November 28, 2024

Thursday, November 28, 2024

Vol. 159, Issue 48 www.decorahleader.com

Decorah, Iowa 52101 email: editor@decorahleader.com

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Annual Christmas at Luther program nears Selection from ‘Messiah’ to recognize century-old tradition

The theme of this year’s performance is “Seeking Refuge for a Weary World.” Last said organizers believe the theme may resonate with audiences, following a year of somewhat tumultuous events on the national and world stage.

“Obviously, we wanted to honor the season of Advent, but maybe come at it from a little bit different perspective, talking about the place — the place in which unique and diverse people all came to on that night,” Last said. “We had shepherds, and royalty, and animals, and a couple who were looking for a place to find safety and refuge.”

Christmas at Luther is held inside the main hall of Luther College’s Center for Faith and Life — a space capable of seating more than 1,400 people — and Last said the backdrop for this year’s performance will resemble a cracked and worn barn structure. He encouraged

BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR

S

tudents at Luther College will soon be rehearsing for the college’s annual Christmas at Luther program.

This year’s performances are scheduled Dec. 5-8.

Andrew Last, artistic director of Christmas at Luther and the college’s director of choral activities, said the yearly musical celebration marks the beginning of the Christmas season for many attendees and it serves to bring the college and the broader community together — be they long-time local residents or first-year students acclimating to life in northeast Iowa.

“It’s an incredible event, where we get to showcase all that is good about Luther College, and then invite 8,000 to 10,000 people onto our campus and into our community to revel in how beautiful the downtown area is — just get a little bit of nostalgia about what a smalltown holiday festival feels like,” Last said.

Hundreds of Luther College students perform during Christmas at Luther each year. Holiday concerts have been part of the college’s history for generations, and the theme of the 2023 Christmas at Luther performance (pictured) was “Love, the Rose, Is on the Way.” This year’s theme will be “Seeking Refuge for a Weary World.” (Photo Submitted)

Christmas at Luther

continued on page 14

Bachmurski’s defense seeks info on reported sighting of teen after alleged murder

Members of the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce’s most recent Empower Decorah class series gathered in October to celebrate the installment of a third piece in a series of public art displays.

(Photo submitted)

Trial rescheduled for March

BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR

‘Beautiful secret walkways full of art’

A former Decorah man accused of killing a teen in 2017 has withdrawn his demand for a speedy trial, and his defense attorneys are now hoping to access documentation regarding a reported sighting of the victim in 2021.

James David Bachmurski is accused of killing 15-year-old Jade Colvin, whom investigators believe was at Bachmurski’s rural home south of Decorah in March 2017. The 65-year-old was charged with second-degree murder earlier this year and in September invoked his right to a trial within 90 days. Bachmurski was most recently scheduled to go to trial on Dec. 4 of this year, but he waived his right to a speedy trial on Nov. 12. His attorneys filed a motion less than a week later, referencing information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children related to a report of Colvin possibly being sighted in Harvey, Illinois — about 240 miles from Decorah — on Aug. 12, 2021. Colvin would have been 19-years-old at that time.

The defense has asked the court to grant a subpoena for what they called the lead report

Visit series us online - www.decorahnewspapers.com Empower Decorah marks third alleyway art installment

BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR Few likely spied the small group celebrating in a downtown alleyway this fall, but some may have noticed the addition on the cinderblock wall.

A small scale ribbon cutting

was held in the alley last month for the third in an ongoing series of public art displays. The installments are partly organized by participants in the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce’s Empower Decorah classes.

The local chamber has been offering the course for about

eight years, according to executive director Jessica Rilling, and the class was revamped approximately two years ago.

Rilling said the Empower Decorah class series has always put an emphasis on fostering community leadership skills, but she said staff placed a greater

emphasis on content specifically related to the Decorah area in recent years, proposing smallscale public art installations as a way for the area’s often-busy

Alleyway art continued on page 13

Plans finalized for new Decorah ballpark

BY DENISE LANA STAFF WRITER The design for the first phase of Decorah’s future ballpark was finalized by stakeholders and various city employees during their final meeting earlier this month. The park is anticipated to be complete by this time next year, according

to project managers with ISG engineering.

The outdoor sports complex, which is to be located on the former Dahlen property between the city’s public dog park and its wastewater treatment plant on Old Stage Road, will be developed in at least two phases.

Included in the initial phase will be two, 280-foot multi-use ball

fields, two batting cages, four pickleball courts and a 100-stall parking lot. Additionally, there will be a portable restroom, accessible sidewalks and plaza, overflow parking and mowed trails connecting to Trout Run Trail.

To date, ISG has been paid $33,000 of the $220,000 budgeted for the firm’s services,

such as site survey work, preliminary and final designs, bidding permitting and approvals.

According to the city’s contract with ISG, the overall cost of phase one is to be $2.65 million, with two-thirds of that cost covered by funds set aside in

Ballpark

continued on page 3

LISTENING SESSION

Join Kent TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 5-7PM at Impact Coffee 101 W Water St. | Coffee & Treats are planned

Paid for by Klocke for Decorah Committee

Jade Marie Colvin

James David Bachmurski and any video or audio footage which may have been collected.

The court filed a response on Nov. 21, allowing two weeks for any parties who might be affected by the subpoena to object — Bachmurski’s attorneys told

Bachmurski continued on page 10

VOTE DEC 10 KENT

KLOCKE

DECORAH CITY COUNCIL AT LARGE

NEWS

The Holidays are Coming!

COM

2 | DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

Jury finds Jones burned her own Waukon business

PLIMENTA Y Hearing EvaluatioR ns!

BY DENISE LANA STAFF WRITER A former Allamakee store owner was found guilty Tuesday, Nov. 19 of starting the blaze which consumed her Waukon business as well as an adjacent building — a dog also died after being rescued from a stairwell during the fire.

The week-long trial for 44-year-old Mindy Jones wrapped up midday Tuesday at the Allamakee County Courthouse. Jurors deliberated for less than an hour before returning their decision.

Jones showed no emotion as the decision was read and she was found guilty of first-degree arson and animal abuse.

In his closing arguments, Assistant Iowa Attorney General Israel Kodiaga called the situation a CSC —a common sense case.

“From her own mouth — ‘I’ve got good insurance,’ ‘I’m way over-insured,’” he said to the jury. “‘If this building burns, I’m insured.’”

Jones purchased a building located at 9 Allamakee St. in Waukon during December of 2021, and she remodeled the space as a home design and t-shirt business called Tin Rust and Harmony. She purchased insurance coverage for the building the same month, but two subsequent premium payments were returned for non-sufficient funds, and the payments weren’t made current until two days before the store burned.

The prosecution pointed to the timing of the payments as evidence of Jones’ intentions, but Jones’ defense attorney Aaron Hawbaker argued Jones had little motive to destroy her business for financial gain.

“None of this was a sign of desperation,” Hawbaker said.

“Her biggest debt was $460,000, and she had been living with that debt for seven years, no arsons in-between. She knew how to live with debt.”

A destructive fire At approximately 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 13, 2022 — Super Bowl Sunday — the Waukon Fire Department was dispatched to the building after Jones’ teenage cousin Jese Lewey discovered a fire inside Jones’ store and called 911.

Jones had let Lewey into the building a few minutes earlier to store a number of his items in the building’s basement. Lewey said Jones was nowhere to be found when he came up the stairs a short time later, but he saw a flicker along the wall next to the sales counter and discovered a fire behind the counter where the paper shopping bags were kept.

According to testimony given during the trial, more than 30 Waukon Fire Department firefighters initially arrived on scene, and four other area fire departments offered mutual aid due to the intensity of the blaze and the height of adjacent structures. Body cam footage taken within minutes of the call showed the fire had grown so hot panes of glass in all of the windows had blown outwards, jettisoning fragments across the sidewalk and into the street.

The fire rapidly spread to a neighboring building, and residents of the upper-floor apartments were able to evacuate — a 13-year-old dog named Molly became trapped in a stairwell for an extended period and was eventually rescued before suc-

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Luther College student jailed for posting online threats

BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR Assistant Iowa Attorney General Israel Kodiaga pointed toward defendant Mindy Jones during last week’s trial. Jones was later found guilty of burning down her own Waukon business, destroying it and damaging nearby buildings. (Photo by Denise Lana) Evidence entered in the case against Jones included photos taken during the inspection of her former business.

Investigators had to wait nearly two months before entering Jones’ former business due to structural issues and thick ice which had built up as firefighters contained the flames. cumbing to the effects of smoke inhalation the next morning.

Jones’ business and building, as well as the adjacent building — home to PawsUp Pet Supply — were destroyed, and numerous nearby structures suffered extensive smoke and water damage.

It took a full day to quell flare ups on scene, and Waukon’s water supply was depleted in the process. A directive was issued for city residents to boil their water, and school was canceled the next day due to lack of water.

Sifting through the debris Ross Dillavou, a house fire and explosives expert with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, was one of several investigators who looked into the Waukon fire. He said body camera footage from responding police showed the fire had grown exponentially, and he said the exploding windows indicated the conditions were intense.

“It would have to be a significant amount of heat and pressure — more than just a fire caused by pieces of paper,” he said.

Investigators were unable to enter the collapsed building for nearly two months due to layers of ice which had built up as firefighters battled the flames in subzero temperatures.

Officials were able to conduct an on-site inspection in early April of 2022. There were no video or surveillance cameras inside the building, nor were any fire alarms or detectors located. It took three full days to sift through the layers of debris, and each of the electrical components and appliances found in the debris were tested and deemed competent, ruling them out as sources of the fire.

It was determined there were two separate fire sources in the building, based on the patterns

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investigators observed — one near the sales counter and a second area on the wall next to the floor vent which fed the building’s basement furnace unit.

Witnesses testified that Jones repeatedly told investigators she heard a buzzing noise coming from the furnace area and she claimed the store was often cold when the furnace should have been running — the furnace was replaced about three weeks before the fire took place.

Dillavou and his team found the exterior of the furnace had been damaged by the collapsed ceiling, but it showed no visible signs of fire damage. However, a small piece of fabric was found on the coils inside the furnace — the material matched a type of shirt sold in Jones’ store. Dilla-

vou added that even if the cloth did catch fire, the small piece of material would have burned up and the fire would have put itself out with nothing else in the compartment to fuel the flame.

“Because the ducting is attached by screws, at some point it was done by someone thinking it could start a fire,” Dillavou told the court. “This piece of cloth material in there did not cause the fire — but it is my belief that someone thought it would cause a fire.”

Mark Dooley, a forensic fire investigator retained by State Farm Insurance, testified the fire in the duct “was intentionally

Jones continued on page 14

A student at Luther College has been charged with making terroristic threats and jailed early Monday after authorities received word of concerning messages posted to Instagram.

Court documents said 20-yearold Peter Lincoln Bumba of Frankfort, Illinois, admitted to posting the messages, saying he was “frustrated with not getting a position in a play at the college.” Bumba was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 3:05 a.m. Monday. A statement from the Decorah Police Department said there is no ongoing threat to the community or Luther College.

“A subsequent search warrant was executed on Bumba’s room and vehicle,” the police said in a statement Monday morning.

“No weapons were discovered during the search of the property.”

The Decorah Police Department was notified of the threatening messages shortly after 1:30 a.m. Monday. Luther College’s own security informed officers they had received multiple complaints of concerning Instagram posts created by Bumba — a criminal complaint indicated the actual offense took place at approximately 9:45 p.m. Sunday, and security personnel were able to show screen shots of at least three posts to law enforcement. The Decorah Police Department said in a statement Monday morning that Bumba’s posts made references to what they called a violent an-

Peter Lincoln Bumba ime series in suggesting Bumba ‘kill 80 percent of the students at Luther” — the criminal complaint specified Bumba’s posts were referring to the series “Attack on Titan,” in which a character “kills 80 percent of humanity.”

The Decorah Police Department said Bumba confessed to posting the messages, one of which had been removed shortly after it was posted, according to the criminal complaint.

“When asked how these posts would make people feel, he understood it would cause concern, which is why he deleted it and rephrased it so only anime fans would get the reference and it would sound less harsh,” the complaint said.

Bumba faces a Class D felony. Luther College’s student handbook indicates Bumba may also be subject to additional disciplinary action from the college.

Court records show Bumba was released after posting bond Monday afternoon and is scheduled for an initial appearance on Dec. 16.

County vehicles, tools lost in landfill blaze Friday The Winneshiek County Sanitary Landfill’s vehicle shed was lost to a so-far unexplained fire early Friday morning. The Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting the fire at 6:12 a.m. Nov. 22.

Firefighters from Frankville, Castalia, Ossian and Decorah responded to extinguish the flames which had consumed the pole barn, where crews housed the landfill’s vehicles and all of its tools. Firefighters remained on scene for about seven hours. The sheriff’s office and a WinnMed ambulance assisted at the scene. Frankville Fire Chief John Nielsen said the cause of the fire is undeterminable. (Photo by Zach Jensen)

WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER 29-30

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NEWS

DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

3

PHASE 1 PREFERRED CONCEPT

Northern Lights Women’s Chorus performs at Decorah Lutheran DECORAH DOG PARK

The Northern Lights Women’s Chorus performed “Music is Life” Sunday afternoon at Decorah Lutheran Church — 309 Winnebago St. in Decorah. The 49-member women’s choir, with the help of collaborative pianist Mary Beth Bouska and artistic director Rachel Buresh, performed 12 choral pieces — dating as far back as 1582 — for a free-will offering.

(Photo by Zach Jensen)

WALMART

Decorah’s new Sports Complex will be constructed in phases, with an estimated November 2025 completion date for phase one (pictured).

FUTURE PHASE PARKING

Ballpark continued from front

the city’s budget for fiscal year 2025. The remaining amount — upwards of $1 million — will come from fundraising events or the reallocation of funds, according to Decorah City Manager Travis Goedken.

The complex’s second phase will include two smaller multiuse ball fields, four pickle ball courts, two additional batting cages, a 7,000 square-foot play-

DECORAH DOG PARK

ground, other restrooms as well as concessions and picnic area, parking expansion and a plaza space featuring a shelter as well as space for food trucks.

CORRECTION: A report entitled “County supervisors to fill treasurer’s vacancy by appointment” published in the Nov. 21. 2024, edition of the Decorah Leader incorrectly included Winneshiek County Road W14 in a list of county roads which are not expected to receive winter maintenance. No portion of W14 will be closed during the winter. The Leader apologizes and regrets the error.

Nisse Preschool’s Annual

HOLIDAY PANCAKE BREAKFAST 8:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Registry

December 28, 2024 Grace Syverson & Jerod Redenius ~ June 21, 2025 Madison Sexton & Cole Tweten ~ June 28, 2025 Gina Radewan & Blake Holthaus ~ August 16, 2025 Shelby Schroeder & Ryan Schmalen ~ September 20, 2025 Andrea Heins & Lyle Huinker ~ December 31, 2025 Margaret Earley & Caleb Scherf

KITCHEN PLACE

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Independent business owner, operating with honesty & integrity for 30+ years Supporting local mindset

- For 30 years, every vehicle has been bought locally.

- For 30 years, all insurance needs have been bought locally.

- All banking has been done locally.

Philanthropic support includes

VENMO QR CODE Friends of Decorah Public Library 202 Winnebago St Decorah, IA 52101

PRIORITIES Fiscally responsible spending Economic Development Business Retention Affordable Housing Listening to the people

A voice for the people that listens to the people

- Sunflower Child Development & Discovery Center - Fire Department Contact Kent at: - Carlson Park - St. Benedict Church KlockeForDecorah@gmail.com & School - Donated picnic tables to the park system - Pheasants Forever - Winneshiek County Fair - NICC Advisory Board for Carpentry 25 years - Past Park & Rec Board for 16 years - Rotary/Decorah for DECORAH CITY COUNCIL AT LARGE 20+ years

You may also donate online by visiting decorahlibrary.org and clicking "Donate"

! u o Y k n Tha We cannot say “thank you” enough to all who supported or attended our Nov. 1 fundraising event at Hotel Winneshiek Steyer Opera House featuring “The Whitesidewalls”.

We were able to celebrate and recognize all the community support we’ve received, and we are so grateful to the sponsors of this event. WCCOL wouldn’t be able to carry on doing good work in our community without you!

– WCCOL members Janelle Halverson, Peggy Lensing, Julie Wurtzel, Deb Tekippe, Brenda Dietiker, Stephanie Cenek, Margaret Walter, Andy Carlson & Angela Hansen

EARLY VOTING IS NOW OPEN Resident of Decorah for 30+ years

Support Decorah Public Library and its programs by making a donation to Friends of Decorah Public Library!

Sponsors

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given in love or in honor of:

Audrey L Erdman Barb Fleming Little

Gundersen Health Systems Hacker Nelson & Co. Hammel Jewelers Hotel Winneshiek Hovden Oil Inc. Kerndt Brothers Savings Bank LA Communications Lynch Family Foundation Mabe’s Pizza Margaret’s Boutique Modish Quadrant Financial Advisors & Thrivent Rendered Unique LLC Ridgeway Lumber South Winn Insurance Service Ltd. Viking State Bank & Trust Wayne & Margaret Walter WinnMed

Beverly Berg Bill Roberson Karen Erion Linda Thornton Mary Brandt Mary Eleanor (Ellie) Anundsen Maureen (Mags) McConnell Yahr R. Eric Carlson Jennifer Connor Trisha Ryan Greg Steffans Patients of Gundersen Calmar Clinic

VOTE DEC 10

KENT

KLOCKE Paid for by Klocke for Decorah Committee

Winneshiek County Celebration of Life (WCCOL) is a community effort to raise money for cancer awareness and prevention. Through business sponsorship, individual donations and memorials to WCCOL, the area has supported the health of their own family, friends and neighbors since 1998.

WCCOL is a 501(c)3 nonprofit group

PO Box 314, Decorah, IA 52101 • winneshiekcountycol@gmail.com • www.winneshiekcol.com

OPINION

DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

Whatever you do, don’t stay home during local elections My very first editor moderated live candidate forums each and every election cycle, and he’d always end them by thanking the candidates and telling the public to “vote early, and vote often.” From what little research I’ve done, it’s a bit unclear who exactly coined that phrase but, despite the historical ties to political corruption in Chicago, my old editor used those words with a more humorous tone aimed at encouraging the community to actually get out and vote.

And folks should.

Here in Decorah, we’ve got another election coming up for an at-large city council seat on Dec. 10, and it’d be a shame to overlook it — which I imagine could be easy for some, coming just five weeks after the general election wrapped up.

I won’t tell you who to vote for. That’s your decision. But I will tell you to vote and to vote locally.

I don’t think it’s any secret that voter turnout is typically higher during a presidential year. And that’s great, but I don’t think there’s much reason participation in local elections should be far behind that mark.

We often put a lot of emotional stock at the top of the ticket, but presidential races aren’t the

BY SETH BOYES News Editor

only ones that matter. We typically don’t look to the White House for main street developments, road repairs or public park projects — though the feds can be involved sometimes, its local faces and names that are making sure those things gets done.

Yet, for some reason, it’s the local elections that seem to have somehow earned the voting public’s apathy.

I browsed our archives this week, and did a couple spot checks. Archives of the Decorah Journal from October of 2019 said voter turnout in Winneshiek County was typically around 80 percent for general elections, but only 15-20 percent for city elections — and it was only 5 percent for school elections, though the state of Iowa has since made changes aimed at increasing that number by holding school and city elec-

tions on the same day.

The month after those stats were published, there happened to be a contested race for an at-large seat on the Decorah City Council. About 1,550 people cast votes in that election — Decorah’s population was around 7,500 at that time. That said, we know not everyone’s a registered voter. So the turnout for that 2019 race probably exceeded the 20 percent threshold but, at the same time, cracking a statistic that’s about as close to 0 percent as the general elections are to 100 percent probably shouldn’t be our goal.

And I say that because ranting and railing against what this lawmaker or that administration is doing in D.C. will only get us so far.

Local decisions really do matter.

Don’t get me wrong, we should indeed pay attention to what’s going on in the nation’s capitol and voice our opinions on such things, but the people whom we elect locally are the people with whom we can — ideally — create the most effective government.

U.S. Sen. John Q. Public isn’t likely to stand in the grocery store check-out line with you on a Tuesday night. You’re probably not going to bump

into Congresswoman Jane Doe while dropping your kids off at school Thursday morning.

You’re much more likely to run into a council person, a school board member or a county supervisor on any given weekday.

And it’s that sort of constant community contact which allows local elected officials to govern well — it depends on us.

So it stands to reason we should care a good deal about voting in local elections. And if most regions in our county can top 80 percent voter participation during a national election, surely we’re capable of putting that same kind of effort behind the election of our officials who live in our very own communities.

Again, I won’t tell you how to vote — it’s not my place.

But whatever you do, don’t stay home when you’ve got a chance for your voice to be heard at the local level.

Agree with Seth? Think he’s got it completely backwards or he’s missed the point entirely?

Let your voice be heard. Letters to the editor may be emailed to editor@decorahleader.com or dropped off at 110 Washington St. Suite 4 in Decorah.

5

Positive climate efforts still have momentum People are worried that the U.S. will backslide on progress regarding climate. However, many positive efforts will not be stopped.

Energy is now more cheaply produced via wind and solar than with coal. Companies are losing interest in building more fossil fuel infrastructure.

The House Conservative Climate Caucus, founded by Rep. John Curtis in 2021, now boasts 84 members. Iowa’s U.S. Rep. Miller-Meeks is the current chair. She is one of 18 Republican House members who have signed a letter urging that the climate provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act be left in place. Representatives Hinson, Nunn and Feenstra can be asked to join this caucus.

Permitting reform is needed to allow transmission lines and renewable energy to come online more quickly. This has bipartisan support. It can be done by streamlining the process, without sacrificing historic and environmental concerns. The Energy Permitting Reform Act - S.4753 - is in the Senate. U.S. Sens. Ernst and Grassley can be encouraged to support it in the lame duck session. Studies have shown that when enacted, it will reduce carbon pollution.

Private companies are innovating in the clean energy world.

You can learn about these efforts via the podcast VOLTS. You can also join Citizens’ Climate Lobby, cclusa.org, with 1,760 members in Iowa. CCL makes it easy to contact your congresspersons on climate. Action helps.

Lyle Otte Decorah

Echoes of the Past Girls’ basketball coming to Decorah

BY ROZ WEIS STAFF WRITER When searching the archives for news items for this week’s Echoes of the Past column, I came across a headline from 1974 that stood out to me.

Back 50 years ago this month, Decorah Schools re-introduced girls’ basketball to the list of athletic offerings. A girls’ team had not been fielded in Decorah since the 1920s (long before the school district was founded).

The 1974 announcement stated that a varsity team wouldn’t come to fruition until a few years later (when those middle school girls would bring their experience to the high school level).

Searching ahead in the archives (I can’t let these things go). I found it wasn’t until 1976 when a girls basketball team began playing at the varsity level. The first coach back in 1976 was Jim Schreffler.

Players were Denise Dickman, Cheryl Sersland, Lisa Swanson, Val Kramer, Dawn Ward, Lori

Kuehner, Jennifer Olmstead, Mary Macal, Karen Evans, Deb Drenth, Sue Ash, Julie Thompson and Pam Nelson. These high school girls won their first varsity basketball game in history, edging North Winneshiek by a score of 51-49 in December of 1976. During that year, it was noted that the girl’s athletic program in Decorah grew from one sport in the early 1970s (golf) to six sports at the varsity level. Go girls!

Here are a few more headlines from another era:

80

YEARS AGO - 1944: New enthusiasm is evident in Decorah, as the largest number of troops in the history of the Decorah Girl Scouts recently participated in a fall party. Decorah boasts 11 troops this fall. Their leaders are Miss Melba Williams, Mrs. H. Brickner, Mrs. Eitreim, Mrs. M. Holland, Mrs. Ellingson, Mrs. Grue, Mrs. Shea, Miss Horgan, Mrs. Schlitter, Mrs. Albertson, Miss Horgan, Miss Chekel, Miss Monnie Whalen, Miss D.

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Wepler and Mrs. Lloyd Brown. …A Winneshiek Hotel spokesman accommodated a large crowd the other evening to hear the results of the presidential election via the radio. …A new manufacturing enterprise, which will employ around 250 people, will open here soon in the Meritol Building. Opening of the Decorah plant is brought about by the increased requirement of the U.S. Navy for radio equipment. The announcement was made by the Midland Manufacturing Company of nearby Oelwein. …Enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner at the Springer Hotel. $1.25 per plate. Make reservations now! …Taylor Hardware has opened at 111 West Water Street. Owner is Clyde Taylor.

70

YEARS AGO - 1954: Leiv Erickson Drive from Highway 52 to Ohio Street will now be a one-way street with traffic to flow east to west. The decision was made by the Decorah City Council. …An explosive second half helped the Luther Norsemen secure five quick touchdowns as they romped the Loras Duhawks by a score of 45-6. The Norse become the first football squad in the college’s history to turn in an undefeated season.

60

YEARS AGO - 1964: A new marker will be unveiled soon at the Old Homestead Farm three miles east of Castalia. This farm is the site of the first white settlers’ home in Winneshiek County. Robert Brandt, president of the Bloomfield Township Historical Society, announced a dedication ceremony is planned. …A new OUTSIDE PUBLIC TELEPHONE is being installed in downtown Decorah. This is the first such phone in the business district. The modern telephone will be located on the curb at 130 West Water Street,

THE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PROGRAM at Decorah High School started up in 1976. The girls played their first varsity season as sophomores. (From the 1976-77 yearbook)

situated just in front of the Hobby Shop store. …New street markers may be in Decorah’s future thanks to a fundraising drive of the Decorah Jaycees. The members of the organization presented a plan for installing the signs to the City Council last week.

They displayed two samples: one was green with white letters and the other was white with black letters. Debate continues. …Decorah new high school – Thomas Roberts Senior High – will be dedicated Nov. 29. The building formerly housed elementary students.

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YEARS AGO - 1974: Decorah has a new Decorah Postmaster, and his name is Aaron L. Kupferschmidt of Dubuque. …For the first time since the early 1920s, girls’ basketball has returned to the Decorah Community Schools. There are now only six schools in the state of Iowa that do not offer a basketball program for girls. Decorah has chosen to start at the junior high level and will add the program in the high school

as these girls enter the upper grades. …The long-anticipated opening of Highway 52 north, which has been under construction the past year, is coming soon!

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YEARS AGO - 1984: Decorah City Council has voted down a proposal to permit free downtown parking here during the holiday shopping season. Christmas shoppers will find parking meter regulations will be enforced as usual. Councilmen say the “no-pay” policy during Christmastime has not helped out-oftown shoppers, and it has been abused by many vehicle owners who live right here in town.

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YEARS AGO – 1994: Now showing at the Viking 3 Theatre – “The Santa Clause” starring Tim Allen. …Decorah girls volleyball team earned NEIC all-conference honors. The awards went to Heidi Hansen, Kim Luhman, Amy Albers, Michele Clements and Melissa Jevne. …Nearly 600 trees will be harvested at the Decorah Mu-

nicipal Airport.

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YEARS AGO – 2004: A $20 million dollar addition to Valders Hall will bring Luther College’s science building to the same standard as the college’s music and arts buildings, according to President Richard Torgerson. Start date will depend on fundraising efforts. …Paul Berland has been hired as a regional watershed coordinator for NE Iowa Resource Conservation and Development in Postville.

10

YEARS AGO – 2014: Kyle Falck of Decorah bagged a trophy 23-point whitetail buck the other morning in Winneshiek County. …The South Winneshiek football team ended their season in the semifinals to No. 1 Iowa City Regina. The Warriors ended their year 12-1 in Class 1A. …FOR RENT: Two-bedroom apartment near downtown. $450 per month. Heat, water and garbage pick-up included.

OBITUARIES/NEWS

6 | DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

Richard Lukes

April 6, 1955 - Nov. 14, 2024

Richard W. Lukes, 69, of Calmar, died Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin after a recent diagnosis of metastatic Melanoma.

Rich was born on April Richard Lukes 6, 1955, in Cresco to Raymond and Christine (Riehle) Lukes and was the seventh of eight children. Rich attended Holy Trinity Parochial School in Protivin through 8th grade and graduated from South Winneshiek High School in Calmar in 1973.

Rich married the love of his life, Julie Tollefsrud, on Sept.

20, 1975, at Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church in rural Dorchester. To this union three children were born: Amy, Adam and Allison. Rich and Julie loved taking family vacations across the U.S. (including Hawaii and Alaska) and continued traveling together after becoming empty-nesters.

Rich had a unique part-time job while in high school, butchering at the Protivin Locker. After graduation, Rich worked at Camcar from 1973 until 1999.

Rich took a hiatus from Camcar in 1999 and purchased the Spillville Locker (which Julie often referred to as Rich’s “mid-life crisis”). From 1999 to 2008, Rich was a hands-on owner/operator of the Spillville Locker. His love of cooking and engineering helped Rich develop numerous recipes and processing methods. Under Rich’s leadership, Spillville Locker won several Iowa Meat Processors Association awards, including a Grand Champion

Award for Kraut Burgers, which was a family favorite! In 2008, Rich returned to Camcar where he worked until his retirement in 2020. During his 38-year career in the engineered fastener business, Rich worked his way up from the extruder line (at the age of 18) to retiring as the Director of Engineering for Stanley Engineered Fasteners.

Rich gained many dear friends throughout his career, and traveled the world from Rockford, Illinois to the United Kingdom, China, Singapore, Taiwan and other Asian countries. Rich was awarded 36 U.S. Patents for products and manufacturing processes. As a natural engineer, Rich believed there was always a way to make things better. He brought this belief to his work and carried it to his faith, family and friendships.

Rich loved spending his free time enjoying nature, bass fishing on the Mississippi River, camping on the sandbar, biking (including RAGBRAI), working in his flower gardens and going on side-by-side rides with his loyal companion, Ben. His children and grandchildren were his absolute pride and joy. Rich was an amazing husband, father and an even better grandpa! Rich always knew the importance of showing up to support those he loved, whether it was for Kaitlyn’s basketball games, Adelia’s softball games, or helping with Tevye and Levi’s homeschooling. Some of his greatest pleasures were creating “Jurassic World” and “Terabithia” with the grandkids, taking them fishing, going for a bike ride to a “secret spot”, heading to an Iowa Basketball game, and most importantly making “Grandpa Waffles” with strawberries and fresh whipped

cream.

Rich always knew how blessed he was as a child of God. Much of the time spent at Gundersen was spent glorifying God for the life and people he was blessed with, reciting the Lord’s Prayer, and spending time in prayer and worship with family and visitors.

Rich is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Julie; daughter, Amy (Rob) Gross of Mabel, Minnesota; son, Adam Lukes of Belleville, Illinois; daughter, Allison (Lee Chapman) Lukes of Decorah; grandchildren: Kaitlyn Gross of La Crescent, Minnesota, Adelia Gross of Mabel, Minnesota, and Tevye and Levi Chapman of Decorah; siblings: Madonna (Art) Samec of Jesup, Iowa, Mary Ann (Duane) Panos of Swisher, Iowa, Ray (Joyce) Lukes of Protivin, Margie (Linus) Barloon of Decorah, Jim (Linda) Lukes of Decorah, Marcie (John) Miller of Waukon, and Millie (Larry) Vine of Davenport; brother-in-law, Jim (Lois) Tollefsrud of Dorchester; and sisters-in-law: Shirley (Ron) Bigler of Decorah, Cathy (Greg) Mohwinkle of Eitzen, Minnesota, and Cindy (Sam Hedrick) Palmer of Moline, Illinois.

Rich was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Christine (Riehle) Lukes; father and mother-in-law, Gilman and Irene (Melbostad) Tollefsrud; and brother-in-law, Steve Palmer.

A celebration of life service was held Wednesday, Nov. 20 at Pinters Garden & Pumpkins in Decorah.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to either of the following: Friends of Pools 9 & 10 or Prairie Farmer Bike Trail.

retiring in 1992.

John and Donna enjoyed traveling together, making memories on trips to Iowa, fishing in Canada, visiting California and Hawaii and wintering in Arkansas. Their trips to Glacier National Park were especially loved, leaving their family with special memories and a lasting legacy. John’s passion for nature, the mountains, hiking and wildlife was evident in all he did. He had a remarkable gift for storytelling and was able to recall details from his many experiences and books he read about wildlife. His knowledge and love of nature enriched us all and his stories will be deeply missed.

Above all, John loved his family and supported their achievements throughout the years. He loved his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and the visits from the little ones brought joy that was evident in his smiles.

John is survived by son, Mark Williams; daughters, Kristy Theis and Susan (Jeff) Krogstad; son, Craig (Clare) Williams; and daughter, Cin-

dy Williams; 11 grandchildren: Joel (Susan) Sullivan, Ryan Sullivan, Katie (Albert) Rich, Thomas Burke, Craig (Liz) Krogstad, Marit (Charlie) Moberg, Mark (Tiffany) Krogstad, Chelsea (Sam) Gilsrud, Mara (Cooper) Tollefson, Grant and Garrett McGuigan; 18 great-grandchildren: Connor, Kyla, Tyler, Mari, Jack, Ashley, Owen, Siri, Henrik, Ingrid, Elin, Olivia, Luke, Eisley, William, Jack, Rowen and Callum; sister, Suzanne Howard; sisters in law, Helen Estrem and Martha Howland; and many nieces and nephews.

John was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 73 years, Donna; his parents; brother, Craig E. Williams; brothers-inlaw, Keigh and Leland Howland; and son-in-law, Jerry Theis.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at Halvorson Taylor Life Events Center, 512 S. 8th Street Brainerd. A luncheon will follow. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service.

Memorials will be forwarded to Legionville General Scholarship Fund.

Split vote settles trail debate

Parks and Rec Board approves horses in specific areas

BY DENISE LANA STAFF WRITER Members of the Winneshiek Saddle Club and the Decorah Human Powered Trails group initially declared a stalemate after facing off at a Nov. 21 Decorah Parks and Recreation Board meeting. However, a split vote from the board decided the matter Tuesday night.

The two groups — one made up of horseback riders, and the other largely consisting of hikers and mountain bike enthusiasts — had been attempting to make headway in the longstanding debate surrounding the shared use of city park trails, specifically trails located in Van Peenen Park. The city’s Parks and Recreation Board had scheduled a work session Tuesday, hoping once again to facilitate a compromise on the issue.

No action was expected during that work session, but the board saw fit to schedule a second meeting following the work session and ultimately voted 3-2 to allow horseback riders on 5 of the 8 miles of trails in Van Peenen Park. The equestrian users will also be given access to the North 40 trail loop off Van Peenen as well as Old Randy’s, The Luge, and Upper Ice Cave Trails above Dunnings Spring as part of the board’s decision.

Van Peenen Park was dedicated to the city in the mid 1970s for purposes which specifically included horseback riding. With the introduction of mountain bikes to the park in the early 2000s, horse riding became less prevalent in the park. In more recent years, as old trail signs were replaced with new ones, mention of horses was left off

John Williams

Sept. 11, 1927 - Nov. 14, 2024 John Alton Williams, 97, longtime resident of Brainerd, Minnesota, died Nov. 14, 2024.

John was born on Sept.

11, 1927 to W. Emryn and Alta (Johnson) Williams in Lime Springs.

He graduated from Lime John Williams Springs High School in 1945 and then attended Luther College in Decorah. In January 1946, John enlisted in the U.S. Navy and went on to serve as a corpsman in San Diego, California. After serving in the Navy John returned to Luther College, graduating in 1950.

John married the love of his life, Donna Mae Howland, on Oct. 29, 1950 in Decorah. They moved to Brainerd where he began his teaching career in 1952.

While teaching, he was active with coaching basketball and football for over 30 years. In addition to teaching, John began working at Legionville Patrol Camp in 1954, eventually serving as their director before

Service Notices

MINNA HEIN, 95, longtime resident of Canton and Mabel, Minnesota, died Nov.17, 2024. Private services will be held.

1351 Elon Dr., Waukon. Burial will follow. Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until the time of the service Friday at the church.

PATRICK NELSON, 67, of Waterville, died Nov.20, 2024, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester due to heart failure. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 29 at West Paint Creek Synod Church,

HANNA LANGHOLZ, 98, of Decorah, died Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, at Aase Haugen Senior Services in Decorah. Funeral services were held Wednesday, Nov. 27 at Decorah Lutheran Church. Burial was at

St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery in Waverly.

JOSEPH “JOSEY WALES” WHALEN JR., 63, of Burr Oak, died Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, at his home after a long battle with a chronic lung disease. Funeral services were held Wednesday, Nov. 27 at Burr Oak Lutheran Church.

Burial was in St. Bridget Cemetery in Bluffton.

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BY ZACH JENSEN STAFF WRITER Northeast Iowa might be in for a wetter-than-normal winter, but if everything goes as predicted, the resulting added groundwater may produce higher yields than previous years come harvest time next fall, which. But officials say higher yields might not equate to higher profit.

“Any opportunities to add moisture to the soil profile before a hard freeze will be beneficial to farmers in northeast Iowa,” said Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Field Agronomist Joshua Michel. “An adequate supply of soil moisture in the spring is important for seed germination and to ensure that seedlings can quickly establish good root systems. A soil profile at or near full moisture capacity coming into spring is good just in case we begin to experience some dryer than normal weather conditions.”

Colder temperatures and dryer conditions have prevailed so far this month, but Iowa State Climatologist Justin Glisan said the state is currently in a “La Nina Watch.” La Nina is a weather phenomenon that occurs when the surface water temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean are colder than normal, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Glisan said Iowa has a 60 percent chance of transitioning into La Nina sometime between November and December.

A decision was finally reached tonight regarding the city’s trails. The parks and rec board passed a motion 3-2 to allow horseback riders on 5 of the 8 miles of trails in Van Peenen Park, and they will also be given access to the North 40 trail loop off Van Peenen. Additionally, horseback riders were allowed access to Old Randy’s, The Luge, and Upper Ice Cave Trails above Dunning’s Spring. The trail proposal from Parks and Rec Board member Zach Kerndt (pictured) shows the trails horseback riders can access. (Photo by Denise Lana) park signage altogether.

Decorah Park and Recreation Board member Bryan Fuhrmann said last week that he paid a visit to Luther College and searched through archived city maps to better understand the history of the area trails. He told the board and attendees last week that, contrary to what the board had previously been told, local horseback riders may not have helped create trails above Ice Cave in the early 1970s. According to Fuhrmann, trails already existed there dating back to the mid-1950s.

“According to statements made here, a small group of riders here blazed, but they didn’t build trails,” Fuhrmann said.

He also found hiking trails mentioned within the park system in 1956.

“Nowhere … were horse trails ever mentioned,” Fuhrmann said. “Park rules came out in 1977 — it said horses are prohibited except where otherwise noted. In all this research, I’ve yet to find a city map that shows horse trails anywhere.”

Fellow board member Kathy Bakken said during last week’s meeting that she would like to see the animosity between the groups cut back. She also recommended the board consider whether non-residents of Decorah should be allowed to have weight in the decision making, noting they do not pay city taxes.

Wetter winter forecast may increase 2025 crop yields “Typical La Nina winters are colder across the Dakotas through Montana and the Pacific Northwest,” Glisan said.

“The southern states are generally warmer and drier. We don’t have clear guidance for Iowa, as we are categorized in ‘Equal Chances’ of above/below/near-average.”

Glisan went on to say northeastern Iowa is leaning toward wetter winter conditions.

“In weak La Nina winters, we have generally experienced above-normal seasonal snowfall totals across much of the state,” he said.

On the other hand, Glisan said from 2020 through 2022, three consecutive La Nina winters yielded both warmer and dryer conditions in Iowa — except for the winter of 202122, which ranked as the 63rd coldest winter in the last 152 years. Additionally, the winter of 2022-23 was the 16th driest on record, Glisan said.

“In terms of the next growing season, we have seen drier conditions across the state this fall, so any moisture we can bank before soils freeze will be beneficial,” he said. “Also, with the potential for slightly above-average snowpack, we may end up with additional moisture to infiltrate as we thaw through late winter.”

But crop yield isn’t the only number northeast Iowa producers will be keeping an eye on.

“Incredibly strong … production is great for filling bins, bragging about yields and building up next year’s insurance yield,” said ISU Extension

and Outreach economist Chad Hart. “But, it is also the weight that has driven down prices for a vast majority of this calendar year. Farm incomes tend to be better with lower yields and higher prices than with lower prices and higher yields.”

This year’s harvest saw a market rate of $3.98 per bushel of corn in northeast Iowa, according to data from the ISU Extension and Outreach Office — about the same price per bushel producers saw from 2007 to 2010.

“Corn and soybean prices are forecast to stay steady or increase slightly over the next several months,” said Joseph Lensing, ISU farm management specialist for northeast Iowa.

“Despite a dry second half of the growing season, yields are expected to be 5 percent to as much as 10 percent higher than last year with a national all-time high corn and soybean yield projected.”

Increased demand would also help Iowa farmers, Lensing said, but he said that may be difficult to achieve with an overwhelming supply.

“Due to the large level of corn stocks from years of high production, supply has been overpowering demand,” he said. “An increase in exports and domestic usage would have a positive impact on prices. The demand for corn and soybeans in the renewable/sustainable fuel markets is something to keep an eye on as the years go by.”

NEWS

DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

7

Carlson Park awarded County conservation project aims to state grant totaling help prevent flooding, increase trail use nearly $300,000

BY ZACH JENSEN STAFF WRITER Decorah’s Carlson Park project was recently awarded more than a quarter-million-dollars to expand and enhance its trail system — opening the door to the next couple phases of the plan.

“It was certainly exciting to receive the news,” said Decorah Parks and Recreation Director Mark Holtey. “The funding allows for the city to bid out and build out both parts of Phase 1 for the Carlson Park master plan.”

The city of Decorah was awarded $298,795 for use the Carlson Park project as part of a State Recreational Trails Grant.

The funds will be put toward the development of approximately 5.7 miles of mixed-use trails, which Carlson Park Coalition member Marla Klocke said are designed to enhance outdoor recreational opportunities for Decorah residents and visitors.

The Dave and Rick Carlson families donated 110 acres of land to the city of Decorah in 2019, setting the park project in motion. Decorah City Manager Travis Goedken said the Carlson Park Project was made possible through collaborative efforts with Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development as well as Carlson Park Trail Coalition volunteers.

“Their hard work and commitment were instrumental in securing this funding, which will support the creation of trails accessible to walkers, cyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts,” Goedken said.

Klocke said State Recreational Trail Grants are extremely competitive — there were more than 30 applications at the state level. She added that nine of those projects received awards ranging from $71,000 to $700,000 — all of which were for hard surface trail projects — whereas Carlson Park was the only soft trails park awarded.

“Now, the focus is on creating inclusive trails and amenities that accommodate a wide range of outdoor enthusiasts, from walkers and cyclists to snow sports participants, as well as paving the way for

potential high school mountain biking courses,” said Jake Byers, vice president of marketing and communications for the Winneshiek County Community Foundation.

Holtey said Phase 1A of the project will involve creating a trail in the northwest corner of the park, including almost a mile of new mountain bike trails.

“Of the new trail mileage, 0.47 miles are traditional twoway single-track trails for shared use (by) bikers, hikers, runners,” Holtey said. “The remaining 0.51 miles are bike-optimized one-way downhill gravity/flow trails, split into beginner and intermediate skill levels. These trails will include a wide variety of berms, rollers, doubles, tabletops, rock features and prefabricated features … creating an exciting mountain bike park for users of all abilities.”

Phase 1B of the project will add approximately 4.7 miles of new trails in the northeast and southeast areas of the park, Holtey said. The park will feature a mixture of routes for beginners and intermediate level users, and traffic will primarily be two-way — a 0.33-mile downhill segment will remain one-way for safety reasons, Holtey said.

“With support from local residents, this park can become a beacon for health, accessibility and connection with nature,” said Angie Widner, vice president of community impact for Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.

Parks have become one of Decorah’s and Winneshiek County’s main tourism and economic drivers, according to coalition member Brecka Putnam.

“Especially throughout the pandemic and recent decades, Decorah has been recognized and appreciated for its unique access to parks and wild places,” she said. “While it is true that maintaining Decorah’s public park resources continues to be a big task and takes considerable financial considerations, the investments pay off multiple fold in quality of life for residents, tourism and the outdoor recreation economy.”

Decorah woman claims $100,000 top prize in ‘Snowfall’ scratch game

A Decorah woman is the second person to win a $100,000 top prize in the Iowa Lottery’s Snowfall scratch game.

Tracie Tran claimed her top prize Monday at the lottery’s regional office in Cedar Rapids.

She purchased her winning ticket at Walmart in Decorah. She is the second Iowan to earn the top prize in the Snowfall game — Matt Watznauer of Granger claimed the first $100,000 prize on Nov. 4. Lottery officials said there were four remaining top prizes as of Nov. 19.

Since the lottery’s start in 1985, players have won more than $5.8 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised more than $2.4 billion for state programs.

Lottery proceeds help support Iowa veterans and their families through the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund. They also help the families of Iowa peace officers, firefighters and corrections employees who die in the line of duty, and they provide help for a variety of significant projects through the state’s General Fund.

END-OF-YEAR EMPORIUM GUN & SPORTING

ONLINE AUCTION Online Auction Closes

BY ZACH JENSEN STAFF WRITER

Winneshiek County Conservation hopes its next major project will help protect Decorah from flooding while increasing activities like hiking and biking in some areas.

Conservation Director Barb Schroeder reported on the proposed project during a presentation to the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors Monday morning. The project consists of constructing “water control basins” in the Dry Run greenbelt — a zone near Decorah where development is restricted to maintain a largely natural landscape. The project would consist of two basins below Wicks Construction, Bodensteiner Implement — both located along Highway 9 just west of Decorah —and one larger basin at Neste Valley Recreational Area, about 2.5 miles west of Decorah.

“Those will be holding water and controlling some of that flash flooding that happens on Dry Run — providing protection to the city of Decorah, the Upper Iowa River and our future downstream trail infrastructure,” Schroeder told the supervisors. “We’re pretty excited to have those projects going.”

Schroeder said the basins will look like small dams, and are designed to hold water for about one day before slowly releasing it. Her department purchased the land for the projects from Gordon Hunter and Cam-

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should be done by the spring of 2025, and the rest of the project should be completed by December of 2025.

Other business: • County Engineer Michael Kueny reported the center-line striping for County Road W14 is complete from Spillville to Ridgeway. Shouldering for that stretch of the project will be done this week if weather cooperates. Fog lines and side-striping will be done in the spring of 2025.

• Kueny said Winneshiek County is seeking a “sign man.”

The county has received three applications thus far, and applications are due by Dec. 6.

• The supervisors will host a six-county supervisors meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 12 at

BY ZACH JENSEN STAFF WRITER Lawsuits filed by the Driftless Water Defenders against the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors and the county’s board of adjustment are progressing.

Attorney Jim Larew filed two petitions on behalf of the Driftless Water Defenders, a regional nonprofit environmentalist group, earlier this fall.

The group alleges the board of supervisors acted illegally when approved the rezoning of a property near Ridgeway to potentially allow for the placement of an anaerobic digester — also known as a biodigester — which would turn dairy cattle manure from a nearby farm into renewable natural gas. Larew alleges in an Oct. 3 lawsuit that the Winneshiek County Board of Adjustment also acted illegally when it approved a conditional use permit for the same facility.

Larew also questioned — in the suit against the board of adjustment — whether all parties involved in the case, including

health

A Novilla RNG, LLC’s biodigester in West Branch. (Photo submitted) the landowners and Novilla RNG, LLC, which would own the biodigester, needed to be served individually.

“When we filed …, we felt the matter could be set for hearing,” Larew told the court. “I don’t think the case law is consistent.”

Larew said he felt both petitions were “sufficiently pled” and no additional action was required. In response, attorney Daniel Morgan, who is representing the county, agreed with Larew, saying the caselaw is “uncertain.” Morgan indicated

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he would be agreeable to moving forward with the board of adjustment case without the inclusion of all involved parties.

When given a chance to speak on DWD’s lawsuit against the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors, Larew prefaced his position by questioning whether the supervisors acted lawfully when they voted 3-2 in favor of rezoning the plot of land intended for the biodigester’s location. He said the supervisors have a legal obligation to protect the safety and health of the county’s residents,

and he claimed the supervisors’ decision to allow the rezoning violated that obligation.

After his prelude, Larew said he feels the basics of the case are sufficient for a hearing to be scheduled, in which both parties involved in the lawsuit would argue their positions. He added that, if the court deems it appropriate, the cases could be tried simultaneously. Morgan had no objection.

District Court Judge Laura Parrish said she would make her decision on Larew’s questions this week.

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eron Harris using Rural Energy for America Program grants.

“The Harris and Hunter tracts combined are a little over 100 acres of old pasture,” Schroeder said. “The long-term plans are the bike trail will go through there, and we’re working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife to restore the habitat and put in high-quality prairie for the rusty patched bumble bee, which is an endangered species that is found there.”

Schroeder said the bike trail will run below the Nesty basin, while the bike trail across the Hunter-Harris tracts will be significantly improved to improve recreation in the area. Schroeder said the first step will be tree removal at the future construction sites, which may begin anytime. She said tree removal

Hearing held regarding environmentalists’ lawsuits over biodigester zoning issues

Thursday, Dec. 5 @ 8:00am

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Winneshiek County Conservation Director Barb Schroeder informed the board of supervisors Monday morning about the department’s progress on various projects and a future project that will include a water detention system to further protect Decorah from potential flooding. (Photo by Zach Jensen)

King Pin Entertainment Center in Decorah. During the meeting, the boards of supervisors from Winneshiek, Allamakee, Howard, Chickasaw, Fayette and Clayton counties will meet to share and compare news, challenges and progress. The meeting is open to the public and is expected to end by 11:15 a.m. that day.

• Mike Linderbaum of Decorah was approved as a new employee for Winneshiek County Recycling, with a start date of Dec. 3.

• It was reported that the bill the county received for filling in a well on Wellington Place’s property was approximately $1,600. It was originally believed that the well was only 100 feet deep, but it turned out to be 500 feet deep, which required more material to fill.

• Supervisors Chair Dan Langreck confirmed Winneshiek County Health and Human Services is moving to the county’s new Community Services Building, formerly the Spectrum building, at 607 Washington St. in Decorah. A move-in date and specific lease information wasn’t yet available. The move will free up the county’s building at 2307 US-52 South in Decorah, which will then be sold by the county.

The next meeting of the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors will be held at 9:30 a.m., Monday, Dec. 2, in the courthouse annex.

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COMMUNITY

8 | DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

Thanksgiving cheer Sheryl Hammel of Hammel Jewelers and Chris Hicks of Heavenly Made strolled Decorah the last week of November to wish folks a happy Thanksgiving. (Photo by Megan Warner)

Community briefs Absentee voting now open for Decorah City Council special election

Absentee voting is now available for the city of Decorah’s special election to fill a vacancy for councilperson at-large. The Election date is Dec. 10, and polls will be open from 7 a.m .to 8 p.m. that day. Absentee voting by mail began Nov. 21, and requests for mail-in ballots must be submitted no later than Nov. 25. Absentee voting in person is available in the Winneshiek County Auditor’s Office during normal business hours Nov. 21 through Dec. 9. A sample ballot and other election information is available at www.winneshiekcounty.iowa.gov. Questions about this or any election related matter may be directed to auditor@co.winneshiek.ia.us or 563- 382-5085.

The Landing to introduce Christmas for folks 75-plus

The Landing Market will host “Everyone’s a Kid at Christmas” — a free holiday event for people age 75 and older — from noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday Dec. 14. Attendees may have their picture taken with Santa, and receive a coupon for a free Açaí Bowl from Root 43 Juicery. Regional musician Charlie Warner will play traditional music of the season.

“We do enjoy focusing on the children at Christmas,” says owner Pete Espinosa. “But we want to remember the joy of Christmas is for everyone. This is our way of spreading some Christmas joy to our valued older friends and family among us.”

The Landing will also be hosting its third annual “Breakfast with Santa” for families from 9-11 a.m. the same day.

Santa will arrive by horse and carriage. Children can visit Santa, receive a free gift and enjoy craft activities as well as free carriage rides. Pancakes, hot cocoa and professional photos with Santa will be available for purchase.

Senior center seeking new board members

The Senior Citizens Hospitality Center is looking for new board members. The organization is seeking individuals to advocate for the community’s senior population as they help

create opportunities for seniors to stay active and healthy. The senior center is seeking individuals over 55 to serve as board members, mentors and volunteers. Proficiency with technology as well as knowledge of state laws and policies may be beneficial. The board holds its annual meeting at the end of December and elects officers for the next year. Interested parties may call Mary Lou Cotton at 563-419-4307.

Public invited to partake in Turkey Trot on community prairie

Decorah Parks and Recreation is hosting a free Turkey Trot. The public is invited to run or walk a 5k or 1-mile loop marked in the Decorah Community Prairie anytime between Thursday, Nov. 28 and Sunday, Dec 1. Participants may submit their run/walk online at parks.decorahia.org and may enter in a prize drawing by sending a photo of themselves completing the Turkey Trot to decorahrec@gmail.com. Organizers described the event as a fun challenge for individuals or entire households. The Decorah Community Prairie is located over the levy at the south end of Ohio Street in Decorah.

McKenna to be featured during drop-in book signing

The public is invited to join Clara McKenna, author of Murder at Glenloch Hill, for a dropin book signing from 1-3 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 30 at Dragonfly Books in Decorah.

McKenna is the author of the Stella and Lyndy Mystery Series as well as other historical mysteries written under a different name. She is a member of Historical Novel Society and Sisters in Crime, as well as a founding member of Sleuths in Time, a cooperative group of historical mystery writers who encourage and promote each other’s work.

This event is part of Dragonfly Books and the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation’s author event series, which brings writers of all genres to northeast Iowa to engage in conversations about literature and writing. To learn more about this event and other events with Dragonfly Books, visit www.dragonflybooks.com.

Red Cross to hold Blood Drive

An American Red Cross Community Blood Drive will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 6 at Stone Ridge Community Church — 1111 Montgomery St. in Decorah.

Appointments may be made by calling 800-733-2767 or by visiting redcrossblood.org and using sponsor code DecorahIA

Mediacom recognizes pair of Decorah employees

Mediacom Communications recently recognized two employees from the Decorah Mediacom office who achieved the company’s top performance rankings for customer service over the past year. Whitney Canatsey earned a National Gold-level Installer Technician of the Year award for excellence in technician services. He was one of 40 employees companywide to receive a National Gold-level award. Arin Rausch was recognized as a Customer Service Hero for high-performance marks as a network broadband specialist. He was one of 19 employees companywide to earn a National Bronze-level award for exemplary customer service in 2024.

Companywide, Mediacom employs more than 3,500 people, and the award recipients were among 196 employees recognized for performance achievements over the past year. Award recipients receive a monetary bonus and other employee recognition.

Joseph Company earns industry award for First Lutheran restoration

The Joseph Company, headquartered in Austin, Minnesota, received the Eagle Award from the Associated Builders and Contractors for Excellence in Construction for the structural restoration of First Lutheran Church in Decorah — a 160-year-old worship facility.

This recognition is the highest level of building performance possible for contractors in the construction industry. Officials with thheJoseph Company credited the successful restoration to the project’s supervisors and staff, whom they said creatively designed structural modifications for the church’s roof, trusses and concrete foundations.

Ribbon Cutting

Celebration!

Congratulations, T-Bock’s Sports Bar & Grill CELEBRATING

30 YEARS

507 W. Water St., Decorah 563.382.3990 | decorahareachamber.com

Congratulations to T-Bock’s Sports Bar & Grill on their 30th anniversary! Pictured is the T-Bock’s crew along with Chamber Ambassadors Laura Gronna, Joanie Rollins, Tara McConnell, Tade Kerndt and Nick Wilz.

From l-r- Joe Bouska, Amy Knox, Les Askelson, MaryAnn Humpal, Dane Askelson, Annette Franzen and Lashelle Evans. (Photos submitted)

Annual ATV/UTV ride raises $22K for community causes The LA Communications Annual Non-Profit Fall ATV/UTV Ride took place on Oct. 19.

A total of 154 rigs and more then 450 people participated in this year’s event, with participants from all over the states of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The ride raised $22,000 in proceeds.

All proceeds were split between two nonprofit organizations. This year’s recipients were The Decorah Elks Charitable Foundation and Northeast Iowa Community Action Corp. Organizer said both have a significant impact in helping children and veterans as well as improving the quality of life in the local community. Decorah Elks Charitable Foundation helps underprivileged children with school supplies, medical necessities, scholarships to visit Washington DC and Christmas care packages for local Veterans

From l-r- Annette Franzen, Les Askelson and Trisha Wilkens. in nursing homes.

Northeast Iowa Community Action provides multiple programs in the counties of Allamakee, Bremer, Clayton, Chickasaw, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek. They provide

services to more than 10,000 individuals each year, including but not limited to youth, teens, elderly, underprivileged or those experiencing hardship with everyday necessities.

Members of grades 5-8 Opus Honor Choir are pictured front- Liam Kueny, Ivan Maki, Clara Garcia-Prats, Haylyn Stowe, Jorgan Lee-Juve, second row- Hayven Stowe, Maximus Rinkol, Crosby Butler, Nathaniel Crose, Abby Shaw, back- Lillianna Richmond, Gray Bassford, Kenyon Bartels, Graham Torkelson, and Hanna Lensch. Not Pictured: Veda Shimek.

DMS/DHS students selected to Opus Honor Choir A total of 24 students from Decorah were recently selected for participation in the 38th annual Opus Honor Choir Festival. More than 2,400 students were nominated by their directors for 720 positions in the four Opus Honor Choirs. Selections were made by means of a recorded audition.

This is the 18th year Decorah has had students audition for the Opus Honor Choirs.

During the past 18 years, more than 415 students from Decorah have been accepted through recordings submitted by Dean Beckman, Jason Rausch and community youth choir directors. This year, 16 students were selected from Decorah Middle School by recordings submitted by Dean Beckman. Another eight students were selected by recordings submitted by Jason Rausch at the Decorah High School.

Those chose for the Opus choirs were: Fifth grade: Clara Garcia-Prats and Ivan Maki

Members of ninth-grade Opus Honor Choir are pictured, front- Kaya Johnson, Ella Evelsizer, Claire Ko, Kylie Cord, back- Gavin Wilkins, Derek Hrdlicka, Davis Walter, and Cooper Ewing. (Photos submitted) Sixth grade: Gray Bassford, Liam Kueny and Maximus Rinkol Seventh grade: Jorgan LeeJuve, Lillianna Richmond, Abby Shaw, Haylyn Stowe and Hayven Stowe Eighth grade: Kenyon Bartels, Crosby Butler, Nathaniel Crose, Hanna Lensch, Veda Shimek and Graham Torkelson Ninth grade: Kylie Cord, Ella Evelsizer, Cooper Ewing, Derek Hrdlicka, Kaya Johnson,

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Claire Ko, Davis Walter and Gavin Wilkins In addition, three students were selected as solo finalists while auditioning to sing a solo or in a special small group at the concert. Crosby Butler and Nathaniel Crose were two of eight students selected from across the state in eighth grade, and Kaya Johnson was one of five finalists selected in ninth grade.

Guest conductors of the choirs include Jennifer Ghelf, fifth and sixth grade honor choir; John Hayden, seventh and eighth grade Bass Clef Honor Choir; Rachael Wragge, seventh and eighth grade Treble Clef Honor Choir; and Meg Byrne, ninth grade Mixed Honor Choir.

The 2024 Opus Honor Choirs performed Nov. 21 in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium at the Iowa State Center in Ames. The Opus Honor Choir Festival is made possible by the Iowa Choral Directors Association.

COMMUNITY

DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

9

Photo submitted Photo submitted

Vesterheim Commons becomes Hanson Vesterheim Commons Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, recently announced Mary Jo (Hanson) Boman and the Hanson Family Foundation provided an additional gift to the museum, contributing a total of $2 million for Strong Roots | Bold Future, a campaign to Grow Vesterheim. In recognition of the family’s ongoing support of Vesterheim’s mission, the new Vesterheim Commons building has been renamed Hanson Vesterheim Commons.

“We are extremely grateful for this significant and important gift,” Chris Johnson, Vesterheim president/CEO, said.

“This is an exciting moment for Vesterheim. With this gift, we are celebrating a bold new era of Vesterheim’s ability to wel-

come visitors, host events, display collection objects, provide folk art education and experiences and reach a worldwide audience. Hanson Vesterheim Commons is a tangible way that the Hanson Family’s beautiful legacy of service to Vesterheim will forever be part of Vesterheim’s story.”

The Hanson Family Foundation was established in 1971

by Mary Jo Boman’s parents, John K. and Luise V. Hanson, founders of Winnebago Industries in Forest City. The Hanson family can trace their heritage to the Numedal, Gudbrandsdalen, Hardanger and Telemark regions of Norway. During the 1970s, John K. Hanson’s sister Barbara Bulman served on the Vesterheim Board of Trustees, and John K. Hanson’s grandson

Greg Boman now serves as a Vesterheim trustee.

The Hanson Family Foundation has given generously over many years to Vesterheim, funding issues of “Vesterheim” magazine, exhibitions and classroom spaces, as well as providing ongoing support to the Vesterheim Annual Fund.

The Hanson Vesterheim Commons, which features three levels and 7,600 square-feet, includes entry from Water Street, provides easy access to Heritage Park, and serves as a community gathering space. A multi-use space on the ground floor seats 100 people for lectures, meetings, concerts, receptions and classes. The building also includes a catering kitchen, a gallery; an artifact collection study room, a digital production stu-

dio; and an outdoor patio with seating options for events and receptions. The building, was the first in Iowa to be designed

by Snøhetta, a renowned international architecture and landscape architecture firm.

“The Hanson Vesterheim Commons is economically significant for the museum, Decorah and Iowa,” Johnson said.

“The building project points to current and future audiences and impacts local economic development and tourism through expanded in-person folk art classes, specialized programs, exhibitions and digital outreach across the United States and the world.”

For more information on the Strong Roots | Bold Future campaign and how to become involved, visit vesterheim.org.

4-H members collecting hygiene items for area students

A pair of area 4-H students are collecting hygiene products as part of their 4-H County Council Leadership project.

Caylie Adam of the Prairie Shooting Stars 4-H club and Ruby Timp of the Turkey Valley Clovers 4-H club will donate the collected items to local schools in Winneshiek County. The items collected will be given to children in need who don’t have access to these items or if they need them throughout the school day.

Adam and Timp are seeking donations of new toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, hair brushes, hair combs, deodorant and feminine hygiene products.

The public is asked to make their donations by Jan.

10, 2025. Donations can be dropped off at one of six locations: • Our Lady of Seven Dolors Catholic Church, 2352 County Road B32, Festina • Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 420 E Main St., Ossian • St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 304 Maryville St., Calmar • Calmar Lutheran Church, 200 East St., Calmar • St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, 207 Church St., Spillville • Winneshiek County Extension Office, 2316 Sweet Pkwy Rd., Decorah Questions may be directed to Adam at 563-568-9757 or Timp at 563-380-8612.

Sabin Family celebrates one-year ownership of Family Table

TV FFA members earn honors in Indiana Chamber Ambassadors joined Sabin Family and Restaurant employees during a recent ribbon cutting to celebrate one year of ownership under Amanda and Corey Sabin. (Photo submitted) The Decorah Area Chamber recently hosted a ribbon cutting event for Sabin Family Table to celebrate one year of ownership under Amanda and Corey Sabin. The Sabins purchased the long-time Decorah restaurant from Stacey and Scott Gossling in November of 2023.

The location, on the corner of Decorah’s Mechanic Street and Sanford Street, has been host to a restaurant for more than 65 years. What started as a root beer stand later became an A&W franchise. Eventually the franchise was dropped, and it became the Family Table.

The Gosslings owned the establishment from 1993 to 2023 marking three decades of comfort food and a robust remodel.

When it came time to sell, The Gosslings were hopeful they

would find buyers who could carry on the successful business model and embrace a “good ole comfort food” menu.

“When we bought the restaurant back in 1993, we were young and it was a big deal for us,” said Stacey Gossling.

“Family Table has been such a big part of our lives and our children’s lives. We are so happy that the next chapter for this business is with Corey and Amanda Sabin. They are the perfect people to carry on the tradition of this local diner and, in many ways, we see a story similar to ours - a young, local, hardworking family welcoming their neighbors and visitors everyday with home cooking and smiles.”

The Sabins bring years of experience in food service, having

worked for TBocks Sports Bar and Grill, Luther College and at Family Table under Gosslings. Both were quick to express appreciation for all that they have learned in the chapters that preceded the purchase of the restaurant. Corey Sabin said he is motivated to add home cooked elements for a variety of dishes and is having fun with some new specials, including Monday-night spaghetti, a Thursday-night pork cutlet meal, and a new turkey dinner special which he started crafting while still training with Scott Gossling.

“I love working in the kitchen,” Corey Sabin said. “It allows me to improve the product by trying new things and do more complicated food prep that ultimately improves the

customer experience. I enjoy making food for people that is clean label and still affordable — something I would be proud to serve my own family.”

In their first year of ownership, Amanda Sabin designed a new business logo and an updated menu was released, featuring familiar favorites as well as more detail for those with dietary restrictions. A new refrigerated pie case was installed a few weeks ago, housing the same pie recipes the restaurant has used for decades. The couple said they remain dedicated to serving tradition and appreciate their team. Breakfast is still served all day, and the early bird coffee drinkers can still be found gathered around tables before the sun comes up.

Photo submitted

Sixteen DHS musicians selected to All-State ensembles

A group of 50 Decorah High School musicians participated in the Iowa All-State Music auditions on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Independence High School.

The students prepared musical selections and competed with students from east-central and northeast Iowa, including

Dubuque and Cedar Rapids area schools, for spots in the All-State ensembles. A total of 16 Decorah students were selected as members of the 2024 ensembles.

Those selected were: Oliver Brummel, bass; Liam Chamberlain, bass; Spencer Christensen,

tenor; Aitor Cuevas, trumpet; Mikayla Hiner, soprano; Kealy Hines, alto; Liam Huang, violin; Caleb Krieg, bass; Andy Kruger, tenor; Naomi Kutz, violin; Jameson LaBelle, tenor alt.; Madysen Lippe, viola; Nina Sessions, string bass; Lauren Severtson, violin; Gwen

Thompson, soprano; and Ezra Vorvick, string bass.

The concert was broadcast on Iowa PBS Thursday, Nov. 28. This program is under the auspices of the Iowa High School Music Association and the Iowa Music Educators Association.

A trio of Turkey Valley FFA members received FFA American Degrees on Saturday, Oct. 25 in Indianapolis, Indiana — home of the FFA National Convention. This honor is the highest an FFA member can receive. The FFA members who received the honor included Harley Baumler, Ryan Franzen and Jacqlyn Schmitt. Organizers said these three individuals went above and beyond for the Turkey Valley FFA chapter and have worked tirelessly for years to receive the award.

(Photo submitted)

Law Enforcement Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office Connor Allen, age 18, of Reedsburg, Wisconsin, was charged with operating while intoxicated — first offense— at approximately 12:27 a.m.

Friday, Nov. 22 in the area of East Street in Calmar. He was also cited for careless driving.

A Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Deputy on routine patrol saw Allen’s vehicle run a stop light near a railroad crossing and “burn out at the next stop sign.”

Allen was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 1:55 a.m. the same day.

No injuries were reported following an accident Thursday, Nov. 21 along Frankville Road.

Information from the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office said 50-year-old Aureliano Martinez Vega of Postville was driving a 2011 GMC Terrain east and lost control while negotiating “on the icy snow-covered road.”

The vehicle entered the south ditch. It did not roll, according to the report, but it started on fire after coming to rest. The driver was able to exit the vehicle without any injury. The SUV was considered a total.

Christopher Jensen, age 39, of Decorah was charged with defrauding a drug/alcohol test at approximately 2:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 at the Winneshiek County Courthouse. A criminal complaint said “fake urine” was found in Jensen’s boot during a

pat search before Jensen was to provide a sample to his probation officer that afternoon in the county courthouse.

A Decorah teen was cited for passing on the wrong side following a collision Friday.

Information from the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office said 18-year-old Joseph Matthew Adams was driving a 2005 Hyundai Tiburon north along Trout Run Road and attempted to pass a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado driven by 23-year-old Joseph Frederick Holland of Decorah as it made a wide right turn. Both drivers were uninjured. Damage to the Hyundai was estimated at $1,500, and damage to the Chevrolet was estimated at 2,000.

Gabriel Hackmann, age 20, of Clermont was charged with operating while under the influence at approximately 10:50 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 in the area of 145th Street in Calmar. He was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday, Nov 23.

Juan Mejia-Lorenzo, age 28, was booked into the Winneshiek County Jail at 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 on the charge of operating while intoxicated — third or subsequent offense.

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

NEWS

10 | DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

Council exploring possible municipal electric utility Subject to be posed to voters this March

BY DENISE LANA STAFF WRITER Members of the Decorah City Council stressed on Monday the city is not currently seeking to establish a municipal electric utility, but they are hoping to complete some paperwork which would allow them to explore the possibility of doing so in the future.

A referendum was proposed in 2018 for the city of Decorah to create its own municipal electric cooperative, but that proposal failed by three votes. Discussions of the thwarted MEU reemerged earlier this year when Alliant Energy increased its rates. The company plans to do a second rate increase in 2025, which would be the fourth increase in eight years.

City officials indicated they would like to have an alternative plan for providing electricity to Decorah residents, if Alliant’s rates become cost prohibitive for locals — but the city would need to take several steps in preparing for a full-

fledged switch to a municipal utility. One of the first steps in that process would be for the city to acquire utility data from Alliant Energy.

However, the Iowa Utilities Board has determined Decorah does not have the authority to compel Alliant to furnish this data, unless the city has a “successful public referendum on municipalization,” which city staff indicated would require a special election — but not a physical building or further funds collected from residents.

A special election on the possible creation of a municipal electric utility is slated for March 4, 2025.

“Alliant doesn’t answer to the city of Decorah or to the voters here, the residents of the city,” Decorah Ward 4 City Council member Steve Zittergruen said. “We’re the customers, or we are forced to be if we want our lights to work. Alliant answers to their shareholders. It’s not our job to answer to Alliant’s shareholders. It’s our job to answer to the people of Decorah. What I kept hearing and reading in Alli-

Decorah Public Library announces December book discussions Decorah Public Library staff will be hosting five book discussions in December. The groups are open to the public and newcomers are encouraged to attend. Those interested in participating should call the library at 382-3717 to learn more or to reserve a book.

The Happy Hour Book Group will meet at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11 at Pulpit Rock Brewing Company in Decorah to discuss Amor Towles’ “Table for Two.” The book features six stories based in New York City and a novella set in Golden Age Hollywood.

The Speculative Fiction Book Group will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18 via Zoom to discuss short fiction

selections from Uncanny magazine issue 60, which is available online for free.

The group will focus on pieces listed under “More Fiction,” including allnew pieces by Natalia Theodoridou, Eddie Robson, Angela Liu, Tananarive Due, M. M. Olivas, Jo Miles and Marissa Lingen. The group will then discuss John Scalzi’s “Starter Villain” beginning at approximately 6:30 p.m. A

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Zoom link is available on the library website and can be used for both meetings.

The History Book Group will meet at 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19 on the second floor of the library to discuss Edward Steers’ “Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln.” In this book Steers, a noted Lincoln authority, introduces the cast of characters who participated in this ill-fated drama, explores why they were so willing to help pull the trigger, and corrects the many misconceptions surrounding a defining moment which changed American history.

The Friday Book Group will meet at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20 on the second floor of the library to discuss Kate Quinn’s “The Briar Club.” New York Times bestselling author of “The Diamond Eye” and “The Rose Code” returns with a story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, DC, boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.

For more information, contact Tricia Crary or Kristin Torresdal at 563-382-3717.

ant’s legal briefings with the IUB is ‘the city doesn’t have standing to ask these questions’ and the ‘city doesn’t have standing to get this information, because they don’t have an electrical utility’ — I hear them loud and clear, and if that’s their argument, the next step for us if we want to keep having this conversation to find out that information is and to let the voters decide if they want to have an electrical utility.”

The city of Decorah could then potentially work directly with the utility board to see what rates and reliability might look like for a local municipal electric utility.

“If those rates and reliability are not competitive, then we sit — with our utility on paper, — and we don’t do anything,” said At Large Council member Emily Neal. “But come 10 years from now, if something happens and all of a sudden the entire energy structure changes — maybe Alliant decides to voluntarily sell their infrastructure like they did in Minnesota — we have a utility that could nimbly and easily be ready for

the next part of our city’s future.”

At Monday’s meeting, the city council voted 5-1 for the Decorah Sustainability Commission to work with other representatives and design educational literature on the topic, which can then be shared with city residents. The commission was authorized to use up to $15,000 of their budget for flyers, mailers and similar items to help educate the Decorah community about a potential municipal utility and address common misconceptions. The council also expressed interest in making such information, including a report created in December of 2022, available online.

“Alliant spent about $130,000 last time — they are going to spend that much or more this time,” Neal said. “We owe it to our constituents to give the information to them to help them make an informed decision and vote.”

Councilman Kirsten Olson was in full agreement with Neal, saying misinformation should be quashed right away.

Bachmurski continued from front the court they don’t believe the request would include any private information which might be protected by law.

Bachmurski was residing in Swainsboro, Georgia, at least five months before Colvin was allegedly seen in Illinois. Court documents filed in that state show he was accused of forcing himself upon a woman, cutting her clothing off with a box cutter and physically assaulting her on Feb. 3, 2021. That case was dismissed by a district attorney after the victim failed to appear for a grand jury. Bachmurski was extradited to Winneshiek County from Georgia earlier this year on unrelated charges.

Bachmurski is currently being held in the Winneshiek County Jail, where he has been since June of this year. The murder case is tentatively scheduled to go to trial March 19, 2025, according to court documents filed last week.

Teenage runaway traveled to Decorah Colvin was reported missing to the Des Moines Police Department on June 10, 2016, and she was last known to have contacted her family on March 23, 2017, according to information from the U.S. Justice Department’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

The U.S. Marshal Service contacted the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office in May of 2022, saying Colvin was believed to have come to Winneshiek County prior to her disappearance — Colvin’s case was one of more than two dozen taken up by the USMS in December of 2020, as part of an effort called Operation Homecoming.

By May of 2022, marshals had identified a number of individuals to interview regarding the teen’s disappearance. The

investigation was turned over the the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office following the interviews, and the sheriff’s office then launched a local investigation with the aid of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Winneshiek County Attorney’s Office.

Information released by the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office earlier this year said Colvin’s mother brought the teen to Iowa from Arizona to live with Bachmurski at his rural Decorah residence in the early spring of 2017. A criminal complaint filed against Bachmurski earlier this year claimed he had “encouraged and participated in a one-on-one relationship with Jade Colvin via electronic messaging” without the mother’s knowledge for approximately a month before Colvin arrived in Decorah, and Bachmurski allegedly “used some of his own money to facilitate Jade Colvin being brought to his residence in March of 2017.”

The teenager had planned to contact her friends after arriving in Iowa, and Bachmurski claims he allowed Colvin to use his phone while her’s was having reception issues.

“The messages sent by Jade Colvin from the defendant’s cell phone during the early morning hours of March 30, 2017, were the last messages ever known to be received by any person,” a criminal complaint said.

The complaint said Bachmurski’s son saw Colvin’s suitcase and other property at the farmhouse months after Colvin was last seen, and the complaint went on to say Bachmurski himself “lied and told others that Jade Colvin had gone somewhere after her last text, while the investigation showed she was no longer alive.”

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contacting law enforcement while Colvin was at his home, according to the complaint, but he felt “if he had alerted law enforcement that he had a runaway girl at his house, it would not have turned out good for him.”

Bachmurski skipped court after violating probation Bachmurski had pleaded guilty years earlier to charges of harassment and willful injury of his own family members — court documents in that case claimed the then 54-year-old used ratchet straps to tie his son to a metal folding chair “and shocked him multiple times on the arm with an electric fence charger.” The filings went on to say Bachmurski also “repeatedly threatened to shoot his sons,” saying they were “not worth the price of the bullet it would take to kill them,” and that “he could shoot them and bury them in the backyard and no one would know.”

A deferred judgement was entered in that case, and Bachmurski was placed on probation and was prohibited from possessing firearms, but a sheriff’s deputy discovered a loaded .223 caliber Stevens rifle in a closet during a welfare/probation check on Jan. 5, 2018, at Bachmurski’s home. He was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon three days later. Bachmurski’s attorney in that case told the court in early 2019 that he had lost contact with his client, adding Bachmurski had sold his house and was not responding to phone calls or text messages.

“It is possible that the defendant has moved out of state, and his intentions to return are unknown,” the defense wrote at that time.

Bachmurski failed to appear in court the following month, and a nationwide warrant was issued for his arrest that same day.

Authorities investigating Colvin’s disappearance were able to interview Bachmurski at some point in 2023, according to Iowa court records, and they asked Bachmurski if he recognized a picture of the Colvin.

“I do,” Bachmurski was quoted as saying. “I’m not gonna lie. I do. As a matter of fact, I’ll guarantee you I’m getting myself in a lot of trouble. I want to tell the truth.”

Authorities served Bachmurski a warrant on June 20, 2024, for his possession of the Stevens rifle. The 65-year-old was transported from the Emanuel County Jail in Georgia to the Winneshiek County Jail and was later served a warrant in the murder case on Aug. 12 — more than seven years after Jade Colvin disappeared.

PUBLIC NOTICES

DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

11

Public Notices NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILL VACANCY IN THE OFFICE OF THE WINNESHIEK COUNTY TREASURER BY APPOINTMENT To Whom It May Concern: Notice is hereby given that the Board of Supervisors of Winneshiek County, Iowa, intends to fill the vacancy created by the pending retirement of Winneshiek County Treasurer Brenda Kreitzer, by appointment pursuant to Chapter 69 of the Iowa Code. Notice is given that the electors of Winneshiek County have a right to file a petition requiring that the vacancy be filled by special election. If within 14 days after publication of this Notice or within 14 days after the appointment is made, whichever is later, a petition is filed with the County Auditor requesting a special election to fill the vacancy, the appointment will be deemed temporary, and a special election shall be called as provided in Iowa Code Section 69.14A(2)(b).

The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors will meet on January 6, 2025, to appoint a Winneshiek County Treasurer to fill the vacancy in that office. If no petition for special election is filed, the office of Winneshiek County Treasurer will be listed on the ballot for the general election in November 2026.

Those persons interested in being considered for appointment to fill the vacancy must submit a Letter of Interest and Resume to the Winneshiek County Auditor before 4:00 p.m. on December 6, 2024.

By order of the Board of Supervisors of Winneshiek County, Iowa, Benjamin D. Steines Winneshiek County Auditor Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 21 & 28, 2024 IN THE IOWA DISTRICT COURT FOR WINNESHIEK COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ELAINE MARIE HIPPEN DECEASED PROBATE NO. ESPR 016345 NOTICE OF PROBATE OF WILL, APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTOR AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS To All Persons Interested in the Estate of Elaine Marie Hippen, Deceased, who died on or about October 11, 2024: You are hereby notified that on August 19, 2021, the Last Will and Testament Elaine Marie Hippen, deceased, bearing date of March 3, 2010, was admitted to probate in the abovenamed court and that Susan Elizabeth Hippen was appointed Executor of the estate. Any action to set aside the Will must be brought in the district court of said county within the later to occur of four months from the date of the second publication of this notice or one month from the date of mailing of this notice to all heirs of the decedent and devisees under the Will whose identities are reasonably ascertainable, or thereafter be forever barred.

Notice is further given that all persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned, and creditors having claims against the estate shall file them with the Clerk of the above named district court, as provided by law, duly authenticated, for allowance, and unless so filed by the later to occur of four months from the 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 November 14, 2024.

Susan Elizabeth Hippen, Executor of Estate 86 E. 7th St., Apt. 1 New York, NY 10003-8467 Christina I. Thompson, ICIS#: AT0011346 Attorney for Executor Phil Watson, P.C. 535 East Army Post Road Des Moines, IA 50315 Date of second publication: November 28, 2024 Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 21 & 28, 2024 IN THE IOWA DISTRICT COURT FOR FAYETTE COUNTY RE THE MARRIAGE OF DAWN MARIE FRICK AND JEREMY JACOB FRICK CASE NO. CDDM003022 Dawn Marie Frick, Petitioner vs. Jeremy Jacob Frick, Respondent TO THE ABOVE NAMED RESPONDENT: You are notified that a petition has been filed in the office of the clerk of this court, naming you as the respondent in this action.

A copy of the petition (and any documents filedwith it) is attached to this notice. The attorney for the petitioner is Linda Ressler and her address 744 Main St., Suite 1, Dubuque, IA 52001-6825. Ms. Ressler’s phone number is (563) 588- 4653; facsimile number (563) 588-4656, and email address is lressler@iowalaw.org.

You must serve a motion or answer within 20 days after service of this original notice upon you and, within a reasonable time thereafter, file your motion or answer with the Clerk of Court for Dubuque County at the county courthouse located at 720 Central St., Dubuque IA 52001. If you do not, judgment by default may be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

This case has been filed in a county that utilizes electronic filing. Please see Iowa Court Rules Chapter 16 for general rules and information on electronic filing. Chapter 16, division VI contains specific information regarding the protection of personal information in court filings.

If you require the assistance of auxiliary aids or services to participate in court because of a disability, immediately call your district ADA coordinator at (319)-833-3332 (If you are hearing impaired, call Relay Iowa TTY at 1-800-735-2942).

CLERK OF COURT 114 N Vine St Suite 200, West Union, IA 52175 IMPORTANT: YOU ARE ADVISED TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE AT ONCE TO PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS Iowa Judicial Branch Case No. CDDM003022 County Fayette Case Title DAWN FRICK VS JEREMY FRICK You must file your Appearance and Answer on the Iowa Judicial Branch eFile System, unless the attached Petition and Original Notice contains a hearing date for your appearance, or unless the court has excused you from filing electronically (see Iowa Court Rule 16.302).

Register for the eFile System at www. iowacourts.state.ia.us/Efile to file and view documents in your case and to receive notices from the court.

For general rules and information on electronic filing, refer to the Iowa Rules of Electronic Procedure in chapter 16 of the Iowa Court Rules at www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/ ACO/CourtRulesChapter/16.pdf.

Court filings are public documents and may contain personal information that should always be kept confidential. For the rules on protecting personal information, refer to Division VI of chapter 16 of the Iowa Court Rules and to the Iowa Judicial Branch website at www.iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/ representing-yourself/protect-personal-information/.

If you need assistance to participate in court due to a disability, call the disability access coordinator at (319) 833-3332. Persons who are hearing or speech impaired may call Relay Iowa TTY (1-800-735-2942). For more information, see www.iowacourts.gov/forthe-public/ada/. Disability access coordinators cannot provide legal advice.

Date Issued 09/06/2024 10:19:11 AM District Clerk of Court or/by Clerk’s Designee of Fayette County /s/ Rhonda Bouska Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 28 & December 5 & 12, 2024 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION CITY OF DECORAH, IOWA TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: .Notice is hereby given that the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Decorah, Iowa, has set December 9, 2024, at 5:30 PM at the Council Chambers in City Hall in Decorah, Iowa, as the time and place for a public hearing on a proposal to amend the Decorah Municipal Code, Section 17.36.020, of Title 17 – Zoning, currently provide regulation of principal permitted uses, as follows: 1.That Section 17.36.020 – Procedure, is amended by deleting said section and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 17.36.020 - Procedure.

A. Whenever any person, firm, corporation or other group wishes to develop any tract, lot or parcel of land within the city located in any zoning district for all uses except single-family dwellings up to four-family dwellings such person shall cause to be prepared a site plan of such development and shall submit ten copies of the site plan to the zoning administrator.

The provisions of this section shall also be applicable to the conversion of a single-family residence to a duplex or multi-unit dwelling and to the redevelopment, enlargement or extension of square footage of more than twenty-five percent of any commercial or industrial uses and structures existing at the time of the adoption of the ordinance codified in this title and for all uses including single-family and two-family dwellings subject to the COS regulations. The site plan shall contain such information and data as outlined herein.

B. The zoning administrator shall review the site plan for compliance with this title and shall refer a copy of the site plan to the city engineer, or such other person as shall be designated from time to time by the city council, who shall review the site plan as to its compliance with other ordinances of the city and its effect upon public utilities and the public street system and submit findings as soon as possible to the planning and zoning commission.

C. The zoning administrator shall also forward a copy of the site plan to each member of the planning and zoning commission. The planning and zoning commission shall, after receiving the report of the engineer and the zoning administrator, review the site plan for conformity with the regulations and standards contained herein and may confer with the developer on changes deemed advisable in such site plan.

D. The planning and zoning commission shall forward its recommendation, either for approval or disapproval of the site plan, to the city council within forty-five days of the date of the submission of the site plan. If the commission does not act within forty-five days, the site plan shall be deemed to be approved by the commission, unless the developer agrees to an extension of time.

E. The commission may, in its discretion, hold a public hearing on the site plan of the proposed development and prescribe the notice thereof and to whom such notice shall be given.

F. The city council shall, upon receipt of the recommendation of the planning and zoning commission, either approve or disapprove the site plan for the proposed development.

G. No building permit or certificate of zoning compliance for any structure within any district in which a site plan is required shall be issued until the site plan has been approved as provided herein.

H. Upon final action by the planning and zoning commission on any site plan, a copy of the site plan, with the action of the planning and zoning commission noted thereon and signed by the chairperson of the commission, shall be filed with the city clerk.

I. If the zoning administrator finds that any construction or proposed construction or occupancy of a development on a tract of land for which a site plan has been approved will not substantially comply with the site plan as approved, or if the administrator finds that the construction and development of the tract is not being carried out in accordance with the development schedule filed with the site plan, the administrator shall suspend all building permits for the development and order all construction stopped until such time as the owner of the project, or the successors in interest, shall have provided satisfactory proof that the site plan will be complied with. The zoning administrator shall not issue a certificate of zoning compliance for any structure within the development while the permit for the development has been suspended pursuant to this subsection. Any person aggrieved by any decision or action of the zoning administrator under this subsection may appeal such action or decision to the board of adjustment.

J. If the owner or developer of a tract of land for which a site plan has been approved determines that an extension of time is necessary or that a modification of the site plan would provide for a more appropriate or more practicable development of the site, the owner may apply for an amendment of the site plan.

The planning and zoning commission may grant an extension of time or a modification of a previously approved site plan if it determines that such modification of the site plan would provide for a more appropriate development of the site.

2. All interested persons may appear at said time and place to be heard for or against the proposed changes to the City’s Municipal Code as set out aforesaid.

By order of the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Decorah, Iowa, this 12th day of November, 2024.

Travis Goedken, Zoning Administrator Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 28, 2024

Board Minutes November 18, 2024 The Board of Supervisors met at 9:30am November 18, 2024 with Kelsay, Vick, Langreck, Vermace, and Faldet present. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was recited, and the meeting was called to order.

Michael Kueny, County Engineer, met with the Board to review road projects and present the No Winter Maintenance roads list.

Moved by Vermace and seconded by Vick to adopt resolution 25-12, establishing which roads will not have winter maintenance. Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote.

Complete resolution is on file in the County Auditor’s Office.

Moved by Vick and seconded by Faldet to approve the minutes of the last meeting. Motion carried unanimously.

The Board of Supervisors, ex-officio Board of County Canvassers for Winneshiek County, met to hold the secondary canvass for the Decorah CSD Public Measure WD from the General Election held on Tuesday November 5, 2024. After review of the canvass results from Winneshiek and Allamakee counties, moved by Faldet and seconded by Kelsay to certify the totals and abstract and declare Public Measure WD to be adopted.

Motion carried unanimously.

Moved by Vick and seconded by Faldet to adopt resolution 25-13, directing the publication of the notice of intent to fill the vacancy in the office of the County Treasurer by appointment. Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote. Public Notice will be published as required.

The Board reviewed the draft policy for recording Board of Supervisors’ meetings.

Moved by Faldet and seconded by Vermace to approve the policy with implementation no later than January 6, 2025. Motion carried unanimously.

Rachelle Howe, Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission Director, met with the Board to review their programs and request funding for FY26.

Moved by Faldet and seconded by Kelsay to adjourn to 9:30am Monday, November 25, 2024. Motion carried unanimously.

Benjamin D. Steines, County Auditor Daniel Langreck, Chair Board of Supervisors Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 28, 2024

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING for proposed amendments to Regional Planning Affiliation 1 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (TIP) The Upper Explorerland Transportation Policy Board for Regional Planning Affiliation 1 (RPA-1) will hold a public hearing at its upcoming meeting to receive comments on proposed amendments to the approved RPA1 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for federal fiscal years (FFY) 2025-2028. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 11th, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission’s offices, 325 Washington Street in Decorah.

The RPA-1 TIP document identifies the multi-modal transportation projects—highway, transit, street, bridge, planning, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities—on which state and federal funding will be used over the next four years within Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek Counties.

The proposed amendments to the FFY 2025-2028 TIP are as follows: 1: Adding a new project to the FFY 20252028 TIP programmed in FFY 2025.

•Project # TAP-R-C096(159)--8T-96 • Sponsor: Winneshiek County Conservation Board • Activity: Construct Dry Run Trail Bridge #1, Over Dry Run Creek, 1.42 miles SW of Iowa-9/US-52 intersection • Funding: $423,000 in federal TAP funds with $377,000 match; total project cost is $800,000.

• Note: Project was previously removed from the TIP in error; this amendment is to re-program the project in the current TIP. 2: Adding additional TAP funding to project already programmed in the FFY 20252028 TIP in FFY 2025.

•Project # TAP-R-C045()--8T-45 • Sponsor: Howard County Conservation Board • Activity: Design Engineering & Project Development: Wapsi Great Western Line Trail Renovation (Elma, IA to Acme, IA) • Current Funding: $46,311 in federal TAP funds with $119,889 match; total project cost is $166,200 • Note: Project was previously awarded TAP funds in the amount of $46,311; in a subsequent round of funding applications, the RPA-1 Policy Board awarded additional funding in the amount of $86,649. The total project cost remains the same.

• New Amended Funding: $132,960 in federal TAP funds with $33,240 match; total project cost is $166,200.

3: Adding new funding source, STBG, to project already programmed in the FFY 2025-2028 TIP in FFY 2027.

•Project # RS-C033(160)--61-33 •Sponsor: Fayette County • Activity: HMA paved shoulders, Diamond Rd-W51 intersection and W51 from HWY 56 to Kornhill Rd • Current Funding: $1,957,000 in federal SS4A funds; $1,362,000 in farm-to-market funds; $50,000 in local funds; total project cost is $3,369,000.

• Note: The amendment would add new federal STBG funding to the project and adjust other project funding amounts. The available STBG funding was removed from another Fayette County project that had previously been awarded STBG funds.

• New Amended Funding: $1,634,142 in federal SS4A funds; $512,000 in farm-to-market funds; $850,000 in federal STBG funds; $50,000 in local funds; total project cost is $3,046,142.

Written or verbal comments may be submitted prior to the public hearing to Aaron Detter, UERPC, 325 Washington Street, Decorah, IA 5210; by email at adetter@uerpc.org; or by phone at (563) 419-6126. Comments must be received before December 11th, 2024 to be included at the public hearing.

Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 28, 2024

Notice of December 10, 2024 Special Election for the City of Decorah Public Notice is given that a Special Election for the City of Decorah in the County of Winneshiek, State of Iowa, will be held on Tuesday December 10, 2024. The polls will be open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.

A listing of polling locations is as follows: Decorah Wards 1 & 2 – Winneshiek Courthouse Annex Decorah Wards 3A & 3B – First Lutheran Church Decorah Wards 4 & 5 – Good Shepherd Church A public test will be held to demonstrate the Unisyn Freedom Vote voting system which will be used to count the votes. The public test will begin at 10:00 am Thursday December 5, 2024 at the Winneshiek County Courthouse and will continue until all tests are completed.

The polling sites are handicapped accessible. Any voter who is physically unable to enter the polling place has the right to vote in the voter’s vehicle. For further information, please contact the County Auditor’s office at (563) 382-5085 or auditor@co.winneshiek. ia.us.

Pre-registered voters are required to provide an approved form of identification at the polling place before receiving and casting a regular ballot. Voters who are not pre-registered – such as voters registering to vote on election day – and voters changing precincts must also provide proof of residence. A voter who is unable to provide an approved form of identification (or prove residence if required) 1) may have the voter’s identity/residence attested to by another registered voter in the precinct, 2) prove identity and residence using Election Day Registration documents, or 3) cast a provisional ballot and provide proof of identity/residence at the County Auditor’s office by Noon, December 16, 2024. Election Day Registrant attesters must provide an approved form of identification. For additional information about providing proof of identity and/or residence visit: https://sos.iowa.gov/ voterid or phone (563) 382-5085.

The Post-Election Audit of the ballots cast in one precinct will be held Thursday December 12, 2024 at noon in the County Auditor’s Office.

The following race and candidates will be included on the ballots: Decorah City Council At-Large: Cody A. Whittle Kent Klocke Paul Wanless This notice is given by the Winneshiek County Commissioner of Elections. Additional information is available at: www.winneshiekcounty.iowa.gov.

Benjamin D. Steines Winneshiek County Auditor & Commissioner of Elections Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 28, 2024

IN THE IOWA DISTRICT COURT FOR WINNESHIEK COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ALLEN F. KRUMME DECEASED PROBATE NO. ESPR 016348 NOTICE OF PROBATE OF WILL, APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTOR AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS To All Persons Interested in the Estate of Allen F. Krumme, Deceased, who died on or about November 7, 2024: You are hereby notified that on the 20th day of November, 2024, the Last Will and Testament of Allen F. Krumme, deceased, bearing date of January 19, 2017, was admitted to probate in the abovenamed Court and that Jacqueline V. Jessen was appointed executor of the estate. Any action to set aside the Will must be brought in the district court of said county within the later to occur of four months from the date of the second publication of this notice or one month from the date of mailing of this notice to all heirs of the decedent and devisees under the Will whose identities are reasonably ascertainable, or thereafter be forever barred.

Notice is further given that all persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned, and creditors having claims against the estate shall file them with the Clerk of the above named district court, as provided by law, duly authenticated, for allowance, and unless so filed by the later to occur of four months from the 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 this 21st day of November, 2024.

Jacqueline V. Jessen Executor of Estate 182 Church Street Elmhurst, IL 60126 Daniel L. Fretheim ANDERSON, WILMARTH, VAN DER MAATEN, FRETHEIM, EVELSIZER OLSON, NOBLE, LYNCH & ZAHASKY 212 Winnebago P.O. Box 450 Decorah, IA 52101 (563) 382-2959 Email: dan.fretheim@andersonlawdecorah.com Date of second publication: Decmeber 5, 2024 Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 28 & December 5, 2024

Public Notice from Board of Supervisors The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors will be accepting applications for appointments to several Boards and Commissions including the following: Pioneer Cemetery Commission, Board of Health, Historic Preservation Commission, Conservation Board, Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission, Compensation Commission for Eminent Domain, and others as needed. Interested citizens should complete an application which is available at winneshiekcounty.iowa.gov or at the County Auditor’s office. Applications are due to the county Auditor’s office by December 6th.

Thanks, Ben Steines Winneshiek County Auditor Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 21, 28 & December 5, 2024

Nov 4 Minutes City of Spillville The Spillville City Council held the regular meeting at the Spillville City Hall at 6:00 PM. on Monday November 4, 2024. Mayor Wermers called the meeting to order with the following councilmen present Kelsay, Taylor, Straube, Schmitt and Backes, Karl Knudsen City Attorney, Marc Rudon engineer Origins, Inc. Motion by Schmitt. second by Taylor to approve the minutes of the October meeting.

Voice vote Ayes unanimous, Nayes none.

Motion carried.

Motion by Kelsay, second by Straube to approve the claims. Voice vote: Ayes, unanimous. Nays, none. Motion Carried.

Motion by Straube, second by Taylor to approve the finance reports. Voice vote: Ayes, unanimous. Nays, none. Motion Carried.

The water project discussed by Marc Rudon engineer, Karl Knudsen City Attorney and what the next steps are with Summers’ failure to complete the project, Breach of Contract.

Special council mtg. will be held 11-14-24 at 6 pm. Closed session will be held after mtg.

Motion by Kelsay, second by Straube. Ayes: unanimous. Nayes, none. Motion carried.

Annexation – tabled.

Future annexation- tabled.

Resolution 24-11-1 Annual Street Financial report completed.

Roman Lensing discussed the Summer Concert Series. $3000.00 donation was agreed to be given.

Motion by Kelsay second by Straube. Ayes; unanimous Nayes none. Motion carried.

NEICAC funding was approved. Motion by Straube, second by Backes. Ayes: unanimous Nayes none.

Motion by Schmitt, second by Straube to adjourn. Roll call vote: unanimous. Motion Carried.

Meeting adjourned 7:37 pm..

Attest: Julie Shimek, City Clerk Fund, Income, Distribution, General, $50186.56..................... $32768.26 Debt Service, $3419.75............................ $0 Clocks, $6612.26...........................$2284.37 Capitol, $0................................................$0 Library Trust , $1271.31................$1991.03 Water, $11816.79......................... $88533.78 Campground, $210.57..................... $104.57 Water Deposit, $180................................. $0 Road Use, $3057.01.......................... $80.21 Sewer, $4589.40..............................$901.10 LOST, $6296.18.......................................$0 Claims To Be Approved-October 2024 Type, Date, Name, Memo................. Amount Check, 10/01/2024, VISA, PItchcamp....................................... -106.00 Check, 10/01/2024, AMAZON MARKETPLACE, ClocksSupplies.. -81.10 Liabili., 10/09/2024, IPERS, IPERS........................................... -1,962.94 Liabili, 10/09/2024, United States Treasury Federal Taxes............................... -2,513.72 Liabili., 10/09/2024, IOWA DEPT OF REV & FINANCE State Withholding.. -1,017.14 Check, 10/09/2024, US CELLULAR, Alarm Autodialer/Cell..................... -178.61 Check, 10/21/2024, CITIZENS SAVINGS BANK, Bank Fees............................ -18.90 Check, 10/21/2024, MEDIACOM, Clocks Internet Access.................................-104.97 Check, 10/21/2024, Campground Refund......................... -84.07 Check, 10/31/2024, JOHN DEERE FINANCIAL, Park,clocks,shop supplies............... -227.83 Oct 24 ..............................................-6,295.28 Paycheck Detail-October 2024 Type, Date, Num, Name, Memo........Amount Check, 09/30/2024, ACH, JOHN DEERE FINANCIAL, Park,clocks,shop supplies................-188.59 Check, 09/30/2024, ACH, CSB, Service Charge.....................................-1.20 Check, 10/01/2024, ACH, CENTURYLINK, City Telephones................................-370.43 Check, 10/03/2024, 22739, KLIMESH, MICHAEL F, Clocks.......................-120.00 Check, 10/03/2024, ACH, United States Treasury, July, Aug, Sept taxes ...-8,545.22 Check, 10/31/2024, 22725, Shimek, Julie M. Payroll...........................................-2,324.57 Check, 10/31/2024, 22693, Elsbernd, Sandra A., Payroll............................-522.81 Check, 10/31/2024, 22694, KUHN, RUTH, Payroll..............................................-840.06 Check, 10/31/2024, 22725, PHILLIPS, LARRY J, Payroll.........................-4,415.50 Check, 10/31/2024, 22734, Craft, Susanna-Virginia, Payroll.............-1,826.68 Check, 10/31/2024, 22724, Backes, Reed Payroll................................................-92.35 Check, 10/31/2024, 22733, KULISH, JOANE, Payroll...............-771.36 Check, 10/31/2024, 22732, GESING, KATHY, Payroll..............-135.54 Check, 10/31/2024, 22730, LUTGEN, MAKINLEY, Payroll.......-48.49 Check, 10/31/2024, 22729, Thompson, Linda M., Payroll..........-329.69 Check, 10/31/2024, 22728, Shatek, Lori,Payroll.........................-210.91 Check, 10/31/2024, 22727, Krivachek, Patricia A, Payroll.........-181.45 Check, 10/31/2024, 22726, Francis, Shirley J, Payroll................-110.70 Check, 10/31/2024, 22699, TAYLOR, JOHN, Payroll..................-92.35 Check, 10/31/2024, 22698, KELSAY, STEVEN, Payroll..............-92.35 Check, 10/31/2024, 22697, Schmitt, Darrell G, Payroll................-92.35 Check, 10/31/2024, 22696, STRAUBE, THOMAS A, Payroll.....-92.35 Check, 10/31/2024, 22695, WERMERS, PAUL L, Payroll.........-184.52 Check, 10/31/2024, ACH, CSB, Service Charge.....................................-1.40 Check, 11/06/2024, 22716, HUBER’S STORE, Park Supplies.......-6.99 Check, 11/06/2024, 22715, RIDGEWAY LUMBER, roof repair......................-485.00 Check, 11/06/2024, 22714, Microbac Laboratories, Inc, Water & Sewer Testing....................-333.75 Check, 11/06/2024, 22713, PINTER LDSCP & TREE SERVICE, Park Landscaping..........................-2,421.72 Check, 11/06/2024, 22712, LETTER WERKS SIGN CITY LLC, clocks sign.....................................-1,390.00 Check, 11/06/2024, 22711, QUILL CORPORATION, Supplies..............-132.38 Check, 11/06/2024, 22710, CLERKBOOKS, INC., water bill post cards...............-157.40 Check, 11/06/2024, 22709, DOUG EGELAND TILING, tree spade.........................................-175.00 Check, 11/06/2024, 22707, MISSISSIPPI WELDERS SUPPLY , Fire Inspection.................................-132.83 Check, 11/06/2024, 22706, Decorah Leader, Publications..........-161.64 Check, 11/06/2024, 22705, Beaver Creek Graphix, Souvenirs....-398.60 Check, 11/06/2024, 22703, Ice Cube Press, souvenirs................-191.88 Check, 11/06/2024, 22708, Carol Riehle, kolaches for Dvorak event...............-315.00 Check, 11/06/2024, 22704, SHIMEK SANITATION, Shimek Sanitation Contract..........-3,107.70 Check, 11/06/2024, 22701, MICROMARKETING, Library Books....................................-64.60 Check, 11/06/2024, 22700 Pocahontas Public Library books-Serials......................................-40.00 Check, 11/06/2024, 22702, THE OSSIAN BEE, Library Print.....-48.99 Check, 11/06/2024, 22717, Fort Atkinson Library, staff development...............................-46.77 Check, 11/06/2024, 22718, KUHN, RUTH, Books-Serials.........-108.33 Check, 11/12/2024, 22692, NAXOS OF AMERICA INC., Clocks Museum Souvenirs..............-275.40 Check, 11/19/2024, 22691, Origin Design, Water Engineering.......................-44,187.52 Check, 11/22/2024, Citizens Savings Bank Loan Payment..................................-399.27 Totals..............................................-76,171.64 Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 28, 2024 November 18, 2024 The regular meeting was called to order by Mayor Lorraine Borowski at 5:45 PM. The meeting was held at the Decorah Council Chambers and electronically.

The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Members present: Randy Schissel, Emily Neal, Kirsten Olson, Christopher Miculinich, Steve Zittergruen, Brent Parker, Mayor Lorraine Borowski, City Manager Travis Goedken, and City Clerk Keri Sand Absent: None Public Comment was made by Tom Hansen of 3469 Locust Road. Hansen went over the laws that he felt were broken by Council Member Emily Neal.

Randy Bauer of Cedar Rapids, IA representing Alliant Energy, spoke regarding

the MEU special election. Bauer feels that the community already spoke regarding the MEU at the last vote. Bauer would ask that the Council wait until the open seat is filled on Decorah City Council before they vote on whether to have another vote on the MEU. Gerry Donlon of 104 Highland Drive Unit 1 Decorah spoke regarding the MEU. He has concerns about Decorah taking on the MEU. He feels that it will be a waste of tax dollars due to the lawyer from Dallas Law Office stating that IUB would not hear case based on rate. Donlon urges Council to reconsider.

Munch Sherman of 905 Maple Decorah spoke regarding MEU. Sherman is concerned about the costs of infrastructure, the expertise needed, and the equipment it would take. Sherman states that the IUB will not look at approving an MEU without receiving $1,000,000.00. The City of Decorah just approved the school bond, and this will cause taxes to increase.

Kent Klocke of 702 Decorah Avenue spoke regarding MEU. Klocke is concerned with everything the city has going on financially; this makes him nervous. The school just passed a bond, there is talk about redoing the Decorah City Hall Building. He wants to make sure the City’s finances are safe.

Johanna Bergan of 409 W Main Street Decorah spoke in favor of the MEU. The city should spend money to educate the people of Decorah so they know the truth about what will and will not happen. Bergan asked the Council to “please vote yes” to the MEU. Cody Whittle of 115 Crescent Avenue Decorah spoke in favor of the MEU. Whittle feels that it is in the best interest of Decorah.

Whittle wants to make sure the initial information is clear regarding the ballot information.

The consent agenda was presented. a. Minutes of November 4, 2024, Council Meeting b. Claims c. Reappointment of Trent Ostby to Board of Adjustments d. Reappointment of Brian Petersburg to the Airport Commission e. Tax Abatement Application for Elvira Estates at 207 E Water Street-Remodel f. C-3 Design Application for Jamie Gavle (Rendered Unique) at 115 W Water Street g. C-3 Design Application for Cheryl Haggerty and Rodney Flaskerud (Lefse Lodge) at 400 W Water Street h. Renewal Application of Class C Retail Alcohol License with Outdoor Service - The Landing Market i. FYE 24 Annual Financial Report j. FYE 24 Annual Urban Renewal Report k. Resolution 3510 Obligating Funds from Urban Renewal Revenue Fund to Rebound Hospitality FY 26 Payment for Tax Increment Financed Obligations I. Resolution 3511 Obligating Funds from Urban Renewal Revenue Fund to KAR Auto FY 26 Payment for Tax Increment Financed Obligations m. Resolution 3512 Obligating Funds from Urban Renewal Revenue Fund to Deco Bluffs Hy Vee FY 26 Payment for Tax Increment Financed Obligations n. Resolution 3513 Obligating Funds from Urban Renewal Revenue Fund to Skyline Motorsports FY 26 Payment for Tax Increment Financed Obligations o. Resolution 3514 Obligating Funds from Urban Renewal Revenue Fund to Bluffside Gardens FY 26 Payment for Tax Increment Financed Obligations p. Pay Application #1 for Decorah 2024 Street Improvements-Asphalt Resurfacing Project q. Pay Application #2 for Dry Run Creek WQI Wetland Project Olson made a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. Zittergruen seconded the motion. Roll call vote. All voting ayes.

Motion carried.

Neal made a motion to approve Resolution 3515 calling for a city special election. Zittergruen seconded the motion. Roll call vote.

Ayes: Neal, Zittergruen, Miculinich, Parker, Olson. Nays: Schissel. Motion carried.

Olson made a motion to approve Resolution 3516 approving Amendment 1 to a service contract with ISG for the Dahlen Property bid design. Schissel seconded the motion. Roll call vote. All voting ayes. Motion carried.

Zittergruen made a motion to approve Resolution 3517, issuing requests for qualifications for energy planning services for EECBG funded program. Olson seconded the motion. Roll call vote. All voting ayes. Motion carried.

Zittergruen made a motion to approve Resolution 3518 approving the final plat for the proposed Decorah Business Park Third Subdivision. Olson seconded the motion.

Roll call vote. All voting ayes. Motion carried.

Zittergruen made a motion to approve the site plan for Decorah Ventures at 2342 Sweet Parkway Road with the following contingencies; the final plans meeting all city code requirements including, but not limited to the following: General Regulations 17.16, Site Plan Requirements 17.36.040, 17.36.050 & 17.36.060, Parking 17.52 and per SUDAS, R-3 Zoning 17.76 along with details, spot elevations, drainage pipe configuration showing the layout, basis of design of the stormwater filtration system. Olson seconded the motion.

Roll call vote. All voting ayes. Motion carried.

Mayor Borowski announced that the city would be accepting applications until December 6, 2024, for an appointment on the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Sustainability Commission. There is also an opening on the Decorah Human Rights Commission.

Meeting adjourned at 7:54 PM Keri Sand, City Clerk-Finance Officer Monday, November 18, 2024 Payroll, For11/8/24..................198,643.47 Ebs/Wellmark, City Share..........82,332.20 Authnet, Credit Card Fees................ 25.80 Bankcard , Credit Card Fees........... 280.14 Merchant Bank, Credit Card Fees.......................2,128.97 Clover , Credit Card Fees................. 53.45 Ia Dept Of Revenue, Pool Tax............9.87 Ia Dept Of Revenue, Rec Tax.........204.47 Ia Dept Of RevenueSewer Tax....2,756.59 Ia Dept Of Revenue, Water Tax...4,913.46 Assured Partners Great Plains AirportLiabilityInsurance.........2,873.00 Chill, Nick, Meta Ads Facebook Ads................................. 15.00 Hageman, Deana, Local Travel For Rsvp/C.R. Summit.......................740.26 Row-Heyveld, Zach.PresentationsMilford, Altoona, Coralville.......................586.25 Shaffer, Blair, Refund For Health Insurance Resigned 10 16 2024... 382.57 Thomas, Trevor, LeinReimbursement..................... 399.24 Torresdal, Kristin, Chat Gpt And Snacks For Staff Meeting..............54.96 Ups, Postage.....................................27.31 Ace Hardware , Parks Supplies......425.83 Acentek, Fees..................................270.00 Aia Services Sharp Shooters/Hoopsters......... 1,139.50 Airespring, Services........................277.49 Alliant Energy, Electric Bills.....35,042.36 Amazon Capital Services, Supplies..................................... 2,444.42 Black Hills Energy, Gas Bills......1,290.28 Bonnell Industries, Leaf Vac Part... 490.07 Bremer, Louann, Janitorial.......... 1,000.00 Campground Commander, UsageFee...................................... 882.73 Capital One, Walmart........................ 20.88 Card Service Center, Supplies.....4,416.68 Casper Plbg & Htg Inc, New Roof Top Unit /Toilet/C.G. Winterize.....13,737.75 Civic Plus, Online Code Hosting.... 771.75 Clear Line, Grant Tree Planting... 2,875.00 Copyland, Prints/Copies................. 232.00 Cs Solar, Solar.............................2,987.58 Dalco, Supplies............................... 274.81 Decorah Comm School District, Icn Internet...................................140.77 Decorah Electric , Scada Panelview....................... 5,124.16 Decorah Leader, Publication...........513.90 Decorah Mobile Glass, Windows Clerk/Park Rec........10,447.31 Decorah Rental, Rental Fees.............37.00 Decorah Volunteer Fire Department, Drill & Mtg Pay/Volunteer Fire/Total Fire Pay...................................15,560.00 Dell Marketing , Computer Monitor.................... 2,051.98 Dorsey & Whitney, 2024 Urban Renewal..............14,000.00 Driftless Security Solutions KeysFor Yard Waste Site............. 225.00 Driftless Yoga Center/Reefuel Programming............................... 150.00 Eurofins Enviro Testing, Eurofins...823.90 Fareway Stores, Supplies................455.67 Fbi-Leeda, Training........................795.00 Fisk Farm And Home,

Sewer Supplies............................. 101.98 Fox Strand, Wwtp Upgrade 2024...............20,977.00 Fuse Technic , Services...................350.00 Hali-Brite, Supplies........................430.22 Hawkins, Fluoride........................ 1,938.52 Hovden Oil, Dyed Diesel/Genset Fuel.......... 1,194.18 Impact Coffee, Program Expense.....67.50 Imwca, 24-25 Work Comp 5Th Installment/23-24 Comp Audit Premium........................ 13,157.00 Iowa Dept Of Public Safety, DeptPublic Safety-July-Sept 2024............... 1,031.25 Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, Training.......................................... 25.00 Iowa Non Profit Alliance, Professional Membership............ 150.00 Iowa Rural Water Membership Dues 2024............... 455.00 Isg, Dahlen Property..................14,500.00 J. Kupka Services, Deep Clean....... 115.00 John Deere Financial, Supplies....2,478.35 Kanopy , Film Database.................144.00 Keystone Laboratories, Drinking Water ............................269.25 Kwik Trip, Fuel............................4,344.39 Laura Gillespie, October 2024 Services.............. 2,289.00 Leon’S Auto & Truck Repair 2008 Chevy..................................451.00 Lti Water Conditioning, Lti Water Conditioning-Softener... 65.00 Macqueen Equipment, F500 Foam................................1,253.00 Malcom Enterprises , Garbage....... 476.50 Mcclure Engineering, Airport Corporate Hangar And Attached Terminal.................................... 1,645.19 Mcmullen Coating & Sandblasting, Final Clarifier Paint ..................... 978.44 Melby, June, Speaker-Adult............100.00 Mi Energy Cooperative, Electric Bills............................. 2,364.56 Midwest Patch/Hi-Viz Safety, Signs/Clothing............................. 265.00 Mower Power, Parts/Supplies.........159.26 Napa Auto Parts, Shop Supplies.......93.59 Nina Smock, Program.....................100.00 Olson Explosives , Fuel...............3,170.42 Opg-3, Annual Software Renewal........ 3,826.91 Overdrive, E Book & Audio Books...............600.40 Perry Novak Electric, Street Light Repairs..................... 824.40 Pesticide Bureau, License Renewal Mary Lewis.......50.00 Pitney Bowes, Postage....................201.00 Post-Bulletin, Subscription............. 341.89 Quadient, Postage...........................500.00 R & S Fiber, Fiber .....................68,210.00 Randy’S Auto Parts, Parts...............460.17 Reliance Standard Life, November 2024 Life Insurance...464.85 Ricoh , Services...........................4,123.75 Samuelson, Riley, Graphic Design............................627.00 Stevenson Tree Care, TreeRemoval/Stump................. 4,025.00 Steve’S Car Care Center, Car Washes.....................................59.25 Storey Kenworthy, Supplies...........200.77 Streicher’S, Equipment/Uniforms................1,425.00 Tollefson, Jim, Janitoria lExterior...160.00 Transunion Risk & AlternativeDat, TransunionTlo................................75.00 Truck Country Of Iowa Inc Truck #3 & #2...........................5,366.24 Ups, Ups-Postage.............................. 12.47 Usa Blue Book, Services................ 414.89 Verizon Wireless, Sep 24-Oct24............................ 1,538.28 Voltmer, Traffic Signal Repair - Hwy 9 And Short Street Intersection................ 25.58 Ziegler, Maintainer Repairs ........ 4,528.11 Revenue To Date November 15, 2024 General Fund...................... $2,854,114.59 Street Electric Franchise Fee.$102,006.35 Road Use Fund...................... $371,521.76 Employee Benefits................. $804,017.85 Hotel/Motel............................ $172,934.42 Emergency Fund...................... $59,246.22 Local Option Sales Tax..........$487,102.18 Tiff......................................... $108,904.20 Ssmid.........................................$9,439.55 Park Special Gifts.................... $11,681.74 Library Special Gifts.................. $1,408.00 Street Equip Fund...................... $6,186.59 Debt Service Fund................. $644,969.71 Special Projects Water Utility Fund.................$480,234.83 Sewer Utility Fund.................$533,037.76 Enterprise Project Interest..........$6,009.71 Metronet................................... $38,388.50 Forest Utility............................ $70,330.97 Storm Sewer Utility.................$42,219.76 Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 28, 2024 NOTICE OF INTENT TO MODIFY A PERMIT AUTHORIZING USE OF WATER FOR MUNICIPAL PURPOSES IN WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWA Notice is hereby given that pursuant to Iowa Code Chapter 455B, there is now on file with the Iowa Department of Natural Resourcec, Water Supply Engineering Section, 6200 PARK AVE., Suite 200, Des Moines, Iowa 50321 an application as described below.

The Freeport Water & Sanitary District (Iowa DNR Log No. 33,554) requests a permit authorizing withdrawal of water from a Cambrian_Ordovician (Jordan Sandstone) well, approximately 505 feet deep, on land generally decribed as the SE1/4 of the SE1/4 of Section 14, T98N, R8W, Winneshiek County, Iowa, in maximum quantity of 45.0 million gallons per year, at a maximum rate of 270 gallons per minute throughout each year for municipal and industrial uses in the vicinity of the unicorporated village of Freeport, Iowa.

This modification represents the increase in instantaneous pumping capacity, from 220 gallons per minute to 270 gallons per minute.

The Department has determined that this use of water conforms to the relevant criteria (Iowa Code Chapter 455B and Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 567) and recommends the permit be granted. A copy of the summary report for the application is available upon a request to the Department at the address listed above. Comments on the report and on this use of water must received by January 06, 2025, and shoud be addressed “ATTN.: Water Supply Engineering Section” and should specify the applicants log number.

Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 28, 2024

AUCTION CALENDAR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30 8:30 a.m. Guns & Sporting Good Auction. Sale held at Sweeney Auction Center Waukon, Ia. Sweeney Auction Service Waukon. 563-5682464. www.sweeneyauctionservice. com TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3 10:30 a.m. 78 acres m/l Allamakee County Real Estate. Auction Held at Sweeney Auction Center Waukon.

Dickson Family Farm, Smithfield Dr., Luana, Ia Sweeney Auction Service Waukon. 563-568-2464. www.sweeneyauctionservice.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5 8 a.m. Online Auction Closes. Endof-year Emporium Gun and Sports Auction by Kramer Auction Service 608-326-8108. www.kramersales. com FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6 - 10 a.m. Farm Machinery Estate Auction. Marvin Hovden Estate, 2828 Middle Hesper Rd, Decorah. Sweeney Auction Service Waukon Ia. 563-568-2464 www.sweeneyauctionservice.com

PUBLIC NOTICES/CLASSIFIEDS

12 | DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@DECORAHNEWSPAPERS.COM | 563-382-4221

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Apartment for Rent: 1-bedroom, upstairs apartment. NS/NP. 326 Washington St. Decorah. 563-4192621. 46-tf-LD-x-9

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Help Wanted Vesterheim seeks a detail-oriented and proactive

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Salary range: $52,000 – $57,000. This employment opportunity is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check.

For the complete job description, visit: https://vesterheim.org/job/human-resources-administrator-onsite/ To apply, e-mail a cover letter, resume and the names of three references to sadube@vesterheim.org. Vesterheim is an EOE/AA. -code-

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Decorah Community Schools

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Send letter of application and resume to Principal Brad Hurst, 100 Claiborne Drive, Decorah, IA 52101, by end of the day on Dec. 5, 2024, or open until position is filled.

Decorah (Iowa) Leader November 28, 2024

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The South Winneshiek CSD has the following openings for the 2025-26 school year: Elementary Teacher High School Science Teacher 5-12 Biological Science High School English Teacher 5-12 English Language Arts

High School Head Varsity Football Coach All positions are full-time with insurance benefits, with the exception of the football coaching position Applicants can apply through Iowa Workforce Development www.lowaWORKS.gov or contact the Elementary Principal: Jason Halverson at jhalverson@swinn.k12.ia.us or High School Principal: Brennan Williams at bwilliams@swinn.k12.ia.us.

Open until filled.

The City of Decorah Street Department is currently accepting applications for the position of Street Operator. Minimum qualifications include high school diploma or equivalent. Valid driver’s license with Class B CDL and airbrake endorsement (must obtain within one month of hire). Minimum of one year of experience in maintenance, construction, repair work, or related occupation. Familiarity with maps, engineering plans, blueprints and utility markings. Position is subject to post-offer physical examination including drug testing, background and motor vehicle records check. Starting pay is dependent on qualifications and experience. Competitive benefit package offered.

Application and complete job description may be obtained at the City Clerk’s office, Decorah Municipal Center, 400 Claiborne Drive or online at www.decorahia.org. For more information call (563) 382-3651. Return city application to: City of Decorah, Attn: Michael O’Hara, Public Works Director, PO Box 138, Decorah, IA, 52101 or mohara@decorah.iowa.gov.

Applications will be received until position is filled, with first review of applications 4:00 PM, December 13, 2024.

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Winneshiek County Courthouse, 201 W. Main St., Decorah • 563-382-5085

www.winneshiekcounty.org

Decorah Community Schools for the 2024-2025 School Year:

Interim Viking Academic Success Facilitator (Decorah High School)

Decorah High School seeks a dedicated and collaborative professional to serve as the Interim Viking Academic Success Center (VASC) Facilitator for the spring 2025 semester. This temporary role is available due to the current facilitator accepting an interim teaching position within the school. While the contract is for one semester, there is potential for additional paraprofessional opportunities in the 2025-26 school year.

The Viking Academic Success Center is a supportive, small-group learning environment that aims to help students stay on top of their academic responsibilities, develop effective study habits, and reach their fullest potential. As the facilitator, you will collaborate with teachers, office staff, administrators, and counselors to support students academically, socially, and emotionally, fostering an environment where every student can thrive.

• Excellence in Education: Ranked consistently among Iowa’s top five high schools by US. News & World Report, Decorah High School earned its second National Blue Ribbon Schools Award in 2024.

• Well-Rounded Achievement: Our students excel academically, athletically, and musically in a culture of high expectations and achievement.

• Community Support: Decorah is a vibrant, close-knit community that celebrates education, the arts, and the natural beauty of its surroundings.

From hiking and biking trails to eclectic shops and restaurants, Decorah offers something for everyone.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Program Coordination • Manage the daily operations of the Viking Academic Success Center.

• Collaborate with teachers, office staff, administrators, and counselors to identify and assist students needing academic support.

• Develop and maintain program guidelines, student expectations, and operational protocols.

• Take accurate attendance and ensure consistent communication with office staff.

• Facilitate clear and effective communication with students, parents, and staff to align with program goals.

Student Support • Provide individualized and small-group academic assistance to help students prioritize assignments, manage coursework, and build effective study habits.

• Monitor student progress, offering timely feedback to students, parents, and staff.

• Address academic and social-emotional needs, recognizing external factors that may impact performance.

• Build trusting relationships with students, fostering confidence, motivation, and a positive attitude toward learning.

Collaboration and Professionalism • Actively engage in Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings and collaborate with teachers to align academic support with classroom instruction.

• Create a welcoming and inclusive environment that respects diverse perspectives and needs.

• Uphold behavior expectations and contribute to a supportive learning atmosphere.

Technology Integration • Prior experience with Canvas and PowerSchool is preferred; however, a willingness to learn and effectively use these platforms to monitor and support student progress is essential.

• Leverage technology to enhance communication and streamline academic support processes.

• Exhibit comfort and proficiency in using email as a primary communication tool to engage with students, parents, and staff, ensuring timely and effective academic support.

Professional Responsibilities • Support building and district initiatives aligned with school goals.

• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism in all interactions.

• Model punctuality, reliability, and a positive attitude that reflects the values of Decorah Community Schools.

Adult Education and Literacy Coach/Instructor Work as a member of the Adult Education and Literacy Team using contemporary, researched-based curriculum to build students’ academic skills to prepare them for the HiSET and/or learn English as a Second Language. Help students navigate the systems, services, resources, and training available to successfully facilitate a pathway to a career or further education.

Assist the student to troubleshoot barriers through education and training and work with the student to obtain employment or additional training.

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree required. Experience teaching Adult Basic Education, high school equivalency (HSED) and/or ESOL classes, and developing and adapting curriculum to meet student needs is preferred. Bilingual and/or Spanish proficiency and experience working with a diverse student population is preferred.

Please access https://nicc.peopleadmin.com to complete the application online. For more information about NICC and other position openings visit the NICC website at www.nicc.edu or Human Resources Office at 844-642-2338, ext. 1302.

NICC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

Required • Strong oral and written communication skills.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage with students, parents, and staff.

• Punctuality, reliability, and a commitment to student success.

• Awareness of strategies to support the whole child, including social-emotional considerations.

• Ability to manage stress constructively and build positive rapport with students, faculty, staff, and parents.

• Respect for diversity and a commitment to fostering an inclusive environment.

Desired • Experience in educational support roles or similar settings.

• Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field (preferred but not required).

• Knowledge of effective academic interventions and instructional support practices.

HOW TO APPLY Decorah High School values diversity and invites individuals from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. If you are passionate about supporting student success and are ready to make a meaningful impact, we encourage you to join our team.

To Apply Please email your resume and cover letter to Brad Hurst, Decorah High School Principal, at brad.hurst@decorah.school by December 5, 2024, or open until position is filled.

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

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Applications and job description are available at the Engineers Office and www.winneshiekcounty.org/jobs.html EOE 47-5-LD-12

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WINNESHIEK COUNTY will be accepting applications for the position of “Signman” for the Secondary Road Department until 4:00 p.m. Friday, December 6, 2024 or until the position is filled at the office of the Winneshiek County Engineer, 201 W. Main, Decorah, IA 52101.

WHY DECORAH HIGH SCHOOL?

High School Principal Administrative Assistant

Street operator

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DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

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The third piece in the local Postage Stamp art series was installed in an alley-side window at Cardboard Robot. The piece of fiber art is entitled “Alley Rug,” and was actually installed ahead of the second piece in the series thanks to the private agreement with local art and science supply shop Cardboard Robot. (Photo submitted)

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Alleyway art continued from front professionals to partake in a compact local service project — Rilling’s idea drew inspiration from her own stamp collection.

“It was a way to connect public art to the series at a scale that was sustainable and that the class could feel like they played a role and participated, while also giving something back to the community,” she said.

Participants in the Empower Decorah class series are able to not only have a hand in selecting the art’s design, but they are also able to witness the city permitting processes. Chamber officials handle the formal permitting, according to Rilling, but course participants are able to see city officials as they approve each step in the process.

And she said there are more steps involved in the approval of a small art installation than one might imagine — sometimes the concept must be considered by the Decorah Historic Preservation Commission and Decorah Planning and Zoning Commission before it reaches the Decorah City Council.

Decorah City Manager Travis Goedken said many cities are choosing to improve and beautify what he called underutilized spaces in their respective downtown districts, improving their overall atmosphere.

“With the Postage Stamp series, where that really becomes of value is, it can draw visitors to areas otherwise not-noticed within Decorah,” Goedken said. “While it’s only on three of what’s hopefully a very long series of projects, this may turn into something that’s a bit of a seek-and-find if you will for visitors.”

And, as the number of Postage Stamp art installations continues to grow, Rilling says chamber organizers hope to create a directory for the public, paired with additional information about the artwork.

The first in the Empower Decorah Postage Stamp art series was installed in the fall of 2023. The work, entitled “Backstreet Blossoms,” was created by artist and Empower Decorah participant Hannah Tulgren. It is displayed on the brick exterior of Impact Coffee.

“I usually think of murals as large scale, so I was excited about this being different,” said Tulgren, who has since become a marketing and membership associate with the chamber. “I like that people have to look and find it. It was also great to work with Impact Coffee some on the design. The class picked the design, and Impact Coffee owners picked the color palette to echo their branding.”

But art lovers won’t be able to see Tulgren’s work from the front sidewalk. The painted panel is several yards off the ground in the rear alleyway.

In fact, each of the three Postage Stamp installations are located in the alleys which run east ant west through Decorah’s downtown blocks between Water Street and Main Street.

Rilling said the idea for Decorah’s alleyway art was partially inspired by similar efforts in cities like Denver, Colorado, where she said “the alleys were beautiful secret walkways full of art.”

The second Postage Stamp installation entitled “Rooted Connections” was created by artist Maggie Schwarz.

“I liked the idea of the alleyway, because it’s a way to increase beauty in unexpected places, and I also felt it would be a little bit easier than doing public art in spaces that people might have stronger feelings about,” Rilling said.

The second Postage Stamp installation was created by artist Maggie Schwarz, who also participated in the Empower Decorah classes. Her painting, entitled “Rooted Connections,” was installed in October of this year and is affixed to the rear of the business suites at 110 Washington Street — near the offices of the Decorah Leader and Salú Sauna and Wellness Spa. “This is my first outdoor work,” Schwarz said. “I brought three design options to the class, and they decided on this one because it had elements of things we were discussing in the class, like diversity and being rooted in community.”

And, while there were artists among the first two of the revamped Empower Decorah courses, Rilling said none of those enrolled in the most recent session considered themselves artistically talented, and chamber staff sought options.

Staff eventually recommending fiber artist Sally Dorsett, whose family had been displaced by wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, during August of 2023, and they returned to her husband’s former stomping ground in Decorah for a time.

Dorsett’s work, entitled “Alley Rug” was installed in September of this year thanks to a private arrangement with local art supply and science toy shop

Cardboard Robot. The work, made of tufted wool, is on display in one of the store’s alley-side windows. Rilling said “Alley Rug” did not require nearly as much red tape to be installed in the store window and was actually installed ahead of “Rooted Connections,”despite being the third piece selected for the Postage Stamp series.

“It was lovely that the chamber could figure out a way to include fiber art in the series,” Dorsett said. “I did research about the Midwest barn quilts and spent time in the Vesterheim Museum’s library looking at early Norwegian folk art patterns. The class liked the combination of Scandinavian-inspired design elements but wanted the color to be fun and unexpected.”

Artists interested in partnering with future Empower Decorah participants are encouraged to contact the chamber directly. Enrollment in the next Empower Decorah class series will open in December, with courses starting in February of 2025.

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14 | DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | EDITOR@DECORAHLEADER.COM | 563-382-4221

Christmas at Luther attendees to focus on the setting of the Nativity during next week’s performances, rather than gravitate toward specific characters often associated with the Christmas story.

“We want people to kind of reflect upon that place — the place that people came to celebrate the birth of Christ,” Last said. “How does that work into their own lives? Are their lives a place where we welcome the stranger and find a place for them to find safety and warmth and to gather there?”

Plenty of prep behind the scenes Tickets for the 2024 performance went on sale for the general public in late October, but Last said planning for the annual concert typically begins in February or March — just a few months after the previous year’s final performance.

Performances of Christmas at Luther have been featured by multiple public broadcast organizations over the years, reaching a nationwide audience in some cases. Last said several offices outside of the college’s music and theatre programs are

involved in preparations, and he noted performance rehearsals must factor for camera angles and audio-visual cues — all coalescing in some high expectations for the students, he said.

Students often return to campus early following the Thanksgiving holiday to attend their first six-hour rehearsal the next Sunday, Last said. That’s followed by three more days of rehearsal before the lights go down during the first of four consecutive performance days.

Last acknowledged the event demands plenty of hard work and commitment from the student-performers, but he said most of them consider Christmas at Luther to be one of the most gratifying events held on Luther’s campus.

And now-staple concerts have indeed been a local tradition for many years — though there’s some debate over exactly how many years, according to Last.

He said the name “Christmas at Luther” initially referred to an entire weekend of Christmas events once known as Juletide, which began in 1981 and included a full performance of

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continued from front George Frideric Handel’s 1741 oratorio “Messiah.” He estimated “Christmas at Luther” became synonymous with the current concert format after the college discontinued its annual “Messiah” performance.

But this year’s Christmas at Luther program will feature a portion of Handel’s “Messiah” in recognition of the first time the famed work was performed on Luther’s campus 100 years ago.

‘A continuation of Juletide’ Archives show the Decorah Choral Union caught the public’s attention with its performance of the “Messiah” at the Grand Opera House in June of 1907, but the community’s soonto-be holiday tradition didn’t move onto Luther College’s campus until the mid-1920s.

The Decorah Choral Union was under the direction of Carlo A. Sperati, who founded and conducted the Luther College Concert Band, and the group was said to have approximately 100 members as well as a 30-piece orchestra ahead of the 1907 performance. The Decorah Public Opinion called the production “nothing short of remarkable” for a city of what was then only about 4,000 people.

The choral group’s performance became an annual tradition, with First Lutheran Church serving as its concert venue for several years. The group’s first performance on Luther’s Campus took place in 1924, according to information from the college. Newspaper archives say audiences gathered in spaces like the former Preus Gymnasium to hear the “Messiah” in the years that followed.

By 1936, what was referred to as the annual Luther Christmas Concert was said to have attracted approximately 1,200

Hundreds of Luther College students perform during Christmas at Luther each year. Holiday concerts have been part of the college’s history for generations, and the theme of the 2023 Christmas at Luther performance (pictured) was “Love, the Rose, Is on the Way.” This year’s theme will be “Seeking Refuge for a Weary World.” (File photo) people, with some audience members traveling 100 miles to attend. That year’s concert featured an estimated 150 musicians — about a third of Luther’s enrollment at that time, according to the Dec. 17, 1936, Public Opinion — and the paper said performers breathed new life into familiar carols and hymns, some of which were sung in Scandinavian and Germanic tongues.

“While the Public Opinion lacks the musical knowledge to give a detailed description of the various numbers, we, like all others in the audience, felt that the entire concert was truly an impressive demonstration of the superior efficiency of the Luther Music Department and of the extraordinarily high percentage of students with real musical talent enrolled at the institution,” the Dec. 17, 1936 Public Opinion said.

Juletide and the “Messiah” performances continued in tandem on Luther’s campus into the

1990s — Last himself recalled participating in both during his time as a Luther student — and an estimated 900 voices were said to be part of the 1995 performance of “Messiah,” under the direction of Luther’s famed musical director Weston Noble — himself a 1943 Luther alumnus. That year’s rendition was described as “part of the Christmas at Luther” weekend, in the Nov. 30, 1995, Decorah Journal, and the “Messiah” was performed annually until 2004, when Noble retired. Last indicated the yearly concerts became more commonly known as Christmas at Luther after the full annual productions of the “Messiah” ended.

“I’d say there are probably some tried and true people who love their Juletide and Messiah and have a hard time referring to Christmas at Luther as a continuation of Juletide,” Last said with a laugh.

Regardless of the name, Last said the musical performances

have become part of the community and, while he realizes many may have become well-accustomed to Christmas at Luther, he hopes audiences never lose their sense of awe and wonder while attending each year.

“It a thing that’s so familiar to all of us,” Last said. “But I think it’s pretty unique that, in a town our size and a campus of our size, we are able to put together a production that includes multiple ensembles and includes some of the finest choral-orchestral repertoire there is.”

Tickets for Christmas at Luther are available online at www.luther.edu/offices/programming/tickets/performing-arts.

Tickets for the Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 performances were sold out as of press time. On demand tickets will also be available Dec. 13 through Jan. 2, 2025, and the 2024 performance album is available for pre-order online through the Luther College Book Shop.

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Jones ignited in an area where a fire should not be intended.”

“We had a fire that originated in the duct work, but there was no combustible material inside the duct work,” Dooley said.

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Investigators see possible financial motive Patrick Yates, a fraud specialist with State Farm Insurance, sifted through Jones’ finances and business records, and discovered she owed $250,000 for the mortgage and repairs on a building which she had purchased in Harmony, Minnesota, in 2019. She had received an offer of $160,000 for the Harmony building at one point, but closed the Harmony store in January of 2022, citing the continued cost of building repairs at her Waukon store. Jones was also allegedly unable to pay

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at least two of her employees, nor could she afford rent on the building. Bank records entered as evidence showed Jones had accrued more than 30 returned check penalties in a single month at one point.

Jones had also at one point received a $75,000 offer for her Waukon building — less than half the amount of the mortgage on the building — and bank officials declined to release the mortgage for an offer of that size. Yates testified that Jones had claimed all her payments — both personal and business — were current on everything prior to the fire, but he discovered Jones owed more than $460,000 from a 2015 judgement brought against her.

“All the debts Jones was facing were adding up, and the walls were closing around her,” Kodiaga told the jury.

Kodiaga claimed Jones planned to burn the building down, and he argued her cousin’s arrival that February eve-

ning presented her an opportunity to do so while placing the blame on someone else.

“She had about $890,000 in debt, and this was her only way out,” Kodiaga said. “On this day, Super Bowl Sunday, opportunity knocks. Jese shows up and she is by herself and opens the door for him and, when he is down in the basement, she sets the fire, and it’s the perfect opportunity.”

Kodiaga argued Jones didn’t care about Lewey’s fate, nor that of the families living above her business, when she set fire to the building.

Kodiaga argued Jones cared for neither the young children living upstairs who were pulled from a bathtub and whisked out of their burning home that day nor the dog who died following the blaze.

“She cared about only one person — Mindy Jones,” Kodiaga said.

The 12 jurors who heard Jones’ case convicted her on

continued from page 2

both charges in less than an hour — including the time allotted for a brief lunch. The court and attorneys in the case are still discussing specifics of the animal abuse conviction — it was argued the fire may not have directly caused the dog’s death given the age of the animal.

Jones faces 25 years in prison for the arson charge, and is expected to serve at least 17.5 years in prison before she becomes eligible for parole, according to Kodiaga.

Jones is currently a prisoner at Minnesota Correctional Facility in Shakopee, Minnesota, where she is serving time for two separate cases decided earlier this year in Fillmore County, Minnesota. She is set to complete her current sentence by the fall of 2025, at which point she is expected to begin the sentence for her arson conviction in Iowa. Officials have yet to determine where Jones will serve that sentence.

After 40 years with local manufacturer Gemini, Greg Recker is retiring.

Greg Recker, Senior Manufacturing Engineer in Decorah, is retiring after 40 years at Gemini. Over the years, Greg has been an integral part of Gemini, contributing through diverse roles in Production, Leadership, and Engineering. From Supervisor to Plant Manager, to Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Greg’s expertise has touched many areas of the business. Greg played a vital part in starting up many different product lines and is proud of those achievements. As he prepares for retirement, Greg shares what he will miss most about working at Gemini: problem-solving and witnessing Gemini’s growth. Greg is described by his coworkers as caring, knowledgeable, and kind. They share that they will miss him greatly!

“Greg has been an integral part of Gemini for 40 years in a variety of Production, Leadership, and Engineering roles. He has had much expertise to share, especially on the plastic/acrylic side of the business,” Steve Carnesi, Manufacturing Engineer Manager, said. “What strikes me most about Greg is his caring for others and his gentle and kind nature.

Greg wants folks to be comfortable, heard, and able to do their best.”

Gemini thanks Greg for his 40 years of service, his valuable contributions, and for being a great representative of Gemini!

GeminiMade.com | 563-382-4235 | 101 Womack Way, Decorah, IA

SPORTS

DECORAH LEADER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 | WWW.DECORAHLEADER.COM | SPORTS EDITOR BECKY WALZ | BECKY.WALZ@DECORAHLEADER.COM

15

Viking keglers roll by Grundy Center

Warrior grappler Odessa Oyloe rolls her opponent to her back for the fall as South Winn teammates and managers look on Saturday at the Decorah tournament. (Photo by Becky Walz)

The Decorah bowling teams picked up where they left off last season as both the girls’ and boys’ team defeated Grundy Center Tuesday night at the home match.

In the girls’ match, the Vikings nearly doubled the visitors to win 2,696 to 1,358. Baker game scores were 160, 194, 190, 181 and 169.

Juniors Marri Feuerhelm and Karlie Einck paced the Vikings.

Feuerhelm lit up the lanes with games of 222 and 191, while Einck bowled a pair of 192 games. Jasera Tweten was in the mix as well with a 211 and 184. Others on the lanes in varsity action were Rylee Aver-

Competing and taking the first match of the season for Decorah Tuesday were (l-r) Bryce Elsbernd, Cain Monreal-Rice, Tyler Novak, Jace Buddenberg, Jordan Sims and Chase Vick. (Photo courtesy of Amy Averhoff) hoff (141, 174), Asmere Jensen (135, 160) and Kennady Riehle (148, 129).

“We had the usual first-night

Warrior girls see some success in the ring While a smaller team than most in northeast Iowa, the South Winn girls wrestling program has already hit the mats twice in the young season with some success.

“Between some wrestlers needing to prioritize the school musical, some injuries, and some illnesses, we’ve been pretty shorthanded here lately.

Tuesday and Saturday were a good start to our season, and we saw a lot of improvements from just Tuesday to Saturday, which is exciting,” said coach Ethan Adams.

The complete results from both events will be posted online with the story at www.decorahleader.com.

First matches Tuesday, Nov. 19, the Warriors competed in a quad at Riceville, picking up four wins in duals against the host Wildcats, Crestwood and Saint Ansgar.

Freshman Gracie Walz picked up the lone win against the Cadets, throwing Madi Fritcher-Larson in 1:26 at 130 pounds. She made it two falls for the night as she turned Tori Keonigs of Riceville in 1:19.

Wrestling at 120 pounds, Sophie Dvorak pinned Lily Retterath of Riceville. McKenna Looby won by forfeit in the Wildcat dual.

Decorah tourney Cedar Falls ran away with the team title at the Decorah Fall

Tourney Saturday with 537.5 points with the host Vikings finishing a distant second with 223 points. South Winn wrapped up the day with 39 points in 13th.

“Saturday at Decorah was a good day overall. We’re extremely proud of the work the girls have already put in, and we’re ready to work to get better over the next few weeks,” noted coach Adams.

Just five Warriors took the mats Saturday with Walz leading the way as the runner-up at 135 pounds. A first round bye led to a fall in 49 seconds over Cedar Falls’ Farah Glasock in round two. Walz kept the momentum in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds with falls over Chloe Gorby of Cedar Falls in 4:34 and Ellie Reints of Aplington-Parkersburg in 2:42. In the final, the freshman was simply outhustled as she fell to Lainey Schreck of Cedar Falls in 13 seconds.

Odessa Oyloe was also on the podium for the Warriors,

finishing sixth. After a bye in round one, the freshman threw Addelyn Hoskinson of Cedar Falls in 3:40 before getting turned in the quarterfinals by Cedar Falls’ Apryl Halsor in 53 seconds. Oyloe battled the backside of the bracket, pinning Alexa Wolthoff of Riceville in 5:25, who she herself had fallen to just days before. An 8-3 decision over Kylee Babcock of Aplington-Parkersburg place Oyloe in the consolation semifinals against Postville’s Sophia Salinas. Oyloe fell in 3:33 to move into the fifth-place match, only to see her day end in sixth as she fell in 1:28 to Mari Delaney of Waukon.

Decorah Fall Tourney team scores 1. Cedar Falls 537.5; 2. Decorah 223; 3. Crestwood 207.5; 4. Charles City 157.5; 5. Aplington-Parkersburg 127; 6. Lake Mills 112; 7. Waukon 98; 8. Postville 90; 9. North Butler/ Clarksville 77; 10. North Fayette Valley 69; 11. MFL MarMac 66; 12.

Xavier 47; 13. South Winn 39; 14.

Northwood-Kensett 38; 15. NashuaPlainfield 28; 16. Riceville 25; 17.

Waterloo East 0

Grace Walz finished Saturday in second at Decorah, going 3-1 with three falls. (Photo by Becky Walz)

Coming up in area varsity high school sports Dec. 2 – SW g/b bb at Lanesboro (Minn.), 6 p.m.

Dec. 3 – SW g wr at Central tnmt., 5 p.m.; SW b wr hosts quad, 5:30 p.m.; Dec g/b wr at Independence, 6 p.m.; SW g/b bb at Postville, 6:15 p.m.; TV g/b bb at MFL MarMac, 6:15 p.m.; Dec b bb at Dubuque Hempstead, 7:30 p.m.; Dec g bb at Wahlert Catholic, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 5 – Dec g wr at Dan Gable tnmt. (Coralville), TBD

Trojans cruise to 75-13 win

The Turkey Valley girls’ basketball team (1-0, 1-0 UIC) had no difficulty Tuesday as they opened the season with a 75-13 victory over Postville (0-1, 0-1 UIC) in Jackson Junction.

“We played with good intensity from start to finish with a great team effort tonight,” noted coach Steve Hoffert.

The Trojans put up 27 in the first quarter holding the Pirates to just five. By halftime, Turkey Valley had stretched its lead to 45-7, then held Postville scoreless in the third to reign in the victory.

Three Trojans were in double figures with Addison Steinlage setting the pace with 18 points. Emersyn Hoffert put up 13, along with eight rebounds, while Haylee Hanson contributed 12 points and six boards.

Delaney Busta and Bella Stika each hauled in nine boards with Stika coming up with 11 steals.

Scoring – Addison Steinlage 16; Emersyn Hoffert 13; Haylee Hanson 12; Bella Stika 8; Annika Bodensteiner 7; Delaney Busta 7; Kendall Kuennen 5; Hazel Nieman 4; Makinley Lutgen 2; Ellaney Bodensteiner 1 Rebounds – D. Busta 9; Stika 9; Hoffert 8; Hanson 6; A. Bodensteiner 5; Nieman 4; Brynlee Hayek 3; Miyah Byrne 3; Madalyn Vsetecka 2; E. Bodensteiner 2; Steinlage 1; Layni Schuchhardt 1; Ella Ives 1; Kuennen 1; Assists – Stika 4; Hoffert 3; Schuchhardt 2; Steinlage 1; A. Bodensteiner 1; Byrne 1; Callie Busta 1; Steals – Stika 11; D. Busta 6; Hoffert 5; A. Bodensteiner 3; Steinlage 2; Hayek 1; Hanson 1; C. Busta 1; Blocks – D. Busta 2; Hoffert 1; Hanson 1; E. Bodensteiner 1

On the lanes in varsity girls’ action Tuesday night for the Vikes were (l-r) Asmere Jensen, Kennady Riehle, Jasera Tweten, Karlie Einck, Rylee Averhoff and Marri Feuerhelm.

(Photos courtesy of Amy Averhoff)

SW girls fall to Hawks at home, 43-28

To open the season Tuesday night, the South Winn girls’ basketball team (0-1, 0-1 UIC) fell 43-28 to Class 1A No. 9 Kee (1-0, 1-0 UIC) at home.

“The girls competed in a tough battle versus a very good Kee team. We had to face adversity with an injury early in the game to one of our key players, but I am proud of the fight the girls fought,” said coach Mike Gehling. “I’m very happy with Chloe Wiltgen and Alexis Johanningmeier hitting some important shots to add to the scoreboard. Defensively, Adele Conway and Allison Hageman stepped up in a huge role guarding Lansing’s tough point guard. We will keep working hard and get better for next week.”

Wiltgen led the Warriors with eight points and nine rebounds while Alexis Johanningmeier put up seven points and hauled in five boards. Allison Hageman and Vanessa Bullerman provided five points apiece. Freshman Emmy Gehling was there for two points and two assists.

Charlotte Moonen grabbed five rebounds and put up one point.

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South Winn’s Alyssa Holthaus keeps a wide defensive stance during the first quarter of Tuesday’s opener. Later in the game, the junior suffered what is assumed to be a season-ending injury as she went to block a Kee shot. (Photo by Becky Walz)

Send letters to santa claus c/o Decorah Leader P.O. Box 350, Decorah, Ia 52101 The letters will be printed in the Driftless as space allows and any art sent with letters may also be published.

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contest Win Deliver your recipe to the Decorah Leader, 110 Washington St., Suite 4, Decorah, IA 52101 OR email your recipe to: contest@decorahleader.com

jitters, missing the head pin and some spares,” said coach Keith Bruening. “This was a nice start to the season.”

Rolling a 3,355 pin total, the Viking boys were only 50 pins from the team record. Grundy Center fell with 2,765 pins.

Baker game scores were 201, 200, 191, 266 and 256.

On the lanes for the boys were Cain Monreal-Rice (242, 255), Tyler Novak (248, 210), Bryce Elsbernd (245, 210), Jace Buddenberg (221, 208), Chase Vick (220, 182) and Jordan Sims (192, 166).

“This was a team win against a solid Grundy Center squad.

The baker games were solid with Buddenberg striking eight of 10 times,” noted coach Bruening.

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SPORTS

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Decorah girls return to the mats with back-to-back tourneys It was a busy start to the season for the Class 1A No. 1 Decorah girls’ wrestling team with back-to-back tournaments. Saturday the Vikes hosted their annual fall tournament, followed by the Triton Clash, a 16-team dual tournament in Fort Dodge Tuesday.

The complete tournament results from both events will be posted online with the story at www.decorahleader.com.

Home tournament It was a fine opening tournament for the Vikings as they competed for the first time in the 2024-25 season, and Decorah fans watched four champions crowned.

Class 2A No. 1 Cedar Falls ran away with the team title with 537.5 points with the host Vikings finishing a distant second with 223 points.

Four Vikes controlled their opponents all the way to the top of the podium — Chloe Sheffield, McKenzie Tollefson, Ana Simon and Lauren Luzum. All four were cast in the top 10 in the Class 1A preseason rankings.

Sheffield, ranked No. 2 preseason, went 3-0 for the day that began with a first round bye. The senior was quick to pin Jasmin Roman of Postville in the quarterfinal round, needing just 26 seconds. In 1:28, the Viking turned Addy Johnson of North Butler/Clarksville to win her semifinal match. Facing

fifth-ranked Sophia Calpito of Charles City in the final, Sheffield earned the 100 pound title by a 6-2 decision.

At 140 pounds, Tollefson also scored a title with a trio of falls.

Ranked fourth at 135 pounds in the preseason, Tollefson put Xavier’s Megan Talyat on her back in 13 seconds. Jorja Johnson of Waukon drew the Viking in the semifinal and was turned in 1:25. Taking centerstage in the final with Tollefson was Destiny Hoeppner of Cedar Falls who survived 1:28 before the Viking put her shoulders to the mat.

Joining in the title hunt was Simon at 145 pounds. Following a first-round bye, the junior grappler threw Hannah Pfab of Xavier in 43 seconds in the quarterfinal. It took even less for Simon in the semifinal round as she pinned Caylee Harken of Aplington-Parkersburg in 31 seconds. Squaring off versus Alanna Schatz of Crestwood in the final, Simon took her to the mat in 1:30, securing her first title of the season.

With four falls in the tournament, Luzum easily wrapped up the 155 pound title. In 24 seconds she turned Brooke Stine of Cedar Falls in round two, following a bye in the first round.

Lila Reints of Aplington-Parkersburg fell to Luzum in 1:10 in the quarterfinal with Afton Dean of Lake Mills following suit in the semifinals in 1:40.

The day was capped off for

Bristol Parker works to turn Isabelle White of Postville during her first match at Decorah Saturday. The freshman went on to finish third. (Photo by Becky Walz)

Providing senior leadership for the Decorah girls’ basketball team this season are (l-r) Ella Carlson, Elizabeth Bjork and Kera Walter. (Photo courtesy of Tami Bohr) Decorah senior Chloe Sheffield went 3-0 Saturday to win the 100 pound title at the Viking Fall Tournament. The day began with her pinning Postville’s Jasmin Roman in 26 seconds.

(Photo by Becky Walz) the second-ranked Viking with a fall in 1:21 of No. 11 Zoey Uhlenhopp of Aplington-Parkersburg.

Five other Vikes climbed the podium as Bristol Parker (135) finished third, Amelia Wadsworth (140) finished third, Simone Downing (125) finished fourth, Audrey Feuerhelm (110) finished fifth and Kamryn Steines (190) finished sixth.

Decorah Fall Tourney team scores 1. Cedar Falls 537.5; 2. Decorah 223; 3. Crestwood 207.5; 4. Charles City 157.5; 5. Aplington-Parkersburg 127; 6. Lake Mills 112; 7. Waukon 98; 8. Postville 90; 9. North Butler/ Clarksville 77; 10. North Fayette Valley 69; 11. MFL MarMac 66; 12.

Xavier 47; 13. South Winn 39; 14.

Northwood-Kensett 38; 15. NashuaPlainfield 28; 16. Riceville 25; 17.

Waterloo East 0

Dual tourney Facing formidable teams at the Triton Clash in Fort Dodge, the Decorah squad finished fifth Tuesday. Class 2A No. 1 Cedar Falls won the day, followed by Class 2A No. 5 Lewis Central, Class 1A No. 2 East Buchanan and Hinton to round out the top five teams in the 16-team tournament.

In the first dual of the day, the Vikes defeated Fort Dodge 60-18, with falls recorded by Ellie Adams (120), McKenzie Tollefson (140), Lauren Luzum (155), Isabelle Alley (170) and

Madysen Lippe (235). Those receiving forfeits included Chloe Sheffield (100), Cassie Wilkins (115), Izabella Kos (125); Simone Downing (130) and Ana Simon (145).

Decorah fell to Hinton 48-30 in round two with Amelia Wadsworth (140), Simon (145) and Sheffield (100) throwing their opponents. Forfeits were given to Luzum (155) and Lippe (235).

Bouncing back from the loss in round three, the Vikings topped SWAT 54-24.

Sheffield (105), Adams (125), Downing (130), Simon (145), Luzum (155) and Lippe (235) all recorded falls while Kos (120), Bristol Parker (135) and Tollefson received forfeits.

By a narrow margin of 42-36, Decorah bested Class 1A No. 5 Vinton-Shellsburg with four falls and three forfeits. Those pinning their opponents were Downing (125), Parker (135), Wadsworth (140) and Luzum (170). Earning forfeit points for the Vikes included Sheffield (100), Isabelle Alley (190), Lippe (235).

In the dual for fifth place, the Vikings put up a 48-36 victory over Ridge View. Adams (120), Tollefson, Wadsworth (145), Simon (155), Luzum (170) and Alley (190) all threw their counterparts while Sheffield (100) and Lippe were rewarded with forfeits.

Swimmers edge Kennedy in season opener

To kick off the winter season, the Decorah boys’ swim team traveled to Cedar Rapids Kennedy and returned home with 90 to 77 victory.

In the varsity meet, the Vikings picked up one gold medal.

Ian Giddings, Landon Humpal, Reid Kuehner and Max Grimstad combined their talents in the 200-yard freestyle relay to win in 1:38.21.

Decorah took second in every event throughout the dual meet to push them over the Cougars. In 1:51.43, Kuehner, Weston Cote, Giddings and Humpal took silver in the 200yard medley relay. Grimstad, Dane Burns, Davis Coppola and Landyn Hook took silver in the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:55.51.

Individually, Jordan Snitker took home two runner-up finishes. The freshman stopped the clock at 2:14.47 in the 200yard freestyle and later grabbed silver in the 500-yard freestyle in 6:03.13. Humpal was also a two-time silver individual silver medalist, taking second in the 100-yard freestyle in 53.91 seconds and 100-yard breaststroke in 1:09.21. Grimstad put up a time of 1:01.47 to take silver in the 100-yard butterfly and later posted a time of 1:04.89 in

the 100-yard backstroke for his runner-up finishes.

Touching the wall in 2:23.22, Kuehner was runner-up in the 200-yard individual medley, while Giddings went 24.12 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle for silver.

Varsity results 200 medley relay – 2. Reid Kuehner, Weston Cote, Ian Giddings, Landon Humpal, 1:51.43; 3. Ethan Casper, Will Robinson, Kyle Pattison, Kyan Oftedahl,

1:51.43 200 free – 2. Jordan Snitker 2:14.47; 4. Thomas Hammel 2:18.24 200 IM – 2. Kuehner 2:23.22; 3.

Ethan Swizdor 2:26.84; 3. Robinson 2:39.38 50 free – 2. Giddings 24.12; 3. Dane Burns 24.31; 4. Davis Coppola 26.94 100 fly – 2. Max Grimstad 1:01.47; 3. Burns 1:03.74; 4.

Pattison 1:06.64 100 free – 2. Humpal 53.91; 3.

Giddings 58.05; 4. Coppola 1:03.10 500 free – 2. Snitker 6:03.13; 4.

Keaton Vobr 6:55.39

200 free relay – 1. Giddings, Humpal, Kuehner, Grimstad, 1:38.21; 2. Burns, Coppola, Cote, Swizdor, 1:42.91; 3. Vobr, Snitker, Robinson, Grant Zilka, 1:52.22 100 back – 2. Grimstad 1:04.89; 3. Casper 1:11.67; 4. Vobr 1:13.83 100 breast – 2. Humpal 1:09.21; 3. Kuehner 1:12.29; 3. Swizdor 1:18.93 400 free relay – 2. Grimstad, Burns, Coppola, Hook, 3:55.51; 3.

Swizdor, Snitker, Zilka, Oftedahl, 4:11.73; 4. Casper, Hammel, Pattison, Vobr, 4:18.59

Decorah girls start season with big win over Dike-NH

The Decorah girls’ basketball team (1-0) opened the 2024-25 season with a 59-34 road win Tuesday night over Dike-New Hartford (0-1).

“I am really proud of our team how we came out and competed in game one,” said coach Blake Moen. “From the tip, the girls did an excellent job setting the pace early with a good run and active defense. I’m most proud of them for riding the storm, sticking together, and continuing to battle through some of Dike-New Hartford’s runs.

Thiswin is all on the girls.”

Scoring double digits in each of the four quarters, the Vikes led 15-9 after the first eight minutes. Decorah extended its lead to 33-16 by halftime. The Wolverines attempted to cut into their deficit in the third period, outscoring the visitors 1914; however, it wasn’t enough

as the Vikes opened the spread back up in the final quarter with 12 points for the win.

Sydney Thompson was a workhorse on the perimeter as she connected for seven three-pointers to lead the Vikes with 21 points. The junior added four rebounds and a pair of steals to the stat sheet as well.

Sophomore Claire Storhoff was a close second in scoring with 18 points to go with five steals, three assists and two boards.

In her first game back since suffering an ACL tear early last season, Brooklyn Fromm put up 11 points and hauled in seven boards with two assists and two steals. Liz Bucksa and Renae Wilson added the final points for the Vikes with four apiece.

Decorah Dike-NH

15 18 14 12 59 9 7 19 8 34

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Seniors on the Decorah boys’ swim team for the 2024-25 season are (front, l-r) Garrett Willie, Andrew Olson, Reid Kuehner, Grant Zilka, Ethan Casper, Phuong Doan; (back) Aitor Cuevas, Landyn Hook, Tommy Hammel, Oliver Brummel, Dalton Erickson, Davis Coppola, Jack Sovern (Photo courtesy of Tami Bohr)

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