Thursday, June 19, 2025
Vol. 160, Issue 25 www.decorahleader.com
Decorah, Iowa 52101 email: editor@decorahleader.com
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Hearing set for attorneys to argue dismissal of case against Sheriff Marx
Left to right are Ace, Ranger, Bailey, Odin and Bohdi. The five Labrador retrievers are part of the Steve and Julie Spilde family, which has been fostering dogs since 2018. (Photo submitted)
BY SETH BOYES NEWS EDITOR A district court judge in Polk County will hear arguments next month as to whether a case filed in response to an online post written by Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx should be dismissed. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird filed the case against the sheriff and the county in late March, following a complaint from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds regarding a social media post Marx authored the previous month regarding his stance on aspects of immigration law. If state prosecutors are successful in the case, Winneshiek County may lose access to state funds. A hearing to discuss several recent motions in
Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird
the case, including the motion to dismiss as well as a motion to have the case tried in Winneshiek County, has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, July 18 in Des Moines. The judge indicated during a meeting Friday that next month’s hearing would likely be held in person.
use of non-judicially vetted detainers by agencies like the FBI or Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a violation of citizens’ rights under the Fourth and Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. “The only reason detainers are issued is because the federal agency does not have enough information or has not taken the time to obtain a valid judicial warrant,” Marx wrote. Marx’s statement also expressed his office’s willingness to assist in verifying the legitimacy of any paperwork federal agents may have. However,
Defense calls case ‘thought policing’ The case centers on a statement the sheriff had written on Feb. 4 in response to local concerns over immigration enforcement actions — the sheriff’s statement was posted to his office’s Facebook page and submitted to area news outlets for publication. The sheriff said in his statement that he views the
Marx hearing continued on page 9
FINDING FOREVER HOMES
Spildes foster 57 dogs in seven years BY ZACH JENSEN STAFF WRITER The need for foster homes for surrendered dogs is climbing, but at least one local family is making an impact on those numbers. Julie and Steve Spilde, owners of Ace Hardware and the Ace Kitchen Place in Decorah, have fostered 57 dogs in the last seven years and recently adopted their most recent foster, Bailey, to be part of their family. “We were asked to work for Heart Animal Rescue,” said Julie Spilde. “They were looking for fosters, and because we’d never done it before, we decided to give it a shot, and our first foster was Sydney, an adult Australian Shepherd. She was an amazing dog, and it went so well that we continued fostering. It’s added some fun happy chaos to our lives.” Spilde went on to say, after she and her husband first began to foster dogs, they became more aware of the need, saying dogs are being surrendered at what she called an incredible rate. “There are way more dogs being surrendered than there are available fosters for them, and shelters are overwhelmed,” she said. Information from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says in-
“There are way more dogs being surrendered than there are available fosters for them, and shelters are overwhelmed.” - Julie Spilde
flation and other forms of increasing costs are some of the primary reasons dog owners are surrendering their pets. In 2024, 5.8 million dogs and cats entered shelters and rescues, and while that was less than the 6.5 million in 2023, it’s also nearly twice the 2.8 million dogs and cats surrendered in 2022, according to the ASPCA’s information. Spilde said, they’ve fostered nearly 60 dogs they have fostered so far, some had previously experienced substandard situations, while others were among unwanted batches of puppies and still others were surrendered for any number of other reasons. “It’s been a little chaotic, but it’s been rewarding,” she said of their foster experience. “And, I couldn’t do it without the amazing staff I have at the store, because all of my fosters come to work with me. A lot of
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times, we’ve had multiple puppies here, and my staff is just phenomenal.” When the Spildes receive a foster, Julie said they focus on house training the pet while also working on behavior and social skills. “We have five labs of our own, so these fosters need to come in and get along and be able to travel, and they get a lot of socialization here at the store, so by the time they get adopted, they’re usually quite social,” she said. Spilde said her family mostly fosters large breeds. “We have the perfect situation for big dogs — I can bring them to work, and at home, we have a large fenced-in yard with a dog door so they can come and go on their own.” Spilde said those looking to adopt one of the foster animals — including those customers may come across in the hardware store — can visit Heart Animal Rescue’s social media pages or website, and the organization also lists the available dogs on Pet Finder — a secure website used to find or sell puppies and dogs. “We’ve been lucky enough to have customers come to the store and meet them here and
57 dogs continued on page 9
Decorah welcomes new officer Officer Nicholas Matelski was sworn in as the Decorah Police Department’s newest officer on Monday, June 16 during the Decorah City Council meeting. Matelski, who previously served with the Monona Police Department, was joined by his wife Billie and two sons, 4-yearold Milo and 3-year-old Riley, who helped pin Matelski’s badge to his uniform. (Photo by Denise Lana)
Ace Hardware owner Julie Spilde smiles with her most recent adoption, Bailey, a chocolate lab with genetic vision issues. (Photo by Zach Jensen)