January 23, 2025 Decorah Leader

State inspectors cite Aase Haugen

Home following resident’s death

Staff says issues were addressed quickly

BY SETH BOYES, DECORAH LEADER, & CLARK KAUFFMAN, IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH

Aase Haugen Home in Decorah was recently cited after state officials investigated the death of a resident in November of 2024, but staff at the senior care facility said state inspectors were satisfied Aase Haugen had addressed the allegations soon after visiting the facility last month.

“This incident doesn’t define the organization or the mission or how we’re going to move forward,” said Rex Nelson,

director of operations at Aase Haugen. “It is a tough situation, but we’ve got hundreds of shining examples that would speak to the trajectory that the company’s actually on.”

Officials with the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing said a male resident of Aase Haugen died in early November of 2024. Nelson was unable to provide specific details due to legal privacy restrictions, but he noted the state’s report spans approximately three weeks, which Nelson indicated may only provide a limited view into the resident’s overall condition while at Aase Haugen.

Editor’s note: This report was written using information from an earlier article authored by Clark Kauffman of the Iowa Capital Dispatch. Kauffman’s original article detailed citations issued to five care facilities across the state. The Decorah Leader chose to edit the original article to focus on Aase Haugen Home in Decorah and staff sought additional comment from officials at Aase Haugen before local publication. The original article can be viewed by visiting: iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/01/14/iowacare-facilities-recently-cited-for-death-abuse-and-neglect/

The citation against Aase Haugen specified the man experienced “significant dementia” and had a “history of hip fracture and hospitalization.” The man’s right hip was replaced in 2022, according to state investigators, and he underwent surgery to repair his right femur on Oct. 11, 2024. State investigators said providers reported the man’s “mental state has not been the same since he was hospitalized for his femur fracture.” Nelson, though not referring specifically to the deceased resident, said surgical anesthesia can sometimes decrease cognitive function among elderly individuals, adding that in some case it cannot be restored through therapy. Nelson added the state’s recent investigation largely focused on a lack of documentation establishing whether staff conducted follow-up assessments of the resident or notified his primary care physician after observing changes in his health.

“How it was portrayed would have been much different if the documentation accurately reflected the knowledge that all of these nurses on all of these days and all of these shifts that were taking care of him shared with myself and each other,” Nelson said.

State inspectors allege that approximately a week after the man was discharged following surgery on his femur, he showed signs of increased blood pressure, an elevated pulse and a fever.

On Oct. 21, 2024, a nurse noticed “a moderate amount” of drainage on the man’s sweatpants along the incision site, according to the state’s citation, and he developed a fever by the next morning – which state investigators said the staff treated. He was reported to be lethargic that afternoon, at which point

Aase Haugen continued on page 3

RSV, norovirus among top concerns for area medical professionals this season

BY ZACH JENSEN STAFF WRITER

It’s respiratory illness season again, and area medical professionals are reminding the public to take precautions to reduce the spread of potentially lethal viruses.

WinnMed’s Dr. Andy Goodner said the local hospital has seen increased cases of respiratory syncytial virus — or RSV — and influenza in recent weeks.

RSV often spreads during winter

“RSV has been rampant,” Goodner said. “It cycles every winter, and everybody can get RSV. In older kids and adults, it’s mostly a cold, but babies have small airways, so they get into trouble with it with low oxygen. When they can’t breathe well, they also don’t eat well, because it takes a lot of work to eat from breast or bottle. So, they can get dehydrated, they get low on oxygen, and we need to hospitalize them.”

RSV is a common respiratory virus that infects the nose, throat and lungs, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

“RSV symptoms make it difficult to distinguish it from the common cold or other respiratory viruses, like the flu or COVID-19,” the CDC says.

Goodner said that, at one point this season, as many as

five infants were locally hospitalized with RSV at once, and treatment options are limited.

“There’s no great treatment for it, because it’s a virus,” said Goodner. “There’s no fix. You have to wait it out, so we often have to give infants oxygen and/or fluids while they’re recovering. Older adults can also get RSV, and it can be serious in them as well.”

The good news, the family doctor said, is that an RSV vaccine was approved for public use in 2023. The vaccine is specifically intended to help lower the chance of contracting RSV occurring in babies, pregnant women and older adults.

“Older Americans, babies in their first year and pregnant women at 32 and 34 weeks should be vaccinated for RSV,” Goodner said. “RSV

Decorah Schools awaiting specifics after nationwide data breach

BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR

Officials with the Decorah Community Schools informed families last week the district was one of many affected by a global cybersecurity incident involving an online platform used by many K-12 schools in the U.S.

Decorah Superintendent Tim Cronin released a letter dated Jan. 15, saying PowerSchool — which provides a program Decorah Schools uses to manage

student information, such as grades, attendance and schedules — had identified unauthorized access to its systems last month.

“This breach is part of a larger incident affecting multiple school districts nationwide, including DCSD,” Cronin said in last week’s letter to families. “Please note, this event happened entirely within PowerSchool’s environment, and the district’s systems remain secure.”

Cronin’s letter indicated the

initial breach of PowerSchool’s systems may have taken place as early as Dec. 22, 2024, and a timeline published on PowerSchool’s website said the company became aware on Dec. 28, 2024, of “a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized exportation of personal information” from its information systems through a customer support portal.

“As soon as we learned of the incident, we immediately engaged our cybersecurity response protocols and mobilized

a cross-functional response team, including senior leadership and third-party cybersecurity experts,” PowerSchool said on its website. “Since then, over the last few weeks, we have been focused on assessing the scope of data involved, making further enhancements to our cybersecurity defenses, and developing a plan to help you and our shared community.”

Data breach continued on page 8

Design of proposed Decorah sports complex one step closer to finalization

BY DENISE LANA STAFF WRITER

City officials met last week with project consultants from engineering firm ISG, which is overseeing Decorah’s proposed sports facility to begin finalizing details for the park. The project is due to break ground soon on a 30-acre property located near the city dog park on Old Stage Road. Installation of the facility will take place in multiple phases, with phase one scheduled to

start in the next few months.

As part of the first phase, two ballfields, four pickleball courts and two batting cages will be installed, along with a 100-stall parking lot and a portable restroom enclosure. The projected cost for the three-month design, permitting and bidding, and construction of phase one is around $2.5 million, according to Decorah City Manager Travis Goedken.

Nathan Hermer, civil engineer and project lead, as well as landscape designer Kenzie

Johnson joined city council, staff and members of the Decorah Parks and Recreation Board on Jan. 14 to finalize details of the project’s first phase.

A Water Quality Initiative grant application for flood mitigation was submitted recently, and Hermer told the group he anticipated it would be finalized for funding in the next week or two. A stormwater

Sports complex continued on page 5

Aase Haugen Home in Decorah was recently cited by state inspectors following the death of a resident in November of 2024. Staff there said they addressed the state’s concerns quickly, and state officials lowered the senior care facility’s “jeopardy status” soon after visiting Aase Haugen last month. (Photo by Seth Boyes)

Dr. Andy Goodner

Decorah City Council members Randy Schissel and Cody Whittle considered potential design elements of the city’s proposed sports complex. (Photo by Denise Lana)

Minnesota man cited after head-on collision Friday

BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR

A Minnesota man was cited for reckless driving, following a head-on collision which took place Friday evening along Montgomery Street in Decorah. Multiple individuals were transported to the hospital following the crash.

A report from the Decorah Police Department said 47-year-old Matthew Aaron Pierson of La Crescent, Minnesota, was traveling south along Montgomery Street shortly after 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17 in a 2012 Buick Enclave, and he attempted to pass another vehicle by using the center turn lane. The police report noted the turn lane is properly marked as a no passing zone, and it went on to say Pierson then “ended up in the oncoming lane” and struck a

Decorah’s first ‘refillery’ opens on Water Street

BY ZACH JENSEN STAFF WRITER

Best friends Kylene Ellis and Desiree Baumler have teamed up to help “save the turtles” by opening Decorah’s first refillery. Located at in the same building as Urban Nutrition, at 128 W. Water St. in Decorah, KD Refillery’s grand opening was held this past weekend, and the duo said they were very happy with the turnout.

“It’s been good,” Baumler said. “We’ve had a lot of family support, which has been nice.”

The pair explained a refillery is a zero-waste store which sells products in bulk — allowing customers to refill their own containers. Ellis and Baumler, who met 10 years ago while working for Luther College’s bakery, said they had talked about opening a business together for years. Last fall, when Ellis stumbled across the idea of a refillery.

“I saw a (social media) reel of a lady going into one, and I sent it to Desiree and said ‘This would be awesome,’” Ellis said. “The whole concept was appealing — you bring in your container and get what you want, how much you want and not have to pay for the brand name and the packaging.”

Baumler said the more she and Ellis talked about it, the more it just made sense. The duo began seriously planning their new business venture two months ago, while both continued to work full-time at different jobs.

Their priorities for products at the new refillery are that they must be clean as well as biodegradable or compostable. So far, the new business offers various soaps and cleaning solutions as well as hygiene products and toothpaste tablets.

“For the toothpaste, you chew a tablet and wet your toothbrush and then brush like normal,” El-

lis said. “This way, you don’t need to worry about the messy tube, and you don’t need to worry about what you’re going to do with the tube afterward. They’re a newer concept.”

Baumler said the oral hygiene tablets are a very niche product — often used by campers and other outdoors enthusiasts.

Unlike conventional oral hygiene products, Ellis added, the tablets aren’t liquid, allowing users to potentially avoid delays while passing through airport security terminals.

“And, if you spill it, you can just pick it up,” she said.

The store also offers bamboo toilet paper and paper towels, which are unbleached and free of PFAS — toxic chemicals which can be found in toilet paper and which tend to remain in the environment or body rather than breaking down, according to the American Chemical Society.

“That’s one reason we went with the Rustic Strength brand,” Baumler said. “Their products are clean. They are phthalate-free, and there are

no carcinogens, no dyes, any scents are oil-based instead of perfume-based, and there’s no formaldehyde.”

Some of the refillery’s products might cost more up front, the two said, because there are fewer substances in them.

“Cleaner products are sometimes more expensive, because they’re different to make,” Ellis said. “But, it’s a better product — better for you and better for the environment — and you’re not paying for the packaging and the name.”

The new store also sells empty reusable glass and metal containers to reduce landfill waste and help the environment.

“The plastics that you can’t recycle here go to the landfill,” Baumler said. “For example, you can’t recycle a tube of toothpaste, so that’s going to the landfill.”

Baumler noted that toothpaste tubes also aren’t conveniently reusable for anything else.

“But, with these tablets, you can bring your jar

2018 GMC Sierra driven by 56-year-old Gregory Dean Hovey of Decorah.

Police responded to the scene within approximately five minutes.

Additional emergency vehicles were stationed near the intersections of Commerce Drive and Ridgewood Drive as law enforcement directed traffic around the scene to the west.

“The struck vehicle had two occupants, who were both transported to WinnMed with suspected minor injuries,” the incident report said. “The defendant was also transported to WinnMed with suspected serious injuries.”

Both vehicles were incapacitated, according to the report, and they were removed from the scene by Don’s Towing.

BY DENISE LANA STAFF WRITER

The customer service counter at Decorah’s UPS hub — located at 613 Pearl St. — will be closing at the end of January, according to UPS officials.

As part of shipping company’s “Network of the Future” initiative established in 2024, UPS began closing facilities and reducing its labor force in efforts to save $3 billion by 2028, and the closure of its Decorah hub is said to be a small part of that initiative.

“UPS has been here in Decorah since the 1960s,” said Decorah UPS employee Tor Janson. “It’s not our operations that are closing — we are closing our customer counter, which is currently open for only two hours a day from 4-6 p.m.” Kaylyn Kucera, a UPS employee who has managed the Decorah counter for a year, said UPS is planning on closing all centers which are not currently full-service stores. Kucera also said the employees who staffed the counter will be able to continue working elsewhere in the Decorah facility.

The Decorah hub will con-

tinue other business as usual, according to Janson. Pickups and deliveries in the area will not be affected, and Ace Hardware — at 200 East Main St. — will take over for the shuttering shipping counter. The hardware store is an authorized shipping provider and is expected to offer UPS shipping and drop off services — customers will be able to create new shipments, purchase packaging and shipping supplies, and drop off pre-packaged or pre-labeled UPS shipments for pickup, but the location does not yet have the ability to print customer labels using a QR code.

Hanson added there are two UPS drop boxes in town. One is located in the basement of the BMO Bank at 120 Water ST., and the other is located at the mail center in the Dahl Centennial Union on Luther College’s campus. There are also authorized UPS shipping providers located in Ossian, Cresco, Oelwein, and Elkader, and UPS drop boxes can be found in Waukon and Postville. For additional locations and addresses of all UPS facilities in the area, visit locations.ups. com

A Minnesota man was cited for reckless driving following a head-on collision which occurred Friday, Jan. 17 along Montgomery Street in Decorah. The collision took place near WinnMed, and several individuals were taken to the hospital with suspected injuries. (Photo by Seth Boyes)

Desiree Baumler of Waukon (left) and Ossian resident Kylene Ellis recently opened their new business, KD Refillery, in downtown Decorah. (Photo by Zach Jensen)

Kaylyn Kucera,

Lana)

HF718 effects could prompt future county disaster declaration

BY ZACH JENSEN STAFF WRITER

Winneshiek County might someday consider applying for a disaster declaration through Winneshiek County Emergency Management if state legislators don’t amend restrictions on generating county property taxes. Winneshiek County Emergency Management Coordinator Sean Snyder reminded county officials of that option during Monday’s board of supervisors meeting.

House File 718, a state bill which addresses property taxes, financial authority and county government budgets, passed with bipartisan support in 2023. The chief complaint about the law during a recent meeting of northeast Iowa counties was that the bill essentially limits the amount of property tax counties can collect each year from its property owners.

“House File 718 has this quirky thing built into that the more your tax base grows, the more it makes you lower your levy rate,” Winneshiek County Auditor Ben Steines said.

“Counties used to rely on new businesses and more housing to grow their tax base so they didn’t need to raise their levies. Now, (the state) is punishing us, basically, for having an increased tax base.”

In Fiscal Year 2025-26 for example, local government officials said Winneshiek County can only collect $82,800 in new property tax funds in light of a cap imposed by HF718. Steines went on to say he doesn’t believe HF718 will put the county in dire financial straits in the next fiscal year, and Snyder indicated county officials may want to consider applying for a disaster proclamation after bud-

After presenting his commission’s FY25-26 budget Monday morning, Winneshiek County Emergency Management Coordinator Sean Snyder reminded the board that the county may consider declaring a disaster if House File 718’s restrictions on generating property taxes aren’t eased. (Photo by Zach Jensen)

get numbers become clear.

“Remember, disaster declarations are more than just a weather event,” Snyder said. “They’re a natural or man-made event. Maybe it would help wake people up three hours south of here.”

Following the meeting, Snyder clarified he was making “a preliminary suggestion” to the board.

“Until the county auditor has run the final numbers, all us department heads are just guessing at this point,” Snyder said.

“Right now, because of House File 718, Winneshiek County — along with other counties — they’re feeling the pinch, and worst case scenario would be … I’d hate to see services cut that the residents of Winneshiek County have come to rely upon.”

Snyder doesn’t believe county services will be cut in the next year, but he said, if the

Trial date set for Luther student accused of making online threats

BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR

A student charged with making terrorist threats against Luther College in Decorah late last year is scheduled to go to trail less than a month after the college holds its final classes of the academic year.

Peter Lincoln Bumba, age 20, of Frankfort, Illinois, pleaded not guilty to the charge as part of a Nov. 26 filing, and he reiterated his plea in a Jan. 10 filing. The Decorah Police Department was notified around 1:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, of concerning messages posted to Bumba’s Instagram account. Police said the messages “consisted of references to a violent anime series” and suggested killing “80 percent of the students at Luther.” Criminal complaints filed against Bumba noted the messages were references to the popular anime series “Attack on Titan,” in which a character “kills 80 percent of humanity.” Court documents said Bumba had deleted an earlier post “due to its harsh statement.” Luther College’s own security informed officers they had received multiple complaints concerning Bumba’s Instagram posts, and security personnel were able to show screen shots of at least three posts to law enforcement. Court documents say Bumba admitted to posting the messages and told law enforcement he was frustrated after not being selected for a position associated with one of the college’s plays.

Police released a statement the next morning, saying no weapons were discovered during a search of Bumba’s room and vehicle.

“When asked how these posts would make people feel, he understood it would cause concern, which is why he deleted it and rephrased it so only anime fans would get the reference and it would sound less harsh,” a criminal complaint said. Bumba was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 3:05 a.m. the same day and was released on bond that afternoon. Making terrorist threats is considered a Class D felony, according to court documents. Luther College’s student handbook indicates Bumba might also be subject to additional disciplinary action from the college, and court filings indicated Bumba was no longer allowed to reside on Luther’s campus as of early December. Bumba’s defense attorney filed a motion on Dec. 4 — three days into Luther College’s Thanksgiving break — asking a judge to amend travel restrictions the court had imposed on the 20-year-old and allow Bumba to stay with his family in Illinois.

“The defendant is a student at Luther College and is unable to reside on campus due to the above-referenced case,” the motion said.

Bumba is currently slated to go to trial on June. 11.

the law at that point.

Winneshiek County’s total payroll costs taxpayers $8.95 million per calendar year, and Steines said he doesn’t feel the payroll is in danger of being impacted anytime soon. In addition to property tax revenues, the county also collects fee revenues and interest revenues which Steines said, when combined with spending cuts, will cover the county’s costs for at least the next year.

“I don’t think it’s going to be as bad as some people are worried it’s going to be,” he said. “That doesn’t mean it won’t get there in future years. But, I think we’ll make it work this year.”

Steines went on to say the county saves about 25 percent of its previous year’s budget to help cover expenses each new fiscal year.

state legislature doesn’t address concerns with HF718, the disaster declaration could shine a light on how the law has affected the rural counties.

“The people in Des Moines need to understand there is a difference between large metropolitan areas and small, rural areas,” he said. “I just don’t want to see us get to the point where we’re letting people go or worse.”

Snyder said a disaster declaration of that type would be unconventional, and the state would need to thoroughly investigate and consider the claim. He said the vetting process would encourage the state to take a closer look at the effects of HF718 on rural counties, if the state legislature hasn’t already made changes to

records showed staff called the man’s power of attorney but not necessarily his primary care provider, according to the citation. The man was seen by a psychiatric provider that same day via video conferencing. The provider noticed the man “was slumped over and not responding to her questions,” inspectors later reported, and she immediately halted the consultation and told the nurse at the Aase Haugen Home the man appeared to be in urgent need of a medical evaluation.

The resident was transported to a hospital emergency room, where the emergency room staff allegedly wrote in their reports that the man appeared to be suffering from sepsis, which can be a life-threatening infection, and that the man was “profoundly dehydrated” as well as verbally non-responsive.

The man was admitted to the hospital with what the citation described as “a 7-liter water deficit.”

He was admitted to hospice care on Oct. 29, 2024, according to state investigators, and he died nine days later on Nov. 7. The man’s immediate cause of death was listed as dehydration due to or as a consequence of sepsis.

Nelson was unable to confirm whether the man’s death resulted in any staff terminations. However, he and state investigators both said Aase Haugen immediately held an emergency staff in-service to address the situation. Nelson said staff reeducated employees on proper notifications, assessments and reporting of changes in residents’ health.

“The second part of that,

“That $82,000 may be our only new property tax money, but we have other revenues and cuts,” Steines said.

One potential source of new revenue was reported during Monday’s supervisors meeting by recently-appointed Winneshiek County Treasurer Tim Smock, who announced that because of a new state law which increased the fees for vehicle licensing and registration, the county expects to collect $100,000 in new revenues. Reduced costs by Winneshiek County Public Health will also help, Steines said.

“I don’t think it’s a disaster situation yet,” he said. “But, down the line, if this bill stays where it is, and we’re getting smaller increases in revenue, without finding some other way

which was part of our immediate correction, was to go through every single chart and review the last 72-hours of information that had all been documented to make sure that there were no further concerns and that the situation itself was isolated,” Nelson said. “That way, we don’t have any active changes in our residents that aren’t being addressed appropriately, and if there are any of those or there are concerns about documentation of those, we are following up with those providers immediately.”

Nelson said state officials found no additional concerns and lowered the care facility’s “jeopardy status” on Dec. 4, 2024. Investigators were interviewing staff members at least as early as Dec. 2, 2024, according to the citation, and Nelson said state officials verbally cleared Aase Haugen’s status on Dec. 3.

“When they identify a concern that they perceive as having real consequences for a resident or that could have consequences for active residents now, they essentially can’t leave until they know that we are acting in good faith and doing the right thing,” Nelson said. “We were able to do that within about two hours of notification.”

Aase Haugen’s clinic staff has also established a daily audit process to identify and address potential issues in the future, according to Nelson.

The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing proposed a state fine of $9,750 against Aase Haugen but held that fine in suspension so that federal regulators can determine whether a federal

to find new money, we won’t be able to give raises. Then, either we don’t give raises and people quit, or we cut people to afford to give everyone else raises.”

In that case, the auditor said the county could declare an emergency.

“Then we’d say, ‘We don’t have enough money to pay our people. We need to declare an emergency,’ and, let the legislators know this isn’t sustainable,” Steines said.

In other business:

• Public Health Administrator Krista Vanden Brink presented her department’s FY25-26 budget, which is significantly less than a year ago due to the agency’s reduced staff and services. In June of 2024, due to decreased staff, the department was forced to decertify its home health services. The department’s FY2024-25 budget request was for 10 full-time and three part-time employees. The FY25-26 budget allows for three full-time and five parttime staffers.

• The supervisors also heard FY26 budget proposals from the county attorney and the county’s conservation, emergency management, treasury, engineering and maintenance departments. The various budget proposals contained few if any substantial changes from last year’s proposed departmental budgets.

• The Winneshiek County Fairgrounds requested a $10,000 increase in funding for FY26, while Winneshiek County Emergency Medical Services requested a $5,000 funding increase.

penalty is warranted. Nelson said Aase Haugen opted to accept the state’s allegation of deficiency at the care home and correct for the concerns rather than contest the citation – documents from the investigation note Aase Haugen’s corrective actions do not equate to an admission of wrong doing, and the care facility itself denies violating any state or federal regulations.

“Regardless of our perspective on the context, we always make sure we’re taking extreme ownership and doing our due diligence to make sure it couldn’t even be perceived that these sorts of things happen going forward,” Nelson said.

Federal records indicate the last time the federal government fined Aase Haugen home was in July of 2023 when a civil penalty of $59,839 was imposed. That fine was tied to a citation for failure to intervene when a resident showed signs of high blood sugar and then died en route to a hospital.

In February of 2024, the Aase Haugen Home was fined $7,000 by the state after a resident fell to the floor, striking her head and breaking her hip, while being helped to the bathroom by a worker. The resident was taken to a hospital and died four weeks later.

Five months later, in July of 2024, the home was cited again for safety violations after a resident fell from a mechanical lift at the home, resulting in physical injuries, “intense pain” and a gradual loss of consciousness. The state proposed a fine of

• The supervisors unanimously approved a motion to pay Kayla Hageman an additional $300 per week for substitute administrative duties while the county seeks a new recycling supervisor. The position is currently vacant due to the retirement of former recycling supervisor Scott Logsdon.

• A public hearing regarding a potential property easement for Dairyland Power Cooperative of La Crosse, Wisconsin, was scheduled for 10:30 a.m., Feb. 10, at the courthouse annex. The easement would allow the power company to extend fiber cable across a portion of county property.

• A public hearing will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 3 at the courthouse annex to consider a rezoning request for Kandy and Stenseth family property east of Calmar. The families want to add a third house to their property, requiring them to rezone that portion of the property from A-1 Agricultural to A-R Ag-Residential.

• The supervisors unanimously approved a resolution to update requirements for employees of the county’s Veterans Affairs office.

• The Winneshiek County Historic Preservation Commission’s Certified Local Government report was unanimously approved. Iowa’s CLG program aims to preserve and increase awareness of the state’s cultural heritage.

The next meeting of the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors will be held at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 27 at the courthouse annex.

continued from front

$4,500, which was tripled to $13,500 due to the repeat nature of the safety violation and then held in suspension.

Nelson said Aase Haugen reviewed the circumstances of each incident and was able to make appropriate changes to its policies and procedures even before state inspectors contacted the care home or intervened.

“We handled it the same as if the state handed us an allegation of deficiency, and we were able to do something in a timely manner on those because we were acutely aware of those specific things,” he said.

Nelson noted Aase Haugen serves hundreds of seniors each year, whether they be full-time residents or seniors in need of rehabilitation – a service he said is increasing in demand locally – and he said most families have no concerns regarding Aase Haugen’s care after a loved one passes away.

“The people here care greatly,” Nelson said. “When we have to do these corrections, whether it’s a significant one or a smaller issue, it hits everybody very personally. They understand that whatever that deficit may be — whether it’s an allegation or truly a deficit — they all take extreme personal accountability to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

I don’t see this level of buy-in from staff into the quality of care that they provide for their residents in many places, and I’ve served at several facilities in critical status as a consultant in the past.”

Peter Lincoln Bumba

Aase Haugen

OPINION

‘If you can’t be first, be better’

BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR

Sometimes folks seem to believe we journalists are supposed to be all-knowing, but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), we aren’t. Take for example, the recent situation at Aase Haugen here in Decorah.

The local senior care facility was cited by state inspectors following a resident’s death, and journalist Clark Kauffman with the Iowa Capital Dispatch published a story on the citation last week. Kauffman’s story was posted literally minutes before I put down my red pen and gave the green-light for most of the pages in last week’s edition of the Decorah Leader to be sent to press. However, by the next morning, multiple people were calling and emailing our office, asking why we hadn’t reported the citation like Kauffman had.

Now, dear reader, I love the Iowa Capital Dispatch. They’re a great resource for small newsrooms in need of reporting on broader state issues, and I’ve seen fit to reprint quite a bit of their reporting over the years. But needless to say, I wasn’t browsing their latest headlines during the weekly scramble to get the Leader to press. However, as you’ll see if you look at this week’s front page, we not only published Kauffman’s work in the next available edition, but we put in some extra work and added other quotes and information local readers might find relevant.

Still, as we were working on that, some folks expressed their dismay that my staff and I aren’t regularly sifting through hundreds upon hundreds of state records each day in hopes of finding something connected to our community — we’d love to of course, but we can’t hope to do so and still maintain the necessary focus on timely and informative local news, though obviously they will overlap from time to time. One caller even went so far as to say our alleged lack of coverage on the state’s citations was all because we are — in her words — “a (insert expletive) Republican paper.”

I’ll be frank, that one was upsetting — but at the same time, I’d love for her claim to reach the ears of certain GOP members elsewhere in Iowa who, for the last eight years or so, labeled me a bleeding-heart liberal snowflake (I guess those two viewpoints must mean the middle-ground approach I strive for is indeed working).

Journalism isn’t an easy job, and doing something right doesn’t always mean doing something right away. That’s something my past editor – and dare I say mentor – Russ Mitchell taught me early on in my career.

BY SETH BOYES News Editor

“If you can’t be first, be better,” he’d say (he probably still does).

What I took that to mean was this — even if someone beats you to the punch and scoops you on a story about your own community, you can always get out there and ask more questions, you can always get more information, you can always take the time and put in the work to get the reader an even better picture of what’s going on.

So that’s what we did when we heard about Aase Haugen. Some might disagree with my call (and that’s fine) but I decided I couldn’t, in good conscience as an editor, simply reprint the Iowa Capital Dispatch’s story without at least offering the staff at Aase Haugen a chance to comment. The home is, after all, only about three-quarters-of-a-mile from the newspaper office. And honestly, I expected they’d turn me down when I walked through their doors last Wednesday, but by the next afternoon (that’s less than 48 hours after Kauffman’s story was published, for those keeping score at home) the staff there had made some time to talk with me.

As I mentioned, you can read what they had to say elsewhere in this very edition, and dare I say no other news organization can say the same.

Now, to be clear, there’s nothing wrong with what the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported. Even Aase Haugen’s staff said the facts in that piece were accurate. It’s just that sometimes being the local newspaper comes with additional responsibilities, and in this instance I felt it was our responsibility to reach out for added context on something that had caused concern among friends and neighbors.

The trade off is that dong so takes time, so time is what we gave this story.

We didn’t wait to publish the story out of some kind of alleged ineptitude. We didn’t wait to publish the story because we don’t care – quite the opposite – and waiting to publish it certainly wasn’t a sign we were planning to ignore the story in some show of political allegiance.

It was because we knew there was more information to be had. We knew that our readers would benefit form more information, and we knew we could get it for you, dear reader. We did it because we know we won’t always be first, but we can always be better.

Decorah Leader

Economic common-sense

The vote to establish a municipal electric utility is an opportunity to explore an alternative to save money, invest locally and build resilience for our infrastructure. Opportunity — you never know until you try.

Saving Money: I don’t know about you, but I always shop for the best deal with the greatest value. When dollars are tight, I can’t afford not to look at my options. I also try to shop with my values in mind; if I can spend my money locally, that’s the first place I’ll go. Dollars spent here in Decorah are economic drivers circulating in our community, supporting local businesses and generating more economic activity right here at home. A local electric utility is guaranteed to keep our dollars local. And there’s a very high likelihood it will lower our energy costs. If we find out it wouldn’t, the Iowa Utilities Commission, which looks out for citizen’s best interests, will not approve the plan.

My motive for supporting a Decorah MEU is purely economic. Energy is one of the largest household bills I pay each month, and if I can save on my electric bill, that’s money I can invest in other things. Beyond my own financial savings, I’m excited about how these savings can translate across our community.

The recent analysis by the Clean Energy Districts of Iowa recently compared the costs of electricity of several MEUs and the two investor-owned utilities, Alliant Energy and Mid-American. They analyzed what the average Alliant customer would pay if another utility served them and how much they would save comparatively. When they totaled the community savings possible for 3,000 households served by an MEU over Alliant Energy, savings were millions.

- the case for an MEU, Part 3

Imagine millions more dollars circulating in Decorah.

Below are details of that table, including sister communities to Decorah served by MEUs. (https://www.cleanenergydistricts.org/news-resource/ alliant-energy-customers-experience-high-costs)

Community Investment: More dollars in our pockets isn’t the only motivation to vote yes on March 4. MEUs across Iowa help their communities in countless ways. They can access grants that cities alone cannot, grants that fund energy resilience projects, like batteries and micro-gridding, and can even extend to other essential community needs like schools, fire stations, etc.

MEUs make payments to the city’s general fund in lieu of taxes, called PILOTs. These payments can be used for city infrastructure, like streets, wellness centers, parks, etc. A MEU makes decisions aligned with the community’s best interest, including how rates are set, what infrastructure improvements to make, etc. We use our energy dollars to invest right here at home.

Decorah has named sustainability, including climate goals, among our core values. As an MEU, we can decide our power mix, generation capacity, and how to best work with folks

Food for thought

already generating power here in Decorah. Whether through net metering, power purchase agreements, or other types of partnership, we make these decisions locally. We can choose to build community solar, invest in storage, or a combination of both. As an MEU, we can be nimble and take advantage of the innovation in the energy sector.

Resilience: An MEU is an investment in our future. We live in a world where the energy landscape is rapidly changing. Gone are the days when generation costs were inaccessible to small communities and individuals. Communities across the country served by MEU’s are building microgrids to protect themselves from large-scale power outages and to use battery storage to lower overall energy costs. With an MEU, we can make the necessary improvements over time to keep our grid secure, generate green power, and use storage capacity to lower costs and protect against outages. MEUs are part of mutual aid networks, so when outages happen, a network of utilities is ready and willing to help each other. The data shows that, on average, mutual aid networks translate to better reliability than investor-owned utilities: https:// www.publicpower.org/reliabil-

ity-data.

Across Iowa, 135 MEUs provide these services and more for their communities, and on March 4, we can take the first step to learn if this would be best for Decorah. By voting yes, we gain access to the information we need to complete an accurate feasibility study. Without a vote in March, any feasibility study done by Alliant Energy or the city of Decorah, without the oversight of the Iowa Utilities Commission, is only based on assumptions and estimations.

The truth is, I don’t know if a Decorah MEU will be the economic driver that I believe it could be for us. No one does right now. But what I do know is this: Alliant’s rates aren’t going down, energy innovation is the need of the future, and opportunities to own are often more lucrative than renting. Investing in Decorah will always be a yes for me.

A vote for knowledge

Many chances

I would like to address a common concern I’ve heard about the March 4 referendum vote to establish a municipal electric utility. Some feel that having just “one vote” means they only get one chance to have a say in Decorah’s future and whether a municipal electric utility should be established. However, I want to reassure you that there will be many opportunities for citizens to provide input and influence decisions that will shape our community moving forward — and shape it locally.

March 4 is likely the only time we will have a vote to speak our mind about our satisfaction with our current electric provider. And it’s our only voting chance to indicate to our city and the Iowa Utilities Commission we want to learn more about the opportunity an MEU could provide. Outside of this rather unique referendum op-

Dear Editor, As we approach March 4, Alliant Energy is apparently sparing no expense to convince residents that it is the beacon of electric reliability and affordability, and that we can’t do any better. This is the second time since 2018 in which voters get to tell our city council if they should have the legal right to explore the feasibility of a municipal electric utility. Of course, like 2018, Alliant wants to deny us that legal option for fear of what we will discover. Like 2018, Alliant is littering everyone’s media space (Youtube, social media platforms, online publications, etc.) with false claims, urging Decorah ratepayers to choose reliability and thus vote no on the March 4

John Carver Decorah

It was a bright and sunny noon hour. We were enjoying lunch next to the warm east windows. The sun protected us from the -20° temperature outside. We both hit upon a subject involving food. The discussion took us back to the altar when we were married. Some 54 years later I’m thinking, “The preacher’s words should have asked if we knew how to cook.” There is a bottom line to all of this. For better or worse, you’d better consider three meals a day — seven days a week for the years ahead.

portunity, we are bound to the decisions of the IUC to select and regulate our electric utility provider. Let’s pause for a moment and think about how exciting it is that we get a voting voice in this otherwise highly regulated state process.

While March 4 offers the first opportunity to provide input with our vote, there is the potential for a second vote. If the city were to require funding for the application process to the IUC, obligation bonds could be needed. At this time, voters would have to approve the general obligation bond which would need 60 percent of the vote to pass. For many reasons, including that the MEU process never moves forward or because the purchase and transition can be funded through revenue bonds, this second vote may not happen. I am ready and excited for Decorah to be able

referendum. I laugh every time I see one of these ads or posts because Alliant just told the Iowa Utilities Commission that its reliability has improved ever since it sold its high-voltage transmission service to ITC-Midwest in 2008. Here’s what the company said it a recent report:

“IPL’s [Alliant Energy’s] transmission SAIDI [System Average Interruption Duration Index] and SAIFI [System Average Interruption Frequency Index] data illustrates a continued improvement and maintained trend of fewer and shorter sustained outages since the transmission asset purchase by ITC-M [ITC-Midwest].” — Interstate Power and Light, Semi-Annual Transmission

to vote a second time, should it be needed. However, all of the above is not nearly as consequential as the many other opportunities each voter has to weigh in and be heard on the future of an MEU exploration in our community. The very nature of this process demands that city elected officials lead in this process and take on the responsibility of deciding when and how to move forward in this exploration, and should an MEU be established, many responsibilities on the establishment of rates, policies, planning and management. No longer will a three-person, governor-appointed commission in Des Moines hold the keys to Decorah’s energy future. Instead, a seven-member body, duly elected — by you — would make the decisions. And this means, we get many chances to be heard

Report, Dec. 18, 2024, - RPU2019-0001 pg. 37 Graphs from the same report show system interruptions in service and the frequency of those interruptions. Yes, it has gotten better.

It is important to remember, however, that Alliant’s improvement in reliability is not due to any actions on Alliant’s part; but rather from transmission investments and improvements ITC Midwest made in Alliant’s unreliable system. Regarding the affordability of Alliant’s service, it has already been documented by the Iowa Utilities Commission that Decorah residents are paying the highest residential rates of anywhere in Iowa in nearly all cases; 62 percent higher than

Voting yes rolls out the process to answer the questions of everyone.

Jean Murray Decorah

A yes vote on March 4 is a vote for knowledge. This is a vote for an investigation into the possibility of a local electrical utility, a vote to look further into the costs, to consider where the money will go, who will benefit. It would answer questions about ownership, source of power and maintenance of infrastructure. It would not set into action anything other than this question-answering process that would leave all of us better informed about the issues and possible outcomes.

at the ballot box. Next November, we get the chance to elect a mayor and three city council members. In another two years, we have the opportunity to elect four city council members. And so on and so forth. In a process to move from exploration to implementation of an MEU, a conservative timeline would suggest a minimum of five years. All Decorah residents/citizens will have a dozen plus votes to guide our city’s process in this effort.

One of the greatest possibilities I see in the March 4 referendum is exactly this. The potential to bring decisions about our energy future to our literal front door. Join me in voting yes on March 4. Let’s keep the door open to opportunity.

Johanna Bergan Decorah

Mid-American Energy. In addition, Alliant customers pay on average 12 percent more for electricity than the national average. This is easily explained in a recent blog by 515 Solar, a large solar company based in Iowa.

If Alliant Energy is so sure that they are Decorah’s best available option as our electricity provider, I would expect them to support a yes vote on March 4 so we can discover that information for ourselves, rather than spending thousands of ratepayer dollars to fund a disinformation campaign. Perhaps they know something they don’t want us to know. Again. Tim Wagner Decorah

Emily Neal Councilperson At Large Decorah

Jones requests new trial following arson conviction

A former Allamakee store owner, who was found guilty in November 2024 of first-degree arson and animal abuse causing death, is requesting a new trial.

Mindy Jones, age 44, was convicted of starting the blaze which consumed her Waukon business and an adjacent building, and she was also found guilty of animal abuse after a tenant’s dog which had been trapped in the burning building perished shortly after being rescued.

Jones argues there was insufficient evidence showing the fire caused the death of the animal, and she has submitted a motion for judgement of acquittal.

Prosecuting attorneys argue the state did provide sufficient evidence. The dog was 13 years old and was trapped for around

Mindy Jones and public defender Aaron Hawbaker entered during Jones’ trial at Allamakee County Courthouse in November 2024. Jones was found guilty of setting fire to her Waukon business as well as causing the death of Molly, a 13-year-old dog which belonged to a young family residing in an upstairs apartment in Jones’ building. (File photo)

DHS vocalists chosen as semifinalists at Dorian Festival

The 2025 Luther College Dorian Vocal Festival was held January 12-13 with nearly 900 high school juniors and seniors from midwestern schools participating. Each year at the festival, a solo competition is held to select individuals to perform at the Festival Grand Concert. This year, four singers from Decorah High School — Oliver Brummel, Kealy Hines, Andy Kruger, and Gwenyth Thompson — advanced to the semifinal round of 22 singers. In addition, four DHS students were selected given honorable mention — Liam Chamberlain, Caleb Krieg, Ezra Vorvick and Margret Zook.

Sports complex

wetland which meets state parameters must be constructed at the park as part of the grant requirements. The city has its own flood requirements as well. Hermer explained a sizable amount of fill will be required to raise the centers of the proposed ballfields 6 feet from the lot’s existing elevation in order to bring them above flood elevation. Hermer said crews are expected to acquire as much of the fill as possible from the property itself.

A survey of the property has been completed, and the ISG team is currently working on a storm sewer design for the park. Additionally, Hermer explained a geotechnical report was still pending, but he expected it to be ready in the next few days.

ISG plans to design the project’s parking lots and sidewalks using the most beneficial recommended pavements, Hermer explained.

“We can see what types of material is down in the ground,” Hermer said. “If we have sandy material, that’s a benefit, because it provides water to infiltrate into the ground — fattier clay materials tend to expand and shrink.”

City officials also discussed designs for the proposed baseball fields during last week’s meeting. Phase one plans showed a water fountain situated in the center of the property, in the center of the pinwheel where the four ball fields meet, said Hermer. Connections to sanitary lines could be delayed for a time if financially preferable, and alternatives could be reviewed as construction progresses. The installation of lighting will be limited to the parking lot, with simple pedestrian lighting erected between the two ballfields slated for construction during phase one.

Plans for the ballfields include dugouts with black roofs and black vinyl chainlink fences wrapped around them. A 3-foot extension was offered to the group for the dugouts, but it was ultimately turned down — as was the option for electrical

30 minutes in a smoke-filled stairwell before being rescued. The dog’s owner testified the dog became physically ill immediately after being removed from the fire — saying she was unable to walk or stand, her eyes were cloudy, and she could not control her bowels. The dog succumbed a few hours later.

Jones’ defense attempted to offer an alternative explanation that there was no testimony from a veterinarian, and noting the dog was elderly. The state argues, while the dog was a senior animal, there was no evidence it was on its suffering similar symptoms before being trapped in the fire.

A hearing to consider Jones’ request for a new trial motion will be held at 1 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon.

power in the dugouts.

“I think the smaller 8-foot6-inch-wide dugout is plenty wide,” said Decorah City Councilman Randy Schissel. “We’re just putting a bench with a back in there, and hooks on the back to hang their bags on. There should be more than enough room to put kids and adults in there.”

A 30-foot-high safety netting system is also expected to run across the back of each field and attach to the dugouts, and plans call for a 36-inch standard wall pad along the bottom of the rear fence, Hermer said. A pair of 55-foot-long batting tunnels will be erected, and synthetic turf will tentatively be installed inside the tunnels in an effort to reduce maintenance and increase longevity. Last week’s working group said they preferred 8-foot fences in the outfield, noting such a height would provide ample space for potential advertising.

“Windscreens with advertising act as a wall and wind can’t get through, and concrete posting can be placed,” said Hermer. “You get the return on investment with the advertising as well.”

Johnson shared pictures of plants and flowers chosen for the complex, explaining the ISG design team took inspiration from the Decorah Prairie gardens when selecting the flora. She added any of the options would provide homes for local wildlife and would blend seamlessly with existing foliage. Additionally, as part of the city’s contract with ISG, the firm would establish a three-year maintenance plan for the landscaped areas.

City officials tabled discussion on the name of the proposed sports complex. Decorah Parks and Recreation Director Marc Holtey suggested a temporary name for the project — Decorah Driftless Diamonds, or 3D. Discussion during last week’s meeting indicated city officials may also consider fundraising options, such as auctioning advertising space

and names for memorial signage or leasing the park name. Goedken indicated he was planning to meet with a member of the community who is interested in the success of the project and may be making a monetary contribution. Holtey added a special fundraising community

continued from front

foundation has also been established to help cover the financial cost of the project.

City personnel are expected to meet with ISG again at the end of January for another update regarding the project’s status.

Charles Rolfs

Obituary

May 24, 1941 - Jan. 18, 2025

Charles R. Rolfs, 83, of Waukon, died Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at his home surrounded by his family.

Winneshiek County

Sheriff’s Office

Michelle K. Clark, age 36, was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 4:40 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 to serve seven consecutive days.

Benjamin Silva-Pinales, age 20, was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16 on an arrest warrant. Court records show Silva-Pinales pleaded guilty in April of 2024 to possession of marijuana, but subsequently failed to make himself available to probation supervisors. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Oct. 8, 2024, after he failed to appear for a probation revocation hearing.

Isaiah Yos-Eddy, age 18, of Waterloo turned himself in at the Winneshiek County Jail at 5:17 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17 on an arrest warrant for eight counts of felony sexual abuse — child under 12.

Kyzer Engen, age 22, was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 5:45 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17 to serve two consecutive days.

Marlene Lonning, age 50, was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 7:55 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 to serve two consecutive days.

Gerald A. Miland, age 77, of Spring Valley, Minnesota, was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 8:20 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 on the charge of operating while intoxicated — first offense. The Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint of a vehi-

Charles Richard Rolfs was born May 24, 1941 to Walter and Emma Rolfs in Forest Mills, rural Waukon. He graduated from Waukon High School. Four years later, in 1963, he married the love of his life, Lois Halvorson. He spent most of his career working with local farmers and homeowners as an LP and petroleum salesman with Farm Service in Waukon.

Charles Rolfs

In his free time, he enjoyed numerous outdoor activities, most notably spending ample hours on lakes and rivers searching for that trophy fish with treasured friends. Charles also was a horseman, a love he developed as a young boy on the farm. Above all, Charles was a family man. He would go to the ends of the earth to help a family member in need.

Camping trips were a frequent occurrence. The stories will continue to live on at family gatherings. Charles will also be remembered for his enthusiasm and skills around a card table. He would often be heard stating, “Pick it up, I’m going alone.” He was very proud of his antique Case tractor and loved showing it off in local pa-

rades. His beagle, Peaches, was often seen riding shotgun. He is survived by his wife, Lois of Waukon; his children: Kathie (Randy) Robinson of Chicago, Illinois, Sandra (Jim) Casetta of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Charlie (Amy) Rolfs of Decorah, Steve Rolfs of Waukon, and Kim Rolfs of Waukon; 10 grandchildren: Matt (Jackie) Robinson, Dave (Kellen) Robinson, Jessica (Adam) Wooster, Esau Casetta, Emma (Justin) Swetala, Jackson Rolfs, Lane Rolfs, Ellie Rolfs, Libby Rolfs and Nate Rolfs; three great-grandchildren: Graham Robinson, Owen Robinson and Calvin Wooster.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Lloyd Rolfs; and sister, Gladys Hartson.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, Jan. 22 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon. Honorary casketbearers are Jessica Wooster, Emma Swetala, Ellie Rolfs, Elizabeth Rolfs, Graham Robinson, Owen Robinson, and Calvin Wooster. Casketbearers are Matt Robinson, David Robinson, Esau Casetta, Jackson Rolfs, Lane Rolfs and Nathaniel Rolfs. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements.

Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals. com.

Service Notice

LEONA KRIENER, 90, of Cresco, died Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, at Wellington Place in Decorah. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25 at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Little Turkey with Rev. Nick Radloff presiding. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in the spring. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Little Turkey, and after 9:30 a.m. at the church on Saturday morning.

Law Enforcement

cle “swerving all over the road and randomly stopping on the roadway,” that day. Information from the sheriff’s office indicated Miland was located along Highway 9 in Decorah before being arrested.

Decorah Police Department

Angel Marie De La Garza, age 45, of Decorah was charged with possession of methamphetamine — first offense — and driving while license denied, suspended, cancelled or revoked at approximately 6:37 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 in the 700 block of Maiden Lane in Decorah. Criminal complaints said an officer saw De La Garza driving a vehicle near the intersection of Maiden Lane and Frances Street, and the officer was aware De La Garza did not possess a valid license. A search of the vehicle revealed two zip lock bags containing a substance which field tested positive as methamphetamine, according to the complaints. De La Garza was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 7:05 p.m. the same day.

Triton Donald Postle, age 24, of Decorah was charged with possession of marijuana — first offense — possession of drug paraphernalia at approximately 1:20 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 after being stopped for a traffic violation near the intersection of Montgomery Street and Main Street in Decorah. An officer discovered more than 30 grams of what was believed to be THC wax, a glass and silicone tube

and two containers which held what was described as residue of bud marijuana. Postle was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 2:30 a.m. the same day, where law enforcement also discovered what a complaint called a “dab rig” which tested positive for THC. Postle was additionally charged with possession of contraband in a correctional facility. Prosecutors have said there wasn’t enough evidence to move forward with a case after a local college student was accused of burglarizing a dormitory room in mid-December of 2024. Isaiah Corde Singleton, age 18, of Houston, Texas, was charged with second-degree burglary and third-degree theft last month. Criminal complaints in the case accused Singleton and two other individuals of entering a ground-level room in the Brandt dormitory building around 11:25 p.m. Dec. 17, 2024, and stealing a computer. Witnesses later retrieved the computer from Singleton’s room, according to court filings. However, prosecutors filed a motion on Dec. 30, 2024, asking to dismiss the case, saying “there is insufficient evidence available to convict the defendant of the charges.” An order to dismiss the case was filed by the court that same morning, saying Singleton could potentially have the case expunged after 180 days.

The Decorah Police Department responded to a two-vehicle collision at 5:28 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2 at the intersection of

Highway 9 and Old Stage Road in Decorah. Officers determined a 2017 Volkswagon Tiguan driven by 50-year-old Bethany Ellingson of Waukon had rear ended a 2023 GMC Acadia driven by 14-year-old Brinley Linderbaum of Ossian. Ellingson was cited for failure to stop in an assured clear distance. Linderbaum was accompanied by an adult and two other juveniles — all four occupants of the Acadia self-reported to the emergency room at WinnMed in Decorah to be assessed, according to information from the police department. The Decorah Police Department was assisted on scene by Don’s Towing Service, Hennessy Towing Service and the Decorah Fire Department.

Decorah Officers responded to a report of a discharged firearm at 9:38 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19 in the 400 block of Twin View Drive. The caller, 28-year-old Austin Olson of Decorah, advised that he had fired a pistol several times while he was intoxicated and was unsure where the fired rounds went or the whereabouts of the gun. After an investigation it was determined Olson had fired several rounds into the ground just outside of the residence. Olson was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm — a simple misdemeanor.

All people listed may face charges and should be presumed innocent until their case is reviewed through the legal process.

Pictured are (left to right) Gwenyth Thompson, Andy Kruger, Oliver Brummel and Kealy Hines. (Photo submitted)

St. Benedict Catholic School of Decorah is a dynamic, engaging, faith-based educational institution that is fully accredited by the state of Iowa. The school currently enrolls 170 students ranging from 4-year-old preschool through eighth grade. The preschool program offers the flexibility of either half or full-day sessions four days a week — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Kindergarten through eighth grade has three groupings. The primary unit consists of kindergarten through second grade, intermediate includes grades three through five, and middle school includes grades six through eight. St. Benedict School employs 28 full and part-time staff, including 17 highly qualified faculty members who are fully licensed through the state of Iowa. The school is guided by a local six-person school board, served by an active Parent School Association and supported by St. Benedict Parish.

In addition to the academic studies provided in core content areas, students participate in daily religion classes, weekly Mass celebrations and a variety of community service projects throughout the year. Extra-curricular activities include band, student council, Math Counts, National History Day and more. Middle school students have the opportunity to participate in Decorah Community School District sports and eighth-grade band as well as take geometry at the high school level while in eighth grade. Special area classes are offered in art, computer, chorus, band, piano, library and physical education. Support services include special education/ resource, Title 1, Keystone AEA services and a licensed school counselor. A modern media center served by a librarian and tech-

nology coordinator allows for library classes at the preschool through fifth-grade level and computer classes twice weekly in grades K-8. The school’s digital learning environment allows for one-to-one iPads in grades K-8. All of these exceptional opportunities lead to outstanding, holistic growth that can be observed in academic performance.

The annual Banquet of Blessings, Annual Fund Drive and other fundraising ventures provide for regular building improvements, numerous off-campus learning experiences and a wealth of teacher resources. This year’s drive will focus on continuing to improve accessibility within the building, so all students seeking Catholic education feel like St. Benedict is the place for them. Students of all faith backgrounds are welcome. Tuition assistance opportunities are available. For more information, please contact the school office at 563-382-4668 or email jjohnson@st-ben.pvt. k12.ia.us.

Trinity Catholic School, Protivin

Trinity Catholic School in Protivin serves as an elementary educational ministry of Christ Our Hope Cluster. The school offers education for students in kindergarten through sixth grade, welcoming families from the communities of Protivin, St. Lucas, Fort Atkinson, Lawler, Waucoma and Little Turkey.

Trinity Catholic School welcomes families of all faiths and is supported by a dedicated faculty and staff who take a personal and collaborative approach to each child’s learning. Students engage in daily religion classes, weekly Mass celebrations and meaningful community service projects. They also have opportunities to participate in sports camps hosted by the local public school.

The school offers special area classes in music, art and physical education. Support services include special education, Title 1 programs, assistance from Keystone AEA and family services through Catholic Charities. Thanks to connectivity grants, Trinity provides up-to-date technology with a oneto-one device program, ensuring students have access to the tools they need for learning.

Trinity Catholic School is supported by a dedicated tenured staff, committed board of education members and actively involved families, all of whom are united in their commitment to child-centered

St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Schools provides K-8 education across three locations: Calmar, Ossian and Spillville. We proudly serve the families of St. Aloysius Parish in Calmar, Our Lady of Seven Dolors Parish in Festina, St. Francis DeSales Parish in Ossian and St. Wenceslaus Parish in Spillville as well as families from surrounding communities.

In addition to our academic programs, St. Teresa offers a childcare center in Ossian, providing care for children from three months to two years old.

At St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Schools, we foster a learning environment rooted in academic excellence and gospel values. Our mission is to nurture a vibrant Catholic school community, where students grow in knowledge, faith and character.

Our dedicated and highly qualified faculty members are committed to guidacademic, spiritual and personal growth. Students benefit from a rich faith-based education that includes daily religion classes, weekly and all-school liturgies, and numerous opportunities for prayer and reflection.

For more information, visit www.stteresaschools.com.

St. Teresa Catholic Schools Week schedule

Monday, Jan.

27: Our faith ties us together

Dress up: Wear a tie or hair ribbons

Activity: Create cards

Tuesday, Jan. 28: God sent us rainbows as a sign of His promise

Dress up: Crazy hat or clothing with your class color Activity: Extra gym or outside time

Wednesday, Jan. 29: Our school brings us together

Dress up: Wear St. Teresa clothes or religious apparel Activity: Faith Families and Mrs. Kriener Ice Bucket Challenge

Thursday, Jan. 30: We are all God’s creatures

Dress up: Animal or camo print

Activity: Dr. Bechtel assembly

Friday, Jan. 31: He counts the stars and calls them by name

Dress up: Dress as your favorite character (no masks)

Activity: Relax with a movie and

education programs. Families interested in learning more are encouraged to contact the school at 563-569-8556.

Trinity Catholic Schools Week schedule

Monday, Jan. 27: Wear your pajamas.

The digital planetarium (StarLab) is a portable, inflatable dome which demonstrates astronomy concepts; simulates the sky from any point on Earth or from other planets; simulates of the solar system; shows planetary motion; and simulates events such as eclipses, meteor showers and sunsets and displays constellations.

Tuesday, Jan. 28: Dress as a Story Book Character. We will eat in family groups, and at 2:15 p.m., we will read in family groups.

Wednesday, Jan. 29: Wear Trinity shirts

Play Kahoot/Minute to Win It games.

Thursday, Jan. 30: Dress your best

We will celebrate our faith with a Mass led by Archbishop Zinkula 8:45 a.m. at Holy Trinity Parish. Coffee and donuts will be available at the Community Center followed by Bingo with prizes.

Friday, Jan. 31: Wear your favorite team gear We will travel to the Cresco. Pizza will be available at 10:30 a.m. as students enjoy open gym time in the fitness center and spend the afternoon swimming. You will need to bring a drink – with a twist top lid –

Justin Johnson, Principal

Jennifer Busarow, Principal

St. Teresa of Calcutta, Calmar, Ossian & Spillville

Kristin Kriener, Principal

Third annual Wine Down Decorah set for Friday, Jan. 31

Downtown Decorah Retailers are looking forward to the third annual Wine Down Decorah event, which will take place from 4-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31. The free event pairs retail shopping with local food and drink pop-ups from area establishments. Attendees may start at one location and walk the downtown loop to visit all retailers involved. There are 12 participating retailers and 18 pop-ups promising snacks and samples. Participating locations will have event posters in their windows.

Event coordinators Linda Wolfs, with Heavenly Made Gifts and The Gnome Store, and Sheryl Hammel, with Hammel Jewelers, said there are many new faces to see during this year’s Wine Down Decorah, as well as many wellknown stores.

Heavenly Made Gifts & The Gnome Store will feature Winneshiek Wildberry Winery, Pizza Ranch and fudge from Valley Fudge and Candy from 4-8 p.m.

Hammel Jewelers will feature Tiny Beers, U2BBQ and Daisy Mae’s Custom Baked Goods from 4-8 p.m.

Blue Heron Knittery will feature Cluck Ewe Bakery, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Dragonfly Books will feature Blazing Star from 5-8 p.m.

Margaret’s Boutique will feature Magpie and Oneota Coop from 4-7 p.m.

Silver Birch will have snacks from 5-8 p.m.

J. Tupy’s will feature Toppling Goliath and Polashek’s Locker from 4-7 p.m.

Jenny Wren Gift Market will feature Pivo & Blepta Studio from 5-8 p.m.

Driftless Botanicals will feature Frisky Fox Winery from 5-8 p.m.

Oak & Olive Flowers will feature River Road Bakery from 5-8 p.m.

Ace Kitchen will be serving samples of Mulled wine from 5-8 p.m.

Revelation/Merle Norman Cosmetics/Les Wigs Renee will feature Magpie from 4-7 p.m.

Organizers encouraged participants to visit each business’ social media pages for additional information.

Vesterheim Museum commemorates

200th anniversary of Norwegian emigration

In 2025, Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, will commemorate the 200th anniversary of Norwegian emigration with activities, classes and a special exhibit. The sloop ship Restauration set sail for America from Stavanger, Norway, on July 4, 1825, with 52 Norwegians aboard, according to the museum, and the ship was the first in a large wave of Norwegian emigration. Within a century, more than 800,000 Norwegians followed these “Sloopers” to the United States.

The museum’s exhibit, “200 Years of Norwegians in America,” features important objects, photographs, themes and stories from 200 years of Norwegians in America and is on view through Jan. 31, 2026. Luther College students in Anna Peterson’s Scandinavian immigration history course have chosen some of the objects for the exhibit and created a companion podcast, which is available through the Vesterheim website.

Vesterheim Folk Art School offers classes in handcraft and culture throughout the year. Organizers will offer special Cultural Connection webinars with fiber artists from around the world, comparing traditions from various cultures, and Norwegian instructor Marta Kløve Juuhl will be in Decorah to teach weaving. Also, soprano Laura Loge and pianist Steven Luskan from Norway will offer a concert in September at Luther College which will be live-streamed online.

Steines receives nation’s highest award for science and mathematics teachers, mentors

This week the White House named Stephanie Steines, a math instructor at Decorah High School, a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The PAEMST awards are the nation’s highest honor for teachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, according to school officials. The awards honor the vital role the country’s teachers and mentors play in shaping the next generation of technical leaders, including scientists, engineers, explorers and innovators. Teachers are selected based on their distinction in the classroom and dedication to improving STEM education.

“Mrs. Steines is an extremely dedicated and hard-working teacher in our math department and goes the extra mile every day to ensure students of all mathematical abilities can succeed in her classroom,” said DHS Principal Brad Hurst. “She thoughtfully designs each lesson and activity with the needs of her students at the forefront of her planning and preparation. She meets each

student where they are and ensures they are challenged with rigorous instruction and supported with care and compassion. The faculty, staff and students of Decorah High School and the Decorah community are incredibly fortunate to have Mrs. Steines here, and we collectively celebrate the well-deserved achievement and honor she has earned.”

Steines’s teaching career spans 27 years, with the last 24 years at Decorah High School teaching a variety of classes, from Algebra I through AP statistics and AP chemistry. Her current assignment includes precalculus, AP statistics, and Algebra I.

Steines aims to create an active learning environment in which students are engaged in discourse with a focus on development of mathematical understanding, according to school officials, and students in her classroom work together to explore concepts and develop problem solving skills. The school went on to say Steines encourages students to maintain a growth mindset while

Huinker to retire from Decorah Bank and Trust after 32 years

Decorah Bank and Trust is preparing to honor Mike Huinker, who will be retiring from the bank after 32 years of service as a mortgage lender. Huinker has played a role in supporting countless home purchases, construction and renovation projects in the community.

The community is invited to a retirement party from 4-6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31 in the Decorah Bank lobby. Guests may enjoy appetizers and beverages while sharing memories and wishing Huinker well.

Huinker currently serves as co-president of the Decorah Rotary, vice president of the WinnMed Foundation Board and former president of Trails

of Winneshiek, which produced the Trout Run Trail.

“Mike is a true community banker,” said Ben Grimstad, CEO of Decorah Bank and Trust. “Throughout his 32-year career, he has literally helped thousands of families with the dream of home ownership, purchasing and building homes in our community. Mike has also been a leader in many community initiatives, which make Decorah a great place to live and work. We are fortunate that Mike will stay connected to the bank by serving on the bank’s board of directors. We wish Mike all the best in retirement.”

Huinker is excited to spend

they learn from their errors and build a stronger, deeper understanding of mathematics. She has served as a reader for AP statistics, scoring responses from AP exams every summer since 2014, gaining insight into the exam. She also sits on the board for the Iowa Council of Teachers of Mathematics and currently serves as the Nominations and Election Coordinator.

Steines is currently a member of Action Group 1 for the Iowa Higher Education Mathematics Transition Advisory Council, which focuses on the transition between high school and introductory collegiate level mathematics. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and chemistry from Luther College and a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Northern Iowa. With this award, teachers will receive $10,000 from the National Science Foundation, a certificate signed by the President, and a trip to Washington, D.C. to celebrate their accomplishments. They will also join a cadre of more than 5,200 teacher-alumni from across the nation. While in D.C., honorees will participate in professional development activities and network with fellow STEM educators from across the nation.

Barneløpet children’s ski/walk event to be held at Decorah Prairie

Area families are invited to participate in the annual Barneløpet, a non-competitive ski or walk event, which will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Decorah Community Prairie. Registration will begin at 9:40 a.m., and skiers must provide their own skis. Barneløpet is Norwegian for “kids race,” and Sons of Norway lodges all over the country sponsor Barneløpet events. The event is modeled after the Barnebirke, a children’s cross-county ski race held each year as a part of the American Birkebeiner in Hayward, Wisconsin.

Barneløpet is open to children ages 3-13 of all skill levels. Participants receive a ski bib at the starting line and a medal when they complete the course. Families are welcome to ski or walk along the course. Hot chocolate and homemade cookies will be served for everyone by the fireside.

“We will enjoy a walk in the prairie if there is no snow. The only cancelations will be in the case of severe cold or ice,” said program organizer Darlene Fossum-Martin. The public may check vesterheim.org or Vesterheim’s social media for possible cancelations.

The free event is a collaboration between Vesterheim and three Sons of Norway Lodges, including Valdres #503 in Decorah; Heimbygda #376 in Lanesboro, Minnesota; and Valheim #364 in Spring Grove, Minnesota. Barneløpet is offered at no cost thanks to support from Jon and Mary Hart of Decorah in memory of Kjell Arne Berntsen.

The Decorah Community Prairie can be accessed by car at the south end of Ohio Street, near Aase Haugen Homes. The trail will be in a loop, with the start and finish at the site of the butterfly garden.

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Photo submitted more time on the golf course, travel, and enjoy moments with his family and grandchildren. He also plans to stay active in the community he said has meant so much to him over the years. For additional information, contact Decorah Bank’s Mortgage Department at 563-3820091.

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Photo submitted

Vesterheim open house to feature Luther students’ folk art

The public is invited to be inspired by budding folk artists and Scandinavian traditions at Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, during an open house for students from Luther College’s “Scandinavian Fine Handcraft” January Term course. This free community event will be held from 5-7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25, in the museum’s Bruening Welcome Center in the Westby-Torgersen Education Center on the corner of Mechanic and Water Streets.

During the open house, students from the class will demonstrate carving and exhibit their class projects. Re-

Refillery

assortment of brushes and other cleaning utensils made with biodegradable materials like bamboo, palm fiber, coconut fiber, sisal grass, cellulose or cotton.

“So, if you don’t compost, and it does end up in the trash, it will break down,” Baumler said. “That way, we’re not filling up tons and tons of landfills with plastic trash.”

The two friends said refilleries are not a totally foreign

freshments will be served. The students spent the month of January learning Scandinavian fine handcrafts from established folk art instructor Fred Livesay. The primary focus of the class was traditional woodworking, and students spent some time outside, learning to forage for carving wood, especially invasive species and discarded landscaping materials. They also studied Sámi-inspired jewelry with folk art instructor Norma Refsal. The class was held at Vesterheim, and students visited the museum collection multiple times to follow the lineage of craft through generations.

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concept for the Midwest. They said there’s one in Cedar Rapids, another in Rochester, Minnesota, and still another in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

KD Refillery is open from 5-8 p.m., Thursday and Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. In the future, they hope to expand to include men’s grooming as well as feminine hygiene and skin care products.

hospitalizations are expensive, and they’re very stressful when your baby can’t breathe. They’re scary. It might be preventable for a lot of people.”

Goodner called RSV and other respiratory viruses, like COVID-19 “social infections,” which he explained means they’re contracted from other nearby people.

“The more you’re in close contact with other people, the more likely you are to get influenza, COVID, RSV, metapneumovirus, rhinovirus,” the doctor said.

Handwashing key to preventing spread of norovirus

Winneshiek County Public Health Administrator Krista Vanden Brink said norovirus is also spreading quickly throughout Iowa. Norovirus is considered “very contagious,” according to the CDC, and often causes vomiting and diarrhea for up to three days, which lead to dehydration.

“That is a GI bug, and it’s really important that people stay home if they have norovirus, because we don’t want them spreading the disease,” Vanden Brink said. “Norovirus is extremely contagious.”

Vanden Brink said, if somebody who has norovirus neglects to wash their hands well after using the toilet, anything they touch afterward will likely infect others who touch the same object.

“It spreads like wildfire, so it’s super important that we wash our hands with soap and water,” she said. “Alcohol hand sanitizers are not effective against norovirus. Soap and water — wash your hands after you use the toilet, before you prepare food, before you eat — all of that is super important.”

Norovirus can stay in a person’s stool for up to two weeks,

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Krista Vanden Brink, Winneshiek County Public Health Administrator

Vanden Brink said, adding people can be “shedding” the virus that entire time even if they don’t have symptoms. Public Health recommends people wait 24 hours after their norovirus symptoms cease before returning to work, but food service workers should wait 48 hours.

“We tell people that when you have diarrhea when you’re sick, we don’t want you to prepare any food for other people or take care of other people,” she said. “And, we understand that’s a huge issue for restaurant workers. We see norovirus outbreaks throughout the year and in a variety of settings. They can be in schools, long-term care facilities, in the workplace and in the home setting too.”

Vanden Brink said norovirus isn’t usually fatal, but it could be if an infected person becomes dehydrated.

“That’s why, with any illness, we tell people to push fluids,” she said. “And, there’s no medicine for norovirus. It just needs to run its course.”

Vaccines and other practices can reduce spread

Goodner and Vanden Brink agreed receiving available vaccines for viruses is an important component in protection and

prevention.

“We can always do better at vaccinating,” Goodner said.

“Our vaccination rates are probably lower than they were five years ago, and there’s no reason for that other than increased, unwarranted vaccine hesitancy.

Vaccines have saved a lot of lives over the years. Vaccines and public sanitation have done more for public health than anything else. Vaccines are proven to work.”

Vaccines aren’t guaranteed to prevent an infection, but Vanden Brink said if someone is vaccinated, the chances of them becoming seriously ill are greatly decreased.

“People can still get very sick from COVID or flu or RSV,” she said. “We have vaccinations for all of those, but whether or not you get them, that’s up to you.”

Goodner said vaccines, including the COVID vaccine, are especially effective in the short term as a means of protecting oneself against viruses.

“And, they’re a very effective way to prevent serious disease in people with underlying health problems like cancer or a bad heart condition,” the doctor

said. “People over 70 run the risk that any respiratory condition could put them in the hospital, so mitigating that with vaccines is still a good idea.”

When people do contract viruses, Goodner and Vanden Brink recommend a couple of simple practices they said will help stop the illness from spreading.

“There are ways to mitigate when you’re sick,” Goodner said. “Wash your hands. Cover your mouth when you cough. These are simple things, but they’re the basis of all infection control. Do the basics — stay home, cover your mouth, wash your hands.”

Vanden Brink said special consideration should be taken when a person is not feeling well and deciding whether to go to work or school.

“We say that if someone has a fever of 100, they should not come to work, but most people aren’t going to check their temperature,” Vanden Brink said. “It’s best, if you don’t feel well, that you don’t go to work or school. There are a lot of people who tell themselves, ‘It’s just a little cold.’ But, is it? We don’t always know that.”

Cronin said impacted districts were informed of the situation on Jan. 7, 2025 — the second day of class at Decorah Schools, following the Christmas holiday. PowerSchool’s website said the company provided further guidance to affected districts two days after Cronin’s letter was sent to district families.

“The timeline for data breaches is complicated to compare from one situation to another,” Cronin said. “According to IBM, on average, companies take about 197 days to identify and 69 days to contain a breach.”

PowerSchool’s website said the company plans to provide two years of complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services for those affected by the information breach. Cronin said Decorah Schools has also been in contact with its cyber insurance providers, data privacy experts and legal counsel “to fully understand the implications of the PowerSchool breach to ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulation.” Data breach continued from front

PowerSchool is not currently disclosing how many school districts were affected by the breach, according to information on its website, but the company said it has no evidence credit card or banking information was involved.

However, both PowerSchool and Decorah Schools said the breach may have potentially accessed what the company called personally identifiable information — or PII — associated with students, staff and families.

PowerSchool’s website said the potentially exposed information varied, depending on the specifics of each affected district, but the overall breach may have accessed individual names, contact information, dates of birth, limited medical alert information, Social Security Numbers and other information. Cronin said it was unclear as of early this week what, if any, information associated with Decorah Schools may have been exposed.

“PowerSchool informed us that the data taken primarily includes contact information, as well as data elements, such as name and address information,” Cronin said. “Across their customer base, they have determined that some personally identifiable information was impacted (for) a portion of individuals. They are urgently working to complete their investigation and determine whether PII belonging to our students was included.”

Local medical professionals agree handwashing is one of the most important ways to combat viruses. (Photo by Zach Jensen)

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Photo submitted

DHS to present ‘City of Stars’ Feb. 2

Decorah High School will present “City of Stars,” at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2 at Decorah High School. The evening will feature musical theater, jazz and popular music, as well as food. The event will also feature vocal ensembles and performances by students in the Large Group Speech Musical Theater program. The audience may enjoy a meal of rosemary focaccia, deviled egg with vege-

table crudités in Louie dressing, chicken cutlet with creamy five cheese pasta garnished with broccoli florets, and tiramisu with Bordeaux cherries. The meal has been planned and prepared by Decorah Community School District Nutrition Director and Culinary Specialist Chad Elliott. Advanced tickets for “City of Stars” are $25 each and are available online at deco-

Community briefs

WinnMed Auxiliary scholarship applications available

The WinnMed Auxiliary is offering its annual Health Career Scholarship to students pursuing a health care profession. The applicant must be a college undergraduate or graduate student who is currently enrolled in the health career program of their choice. The applicant must also be a resident of Winneshiek County, a WinnMed employee or a dependent of a WinnMed employee. Eligible applicants may visit https://winnmed.org/ donate/winnmed-auxiliary or call 563-387-3036 for an application. The deadline for application is April 1, 2025.

rahschools.ludus.com. Those wanting to pay with cash or check may purchase tickets in the DHS office. Only 216 tickets will be sold, and any available tickets will be sold until 3 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27. Tables will seat six people.

Questions may be directed to DHS Vocal Music Teacher Jason Rausch at 563-382-3643 or jason.rausch@decorah.school.

MiEnergy accepting applications for scholarships, Washington, D.C. trip

MiEnergy Cooperative is accepting applications from area high school students for the company’s Community Service Scholarships as well as a trip to the nation’s capital.

The company plans to give up to 80 students a $1,000 scholarship in 2025. Applicants must be a high school senior graduating in 2025 with a grade point average of at least a B, with plans to continue their education at an accredited technical school, college or university. The parents or legal guardians of each applicant must be a MiEnergy member with an active electric account, and applicants must

demonstrate their community service as part of the application. The scholarships are funded with unclaimed capital credit funds which the company said would otherwise be forfeited to the state.

Students can apply online at www.MiEnergy.coop/scholarships. The application deadline is March 3.

MiEnergy is also accepting applications from high school sophomores and juniors for an all-expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. to attend the 2025 Rural Electric Youth Tour in mid-June. Two students, one from Iowa and one from Min-

nesota, will be selected from eligible candidates. Each state’s Youth Tour group will join hundreds of students from across the country as they learn more about electric cooperatives and American history. The contest is open to children of MiEnergy members. The trip will take place June 15-21 for Iowa students and June 16-21 for Minnesota students. Students can apply online at www.MiEnergy. coop/youthtour. The application deadline is March 3.

Questions may be directed to Annie Hoiland by calling 800-432-2285 or emailing ahoiland@MiEnergy.coop.

Luther College’s Nordic Choir to bring musical ‘storytelling’ to audiences in nine states this winter

Luther College recently announced that its Nordic Choir plans to embark on a ninestate performance tour this month. The tour kicked off on Jan. 18 at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Ames. From there, the choir traveled to Fort Dodge for a performance on Jan. 19 at First United Methodist Church. The choir will visit six other locations Jan. 30 through Feb. 4, during Luther’s January Term break. Nordic Choir will visit Cedar Rapids, Springfield, Illinois; Indianapolis, Dublin, Ohio; New Lenox, Illinois; and Janesville, Wisconsin.

The choir will return Decorah for a homecoming concert at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall before traveling to Des Moines for a first-of-its-kind concert in collaboration with Iowa State

Singers and Des Moines Choral Society on Feb. 15. Besides performing throughout the Midwest in January and February, Nordic Choir will also give special March 20 performances at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Dallas. The tour concludes with a March 21 concert in Bentonville, Arkansas, at the Thaden School Performing Arts Center and a March 22 performance at the Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas. A complete tour schedule with performance times and locations is available online at luther.edu/events.

Audiences can expect to hear music composed by Antonio Lotti, Jacob Handl Gallus, Ruthie Foster, Jennifer Lucy Cook and Marques L.A. Garrett.

“It is our hope to serve as ‘storytellers’ through our music,” said Nordic Choir director Andrew Last. “This year is no different. We embrace the unique opportunity we have to connect with friends, family and folks that will experience their first Nordic Choir concert through music that ‘speaks’ to them in unexpected ways.”

Concert tickets may be purchased in advance online at tickets.luther.edu or by calling 563-387-1357. To purchase tickets for a specific concert, select the corresponding date from the options. Tickets may also be purchased at the door one hour prior to the performance. Some performances do not require a ticket, but a freewill donation will be accepted.

bring their own devices to the workshop. Decorah Public Library staff will be on hand to provide personalized assistance and answer questions. Advance registration is required. For more information or to sign up, contact Decorah Public Library at 563-382-3717 or visit decorahlibrary.org. This program was made possible thanks to a grant from AT&T and the Public Library Association.

History of the indigenous peoples to be presented

Nominations being accepted for Uncommon Public Service Award

The Hoover Presidential Foundation is currently accepting nominations for the 2025 Uncommon Public Service Award. Nominations can be submitted at hooverpresidentialfoundation.org/uncommon-public-service-award. Nomination forms may also be printed from the website and mailed to Hoover Presidential Foundation, PO Box 696, West Branch, IA 52358. The due date for submissions is Feb. 28. The awards are presented during the last week of March in the Iowa House and Senate chambers during the morning session. Additional recognition is given at the annual Foundation Celebration Banquet. One winner is selected from both the Iowa Senate and House of Representatives. The Uncommon Public Service Award was created by the Hoover Presidential Foundation to honor those public servants who demonstrate uncommon service to the people of Iowa above and beyond their legislative responsibilities. The nominees are judged on their public service and humanitarian projects. The Hoover Presidential Foundation has been recognizing outstanding public servants since 2007.

Robey Memorial Library to hold fraud awareness education

Robey Memorial Library in Waukon will be offering Guardians of Trust Fraud Awareness and Prevention at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30 in the lower level community room.

The public is invited to join the library to gain insight into recognizing and preventing various frauds which target seniors. Paula Merfeld, a native of Dubuque and current Decorah resident, will present information on the latest online scams, how to identify them and effective measures to protect against them. Attendees will also gain practical knowledge on using digital devices safely and confidently, with a focus on the GrandPad tablet and phone designed for seniors. Registration for this program is encouraged but not required. Contact the library’s front desk or reserve a spot online by calling 563-568-4424 or emailng www.waukon.lib.ia.us.

Public invited to learn iPhone, iPad basics at Decorah Library

The public is invited to join Decorah Public Library staff for a hands-on workshop, “iPhone and iPad Basics,” at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29. This interactive session is geared toward beginners looking for guidance on how to get the most out of their Apple devices. During the workshop, participants will learn to navigate their device, connect to Wi-Fi safely and securely, identify and use common apps and adjust helpful settings. Participants should

The Decorah Lions Club will meet at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28 at the All Vets Club in Decorah. Lowell Blikre, assistant director of Bear Creek Archeology will give a brief presentation on the history of the indigenous peoples who lived in the region. Lions Club members are encouraged to bring artifacts, such as arrowheads and axes, to show one another and for Blikre to talk about. Blikre will be the guest of Lions Club member Steve Matter. For more information or a membership application, contact Lions Club member Brad Schwartz by email at beschwartz@salamander.com, or text 563-419-4020.

Registration open for South Bear School’s summer pottery retreat

South Bear School in rural Decorah is inviting students to join a pottery workshop retreat for two weeks in early June. Registration for the program opened Jan. 15 and can be found online at southbearschool.org. The program will run from June 9-20, and participants may sign up for a one-week or two-week workshop, or join for just the weekend — June 14-15. Participants may camp on the property at no extra cost for the full retreat experience, or commute to campus from the nearby town of Decorah. Work and learning are based primarily on demonstrations, observation and practice on the kick wheel. One-onone and group instruction will be provided by various alumni from the first iteration of South Bear School which ran from 1970-1987. Limited scholarships are available. Questions may be emailed to Info@southbearschool.org.

Bouska to perform at St. Wenceslaus

Pianist Katelyn Bouska, of Prague, Czech Republic, will be performing at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31 at St. Wenceslaus Church in Spillville. Bouska will offer new insights into musician Antonin Dvorak. A free will offering will be accepted. The performance is sponsored by Czech Heritage Partnership. For more information, contact Ken Zajicek at 563-379-4100.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum to hold spaghetti supper

The annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum Spaghetti Supper fundraiser will take place from 4:30-7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Burr Oak Lutheran Church dining hall. The benefit also includes a live auction of items donated by local businesses and homemade pies. Tickets are available for $15 per person. Meatless sauce and carryout options are also available.

Winneshiek County Dems to meet

The Winneshiek County Democrats will gather at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23 at the UCC Church in Decorah. County Chair John Beard will lead discussions on a variety of topics, including strategies to keep the public informed on legislative

issues, effective future messaging and planning for a spring event. All Democrats are welcome and encouraged to bring a jar of peanut butter for the local Backpack Program.

ArtHaus, Decorah Library invite students to learn about graphic novels, comics

Students in grades one through six are invited to join ArtHaus and Decorah Public Library for an after-school program to learn how to write and illustrate original graphic novels and comics. Participants will study character design, story writing and explore their own artistic style. The program will take place from 3:154:15 p.m. on Tuesdays from Feb. 4 to March 4. Registration is required, with a maximum of 12 participants. Visitwww.decorahlibrary.org/events/graphicnovel-lab-with-arthaus to register. Questions may be directed to Sophie at snall@decorahlibrary. org.

Johnson to discuss rural school houses

Steve Johnson, Decorah Genealogy Association member and Winneshiek County Historic Preservation Commission Chair since 2001, will speak on certain rural school houses at 2 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Senior Center — 806 River St. in Decorah. Johnson will be speaking on three generations of stories dealing with Pleasant District No. 7. It is his belief that it is more authentic to hear about the schools through their own words. The second part of the presentation will deal with New Oregon No. 8 in Howard County, where Norman Borlaug attended eight years of school. The school has been recently readapted to assist with the Norman Borlaug Foundation’s annual Inspired Days. All are welcome to attend this event and bring memories of time at a country school to share. Freewill donations will be accepted.

4-H to celebrate centennial during omelet breakfast

The public is invited to celebrate 100 years of 4-H in Winneshiek County during an omelet breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, March 2 in the Community Building at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds. Tickets will be sold at the door for $10. Youth ages 9 and under will be admitted for $5. Participants will be able to learn more about 4-H in Winneshiek County during the event. Silent auction items will be available for bidding throughout the event. Proceeds from the event will be used to offset direct expenses and to support the 4-H Youth Development County Extension Program. 4-H organizers also also creating a commemorative 4-H cookbook, which will feature recipes from 4-H members, alumni, and volunteers. Officials are seeking recipes for the book, and submissions will open at the 4-H omelet breakfast.

Producers invited to horticulture meet-up

Practical Farmers of Iowa invites area farmers and producers to attend a casual meet-up from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30 at Pulpit Rock Brewing Company in Decorah. Farmers growing vegetables, fruit, flowers and orchard crops are welcome to attend. The event will be hosted by Carly and Ethan Zierke. Organizers said the meet-up will allow horticulture farmers to establish networks of local connections and support with other farmers in their area. Farmers are invited to gather together to meet one another, build relationships, share plans and ideas, and learn as they prepare for the coming season.

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SW grapplers pick up a dual win Tuesday

It has been a busy few days for the South Winn boys’ wrestling team as the Warriors have competed in eight duals within a pair of competitions.

Senior Night

Hosting a quad, the Warriors also celebrated their senior grapplers and cheerleaders Tuesday night as South Winn picked up just one win.

The Warriors edged Starmont in the first dual of the night 3634. Clayton Kuboushek (113) pinned his way by Chance Neal in 54 seconds. Landen Schnuelle (175) also picked up a fall, turning Vincent Recker in 1:04. Four other Warriors received forfeits.

Taking on Postville next, South Winn fell 41-28 with four Warriors earning victories. C. Kuboushek notched a major decision win while Schnuelle put Landon Guese on his back in 57 seconds. Gavin Thuente (120) and Ray Lienau (215) each won tie breaker matches. Match three belonged to Nashua-Plainfield who won handedly 67-9. K. Kuboushek defeated Elijah Cerwinske by 17-2 tech fall while Lienau earned points for his 12-2 major decision over Jaxon McDonald.

South Winn 36, Starmont 34

tech fall over Elijah Cerwinske (N-P); 175 –Schnuelle (SW) lost 6-1 dec. to Aiden Gelner (N-P); 190 – Feickert (SW) LBF in 2:52 to Eli Kalainoff (N-P); 215 – Lienau (SW) won 12-2 maj. dec. over Jaxon McDonald (N-P); 285 – Brummond (SW) LBF in 0:58 to Isaac Jones (N-P) Dual tourney

Saturday the Warriors came up against some stiff competition in the dual tournament hosted by Lake Mills as South Winn was unable to pick up a win.

In the first match of the day, South Winn fell to the host team, Lake Mills, 60-9, the Warriors picked up just three wins, all coming as decisions.

K. Kuboushek survived for an 8-3 win over Cody Cox at 165 pounds followed by Schnuelle at 175 pounds who defeated Austin Stene 7-1.Lienau picked up his fourth win of the day over Josiah Kjeldahl by an 11-4 decision.

Then South Winn fell to Southeast Polk 72-11 with just two victories. K. Kuboushek earned his second tech fall of the day over Sam Reed, 21-4, at 165 pounds. C. Kuboushek threw Jaren Wirtz in 3:12 at 113 pounds.

It was a close finish for the Warriors against Central Elkader with South Winn dropping the match 39-34. K. Kuboushek picked up the lone fall in the dual at 165. At 285 pounds, Lienau earned an 11-1 decision over Connor Davis. Four others received forfeits in the match including Thuente (120), Schnuelle (175), Feickert (190) and Henry Willey (215).

Facing GMLOS, a team from Minnesota, the Warriors scratched out five falls by Clay-

Tuesday’s

Lady Warriors battle tough

Numbers continue to fall amid injuries to the South Winn girls wrestling team, and those still competing are fighting for every win.

Round robin tourney

Friday, the Lady Warrior wrestling team made the short trek to Postville for a round robin tournament with four of its squad members.

Waukon topped the 10-team field with 154.5 points and Crestwood finished as the runner-up with 143. South Winn finished the night with 35 points in 10th place.

Wrestling in the 125B division, freshman Jena Peters went 3-0 to finish first. Peters picked up three falls during the competition, throwing Waukon’s Ruin Mathis in 1:42, before disposing of Brooklyn Larson of Boscobel/Wauzeka-Steuben in 3:59. She finished her quest for first by putting Ruby McKinney of Denver on her back in 3:27.

Gracie Walz went 2-2 for the night at 135 pounds to finish third, pinning Postville’s Fernanda Hernandez in 4:21 and Ayla Kass of Boscobel/ Wauzeka-Steuben in 41 seconds.

Sophia Dvorak and Isabelle Goltz wrestled at 110 pounds, with Dvorak throwing her teammate Goltz in 1:05 to fin-

ton Kuboushek (113), Gavin Thuente (120), Class 1A No. 5 Kyle Kuboushek (165), Landen Schnuelle (175) and Ray Lienau (215) as South Winn fell 54-30. Five South Winn grapplers picked up wins in the dual with North Butler-Clarksville as the Warriors fell 51-29. Ray Lienau picked up the early fall as the dual began at 215 pounds. At 165 pounds K. Kuboushek earned a 22-5 tech fall with Gavin Feickert throwing his opponent at 190 pounds. Receiving forfeits were Clayton Kuboushek (113) and Schnuelle (175).

South Winn 9, Lake Mills 60 106 – Double forfeit; 113 – C. Kuboushek (SW) LBF in 2:33 to Lucas Oldenkapm (LM); 120 – Thuente (SW) LBF in 5:10 to Case Casperson (LM); 126 – Donovan (SW) LBF in 0:36 to Royce Peterson (LM); 132 – Andera (SW) LBF in 0:21 to Carter Christianson (LM); 138 –SW lost by forfeit; 144 – SW lost by forfeit; 150 – SW lost by forfeit; 157 – SW lost by forfeit; 165 – K. Kuboushek (SW) won 8-3 dec. over Cody Cox (LM); 175 – Schnuelle (SW) won 7-1 dec. over Austin Stene (LM); 190 – Feickert (SW) LBF in 2:39 to Andrew Grunhovd (LM); 215 – Lienau (SW) won 11-4 dec. over Josiah Kjeldahl (LM); 285 – Willey (SW) LBF in 1:03 to Wyatt Hanna (LM)

South Winn 11, SE Polk 72 106 – SW lost by forfeit; 113 – C. Kuboushek (SW) WBF in 3:12 over Jaren Wirtz (SEP); 120 – Thuente (SW) LBF in 1:37 to Carter Roland (SEP); 126 –Donovan (SW) LBF in 0:21 to Christopher Lawson (SEP; 132 – Andera (SW) LBF in 0:30 to Nash Hanson (SEP); 138 – SW lost by forfeit; 144 – SW lost by forfeit; 150 – SW lost by forfeit; 157 – SW lost by forfeit; 165 – K. Kuboushek (SW) won 21-4 tech fall over Sam Reed (SEP); 175 – Schnuelle (SW) LBF in 1:28 to Oaklee Keomala (SEP); 190 – Feickert (SW) LBF in 1:37 to Taylor Floyd (SEP); 215 – Lienau (SW) LBF in 2:00 to Joel Thompson (SEP); 285 – Willey (SW) LBF in 0:15 to Nate Sleh (SEP)

South Winn 34, Central 39 106 – Double forfeit; 113 – C. Kuboushek (SW) lost 7-3 dec. to Adam Kloser (Central); 120 – Thuente (SW) won by forfeit; 126 – Donovan (SW) LBF in 0:58 to Zane Embretson (Central); 132 – Andera (SW) LBF in 2:19 to Derek Deitchler (Central); 138 – SW lost by forfeit; 144 – SW lost by forfeit; 150 – SW lost by forfeit; 157 – SW lost by forfeit; 165 – K. Kuboushek (SW) WBF in 2:46 over Colton Hoisington (Central); 175 – Schnuelle (SW) won by forfeit; 190 –Feickert (SW) won by forfeit; 215 – Willey (SW) won by forfeit; 285 – Lienau (SW) won 11-1 maj. dec. over Connor Davis (Central) South Winn 30, GMLOS 54 106 – SW lost by forfeit; 113 – Clayton Kuboushek (SW) WBF in 4:16 over Lincoln Lunning (GMLOS); 120 – Gavin Thuente (SW) WBF in 0:31 over Kalvin Prieve (GMLOS); 126 – Matthew Donovan (SW) LBF in 0:25 to Parker Armagost (GMLOS); 132 – Steven Andera (SW) LBF in 0:22 to Teague Alden (GMLOS); 138 – SW lost by forfeit; 144 – SW lost by forfeit; 150 – SW lost by forfeit; 157 –SW lost by forfeit; 165 – Kyle Kuboushek (SW) WBF in 1:55 over Zachary Gehling (GMLOS); 175 – Landen Schnuelle (SW) WBF in 1:08 over Ayden Stier (GMLOS); 190 – Gavin Feickert (SW) LBF in 0:55 to Drake Payne (GMLOS); 215 – Ray Lienau (SW) WBF in 5:49 over Wyatt Krull (GMLOS); 285 – Henry Willey (SW) LBF in 0:22 to Rowan Sween (GMLOS) South Winn 29, NB-Clarksville 51 106 – SW lost by forfeit; 113 – C. Kuboushek (SW) won by forfeit; 120 –Thuente (SW) LBF in 3:00 to Carl Shew (NB-C); 126 – Donovan (SW) LBF in 1:16 to Weston Miller (NB-C); 132 – Andera (SW) LBF in 0:32 to Maddox Morrison (NB-C); 138 – SW lost by forfeit; 144 – SW lost by forfeit; 150 – SW lost by forfeit; 157 – SW lost by forfeit; 165 – K. Kuboushek (SW) won by 22-5 tech fall over Ryland Pitzenberger (NB-C); 175 – Schnuelle (SW) won by forfeit; 190 – Feickert (SW) WBF in 1:16 over Dylan Thorn (NB-C); 215 – Lienau (SW) WBF in 5:43 over McCabe Gansen (NB-C); 285 – Willey (SW) lost 4-0 dec. to Brayden Harms (NB-C)

Busta’s

ish in third and putting Goltz in fourth.

Back in action

Tuesday the Warriors assembled a slightly larger squad to compete at the Cougar Invite hosted by Sumner-Fredericksburg to finish with 48 points in sixth place. The host Cougars won the event with 143, edging Aplington-Parkersburg/Grundy Center by one.

Maddy Jansen (130) and Walz (135) collected third place finishes, while Goltz (110) and Odessa Oyloe (125) picked up fourth place points.

Trojans avenge loss at Kee with league win

By Kelly Terpstra sports@nhtrib.com

The Turkey Valley Trojan girls basketball team wasn’t going to let a lead slip away this time in a key conference clash.

After last week Tuesday’s heartbreaking loss at home versus MFL MarMac, TV made sure to start quickly and finish strong at home versus conference contender Kee High in another league battle.

The Trojans passed that test with flying colors as Turkey Valley stayed a single game behind league leader MFL MarMac with an outstanding defensive effort to lock down the visiting Hawks by a score of 59-42 Friday.

“This group of girls are resilient. No matter the situation they are up for the challenge,” said TV head coach Steve Hoffert. TV led 28-16 at intermission and took a 43-25 advantage into the final period of play. Hoffert said his girls were very patient with Kee’s zone defense and worked to get open shots.

Trojan sophomore forward

Bella Stika came up large with a monster night. She ripped down 21 rebounds and scored 16 points. Stika snared 11 offensive rebounds.

“Bella is a tough matchup for most teams. She is very athletic and relentless on the boards,” said Hoffert.

TV senior forward Delaney Busta notched a double-double for the Trojans with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

TV outrebounded Kee 50 to 21.

TV junior guard Addison Steinlage notched 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Ellaney Bodensteiner, TV’s sophomore center, matched that 14-point total on 4-for-9 shooting.

“She’s really improved in the post. We’ve been working with her on her drop steps – keeping the ball high,” said Hoffert about Bodensteiner.

TV raced to a 68-20 home win over Tripoli (3-9) the night before on Thursday, Jan. 16.

Stika once again came up aces for the Trojans with 17 points and 10 rebounds on 8-for-9 shooting. Steinlage and junior forward Annika Bodensteiner each tallied 12 points. Turkey Valley is 10-4 overall and 9-2 in the league. MFL (106) sits in first place in the conference with a 10-1 mark and five league games left to play. Kee High (8-5) is currently the

career-high 27 points lifts Trojans over Tripoli

By Kelly Terpstra sports@nhtrib.com

For the first time during Tro-

jan head coach John Izer’s four seasons at the helm, his Trojans put a scare into the favored MFL MarMac Bulldogs and played one of their better games of the year – even in loss.

“The motto was to compete. We were sick and tired of getting beat 82-21. I know their coach has never wasted a timeout in a game because it was close. When he called a timeout in the third, he was wondering what was up,” said Izer.

MFL MarMac (12-2, 9-1) ended up holding off TV’s inspired charge to pull off the upset as the second-place team in the Upper Iowa Conference distanced itself late for a 6847 triumph last week, but Izer liked what he saw out of his ever-improving bunch.

TV cut the Bulldog’s lead to just seven points in the third quarter.

“That’s the deepest we have gone with them in my four years – plain and simple,” said Izer. “For what it’s worth, out of eight games it’s the first time there wasn’t a continuous

clock.”

TV, now 6-9 on the year and 3-7 in the UIC, kept the momentum rolling at one-win Tripoli (1-12) two days later on Thursday with a 64-46 win.

Izer said he wished his squad would have put this game out of reach a tad sooner with another key tilt at home versus Kee High the following night on Friday.

“Our goal was to get in and out quickly. That did not happen,” said Izer. “We had to fight and scrap a lot longer. We wanted to be in a lot better shape with our legs going into Kee.”

Busta and fellow junior forward J.D. Kruse hit for 13 and 12 points, respectively, against MFL MarMac. Jordan Kriener, a sophomore forward for TV, scored 15 points against MFL and 11 versus Tripoli.

Another sophomore for Izer, guard Jayden Rausch, is also coming along strong in the learning process for a TV team as he pumped in 11 points versus Tripoli and nine points against Kee High.

Jansen went 3-1 on the night with a quarterfinal fall over Anamosa’s Paige Heims in 32 seconds. In the semifinal, the junior battle S-F’s Isabel Christensen to an 8-3 decision loss. She then threw Alannah Hanson of St. Ansgar in 3:26 in the consolation bracket to advance to the third place match where she met Heims for a second time and earned another fall in 1:07. Walz initally lost to Lila Reints of Aplington-Parkersburg/ Grundy Center in the quarterfinal by fall in 4:33 and battle her was through the consolation bracket with falls over Emerie Parkes of S-F and Starmont’s Josi

to get

on

throwing the AP/GC grappler in 44 seconds.

That meant the Hawks, now 7-6 overall and 6-3 in the league, put a whipping on the host Trojans by a margin of 6128.

“They got off to a good start and we just didn’t have anything left,” said Izer.

TV has taken its lumps this season in certain games, just like this past Monday on the road at Wapsie Valley (8-5). The Warriors throttled TV, 9326.

TV junior forward Logan Busta racked up a career-high 27 points in the win over the Tripoli Panthers. In fact, Busta was just two steals shy of a triple double. He finished with 10 rebounds, eight steals and five assists.

Munger

revenge

Reints in the third place match,

Sophomore Jordan Kriener stretches to save a pass from going out of bounds as he is guarded by Tripoli players during Thursday’s non-conference win. (Photo by Becky Walz)

Shuffling a pass off around a Tripoli defender Thursday is Trojan guard Kendall Kuennen. (Photo by Becky Walz)

Turkey Valley’s Layni Schuchhardt (left) looks to strip the ball from a Tripoli player as Bella Stika stands her ground with outstretched arms during Thursday’s 68-20 win over the Panthers. (Photo by Becky Walz)

South Winn’s Kolton Brummond had Postville’s Class 1A No.

6 Antoni Solovi scrambling during

dual in Calmar. (Photo by Becky Walz)

Warriors pound Pirates, Cadets

It was a pair of wins sandwiching nearly a week furlough for the South Winn boys basketball team (10-3, 6-3 UIC) as the Warriors defeated Postville Tuesday, Jan. 14 and Crestwood Monday night before dropping another thriller to MFL MarMac Tuesday night.

On the road Fans who witnessed the first meeting of the Warriors and MFL MarMac (13-2, 10-1 UIC) that finished in overtime with a Bulldogs victory, saw the same style of play between the two UIC squads Tuesday in Monona.

Keeping up with the Bulldog fast-paced style of play, the Warriors grabbed a 14-12 lead in the opening act. In the second period, SW’s man-to-man defense was causing chaos for the Bulldogs, allowing the Warriors to pull ahead by 33-20 with just over two minutes remaining in the half. At the break, the Red and Gray maintained a comfortable 10-point lead, 37-27.

The Bulldog’s shooting woes continued early in the third with numerous shots and offensive rebounds finding success, but they soon heated up to trim the SW lead to 41-36 with 3:36 remaining. MFL MarMac had

more in the tank to move ahead 46-45 with 1:45 to play in the third. Sent to the charity stripe, Braiden Todd hit a free throw to tie it up at 46-46. In the final minute, the two UIC squads swapped the lead back and forth with the home team coming up with a 50-49 lead with eight minutes to play. In the final frame, the two UIC squads batted back and forth for control and were knotted at 59-59 at the 4:00 mark. Inside a minute, SW led 68-65; however, Bulldog senior Parker Kuehl hit the trey from the top of the key to tie it up. With the shot clock off with 25.6 seconds remaining, the Warriors looked to have the opportunity to hit the game winning shot. Driving into the lane with 10 ticks on the clock, Carson Streeter hit the front end of the two free tosses. A Bulldog defensive rebound and a fast break foul gave MFL MarMac a 70-69 lead with five seconds remaining as they pulled out the thriller. Individual stats were unavailable at press time.

Six in a row

While the temps dropped outside, South Winn was hot inside the Warrior gym as Crestwood (2-11, 1-4 NEIC) paid a vis-

it to Calmar Monday night for a non-conference contest. It wasn’t even close as the Warriors won 79-55.

After Crestwood took an 1812 lead after the first period, the Warriors ran away with the game, outscoring the Cadets 23-9 in the second frame to lead 35-27 at the break. South Winn continued to pull away in the second half with a 21-point third quarter and 23 points in the final eight minutes while holding Crestwood to a combined 28 points.

Three Warriors were in double figures with Braiden Todd putting up 27 points with nine assists and five rebounds. Matson Winings contributed 22 points, five boards, three assists and two blocks while Carson Streeter added 13 points, nine assists and five caroms.

Scoring – Braiden Todd 27; Matson Winings 22; Carson Streeter 13; Kaden Barton-Franzen 6; Jordan Einck 4; Cale Kleppe 4; Carver Wenthold 3 Rebounds – Barton-Franzen 9; Todd 5; Winings 5; Streeter 5; Nolan Sabelka 2; Wenthold 2; J. Einck 1; Logan Tieskoetter 1; Assists – Todd 9; Streeter 9; Winings 3; J. Einck 3; Barton-Franzen 2; Sabelka 1; Irving Flores 1; Steals – Todd 2; BartonFranzen 2; Sabelka 1; J. Einck 1; Wenthold 1; Blocks – Winings 2; Barton-Franzen 2

Over the Pirates

The Warriors had no issues pushing the Postville Pirates (411, 3-8 UIC) off the plank Tuesday, Jan. 14, at home as SW took the UIC win 62-36.

The home squad pushed ahead to a 17-7 lead after the first eight minutes and extended its lead to 30-16 by the break. The Warriors continued to get stronger as the game wore on and they outscored Postville 19-9 in the third, rolling to victory in the final eight minutes with 18 more.

Streeter led all scorers with 25 points to go with six steals, four rebounds and three assists. Barton-Franzen added 14 points in addition to six boards. Carver Wenthold finished the night with a team-high seven rebounds, along with seven points and three steals.

Scoring – Streeter 25; BartonFranzen 14; Wenthold 7; Kleppe 6; Tieskoetter 6; Todd 2; Flores 2 Rebounds – Wenthold 7; Kleppe 7; Todd 6; Barton-Franzen 6; Streeter 4; Cameron Einck 2; Flores 2; Sabelka 1; Assists – Todd 8; Streeter 3; Sabelka 2; Wenthold 2; Barton-Franzen 1; Flores 1; Steals – Streeter 6; Todd 3; Wenthold 3; Sabelka 1; BartonFranzen 1; Kleppe 1; Blocks – BartonFranzen 2; Sabelka 1

SW girls defeat Postville, run out of gas against Cadets, Bulldogs

While the South Winn girls basketball team (5-9, 4-7 UIC)) won big over Postville last week, the Warrior offense fell short Monday and Tuesday.

Tough battle

The Lady Warriors continued to show growth Tuesday despite dropping a league game to UIC leader MFL MarMac (11-6, 11-1 UIC) in Monona, 48-36.

Struggling offensively, South Winn put up 13 points in the first half to trail 23-13 but kept fighting in the second half.

“Our girls keep fighting and only getting out scored by two in the second half. MFL MarMac is first in our conference so it was a good game to see where we are at, at this point in the season. I know we can compete with every team in this conference going forward the rest of the year the way we are playing right now,” said coach Mike Gehling.

Chloe Wiltgen put up a teamhigh 12 points while Karissa Wenthold contributed 11. Off the bench, Vanessa Bullerman provided a spark with seven points with Ella Theis and Alexis Johanningmeier adding three points apiece.

Non-conference

South Winn had a solid start to Monday’s tussle with Crestwood (8-6, 2-2 NEIC) before the offense fell silent in the second half, allowing the Cadets to defeat the Warriors 51-38 in Calmar.

Crestwood claimed a slim 14-13 lead after the first frame before South Winn bounced back to knot the score at 25s at halftime. The Cadets made their move in the second half, going up 36-33 after three frames and held the Warriors to five points in the final quarter.

“I thought our girls battled all night long and gave a great

effort. We just ran out of gas in the fourth quarter,” said coach Mike Gehling. “Crestwood’s size was hard for us to overcome. I told the girls if we can play like this the rest of the year we will have some wins coming down the stretch.” It was an 11-point night for both Karissa Wenthold and Alexis Johanningmeier. Ella Theis nabbed a team high eight

rebounds and three steals, while Johanningmeier pulled down six boards.

Crestwood 14 11 11 15 51

South Winn 13 12 8 5 38 Scoring – Karissa Wenthold 11; Alexis Johanningmeier 11; Ella Theis 7; Chloe Wiltgen 4; Vanessa Bullerman 3; Adele Conway 2 Rebounds – Theis 8; Johanningmeier 6; Wenthold 5; Charlotte Moonen 5; Wiltgen 4; Allison Hageman 2; Conway 2; Assists – Al. Hageman 2; Theis 2; Wenthold 1; Conway 1; Bullerman

Taking the mats in Osage Saturday, the Decorah boys’ wrestling team scraped out one win and a tie against some of the steepest competition it has seen this season against five top 25 teams, including three in the top 10 in Iowa’s Class 2A and one top five Minnesota team. The Vikings tied with Class 3A No. 17 Ankeny Centennial with 39 points apiece. Meison Tollefson (113), Gavin Knutson (126), Kasen Tyler (150) and Class 2A No. 5 Tommy Sexton (190) all picked up falls for Decorah while Class 2A No. 7 Bill Fullhart had a 20-4 tech fall at 165 to go with a major decision earned by Mason Avila (132). At 106 pounds, Lucas Wymer received a forfeit for Decorah’s other points.

Decorah had to battle for points against Class 2A No. 2 Davenport Assumption and finished with a 52-20 loss. At 113, Wymer threw Peter Nguyen in 3:17 and Tyler picked up a fall in 3:08 over Lane Pennington at 150 pounds. Fullhart (165) earned a second tech fall (15-0) over Rolan Alverez before Sexton (190) defeated Maximus Purdy by an ultimate tie breaker, 3-2. The Vikes had an easy match versus Clear Lake, breezing to a 66-18 win with seven weights forfeited. Of those who compet-

1; Johanningmeier 1; Steals – Theis 3; Wenthold 2; Bullerman 2; Moonen 1; Wiltgen 1; Johanningmeier 1; Blocks – Johanningmeier 2; Al. Hageman 1

A big win

Although the Warriors kicked off the game against Postville slow, Tuesday, Jan. 14, South Winn found an offensive groove that led to a 51-12 win over the Pirates (0-15, 0-12 UIC)

Although South Winn scored just nine points in the opening frame, the Warriors held the lead 9-3. The offense came alive in the second as the Warriors outscored the Pirates 16-2 to lead 25-5 at the break. SW held Postville to seven points in the second half, all which came in the third period to claim the win.

“Once we settled in, we found our offense and the game seemed to flow better. I was happy with our defense once again only holding Postville to 12 points. It was nice to have a lot of girls getting involved offensively. We have a tough schedule coming up the next couple weeks, so this was a good win for us,” said coach Gehling.

Coming off the bench, Bullerman led the Warriors with 11 points and six steals. Wenthold, Theis and Johanningmeier put up nine points apiece. Charlotte Moonen had a good game rebounding as she grabbed 10 rebounds.

Postville 3 2 7 0 12

South Winn 9 16 9 17 51

– Bullerman 11; Wenthold

2;

2;

ed, Wymer (113) pinned Hayden Shear in 5:29. Knutson also had a fall over Jeseb Prestholt in 21 seconds, while Sexton got Jack Hackman on his back in 1:05 at 190 pounds. Ethan Kuennen took 1:43 to turn Dillan Haugen at 215 pounds.

Going up against Class 2A No. 3 Independence the Vikes picked up six victories in the 4129 loss. Tollefson (106) Sexton (190) and Kuennen (215) threw their opponents, while Knutson (126) and Fullhart won by decision and Mason Avila earned a 21-5 tech fall at 132 pounds.

Minnesota’s Class AA No. 3 Kasson-Mantorville topped Decorah 46-17 with four Vikings earning wins. A fall in 1:24 gave Tollefson (106) a win over Oliver Powell. Fullhart (157) got a 15-0 tech fall over Moyz Nelson, while Steven Munoz (165) escaped from Charlie Heser with a 9-8 decision. Sexton (190) battled his way over Jacob Duitsman for an 11-6 decision win. Duitsman is currently ranked 10th at 189 pounds in Minnesota.

Class 2A No. 6 Humboldt came right at the Vikings for the 51-22 dual win with Decorah coming out on top of four matches. Knutson (126) threw Jonny Hayden in 1:09 before Will Larson (138) netted a 12-0 major decision over Tyce Clarken. Wrestling at 144 pounds, Tyler turned Class 2A No. 10 Owen Mayall for the fall in 5:19. Fullhart earned the Vikes’ final win by putting the shoulders of Caleb Vinsand to the mat in 2:59.

Decorah 39,

Centennial 39 106 – Lucas Wymer (Dec) won by forfeit; 113 – Meison Tollefson (Dec) WBF in 1:25 over Richard Beckwith (AC); 120 – Andrew Bjork (Dec) LBF in 0:31 to Cale Vandemark (AC);

Scoring

9; Theis 9; Alexis Johanningmeier 9; Wiltgen 8; Al. Hageman

Gehling

Moonen 1 Rebounds – Moonen 10; Wiltgen 7; Theis 6; Wenthold 4; Conway 3; Johanningmeier 3; Al. Hageman 2; Gehling 2; Bullerman 2; Jayden Timp 1; Assists – Wenthold 3; Johanningmeier 3; Gehling 2; Al. Hageman 1; Moonen 1; Conway 1; Bullerman 1; Steals – Bullerman 6; Wiltgen 5; Wenthold 3; Theis 3; Al. Hageman 2; Moonen 2; Gehling 1; Conway 1; Blocks – Theis 1; Moonen 1; Johanningmeier 1

Decorah’s Lucas Wymer looks to turn an opponent during a tournament earlier this season. (Photo by Becky Walz)

Cale Kleppe sends a highly contested shot off against a pair of Postville defenders during last week’s 62-36 conference win. (Photo by Becky Walz)

South Winn’s Cameron Einck is ready for the Pirates’ next move. (Photo by Becky Walz)

ABOVE- Charlotte Moonen battles for the offensive rebound with a Pirate player as Warrior teammate Karissa Wenthold (4) comes to assist. BELOW- Chloe Wiltgen drives by a Postville defender along the baseline. (Photos by Becky Walz)

LaFrentz, Driscoll on fire for Vikes

The Class 3A No. 3 Decorah

boys basketball team (11-1, 5-0 NEIC) got a big NEIC win Friday before suffering its first defeat of the season Saturday and then getting back on track Monday with a victory at the Martin Luther King Classic.

MLK Classic

Taking a slim lead in the first period, the Vikings kept their feet on the gas and ran away with a 77-63 win over Sergeant Bluff-Luton (6-6) as part of the Martin Luther King Classic in Council Bluffs Monday.

Decorah gained a 20-19 advantage following the first eight minutes of play and got slightly more breathing room in the second to carry a 28-25 lead into the locker room. A 25-point third frame opened the game up to the Vikings who were on top 63-48 with eight minutes remaining.

In double-double mode was Cael LaFrentz with 33 points and 13 rebounds. Zachary Driscoll also had a hot hand with 23 points to go with eight assists, while Gavin Groux put up nine points with Carter Dlhy and Noah Milburn pulled down five boards apiece.

Decorah 20 18 25 14 77

SB-Luton 19 16 13 15 63

Scoring – Cael LaFrentz 33; Zachary Driscoll 23; Gavin Groux 9; Noah Milburn 6; Peyton Webb 3; Trevor Kuennen 2; Keaton NaleanCarlson 1

Rebounds – LaFrentz 13; Carter Dlhy 5; Milburn 5; Kuennen 4; Driscoll 3; Tanner Caddell 3; Louie Bucksa 1; Nalean-Carlson 1; Assists – Driscoll 8; Milburn 4; Dlhy 2; Kuennen 2; Groux 1; Bucksa 1; Caddell 1; Steals – Kuennen 2; Driscoll 1; Groux 1; Webb 1; Milburn 1; Blocks – Dlhy 1

First loss

A dip in the scoring during the third quarter proved costly for the Vikings Saturday as Cedar Rapids Prairie (9-3) came to Decorah and left with an 80-75 victory in a close match-up. The Vikings took charge in the opening eight minutes with a 15-13 lead. At the half, Decorah continued to lead 3633. The difference in the game came in the third period as the Hawks outscored the Vikes 2214 and jumped ahead 55-50 as both squads poured in 25 points in the final eight minutes. Driscoll knocked down a

game-high 37 points in the close finish. The senior also provided seven assists, six rebounds and two steals. LaFrentz finished the night with 15 points and 11 boards, while Milburn was there for 14 points and seven caroms. Groux provided the other nine points.

CR Prairie 13 20 22 25 80

Decorah 15 21 14 25 75 Scoring – Driscoll 37; LaFrentz 15; Milburn 14; Groux 9

Rebounds – LaFrentz 11; Milburn 7; Driscoll 6; Dlhy 3; Webb 2; Groux 2; Assists – Driscoll 7; Milburn 2; Webb 2; Groux 1; Kuennen 1; LaFrentz 1; Steals – Driscoll 2; Milburn 2; Groux 1; Kuennen 1; LaFrentz 1; Dlhy 1

Friday night

Playing on several days of rest, the Vikings were on target throughout Friday’s NEIC game at Crestwood (2-11, 1-4 NEIC), scoring more than 20 points in each of the four periods to defeat the Cadets 97-59. Decorah put the ball through the hoop early and often, taking a 27-12 lead after the first period. The Cadets got some momentum going in the second quarter and kept pace with the

visitors with 24 points; however, the Vikes maintained a comfortable 49-36 lead at the half. In the second half, the Vikings continued to pull away and held Crestwood to just four points in the final frame for the win. It was a 30-point night for LaFrentz in addition to his six rebounds and two blocked shots. Driscoll was also in double digit scoring with 28 points with five assists and three steals. Milburn was the third Viking in double figures, putting up 12 points and snaring a team-high seven boards. Groux provided 10 assists and eight points.

Decorah 27 22 26 22 97

Crestwood 12 24 19 4 59

Scoring – LaFrentz 30; Driscoll 28; Milburn 12; Groux 8; Webb 8; Dlhy 4; Pipho 3; Kuennen 2; Tanner Caddell 2

Rebounds – Milburn 7; Dlhy 7; LaFrentz 6; Caddell 4; Driscoll 2; Kuennen 2; Webb 2; Pipho 1; Assists – Groux 10; Driscoll 5; Milburn 4; Dlhy 2; Webb 1; Caddell 1; Steals – Driscoll 3; Kuennen 2; Groux 1; Milburn 1; LaFrentz 1; Webb 1; Blocks – LaFrentz 2; Milburn 1; Caddell 1

Last week was a tough one for the Decorah girls’ basketball team (7-6, 3-1 NEIC) to swallow with a pair of losses on the docket.

The Decorah girls’ basketball team was to host Prairie du Chien and will make up the game Friday, Feb. 7. The junior varsity will start the evening at 6:15 p.m., followed by the varsity contest.

NEIC loss

The Vikings fell behind early Friday and tried to play catch up to Crestwood (8-6, 2-2 NEIC) all night and ultimately ran out of time as Decorah fell 56-49 on

road. Decorah went down 17-9 after the first eight minutes but battled back to within five by the half, 27-22. The Cadets remained in front, holding a 4437 lead after three frames. Claire Storhoff set the pace for the Vikes with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Liz Bucksa and Brooklyn Fromm was there for nine points apiece. Renae Wilson nabbed a team-high nine rebounds with Clara Hjelle and Bucksa coming up with six. Decorah 9 13 15 12 49 Crestwood

Girls state swimming and diving meet to move to Iowa City

The Board of Directors of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) approved the University of Iowa’s Campus Recreation and Wellness Center as the new home of the Iowa Girls State Swimming and Diving Meet beginning in the fall of 2025 through the 2028 State meet.

“We are excited to have the University of Iowa’s Campus Recreation and Wellness Center hosting the Girls State Swimming and Diving Championships,” said IGHSAU Executive Di-

rector Erin Gerlich. “Iowa City, Coralville and the Iowa City Sports Commission provide outstanding support for all the state events they host for us. They will paint the town pink for our swimmers and divers next November.”

The IGHSAU State Swimming and Diving Meet has been held at the Marshalltown YMCA/ YWCA the last 21 years.

The 2025 Girls State Swimming and Diving Meet will be held Nov. 14 and 15.

Vikes finish sixth at CR Washington invite

Team scores

1.

With the original invite at Fort Dodge cancelled for Saturday, the Decorah boys swim team saw their competition day rerouted to the Cruise-Voss swimming invite hosted by Cedar Rapids Washington.

Finishing the day with 93.5 points, the Vikes took home sixth in the eight-team meet, which was won by Waukesha South who tallied 300.

The top finishers of the day were Reid Kuehner in the individual 50 freestyle and the 200 freestyle relay. Kuehner posted a time of 23.80 seconds to take sixth while the relay was sixth in 1:37.65.

Several events took seventh to earn points for Decorah including the other two relays — 200 medley and 400 freestyle — along with Dane Burns in the 50 freestyle in 24.04 seconds. Burns also napped an eighth place in the 100 butterfly in 1:00.88.

Viking keglers rout Waukon

Drive and determination propelled the Decorah bowling teams to victory Friday over Waukon at Kingpin Entertainment Center in Decorah.

While the Waukon boys team had a sound squad the Indians didn’t have enough in the tank to defeat the Vikings, who won 2,999 to 2,182. Baker game scores were 185, 184, 168, 247 and 230 moving Decorah to 6-1 on the season.

Leading the Viking boys was sophomore Gavin Luzum with a 415 (232, 183). On the board with a 403 (184, 219) was Cain Monreal-Rice while Jace Buddenberg shot a 400 (178, 222). After collecting individual games of 190 and 196, senior Jordan Sims was 10-for-

10 on fills with eight strikes in the bakers for the Vikes. Bryce Elsbernd had a 176 and 177 in the individual games, then went 5-for-5 on all strikes in the solid win for Decorah. Also on the lanes in varsity competition was Tyler Novak (214, 167).

Jasera Tweten led the girls team to a 2,650 to 2,117 victory as the junior garnered a 397 (238, 159). Marri Feuerhelm finished the night with a 358 (147, 211) while Karlie Einck fired a 345 (159, 186). Others competing in varsity action included Rylee Averhoff (194, 136), Asmere Jensen (165, 157) and Addison Wicklund (202, 120). The baker game scores for the 7-0 girls were 180, 140,

198, 179 and 201.

“The girls brought great energy and are starting to get spares on a consistent basis,” said coach Keith Bruening. “We were tough on the 10-pin and were in the pocket all night, but didn’t carry to get strikes. However, we did a nice job on spares.”

Waukesha South 300; 2. Valley 294; 3. Bettendorf 184.5; 4. Cedar Rapids Washington 170; 5. Newton 148; 6. Decorah 93.5; 7. Des Moines Lincoln 79; 8. Williamsburg 31

Decorah senior Landyn Hook finished the 100 backstroke in 1:11.25, good for 14th at Saturday’s Cruise-Voss swim invite in Cedar Rapids. (Photo by Becky Walz)

Decorah’s Cain Monreal-Rice contributed a combined individual score of 403 Friday in the Viking boys’ win over Waukon. (Photo by Becky Walz)

Cael LaFrentz (left) stretches for the block on a Cadet shot during Friday’s 97-59 win over Crestwood. The junior finished the night with 30 points, six rebounds and two blocks. (Photo courtesy of Nate Troy/Cresco Times Plain Dealer)

Decorah’s Zachary Driscoll (center) dives into the lane for a rebound with teammates Cael LaFrentz (left) and Carter Dlhy. (Photo courtesy of Nate Troy/Cresco Times Plain Dealer)

Clara Hjelle (left) and Liz Bucksa battle with a Cadet (partially hidden) for a rebound during Friday’s NEIC battle. (Photo courtesy of Nate Troy/Cresco Times Plain Dealer)