October 3, 2024 by Decorah Leader

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Vol. 159, Issue 40 www.decorahleader.com

Decorah, Iowa 52101 email: editor@decorahleader.com

One Section phone: 563-382-4221

Price $1.50

fax: 563-382-5949

Decorah man charged with attempted murder turns himself in to jail BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR

Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors LaShelle Evans (far left) and Maureen Duncklee (far right) joined Lisa Lantz, president of the chamber’s board of directors and Executive Director Jessica Rilling as they held a crowd-sized ribbon cutting to launch the next 100 years of business excellence in Decorah. (Photo by Denise Lana)

Decorah Chamber’s ﬁrst annual awards ceremony marks 100 years of local history BY DENISE LANA STAFF WRITER Decorah’s Chamber of Commerce rolled out the red carpet for its inaugural Business Awards event Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Vesterheim Museum, an event which also marked the chamber’s 100th birthday. “Started in 1924 by prominent business leaders and ﬁrst called the Decorah Commercial Club,

this non-proﬁt organization is a longstanding force for community improvement and a trusted partner in business success,” Lisa Lantz, president of the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, said. Gold and black decor elevated the museum’s commons as business owners and community leaders gathered to indulge in canapés and antipasto while sipping champagne. Outside

on the large terrace, attendees talked and enjoyed the cool Iowa evening, while listening to music provided by Rhapsody String Quartet. “This event tonight is so we can recognize businesses and individuals who go above and beyond,” Lantz said. “Celebrating the hard work of our businesses and our people is a valuable effort — one worth establishing a new tradition.”

Awards were presented to outstanding businesses, young professionals and volunteers selected for their excellence, innovative practices and significant contributions to the community. Joe Hammel of Hammel Jewelers was recognized for his 27

Chamber continued on page 6

Supervisors vote 3-2 to replace O’Rourke on county planning and zoning commission BY ZACH JENSEN STAFF WRITER Decorah’s Paul Lillegraven will replace Melissa O’Rourke on the Winneshiek County Planning and Zoning Commission. Planning and Zoning Administrator Tony Phillips announced during Monday morning’s regular meeting of the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors that the terms of commission members Dave Meyer and Melissa O’Rourke would expire Oct. 1. Both Meyer and O’Ro-

urke applied to keep their seats on the commission, and Thomas Hansen of rural Decorah and Paul Lillegraven of Decorah had also turned in applications to be appointed to the planning and zoning commission. Phillips said later he has worked with all the potential appointees, and he has reasons “that we probably won’t be discussing in a public meeting” for his recommendations. Phillips recommended Meyer keep his seat on the commission but requested O’Rourke be replaced by Lillegraven.

“I talked with P&Z commissioners about it this week, and they feel like a really strong team right now, working together,” said Supervisor Shirley Vermace. “(O’Rourke) has a law degree, and she works in ag through the ISU Extension. If we’ve got volunteers who want to continue working on a commission, we should graciously say ‘thank you’ and reappoint them for another four years.” After Vermace ﬁnished her statement, Supervisor Co-Chair Mark Vick made a motion, seconded by Supervisor Steve

Kelsay, to approve the appointments of Meyer and Lillegraven to the commission. “I think Melissa has done a great job,” Supervisor Mark Faldet said ahead of the vote. “She has great qualiﬁcations, and I would recommend staying with what we have.” Vermace added that she felt it would be a mistake to not renew O’Rourke’s seat. “I’ve attended a few of the

Supervisors continued on page 5

A Decorah man charged with attempted murder earlier this month has turned himself in and is being held at the Winneshiek County Jail. Hunter Thomas Youngblood also faces charges of domestic abuse/assault, assault causing bodily injury, harassment and willful injury. Criminal complaints ﬁled against the 22-year-old outlined three separate incidents which took place the evening of Saturday, Sept. 21. Court ﬁlings claim Youngblood struck a woman — described as Youngblood’s domestic partner — in the face and upper body several times while they were traveling along Highway 52. The victim’s mother confronted Youngblood about her daughter’s injuries after they arrived at a residence in

Lush countryside and blue skies made for a picture-perfect celebration Saturday, Sept. 28,

that listens to the people Paid for by Klocke for Decorah Committee

Attempted murder continued on page 5

BY DENISE LANA STAFF WRITER Mindy Jones is scheduled to appear Oct. 30 in an Allamakee County courtroom to face charges of first-degree arson and misdemeanor animal abuse. The charges came after the fiery destruction of a Waukon commercial building in February of 2022 — the blaze also resulted in the death of a family dog. The Waukon Fire Department responded to 9 Allamakee Street shortly after 5:30 p.m. Feb. 13, 2022. Smoke and flames were seen coming out of the lower portion of Jones’ home decor business, Tin Rust & Harmony. The fire spread to an adjacent building, and four more area fire departments joined Waukon in fighting the as hundreds gathered at Luna Valley Farm to celebrate Oneota Community Food Cooperative’s 50th Anniversary Fall Frolic.

More than a dozen Luna Valley Farms employees kept the table filled with fresh brick oven pizzas Saturday afternoon during Oneota Co-op’s Fall Frolic and 50th anniversary celebration, which was attended by 500-plus people. As night fell and the celebration came to a close, pictures taken during the co-op’s first five decades were displayed on the grain silo for attendees to view. (Photos by Denise Lana)

VOTE DEC 10 A voice for the people

the 2500 block of 170th Avenue in the Freeport area, according to court ﬁlings. The complaint alleges Youngblood then began strangling the initial victim’s mother on the couch while

Jones heading to trial in Allamakee County arson case

Visit us online - www.decorahnewspapers.com Oneota Co-op celebrates 50 years BY DENISE LANA STAFF WRITER

Hunter Thomas Youngblood

Mindy Jones blaze. Tenants residing in the two buildings’ upper-level apartments were able to escape safely, but one family’s dog was killed in the ﬁre. Jones’ building was destroyed in the ﬁre, as was

Jones trial

continued on page 3

Formed in 1974, the Oneota Food Buying Club began as a small group of people who took turns traveling to Iowa City and Minneapolis to purchase natural foods in bulk to store at members’ homes. Now, 50 years later, that small group has grown to more than 5,500 members and today the co-op employs more than 50 people. “The work we all do together is hard but rewarding,” Oneota Community Co-op General Manager Nate Furler said. “The work we’ve done and continue to do together furthers a mission that is greater than any one of us alone — each of us alone can accomplish only so much, but together, the possibilities are exponential.” Co-op President Piper Wood

Co-op continued on page 12

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Several trades — such as blacksmithing — were on display Saturday, under tents surrounding Fort Atkinson. (Photos by Seth Boyes)

Youngsters were invited to try games which would have been common in the 1840s, including hoop rolling. Many of the children laughed as they were able to use a forked branch to steer a rolling metal hoop.

A handful of individuals took part in Saturday’s bullwhip competition during the annual Rendezvous Days at Fort Atkinson. Entrants demonstrated their skills as they attempted to strike several targets, including the removable head of a wooden chicken.

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Canvas tents flapped in the breeze, and costumed participants strolled the grounds of historic Fort Atkinson over the weekend during the 48th annual Rendezvous Days. Organizers said this year’s annual festivities marked the first since restoration work on the historic site was completed. Officials planned to replace flooring, establish water mitigation measures and replace windows in the former fort’s north barracks. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced the fort was once again open to the public following the renovations in early July of this year.

Construction of the original fort began on May 31, 1840, according to organizers. The fort was intended to serve as neutral territory as the Winnebago people of Wisconsin were resettled in Iowa — organizers said the fort is a historically signiﬁcant site in understanding the negative treatment of Native Americans. The fort was completed in 1842 and featured 24 buildings as well as a stockade wall. More than a dozen other buildings were constructed outside the fort’s walls. It was last occupied in February of 1849, and the state of Iowa took ownership of the property in 1921, establishing it as a state park. Venders and history buffs clad in period clothing demonstrated early trades, crafts and activities as visitors circled the fort grounds this past weekend. Visitors were able to step inside some of the stone buildings of the fort and view items inside the fort museum as well as sample some food and musical entertainment from the era of the fort’s founding.

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Visitors were able to see vintage tools and other items up close and personal during the 48th annual Fort Atkinson Rendezvous Days.

little gifts of goodness

I'd appreciate your VOTE & support for my re-election campaign!

JUST ANNOUNCED

EARLY VOTING AT LUTHER COLLEGE

WHO: LUTHER STUDENTS & DECORAH WARDS 4 & 5 ONLY*

WHAT: EARLY VOTING! VOTE FOR SHIRLEY VERMACE, County Supervisor WHEN: WED., OCT. 16, from 9AM to 3PM ONLY

WHERE: Luther College Dahl Centennial Union

HOW: Bring your official I.D. and if not yet registered to vote, proof of your residency like a utility bill, an official letter from Luther, or your lease. Residents on the west side in Wards 4 & 5 may also vote at this satellite location that day. *All residents in Winneshiek County may vote early at the Winneshiek County Courthouse, Auditor’s Office on the second floor, Oct. 16 – Nov. 4 during regular business hours and on Saturday, Nov. 2 8:00-5:00.

Contact Shirley anytime: 563-419-2999 or svermace@gmail.com PAID FOR BY: VERMACE FOR SUPERVISOR CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

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773 E Water St· Decorah 563-382-8932 • storypeople.com OPEN M-F 9AM-5PM

NEWS

DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

Historic renovation under way at former Burr Oak Mercantile BY ROZ WEIS STAFF WRITER A monumental task is ahead for volunteers at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Park and Museum in Burr Oak. The former Burr Oak Mercantile building in the center of town was recently gifted to the museum. The museum’s board and volunteers expect plenty of time-consuming, costly renovation work lies ahead, as they prepare the building to house the museum’s offices and gift shop. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Park and Museum in Burr Oak was founded in the 1970s, after a group of historically-minded Burr Oak and Decorah citizens learned the author of the popular “Little House on the Prairie” and other titles had lived in Burr Oak with her family from 1876 to 1877. A museum board was formed soon after the discovery, and initial steps were taken to acquire the building where the Ingalls family lived. Fundraising started and the museum opened a few years later. The museum operates today as a nonprofit. Several additions have been made to the museum over the years, including a pioneer park and a restored country schoolhouse on the museum grounds. Former Museum Director Ferneva Brimacomb made the most recent donation to the museum, gifting the town’s former mercantile building to the nonprofit in an effort to maintain Burr Oak’s historic property. The top-to-bottom restoration is expected to take plenty of time and effort. For now, volunteers are hard at work tearing out old railings, windows, sheet rock, electrical outlets and more. Museum history The Ingalls family’s former home was at one time Burr Oak’s first hotel.

The original structure was built in 1851 by Samuel Belding. The original hotel, dubbed the Burr Oak House, was made of logs and measured approximately 16 feet by 20 feet, with a loft accessible by a ladder. After selling the hotel to John Waggoner, it was renamed as the Waggoner House. An addition was built on to the hotel in 1857, and the hotel was renamed the Burr Oak House again. It became the Masters Hotel in 1873, when William Masters purchased the hotel. Masters sold it in 1876 to William Steadman — a friend of the Ingalls Family from Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Charles Ingalls and his family — having endured plagues of grasshoppers the previous two years — set out for Burr Oak from Walnut Grove in 1876, with the intention of helping manage the hotel. They moved into the hotel, still known as the Masters Hotel at that time, with the Steadman family that same year. The hotel continued to change ownership and names over the years. It became a private residence in the early 1900s and was unoccupied in the 1950s. It was purchased by four individuals in 1973, with the hope of restoring the hotel and opening it as a Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Park and Museum opened in June of 1976, after three years of volunteer work, grant applications and fundraisers. Today, the museum staff greet more than 6,000 visitors each year — drawing guests from all 50 states and many nations. The museum has earned several awards over the years, and most recently earned the 2024 Best of the Best Local Attractions from a nearby Minnesota publication. The former Masters Hotel on the museum grounds is registered on the National Register of Historical Places.

Museum volunteers are hard at work restoring the Mercantile, tearing out lighting, dismantling old railings and more. The Mercantile building will be restored and will house the museum’s office headquarters and gift shop in the center of town. Faced with restoration expenses, donations to the area non-profit organization are welcome. (Photos by Roz Weis)

How to give Museum Board President Leslie Cook and Museum Director Barb Olson expressed gratitude to the visitors and donors who support the museum’s mission and educational programs. Tax deductible donations for the restoration of the mercantile building are welcome. Events held throughout the year, including the annual Laura Days celebration in June, a spaghetti fundraiser and other projects, will benefit the mercantile renovation project. Donations can be made online at lauraingallswilder.us/ support-the-museum or sent directly to the museum in Burr Oak.

Volunteers gathered early on a recent weekend as restoration work commences on the old Burr Oak Mercantile structure. Restoration of the frame structure will require months of labor and a lot of funding. Pictured are Jim Olson, Justin Bullerman, Lisa Bullerman, Leslie Cook, Museum Director Barb Olson, Paul Fadness, Bill Bullerman and (front row) Karlee Bullerman.

Man charged in Mill Street stabbing to claim self-defense Victim fails to appear on separate child porn charge BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR An arrest warrant has been issued for a Decorah man who, after being stabbed in late July, was charged with possessing explicit images of a juvenile. Jose Maria Cortez Vertiz failed to appear for a Sept. 24 arraignment, according to court filings. Previous court documents said the 56-year-old was “in the process of making arrangements to go back to Chicago” when he was charged with purchase/possession of a depiction of a minor in a sex act. Cortez Vertiz posted an appearance bond the day after a criminal complaint was filed against him, and previous court filings indicated he could be fined up

Alfredo Morales Hernandez

Jose Maria Cortez Vertiz

to $5,000 and potentially face up to five years in prison for violating the terms of his release. Cortez Vertiz was reported to have broken ribs and a lacerated liver following a stabbing the evening of July 31 in the 600 block of South Mill Street in Decorah. Police charged

37-year-old Alfredo Morales Hernandez with willful injury causing serious injury, a class C felony to which he pleaded not guilty in an Aug. 20 court filing. Both men were listed as residing at the same Mill Street address at the time of the incident. Morales Hernandez’s at-

torney has since filed notice his client intends to claim the stabbing was committed in self-defense that night. Morales Hernandez claimed the stabbing occurred after an argument with Cortez Vertiz, according to a criminal complaint filed against him, adding that the victim had been holding a knife and had threatened to kill him. The complaint went on to say a witness reported the two “talked poorly to each other on multiple occasions” and “would threaten to kill one another on multiple occasions, but it was always in a joking manner.” The two were not near one another prior to that night’s stabbing, according to the complaint, and Cortez Vertiz did not approach Morales Hernan-

dez, but the 37-year-old “went after Vertiz, grabbed the knife and stabbed Vertiz three to four times.” “After stabbing Vertiz, the defendant left the room and went to his bedroom,” the complaint said. The Decorah Police Department was dispatched to the residence at 7:26 p.m. that day, according to law enforcement. Cortez Vertiz’s phone was placed in police custody the night of the stabbing, and investigators executed a search warrant for the device. Police found an explicit video involving what was described as a prepubescent girl in a sex act, which had been saved on the 56-year-old’s phone, according to court filings. Investiga-

tors said the video had been received through a messenger app and was dated June 9. Cortez Vertiz said he admitted to receiving multiple videos of minors involved in sexual acts, according to a criminal complaint filed against him. Morales Hernandez was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 2:35 a.m. Aug. 1 on the charge of willful injury. He is currently scheduled for a Dec. 18 trail. Cortez Vertiz was initially taken to WinnMed by ambulance following the stabbing, but he too was eventually booked into the county jail at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 21. Court records have yet to list a trial date for Cortez Vertiz.

Jones trial a neighboring retail building. Nearby structures also suffered extensive smoke and water damage. According to fire reports, fire fighters needed a full day and more than one million gallons of water to quell the fire as flames continued to flare up during the call — Waukon’s water supply was depleted in the process. A directive to boil water was issued, and school was canceled the next day due to lack of water. The Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the fire and discovered the fire had begun in two separate locations, prompting officials to launch a full investigation. In February of 2023, a year after the fire,

Jones filed a lawsuit against her insurance company, citing breach of contract after the insurance company refused to pay the claim she filed for damages caused by the fire. She was arrested in Waterloo in mid-March of 2023, and charged with first-degree arson. The class B felony carries a maximum sentence of 25 years. She was also charged with animal abuse, an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison, for the death of the dog in the upper level apartments. A year-long investigation involving numerous agencies had determined Jones had motive to destroy the building.

At the beginning of 2020, Jones had opened Tin Rust & Harmony, located in the city of Harmony, Minnesota. Jones took out a $105,000 loan with a local bank to open the store, according to police, court and city records, and she was given a $25,000 low-interest loan from the Harmony Economic Development Authority in addition to $10,000 for COVID-19 financial relief. A local artist filed charges against Jones by the end of that year, claiming Jones had fleeced $100,000 from the artist throughout 2021. She has since been convicted in the civil case filed by the artist. Jones was ordered to pay $100,000 to the artist and serve 27 months

in prison. A criminal case is expected to take place later this year. Jones also stole numerous paychecks from her then boyfriend during the first half of 2021, forging his name and depositing more than $37,000 into her Tin Rust & Harmony business account — she has since been convicted of those crimes as well. Jones has been ordered to pay nearly $37,000 in restitution and is expected to spend a little more than a year in prison as part of a plea agreement. As 2021 was winding down, Jones paid $62,000 for a retail building in Waukon and secured a mortgage through a local bank. The agreement included a line of credit for more than

$181,000, and the mortgage was due to mature in five years. Just prior to Christmas that year, Jones celebrated the grand opening of her second Tin Rust & Harmony store in Waukon — the building went up in flames two months later. First Southeast Bank of Harmony filed a claim against Mindy Jo Jones and Tin, Rust & Harmony on Nov. 16, 2022 — the loan Jones had taken out in August of 2021 for the Waukon building was in default for $190,333. The bank also filed for foreclosure against Jones on her now vacant Harmony store, which was tied to a $105,000 loan taken out in 2020 and a $25,000 economic develop-

continued from front

ment loan Jones received from the city of Harmony. A pretrial hearing in the arson case is scheduled to take place via teleconference at 10 a.m. Oct. 21, and the trial is currently scheduled for Oct. 30. The state has requested the trial begin Nov. 4 or Nov. 11 in order to accommodate two witnesses who will be unavailable for the original trial date. The court has yet to make a decision on that request. Jones is currently being held at the Minnesota Department of Corrections in Shakopee, where she is serving time for the two convictions she received earlier this year. Her tentative release date is Aug. 14, 2025.

OPINION

The hum of the press may be calling

I might be jumping the gun on National Newspaper Week this year, but an announcement from the state’s newspaper association got me thinking about the future of papers like ours. BY SETH In short, the Iowa Newspaper BOYES Association is offering a total News Editor of eight scholarships for students planning to start a career in newspapers — be they high takes them where they’re really hoping to go — and, just to let school or college students. Now, in case you aren’t aware you in on a secret, that proverdear reader, journalism isn’t an bial finish line is perpetually on easy job — in fact, I’m some- the horizon no matter how good times surprised that I’ve lasted you get at this job. In short, financial support has this long myself. It demands an awful lot from those who take to be coupled with professional up the cause of the fourth estate, support to truly be of use. So, and it doesn’t often give back with that in mind, I’ll simply in equal measure. Couple that extend an open invitation to with a steady flow of criticism, area students who may want to and even the most calloused see journalism up close — be news writers will bleed from that a short job shadow experience, a discussion with a school time to time. So, in some respects, it’s not newspaper staff or just a brief that surprising how shallow the chat with a school counselor. Our information is at the top hiring pool of potential journalists has become in recent years. of the front page if you’d like to And as such, I feel newspapers reach out (who are we kidding? both big and small have a re- Chances are you’re looking at sponsibility to help foster the this on your phone, so our conbudding wordsmiths of tomor- tact information is at the bottom of the homepage). We welcome row. Each of the INA’s scholar- curious minds. In fact, one of ships are worth a few thousand my former editors often said cudollars — admittedly not much, riosity is the one trait an aspirbut again, this career isn’t ing journalist must have — we heavy on monetary or social re- can teach you to write better, we wards. That said, those dollars can teach you to use a camera, can be a real handhold for those but we can’t really teach you to looking to get some ink on their be curious. And, if there are to be stofingertips. If that’s you, let me point you toward the online ap- ries and photos for tomorrow’s plication at inanews.com/learn/ readers, people in my position need to at least be willing to scholarships. But that can’t be the end of cultivate that curiosity among it — there has to be a human tomorrow’s writers when the opportunity presents itself. Like component. Trust me. I certainly wouldn’t I’ve said before, it’s a poor be where I am today as a jour- paper that doesn’t listen to its nalist if it hadn’t been for the community, and I’d add that it’s editors and publishers who a poor paper that does nothing guided me through the basics to ensure a free press endures. So, again, if you feel the hum of journalism my first year and stuck with me as I navigated of the press might be calling tough professional calls of my you, go ahead and apply for own years later. So yes, having some help from the INA, and a financial leg up will surely be then let us here at the Decorah an advantage to many, but it will Leader know if we can help. be tutelage in the newsroom that

That’s not what I have observed The Decorah Leader recently ran an opinion letter extolling the virtues of Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors Chair Dan Langreck. Langreck’s seat for District 4 is on the November ballot and is being challenged by local farmer and businesswoman Cheryl Wieseler, a registered independent. While I commend the authors for exercising the First Amendment, I must take issue with the premise of the letter, that being that Supervisor Langreck does his best to serve the public. I’ve attended more than 80 Supervisors meetings since early 2023, either in person or online, and can attest to many instances of Langreck’s disturbing votes and behavior. The claim that Dan spends “a great deal of time educating himself” on the various issues is not supported by the public record, including many video recordings posted online by citizens over that last 20-plus months. Let’s recap just a few of these: Dan voted to eliminate — illegally — the established roadside vegetation management program, which was saving the county thousands of taxpayer dollars in man hours, chemical purchases and equipment maintenance. This was done despite the evidence provided by the county engineer and testimony by numerous experts on the program’s economic and environmental beneﬁts. It was Dan’s leadership failure that resulted in the loss of one of the most highly regarded county engineers in the state, a 20-plus year county employee, resulting in the county without the critical services of a fulltime engineer for more than six months. Dan ignored a public meeting invitation held in Freeport — his district — and attended by 75 of his constituents over the controversial proposal to sell to private interests 7-plus acres of critical ﬂood plain land in Freeport. The land was protected by the previous board. Dan also ignored more than 400 county voters who signed a petition asking that the land not be sold. So much for that claim about Dan “visiting all areas of his district and hearing from citizens.”

Echoes of the Past

It was Dan’s “leadership” that resulted in undue stress and unfulfilled responsibilities with County Conservation staff after his vote to shrink the budget that forced the department to eliminate the lead trails maintenance position. When asked for his justification for such action, the public heard one of Dan’s frequent and infamous uses of the phrase, “It’s just my opinion.” Dan ignored repeated requests by the public to rearrange the supervisors’ tables and seating just so the public could rightfully hear what was being discussed during the weekly meetings. It wasn’t until Supervisor Vermace took it upon herself to rearrange the tables that the situation was partially rectified. And yes, as witnessed by many over the last 20 months, there have been far too many incidents where Dan ignored or insulted members of the public, even during public hearings. Included in his behavior have been many acts of misogyny toward his fellow supervisor Shirley Vermace and numerous women who have taken the opportunity to speak to the board. There are many similar incidents, all available for viewing on YouTube. This isn’t about Republican vs. Democrat ideology. It’s about public service and doing what’s best for all citizens regardless of one’s party. That’s what Winneshiek County deserves. I encourage voters to vote accordingly. Tim Wagner Decorah

By Roz Weis

Electrifying farms BY ROZ WEIS STAFF WRITER Back in the fall of 1944 much of the news was dedicated to bringing electricity to more farms of the area. Electric lines were part of the full-scale plan for Winneshiek, Howard and Chickasaw counties. According to the news reports from that era, farm service regulations authorized electrical service to farms with five more animal units (an animal unit was defined as one dairy cow or three brood sows or 75 laying hens). Local ag officials are sponsoring shows across the area to show how electricity can be used in modernizing farms and rural homes. Once farmers signed up for the electrical line accessibility, poles would be set in place and lines were attached. It was estimated that back in the mid 1940s, approximately 40 percent of the farms of Iowa had electricity. Rapid expansion soon followed. Here are a few other headlines from another era:

IGHTY YEARS AGO1944: Indications are that when the war has ended the rationing of farm machinery will move into the hands of local farm implement dealers. …The plan and purpose of the Civil Air Patrol here in town was explained at an assembly at the high school last Friday. Air Patrol Cadets for the lo-

I found Roger Henningsgaard’s letter to the editor interesting to say the least. Of course we should research the policies of both candidates. Why just single out one? The only guarantee we do have from former President Donald Trump’s policies are lies. He only has a “concept” of a replacement plan for health care, he will mandate a federal abortion bill and says everybody wanted the reversal of Roe v Wade. He doesn’t want Ukraine to win, Mexico would pay for the wall, whines about border control while killing the first bipartisan bill to potentially pass the Senate so he could use border control as a campaign issue. He continues to lie about legal Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating pets, tells you there are fetal materials in the COVID-19 vaccine, supports believers who think the Holocaust didn’t happen and that 9/11 was an inside job. I am a professional tax preparer and none of my clients got a bigger refund or increased benefit from his tax revisions unless they had three or more children. He raised the deficit by almost $8 trillion and filed bankruptcy six times at we, the taxpayers, expense. He has provoked political violence by spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation. Fact: 93 percent of abortions are performed in the first 24 weeks of a pregnancy, 6 percent in the second trimester and a mere 1 percent in the third trimester. He has called our veterans “suckers

and losers.” He is a convicted felon and continues to deny he lost the 2020 election. He walked out on us during the pandemic, dropping the ball on Biden/Harris and leaving them to deal with the fallout — inflation — and OMG the list goes on and on. Two years post-pandemic, we are in recovery — inflation and interest back to near normal. And while it was painful, we are stronger and more prepared. We survived! Meanwhile, Biden/Harris have poured millions of dollars into infrastructure through the Inflation Reduction Act, rebuilt our standing with the UN/ NATO, created 16 million jobs with the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years and promoted “made at home” products and materials. They have addressed student debt relief, reduced border crossings by 50 percent and fought Republicans from cutting Social Security and Medicare. Both he and VP Harris walked the picket line and supported the workers in maintaining their benefits, supported education, climate control, conservation, clean energy and OMG the list goes on and on. Yes, please do your research on both candidates before you cast your ballot. I welcome you to research the policies of VP Harris and then for God’s sake, open your eyes, wake up and use the brain the good Lord gave you to make an educated decision. Deb Keefe Decorah

Help is on the way A hurricane named Helene has caused historic damage on the far southeastern portion of our country. We are the most fortunate people on earth to have a federal government structure that oversees the state’s welfare, especially in a crisis. States declare an emergency, and federal resources begin to step in. A massive infusion of federal assistance is already helping these people. There is however, a real problem afoot. Project 2025, authored by the right wing Heritage Foundation, wishes to completely change this way of doing business. Their 900-page document contains a section dealing with this subject. In a few words, it is their desire to see the system dismantled, left for the states and local commu-

nities to help themselves. In summary, the states have limited financial resources. Their budgets are governed by collection of tax revenues The federal government is financed by all of us working together. Think of the government as an insurance company. We pay taxes for the unexpected when it happens. This evens out the cost to everyone. The Heritage Foundation and Project 2025 promotes a system of dismantling these features of the federal government to the benefit the rich and the corporations. Project 2025 wants to desecrate our government. Vote Nov. 5 to keep our democracy working. John Carver Decorah

A well rehearsed performance The appointment of Paul Lillegraver to the planning and zoning commission, Monday morning, by the board of supervisors looked like a very well rehearsed stage production. Three actors executed their well rehearsed lines ﬂawlessly. The scene was worthy of the stage at Commonweal Theater in Lanesboro, Minnesota. The audience, those present online and in the room, were given no information about the experience or qualiﬁcations of the appointee for this position in public service. We were wit-

cal squadron include Norman Soland, Robert Sattre, Robert Rounseville, Edwin Dickman, Dorothy Nesset, Evelyn Falck, Lester Ode, Percy Wepler, Leigh Howland, Norman Nelson, Walter Langland, Kenneth Groth, Marjorie Vine, Kay Lomen, Lt. Dewey Tatro, Lt. Vernard DeWitt and Lt. Kenneth Reeevs.

EVENTY YEARS AGO1954: A master plan for a proposed municipal and school development of the area just north of the business district will be acted on at the next meeting of the Decorah City Planning Commission. The plan, which has already earned approval by the City Council and School Board, provides space for a high school, an elementary school, two municipal buildings. Other highlights of the plan include a lighted football ﬁeld, lighted softball ﬁeld, a six-lap lighted ice skating rink, a band shell and municipal golf course. …The Ice Cave Hill is now part of Decorah’s Park System. This acquisition was made possible through the generosity of a former Decorah woman, Mrs. Richard P. Moss of North Carolina, who has contributed $5,000 in honor of her brother, the late Roger F. Edmunds. The land, which was owned by Ole Vold and his son, Henry, is somewhat more than 67 acres and connects with Dunning’s Spring Park.

Research both candidates before heading to the polls

Farm tours like this one from the 1940s were common in Winneshiek County. Such tours were conducted for education regarding soil test plots, electric availability, farm safety and more. Photo courtesy of the Winneshiek County Extension Ofﬁce.

IXTY YEARS AGO 1964: Luther College Homecoming will feature dedication services for the J. Wilhelm Ylvisaker Hall, a 256 student men’s residence hall. Ylvisaker was one of the most distinguished presidents of the college. He was the 5th president at Luther. Also dedicated will be the new $1.5 million dollar fieldhouse on campus. …The Decorah Posten is celebrating its 90th anniversary on Sept. 4, 1964. The paper is published every Thursday by the Anundsen Publishing Company of this city. The first issue was printed Sept. 5, 1874. …The new football field on

the Luther College campus will be named Carlson Field, after the Carlson family of Decorah. All the work to prepare the site and complete the grading of the new ﬁeld, as well as improvements of the main channel of the Upper Iowa River, was done by the Fred Carlson Company, without cost to the college, according to Luther President E.D. Farwell.

IFTY YEARS AGO 1974: A ﬁre swept through a 25-acre stretch of Cardinal

Echoes continued on page 11

ness to a scene played out to a well rehearsed script. There was no spoken curiosity about the qualiﬁcations of the proposed appointee by the three who vote as one. It was clear to this observer, each of them knew all they needed to know about him. The shared smirks and grins kept the rehearsed lines moving to the 3-2 vote to approve the appointee. There was not a standing ovation for transparency in this appointment. Elaine St Clair Decorah

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OBITUARIES/NEWS

DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

Obituaries Richard “Simon” Hanson

Feb. 8, 1931 - Sept. 23, 2024

Richard Simon Hanson, 93, passed away on Sept. 23, 2024 at Agrace Hospice in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. “Simon,” his preferred name, was born on Feb. 8, 1931, in Minneapolis to Simon Elisha Barzillai Hanson and Simon Hanson Ina Lerene Hanson. He grew up on a dairy farm where he worked with his father. He fondly recounted outdoor life on and around the farm with treks to the nearby river. As the oldest of 10, he entertained his younger siblings, often with a bit of play acting, singing and playing musical instruments. He was always the performer! Simon fondly recalled the excellent education he received at country schools followed by his graduation from Baldwin High School, Baldwin, Wisconsin in 1949. He received a BA in music with minors in Greek and German from Luther College in 1953. Upon graduation, he studied at the Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul while also using his musical training to work as a soloist, and as a choir director at churches in the city, on top of giving voice lessons to fellow seminarians. While studying at the seminary he met Rita Anna Sumbs, a nursing student, in 1953. They were engaged in late May 1954 and married Sept. 2, 1954 in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. In 1956 they moved to International Falls, Minnesota where Simon completed his seminary internship in a church while Rita worked as a surgical nurse. After graduating from seminary, he stayed on to earn a master’s degree in Old Testament studies, while also teaching Hebrew and other classes at the seminary and serving as a pastor at St. Timothy Luther Church in St. Paul. Rita continued nursing. In 1960 he began his graduate studies at Harvard University, where he earned a Ph.D. in Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literature in 1963. That fall Simon started a long career as a professor of “religion” at Luther College. The first year of this transition was especially difficult for the family when Simon and Rita lost their third son, Reuben Ludvic

Hanson, in a car accident two weeks after his first birthday in 1964. During the late 1960s and 1970s he worked as an archaeologist in northern Galilee of Israel, translating inscriptions and identifying ancient coins. Simon’s wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in her late 40s, and eventually endured complications from a second round of brain surgery intended to slow its progression. Simon devoted himself to her care at home and shortly after retired from his academic career in 1999. He continued to care for after she moved to Aase Haugen Nursing Home in 2004 until she passed in 2009. He then volunteered as a Hospice worker and chaplain at Aase Haugen Home until 2023. Simon’s passions included storytelling, theatre, music, art, reading, poetry, writing, and, especially, entertaining children. His greatest source of meaning was supporting the people in all the communities he touched. In September 2023 Simon moved to an independent living facility in Stoughton, Wisconsin declaring that he wished to spend this the rest of his time with family. The family spent this short chapter of his life taking him on local “adventures” to explore Wisconsin scenery and food. Simon will forever be remembered by his children Rebecca (Hanson) Berman, Randall Hanson and Rodney Hanson; and grandchildren: Reuben Berman, Nyssa Berman, Alli Hanson, Malcom Hanson, Aydan Hanson and Hannah Hanson. He is survived by his younger siblings Dawn Stein, Susan Liddums, Daniel Hanson, David Hanson, Kalle Gilles and Ted Hanson. He was preceded in death by his wife Rita, his son Reuben, and three siblings: Jeanine, Marjorie and Sandra. Per Simon’s request, his cremated remains will join the remains of his wife and son in a small graveyard in Wisconsin, near where he grew up. A memorial service will be held at a later date in Decorah. Memorial donations be made to the Nature Conservancy or Seed Savers in Decorah IA. Cards can be sent to Rodney Hanson, 2380 Woodland Rd., McFarland, WI 53558.

David Kruger

Feb. 21, 1961 - Sept. 30, 2024 David “Dave” Steven Kruger, 63, of Waukon, died Sept. 30, 2024, at his home. Dave was born on Feb. 21, 1961 to Ben and Joan (Helming) Kruger in Waukon. He was baptized and later confirmed at David Kruger Zalmona Presbyterian Church in Waukon. He graduated from Waukon High School in 1979. In 1986, he met his future bride, Pam, at Glenwood Church while singing in a wedding. They were married in 1988 and that same year they took over the family Brown Swiss cattle dairy farm, Stormy View Farm. In 1996, Dave gained his coaching authorization and started coaching for the City of Waukon, eventually moving to junior high and high school coaching. The players he coached were always treated as family, and the joy he felt watching their growth was evident to all he talked with. In 2011, he and Pam opened Empty Nest Winery and he retired from coaching the following year to focus on the business. In 2022, after two years of unanswered questions and tests, he was diagnosed with ALS.

He continued to fight and enjoy life through the end, especially finding joy in the beaches of Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, the sunshine on his family farm, and the conversations with and watching his kids and grandkids. Dave is survived by his wife of 36 years, Pam; his four children Kyle (Jamie) Halse, Kristen (Jerome) Nelson, Nick (Katie) Kruger, and Brittany (Austin) Maine, Father-inLaw Ray Kvamme, brother Ken (Kristen) Kruger, Brother-in-Law Greg Northcutt; and grandkids: Keeran, Kade, Henry, Emmett, Sonoma, Maddelyn and Ella. He is preceded in death by his parents Ben and Joan; motherin-Law Phyllis Kvamme; and sister Wendy Northcutt. A celebration of life will be held from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 at Empty Nest Winery, 1352 Apple Rd., Waukon. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to be made to the IA ALS foundation at www.als. org/support/states/iowa. Condolences may be left on IowaCremation.com under “Obituaries” or sent to The Kruger Family C/O Empty Nest Winery, 1352 Apple Rd., Waukon, IA 52172.

Pictured (front row from left to right) are Mike Dahl, Kelly Sorenson, Julie Henry, Mary Dahl, Janet Falck (middle row left to right) Jesse Ryerson, Eric Zaft, Josiah Schissel, Bryce Haemker, Junior Dahl, John Nielsen, Kerry Kleeve (back row left to right) Steve Vanden Brink, Zach Kerndt, Brock Willey, Mike Hudecek, Cory Fels, Jeremy Weiss, Tyler Helgerson, Scott Engelhard and Mark Carolan. (Photo submitted)

County firemen’s association receive donation The Winneshiek Firemen’s Bull Bash committee recently presented a check in the amount of $8,000 to the Winneshiek County Firemen’s Association. Over the past 15 years, more than $81,000 has

been given to the Winneshiek County Firemen’s Association to use at their discretion. Funds raised by the Winneshiek Firemen’s Bull Bash have provided support for area fire departments. The most recent funds

will help purchase equipment that will be used for electric vehicle rescues and fires. The county firefighters recently received training from nationally recognized fire instructors on electric vehicle fire and rescue

back door “could not be secured mechanically,” according to the complaint, and the two women attempted to hold the door closed. The Winneshiek County Emergency Communications Center received 911 calls from both women around 11:30 p.m. that day. The older of the two identified Youngblood by name, saying he had assaulted them both. “Shortly after, both females

can be heard screaming on the 911 calls as Hunter forced entry back into the residence,” a criminal complaint said. Youngblood then resumed his alleged assault on the mother, according to court documents. The mother was able to escape to a rear bedroom, and her daughter ran to a Winneshiek County Sheriff’s deputy arriving on scene. The deputy located Youngblood a short time later on the kitchen floor “with

response. From that training, fire departments will identify the necessary equipment to handle future fire rescue operations involving electric vehicles.

Attempted murder threatening to kill her. “Statements made by both victims were corroborated by visible bodily injuries consistent with the acts alleged as well as with 911 audio recordings,” a criminal complaint said. The first victim escaped the house and made an emergency call, according to court filings, while Youngblood left the residence in pursuit. The woman was able to return to the home and lock the front door, but the

continued from front apparent self-inflicted stab wounds to the abdomen.” Youngblood was airlifted from WinnMed in Decorah, according to a previous statement from the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. The 22-year-old turned himself in Monday, Sept. 30, according to court filings. He was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 5:15 p.m. the same day.

Supervisors continued from front P&Z meetings, and it appears to me that Melissa goes really deep into research on P&Z questions and does the site visits,” Vermace said. “She drives to these locations, and she knows her stuff very, very well. And, they do work as a good team right now. They have a strong team right now, because she brings a lot of experience with her, and we’ve always reappointed people who have wanted to continue to serve on a commission.” Kelsay said he admires the commitment O’Rourke has made but that he saw no reason not to give the seat to Lillegraven. “I see no reason why, after a person has served a certain period of time, we cannot have some new members on that commission,” Kelsay said. Vermace questioned whether the supervisors should break from what she called “the board’s precedent” of reappointing committee members who want to continue volunteering. “We make appointments,” said Kelsay. “We don’t have to have a precedent that we continue. Because a person wants to stay on there does not mean that we have to do that. That’s within our purview.” Vermace then suggested tabling discussion on the appointments to give the supervisors more time to gain more input from other commission members. “I think we’ve been given the information,” said Supervisor Chair Dan Langreck. Freeport resident Kevin Lee questioned whether the county was required to advertise

Service Notice RICHARD HEYING, 82 of Ossian, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 after a yearlong battle with cancer. Mass of Christian Burial was held Wednesday, Oct. 2, at Our Lady of Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Festina with Rev. Henry Huber officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Winneshiek County Supervisor Steve Kelsay shares some thoughts Monday morning during the board of supervisors meeting. (Photo by Zach Jensen) the position. County Attorney Andy Van Der Maaten was unsure if the county was required to do so, saying it may be the best practice for the board. Vermace then renewed her call to table the matter until after the position is advertised publicly, and Langreck agreed it may be ideal for all future committee appointments to be advertised. Langreck then asked the board to vote on Vick’s original motion. The board chair joined Kelsay, and Vick in favor of appointing Dave Meyer to the planning and zoning commission and appointing Paul Lillegraven to the commission over O’Rourke. Vermace and Faldet voted against the motion. Lillegraven’s first meeting as a member of the county’s planning and zoning commission will be Oct. 8.

In other business: • The supervisors unanimously approved the reappointment of Nancy Eldridge to the Winneshiek County Board of Adjustment. • Winneshiek County Conservation Director Barb Schroeder had a conversation with the supervisors about the future construction of Neste Valley Road. The road will run from a current field entrance on Town Line Road to the entrance of the Neste Valley Recreation Area, which will be located between Calmar and Decorah on Iowa Highway 52. • The supervisors voted in favor of continuing to work toward recording their weekly meetings once they speak with the county’s information technology department about policies and procedures. • A discussion regarding the

county’s compensation board was tabled until the supervisors’ Oct. 7 meeting. • The supervisors unanimously approved Winneshiek County Public Health’s leasing of the top floor of the Smith Building from Northeast Iowa Community Action for the monthly rent of $3,079.74. • Work has been completed on Bridge 313, at the bend where 225th Street changes to 307th Avenue, and Bridge 317A, which is located off River Road about a half-mile north of Canoe Creek Bridge. • Striping on Canoe Ridge Road is tentatively scheduled to take place the week of Oct. 7. • The county is planning to spend an estimated $100,000 to install in-floor heat in the Ridgeway county shop. • County Engineer Michael Kueny is considering alternatives to stabilizing the county’s gravel roads. He told the supervisors the county could consider using Base One, which is a base and aggregate surface stabilizer designed to improve the strength and stability of aggregate and reclaimed asphalt pavement materials. Kueny said another option he is considering is called Perma-Zyme, which is described as a “soil stabilizer that uses an all-natural, organic enzyme formula to turn native soil into a hard, concrete-like surface.” Kueny will be traveling to Clayton County Tuesday morning to observe that county’s application of Base One.

Iowa Arts Council grant funds Vesterheim folk art exhibition Vesterheim recently announced it is receiving a Cultural Leadership Partners Grant for $20,000 to help advance arts and culture in Iowa. The funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Vesterheim will use the funding in 2025 for a juried folk art exhibition, “The Past, Present, or Future of Folk Art.” “It is very gratifying to receive this generous support from the Iowa Arts Council in recognition of the important role arts and culture play in

economic development,” said Chris Johnson, Vesterheim president. “We appreciate the work of the legislators in making this possible.” In August, IDEA announced awards of $1,678,389 from seven grant programs to strengthen the arts, culture and creative industries across the state and provide Iowans with access to enriching cultural experiences. Vesterheim was one of 173 Iowa organizations and Iowans in more than 60 communities to receive funding from the various grant programs. The Cultural Leadership Partners grant supports Iowa organiza-

tions which maintain high standards, attract tourists, generate economic activity and sustain high-quality jobs. “Arts and culture are integral to economic vitality,” said IEDA Director Debi Durham. “They not only drive growth within our communities but also enhance the quality of life, making our state a more attractive destination for both visitors and new residents.” For information on exhibits, classes, programs, tours, membership opportunities and other ways to support Vesterheim, visit vesterheim.org or call 563382-9681.

NEWS

‘That handmade sound’

Oneota Valley Community Orchestra aims to move audiences during upcoming season BY DENISE LANA STAFF WRITER Northeast Iowa’s Oneota Valley Community Orchestra is marking its tenth anniversary this year. The group will return to the stage this week for its first concert of the season. The 65 volunteer professional and virtuoso musicians who make up the OVCO will be performing from 3-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6 at the Decorah High School Auditorium. The ensemble will open this year’s season with Russian Sailor’s Dance from “The Red Poppy” composed by Reinhold Glire, followed by Concerto in A Minor by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, featuring guest artist Miko Kominami, a piano instructor at Luther and Juilliard School graduate. Wrapping up the performance will be Symphony No. 1 “The Lord of the Rings” by J. De Meij. “There are so many different ways to listen to music — nostalgic, analytical, metaphorical,” cellist and Iowa native Craig Hultgren said, later adding,“Although not all music is as identifiable, The Lord of the Rings is highly programmatic. You can listen and sort of put yourself in the atmosphere.” Matthew Cody, assistant music director for Decorah Community Schools since 2009, founded the orchestra in 2014, and was joined by Hultgren a year later. Hultgren retired in 2015 from a 30-plus year career with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and moved to Dec-

orah to become a self-professed “farmer-cellist.” He is currently the orchestra’s principal cellist and is the president of the orchestra’s board. Hultgren, who has played at Carnegie Hall and travelled globally, is impressed with the talent of the musicians in the orchestra, even compared to modern orchestras which contain anywhere from 100 to 120 players. “For a town the size of ours to be able to put together a 65-piece orchestra of different instruments is a remarkable thing,” Hultgren said. “We compare favorably to the artistic quality of community orchestras across the country.” Hultgren said he knew he loved music ever since third grade, when his music teacher placed a cello in front of him. “I harken back to the education system in the state, and how strong music was,” he said. “Decorah has had and still maintains a strong music program. The music department at Luther College is the biggest department by enrollment and budget at the school.” Hultgren feels the broader region is a hot bed of musical talent and strong artistic voices, often hidden from public view behind full-time jobs and life responsibilities. “So many talented members of our orchestra are professors and teachers, farmers and students. Music is the common voice that unites them,” Hultgren said. “It’s especially true

here — there are so many creative types, this town is just a hidden artist colony, expanding well beyond the confines of our education system.” Organizers said the northeast Iowa orchestra, and others like it, have grown in popularity and are bridging the community through music. “When the orchestra started in 2014, we might have had 99 people attend the performance,” said Elisabeth Rosales, Hultgren’s wife and administrator of the OVCO program. “Today, we have 300 people or even more turning out to each show. Most of the crowd used to be senior citizens, but now we are seeing more and more younger faces in the audience.” The musical program for

LEFT- Solveig Kleppe, retired kindergarten teacher and principal French Horn player for the orchestra, practices the movement titled “Gollum,” one of five movements in Symphony No. 1 The Lord of the Rings, which the orchestra will perform for the public at Sunday’s concert. (Photos by Denise Lana) Sunday’s performance was designed to challenge the audience, spark conversation and allow the audience members to experience and hear music in different ways, Hultgren said. He is hoping the music will inspire more people to attend performances this season — he’s so confident in the music and the orchestra that he has set a challenge for public attendance. “I want to have 5 percent of Decorah’s population — around 400 people — attend at least one of our concerts this season … that would be wonderful,” Hultgren said. “Music is a great social tool, and I want to get people talking about our

concerts the day after or the week after.” Hultgren admits those conversations may not be strictly praise for the performances, but he hopes attendees will allow themselves to be moved by the music in one way or another. “Music is provocative, and it really needs to be active in the bloodstream,” Hultgren said. “The sound of resonating tones — that handmade sound — is wilder than anything coming through a speaker in your car or at your home. It really is a magical thing, from ancient man strumming a string on a stick to people gathering and making a

ABOVECraig Hultgren, is the orchestra’s principal cellist for the orchestra and president of its board of directors. Hultgren is an award-winning cellist who spent 33 years with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. Among his extensive resume, Hultgren has taught at the University of Alabama and Wartburg College and was a founding member and former president of the Birmingham Art Music Alliance. He spent a decade producing the Hultgren Solo Cello Works Biennial international competition and is currently the secretary for the Iowa Composers Forum Board of Directors. lot of vibrations together. Those vibrations that can reach the very depths of our souls, those are provocative. As a musician, I just want to give listeners the opportunity to expand their ears.”

The Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce extends appreciation and congratulations to the 2024 business and individual award winners: Business of the Year

JB Holland Construction Excellence in Design and Construction

Vesterheim, for the Vesterheim Commons Project

Excellence in Customer Service

Double Windsor Clothing Co.

Excellence in Agriculture

Jewell Enterprizes

Excellence in Marketing Cardboard Robot, Decorah’s self-proclaimed “friendly neighborhood making-stuff store”, received the Innovation Award for its CardBored Kits — a complete STEM project in a box. Showing off his star-shaped award, owner Eric Sovern grinned and joked he was now a sheriff.

President of the chamber’s board of directors and owner of sustainable clothing store The Get Up, Lisa Lantz (left) and Store Manager Siri Steven pose with makeshift mustaches in honor of Steven’s Spark Joy award. Steven received the award for her creative promotional music video, which featured Lantz and Steven in fake mustaches, trucker hats and costumes, for the store’s recent Ridiculous Days celebration.

Dedication to Community

Decorah Mayor Lorraine Borowski and Decorah Schools Superintendent Tim Cronin, share a laugh after the ceremony. (Photos by Denise Lana)

Congratulations to new Decorah retail store, Jubilee! Pictured are owners Kendra and Aaron Marable along with Chamber Ambassadors Tara McConnell, Tade Kerndt, Lashelle Evans, Maureen Duncklee, Holly Allen, Dallas Steffen, Joe Hammel, Chris Hicks, Joanie Rollins and Marcia Madrigal.

Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce extends congratulations to

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Decorah Bank and Trust Positivity Award

Inspire(d) Media Legacy Award

Mabe’s Pizza

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Our sincere congratulations and best wishes for your success and continued growth in the Decorah area.

Rendered Unique

continued from front years of service as an ambassador with the chamber. Hammel has reportedly been present for more than 400 ribbon cutting events throughout his tenure as ambassador, earning him the chamber’s first Ambassador of the Year award. Spark Joy awards — in the form of engraved zippo lighters — were awarded to businesses and people who have spread happiness and smiles across the community in unique ways. The Decorah Fareway Meat Department was awarded a Spark Joy award for their meat and cheese trays — officials highlighted the business’ salami roses. “For more than 40 years … in days leading up to holidays, the meat department of 17 men and women will prepare more than 30 trays each day,” Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce Exeutive Director Jessica Rilling said, adding the trays are often ordered events like weddings, funerals, backyard parties and birthday celebrations. As the evening came to a close, Rilling and Lantz invited the audience to join in a collective ribbon cutting to launch the next 100 years of business excellence in Decorah. “Decorah remains a special place to live, work and visit, in part because it is rich in natural resources, and in part because the people who live here actively invest their financial resources to ensure it,” Lantz said.

Cardboard Robot

Collaboration Award

GEAR Exchange

Emerging New Business

Salú Sauna + Wellness Spa Tourism Award

Toppling Goliath

Ambassador of the Year

Joe Hammel

Volunteer Excellence Award

Mike Harman

Young Professional Award

Sean Brown, Mary Duvall, Stephanie Fromm, Mark Jensen and Brittany Todd

Turkey Valley Trojans

DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

MEMBERS OF THE TURKEY VALLEY FOOTBALL TEAM this season are (front row, l-r) Caden Tiedt, Hugo Busta, Tucker Tlusty, Jayden Rausch, Wyatt Maklenburg, Parker Reicks, Hunter Kruse, Levi Kruse, Caleb Kriener, Dominick Reicks; (middle row) Coach Mark Scott, Coach Alvin Hackman, Cale Langreck, Tucker Reicks, Kaden Schmidt, Alex Hanson, Eli Holthaus, Tyler Forbes, Jacob Wurzer; (back row) Logan Busta, Treyton Franzen, Traejin Keel, JD Kruse, Mitchell Kriener, Jordan Kriener, Coach Dan Stepan and Coach Frank Wilson. (Photo by Becky Walz)

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VARSITY FOOTBALL VS WATERLOO CHRISTIAN KICKOFF 7 PM LEADING THE FANS ON THE SIDELINES ARE TROJAN FOOTBALL CHEERLEADERS (front row, l-r) Ella Drilling, Autumn Maklenburg, Annie Raymond, Kaitlyn Schroeder; (back row) Amyiah Maholmes, Chloe Schmitt, Lilly Buat, Maria Klimesh. (Photo courtesy of Tammy Vrzak)

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Third annual gear exchange beneﬁts city parks and rec

Learn more at DuTrac.org

The third annual Decorah Gear Exchange was an opportunity to sell and buy gently used recreational gear, ranging from kayaks to ice skates, camp lanterns to bicycles, ﬁshing gear and more. Proceeds from the event will beneﬁt Decorah Parks and Recreation by further expanding recreational opportunities and resources in the Decorah area. The event was held last weekend at Pulpit Rock Brewing Company on College Drive. Pictured helping out at the Decorah Gear Exchange Saturday morning are (from left to right) Visit Decorah Marketing and Community Engagement Specialist Alyssa Ritter, Decorah Parks and Recreation Director Marc Holtey; Luther College Assistant Director of Student Activities and Rec Services Coordinator Olivia Helland and Decorah Parks and Recreation Board member Brian Fuhrmann. (Photos by Roz Weis)

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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

CELEBRATION OF LIFE: Fighting breast cancer in Winneshiek County since 1998 and beyond BY ZACH JENSEN STAFF WRITER Breast cancer is the second-leading causes of cancer-related death in U.S. women, and this year, approximately 310,720 women as well as 2,800 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, according to information on breastcancer.org. But, Decorah’s Jody Niess says breast cancer is not only survivable, it’s thrivable — meaning women can still enjoy full lives even after having a double mastectomy as she did. “It’s not fun,” said Jody Niess. “But how bad do you want to live? I get to make a choice — whether I’m positive about it or I’m negative about it. What would being negative about it do for me?” Niess, who opened Eclips Salon and Day Spa in 1996, went into WinnMed for her annual mammogram on her birthday in May of 2021 — just like she did every year. “I’ve been very fortunate in that I’ve had the same technician do all my mammograms,” she said. “So, she knew my breasts pretty well. I feel that’s important, because we develop a relationship with them. A mammogram isn’t a comfortable thing to have done, and having the same technician just puts you a little more at ease, and you can ask for a speciﬁc technician.” WinnMed in Decorah now offers three-dimensional mammograms, which produce a

much clearer picture than two-dimensional mammography machines, and Niess said that’s how her tumor was found. “The tumor that I had was so small that I could not have felt it, and it could not have been felt during an exam,” Niess said. “The only way it could have been found is with the 3D mammogram.” After ﬁnding the tiny mass, Niess’s doctor conducted a biopsy, which revealed the tumor was malignant. She said she, like many cancer patients, found herself making decisions and learning terminology to navigate a scenario she hoped to never experience in the ﬁrst place. Niess said that after the

lumpectom y, her doctors would likely have prescribed chemotherapy or radiation therapy, but the lumpectomy didn’t reveal clear margins, which meant the cancer had spread beyond the original mass. Her doctors performed a second lumpectomy, yielding the same results. “That was a little scary,” Niess said. The surgeon gave Niess several options on how they could proceed, and her doctor recommended a bilateral mastectomy — the removal of both breasts. “That may sound kind of extreme, but I don’t know how some women choose to have

Jody Niess of Decorah with her husband Dale Ellickson. Niess had a double mastectomy in 2021 and has found that it’s possible not only to survive cancer but also to thrive after cancer. (Photo submitted)

just one breast removed,” Niess said. “You have tubes coming out of your body — that they send you home with — for the drainage, and you have to put those tubes in a little sack that you hang around your neck when you take a shower. It’s not pretty to see, but if they had taken only one breast, how would I dress? How do I function? In my case, taking both of them was the perfect thing to do.” Niess’s double mastectomy took place on Aug. 3, 2021, and returning home with only her husband to care for her was difﬁcult, she said. It was about two weeks before Niess could look at herself in the mirror.

“I’m very squeamish about things, and there were three tubes coming out of my body,” she said. “I didn’t even want to look at that, and God bless my husband, because three times a day, those tubes had to be emptied, because they’re taking fluid out, so you don’t get an infection. And, you have to measure the amount of fluid, the color of the fluid — three times a day you have to do that. And, they don’t take them out until there is no longer fluid or drainage. So, you’re living with tubes coming out of your body. It was kind of a scary time.” By the end of that September, Niess’s stitches had dissolved, and she became more comfortable with seeing her new reflection. “I think initially it was hard to see, but you just kind of reconcile with yourself that this is how you’re going to look,” she

said. “I’m sure it’s emotional for some women, but it wasn’t as emotional as I thought it would be.” Niess then needed to decide if she wanted reconstructive surgery. She said she and her husband talked about that decision at length. “For one thing, I was 67 years old, and reconstruction is a whole other process and a whole lot of other surgeries,” she said. “I think age has a lot to do with it, and your spouse or significant other would have a lot to do with it — even though at the end, it’s your decision to make. I just didn’t want anymore surgeries. It’s not important to me. I’m over it. And, I’m fortunate to have a great husband who took care of me and who still finds me sexy without breasts, which shows you what type of a man he is also — and the strength of our relationship also.” Niess opted out of reconstructive surgery — instead celebrating the fact that she’ll never need another mammogram for the rest of her life while remaining eternally grateful for the help and support she received from a good friend’s local nonprofit organization throughout the fight for her life. “I was a big donor for Celebration of Life for years — never thinking I would ever be

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the recipient of any of it,” Niess said. ‘Every day is a celebration’ Niess has been friends with Margaret “Mugs” Walter since 1973, and she worked with Walter for years — providing free mammograms for uninsured and under-insured women in Winneshiek County. Walter opened and owned Margaret’s Boutique in downtown Decorah, and she clearly remembers deciding to help women with their breast cancer needs more than 30 years ago. “Just before the first October we hosted programs at the store, I had both of my neighbor ladies, two of my best friends and a gal who worked for me get breast cancer,” Walter said. “I was so upset, and I just thought it’s nice to send a note to someone, but I wanted to do more than that. And, I felt that with the people I knew because of being in business, I could really do some good.” Walter cleaned out her store’s lower level and set up tables and booths. She hosted breast cancer presentations with cancer specialists, pharmacists and other speakers every Saturday each October and helping women sign up for mammogram appointments — all with help from Winneshiek Medical Center, which is now WinnMed. Over time, local businesses noticed what Walter was doing and began financially supporting her endeavors to help women with their mammogram and breast cancer needs. “It then occurred to me that we could do more and raise money, so we started doing free mammograms for under-insured and uninsured women,” Walter said. Ultimately, she and others founded Celebration of Life as a nonprofit organization in 1998. “I had a young lady from Cresco, who had two or three small girls, who was a very good customer of mine, and she

Celebration of Life continued on page 9

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Celebration of Life had stage four cancer,” Walter remembered. “She came into the store all the time, and every time she’d come in, she bought a new dress. Every day, she’d get up, put on makeup and put on a fancy dress, and every time she came in, she and her mother and I would cry, because she was such a brave soul. I was overwhelmed by her strength, and she wanted her little girls to remember her. And, she looked at me and she said, ‘You know, Mugs, every day is a celebration,’ and that stuck with me, and that’s why I named it Celebration of Life.” The nonprofit was well received, according to Walter, and it eventually expanded its services to include not only women, but also men and children.

The Winneshiek County Celebration of Life Board of Trustees is hosting a Nov. 1 fundraising event at the Hotel Winneshiek, including a performance by The Whitesidewalls. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets for the event are $35 each, and Celebration of Life has sold more than 200 tickets so far. Sponsorships and donations in honor of individuals are also available. For more information, visit Celebration of Life’s website at winneshiekcol.com, email winneshiekcountycol@gmail.com or contact any member of the nonprofit’s board of trustees members — Stephanie Cenek, Andy Carlson, Brenda Dietiker, Janelle Halverson, Angela Hansen, Peggy Lensing, Deb Tekippe, Margaret Walter and Julie Wurtzel.

continued from page 8

“Cancer touches everybody,” Walter said, estimating the nonprofit has helped thousands of people in its time. This year is Celebration of Life’s biggest year ever for its “Fuel/Food for the Fight” program, which helps cover travel expenses for people during their cancer treatments. Walter said the organization typically helps 72 Winneshiek County residents through that program each year, but its helped close to 80 so far in 2024. Recipients are given gift cards for both fuel and food as well as a greeting card informing them “Somebody in this community cares about you.” “That says a lot about the community,” Walter said. “We couldn’t do it if it was just us,

Current Winneshiek County Celebration of Life Board of Trustees members include Stephanie Cenek, Andy Carlson, Brenda Dietiker, Janelle Halverson, Angela Hansen, Peggy Lensing, Deb Tekippe, Margaret Walter and Julie Wurtzel. (Photo submitted) and we get a lot who pay it forward. After people have heard from us and their cancer is

better or they’re feeling better, they’ll send us a check and note to let us know they’re paying

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and public fundraisers. Both South Winneshiek and Decorah High Schools hold events each year to benefit the nonprofit — as does Oneota Country Club, the Oneota Community Co-op and others. “People try to support us as best they can, and we couldn’t do it without them.”

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their gift forward. It’s all so appreciated — especially the fuel assistance right now. I know people who have made 50, 60, 70 trips for their cancer. That’s a lot, and it’s scary.” Walter said the Decorah community has been very generous in supporting Celebration of Life through private donations

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‘Cold-Blooded Redhead’ shares snakes, lizards and tarantula at Decorah Public Library event PHOTOS LEFT TO RIGHT- Lindsay McDermott, also known as the Cold-Blooded Redhead, tells youths about Rango the bearded dragon during her presentation at the Decorah Public Library Saturday morning. A local youth smiles for the camera with a ball python named “Byron.” A local youngster holds a tarantula for the ﬁrst time during Lindsay McDermott’s presentation at the Decorah Public Library. (Photos by Zach Jensen)

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ing and teach local children about cold-blooded creatures. “I especially love inviting performers or educators who work with live animals,” said Decorah Public Library’s Children’s and Young Adult Librarian Sophie Nall. “We live in a pretty rural part of the state and don’t have super access to zoos or museums. So, I think it’s really cool that the library can power that access and education. And, also, who doesn’t love lizards?” McDermott acquired her first reptile — a snake — five years ago, and she said her business’ purpose is to educate people about reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates by audiencesthe opportunity to have hands-on experiences with each. “The best thing about doing these programs is when I get to see peoples’ mindsets change,” McDermott said. “Someone may come in terrified of snakes or tarantulas, but then they leave wanting to own one. Even if people don’t want to change their minds or get over their fears, it is important that they learn these animals deserve our

respect and understand their importance to the environment.” Nall said other presentations in the last year included a shark-petting opportunity and a showing of Iowa State University’s insect zoo. “To me personally, the insect zoo was the freakiest one,” she said. “But, one thing I appreciate about all these educators is that, even if they’re working with animals that are unsavory for a lot of people, they make a real point to say ‘These are creatures that deserve our respect.’” About 100 people pre-registered for Saturday’s event — most of whom were children, Nall said. “A lot of families get really excited about our programs,” Nall said. “Many of our families can’t make it to programs during the week, so when we have a Saturday program, we get a really good turnout.” For more information on the Cold-Blooded Redhead, visit handsonreptiles.com. For information on events at the Decorah Public Library, visit decorahlibrary.org.

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After 20 years with local manufacturer Gemini, Holly Falck is retiring. Holly Falck, Cut-Out Fabricator, is retiring on September 27th, 2024, after 20 years at Gemini. Holly’s journey with Gemini began in 2004 and throughout her career, she has been an integral part of the Flat Cut Acrylic Plant. She has spent the entirety of her time at Gemini as a laser programmer and operator. Holly’s expertise, commitment, and hard work have left a lasting impact on her colleagues and on Gemini as a whole.

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continued from page 4 Marsh the other evening, but fortunately the actual damage to the Marsh was minimal. …Decorah Public Schools has hired Marvin Pankow of Decorah. He will succeed Arlin Ruffridge as custodian at the school. …The local hospital has announced the closure of a sixbed “extended care” department, due to lack of utilization. …Decorah’s new teachers this fall are Homer Hjerleid, Susan Cassady, Melaine Hippen and Diane Lovstuen. …Decorah’s Keith Ellingson led the way for the Decorah Vikings in a recent cross-country victory over Cresco. …Locals are facing the question millions of Americans are asking themselves. Will Evel Knievel really jump across the Snake River Canyon?

ORTY YEARS AGO 1984: Oneota Housing Inc., is placing brick siding on the first 20 apartments constructed a few years ago, thanks to a donation from the estate of Mildred McIntosh. The housing is designed for the elderly. …The local newspaper has switched to a six-column design format starting this month. …Among the new teachers at Decorah Schools this fall are Lisa Witzke, Laurie Uhlenhake, Phyllis Lehtinen, Dennis Flodeen, Keith Halverson and Joel Rollinger. …It’s official! The Northeast Iowa Conference will support six-on-six girls’ basketball at it presently exists in Iowa. Jim Schreffler is the coach, and he said the school will not switch to the five-on-five rules.

HIRTY YEARS AGO - 1994: The Decorah Vikings football team rained on the parade of No. 1-ranked Mt. Pleasant with an exciting 20-16 victory over the Panthers last week. …A riverside recreational trail project is gaining support. The area is along the old Dug Road section of the Upper Iowa River. Luther’s Alpha Phi Omega fraternity plans to raise 1 million pennies for the proposed rec trail. …There is a new quarterly magazine of arts and ideas based in Decorah. The magazine, Trapeze, will debut later this fall.

EN YEARS AGO – 2014: Winneshiek County Development is seeking a new director. WCDI has contracted with Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission for assistance in the search. …A celebration is planned for retiring Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Pastor Joan Mau. …Brad Johansen has taken over as new Decorah boys’ cross-country coach. …The estate auction of Norb and Jo Tierney was conducted recently at the fairgrounds in Decorah.

The annual beneﬁt auction for Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, will be held online from noon on Saturday, Oct. 6 until 9 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13. Items are available to view at biddingforgood.com/ VEST-AUCTION. The upcoming auction features 74 items, including oneof-a-kind folk art pieces by artists working in the Norwegian tradition. Included is a selection of rosemaling, weavings, traditional needlework, jewelry, Norwegian clothing and woodworking. Many of the pieces in the beneﬁt auction were donated by Vesterheim gold medalists and exhibition ribbon winners from Vesterheim’s biennial judged competition, The National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition. Proceeds from the auction

will benefit the Vesterheim Annual Fund in support of Vesterheim’s Folk Art School, which has provided classes since 1967 in fiber arts, woodworking, painting, cooking, jewelry, blacksmithing, knifemaking and more. “Through exceptional support from artists and donors, combined previous auctions have raised more than $195,000 for the Folk Art School,” said Kim Toussaint, Vesterheim Benefit Auction coordinator. “Please help support Vesterheim Museum and help keep these wonderful Norwegian folk-art traditions alive.” A raffle will be held, with the grand prize being an eight-day European river cruise for two. Questions regarding the auction may be directed to Kim Toussaint at 563-382-9681 or ktoussaint@vesterheim.org.

Questers donate to Bodensteiner window restoration

During the ﬁrst meeting after the summer break, the Questers Day Springs Chapter 1454 donated $300 to the Winneshiek County Historical Society for window restoration of the Bodensteiner House. The donation came from dealers’ rent for space at the Nordic Fest Antique Show, which was spearheaded by Questers members Joy Bahneman, Kris Elizabeth Lorentzen (left) of the WinneLynch and Julia Wall. shiek County Historical Society accepts The Nordic Fest the $300 check from Quester member Antique Show had Kris Lynch. (Photo submitted) been absent for many years, and its return was Questers also thanked the Decwelcomed by both dealers and orah Area Chamber of Comshoppers. The six dealers of- merce and Nordic Fest Board fered a variety of items and for their support. furniture, ranging from ScandiThe Questers hope to continnavian primitives to midcentury ue the antique show next year. modern. Those wishing to participate or The Questers wholeheart- who may know of a potential edly thanked Caleb Ulring for site for the show in downtown the use of his building, former- Decorah are asked to contact ly Donlan’s, at no cost. The the chamber.

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Photo submitted playing and engaging stage presence,” said Susan Potvin, director of programming and outreach. “They are bringing an exciting show to Luther entitled ‘Grooves and Meditations,’ which will showcase a diverse repertoire ranging from a Stevie Wonder cover to a brand-new commission.”

Tickets for the show as well as the pre-show dinner are available online at tickets.luther.edu or at the Luther Box Ofﬁce in the Center for Faith and Life. Contact the ticket ofﬁce at tickets@luther.edu or 563-387-1357.

Law Enforcement Decorah Police Department Larry Joseph Zahasky, age 74, of Decorah was charged with operating while under the influence — second offense — and possession of a dangerous weapon while intoxicated at approximately 5:48 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 in rural Decorah. An officer responded to a report of a male passed out and bleeding in a yard. The officer observed both a firearm and “a bottle of Jim Beam that was almost empty” in Zahasky’s waistband. A separate party had reported a vehicle matching Zahasky’s Jeep colliding with their mailbox. Zahasky was arrested and booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 7:10 p.m. the same day. Adrian Gonzalez-Martinez, age 26, was charged with operating while intoxicated — first offense — driving without a valid license and open container at approximately 1:45 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 22 in the parking lot of Dunning’s Spring in Decorah. He was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 3:20 a.m. the same day. Rex Heins, age 57, of Postville was charged with trespassing/refusal to vacate at approximately 1:58 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 in the 900 block of Short Street in Decorah. Heins had been told the more than a year ago he was not to return to Hibbett Sports, according to the complaint, but believed the store manager was no longer employed there and the order was void. The complaint said the former store

manager was now the district manager and happened to recognize Heins while at the store. Heins was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 2:51 p.m. the same day. Sarah Thomas, age 30, of Lacrosse, Wisconsin, was charged with attempted third-degree burglary at approximately 3:54 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 in the 900 block of Short Street in Decorah. Thomas admitted to “walking through the Hy-Vee parking lot, attempting to enter unoccupied vehicles,” according to a criminal complaint. Thomas told police she was not attempting to steal the vehicles, but claimed she was looking for an item — she was unable to tell police what item she was looking for. Thomas was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 4:35 p.m. the

same day. Danielle Pitts, age 22, of Mount Vernon was charged with operating while intoxicated — ﬁrst offense — at approximately 1:48 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 29 in the area of College Drive in Decorah. A criminal complaint said Pitts drove a vehicle on the sidewalk and into the Kwik Star convenience store parking lot, “nearly striking a guide wire to a utility pole.” Her blood alcohol concentration as found to be more than twice the legal limit to operate a vehicle in Iowa. She was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 3:30 a.m. the same day. All people listed may face charges and should be presumed innocent until their case is reviewed through the legal process.

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Northeast Iowa Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) The City of Decorah, IA (pop. 7,615) is accepting applications for the positon of Northeast Iowa Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Volunteer Coordinator. The position is part-time (18 hours/week) at $18/hour with no beneﬁts.The ideal candidate is someone with a collaborative mindset and is passionate about community involvement and volunteer service.

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Imani Winds, the 2024 Grammy winner in the Classical Compendium category, will perform as part of Luther College’s 2024–25 Center Stage Series at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10 in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. The Imani Winds members are Monica Ellis, bassoon; Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe; Brandon Patrick George, ﬂute; Kevin Edward Newton Jr., French horn; and Mark Dover, clarinet. Imani Winds was founded more than 25 years ago, and has been nominated for multiple Grammy awards. Their work embraces both traditional chamber music and newly commissioned pieces which have inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds. “The Imani Winds have a well-deserved international reputation for their masterful

Help Wanted

TO APPLY

For Rent

Imani Winds to perform during Luther College’s Center Stage Series

39-10-DL-12

WENTY YEARS AGO - 2004: The Decorah City Council has grounded a proposal for a regional airport by a 4-3 vote. The vote essentially stops the project from moving forward. …Iowa’s Lieutenant Governor, Sally Pederson, was in town recently to award the community the state’s “Iowa Shines” designation. …Julie Buddenberg, a 16-year-old junior at Decorah High School, is the new 2004 Iowa draft horse queen. She also won the senior high point overall ranking in the State Fair draft horse show, with her horses Kenny and Jayson.

Vesterheim folk-art beneﬁt auction to be held Oct. 6-13

Applications accepted until position has been ﬁlled. The ﬁrst review of applications will be October 4, 2024. M/F Disabled and Veteran EEO/AA Employer

Come join our West Side Dental team! Duties & Responsibilities • Screening patients during checkups • Reviewing a patient’s dental history • Oral hygiene education and recommending care to patients • Performing preventive maintenance, periodontal maintenance, and scaling/root planing procedures • Taking and reviewing x-rays • Sterilizing dental instruments and trays Requirements • Must be licensed as a RDH to practice in the state of Iowa and meet other applicable state requirements • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills • Possess a professional and positive attitude

Our growing oﬃce is seeking a highly motivated, skilled, and dedicated

Dental Hygienist

PART-TIME

RECYCLING ROUTE DRIVER

to provide quality care to our patients.

Position responsible for driving recycling van Monday-Friday from 6:00AM until done (averaging 13 hours/week)

TO APPLY

Please email your resume to our oﬃce at operationsmanager@ westside.dental or mail/drop oﬀ your application to: West Side Dental, 108 5th Avenue, Decorah, IA 52101

The Decorah Community School District is an EEO/AA employer.

Malcom Enterprises is now hiring

Duties include residential & commercial recycling pickup (ex. cardboard, paper & tin) • No CDL required • Must have good driving record • Must be able to lift 50+ pounds Call Malcom Enterprises for more information

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Echoes

563-382-4497 Decorah, Iowa

39-2-LD-12

PUBLIC NOTICES/NEWS

Oneota Co-op’s Fall Frolic and 50th anniversary celebration included a blend of bluegrass and traditional Celtic music from Switchback. RIGHT- One attendee simply called them “Erik Sessions’ Beets”, referring to the beet and feta salad served at the celebration, which was made with beets grown at Sessions’ Patchwork Green Farm. (Photos by Denise Lana)

Oneota Co-op’s Board of Directors President Piper Wood, who started working at the co-op in the midst of Covid-19 after graduating from Luther College in 2020, said the co-op was the place where she saw the beauty of Decorah’s community.

Co-op continued from front

reminisced about her experiences since joining the group and what the co-op means to her. “In 2020 when I left college and needed a place to work, the co-op is the place that showed me the beauty of our community,” she said. “When I think about 50 years, I think about five decades of farmers and local businesses who have used the co-op as a springboard for all their amazing local goodness that they have to offer us. The dreams all the owners had when they started the buyers’ club, they are still very alive today.” Board member Hannah

Breckbill was eager to share details about the co-op’s new grant program, Grow the Good, which began in 2023. Members of the co-op’s board raised approximately $14,000 to be distributed to local food producers and used to assist with food distribution. She said producers at Fiddlehead Knob were able to double the available growing space for their mushrooms. Driftless Seeds also received a small grant through the coop’s Grow the Good program and used the funds to purchase a caterpillar tunnel to manage weeds and offer a controlled growing space for crops. “With that success on our

first try, we think we can build momentum, and it’s really exciting for me to think about year two,” Breckbill said of the grant program. As the sun fell behind the tree line, musical trio Switchback, with their blend of bluegrass and traditional Celtic music, motivated people to get out of their chairs and on their feet, and images from the coop’s past were projected onto a metal silo near Luna Valley’s pavilion. And, with the first 50 years of the co-op behind it, Furler encouraged the audience to refer to those previous decades as “our first 50 years.”

election this November. B. Wellmark ID Card/MGD ID Card presented by Brian Huinker. a. There is still a lot of confusion with the tier 3 “out of network” procedures that are billed through Gundersen La Crosse. b. We have tried printing a second ID card from Midwest Group Benefits and it caused a lot of confusion and more issues. c. Discussed the option of removing the “POS” point of service plan all together, if the majority of employees were not on this plan. d. A quarterly “educational” email was discussed that could be disbursed to employees with helpful information. e. Brian Huinker/AP will create an educational video to share with the participants to explain the partial funding process and the Tier 3 issue of the Blue POS Plan. C. Introduction to “Nice Healthcare” was presented by Justin Pieper. a. A direct primary care plan that offers on demand access to mid-level providers, either in your own home or at your place of employment. b. $45 per month, per employee for in person care for 2025 or $28 per month, peremployee for virtual care in 2025. c. This is not yet available in our area, but the company has acquired a license in lowa and this could be an option in the future. D. Reliance Hospital (pregnancy) Plan was presented by Brian Huinker. a. $30.90 per month (employee payroll deduction). No cost to NEISIT. b. $1,000 hospital benefit plus $200/ day for mother & $1,000 hospital benefit plus $100/day for newborn. Approximately $2,600 for a pregnancy benefit. c. Guaranteed issue when the plan is first rolled out to employees, but after initial open enrollment period is over pre-existing conditions would apply in subsequent years. d. Not all school districts have to offer this plan, but do have to meet a 10% participation minimum. E. Blood draw and flu shot deadlines discussed by Justin Pieper. a. November 15” is the deadline for the Business Managers to send the data to Pam DePeuw for labs/flu shot clinics for the participants to receive the $100 incentive checks from Reliance Standard. b. Retirees (and spouses) can participate if they have the district insurance plan but they will not receive the $100 incentive payment. F. ACA Exchange Update presented by Brian Huinker. a. Income changes will be made for 2025, expected to go down. b. It will be up to each district if they want to present this to employees. Contact Brian with questions directly related to the “spousal glitch”. G. Dental CD maturity presented by Justin Pieper. a. Dental CD is maturing at the end of October 2024. b. Suggested that when the CD matures, put those funds into the claims account. c. Rachel Narum explained that there is no longer a checking account open to put these funds in. Motion by New Hampton to place Dental CD funds into the claims account at maturity. Seconded by Decorah. Motion carried unanimously. Discussion Items: A. lowa 509A Early Retiree Letter presented by Justin Pieper. a. Asample letter for districts to communicate to early retirees is available. b. Each district is responsible for the communication and billing of retiree plans. Adjourn: Motion by North Fayette Valley to adjourn at 11:20 a.m. Seconded by South Winneshiek. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully Submitted, Jay Mathis, Board President, 9/30/24 Kaia Piggott, Board Secretary, 9/30/24 Decorah (Iowa) Leader October 3, 2024

the second publication of this notice or one month from the date of the mailing of this notice (unless otherwise allowed or paid) a claim is thereafter forever barred. Dated this 17th day of September, 2024. Tim Willcockson, Administrator of the Estate P.O. Box 93092, Des Moines IA 50309 Anne E.H. Kruse Attorney for the Administrator Anne E.H. Kruse, P.C. P.O. Box 359 McGregor, IA 52157 Phone: 563-873-8912 Fax: 319-377-8147 Date of second publication: October 3, 2024 Decorah (Iowa) Leader September 26 & October 3, 2024

IN THE IOWA DISTRICT COURT FOR WINNESHIEK COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF LAURA MAE BOICE DECEASED PROBATE NO. ESPR 016323 NOTICE OF PROBATE OF WILL, APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTOR AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS To All Persons Interested in the Estate of Laura Mae Boice, Deceased, who died on or about August 23, 2024: You are hereby notified that on September 6, 2024, the Last Will and Testament of Laura Mae Boice, deceased, bearing date of November 14, 2022, was admitted to probate in the above-named court and that Darrell Baker was appointed Personal Representative(s) of the estate. Any action to set aside the Will must be brought in the District Court of the county within the later to occur of four months from the date of the second publication of this Notice or one month from the date of mailing of this Notice to the surviving spouse and all heirs of the decedent and devisees under the Will whose identities are reasonably ascertainable, or thereafter be forever barred. Notice is further given that all persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned, and creditors having claims against the estate shall file them with the Clerk of the abovenamed District Court, as provided by law, duly authenticated, for allowance, and unless so filed by the later to occur of four months from the second publication of this Notice or one month from the date of mailing of this Notice (unless otherwise allowed or paid) a claim is thereafter forever barred. Dated September 16, 2024. Personal Representative(s) of the Estate Darrell Baker 2588 Village Road, Decorah, Iowa 52101 Larson Law Office By: Dennis G. Larson (IA. AT0004530) (MN 00060501) 312 W. Main St. Decorah, Iowa 52101 563-382-8449 / 5936 Attorney for Darrell Baker, Personal Representative(s) Date of second publication: October 3, 2024 Decorah (Iowa) Leader September 26 & October 3, 2024

Public Notices Board Minutes September 23, 2024 The Board of Supervisors met at 9:30am September 23, 2024 with Kelsay, Vick, Langreck, and Faldet present in person; and Vermace present electronically. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was recited, and the meeting was called to order. TJ Schissel, Landfill Director and Rural Waste Coordinator, met with the Board to give updates on the data collection and program changes being considered for the Rural Waste Collection program. Michael Kueny, County Engineer, met with the Board to review road projects. Consensus of the Board was to renew the Iowa Recycling Association membership so that the County can post the opening for the Recycling Supervisor position in their publication and on-line site. Moved by Vick and seconded by Vermace to appoint Faldet and Kelsay to provide guidance and resources for the Recycling Center in Scott Logsdon’s, current Recycling Supervisor, absence. Motion carried unanimously. Andy Van Der Maaten, County Attorney, met with the Board to discuss county issues. Moved by Faldet and seconded by Kelsay to approve the consent agenda which includes the minutes of the last meeting, the claims filed with the Board, and to accept and file the monthly report of the VA Commission. Motion carried unanimously. Moved by Kelsay and seconded by Faldet to adjourn to 9:30am Monday, September 30, 2024. Motion carried unanimously. Benjamin D Steines, County Auditor Daniel Langreck, Chair Board of Supervisors Claims 09-23-2024 ... General Basic Fund Allamakee Co Solid Waste , BalePurchase.....................................607.45 Allamakee-Clayton Electric,Utility....... 50.88 Alliant Energy,Utilities..................... 3,635.18 Anderson Law Office Legal, Services............................................. 400.00 Mike Ashbacher, Services....................300.00 Beaver Creek Graphix, Supplies.......... 101.00 Black Hills Energy, Natural Gas Service............................................... 306.93 David Blocker, Transport.......................20.00 Calmar Motors, Services......................302.63 Carolan’s Ag & Repair, Services......5,626.38 City of Decorah, Services...............10,000.00 Column Software PBC, Publications... 224.27 Copyland, Printing............................... 159.80 Christian Cutsforth, Reimbursement..... 30.00 Decorah Ace Hardware, Supplies.......... 15.99 Decorah Community Schools, Services............................................. 187.70 Decorah Leader, Publications.............. 348.72 Decorah Mobile Glass, Services.......... 295.00 Delta Dental of Iowa, Payment..............88.74 Drilling All Season Sports, Parts........... 34.59 Elan Financial Services, Payment........ 323.17 Farmers Union Co-op, Supplies............. 50.16 Kathryn Fassbinder, Services...............200.00 Hageman Cleaning, Services...............200.00 Hawkeye Sanitation, Inc, Services....... 720.00 Healthcare First, Services.................... 111.02 Heron Consulting, Inc., Services......1,800.00 Huber’s Store, Supplies......................... 92.50 ImperialDade, Supplies........................ 802.52 Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, Registration......................................... 75.00 John Deere Financial, Supplies............ 119.32 Mike Johnson, Camp Host..................... 83.00 Ian Kemp, Services.............................. 264.50 Kwik Trip Inc, Fuel...........................1,143.25 LA Communications, Inc, Advertising........................................285.00 Dr. Kevin Locke, Services................... 160.00 LTI Water Conditioning, Parts...............90.00 John Lubke, Meeting............................. 29.88 Lynch Dallas, P.C., Legal Services...... 585.00 Anna Mark M.D., Services.................. 375.00 Martin Bros. Distributing, Supplies..1,060.04 Dan Marx, Reimbursement.................... 40.00 McKesson Medical Surgical, Supplies.......................................... 1,311.36 Mediacom, Services............................. 252.58 Hanna Meyer, Reimbursement.............. 20.00 Midwest Computer Brokers, Inc., Services............................................. 100.00 MiEnergy Cooperative, Utilities....... 1,476.95 Monroe Systems for Business, Supplies............................................... 74.42 MWSCO, Supplies............................... 344.05 Napa Auto Parts, Parts...........................53.21 NE IA Comm Action Corp, Appropriation............................... 59,417.00 Netsmart Technologies, Inc., Maintenance Agreement................ 3,446.71 Evan Neubauer, Reimbursement............ 20.00 North Slope Estate’s LLC, Rental........ 168.00 O’Reilly Automotive, Inc., Parts............ 38.00 Oneota Estates Association, Fees.........300.00 POC Network Technologies, Services.425.00 Quadient Fiance USA, Inc., Postage......................................... 10,090.22 Racom Corporation, Services.............. 147.88 Rapids Reproductions, Inc, Supplies... 516.65 Ricoh USA Inc, Maintenance Agreement......................................1,395.85 Sanitation Resources, Inc, Services.......63.50 John Scheeler, Transport........................90.00 Schilling Supply Company, Supplies... 329.24

Barb Schroeder, Reimbursement......... 107.70 Short Elliott Hendrickson, Inc, Services........................................14,670.33 State Medical Examiners Office, Services..........................................2,134.38 Steve’s Car Care, Services..................... 22.50 Storey Kenworthy, Supplies................. 252.28 Superior Building Centers, Materials.... 21.00 Thrifty White Pharmacy, Services.... 1,096.35 Trewin Pumping Service, Rental...........97.50 UnityPoint Clinic, Services....................42.00 Upper Explorerland RPC, Services... 1,667.01 US Cellular, Cell Service..................... 685.09 Krista Vanden Brink, Reimbursement.172.17 Steve Vanden Brink, Services..............240.00 Verizon Wireless, Cell Service............. 945.66 Vestis, Services....................................141.50 Washington County Sheriff, Fees........200.00 Willoughby Industries, Inc., Equipment.........................................512.93 Windridge Implements, LLC, Parts..... 231.06 WinnMed, Services................................59.00 Wright Way Computers, LLC, Services.............................................102.25 American Rescue Plan, ArcaSearchLLC........ Services.............................................497.90 General Supplemental Fund.. Cynthia Albers, ElectionWorker.................................240.00 Leslie Battle, Election Worker.............262.50 City of Ridgeway, Election Rent......... 100.00 Susan Haemker, Election Worker.......... 33.75 Henry M. Adkins & Son, Inc, Services............................................. 223.51 ICAP, Insurance................................1,732.00 Iowa Secretary of State, Services......2,583.00 Lois Kuennen, Election Worker...........262.50 Patricia Lien, Election Worker...............33.75 Charles Lore, Election Worker.............244.43 Elaine Lore, Election Worker...............240.00 Chrisopher Miculinich, Election Worker............................................... 240.00 Joseph Needham, Election Worker......218.17 Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff’s Fees...................................... 32.68 JoAnn Thorsten, Election Worker..........56.25 Paul Wermers, Election Worker........... 224.20 Winn Co Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Fees.......................................212.20 Water Testing Grant Fund, Elan Financial Services, Payment..........99.69 Lee Hendickson, Plug Well.................. 700.00 State Hygienic Laboratory, Services....420.00 Rural Services Basic Fund Alliant Energy, Utilities.........................20.38 Arden Auna,Meeting..............................50.00 Bruce Bergsgaard, Meeting...................50.00 John Berlage, Mileage........................... 39.30 Erik Bodensteiner, Meeting.................100.00 Sharon Borcherding, Meeting................ 50.00 Kendall Curtis, Meeting.........................50.00 Austin Dodd, Mileage............................ 27.51 Kathryn Erickson, Mileage.................... 40.61 Christopher Hackman, Meeting...........100.00 Thomas Hansen, Meeting...................... 50.00 Mary Hoffman, Mileage........................47.16 Leland Hovey, Meeting..........................50.00 Kwik Trip Inc, Fuel................................ 78.86 Steve Langland, Mileage.......................42.58 Karen Lee, Meeting............................... 50.00 Dave Lewis, Meeting.............................50.00 Dawn Marlow, Meeting.........................50.00 Tony Meyer, Meeting.............................50.00 Melissa O’Rourke, Meeting...................47.16 James Olson, Meeting............................50.00 Alice Palmer, Meeting......................... 100.00 James Palmer, Meeting........................100.00 Joe Pinter, Mileage................................. 32.75 Donna Rasmussen, Mileage...................77.95 Myron Rediske, Meeting.......................50.00 Wendy Stevens, Mileage........................60.92 Verizon Wireless, Cell Service...............36.41 Leroy Webb, Meeting............................ 50.00 Winn Co Landfill, Fees........................ 840.56 Sawyer Wise, Meeting........................... 50.00 Secondary Road Fund Agvantage FS Inc, Propane.............2,7181.81 Alliant Energy, Utilities.......................274.10 Anderson Law Office, Services........... 225.00 BJAWK LLC, Stream Credits...........2,912.00 Black Hills Energy, Natural Gas Service....................................... 114.55 Bruening Rock Prod, Materials.......22,084.03 Calmar Courier, Publications.................75.00 Carolan’s Ag & Repair, Services......1,637.16 City of Ossian, Utilities.........................32.23 City of Ridgeway, Utilities.................... 29.26 Decorah Leader, Publications.............. 227.50 Decorah Mobile Glass, Services..........775.00 Hovden Oil Co, Fuel......................... 3,752.15 Iowa DOT, Payment............................. 592.22 John Deere Financial, Supplies............409.44 K Construction, Services................8,6561.60 Jeffrey Kuboushek, Reimbursement....345.90 Midwest Measurement, Equipment..... 500.00 MiEnergy Cooperative, Utilities.......... 993.99 Mitko Specialty Sales, Parts................216.95 Napa Auto Parts, Parts...........................32.59 Ossian Lumber Inc., Materials...............36.25 Rinker Materials, Supplies..............22,390.71 Spahn & Rose Lumber Co, Materials....29.09 Star Equipment LTD, Equipment...... 2,925.00 UnityPoint Clinic, Services..................336.00 US Cellular, Cell Service.....................188.30 Verizon Wireless, Cell Service.............515.08 Vestis, Services.................................1,395.95 WinnMed, Services..............................467.00

Zarnoth Brush Works Inc, Parts...........700.85 Ziegler Inc, Services....................... 11,417.12 Co Conserv Capital Improv Fund Cedar Lake EZ Dock, Parts.................534.00 Erdman Engineering, Services..........4,244.75 Barb Schroeder, Reimbursement...........45.00 County Assessor Agency Fund Jim Alstad, Reimbursement...................43.44 ISAA, Registration...............................325.00 Kwik Trip Inc, Fuel..............................104.87 Verizon Wireless, Cell Service...............72.83 E911 Surcharge Fund Black Hills Energy, Natural Gas Service.........................................38.20 CenturyLink, E911 Service....................52.38 MiEnergy Cooperative, Utilities.......... 591.27 Power Services Company, LLC, Services.............................................400.00 Emergency Management Comm Casey’s Business MasterCard, Fuel.......15.87 Decorah Electric Inc, Services.......... 5,327.52 Des Moines Stamp, Supplies.................34.00 Olson Explosives, Fuel........................ 111.16 US Cellular, Cell Service.......................41.44 Verizon Wireless, Cell Service...............77.00 Winneshiek Co Health Ins Fund Assured Partners Great Plains, Services........................................10,000.00 Midwest Group Benefits, Health. Insurance......................... 11,500.95 Midwest Group Benefits, Fees.............952.50 Wellmark, Insurance.....................135,804.04 Grand Total...................................505,664.68 Decorah (Iowa) Leader October 3, 2024 Northeast lowa School Insurance Trust September 24, 2024 @ 10:00 a.m. NICC — Wilder Business Center 1625 Hwy 150 South, Calmar, IA 52132 The September 24, 2024 Northeast lowa School Insurance Trust (NEISIT) board meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by Board President Jay Mathis from Allamakee. Members present: Allamakee-Jay Mathis, Kaia Piggott; Decorah-Tim Cronin, Darlene Woodhouse; New Hampton-Jay Jurrens; Howard Winneshiek-Kris Einck, Robyn Lane, Wendy Twait; North Fayette Valley-Joe Griffith, Kassie Stansbery; Postville-Brendan Knudtson; South Winneshiek-Kris Einck, Shira Streeter; Starmont-Rob Busch, Carmen Swales, Katie Taylor; Assured Partners-Brian Huinker, Justin Pieper, Mitch Marlett; Midwest Group Benefits-Rachel Narum, Kelly Elsbernd; Decorah Bank & Trust-Jason Soland. Consent Agenda: A. Motion by New Hampton to approve minutes of previous meetings. Seconded by North Fayette Valley. Motion carried unanimously. B. Motion by South Winneshiek to approve financial reports as presented. Seconded by Starmont. Motion carried unanimously. a. January 2024 i. Medical Claims Paid $162,300.96 ii. Reliance Standard $10,824.54 iii. Wellness $3,355.00 b. February 2024 i. Medical Claims Paid $134,505.03 ii. Reliance Standard $10,807.55 c. March 2024 i. Medical Claims Paid $171,936.80 ii. Reliance Standard $10,816.00 iii. Wellness $1,180.00 iv. Driftless Media $67.91 d. April 2024 i. Medical Claims Paid $358,845.78 ii. Reliance Standard $10,841.35 iii. Driftless Media $39.68 e. May 2024 i. Medical Claims Paid $177,932.78 ii. Reliance Standard $10,816.00 iii. North Fayette Valley $3,210.00 f. June 2024 i. Medical Claims Paid $202,772.38 ii. Reliance Standard $9,063.75 g. July 2024 i. Medical Claims Paid $104,844.05 ii. Liability Insurance $5,597.00 iii. PCORI $3,904.50 h. August 2024 i. Medical Claims Paid $193,987.97 ii. Reliance Standard $18,066.10 iii. Transfer to Claims Account $1,487.43 Old Business: New Business: A. Investment update presented by Jason Soland. a. Haven’t had the opportunity to reinvest when the bonds have matured as the matured funds have been needed for payment of claims. But we also haven’t lost money when we hold bonds until maturity. b. We may have to sell some bonds at loss to cover costs in the future. c. Overall yield currently is 2.8%, we could get this closer to 4% is we sold everything and re-invested resulting in about $180,000 loss and 6-7 years to recoup that loss. d. Jason suggests waiting for the bonds to mature, to ride out the market and reinvest. Our portfolio is small with not many options. The market should hold steady even with the

In the Iowa District Court in and for Winneshiek County In the matter of the estate of Patricia J. Pavlovec, deceased Probate No. ESPR 016320 Notice of appointment of administrator and notice to creditors To All Persons Interested in the Estate of Patricia J. Pavlovec, Deceased, who died on or about March 13, 2023: You are hereby notified that on the 16th day of September, 2024, the undersigned was appointed administrator of the estate. Notice is hereby given that all persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned, and creditors having claims against the estate shall file them with the clerk of the above named district court, as provided by law, duly authenticated, for allowance, and unless so filed by the later to occur four months from

IN THE IOWA DISTRICT COURT FOR WINNESHIEK COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JULIE JARVIS, DECEASED. PROBATE NO. ESPR 016326 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATOR AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS To All Persons Interested in the Estate of Julie Jarvis, Deceased, who died on or about March 6, 2024: You are hereby notified that on September 12, 2024, the undersigned was appointed administrator of the estate. Notice is hereby given that all persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned, and creditors having claims against the estate shall file them with the clerk of the above named district court, as provided by law, duly authenticated, for allowance, and unless so filed by the later to occur four months from the date of the second publication of this notice or one month from the date of the mailing of this notice (unless otherwise allowed or paid) a claim is thereafter forever barred. Dated on September 12, 2024. Jessica Hermans, Administrator of the estate 2975 Cedar Lake Fairbault, MN 55021 Jeremy L. Thompson, ICIS#: AT0009569 Attorney for the Administrator Putnam, Thompson & Casper, P.L.L.C. 801 Commerce Drive, Suite 1 P. O. Box 70 Decorah, IA 52101 Date of second publication: October 3, 2024 Decorah (Iowa) Leader September 26 & October 3, 2024

TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 250 FEET OF THE COREY AND BETH SIMS PROPERTY AND TO OTHER PERSONS WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: An application for a variance to the City Zoning Ordinance(s) has been filed with the Board of Adjustment by Corey and Beth Sims. The property is located at 455 South Street, Ridgeway, Iowa. Legally described as: Lots 23 and 24 of the Southwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter of Section 23 in Township 98 North of Range 10 West of the 5th P.M. in Winneshiek County, Iowa. The request, if approved, would authorize an addition to the existing house and building a new garage. The Enforcing Officer was required, under the provisions of the existing Zoning Ordinance(s), to deny the permit because the addition to the house and the new garage will encroach on several required setbacks. The Board of Adjustment will hold a public hearing on October 15, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. at the City of Ridgeway Community Center, 690 County Street, Ridgeway, Iowa, at which time you may submit your views on the matter in person, by writing or by representative. A copy of the application for building permit/ variance is on file with the City Clerk. You are further notified that any persons not objecting in writing or in person at said hearing, shall be deemed to have consented to the granting of the requested variance by the Board of Adjustment. CITY OF RIDGEWAY BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT Decorah (Iowa) Leader October 3, 2024

NOTICE OF MEETING FOR APPROVAL OF DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH HIGH POINT EAST, L.L.C. AND AUTHORIZATION OF ANNUAL APPROPRIATION TAX INCREMENT PAYMENTS The City Council of the City of Decorah, Iowa, will meet at the Decorah Council Chambers, on October 7, 2024, at 5:45 p.m., at which time and place proceedings will be instituted and action taken to approve a Development Agreement between the City and High Point East, L.L.C. (the “Developer”) in connection with the construction of public infrastructure improvements necessary for the development of a residential subdivision in the Decorah East Side Residential Urban Renewal Area, which Development Agreement provides for certain financial incentives in the form of incremental property tax payments to the Developer in a total amount not exceeding $560,000 as authorized by Section 403.9 of the Code of Iowa. The commitment of the City to make incremental property tax payments to the Developer under the Development Agreement will not be a general obligation of the City, but such payments will be payable solely and only from incremental property tax revenues generated within the Decorah East Side Residential Urban Renewal Area. Some or all of the payments under the Development Agreement may be made subject to annual appropriation by the City Council. At the meeting, the City Council will receive oral or written objections from any resident or property owner of the City. Thereafter, the City Council may, at the meeting or at an adjournment thereof, take additional action to approve the Development Agreement or may abandon the proposal. This notice is given by order of the City Council of Decorah, Iowa, in accordance with Section 403.9 of the Code of lowa. /s/ Keri Sand, City Clerk Decorah (Iowa) Leader October 3, 2024

COMMUNITY

DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

Spillville residents attend orloj unveiling at National Czech and Slovak Museum A number of Spillville residents were present during the Reprise of the Presidents and dedication of the Buresh Immigration Clock Tower, which took place Sept. 27 at the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library in Cedar Rapids. This year is the museum’s 50th anniversary, and Friday’s festivities included the unveiling of an orloj clock — a type of astronomical clock — which was part of a project to repair and enhance the museum’s existing clocktower. The museum’s original clocktower was constructed in 1995, according to information from the museum, and the design of the new orloj was based on the Czech Republic’s own astronomical clock in Prague — built in 1410. The Prague Orloj features 12 figures representing the 12 apostles, according to the museum, but the orloj in Cedar Rapids features a dozen figures — each al-

most 4 feet tall, according to the museum — to represent various immigrant stories and the roles they took on, such as a farmer, a coal miner and a meatpacker. Making those connections and telling those stories are fundamental aspects of the museum’s mission, said Cecilia Rokusek, the museum’s president and chief executive officer.

Pictured are (from left to right) Spillville Mayor Paul Wermers, with Spillville historian Michael F. Klimesh and Eileen Tlusty in front of the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library’s Buresh Immigration Clock Tower. (Photos submitted) A Czech version of Cyril Klimesh’s book “They Came to This Place: A History of Spillville Iowa and Its Czech Settlers” was personally presented to Petr Pavel, president of the Czech Republic, by local Spillville historian Michael F. Klimesh.

Community briefs Decorah Area Quilters to meet and hold Trash to Cash event

The Decorah Area Quilters will hold their second meeting of the year at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8 at ArtHaus in Decorah. Members are invited to pay $5 to cover this next year’s membership at this meeting. After a welcome and introductions, members will be sharing any new projects during a show and tell session. The program for the evening will be Trash to Cash - an event in which members bring quilting items they no longer use for other quilters to purchase at what they feel is a fair price. All proceeds will go to the Decorah Area Quilters. The focus of this exchange will be patterns, books and gadgets. There will also be a small celebration in honor of the start of the second year for the Decorah Area Quilters. For more information, please contact Mike Ellingsen at 507-602-0322 or Jarret Johnson at 563-419-6952.

NEIBH seeking public input for program development

Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health is seeking input on service and program development for individuals and/or families addressing issues around mental health and substance use disorders. Information gathered through the survey will assist in planning future programs in Northeast Iowa and addressing treatment barriers. The voluntary survey is anonymous and will be available in English and Spanish. The survey will be available from Oct. 7 through Oct. 28. The public may complete the survey online by visiting www.bit.ly/NEIBHSurvey2024. NEIBH is also offering listening sessions for in-person input from the public: Decorah: 4-5:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at the NEIBH Office, 905 Montgomery St. in Decorah Waukon: 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 14 at Robey Library, 401 First Ave. North in Waukon.

Decorah Parks and Rec walleye fishing clinic

Decorah Parks and Recreation will host a four-hour walleye fishing clinic at 4 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 17, beginning at Whalen Cabin in Phelps Park, Decorah. Anyone 18 years old and older is invited to participate in the event to learn about

walleyes, knot tying techniques, tips on catching walleye and more. Participants are required to have a fishing license, wear appropriate clothing, be able to drive to fishing sites and bring their own rod. Lures will be provided. Email parkrec@decorah.iowa.gov, or call the Park and Recreation office at 56332-4158 for more information.

Touch a Truck event Oct. 12

The Decorah Parks and Recreation Department and Decorah Rotary invites area families to attend the free eighth annual Touch-A-Truck event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 12, in the parking lot behind the Decorah Fire Department. Children will have the opportunity to explore their favorite vehicles, including police, fire and emergency vehicles as well as farm equipment, construction equipment and city maintenance vehicles. The event is hosted by the Decorah Fire Department in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week and includes a free hot dog lunch.

Decorah Community Food Pantry to hold annual food walk

The Decorah Community Food Pantry is sponsoring their annual food walk at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13. The purpose of the walk is to raise community awareness of local food insecurity. The public is encouraged to attend. The walk will begin at the antry location — 110 Railroad Ave. — and proceed down Washington Street uptown to Water Street and then back on Mechanic Street, returning to the pantry. Registration may be paid through a free will donation of cash or non-perishable items for the pantry. In past years, several hundred pounds of items have been donated along with more than $1,000 cash.

Porter House to host graveyard art talk

Lindsey Row-Heyveld will present “How to Read a Graveyard: The Art of Phelps Cemetery” at both 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday Oct. 17 at the Porter House Museum — 401 W. Broadway Street in Decorah. The lecture, part of this year’s “After Dark” lecture at the museum, is free and open to the public. Row-Heyveld is an associate professor of English at Luther College, and she

teaches courses on medieval and early modern English literature, Shakespeare and disability studies. She won a 2024 Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities for her work as a calligraphy artist. Row-Heyveld is fascinated with Decorah’s own graveyard art. She honored persons buried in the potter’s field of Phelps Cemetery by researching their details and creating a calligraphic work of art featuring their names, even though many were buried without a marker. In 2023 and 2024, in connection with a class studying ghost stories, she produced a series of podcasts interviewing students about their month-long focus on a person buried in Phelps Cemetery.

County conservation announces Trees for Kids projects

Winneshiek County Conservation was awarded $7,500 in funding for three Trees for Kids planting projects through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources this fall. A total of 54 trees will be planted this month along Trout Run Trail, at Walden Pond near Castalia and within the city of Spillville. The public is invited help plant trees at 1 p.m., Oct. 20 along the Trout Run Trail. Winneshiek County Conservation, Upper Explorerland’s Safe Routes to School and the Decorah Public Library are collaborating to offer this event, ending with a free meal for all volunteers. Registration is required and can be completed online at winneshiekwild.com/events/ tree-planting-bike-ride. Students from Postville High School and second grad students from St. Teresa’s in Spillville will help plant trees at the other two locations. The city of Spillville is also a partner in these projects. The goal of the Trees for Kids program is to teach young people proper tree planting techniques as well as the importance of native trees for humans and wildlife. More information about Winneshiek County Conservation can be found at winneshiekwild.com or by calling 563-534-7145.

Decorah Public Library announces Safe Touch program for parents

Decorah Public Library is offering a free program on how to talk to children about safe touch

and consent. The program will be presented by staff from the Riverview Center’s Decorah office. This program will run from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, in the library’s mezzanine. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, please email Zach Row-Heyveld at Decorah Public Library at zrow-heyveld@ decorahlibrary.org or call 563382-3717.

Budwegs to speak during senior center program ‘

The Senior Citizens Hospitality Center’s monthly program will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11 at the senior center — 806 River St. in Decorah. Ward and Jacky Budweg travelled the world during a three-year 33,523-mile bicycle adventure and will share their experiences during the Oct. 11 program. The event is free and open to the public. Visitors are welcome to stay for refreshments and fellowship following the presentation.

Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging Plans Caregiver Wellness Day

Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging will host a Caregiver Wellness Day from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Oct. 22, at Northeast Iowa Area Community College’s Calmar Campus — 1625 IA-150 in Calmar. Guest speaker nurse and family caregiver Kim Wilmes will speak on her personal and professional caregiving journey. Exhibit tables from local community vendors will also be available to provide information and resources. Treats, light refreshments and door prizes will be provided. This event is free, but registration is appreciated. Interested parties may contact Kristie Wiltgen at kwiltgen@ nei3a.org or 563-277-6021, or Kelly Kuennen at kkuennen@ nei3a.org or 563-277-6024.

Prairie seed harvest to be held Oct. 16 in Decorah

Decorah Parks and Recreation will host a prairie seed harvest at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the Decorah City Prairie. The public is invited to help collect seed for establishing prairie on other city properties.

Beth Hoven Rotto stands next to the “Black Fiddle” display at the “Hand Me Down the Fiddle” exhibit at the Vesterheim museum in Decorah. (File photo)

Black Fiddle lecture and performance Oct. 4 Vesterheim in Decorah will host a lecture about the Black Fiddle with Paul Sveinall, from Vest-Agder, Norway, at 7 p.m. Oct. 4 in Vesterheim Commons — 508 W. Water St. in Decorah. The lecture will be followed by a performance on the Black Fiddle by Nina Byttingsmyr, from Froland, Norway. The Black Fiddle’s maker, Søren Fleskåsen, called ReveSøren, was a well-known fiddler from Vest-Agder, Norway. The fiddle was dyed a dark color to disguise its inferior quality. Reve-Søren often loaned out the fiddle for events, and seemingly every time it was played things would get out of hand – fights broke out and sometimes the fiddler would be attacked.

People became convinced the fiddle had an evil spirit and called it “Svartefela” — the Black Fiddle. The Oct. 4 lecture and performance is presented in connection with the exhibit “Hand Me Down the Fiddle: Norwegian Fiddlers, Fiddles and Fiddle Tunes in the Upper Midwest,” guest curated by local fiddler and musical historian Beth Hoven Rotto. The exhibit is open at Vesterheim through May 18, 2025. The “Black Fiddle” is in the exhibit on loan from Dorothy Roisland. For more information on exhibits, classes, programs, tours, membership opportunities and ways to contribute, visit vesterheim.org or call 563-382-9681.

Decorah High School recognized as 2024 National Blue Ribbon School U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recently announced Decorah High School is among 356 schools nationwide which have been recognized as 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools. The recognition highlights schools which excel in academic performance or make significant strides in closing achievement gaps among different student groups. This marks the second time Decorah High School has earned the recognition — having been previously recognized in 2011. Decorah High School is one of only five schools in Iowa to be recognized as a Blue Ribbon School for 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Education. “This award reflects the hard work of our students, faculty and staff, along with the tremendous support provided by our parents and community,” said DHS Principal Brad Hurst. “We commend our district colleagues, coaches and activity sponsors for their role in our students’ success. Our collective efforts have built a foundation of excellence, preparing our graduates for success in any endeavor they pursue beyond the walls of Decorah High School.” Organizers said the 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools reflect the full diversity of American education and serve students from all backgrounds.

“The National Blue Ribbon Schools Award is a testament to the exceptional achievements of students and educators at each of these schools,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools are raising the bar for our nation’s students, serving as models for effective teaching and intentional collaboration in their schools and communities. As we celebrate their achievements, let us look to these schools for inspiration as we champion education as the foundation of a brighter future for every child.” Since 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program has honored more than 10,000 public and nonpublic schools. The U.S. Department of Education accepts up to 420 school nominations each year from state directors of education and top education officials from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Council for American Private Education submits nominations for nonpublic schools. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes all schools based on student performance data including assessment results, student subgroup performance and graduation rates. For information, visit nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov.

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NEWS

Law Enforcement Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Ofﬁce

Terri Perry, age 35, was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20 on an unspeciﬁed warrant. Jason Loftsgard, age 37, of Calmar was charged with child endangerment at approximately 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22 in the 500 block of Elm Street in Calmar. A criminal complaint said the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Ofﬁce was called to a disturbance at that location. Deputies observed evidence of past physical abuse, and Loftsgard admitted to previously slapping one of his minor children. He was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 4:35 p.m. the same day. Matthew Henning, age 49, was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 to serve two consecutive days. Trisha Kountkofsky, age 41, was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 to await transport. Sarah Thomas, age 29, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, was charged

with possession of drug paraphernalia, interference with official acts and possession of a controlled substance — first offense — at approximately 4:02 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 near the intersection of Highway 24 and Easy Road in Fort Atkinson. The Calmar Police Department received a report of Thomas trespassing on the South Winneshiek High School grounds, and a Winneshiek County Sheriff’s deputy stopped Thomas’ vehicle some time later. Thomas was found to be in possession of marijuana, a pipe and a marijuana grinder, and she was arrested. A criminal complaint said Thomas “asked deputies to shoot her and attempted to run into traffic.” She also refused to walk to the deputy’s patrol vehicle and had to be restrained after “banging her head off the cage of the patrol car.” Thomas was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 5:20 p.m. the same day. Zachary Polete, age 31, was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 12:55 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 to serve seven consecutive days. Paige Cota, age 28, was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at

7:40 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30 on the charge of domestic abuse/assault. Hunter Youngblood, age 22, was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 5:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30 on an arrest/bench warrant. An Elgin teen was cited for failure to maintain control and possession of alcohol under the legal age after a single vehicle accident Sunday, Sept, 29 south of Ossian. A report from the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Ofﬁce said 18-year-old Ajalyn Raeanna Marie Folsom was driving a 2009 Chevrolet Trail Blazer westbound on 185th Avenue around 9:30 p.m. that day and “failed to traverse a curve to the south. The vehicle entered a ditch and struck a tree. Folsom was taken to WinnMed by ambulance with several injuries, the report said. A 17-year-old male passenger reported injuries but refused medical treatment, according to the report. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $5,500. A Carpenter man reported possible injuries after a single vehicle accident Saturday, Sept. 28 on County Road B32. A report from the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s

Ofﬁce said 47-year-old Jerry Lee Bublitz was driving a 2006 Harley Davidson east along the road and hit loose gravel near the intersection of 227th Avenue. The motorcycle slid into the ditch, and Bublitz was transported to WinnMed by ambulance for possible injuries. Damage to the motorcycle was estimated at $10,000.

partment responded to a report of a “passed-out male laying on the dike near the Trout Run trail and Weis Buick.” The complaint went on to say Escobar told police “he had had some drinks and ‘smoked a little weed.’” A preliminary breath test indicated the 37-year-old’s blood alcohol concentration was more than twice the legal limit to operate a vehicle in Iowa. Escobar was arrested and booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 8 p.m. the same day. Jacob Wayne Willitts, age 28, of Decorah and 25-year-old Devan Patrick Forbes of Decorah were both charged with third-degree burglary. Criminal complaints ﬁled against the two men in July accuse them of unlawfully taking items from at vehicle at approximately 8:55 p.m. July 8 in the 200 block of College Drive — the complaints noted the vehicle had been towed by Don’s Sales and Service in May and was being kept there pending payment. Willits was initially arrested in Chickasaw County and was transported to the Winneshiek County Jail. He was booked at 1 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10 and served

Decorah Police Department

Jamie Mincks, age 44, of Decorah was charged with driving while license denied/suspended/ cancelled or revoked, failure to provide proof of ﬁnancial liability, open container and fraudulent use of registration at approximately 9:29 p.m. Wednesday, Aug 28 in the area of Old Stage Road in Decorah. He was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail the same day. Luis Escobar, age 37, of Decorah was charged with public intoxication — ﬁrst offense — at approximately 6:59 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4 near the intersection of College Drive and Heivly Street in Decorah. The Decorah Police De-

with an arrest warrant. Forbes was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 11:30 p.m. the same day and served with an arrest warrant. Raymond Delagarza, age 40, of Decorah was charged with public intoxication — first offense — at approximately 2:01 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 in the area of State Street in Decorah. An officer reported observing an altercation near the Corner Bar in that area and said witnesses reported Delagarza “had been called a derogatory name” by another male, and Delagarza allegedly told the officer “he was going to smack” the other male but was stopped by a bystander — witnesses also told the officer Delagarza had “thrown a beverage container he was holding at an individual but did not strike anyone.” The 40-year-old was arrested for public intoxication, and the officer later learned an arrest warrant had previously been issued for Delagarza in another case. All people listed may face charges and should be presumed innocent until their case is reviewed through the legal process.

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SPORTS

Trojan coaching tandem aims for success on hardwood

TV still in the hunt for league crown By Kelly Terpstra, sports@nhtrib.com

Turkey Valley’s Traejin Keel (84) pulls the Clarksville ball carrier to the ground as other unidentiﬁed Trojans assist with Logan Busta (1). (Photo courtesy of Leah Kruse)

Trojans fall to Clarksville in non-district matchup TV to host Waterloo Christian in homecoming game By Kelly Terpstra, sports@nhtrib.com Clarksville (4-2) had a touchdown party on Friday night during its homecoming tilt versus Mark Scott’s Trojans. The Indians scored on eight out of its nine offensive possessions and rocketed themselves to a 60-24 non-district win over the Trojans. “Clarksville was a much more physical team. We did not block or tackle as well as they did. Missing three starters on defense led to reshufﬂing positions and it showed,” said Scott, in his 22nd season as head coach of the Trojans. Clarksville sophomore quarterback Nathan Moon rushed for 241 yards on 29 carries and scored six of the Indians’ touchdowns. Moon is the third-best rusher (956 yards) in 8-Man and the Indians are the sixthbest rushing team in their class with 1,516 yards on the ground. The Indians led 22-0 after one quarter of play and held a 30-8 advantage at the break. TV junior quarterback Logan Busta got Turkey Valley on the board for the lone Trojan score of the ﬁrst half on a nineyard TD run. He would have a hand in all three of the Trojans’

scores on the evening. He found Tucker Reicks in the end zone from seven yards out in the third quarter and he racked up another rushing touchdown in the ﬁnal period of play. Busta would ﬁnish with 114 yards on 17 carries. He also passed for 148 yards. Trojan sophomores Kaden Schmidt (63 yards) and Hugo Busta (50 yards) led TV with six combined catches. “Offensively we moved the ball well at times but failed to convert in the red zone several times,” said Scott. Clarksville was able to limit one of 8-Man’s most explosive receivers – Trojan junior wideout J.D. Kruse – to just two catches for 11 yards. Kruse did lead the TV defense with 10.5 tackles. Hunter Kruse, a junior interior lineman for the Trojans, was next in line in the tackle department with 9.5 and junior defensive lineman Traejin Keel came up with nine stops. TV sophomore defensive end Jordan Kriener registered eight tackles. Turkey Valley (2-3, 2-1) has given up an average over 58 points per game in its losses and

has surrendered over 480 yards of offense in those setbacks to Fremont-Mills, Kee High and Clarksville. The state of Iowa accepts the top three teams in each of 8-Man’s 10 districts to the postseason round, which will begin on Friday, Oct. 25 for the state’s four smallest classes (8-Man, A, 1A, 2A). 8-Man also allows two at-large teams to qualify for the 32-team playoffs. Turkey Valley was one of those at-large postseason qualiﬁers last fall. Turkey Valley hosts Waterloo Christian (2-3, 1-2) in its homecoming game this Friday in Jackson Junction. TURKEY VALLEY STATS Rushing - Logan Busta 17-114, Kaden Schmidt 7-31, Hugo Busta 7-25. Passing - Busta 10-20-148. Receiving - Schmidt 3-63, H. Busta 3-50, Tucker Reicks 2-24, J.D. Kruse 2-11. Tackles - Kruse 10.5, Hunter Kruse 9.5, Traejin Keel 9, Jordan Kriener 8, L. Busta 5, Schmidt 3.5, H. Busta 2.5, Eli Holthaus 2, Wyatt Maklenburg 1.5, Mitchell Kriener 0.5. Kickoff returns - Schmidt 4-10, J.D. Kruse 3-36, Reicks 1-0, H. Kruse 1-0. Punt returns - J.D. Kruse 1-15. Kickoffs - J. Kriener 4-147. Punts - J.D. Kruse 2-71.

Four Trojans take to course at Waukon By Kelly Terpstra, sports@nhtrib.com Three Turkey Valley sophomores cross country runners, plus a freshman, took to the Waukon Golf and Country Club last week Tuesday. They didn’t bring any golf clubs, but they made sure to traverse the fairways of the course in respectable times across the ﬁnish line. Trojan sophomore Bella Stika ran to a 30th-place ﬁnish in a time of 23:01.33. Fellow sophomore Hazel Nieman produced a time of 23:06.61, which saw her cross

the tape in the 32nd position. Nieman improved her time by over 31 seconds from her last race at Starmont, which was 23:37.86. TV freshman Madalyn Vsetecka worked her way to a 38thplace ﬁnish in the JV girls race in 26:26.81. Avery Franzen, another sophomore, ran to a 45th-place result in the JV boys race in 22:42.51. He improved his time by an incredible reduction of almost 2:46 from his prior performance at Starmont. His time at

Tammy Vrzak and Ashley Walz are in season two of their tenure as a coaching tandem for the Turkey Valley volleyball squad. The Trojan co-coaches took over for Shelbie Balk midway through the season last fall and helped guide the Trojans to a 6-2 league mark and third place finish in the Upper Iowa Conference. Currently, TV (10-10, 4-1) sits in second place behind first place North Fayette Valley (113, 3-0), but the Trojans have played two more league contests than the TigerHawks. Turkey Valley played rival South Winneshiek (14-10, 2-1) on Tuesday and finishes off the UIC slate next week Tuesday, Oct. 8 at West Central and the following Thursday on the road versus MFL MarMac. Walz, a South Winn grad, talked about the strengthening coaching bond between herself and Vrzak – a key element that could propel the Trojans to even greater heights during the latter portion of this regular season. Vrazak has over two decades of experience of coaching volleyball and she’s helping instill some of the success and winning ways she’s been able to create with Walz. “I just remember when I was in high school, she was coaching. Being able to learn from her now is a great experience and I couldn’t ask for anybody else,” said Walz. “It was great last year and it’s been even better this year. I feel like our relationship has gotten a lot closer and we’re able to talk a lot more volleyball and figure things out on a deeper level.” At Kee Turkey Valley is starting to play some of its best volleyball of the year, as evidenced by its three-set sweep on the road over Kee High last week Thursday by scores of 25-7, 25-9 and 25-10. “They are adjusting well. Practicing is going well. I can’t be prouder of how they’re doing so far this season,” said Walz. “I’m excited to see what we all have left.” Vrzak and Walz mixed things up a little bit up front for the Trojans as seniors Delaney Bus-

ta and Kinsey Reicks switched positions. Busta moved to the middle and Reicks moved to Busta’s old spot on the rightside up near the net. “She’s adjusting to that fairly well,” said Walz about Reicks. Reicks was TV’s second-team all-league pick a year ago in that middle slot. She hammered down 10 kills versus Kee High, but that wasn’t tops on the team. The No. 1 kill leader for the Trojans up in Lansing was senior Layni Schuchhardt, who posted 16 kills. Schuchhardt also had herself a day at the service line as she went 17-17 with two aces. TV was 70-72 serving as a team with 13 aces against the winless Hawks (0-15, 0-4). Addison Steinlage, a junior, accumulated 36 assists versus Kee. TV seniors Morgan Vsetecka and Alexis Elsbernd were the leaders in digs with 11 apiece. Trojan junior Karstyn Lukes notched four aces. “They’re a really good group of girls. This is only my second season with them. By the end of the season last year I felt like I had a really good connection with them that’s continuing to grow,” said Walz. “Our passes are doing what they can, especially Morgan Vsetecka. She moves really well in left back and is able to get to where we need her.” Stats versus Kee Kills - Schuchhardt 16, Reicks 10, Bodensteiner 8, Busta 7, Steinlage 4, Ives 3. Assists - Steinlage 36, Schuchhardt 3, Throndson 1, Vsetecka 1. Digs - Elsbernd 11, Vsetecka 11, Lukes 6, Schuchhardt 4, Reicks 3, Throndson 3, Busta 1, Ives 1, Steinlage 1. Serving - Reicks 13-13, Steinlage 1415, Schuchhardt 17-17, Elsbernd 8-9, Lukes 14-14, Vsetecka 4-4. Aces - Lukes 4, Steinlage 3, Reicks 2, Schuchhardt 2, Elsbernd 2.

Senior Night Trojan all-conference senior middle Kinsey Reicks let it be known after her squad’s threeset sweep over the underdog and winless Postville Pirates on Tuesday night in Jackson Junction. “I try and be a leader on the court. I try and lift people up and I hope people do the same for me also,” said Reicks. “Everyone needs someone to look up to. When I started sophomore year I was very nervous, but those seniors led me through it.” That type of leadership was

critical on this evening when the overmatched Pirates (0-7, 0-3) had Turkey Valley on its heels after an 8-2 lead in game two. Turkey Valley later managed an 11-0 run in that crucial set two to take control of the match. The final scores read 25-21, 25-14 and 25-14 – all in the Trojans’ favor. “It was definitely not how we thought we were going to go into the games. They were definitely a lot scrappier than we were expecting,” said TV head coach Ashley Walz, who splits coaching duties with longtime Trojan coach Tammy Vrzak. The Pirates stuck around in game one against the favored Trojans before a 7-1 run closed out the match. “I think we just found our groove. We started off rough. We weren’t really talking much. Once we started to get our kills, get our hits, then we got hyped up. Then we started to put things down,” said Reicks. Reicks – who leads the Trojans in blocks (18) alongside fellow senior Delany Busta’s 16 up front near the net – was one of five seniors honored on Senior Night. The other Trojan seniors who received recognition before the start of the varsity match were outside hitter Layni Schuchhardt, libero Morgan Vsetecka and defensive specialist Alexis Elsbernd. Schuchhardt made several plays down the stretch for the Trojans to help dominate game three. She leads the team in kills with 59. TV improved to 9-10 overall and 3-1 in the Upper Iowa Conference. Although that mark could well change for the better as the Trojans are looking to catch fire here as the latter portion of the regular season awaits. Stats versus Postville Kills - Annika Bodensteiner 10, Layni Schuchhardt 9, Delaney Busta 5, Ella Ives 5, Kinsey Reicks 3, Addison Steinlage 2. Assists - Steinlage 22, Mogan Vsetecka 5, Alexis Elsbernd 1, Karstyn Lukes 1. Digs - Vsetecka 30, Steinlage 7, Elsbernd 5, Lukes 5, Reicks 4, Jenna Throndson 4, Schuchhardt 2, Bodensteiner 1. Blocks - Reicks 4, Steinlage 1, Busta 1, Ives 1. Serving - Reicks 15-17, Steinlage 27-27, Schuchhardt 6-8, Elsbernd 6-7, Lukes 6-6, Vsetecka 7-9. Aces - Steinlage 7, Reicks 4, Schuchhardt 2, Vsetecka 2, Lukes 1.

Starmont was 25:28. Those Turkey Valley harriers will celebrate homecoming this week at TV and then head off to the Crestwood Invite on Saturday. The scheduled start time for that meet is 10 a.m. South Winneshiek hosts its home invite next Tuesday. Central Elkader is the host school for the Upper Iowa Conference meet on Thursday, Oct. 17. The state qualiﬁer in Class 1A for Turkey Valley – at a site yet to be determined – is slated to go down on Thursday, Oct. 24.

AUCTION CALENDAR

FRIDAY, OCT. 4 - 6 p.m. Online Auction. Toys, antiques, tools, furniture, jewelry. Davis Corners Auction, 563-5471018, www.daviscornersauctionservice.com.

SATURDAY, OCT. 5 - 9 a.m. at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds Danan Lansing building. Large 2 party household & collectable auction. Owners

Ron & Sheryl Juve and Karla Olson. Ron Juve Auctioneer 563-379-0927. SUNDAY, OCT. 6 - 10 a.m. Coin Auction at the Protivin Community Center, Protivin. Richard Shindelar Auction Service LLC, 563-569-8235.

Kittleson Collection & Others. Sale held at Sweeney Auction Center Waukon, Ia. Sweeney Auction Service Waukon. 563568-2464. www.sweeneyauctionservice.com

Turkey Valley volleyball players on the court in 2024 in varsity action are (front row, l-r) Delaney Busta, Kinsey Reicks, Morgan Vsetecka, Layni Schuchhardt, Alexis Elsbernd; (back row) Addison Lutgen, Annika Bodensteiner, Addison Steinlage, Karstyn Lukes, Jenna Throndson and Makinley Lutgen. (Photo by Becky Walz)

SATURDAY, OCT. 12 - 8:30 a.m. The Late Carleton “Corky”

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SPORTS

Warrior harriers continue to show improvement

Thompson wins week three There were numerous close finishes to games in week three of the Pigskin Picks football contest. When all 40 entries were scored, no perfect entries remained. The best was two missed games by five different individuals with Elaine Thompson of Decorah scoring the win by the first tiebreaker. The most points scored by a single team was 65 by Riceville, which was also

Thompson’s guess. Decorah’s Gary Lukes was just four away from the tiebreaker, with 61 to take the runner-up prize. Morry Holthaus of Decorah claimed third with his tiebreaker guess of 57. Among the most commonly missed games were Luther College over Anderson (Ind.), Riceville defeating Kee and Upper Iowa University squeezing by Quincy.

Warrior offense produces 42 points in victory

ABOVE LEFT: Katie Shimek traverse the course in 24:49.9 last week at Central Springs to earn 58th. ABOVE RIGHT: Caden Tieskoetter finished 73rd with a time of 21:38.3 at Central Springs. (Photos courtesy of Henry Willey) Girls’ varsity team results 1. Forest City 47; 2. Waukon 87; 3. Iowa Falls-Alden 96; 4. South Winn 98; 5. Central Springs 157; 6. Newman Catholic 167; 7. Saint Ansgar 173; 8. Hampton-DumontCAL 207; 9. West Fork 213; 10. West Hancock 224; 11. NashuaPlainfield 246 Boys’ varsity team results 1. Lake Mills 32; 2. Forest Center 37; 3. Newman Catholic 109; 4. North Butler 135; 5. South Winn 151; 6. Nashua-Plainfield 168; 7. West Fork 184; 8. Iowa Falls-Alden 217; 9. Hampton-Dumont-CAL 243; 10. Central Springs 250; 11. Riceville 313; 12. Saint Ansgar 313

for the Warriors in 66th place was Clayton Kuboushek. He had a time of 21:16.3. Also on the 5K course for the South Winn boys were Caden Tieskoetter (73rd, 21:38.3); Levi Feickert (98th, 22:50.8); Eli Higgins (116th, 24:06.3); John Donoavan (119th, 24:35.2); Diego Flores (121st, 24:51.1); Matthew Donovan (132nd, 27:10.8); and Henry Lensing (138th, 30:02.5).

Times continue to drop for the South Winn cross country teams as the Warriors competed at the Panther Invite hosted by Central Springs Thursday. Season bests There was an average time of 22:18 and spread of 1:17 for the Lady Warriors who tallied 98 points to finish fourth in the team standings. All 10 harriers posted a season or personal best time. With a time of 21:41.8, Ava Franzen was the first to cross the finish line for South Winn. The sophomore finished 15th overall. Next came Maddy Jansen in 22:00.3, taking 16th place. In 22:04.8 it was Annie Hageman stopping the clock. The sophomore’s season best time was good for 19th. Izzy Kuboushek kept the theme going with a time of 22:48.5, taking 28th. Rounding out the scorecard was Karissa Wenthold. The senior had a time of 22:59.5 to take 34th. Others racing for South Winn were Tessa Phillips (38th, 23:17.1); Lauren Ondrashek (40th, 23:29.9); Addy Conway (49th, 24:17.3); Katie Shimek (58th, 24:49.9); and Cloey Zweibohmer (107th, 29:21.8). Leading the boys With 151 points, the South Winn boys finished fifth in the 12-team field. The Warriors had an average time of 19:20 and spread of 3:05 among their top five competitors. The Warriors were led to the finish by Cameron Einck who claimed 16th place. The freshman had a time of 18:10.8. Hugh Conway was just steps behind his teammate as he posted a time of 18:14.7, good for 17th. In 18:59.6, Brad Dahl claimed 28th. Senior Lukas Weiss had a personal best race time of 20:00.6 as he took home 48th. Completing the scoring

A time of 24:17.3 put Addy Conway in 49th place overall at Central Springs last week. (Photo courtesy of Henry Willey)

Levi Feickert crossed the finish line 98th at Central Springs Thursday in 22:50.8. (Photo courtesy of Henry Willey)

Carson Streeter (23) lines up for a kick-off among his Warrior teammates Friday against AGWSR. (Photo courtesy of Tami Bodensteiner/Moneek Valley) A defensive effort that allowed just one touchdown spurred the South Winn football team (2-3, 2-1) to a 42-7 victory on the road over AGWSR (1-4, 1-3) Friday night. “We had a great first half of football as we were able to put up a 35-0 lead going into halftime. Our defensive line answered the challenge this week and led the way to a total of eight tackles for loss and four quarterback sacks. Our defensive line was led by three seniors — Shayde Wermers, Tristen Bodensteiner and Brennan Franzen,” noted Coach Jason Ohrt. “Offensively, we were able to have great production again in the run game, but also connected on several big pass plays as well.” An early lead The Warriors found a way to get things going in three of the four quarters Friday night. The scoring started when South Winn got into the red zone and quarterback Braiden Todd cleaned things up by taking the ball 18 yards to the end zone for the score. Carson Streeters PAT sailed through the uprights giving the Warriors a 7-0 lead. Kyle Kuboushek had his name called later in the first period. The junior took the handoff six yards for the score and Streeter’s second kick made it 14-0 for SW after the first 12 minutes.

It was an air attack in the second for the Warriors as Todd completed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Eric Greve to keep the momentum on South Winn’s side. Todd the capped off a drive with a five-yard scamper over the goal line before connecting with Streeter for his second passing touchdown from 58-yards out. At halftime, the Warriors had little worry as they held a 35-0 lead. AGWSR got its lone score in the third quarter on a 22-yard pass. However, the Warriors found an answer in the fourth as Kuboushek ran through traffic for 13 yards for his second score of the game. Final thoughts Overall, SW had 250 yards rushing and 192 through the air for 442 total. Kuboushek had a stellar game, averaging 4.3 yards a carry as he scampered for 99 yards on 23 carries. Todd held on to the pigskin nine times for 86 yards and completed 6-of-7 passes. The primary target for Todd was Streeter who pulled down three receptions for 134 yards. Yahir Macario, Eric Greve and Landon Livingood each hauled in one reception apiece. Leading the defense with eight total tackles (six solo) and 1.5 sacks was Kuboushek. Streeter had four solo stops and a pair of assisted tackles, while

Kyle Kuboushek converges as the AGWSR quarterback prepages to throw. Coming in from the top is Logan Tieskoetter. (Photo courtesy of Tami Bodensteiner/Moneek Valley)

Area high school and A-R-C football standings Class 4A District 2

District Decorah 1-0 Marion 1-0 Waverly-Shell Rock 1-0 Mason City 0-1 Waterloo East 0-1 Western Dubuque 0-1

Overall 5-0 2-3 3-2 2-3 1-4 3-2

Last week Decorah 41, Mason City 7 Marion 31, Waterloo East 7 Waverly-Shell Rock 25, Western Dubuque 6 This week Decorah vs. Waverly-Shell Rock Waterloo East vs. Mason City Western Dubuque vs. Marion Next week Decorah at Marion Waterloo East vs. Western Dubuque Waverly-Shell Rock vs. Mason City

Class A District 3 Nashua-Plainfield North Taa South Winn Wapsie Valley AGWSR North Butler BCLUW

District 3-0 3-1 2-1 2-1 1-3 1-2 0-4

Overall 4-1 3-2 2-3 3-2 1-4 3-2 0-5

Last week South Winn 42, AGWSR 7 North Butler 22, BCLUW 0 North Tama 22, Wapsie Valley 13 Nashua-Plainfield 7, Saint Ansgar 27 This week South Winn vs. Nashua-Plainfield BCLUW at Martensdale-St. Marys North Tama vs. North Butler Wapsie Valley vs. AGWSR Next week South Winn vs. North Tama AGWSR vs. Belmond-Klemme BCLUW vs. Wapsie Valley Nashua-Plainfield vs. North Butler

Class 8-Player District 3 Don Bosco Kee Riceville Central Elkader Waterloo Christian West Central

District 2-0 2-2 2-0 1-2 1-2 0-3

Overall 5-0 3-2 4-1 2-3 2-3 0-5

Last week Turkey Valley 24, Clarksville 60 Don Bosco 70, West Central 6 Riceville 65, Kee 44 Waterloo Christian 0, Central Elkader 44 This week Turkey Valley vs. Waterloo Christian Central Elkader vs. Riceville West Central vs. Kee Don Bosco at Midland Next week Turkey Valley at Don Bosco Kee vs. Central Elkader Riceville vs. Waterloo Christian West Central at Springville

American Rivers Conference

Conference Coe 2-0 Wartburg 2-0 Central 1-1 Simpson 1-1 Buena Vista 1-1 Dubuque 1-1 Luther 0-1 Nebraska Wesleyan 0-1 Loras 0-2

Overall 4-0 3-1 3-1 2-2 1-3 1-3 1-2 1-2 0-4

Last week Luther 9, Anderson (Ind.) 6 Simpson 66, Loras 14 Buena Vista 0, Central 52 Coe 27, Dubuque 10 Wartburg 34, Nebraska Wesleyan 0 This week Luther at Dubuque Nebraska Wesleyan vs. Buena Vista Central vs. Simpson Loras vs. Coe Next week Luther vs. Loras Coe vs. Central Buena Vista vs. Wartburg Simpson vs. Nebraska Wesleyan

Todd, Tristen Bodensteiner and Shayde Wermers all tallied three total stops. Back home It will be a test within Class A District 3 Friday, Oct. 4, as the Warriors will host Nashua-Plainfield (4-1, 3-0). The Huskies suffered their first loss of the season last week to Saint Ansgar 27-7. So far this season, N-P has defeated Postville 3314, North Tama 27-6, BCLUW 41-20 and AGWSR 48-7. 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q South Winn 14 21 0 7 AGWSR 0 0 7 0

F 42 7

Scoring sequence 1st Quarter SW – Braiden Todd 18-yd. run (Carson Streeter PAT) SW – Kyle Kuboushek 6-yd. run (Streeter PAT) nd 2 Quarter SW – Todd 26-yd. pass to Eric Greve (Streeter PAT) SW – Todd 5-yd. run (Streeter PAT) SW – Todd 58-yd. pass to Streeter (Streeter PAT) rd 3 Quarter AGWSR – 22-yd. pass (PAT) 4th Quarter SW – Kuboushek 13-yd. run (Streeter PAT) Game stats Total yards: South Winn 442 Passing (comp/att/yds): Braiden Todd (6-7, 192 yds., 2 TD) Rushing (att/yds): Kyle Kuboushek (23-99, 2 TD); Todd (9-86, 2 TD); Eric Greve (4-28); Landon Humpal (5-25); Landon Livingood (1-6); Carson Streeter (26); Yahir Macario (1-0) Receiving (att/yds/TD): Streeter (3-134, 1 TD); Greve (1-26, 1 TD); Y. Macario (1-19); Livingood (1-13) Tackles (total): Kuboushek (8.0); Streeter (5.0); Todd (3.0); Tristen Bodensteiner (3.0); Shayde Wermers (3.0); Humpal (2.5); Brennan Franzen (2.0); Greve (2.0); Andres Macario (2.0); Gavin Feickert (1.5); Logan Tieskoetter (1.5); Y. Macario (1.0); Livingood (0.5); Elliot Monroe (0.5); Ray Lienau (0.5) Interceptions (no/return yds): Todd (1-0) Punts returns (att/yds): Todd (2-10) Kick-off returns (att/yds): Streeter (1-10)

Coming up in area high school sports Oct. 3 – Dec g/b xc at Western Dubuque (Epworth), 4:15 p.m.; Dec vb vs. Crestwood/Waukon (9th/JV), 5 p.m.; SW vb vs. MFL MarMac (9th/JV/V), 5 p.m.; Dec fb at Waverly-Shell Rock (JV), 6:15 p.m. Oct. 4 – Dec fb vs. WaverlyShell Rock (9th/V), 5 p.m.; SW fb vs. Nashua-Plainfield (V), 7 p.m.; TV fb vs. Waterloo Christian (V), 7 p.m. Oct. 5 – Dec g swim at Cedar Falls, 9 a.m.; Dec vb at Western Dubuque (Epworth) tnmt. (V), 9 a.m.; SW vb at Sumner-Fred tnmt. (JV), 9 a.m.; TV vb at Oelwein tnmt. (V), 9 a.m.; SW/TV g/b xc at Crestwood, 10 a.m. Oct. 7 – TV fb vs. South Winn (JV), 6 p.m. Oct. 8 – Dec/TV g/b xc at South Winn Invite (Calmar), 4:30 p.m.; Dec vb at Charles City (9th/JJV/JV/V) at Charles City, 5 p.m.; SW vb at Central Elkader (9th/JV/V), 5 p.m.; TV vb at West Central (9th/JV/V), 5 p.m.; Dec g swim at Linn-Mar, 6 p.m.

SW netters snag easy ‘W’

The South Winn volleyball team (14-10, 2-1 UIC) was back on track Thursday on the road at Postville (1-11, 0-4 UIC) picking up an easy 3-0 win over the Pirates. Set scores were 25-6, 26-15 and 25-13. “I thought we got better in the first set last night. We were translating some things we’d done recently in practice to game-like scenarios. Hopefully we can translate our play efficiency from matches where we’re favored to matches that are more of a toss-up,” said co-head coach Ethan Adams. “We were able to exhaust our whole roster and have some great plays from non-starters down the stretch. Ellie Knutson made a couple really nice digs late in the match, and Briana Boyer and Kiara Bullerman had a block late in the third set to effectively help put the match on ice.” South Winn posted 34 kills, 71 attack attempts, 29 assists, 32 digs, six total blocks and served 68-for-73 with 14 aces. Allison Hageman was 11-for11 behind the line to go with five digs. Aubree Hageman served 11-for-11 with four aces. Ivey Franzen pounded down nine kills with nine other Warriors connecting for at least one kill. Chloe Wiltgen provided a team-high nine digs while Ella Theis handed out 22 assists and finished with five digs. Stats vs. Postville Kills – Ivey Franzen 9; Alyssa Holthaus 5; Addison Timp 5; Bailey Kuennen 5; Britney Hageman 3; Ella Theis 2; Chloe Wiltgen 2; Allison Hageman 1; Bailee Frana 1; Kiara Bullerman 1 Assists – Theis 22; Wiltgen 4; Al. Hageman 1; Aubrey Hageman 1; Avery Luzum 1 Blocks (solo-assist) – Holthaus (2-0); B. Hageman (1-0); Briana Boyer (0-1); Frana (0-1); Bullerman (0-1) Digs – Wiltgen 8; Theis 5; Al. Hageman 5; Ellie Knutson 3; Holthaus 3; Luzum 2; Franzen 2; Kuennen 2; Au. Hageman 1; Kali Kleve 1 Serving (success/attempts) – Knutson (2-2); Theis (2-2); Al. Hageman (10-10); Frana (2-2); Holthaus (9-9); Au. Hageman (1111); Luzum (4-6); Franzen (4-5); Al. Timp (3-3); Wiltgen (11-13) Aces – Au. Hageman 4; Holthaus 2; Luzum 2; Franzen 2; Wiltgen 2; Frana 1; Alyssa Timp 1

Vikes compete in Minnesota

The last week has been a busy one for the Decorah volleyball team (11-7, 1-1 NEIC) as the Vikes competed in two matches and hosted the Viking tournament over the weekend (see separate story on page 18). Tuesday, the Vikes defeated Waukon at home 3-0. Set scores were 25-13, 25-12 and 25-21. See next week’s Decorah Leader for stats and additional information. Thursday, Sept. 26, the Vikings traveled to Caledonia for a non-district match, falling 3-0 to the Warriors. Set scores were 15-25, 16-25 and 21-25. Decorah served 46-for-52. The Vikes also had 47 digs, 25 kills, 24 assists and five total blocks. McKinley Massman led the way at the net with nine kills, provided nine digs and was 12for-14 at the service line with a pair of aces. Leah Holland hammered out seven kills with three digs and served 6-for-6. Ellie Rolfs had 10 digs and was 6-for-8 in serves while Dylin Thompson handed out 20 assists and served 8-for-9. Stats vs. Caledonia Kills – McKinley Massman 9; Leah Holland 7; Kelby Kerndt 5; Dylin Thompson 2; Sydney Thompson 1; Renae Wilson 1 Assists – D. Thompson 20; Ellie Rolfs 3; Massman 1 Blocks (assist-solo) – S. Thompson (1-1); Holland (1-0); Kerndt (1-0); Wilson (1-0) Digs – Rolfs 10; Massman 9; Savannah O’Reilly 9; D. Thompson 6; Sara Johanningmeier 4; Kerndt 4; Holland 3; S. Thompson 1; Audrey Essa 1 Serving (success/attempts) – Johanningmeier (4-5); Rolfs (6-8); Massman (12-14); Holland (6-6); D. Thompson (8-9); O’Reilly (10-10) Aces – Massman 2; O’Reilly 2; Rolfs 1; D. Thompson 1

SPORTS

Staying perfect; No. 5 Vikes top Mason City

Vikings eighth at Cougar Invite

The Decorah girls’ swim and dive team faced stiff competition Saturday at the Cougar Invite, held at Cedar Rapids Kennedy and last week in a double dual in Waterloo.

Over the weekend Decorah earned 130 points Saturday placing eighth of nine schools. Iowa City West took the title with 454 points. The Vikings’ best finish came from sophomore Liz Bucksa in the 100 freestyle. She had a time of 58.43 seconds to earn sixth place. Bucksa also earned eighth-place points in the 50 freestyle, posting a time of 26.50 seconds. Bucksa, Bella Sailor, Grace Baker and Jenna Schissel took seventh in a pair of relays. The quartet had a time of 1:48.26 in the 200 freestyle relay and finished the day in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 4:01.38. Schissel had a top 10 finish in the 200 freestyle as well. The freshman’s time of 2:10.61 was good for ninth. Avalea Burns took ninth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:17.73. Cougar Invite team scores 1. Iowa City West 454; 2. Pleasant Valley 428; 3. Southeast Polk 339; 4. Johnston 295; 5. City High 243; 6. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 223; 7. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 145; 8. Decorah 130; 9. Theodore Roosevelt 47 Varsity race results 200 medley relay – 12. Lauren Holthaus, Avalea Burns, Naomi Kutz, Bridget Bentley, 2:14.41 200 free – 9. Jenna Schissel 2:10.61; 22. McKenzie Tollefson 2:33.61 200 IM – 16. Kutz 2:42.49; 17. Burns 2:43.95 50 free – 8. Liz Bucksa 26.50; 11. Grace Baker 27.18; 16. Bella Sailor 27.71 100 fly – 11. Sailor 1:10.42 100 free – 6. Bucksa 58.43; 11. Schissel 1:00.57; 15. Baker 1:01.56 500 free – 21. Kutz 6:23.62 200 free relay – 7. Sailor, Schissel, Baker, Bucksa, 1:48.26; 14. Bentley, Burns, McKenna Demaray, Tollefson, 2:02.40 100 back – 23. Holthaus 1:20.77 100 breast – 9. Burns 1:17.73; 20. Demaray 1:28.75 400 free relay – 7. Bucksa, Sailor, Baker, Schissel 4:01.38; 16. Kutz, Bentley, Jena Peters, Tollefson, 4:39.13

Catching up Last week the Vikings competed at Central Middle School in Waterloo in a double dual against Waterloo West and Cedar Rapids Washington. Decorah fell to the hosts 106 to 79 and were defeated by Washington 117 to 79.

Decorah won a total of three events — two individuals and a relay claimed gold. Bucksa and Baker went 1-2 in the 50 free. Bucksa touched the wall first in 26.81 seconds, while Baker finished in 27.36 seconds. Bucksa also claimed a silver with her time of 1:02.20 in the 100 butterfly. Schissel won the 100 freestyle event. She had a time of 59.82 seconds. Sailor joined Schissel, Baker and Bucksa in the 200 freestyle relay to win in 1:49.73. Rounding out the top three finishes with a bronze for the Vikes was the 200 medley relay of Sailor, Bucksa, Schissel and Baker in 2:02.69; Schissel in the 200 individual medley in 2:33.89; Ava Carolan in the 1-meter diving with 162.10 points; and Sailor in the 100 butterfly in 1:10.24. Varsity race results 200 medley relay – 3. Sailor, Liz Bucksa, Schissel, Baker, 2:02.69; 6. Holthaus, Kutz, Adeline Bollinger, Liv Anderson, 2:25.61 200 free – 6. Tollefson 2:33.61; 7. Reagan Lubahn 2:46.15 200 IM – 3. Schissel 2:33.89; 6. Kutz 2:46.74 50 free – 1. Bucksa 26.81; 2. Baker 27.36; 9. Bentley 31.50 1 mtr. diving – 3. Ava Carolan 162.10; 7. Isis Timm 126.35 100 fly – 2. Bucksa 1:07.20; 3. Sailor 1:10.24 100 free – 1. Schissel 59.82; 4. Baker 1:02.67; 8. Bentley 1:08.88 500 free – 4. Kutz 6:37.01; 6. Tollefson 6:57.52; 7. Lubahn 7:01.35 200 free relay – 1. Sailor, Schissel, Baker, Bucksa, 1:49.73; 6. Anderson, Holthaus, Bollinger, Aubree Gesing, 2:04.85 100 back – 5. Sailor 1:11.35; 8. Holthaus 1:23.82 100 breast – 5. Sophia Gardner 1:26.70; 8. Demaray 1:30.67; Addison Lickiss 1:33.73 400 free relay – 4. Bentley, Tollefson, Lubahn, Kutz, 4:39.78; 7. Anderson, Molly Kuehner, Lickiss, Kate Pattison, 4:59.35 JV race results 200 medley relay – 1. Peters, Gardner, Annika Becker, Demaray, 2:29.75; 3. Pattison, Bentley, Lickiss, Stella Pole, 2:36.19 200 free – 5. Allia Erickson 2:47.48; 6. Kinley Leliefield 2:55.41 50 free – 1. Holthaus 29.97; 2. Anderson 30.89; 3. Demaray 31.12; 5. Peters 32.01; 7. Bollinger 32.41; 8. Ana Simon 32.48; 10. Becker 33.07; 11. Kuehner 33.27; 13. Pole 34.88; 16. Timm 37.92; 17. Esme Cuevas 37.76; 18. Margaret Hahn 38.06 100 fly – 3. Becker 1:27.85 100 free – 2. Gardner 1:12.25; 4. Kuehner 1:13.59; 5. Pattison 1:14.32; 9. Ericksen 1:15.60; 10. Lickiss 1:16.53; 13. Leliefield 1:20.27; 15. Hahn 1:24.06; 16. Cuevas 1:25.84; 17. Pole 1:27.12 500 free – 4. Simon 7:53.74 200 free relay – 1. Kuehner, Pattison, Gardner, Demaray, 2:11.63; 4. Timm, Cuevas, Leliefield, Hahn, 2:30.35 100 back – 2. Peters 1:30.79; 3. Bollinger 1:38.12 400 free relay – 2. Erickson, Simon, Hahn, Pole, 5:22.78

Viking head coach Mike Tangen gives last minute instructions to his starters before a game earlier this season. (Photo by Becky Walz) South Winnn’s Addison Timp (14) and Alyssa Holthaus (11) set up a block on Trojan junior Annika Bodensteiner during Tuesday’s UIC match in Jackson Junction. Behind the action Ella Theis (8) prepares for a dig. (Photo by Becky Walz)

Warriors take down TV, 3-1 The Turkey Valley gym was rocking Tuesday night as the Trojans (10-11, 4-2 UIC) hosted South Winn volleyball team (15-10, 3-1 UIC). The Warriors earned the 3-1 win in Jackson Junction, making it eight wins in a row to move into second place in the Upper Iowa Conference. “Tonight was a night where we got what we expected early, and that was a Turkey Valley team that came out and got after it. Credit to them for being ready to play hard. They capitalized on some lapses we had in set one, and we’re incredibly proud of how our Warriors responded,” said Warrior CoHead Coach Ethan Adams. The Trojans took set one 2519, but from there it was South Winn who took control winning the next three 25-17, 25-16 and 25-17. “We’ve talked a lot lately about accepting that teams will come out and do that, and we’re thrilled with the adjustments the girls made in the early stages of set two and beyond. Our back middle defenders took the corners away, and that allowed Ella Theis to deliver a great night setting,” added the South Winn coach. “Our defense started committing a bit more aggressively to roll shots and free balls, and we were able to

establish our offense down the stretch. Our bench was actively involved the entire evening, and our depth goes beyond playing roles.” South Winn junior Alyssa Holthaus had a quietly dominant evening with 17 kills and 3 blocks, which allowed freshman Bailey Kuennen to tee off at opportune moments for 14 kills from the outside. Theis dished out 47 assists to go with seven digs and served 14-for-15 with two aces. Libero Chloe Wiltgen provided 23 digs and went 12for-15 at the service line with five aces. Senior Aubrey Hageman served 20-for-21 with four aces and was second in digs with 12. Turkey Valley stats were unavailable at press time.

South Winn stats vs. TV Kills – Alyssa Holthaus 17; Bailey Kuennen 14; Ivey Franzen 9; Britney Hageman 8; Addison Timp 8; Allison Hageman 3; Ella Theis 1 Assists – Theis 47; Chloe Wiltgen 2; Al. Hageman 1; B. Hageman 1; Holthuas 1; Avery Luzum 1 Blocks (assist-solo) – Ad. Timp (1-1); Theis (1-0); B. Hageman (1-0); Holthaus (3-0); Franzen (2-0) Digs – Wiltgen 23; Aubrey Hageman 12; Al. Hageman 11; Theis 7; Luzum 5; Holthaus 4; Kuennen 4; Franzen 2; B. Hageman 1; Ad. Timp 1 Serving (success/attempts) – Theis (14-15); Al. Hageman (9-11); Holthaus (15-16); Ad. Timp (1-2); Au. Hageman (20-21); Luzum (3-5); Wiltgen (12-15) Aces – Wiltgen 5; Au. Hageman 4; Theis 2; Holthaus 2

ABOVE: Liz Bucksa glides through the water in a 50 freestyle event earlier this season. Last week the sophomore won the same event at Waterloo West in a double dual with Cedar Rapids Washington in 26.81 seconds. BELOW: Annika Becker was a member of the winning JV 200 medley relay in Waterloo. (Photos by Becky Walz) Trojan senior Laynia Schuchhardt goes up for a kill over the outstretched arms of South Winn’s Alyssa Holthaus and Ella Theis in the Warriors 3-1 UIC win Tuesday night. (Photo by Becky Walz)

The Decorah football team (5-0, 1-0) demonstrated their skills Friday night as they took on Mason City. The Vikings, who remain the top passing and rushing team in the district, ran over Mason City’s Riverhawks, who are second in passing and third in rushing touchdowns. The Viking power was there all night consuming the grid iron and the 41-7 victory. “This was a great team win for us. I thought our defense was outstanding all night and our offense had a nice balanced attack. Brayden Wemark was great Friday night as well. He looked great kicking the ball all night and our field goal unit as whole did a great job,” said coach Mike Tangen.

Bucksa completed 13 of 22 passes for 205 yards. Groux caught three for 94 yards while Milburn hauled in four passes for 63 yards. Will Larson caught five passes for 43 yards, while Tommy Sexton had one reception. On the ground, Trevor Kuennen shouldered the workload. The senior had 19 carries for 70 yards. Groux ate up 45 yards on the ground in his five carries. Dahlberg had two carries for 27 yards. The defense was led by Kuennen with four solo tackles, nine assisted stops and one sack for a loss. Jackson Pipho was there for four solo and two assisted tackles while Carter Dlhy had four solo stops.

Getting in the end zone Decorah’s defense gave the offense a chance to strike after forcing a fumble three minutes into the first quarter. And the Vikings took full advantage of the opportunity, going 53 yards in 10 plays that were capped off by a Louis Bucksa strike thrown to Noah Milburn at the 6:00 mark. On the ensuing kickoff, the Viking defense got the job done again, recovering the muffed catch. The inability to move through the red zone, provided an opportunity for Brayden Wemark to showcase his kicking skills with a 35yard field goal to give Decorah a 10-0 advantage after the first period. Less than two minutes into the second stanza, the Vikes were back in the end zone as Gavin Groux had his named called for a nine-yard carry. Leading 17-0, Decorah gave up its lone score of the game in the second on a drive that went 55 yards on nine plays. Wemark sent his second field goal through the uprights in the third quarter pushing Decorah ahead 20-7. The Vikes would score two more times in the period on a Groux 1-yard carry and through the air from Bucksa to Milburn from the 18-yard line. In the final quarter, Gatlin Dahlberg shouldered the scoring duty, scampering 15-yards to the end zone with 5:21 remaining.

Ready to go again With Decorah one of the remaining undefeated teams in Class 4A, the Vikes will host Waverly-Shell Rock Friday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. After dropping their first two games to Xavier (14-7) and North Scott (38-24), the Go-Hawks enters Friday’s district game with three straight victories over Bondurant-Farrar (20-6), Clear Lake (31-30) and Western Dubuque (25-6) and will be looking to stop the Vikings.

Highlights Decorah picked up 205 yards through the air and another 183 on the ground, for 392 total over Mason City’s 133.

Scoring sequence 1st Quarter Decorah – Louis Bucksa 8-yd. pass to Noah Milburn (Brayden Wemark PAT) Decorah – Wemark 35-yd. field goal 2nd Quarter Decorah – Gavin Groux 9-yd. run (Wemark PAT) Mason City – 1-yd. run (PAT) 3rd Quarter Decorah – Wemark 26-yd. field goal Decorah – Groux 1-yd. run (Wemark PAT) Decorah – Bucksa 18-yd. pass to Milburn (Wemark PAT) th 4 Quarter Decorah – Gatlin Dahlberg 15-yd. run (Wemark PAT) Game stats Total yards: Decorah 392; Mason City 133 Passing (comp/att/yds): Louis Bucksa (13-22, 205 yds., 2 TD) Rushing (att/yds): Trevor Kuennen (19-70); Gavin Groux (5-45, 2 TD); Gatlin Dahlberg (2-27, 1 TD); Tanner Caddell (2-13); Mason Avila (3-10); Bucksa (3-9); Archer Sims (4-7); Carter Dlhy (1-2) Receiving (att/yds/TD): Groux (394); Noah Milburn (4-63, 2 TD); Will Larson (5-43); Tommy Sexton (1-5) Tackles (total): Kuennen (8.5); Jackson Pipho (5.); Dlhy (4.0); Dahlberg (3.5); Keaton Orris (2.5); Larson (2.0); Henry Brynsaas (2.0); Groux (1.5); Jameson LeBelle (1.5); Caddell (1.5); William Hahn (1.5); Sexton (1.0); Caleb Krieg (0.5); Peyton Web (0.5) Interceptions (no/return yds): Kade O’Hara (1-14) Punts (att/yds): Milburn (3-90) Punt returns (att/yds): Groux (119); Pipho (1-7) Kick-offs (att/yds): Brayden Wemark (8 KO, 452 yds., 2 TB, 2/2 FG, 5/5 PAT) Kick-off returns (att/yds): Groux (1-43); Avila (1-26)

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SPORTS

South Winn netters earn title at Viking tourney Momentum was built Saturday for the South Winn volleyball team (15-10, 3-1 UIC) as the Warriors went undefeated and claimed the title at the annual Decorah tournament. The host Vikings (12-7, 3-1 NEIC) went 3-3 on the day.

Champs The Warriors started the day against Minnesota’s Kingsland, sweeping the Knights in two sets, 21-10 and 21-16. Ivey Franzen had five kills on nine attack attempts, while Ella Theis dished out 14 assists. As a team, South Winn served 35for-38 with eight ace serves. Still in pool play, South Winn topped MFL MarMac 2-1 (921, 21-12, 15-11). Franzen once again led the Warriors at the net with seven kills. Britney Hageman, Alyssa Holthaus and Bailey Kuennen provided three apiece with Theis handing out 18 assists. Chloe Wiltgen came away with seven digs and went 4-for-4 at the service line. Allison Hageman served 11-for-12. The big confidence boost came in the final pool play game against the host Vikings. The Warriors dropped game one 16-21 but rebounded in set two, winning 21-16. Set three was a close finish with South Winn victorious 15-12. Franzen and Holthaus got the job done offensively with eight kills apiece with Kuennen hammering down six. Britney Hageman added five. It was a 24 assist game for Theis while Wiltgen and Aubrey Hageman each had seven digs. Moving into tournament play, the Warriors took two sets from Riceville 21-16 and 21-18 to keep the winning streak alive. As a team, South Winn had 26 kills with 65 attack attempts, led by Franzen with five. Holthaus and Addison Timp pounded down four apiece. Aubrey Hageman went 13-for-13 at the service line with a pair of aces, while Allison Hageman was 9-for-9 with two aces. Then it was rematch time as South Winn and Decorah squared off once again. This time the Warriors took the match in two, 21-16 and 21-17. Franzen and Kuennen paved

Leading a quartet around a turn during last week’s meet at Waukon is Decorah’s Clarence Nimrod. (Photo courtesy of Decorah Boys Cross Country Facebook page)

Decorah claims all four titles at Waukon Invite

Decorah’s McKinley Massman attempts to block the attack by Warrior Addison Timp during the ﬁrst match between the two neighboring teams during Saturday’s tournament. Behind Massman, Audrey Essa (11) and Sara Johanningmeier (1) are ready to dig if necessary while, Aubrey Hageman is ready for the Warriors. (Photo by Becky Walz)

the way at the net with four and three kills, respectively. The Warriors had eight total blocks and 27 digs. Theis led the squad with 10 assists and seven digs with a 5-for-6 serving performance. Allison Hageman was 6-for-7 at the service line with two aces to go with six digs. The title was clinched as the Warriors defeated Jesup in a pair of 21-15 sets. Eleven total blocks and 31 digs aided South Winn in the win to go with 18 kills on 46 attack attempts. Holthaus had a solo block and two assists with two kills and went 7-for-7 at the service line. Britney Hageman had three assisted blocks and two kills, while Wiltgen provided back row support with 10 digs. “Saturday was a great day mostly because of how we responded from a match that had us all out of sorts. We had a ﬁne start against Kingsland and then were not ready to go against an MFL MarMac team that did a great job taking care of the ball and keeping us out of system. We responded well to

ABOVE LEFT: Ella Stille served 8-for-10 against the Warriors and provided a trio of digs for Decorah. ABOVE RIGHT: South Winn senior Bailee Frana makes an approach and prepares to tap the ball over in set three against MFL MarMac at Saturday’s tournament in Decorah. (Photos by Becky Walz)

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The home team A scrappy MFL MarMac team started the day for Decorah spikers, who took the ﬁrst set 21-8 and third set 15-6. The Bulldogs claimed the second set 21-15. The Vikes had 23 kills on 72 attack attempts, led by Kelby Kerndt’s six and Sydney Thompson’s ﬁve. Dylin Thompson had seven assists while Savannah O’Reilly provided six.

Coming up with a team-high eight digs was Ellie Rolfs with McKinley Massman providing seven. The Vikes were 45-for51 at the service line. Decorah had no problem in match two against Kingsland, winning 2-0 (21-14, 21-9). Massman was the hard hitter in the match with eight kills with Dylan Thompson handing out 17 assists. Rolfs once again led the defense with eight digs and went 11-for-12 in serves with two aces. The Vikings then dropped the ﬁnal match to South Winn 1-2. Massman was the force at the net with 10 kills while Kelby Kerndt sent down four. The Vikes had 35 digs and served 44-for-50 with eight aces. Moving into tournament play, Decorah ﬁrst stood across the net from Jesup. The J-Hawks swept the series 2-0 (21-12, 217) from the Vikes. Of Decorah’s 12 kills in the match, Audrey Essa had four, while Massman had three. Sara Johanningmeier and Rolfs came up with four digs each and went 4-for-4 at the serving line. The second round against the South Winn Warriors went just two sets with the visitors winning 21-16 and 21-17. With three kills, Massman led the Vikes at the net to go with six digs. Johanningmeier was there for eight digs and served 5-for5. The day ended back on a high note for Decorah who swept Riceville 2-0 (21-13, 21-17). As a team the Vikes had 22 kills on 56 attack attempts, 21 assists, 33 digs and served 36-for-41. Massman had eight kills, 10 digs and 7-for-9 serving performance. O’Reilly was there for eight digs and served 12-for-12.

Girls’ varsity team results 1. Decorah 38; 2. Waukon 65; 3. Osage 87; 4. Crestwood 105; 5. MFL MarMac 107; 6. New Hampton 130; 7. North Fayette Valley 136

The Decorah cross country teams blew the competition away last week, sweeping both the varsity and junior varsity titles at Waukon Tuesday, Sept. 24. Champions The Class 3A No. 5 varsity boys team tallied 32 points, claiming five of the top 10 spots with an average time of 17:31 and spread of 29 seconds. “This was a solid effort made by the team to improve and the results speak to the quality depth of the team,” said Decorah boys’ cross country coach Brad Johansen. Grant Zilka, ranked No. 30 in Class 3A, finished third in 17:11.5. Crossing the finish line in 17:30.6, Mitchell Stemper took home fifth. On his heels was D’mitry Lesser in sixth place. The senior came through with a time of 17:31.0. Landyn Hook had a time of 17:41.0, good for eighth, edging teammate Garrett See who posted a time of 17:41.2 to conclude the team score in ninth. William Fullhart and Clarence Nimrod were also on the course in varsity action, finished back-to-back in 15th and 16th positions, respectively. Fullhart stopped the clock at 18:22.6, while Nimrod had a time of 18:28.7. The JV boys posted a perfect score of 15, taking the top 12 finishing spots. Thomas Hammel was the individual champion. He took the gold in 18:02.0. Oak Pasche came home with silver in 18:18.5. Spencer Christiansen was third in 18:27.6. In 18:37.00 was Max Grimstad. That was good for

fourth. Rounding out the team score was Kelton Casterton. He claimed fifth in 19:02.0. Sweep The Decorah girls cross country runners also swept the team titles. Ranked No. 13 in Class 3A, the varsity posted 38 points to win the meet. Taking third for the Vikes was Olivia Volkman. The sophomore had a time of 20:27.1. In 21:05.4, Brinlee Courtney crossed the finish line in sixth. Riley Chrisopher had a time of 21:31.3, taking seventh. Raelyn Newhouse cracked the top 10 as well. She posted a time of 21:38.2 good for eighth. Coming home in 22:28.4 was Deborah Hougan, taking 19th to finish the team scorecard. Also running were Amelia Wadsworth (31st, 23:05.8) and Natalie Stevens (39th, 23:35.3). The junior varsity girls claimed the first ninth spots last week. Making up the team score were Leah Garcia-Prats (1st, 22:16.3); Natalie Goodner (2nd, 23:15.5); Claire Storhoff (3rd, 23:22.6); Nora Lesmeister (4th, 23:35.9); and Elsa Johnson (5th, 23:39.7).

With a time of 21:38.2, Decorah’s Raelyn Newhouse cracked the top 10 at Waukon, ﬁnished eighth. (Photo courtesy of Decorah Girls Cross Country Facebook page)

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win the match in three, and never looked back,” said co-head coach Ethan Adams. “The girls passed extremely well throughout the remainder of the day, and great setting by Ella Theis put our hitters in a good spot to play great offense against strong Decorah and Jesup teams. We had good blocking, especially by our middles, put our defense in position to keep the ball off the ﬂoor as well. It was an excellent team effort to win the tournament, and our work at the service line against Decorah and Jesup in the tournament pool was essential to keeping their offense out of system.”

Boys’ varsity team results 1. Decorah 32; 2. Waukon 47; 3. Central Elkader 128; 4. Starmont 130; 5. North Fayette Valley 152; 6. Crestwood 167; 7. New Hampton 179; 8. Osage 198; 9. Kee 201; 10. Clayton Ridge 204

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