWS FROM JOHNSON COUNTY

Discover history, local food, and tour the new commercial kitchen at the Historical Poor Farm open house 3-7:30 p.m. Saturday,

August 8 at the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm (HPF), 4811 Melrose Avenue, Iowa City. The event is free and open to all ages.

The event will feature the soft launch of the HPF Kitchen, a shared-use commercial kitchen space for food and farm business entrepreneurs to expand their markets and capacity. A ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the new facility will begin at 3:45 p.m.

Along with the ribbon cutting, the open house will feature historic and natural areas tours, a vegetable farm pest control workshop from Iowa State University Commercial Vegetable Field Specialist Dan Fillius,

the Global Food Project Market, local food trucks, kids’ activities, tabling from partner organizations, and equipment exploration. A complete schedule of activities is available at www. jchistoricpoorfarm.com/ openhouse2026.

The Johnson County Historic Poor Farm is one of the few remaining relatively intact examples of the county farm model established in the 19th century. Today, the site preserves the property’s history while serving as a place for pub-

lic education, natural area restoration, recreation, and beginning farmer training. More information about the Historic Poor Farm is available at www.jchistoricpoorfarm.com.

Johnson County strives to host inclusive, accessible meetings and events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you are a person who requires reasonable accommodations to participate in this event, contact Julie Watkins at 319-688-8012 or

jwatkins@johnsoncountyiowa.gov by 5 p.m. Monday, August 3. Early requests are strongly encouraged.

OPINIONS

What's in your wallet (purse)?

Food for Thought

Milli Gilbaugh

You can tell quite a bit about a woman by cataloging the contents of her purse. This method works for limited times during different phases of a woman's life and is subject to change without notice. My own purse has contained an astonishing variety of things over the years that began with a small beaded “evening purse” my mother passed down to me when I was about five years old. A relic of her years as a young woman during the Roaring Twenties, it was one of her many enviable keepsakes. She relinquished it to my care after I'd insisted it was just the thing for getting my five-cent contribution safely to Sunday School every week.

During WWII, the dimes and quarters I took to school to buy Savings Stamps traveled safely enough tied in the corner of a handkerchief. When I began junior high school and discovered the pleasures of walking home from school every afternoon with a friend and stopping at the drugstore for a Coke or Green River on the way, a purse became important. But junior high society held certain requirements in order to “fit in” and one of those, for girls, was to carry a bulky billfold with lots of plastic sleeves for snapshots and a flashy “jeweled” clasp. We had student activity cards which let us into all the school events without further charge, served as ID cards and proved to the cashiers at both the town's theaters that we were entitled to special student rates.

The same “necessities” were part of my high school days, with the addition of a fairly roomy purse which had to be left in the coat room during classes (vulnerable to pilfering) so items of value generally stayed in pockets of skirts, blouses and sweaters. The inconvenience made it wise to leave valuables at home, but we needed our lipsticks, tissues, letters, lists and mementos to be kept handy for some reasons – sharing, bragging, reassurance? I've forgotten what's important to girls that age.

In high school, we had lockers for use only for gym uniforms. Our other possessions were subject to the same lack of protection as they had been before. The lockers, I learned later, were there only because the rooms had been designed to serve as locker/changing rooms for athletic events where teams required uniforms and showers. In my time, it was used for only high school and occasional eighth grade gym classes. The buildings were only a few feet apart and the eighth grade students dashed, coatless even in winter, from building to building, the only uniform requirement for them was that they wear sneakers to protect the gym floor.

In college, most of my days were spent in classrooms, the library at my part-time job, studying or hanging out with friends. I often missed lunch because I was too far from the dorm, across the river at the farthest corner of the campus when it was being served. Cars were not allowed on campus and I had no extra funds for taxis or even busses. I sometimes carried peanut butter or coldcut sandwiches in my big shoulder-bag or settled for an ice cream cone or small milkshake at the drug store. My purse was always crammed with everything I thought I might need until I could get back to the dorm. I had several good friends that I'd met through Gary, one of the other Merit Scholars I worked with at the library. We attended concerts and guest lectures, and plays at the University theater – all financed by student fees, providing a taste of the future. We never thought of it as dating, we were just friends.

Life after college would be different. I expected to be enjoying my first real job as an art teacher. I'd have my own classroom and I'd eat school lunches and take coffee breaks in the teachers' lounge. I'd have a predictable paycheck in my purse every month and an apartment a few steps above the college dorm standard - maybe shared with another young, unmarried teacher. We'd cook our own suppers and experiment with exotic recipes until we could prepare gourmet meals and give cozy little dinner parties for a few special friends. We'd meet some eligible fellow teachers or even young bankers or lawyers and maybe get engaged after a year or two. Oh, yeah? Tune in next week.

Property tax relief: Putting Iowa homeowners first

When your home state is repeatedly rated as one of the worst in the country for property tax burdens, something has to change. When you are consistently hearing from Iowans worried about property taxes year after year, something has to change. And when the same entities complaining about funding are spending money on things like hosting bird watching events and costly electric garbage trucks, something has to change. This was the mindset of legislators as we headed into session this year, determined to make real change in the lives of Iowa taxpayers, bring relief to Iowa families, and encourage fiscal responsibility to the communities that need it.

Iowa has been rated as the tenth worst state in the United States in property taxes, even after we had spent years chipping away at the system to bring relief and reform to Iowans. We had passed bills to help update property tax statements, increase transparency, consolidate and cap levy rates, and update the property tax code. While calls for reform continued from Iowans, we knew we needed something bigger and bolder. We spent the last two years talking with city officials, county officials, agriculture groups, schools - all the stakeholders who have an interest in Iowa’s property tax system. Our goal was always simple: how can we bring

relief to Iowa homeowners? They are the ones we are hearing from that property taxes are too high, they’re unaffordable, and they are worried about being able to stay in their homes.

This year, the legislature passed and the governor signed into law Senate File 2472, a historic property tax relief bill to help rein in local government spending, give cities and counties flexibility to support their communities, and most importantly, bring relief to Iowa homeowners. We ensured when property inflation goes up more than 2 percent, the levy rate goes down. We also increased the tax credit for elderly and disabled Iowans and gave a ten percent discount on taxable value for all homeowners. With these new limits and reforms in place, this new law is estimated to provide over four billion dollars in property tax relief over the next six years.

Throughout this conversation, we heard a lot about local services. Local services are important and a critical part of our communities. Property taxes affect services Iowans use every day, like roads, law enforcement and emergency services. However, as we started discussing property tax reform, we learned a lot about what cities and counties are spending their money on: annual Christmas decorations, pay increases for supervisors, sustainability directors and climate programs, diversity coordinators, and drone shows just to name a few. And its these same entities who, while giving special incentives to a few at the expense of the many, are putting up a fight against the four billion dollars in relief the legislature just delivered in our bill.

For years, the legislature has focused on responsible budgeting, cutting waste, and focusing on important priorities. We are asking cities and counties to do the same thing, and the same thing Iowa families are doing - budgeting for the essentials and investing in priorities. Additionally, if cities and counties do need additional dollars, they can make their case to their communities and put it to a vote of the people.

Senate File 2472 puts the focus back on the homeowner, and back on the priorities. Citizens across the country are celebrating 250 years of American independence and greatness this year. It’s a great reminder of what the vision for our country was and what we continue to aspire to every day - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We want homeownership to continue to be a part of the American dream, help build up a stronger Iowa, and continue making Iowa the best place to live in the country. The bill we passed this year puts Iowa families first, pursues making homeownership more affordable again and helps ensure families have the best tax environment in the state. Over the last decade, we have tackled the income tax, cutting income taxes down to a flat 3.8 percent. We’ve eliminated taxes on retirement income, brought relief to small businesses, and helped ease the tax burden on Iowa farmers. The bill passed this year was the next step to making Iowa an even more affordable place for families, retirees and small businesses. We will continue to build on these successes so Iowa can be a place for anyone to chase their American dream.

Homeowners need property tax relief; Democrats are trying to make it happen

Property tax reform has been a pressing issue for years. Iowans are facing higher costs on nearly every front and are desperate for relief. Property values have skyrocketed, and property taxes have risen along with them, while our cost of living keeps rising by the day.

While every homeowner is interested in lower tax bills, Iowans also recognize the importance of taking the burden off those with fixed or lower incomes.

The Iowa legislature has made progress on high property taxes with a new set of reforms passed just this year, but county and municipal officials are concerned that we bal-

ance tax relief with the stability of our services, both rural and urban.

Property taxes are the primary source of revenue for many communities and fund fire stations, police departments, sanitation services, and more. Those aren’t things any Iowan should or would want to part with.

Having lower property taxes on your house is useless if there’s no one to save your home when it burns down, gets broken into, or if there’s no one to pick up the garbage on the side of the street. You get the idea.

While we are all hopeful that the tax reforms the state legislature passed this year are going to result in a fairer and more effective property tax system, it’s important to acknowledge that local leaders across the state have voiced their concerns about how this could impact their budgets. Governor Reynolds has stated that local governments will have to be more “efficient and effective” after her

property tax cuts go through.

This is obviously an attempt to pre-emptively shift the blame to local communities when they’re unable to make ends meet. They’re going to have to be more “efficient and effective,” because Reynolds is hamstringing one of their largest sources of income.

A delicate balance has to be struck. Part of the discussion has to be on how communities can fund the services that residents need and want.

The people of Iowa need relief from the everyday costs of living. That relief must come through a real solution, one that’s honest about its effects on the communities it affects and on those who end up paying for it.

We have a chance to be at the forefront of property tax reform in this country, but that’s only if we elect new leaders who are willing to champion it. This November, I think we have just that chance.

Dawson Hart

Dan Dawson State Senator

Rita Hart Iowa Democratic party Chair

Hawkeyes’ Cael Winter crowned 2026 Hay Bale Toss Champion

Solon Beef Days’ signature event fills Main Street on a sultry night

University of Iowa offensive

Owen Linder successfully throws a hay bale over the bar during the Hay Bale Toss at Solon Beef Days in downtown Solon on Friday, July 17. Below left: Cindy Erenberger signs contenders up for the Hay Bale Toss with the grand prize trophy belt in view at Solon Beef Days in downtown Solon on Friday, July 17. Below center: John Buresh prepares to throw during the Hay Bale Toss at Solon Beef Days in downtown Solon on Friday, July 17. Below right: Steve Reicks celebrates with the crowd after winning the 50 and over category during the Hay Bale Toss at Solon Beef Days in downtown Solon on Friday, July 17. Bottom left: A participant in the senior men’s competition prepares to hurl a bale over the bar during the 2026 Solon Beef Days Hay Bale Toss Friday, July 17, on Main Street in downtown. The annual event again drew a large standing room only crowd and featured a welcome change as the contest was held on an 18-inch high stage, affording a better view for most.

Chris Umscheid | Solon Economist

Above: A standing room only crowd watches the 2026 Solon Beef Days Hay Bale Toss Friday, July 17. The signature event of the annual weekend festival attracted a variety of competitors including University of Iowa Hawkeye football players with offensive lineman Cael Winter taking the overall championship.

Photos by John Charlson | Solon Economist

Above: University of Iowa offensive lineman Cael Winter raises his trophy belt after winning the Hay Bale Toss at Solon Beef Days in downtown Solon on Friday, July 17.

Below: Erin Knowles throws a bale during the annual Hay Bale Toss at Solon Beef Days in downtown Solon on Friday, July 17.

Left:

lineman

2026 Beef Days parade

Photos by Chris Umscheid | Solon Economist

Above: Solon American Legion Stinocher Post 460’s Color Guard leads the annual Beef Days parade (with a friendly Johnson County Sheriff’s Deputy clearing the way) Saturday, July 18. Top right: Solon’s high school and middle school bands joined forces, and were bolstered by some alumni and community members, Saturday, July 18 for the 2026 Solon Beef Days Parade. Right: A fully restored 1954 Farmall M-TA tractor owned by Justin and Janice See leads a group of horseback riders near the end of the 2026 Beef Days Parade in downtown Solon Saturday, July 18. Below: Members of Hiawatha based El Kahir Shrine, in their signature fezzes, put their mini-cars through their paces during the 2026 Beef Days Parade Saturday, July 18 in downtown Solon. The Hiawatha Shriners were joined by their brothers from other units and clubs with their own unique vehicles as well.

Left: Businessman, City Council member, and Solon Lions Club member Tim Gordon cruises along Dubuque St. in the ultimate power recliner during the 2026 Beef Days parade Saturday, July 18. Right: A young girl dances while trying to catch the eyes of paraders throwing candy during the 2026 Beef Days parade in downtown Solon Saturday, July 18. Far right: 2026 Celebrity Grand Marshal Callie Levin smiles and waves as she rides a convertible in the annual Beef Days parade. Levin was to be the Celebrity Grand Marshal last year, however the parade was rained out, so Beef Days organizers held Solon’s basketball superstar over for this year.

Photos by Grace Escritt | Solon Economist

Above: On a mission to fill their bags by the end of the parade, Samuel York (left) and his brother Emmett pick up candy tossed by paraders at Solon Beef Days Saturday, July 18.

Far left: Signaling the end of the parade, a man rides a horse while holding an American flag Saturday, July 18 during Solon Beef Days. Left: A political activist passes out small American flags during the 2026 Beef Days parade Saturday, July 18 in Solon. Political campaigns from both the Republican and Democratic party were represented in the annual event as well as a group opposed to a new Johnson County Jail and Sheriff’s Office.

A firefighters’ tradition on a sultry Saturday

Solon Fire Dept. hosts annual Firefighter’s Waterball Fights

Kids' Tractor Pull

Chris Umscheid | Solon Economist

Above: Scotty Sedlacek, from Solon, embarks on what would be a 4’5” run Friday evening during the annual Solon Beef Days Kid’s Tractor Pull.

Photos by Abby Princehouse | Solon Economist

Top right: A young girl turns to Mark Handley after her run in the 2026 Beef Days Kid’s Tractor Pull has come to an end. Right: A young boy gets valuable advice prior to starting his run in the 2026 Beef Days Kid’s Tractor Pull Friday, July 17 in the Kids’ Corner on S. Dubuque Street. Far right: Mark Handley gives a young girl some pointers before she makes a run in the 2026 Beef Days Kid’s Tractor Pull Friday, July 17 in the Kids’ Corner on S. Dubuque Street.

Ella McEntaffer | Solon Economist

Above: Savannah Osmer drives a pedal tractor during the children's pedal tractor pull at Solon Beef Days on Friday, July 17. The event challenged children to pull a weighted sled the farthest distance in their weight group.

Above left to right: Taking charge during the Firefighters' Waterball Fight, Solon’s Dave Owens (left) — with the help of his teammate — aims with precision to prevent a suspended barrel from going over his head at the Solon Fire Department Saturday, July 18. Nine towns were represented in the traditional firefighters’ competition. In a striking father-son duo, North Liberty’s Fire Chief Brian Platz (left) and his son Wes — who serves in Solon — compete in the Firefighters’ Waterball Fight at the Solon Fire Department Saturday, July 18, during Solon Beef Days. Solon’s Jamie Linden (left) and Dean Stange (right) focus intently on hitting the center of the barrel during the Firefighters’ Waterball Fight at the Solon Fire Department Saturday, July 18.

Above left: The top four performers of the Men’s Firefighters’ Waterball Fight (from left to right) were Dave Septer, from Hills, 4th place; Dillin Rogers, from Brandon, 3rd place; Carl Svec, from Fairfax, 2nd place; and Bruce Bowers, from Riverdale, 1st place. 18 men’s teams from nine towns were part of the competition: a firefighting tradition. Above right: The top four performers of the Women’s Firefighters’ Waterball Fight (from left to right) were Jade Carter, from Ely, 4th place; Kathy Septer, from Hills, 3rd place; Kari Tenborg, from Riverdale, 2nd place; and Jeanette Dye, from Cambridge, 1st place. Seven women’s teams were represented in the competition.

Photos by Grace Escritt | Solon Economist

Beef Days Kid’s Tractor Pull results

35 lbs. and under WINNER – Knox Bevans, Solon, 10’2” 2nd Place – Pierce Wall, Solon, 9’4” 3rd Place – Blaire Vandeberg, Solon, 9’1” Nora Blessing, Solon, 4’6”; Major Thomas, Solon, 3’7”; Cash Peters, Solon, 2’1”; Savannah Osmer, Solon, 3’9”; Braxton Beaver, Solon, 4’9”; Scotty Sedlacek, Solon, 4’5”;Clara Arnold, Solon, Ohio, 4’3”; Jasmine Brown, Solon, 5’6”; Liam Gardner, Iowa City, 8’2”; Taylor Paprocki, Solon, 4’5”; William White, Solon, 5’3”; Beau Bruegge, West Branch, 5’9”; Jason Moses, Solon, 2’5”; Dojun Shin, Iowa City, 6’1”; James Hickman, North Liberty, 2’4”; Clarence Edwards-Lehman, Solon, 3’8”; and Hollis Kulish, Marion, 5’5” 36-40 lbs.

WINNER – Jayden Brown, Solon, 12’8” 2nd Place – Nolan Erbe, Solon, 10’1” 3rd Place – Reece Krob, Des Moines, 10’0” Ellis Rowland, Solon, 6’11”; DJ Reimer, Solon, 6’4”; Judd Donovan, Solon, 7’0”; Florence Wehr, Ankeny, 4’6”; and Frankie SchwakeHodge, Solon, 6’3” 41-45 lbs.

Solon Beef Days 5k results

*Note: times shown are chip time

WINNER – Ace Richeal, Solon, 19’0” 2nd Place – Rex Schmidt, Solon, 18’1” 3rd Place – Braelyn N., Mt. Vernon, 15’1” Carver G., Solon, 14’3”; Mazie Peters, Solon, 11’6”; Jahmil Scott, Solon, 4’7”; Charlotte Osmer, Solon, 5’4”; Eli Bowers, West Branch, 11’2”; Amelia Kremer, Solon, 7’10”; Jocelynn Brown, Solon, 4’10”; Kassidy Reimer, Solon, 10’8”; Clara Kaefring, Solon, 4’10”; Kaden Mroz, Solon, 5’4”; Garrett Wilson, Solon, 5’1”; Delnaly Rodgers, North Liberty, 3’7”; Marshall Clark, Solon, 9’4”; Lillian Grentile, Dubuque, 6’6”; Walker Green, Solon, 6’8”; Noah Cremer, Iowa City, 4’0”; and Bessie S., Cedar Rapids, 5’3”

46-50 lbs.

WINNER – Sirsi Schmidt, Solon, 19’9” 2nd Place – Dax Vandeberg, Solon, 13’0” 3rd Place – Jayden Rozum, Ely, 10’1”

Overall male – Brendan Owens, 20, Ankeny, 16:43 Overall female – Lidia Dahlman, 20, Mt. Vernon, 19:13 Male 14-under – 1 Liam Steffen, 14, Iowa City, 19:21. 2, Jack Zearley, 13, Solon, 20:47. 3, Braxon Reed, 12, Solon, 21:21. 4, Cody Kraxner, 12, Solon, 21:33. 5, Harrison Christy, 14, Cedar Rapids, 23:25. 6, Asher Sutton, 14, Solon, 24:10. 7, Tyler Juhl, 12, Solon, 25:15. 8, Jax Moore, 11, Solon, 25:29. 9, Kellen Leslie, 11, Clinton, 25:31. 10, Maverick Soukup, 7, Cedar Rapids, 26:37. 11, Sawyer Gerlits, 14, Solon, 26:43. 12, Ryker Schmidt, 12, Solon, 26:35. 13, Van Lemburg, 14, Tipton, 26:30. 14, Finn Grafft, 14, Solon, 27:46. 15, James Zimmerman, 14, Solon, 29:00. 16, Tristian Thi, 14, Denver, CO, 31:29. 17, Landon Kunkel, 13, Solon, 34:39. 18, Thatcher Egli, 12, Solon, 34:40. 19, Cooper Brown, 3, Solon, 11:34. 20, Smith Michael, 5, Solon, 38:07. 21, Jackson Osmer, 7, Solon, 39:22., 22, Ace Keck, 9, Solon, 41:01. 23, Henry Abrams, 2, Iowa City, 42:50. 24, Cash Keck, 11, Solon, 45:09. 25, Jamesen Chalupa, 12, 51:39. 26, Eli Susor, 10, Swisher, 57:12 Female 14-under – 1, Emma Olsem, 13, Solon, 21:13. 2, Drew Hinkle, 13, Solon, 24:56. 3, Briar Kabela, 13, Solon, 24:58. 4, Ashlyn Schmidt, 13, Solon, 25:02. 5, Vayda Svalstad, 12, Solon, 25:05. 6, Baylor Moeller, 13, Solon, 25:08. 7, Kinlee Marumur, 8, Amana, 20:56. 8, Addy Marmur, 12, Amana, 20:59. 9, Evelyn Leslie, 14, Clinton, 26:39. 10, Brinley Janssen, 13, Solon, 27:02. 11, Katelyn Merrick, 12, Solon, 27:14. 12, Skyla Florip, 14, Wadsworth, IL, 28:01. 13, Brie Cooney, 13, Solon, 29:35. 14, Haddie Reed, 9, Solon, 32:02. 15, Evelyn Abrams, 4, Iowa City, 38:08. 16, Ira Abrams, 6, Iowa City, 38:07. 17, Ellie Sassman, 10, Solon, 43:33. 18, Ansley Michael, 6, Solon, 44:37. 19, Charlotte Osmer, 5, Solon, 47:09. 20, Presley Soukup, 13, Cedar Rapids, 48:10. 21, Nora Leone, 10, West Liberty, 58:24 Male 15-18 – 1, Brooks Kabela, 15, Solon, 18:12. 2, Deacon Waddell, 16, Solon,18:24. 3, MacHlin Svalstad, 15, Solon, 18:30. 4, Bear Florip, 17, Wadsworth, IL, 19:45. 5, Rene Meza, 18, Solon, 19:53. 6, Jaimyn Bevans, 15, Solon, 21:33. 7, Simon Einwalter, 17, Solon, 21:59. 8, Eli Cash, 18, Solon, 22:03. 9, Will Brandt, 18, Solon, 22:40. 10, Saimes Dooley, 15, Iowa City, 22:59. 11 Ben Yeomans, 17, Solon, 23:05. 12, Ty Turner, 18, Solon, 24:32. 13, Sam Ekroth, 15, Solon, 25:00. 14, Sawyer Hansel, 17, 25:33. 15, Beck Lary, 16, Solon, 25:49. 16, Will McAtee, 16, Solon, 26:02. 17, Harber Viet, 17, Solon, 26:31. 18, Cashton Krumm, 16, Fairfax, 26:54. 19, Ian Strandberg, 16, Solon, 35:14. 20, Caden Brock, 16, Solon, 37:13. 21, Luke Robinson, 17, Lisbon, 43:34 Female 15-18 – 1, Livya Nelson, 16, Solon, 21:35. 2, Addison Seamans, 16, Solon, 23:37. 3, Falyn Svalstad, 17, Solon, 23:37. 4, Mailee Schmidt, 15, Solon, 23:37. 5, Kinley Mai, 16, Solon,

Saturday, July 18.

Gunner V., Ely, 5’4”; Hailey P. Solon, 8’6”; Lucas Bowers, West Branch, 6’2”; Breckon Holub, Solon, 5’7”; Tyler Paprocki, Solon, 6’5”; Maverick Tuthill, Lisbon, 9’0”; Paige Olson, Swisher, 4’7”; Doyoon Shin, Iowa City, 5’0”; Calvin Crump, Martelle, 5’10”; Austyn Paulson, Solon, 4’11”; Barrett Logan, Solon, 9’0”; Kei-John Zrutzky, Solon, 4’2”; and Brooks Beardshar, Solon 7’5”

51-55 lbs.

WINNER – Sam Tuthill, Lisbon, 20’0” 2nd Place – Chance Wall, Solon, 17’1” 3rd Place – Liam Olson, Swisher, 16’9” Ainsley Michael, Solon, 7’4”; Smith Michael, Solon, 13’10”; Tershewn Monick, Solon, 7’1”; Brooklyn Bowers, West Branch, 14’3”; Noah Sedlacek, Solon, 12’1”; Barret Moses, Solon, 5’10”; Kendall Moses, Solon, 13’0”; Audrey Fischer, North Liberty, 5’11”; Lydia Micheal, Solon, 4’7”; Amelia Moses, Solon, 4’10”; Jaxon Edgers, Solon, 14’1”, Willow Birney, Solon, 13’7”; Madison Ridenour, Bondurant, 5’4”; and Charlee Wall, Solon, 5’1”

23:32. 6, Grace Bombei, 16, Riverside, 24:33. 7, Ava Rolwes, 18, 24:19. 8, Raelynn Hamer, 15, Solon, 25:20. 9, Jillian Janssen, 17, Solon, 25:51. 10, Laeni Hinkle, 17, Solon, 25:51. 11, Stella Beck, 15, Solon, 26:22. 12, Jerzey Haluska, 18, Solon, 26:31. 13, Quinn Armentrout, 16, Solon, 26:44. 14, Alli Kallaus, 15, Solon, 28:47. 15, Madelyn McCandless, 16, Solon, 29:41. 16, Marin Ashbacker, 18, Mt. Vernon, 30:19. 17, Layla Shipley, 18, Solon, 30:19. 18, Taylor Jett, 17, Solon, 30:48. 19, Beckitt Kabela, 16, Solon, 30:49. 20, Miranda Simison, 17, Solon, 30:54. 21, Eliza Moehlman, 16, Lisbon, 33:19. 22, Carly Long, 17, Lisbon, 33:19. 23, Aven Leslie, 16, Clinton, 34:11. 24, Lily Zimmerman, 16, Solon, 36:08. 25, Isabelle Walter, 15, Solon, 36:18. 26, Ella Speth, 16, Lisbon, 43:33

Male 19-29 – 1, Brody Klein, 24, Solon, 18:24. 2, Cayden Knipper, 22, Oskaloosa, 22:39. 3, Gehrig Turner, 21, Solon, 22:34. 4, Gavin Sieverding, 20, Solon, 22:26. 5, Brad Yeomans, 23, Solon, 23:23. 6, Logan Wagemester, 20, Walford, 23:34. 7, Brian Ellis, 27, Lawrence, KS, 24:58. 8, Blake Timmons, 21, Solon, 24:28. 9, Elijah Mitchell, 24, Iowa City, 25:23. 10, Brody Bauer, 21, Solon, 25:24. 11, Nate Shafer, 21, Solon, 27:32. 12, Sawyer Bulman, 23, Coralville, 27:35. 13, Mat Rehnke, 24, Solon, 26:49. 14, Simeon Jauhiainen, 23, Cedar Rapids, 29:22. 15, Blake Creed, 21, Iowa City, 30:38. 16, Jack McGrane, 23, Iowa City, 27:14. 17, Nile Kelne, 23, Grinnell, 32:34. 18, Riley Conrad, 26, Belle Plaine, 32:27. 19, Thane Gengler, 27, Cedar Rapids, 24:19. 20, Caleb Robbins, 29, Iowa City, 25:12. 21, Drew Van Roelkel, 29, Cedar Rapids, 39:21. 22, Diego Hernandez, 21, West Liberty, 39:42

Female 19-29 – 1, Anna Quillin, 20, Solon, 19:28. 2, Sydney Dee, 19, Solon, 19:57. 3, Gracie Federspiel, 20, Iowa City, 21:20. 4, Sophia Stahle, 21, Solon, 22:34. 5, Ashlyn Williams, 20, Solon, 22:49. 6, Haley Harms-Frawley, 29, Lisbon, 23:07. 7, Kali Nelson, 21, Lisbon, 23:35. 8, Aly Stahle, 19, Solon, 25:55. 9, Kerrigan Lyons, 21, Solon, 27:31. 10, Jilliann Rehnke, 23, Solon, 26:49. 11, Skylar Bean, 28, Marion, 29:53. 12, Paige Wiebke, 23, Cedar Rapids, 29:52. 13, Annie Gahan, 23, Iowa City, 29:53. 14, Maggie Puccio, 23, Iowa City, 29:54. 15, Georgia Havlicek, 21, Solon, 30:37. 16, Taylor Hogan, 21, Solon, 30:37. 17, Mary Fiala, 20, Solon, 30:38. 18, Joli Sinnwell, 19, Solon, 31:20. 19, Chloe Ortiz, 22, Solon, 33:47. 20, Angelina Forte, 20, Coralville, 34:12. 21, Samiya Batie, 26, Iowa City, 33:07. 22, Savannah RuppRobinson, 25, Coralville, 34:27. 23, Amy Casta-Eda, 26, Iowa City, 35:00. 24, Morg Louvar, 27, Coralville, 36:08. 25, Abby Kaska, 23, Solon, 36:35. 26, Alyssa Comer, 26, Cedar Rapids, 37:51. 27, Lauren Conrad, 25, Belle Plaine, 38:16. 28, Kynda Reimer, 29, Solon, 44:01. 29, Mikayla Siddell, 28, Solon, 51:16 Male 30-39 – 1, Jerry Frawley, 31, Lisbon, 18:43. 2, Joe O’Brien, 33, Solon, 19:02. 3, Tyler Slayman, 36, Solon, 19:04. 4, Marshall

61-64 lbs.

WINNER – Bennett Wonick, Iowa City, 20’0” 2nd Place – Vincent Bedabaugh, Centennial, CO., 20’0” 3rd Place – Ivy Elsasser, Solon, 19’2” Nick Bedabaugh, Centennial, CO., 14’9”; Aria Peters, Solon, 7’0”; Laken Partridge, North Liberty, 6’7”; Jackson Osmer, Solon, 13’7”; Kellam Arnold, Solon, Ohio, 6’1”; Gracie Hanes, Solon, 15’6”; Baylar Rozun, Ely, 19’2”; James Crump, Martelle, 13’10”; Ada Marie Edwards-Lehman, Solon, 7’0”; Norah Owen, Solon, 12’0”; Sloane Owen, Solon, 14’6”; Henry Moorman, Camas, WA, 12’9”; Levi Studt, Solon, 14’2”; and Jer-Manii Zruzky, Solon, 13’10” 65-70 lbs.

WINNER - Willow Logan, Solon, 20’0” 2nd Place – Violet Clark, Solon, 20’0” 3rd Place - Henry Kaefring, Solon, 16’4” River Partridge, North Liberty, 3’0”; Thaddeus Egli, Solon, 8’0”; Ellyn Mroz, Solon, 15’6”; Jack Hill, Solon, 8’6”; and Griffen Heiberger, North Liberty, 14’3”

Koehn, 33, Pewaukee, WI, 21:22. 5, Mike Sedlacek, 37, Solon, 22:28. 6, Garret Campbell, 34, Coralville, 25:26. 7, Ian Wellington, 38, Solon, 26:40. 8, Bob Brown, 34, Solon, 26:47. 9, Mark Krugle, 37, Solon, 25:39. 10, Mike Dickey, 38, Solon, 26:57. 11, Skylar Dierix, 33, Solon, 27:01. 12, Ricky Austin, 36, Horseshoe, NC, 29:36. 13, Justin Ensor, 33, Solon, 31:27. 14, Ibrahim Okeil, 30, Iowa City, 36:08. 15, Brandon Osmer, 38, Solon, 39:21. 16, Kaleb Miller, 34, Solon, 49:37 Female 30-39 – 1, Jess Hodge, 34, Solon, 19:34. 2, Stephanie Brehm, 35, Mt. Vernon, 21:52. 3, Bobbie Monahan, 39, North Liberty, 25:03. 4, Kristen Schmidt, 39, Solon, 27:20. 5, Cecillia Duran, 35, North Liberty, 28:29. 6, Olivia Brown, 32, Solon, 31:53. 7, Amy Chown, 37, Iowa City, 34:26. 8, Bingxin Tian, 33, Coralville, 35:13. 9, Charlee Addis, 36, Marion, 33:29. 10, Alisha Moore, 38, Marion, 33:30. 11, Audrey Brown, 32, Solon, 35:49. 12, Caley Ploessl, 33, Solon, 35:50. 13, Jenna Brecht, 31, West Branch, 36:18. 14, Skyla Elsner, 32, North Liberty, 36:50. 15, Jessica Cooper, 35, Solon, 40:05. 16, Kathryn Abrams, 35, Iowa City, 42:50. 17, Ashley Michael, 39, Solon, 44:36. 18, Kinlee Osmer, 35, Solon, 47:10. 19, Caitlin Miller, 31, Solon, 48:36. 20, Katie Leone, 39, West Liberty, 51:14 Male 40-49 – 1, Travis Egli, 45, Solon, 17:19. 2, Chad Hageman, 40, Ames, 20:26. 3, Mick Payne, 47, Iowa City, 22:58. 4, Robert Despain, 44, Iowa City, 23:05. 5, Adam Christy, 43, Cedar Rapids, 25:01. 6, Jason Marmur, 44, Amana, 20:57. 7, Nick Westergaard, 48, Coralville, 25:27. 8, Justin Ryan, 48, Solon, 25:35. 9, Brian Sieverding, 49, Solon, 26:10. 10, Nate Dooley, 41, Iowa City, 25:12. 11, Eric Svalstad, 48, Solon, 27:14. 12, Tony Leslie, 42, Clinton, 27:53. 13, Andy Salm, 45, Tiffin, 29:03. 14, Michael Wiethorn, 49, Solon, 30:54. 15, Mim Streit, 42, Iowa City, 30:50. 16, Sean Towley, 43, Iowa City, 30:50. 17, Max Meggers, 41, Solon, 30:50. 18, Josh Mann, 47, Solon, 31:05. 19, Brock Reed, 44, Solon, 32:11. 20, Joel Dunleavey, 47, Cedar Rapids, 37:05. 21, Keith Michael, 46, Solon, 38:05. 22, Richard Abrams, 40, Iowa City, 38:10. 23, Noah Keck, 44, Solon, 41:01. 24, Joel Hanson, 40, Solon, 50:12 Female 40-49 – 1, Mandi Florip, 46, Wadsworth, IL, 23:27. 2, Kara Gruber, 43, Solon, 25:07. 3, Kara Barquist, 44, Solon, 25:20. 4, Kristen Svalstad, 49, Solon, 27:25. 5, Bonnie Mann, 46, Solon, 27:58. 6, January Cooney, 47, Solon, 30:23. 7, Nataly Mattheis, 41, Atkins, 31:54. 8, Melissa Payne, 43, Iowa City, 32:52. 9, Sandi Kallaus, 43, Solon, 34:19. 10, Nicole Harmsen, 48, Wellman, 34;29. 11, Shelley Lemburg, 46, Tipton, 35:45. 12, Kelsey Bumsted, 46, Solon, 35:55. 13, Jalen Thi, 49, Denver, CO, 36:17. 14, Bobby Jo Salm, 47, Tiffin, 37:54. 15, Chris Zimmerman, 41, Solon, 38:40. 16, Emily Elsassner, 42, Solon, 40:25. 17, Morgan Keck, 45, Solon, 45:08. 18, Dena Wisehart, 43, Cedar Rapids, 48:05. 19, Katie Chalupa, 46, Solon, 51:39. 20, Felicia Hardt, 40, Iowa City, 54:55. 21, Kelly Graham, 41, West Liberty, 58:23

Male 50-59 – 1, Michael Kabela, 59, Solon, 21:13. 2, Jim Holmes, 50, Solon, 22:14. 3, Keith Düster, 53, 26;16. 4, Colin Grafft, 50, Solon, 27:26. 5, Ken Wright, 58, Cedar Rapids, 27:21. 6, Alex Oberle, 52, Cedar Falls, 27:34. 7, Casey Cords, 50, Waukee, 28:45. 8, Travis Zimmerman, 50, Solon, 31:45. 9, John Kellbach, 56, Solon, 31:45. 10, Matt Petersen, 51, Marion, 39:24. 11, Steve Estenson, 51, Cedar Rapids, 49:30

Female 50-59 – 1, Lori Long, 54, Cedar Rapids, 23:23. 2, Molly Fuhrmeister, 51, Solon, 32:01. 3, Lymari Ames, 55, Tiffin, 36:41. 4, Denise Grafft, 51, Solon, 38:25. 5, Meghann Foster, 50, Coralville, 37:33

Male 60-over – 1, David Froseur, 67, West Lafayette, IN, 23:41. 2, Mike Kinney, 64, Solon, 26:55. 3, Brian Olesen, 61, Iowa City, 29:34. 4, Tom Wolfe, 77, Cedar Rapids, 32:45. 5, David Kutter, 83, Cedar Rapids, 35:06. 6, Michael Eliff, 60, Solon, 37:47. 7, Scott Ames, 64, Tiffin, 43:28. 8, Dan Kehl, 60, Solon, 44:28. 9, Dan Hoffman, 73, West Burlington, 51:07

Female 60-0ver – 1, Patricia Erenberger, 67, Marion, 30:57. 2, Barb Bunge, 66, Swisher, 35:05. 3, Marsha Aspinall, 64, Cedar Rapids, 38:58. 4, Larissa Elliff, 63, Solon, 48:42. 5, Wendy Sherry, 69, West Liberty, 50:11. 6, Carol Blair, 62, Swisher, 57:09

Results by Andrew Kauder - Kauder Racing, LLC

Photos by Ella McEntaffer | Solon Economist

Above: Simon Einwalter pushes toward the finish line during the Solon Beef Days 5K on

The annual 5K and fun run drew participants of all ages as part of the community's Beef Days celebration.

Right: Ashlyn Williams crosses the finish line during the Solon Beef Days 5K on Saturday morning. The race kicked off a full day of activities during the annual community celebration.

Solon Beef Days 1-mile run results

*Note: times shown are chip time

Overall Male – 1, Fenix Stallman, 10, Amana, 5:56

Overall Female – 1, Victoria Rolwes, 12, Solon, 6:00

Male 4 & under – 1, Scotty Sedlacek, 3, Solon, 15:55. 2, Garrett Wilson, 4, Solon, 25:20

Female 4 & under – 1, Elizabeth Dougherty, 3, Iowa City, 10:58. 2, Norie Ensor, 4, Solon, 14:04. 3, Ava Wymer, 3, Solon, 18:55. 4, Evan Brose, 4, Iowa City, 17:20. 5, Logan Brose, 3, Iowa City, 21:29

Male 5-6 – 1, Roczen McIlravy, 6, Solon, 8:31. 2, Owen Bakke, 6, Solon, 9:14. 3, Jayden Rozum, 6, Ely, 10:18. 4, Ryker Lloyd, 6, West Des Moines, 13:56. 5, Noah Sedlacek, 5, Solon, 15:17

Female 5-6 – 1, Tessa Davis, 6, Solon, 9:40. 2, Haley Babcock, 5, Solon, 15:41. 3, Presley Croy, 6, Solon, 15:28. 4, Genevieve Wilson, 5, Solon, 23:31

Male 7-8 – 1, Sam Kallaus, 8, Solon, 8:32. 2, Jett Stallman, 8, Amana, 8:35. 3, Beau Galloway, Cedar Rapids, 10:18. 4, Baylor Rozum, 8, Ely, 10:39. 5, Preston Randel, 7, Cedar Rapids, 10:12. 6, Lincoln Moore, 7, Solon, 11:52. 7, Milo Hanson, 8, 12:00. 8, Cruz Rodriguez, 7, solon, 16:36. 9, Thaddeus Egli, 7, Solon, 17:29 Female 7-8 – 1, Abigail Sabers, 8, Solon, 8:04. 2, Nora Humpal, 8, Solon, 8:22. 3, Emery Richardson, 8, Solon, 10:23. 4, Amelia Kremer, 7, Solon, 11:14. 5, Mary Kate Butler, 7, Solon, 11:57. 6, Charlotte Van Hemert, 7, Solon, 12:04

Male 9-10 – 1, Connor Kraxner, 10, Solon, 6:50. 2, Wyatt Carls, 9, Ely, 7:01. 3, Troy Rogers, 9, Iowa City, 7:33. 4, Ander Davis, 9, Solon, 7:40. 5, Jack Strandberg, 10, Solon, 7:58. 6, Wyatt Richardson, 10, Solon, 7:50. 7, Kane Rozum, 10, Ely, 7:25. 8, Evan Volkert, 9, Solon, 7:51. 9, Jack Magrane, 10, Solon, 8:14. 10, Will Maloney, 10, Solon, 7:56. 11, Bowen Schmidt, 10, Solon, 8:48. 12, Tanner Juhl, 9, 9:44. 13, Jett Croy, 10, Solon, 9:02. 14, Drake Rodriguez, 9, Iowa City, 16:35 Female 9-10 – 1, Olivia Moore, 10, Solon, 7:53. 2, Kelsey Gerlits, 9, Solon, 9:04. 3, Mahayla Hanson, 10, Solon, 8:50. 4, Emma Scheil, 10, Lisbon, 9:41. 5, Penelope Rogers, 9, Cedar Rapids, 10:47. 6, Thea Egli, 10, Solon, 16:40

Male 11-12 – 1, Reuben Allgood, 11, Solon, 7:29. 2, Jasper Gerlits, 12, Solon, 7:47. 3, Gavin Zenk, 11, Solon, 7:56. 4, Julien Terzano-Borovic, 11, Solon, 8:01. 5, Nico Olsem, 11, Solon, 8:28. 6, August Wilmer, 12, Iowa City, 9:39

Female 11-12 – 1, Chloe Meyer, 11, Solon, 7:19. 2, Livian Richardson, 11, Solon, 7:50. 3, Ruby Gruber, 11, Solon, 7:53. 4, Avery Volkert, 11, Solon, 8:00. 5, Emma Sabers, 11, Solon, 8:29. 6, Nelly Randel, 11, Cedar Rapids, 8:21. 7, Ruby Kleinmeyer, 11, Solon, 13;39

Male 13-15 – 1, Cai Brock, 13, Solon, 9:44

Female 13-15 – 1, Lila Kleinmeyer, 14, Solon, 8:35. 2, Kahlan Carl, 13, Iowa City, 11:50 Male 16-18 – 1, Carter Brock, 17, Solon, 8:16 Male 19-over – 1, Dustin Moore, 39, Solon, 6:52. 2, Bill Zenk, 44, 7:54. 3, Jeremy Richardson, 49, Solon, 7:53. 4, John Volkert, 43, Solon, 8:02. 5, Streeter McIlravy, 29, 8:28. 6, Emery Davis, 35, Solon, 9:41. 7, Jordin Bakke, 37, Solon, 9:13. 8,

SOLON SENIORS

DINING ••••••••••••

FYI – Senior Dining is funded by donations only. THANK YOU donors for supporting Solon Senior Dining in it’s mission to serve seniors!

In-House Dining - Wednesdays only at 11:30 at the Solon Methodist Church and are provided by the Solon Retirement Village Kitchen. Reservations for Wednesday dine-in are required two days in advance of meal by calling 319-624-2251 Mondays 10-11:00 a.m. No meals Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Home Deliveries - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Meals cost $5.00. Call 319-624-2251 for reservations (required) two days in advance of meal.

Bingo Wednesdays AM/PM

Cards Wednesdays PM

Senior Dining will call clients personally if we need to cancel meals.

Brady Robertson, 22, Cedar Rapids, 10:21. 9, Elias Randel, 37, Cedar Rapids, 9:43. 10, Michael Rozum, 37, Ely, 10:38. 11, Matt Ploessl, 35, Solon, 11:13. 12, Mark Dougherty, 35, Iowa City, 10:52. 13, Tom Lloyd, 63, 14:01. 14, Travis Schmidt, 40, Solon, 16:14. 15, Byson Croy, 42, 15:28. 16, Caleb Brose, 33, Iowa City, 19:47. 17, Trent Wilson, 41, Solon, 23:30 Female 19-over – 1, Lindsey Humpal, 40, Solon, 8:21. 2, Roxy Sanchez, 38, Iowa City, 9:16. 3, Evelyn Kinne, 35, North Liberty, 9:16. 4, Lydia Haufle, 23, Cedar Rapids, 10:23. 5, Michelle Richardson, 46, Solon, 10:22. 6, Amber Scheil, 43, Lisbon, 10:07. 7, Josie Rozum, 36, Ely, 10:18. 8, Kellie Stallman, 45, Amana, 9:53. 9, Hanna Galloway, 38, Cedar Rapids, 10:24. 10, Danika Dougherty, 34, Iowa City, 10:56. 11, Courtney Kremer, 39, Solon, 11:14. 12, Annie Butler, 36, Solon, 12:03. 13, Stephanie Van Hemert, 39, Solon, 12:04. 14, Teigha Merchant, 36, Iowa City, 12:40. 15, Emily Ensor, 32, Solon, 14:02. 16, Marlene Mitten, 60, Solon, 14:03. 17, Janet Lloyd, 65, West Des Moines, 14:01. 18, Emily Kleinmeyer, 42, Solon, 14:14. 19, Alex Henry, 30, Solon, 15:42. 20, Nicole Rodriguz, 28, Solon, 16:39. 21, Diane Egli, 40, Solon, 17:41. 22, Jeanine Sedlacek, 62, 16:03. 23, Rylee Wymer, 30, Solon, 18:55. 24, Lauren Brose, 32, Iowa City, 19:02. 25, Stacy Croy, 40, Solon, 15:29. 26, Sarah Wilson, 38, 25:18. 27, Becky Kluesner, 31, 49:17.

Results by Andrew Kauder - Kauder Racing, LLC

Ella McEntaffer | Solon Economist Jett Stallman (front), sprints toward the finish line during the Beef Days fun run on Saturday, July 18. The event featured participants of all ages.

JULY MENU •••••••••

Friday, July 24

Lasagna Roll Up

Sliced Beets Garlic Toast Brownie

Monday, July 27

Garlic Parmesan Chicken

Pasta w/Marinera Sauce Tossed Salad w/Dressing Fresh Fruit

Wednesday, July 29

City Representative

Open Face Hot Beef Sandwich Mashed Potatoes Buttered Peas Cherry Bar

Friday, July 31

Breaded Fish Sandwich

French Fries

Apple Cider Slaw

Lemon Fluff

Edited by Will Shortz

Across 1 Prepares for offspring 6 Hack

10 Supplier to Wile E. Coyote 14 Employee after working hours, on “Severance” 15 Sole 16 Horse with a muted coat 17 Bro?

20 “ur funny”

21 Essence

22 “Goosebumps” author

23 Adrenaline surge providers

25 Bit of Yahtzee equipment

27 Word rhymed with “flash” in “A Visit From St. Nicholas”

28 Obnoxiously blingy

30 “___ Been to the Mountaintop” (M.L.K. Jr. speech)

31 Feminine sides

33 Gave a hand

35 Sit?

38 Alfred ___, co-creator of the original I.Q. test

39 Rents out again

40 Mix-___ (ice cream shop supply)

41 Like shipping that’s not quite overnight

43 Downfall of the boy in 2018’s “Beautiful Boy,” in brief

47 Total after costs

49 “Next one’s on me”

51 [So heavy!]

52 Mind-reading scan, in a way

53 1,000,000,000 years, in astronomy

54 Ale?

57 Relative of Hindi

58 Follower of “4” on a love note

59 Start of a selection process

60 They might be seeded

61 Some yellow-green sodas, informally

62 Bob with the Silver Bullet Band

Down

1 Argon, krypton and xenon, informally

2 Moon of Jupiter that has a liquid ocean under its surface

3 Absolut alternatives

4 Hermana de la madre

5 “The ___ is wither’d from the lake”: Keats

6 Bona fide numbskull

7 Big name in archery equipment

8 Fuyumi ___, author of the “Twelve Kingdoms” fantasy novels

9 Colas in the “cola wars”

10 Former governor Schwarzenegger, informally

11 Occur at the same time

12 Skillful move

13 Lit. course

18 Improvise

19 Chemical agent used to make frosted glass

24 The terrible twos, for one

25 “Use at your own risk” and “Not professional advice,” for two

26 “Of the foot” prefix

29 Rose (up), in dialect

32 ___ Lion, Penn State mascot

34 Nonspecific response to “Who’s there?”

35 Like pickles and some potato salads

36 Chill way to take things

37 Kid-lit character who says “It’s not much of a tail, but I’m sort of attached to it”

38 Where many things get tossed

Follower of quick or dim

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.

IowaPublicNotices.com

THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FORMAL MEETING MINUTES

JULY 9, 2026

Proclamations, ordinances and resolutions adopted by the Board of Supervisors are only summarized in the published minutes; the full text may be inspected at the Office of the County Auditor, 913 S. Dubuque Street, Iowa City, Mon. thru Fri., between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and at www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov.

Chairperson Green called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building Boardroom at 5:31 p.m. Members present: V Fixmer-Oraiz, Jon Green, Lisa Green-Douglass, Mandi Remington*, and Rod Sullivan. *Denotes electronic participation. Green sought unanimous consent to approve the agenda as presented. Remington requested to strike agenda item E.4, "Consider Definitive Agreement(s) for County Purchase of Real Property," stating the item was premature because she was awaiting additional information from legal consultation. County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith said no additional guidance from her office would be forthcoming. Remington expressed frustration regarding unanswered questions but agreed to proceed. Green received unanimous consent to approve the agenda as presented. Public Comment – Clara Reynan of Coralville expressed concerns regarding the availability of information about the proposed new County Sheriff’s Office and Jail Facility, including the accessibility of information related to the upcoming public measure. She also raised concerns regarding the proposed jail cell square footage and shared that she reviewed the size of a 92-square-foot area to understand the proposed design. Dan Kauble of Iowa City requested the Board strike the agenda item regarding the land purchase agreement and expressed concerns regarding the handling of public comment during the prior Formal Meeting, the proposed jail site location, and conditions at the current jail facility. Justin Comer of Coralville referenced pending litigation related to the death of an individual while housed at the current County Jail. He read portions of the lawsuit allegations and encouraged consideration of the matter as the Board continues discussions regarding the proposed new facility. Motion by Sullivan, second by Green-Douglass, to approve the following consent agenda items:

1. The claims on the County Auditor’s Claim

for July 9, 2026, in the amount of $2,877,000.27:

2. The minutes of the Formal Meeting for July 2, 2026.

3. Payroll authorizations submitted by department heads and elected officials.

4. GuideLink Center Proof of Payment Certification from Community & Family Resources, Fort Dodge, for May 2026 services.

Approved unanimously. Motion by Sullivan, second by Fixmer-Oraiz, to approve the Waiver of Right First Refusal, as requested by the City of Iowa City, regarding transfer of 1102 Hollywood Boulevard, Iowa City, property to Iowa City Affordable Housing, Inc., a nonprofit instrumentality of the City of Iowa City. Approved unanimously.

RESOLUTION NO. 07-09-26-01

RESOLUTION DESIGNATING OFFICIAL PUBLIC NOTICE POSTING LOCATIONS FOR MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND OTHER COUNTY GOVERNMENTAL BODIES

Summary: House File 2490, enacted July 1, 20206, requires governmental bodies to “Post the notice in a prominent and conspicuous place which is annually designated for such purposes by the governmental body, in a manner such that the notice is visible at all times.” Board action: Approved a list of locations designated for official public notices; assigned the Johnson County Administration Building to be the default site for public notices; declared Board public notices will be posted in both the Johnson County Health & Human Services Building (HHS) and Administration Building; and the Board will review these designations annually. Motion by Green-Douglass, second by Fixmer-Oraiz, to approve Resolution No. 07-09-26-01. Approved unanimously. County Board Office Executive Director Erin Shane spoke. Motion by Sullivan, second by Remington, to approve the Fiscal Year 2027 Crisis Child Care Services Agreement with 4C’s of Johnson County, Iowa City, in an amount not to exceed $20,000. Approved unanimously. Motion by Green-Douglass, second by Sullivan, to approve the definitive agreement for County purchase of real property, provided through the County Attorney's Office, and that the Board authorizes public release of the purchase agreement following its approval, reserving confidentiality for all closed session records pertinent to this transaction until it closes, pursuant to Iowa Code Section 21.5(1)(j). Remington said that while she supports the intended use of the property, more than the assumed use of the other land, she is abstaining from voting due to process concerns and unanswered legal questions. Approved 4-0 with Remington abstaining. Green explained the reason for why the action is being handled in the manner included in the motion and the information will be included in the board agenda packet after the meeting.

Motion by Fixmer-Oraiz, second by Green-Douglass, to accept the bid of $631,722.47 and award a contract to the lowest responsive bidder, Iowa Bridge & Culvert LC of Washington, for the bridge replacement on Morse Road NE, known as Project LFM-I-9-4--X-52. Approved unanimously.

Motion by Fixmer-Oraiz, second by Green-Douglass, to approve the appointment of Aaron Admunson, DO, as Deputy Medical Examiner for a two-year term ending January 1, 2028. Approved unanimously.

Adjourned at 5:58 p.m.

/s/Jon Green, Chair, Johnson County Board of Supervisors

Attest: /s/Julie Persons, Johnson County Auditor

On the 16th day of July, 2026

Recorded by Auditor’s Office: Marly Melsh, Executive Clerk to the Board These minutes were sent for formal approval and publication on July 16, 2026. Published in the Solon Economist July 23, 2026.

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION

AUGUST 4, 2026

To the voters of Johnson County: A special election for the Lone Tree Community School District School Board will be held on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. The polls will open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m at the Lone Tree American Legion.

NOTICE OF POLLING PLACE CHANGES

PUBLIC NOTICE is given to the eligible electors of the Lone Tree Community School District in the Counties of Johnson and Louisa that voters vote at: Lone Tree American Legion

300 N Devoe St., Lone Tree

CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION

Alex Lorack

Jamie Lorack

Vida Wollrab

IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Pre-registered voters are required to provide an approved form of identification at the polling place before receiving and casting a regular ballot. Voters who are not pre-registered – such as voters registering to vote on Election Day – and voters changing precincts must also provide proof of residence. A voter who is unable to provide an approved form of identification (or prove residence if required) may 1) have the voter’s identity/residence attested to by another registered voter in the precinct, 2) prove identity and residence using Election Day Registration documents, or 3) cast a provisional ballot and provide proof of identity/residence at the county auditor’s office by NOON on August 10, 2026. Election Day Registrant attesters must provide an approved form of identification. For additional information about providing proof of identity and/or residence, please visit: https://sos.iowa.gov/voterid or phone 319-356-6004. Any voter who is physically unable to enter a polling place has the right to vote in the voter’s vehicle. For further information, please contact the Johnson County Auditor’s Office by phone at 319-356-6004, by email at elections@ johnsoncountyiowa.gov or visit https:// www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/auditor/ elections. For TTY access, dial 711 + 319-356-6004. This notice is given pursuant to Chapter 49 of the Code of Iowa, as amended. NOTICE OF EARLY VOTING

To the Voters of Johnson County: Early voting for the August 4, 2026, Special Election will be available at the Johnson County Auditor’s Office. Voter registration forms will be available for new registrations in the county. Changes in the registration records of people who are currently registered within the county may be made at any time. Johnson County Auditor’s Office 913 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City July 20 – August 3 (weekdays) 8:00 am – 5:00 pm This notice is given pursuant to Iowa Administrative Code 721-21.300(2). For further information, please contact the Johnson County Auditor’s Office at (319) 356-6004. /s/ Julie Persons

Johnson County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Published in the Solon Economist July 23, 2026

CLASSIFIEDS

Wanted

WANTED: JUNK APPLIANCES. Will pick up for free. Farm clean-up, batteries. Will buy junk cars. 319-3318122.

Miscellaneous

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BASEBALL from 12

first out of the game. After third baseman Hayden Detra made a catch for the second out, he passed to second base to try and out Williamsburg’s runner from first, but wasn’t there in time. First baseman Luke Deike caught a pop-up fly for the third out, leaving Williamsburg with two runs at the top of the first.

The bottom of the inning brought three runs for the Spartans. The first came from shortstop Maddox Kelley, who ran home from second base on Deike’s single. Merrick then came home on third baseman Hayden Detra’s double, followed by Deike getting caught in a pickle between home and third, only to make the beeline to home plate after Williamsburg blundered the ball.

After no runs for the Raiders at the top of the second inning, the Spartans delivered in the bottom with four additional runs. With two outs on the board, center fielder Dylan Gorham scored a single followed by Kelley’s double to advance the bases. After an intentional walk for Merrick, catcher Carson Kidwell got a clutch single for Gorham and Kelley to come home. Merrick then came home on Deike’s RBI single. Lastly, left fielder Brody Wool-

ley, switched in for Kidwell, stole home while Detra was at bat to score the last run of the inning. No runs were scored by either team in the third inning, but Gorham scored one run for Solon in the fourth on a sacrifice by Kidwell. The fifth inning began with a strong defensive play by Kelley catching a ball at second and quickly passing to Deike at first for a swift double play. Detra scored a run at the bottom of the inning, while pitcher Tate Miller struck out Williamsburg at the top of the sixth to transition to the bottom, where Gorham scored on a sacrifice fly.

Williamsburg made one last effort in the seventh, scoring two runs, but pitcher Brady Wick came through with two strikeouts to finish the game, sending Solon to the final round of the Substate 5 Championship.

Four Lady Spartans receive WaMaC

East All-Conference honors

2ND TEAM

Ashtyn Swancutt

1ST TEAM

Liv Nelson

A sophomore, Nelson was a unanimous First Team selection at utility. Nelson tied with fellow sophomore Beckitt Kabela and senior Dillon Ostrander with 35 hits for the Lady Spartans this season. Nelson was a starter in 38 games and appeared in 39 total as a shortstop and outfielder. She led the team in home runs with three, hit a dozen doubles, and drove in 21 runs with a .304 batting average and a .374 on-base percentage. She scored a team-high 31 runs and stole 11 bases. Nelson made 55 put outs and had 98 assists.

An eighth grader, Swancutt was named to the Second Team at utility. Swancutt produced 30 hits with five doubles and nine RBIs and a .333 batting average and .375 OBP. She was a starter in 29 games and appeared in 35. As a utility player Swancutt made 37 put outs and 35 assists.

Beckitt Kabela

A sophomore, Kabela earned WaMaCEast Recognition (honorable mention) as a 3rd baseman/pitcher who started and appeared in 37 games. She produced 35 hits along with sophomore Liv Nelson and senior Dillon Ostrander for a threeway tie for the most hits this season. She had four doubles and one triple, and drove in a team-high 25 runs with a .312 batting average and an OBP of .339. Kabela scored six runs and stole one base and made 16 put outs and 43 assists. She compiled a 2-9 record in the circle with one save in 57-1/3 innings and 881 pitches. She gave up 75 hits and 48 runs (35 earned), walked 18, and issued 22 strikeouts with a 4.27 ERA.

WaMaC RECOGNITION

Dillon Ostrander

A senior, Ostrander earned WaMaC-East Recognition (honorable mention) as a centerfielder who started in 38 games and appeared in 39. She produced 35 hits including four doubles and one triple with a .294 batting average and .328 OBP. She scored 19 runs and stole four bases this season. Ostrander made 61 put outs and five assists.

WaMaC RECOGNITION

Stats

Hits - Dylan Gorham 3, Luke Deike 2, Hayden Detra 2, Maddox Kelley 1, Carson Kidwell 1, Michael Bigelow 1 2B - Kelley 1 RBI - Kidwell 3, Deike 2, Luke Merrick 1, Detra 1

Pitching - Tate Miller (W) 6 innings, 101 pitches, 5 hits, 1 run (earned), 2 walks, 5 strikeouts. Brady Wick 1 inning, 31 pitches, 3 hits, 2 runs (earned), 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

John Charlson | Solon Economist

Luke Deike throws a pitch in the first inning during an IHSAA 3A Substate 5 Championship match between the Solon Spartans and the Assumption Knights at Solon High School Baseball Field on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The Knights beat the Spartans, 12-4.

SPORTS

Spartans’ season ends in Substate Finals

Assumption Catholic tops Solon 12-4

John Charlson Solon Economist news@soloneconomist.com

The Spartans hosted their final round of the IHSAA 3A Substate 5 Tournament on Wednesday, July 15, against the Assumption Catholic (Davenport) Knights, but lost 12-4.

The Spartans had some early trouble keeping hold of the ball in the first inning, with second baseman Michael Bigelow and third baseman Hayden Detra missing catches to out the Assumption runners, who took advantage, scoring four runs in the first inning. Solon could not bounce back in the first, with all three batters striking out.

Making up for the previous inning, the Solon defense came out swinging at the top of the second. Right fielder Luke Merrick caught Assumption’s ball for the first out, followed by a quick pass from Bigelow to shortstop Maddox Kelley to get Assumption out at second base, topped off with first baseman Tate Miller grounding out the last batter to transition into the bottom of the second.

A courtesy runner for catcher Carson Kidwell’s single, left fielder Brody Woolley advanced through the bases and finally came home on designated hitter Kinnick Sokol’s duffed ball to score Solon’s first run of the game. The third inning maintained the excitement with Kelley catching the batter’s ball, and sending it straight to Bigelow at second for a double play to end the top of the inning. With a double hit straight away by Kelley in the bottom half of the third, Merrick followed it up with a home run, bringing Kelley home with him and scoring Solon’s next two runs.

In the fourth, Assumption answered with a home run of their own, bringing an additional runner home. The Knights scored another run in the fifth and three more in the sixth, with the Spartans unable to make any themselves in all three innings. Coming down to the sev-

enth, Kelley got his second double of the game, moving Gorham to third, with a sacrifice from Kidwell to bring Gorham home before Deike struck out to end the game.

The Spartans finished the season at 24-10 overall while the Knights improved to 27-13 as they advanced as the No. 7 seed in this week’s 3A State Tournament in Cedar Rapids.

Stats

Hits - Maddox Kelley 2, Luke Merrick 1, Dylan Gorham 1, Carson

Kidwell 1, Luke Deike 1

HR - Merrick 1

2B - Kelley 2

RBI - Merrick 2, Kidwell 1

Pitching - Luke Deike (L) 2.5 innings, 66 pitches, 8 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts. Brady Wick 1.5 innings, 15 pitches, 3 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk. Luke Merrick 0.5 innings, 12 pitches, 0 hits, 1 run, 2 walks. Dylan Gorham 0.5 innings, 15 pitches, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout. Tyler Greazel 0.5 innings, 15 pitches, 2 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk. Maddox Kelley 0.5 innings, 16 pitches, 0 hits, 1 run, 2 walks. Thomas Lepic 0.5 innings, 13 pitches, 0 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks

Raiders fall to Spartans in Substate Semifinals

Solon 10 Williamsburg 5

John Charlson

The Spartans advanced to the Substate 5 Championship on Monday, July 13, after they won out against the Williamsburg Raiders at Solon High School’s Baseball Field, beating the Raiders, 10-5. Right fielder Luke Merrick made a catch, clear in outfield, for Williamsburg’s

Top: Luke Deike strikes out to end the IHSAA 3A Substate 5 Championship match between the Solon Spartans and the Assumption Catholic (Davenport) Knights at Solon High School Baseball Field on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The Knights beat the Spartans, 12-4, to advance to this week’s State Tournament in Cedar Rapids.

Above: Maddox Kelley slides into third base in the fourth inning during an IHSAA 3A Substate 5 second round baseball match between the Solon Spartans and the Williamsburg Raiders at Solon High School Baseball Field on Monday, July 13, 2026. The Spartans beat the Raiders, 10-5.

Photos by John Charlson | Solon Economist