Thursday, February 15, 2024
Vol. 159, Issue 7
Decorah, Iowa 52101 www.decorahnewspapers.com
Celebrating National FFA Week Feb. 17-24
SOUTH WINNESHIEK FFA OFFICERS Front row (l-r): Co-Reporter Cloey Zweibohmer, Vice President Autumn Schmitt, President Katrina Hageman, Co-Secretary Ivey Franzen and Co-Reporter Hanna Vagts. Back row: Co-Secretary Kendric Langreck, Sentinel Bo Wansgness and Treasurer John Donavon.
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Sixteen DHS performances nominated to Large Group Speech All-State Festival, tying school record Decorah High School students participated in the Northeast State Large Group Speech Contest hosted at Dubuque Senior High School on Feb. 3. Judges at the state contest selected 16 of Decorah High School performances as outstanding, tying the school record. These performances are honored with the coveted All-State Speech nomination to be part of the AllState Speech Festival, which will include performances by the best speech students from across the state of Iowa.
All-State
continued on page 3 Eras of Taylor Swift Choral Reading, front row (l-r): Kaylie Wemark, Hannah Arendt, Julia Severtson, Grace Blikre, Caleb Johnson, and Lexy Walker. Back row (l-r): Natalie Goodner, Paige Wrightsman, Evon Leitz, Liz Pritchard, Caden Branum, Alex McGohan, Nathan Swarbrick, and Coach Molly Holkesvik. Missing from photo: Bethany Hanson and Coach Annika Krieg. (submitted photo)
Future athletic conference woes linger for Decorah School Board By Roz Weis
DECORAH FFA OFFICERS Front row (l-r): Sentinel Travis Nordheim, Treasurer Anders Lovstuen, Reporter Jeramiah Rediske and Chapter Assistant Derek Tieskoetter. Back row: Vice President Brody Courtney, President Creed Monroe and Secretary Annika Brynsaas.
TURKEY VALLEY FFA OFFICERS Back (l-r): Vice President Russel Nieman, Reporter Emma Brincks, Sentinel Taylor DeSloover, Reporter Haylee Hanson, Treasurer Matthew Smith. Front- Secretary Brooklyn Kuennen, Treasurer Burke Busta, Student Advisor Keira Myers and President Megan Blong. (submitted photos)
Recent Decorah Community School District (DCSD) Board meetings have heard robust discussion of trends in athletic conferences statewide, with specific consideration regarding the shrinking Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC). Conversation on the topic continued at the Monday night school board meeting. Board members concluded the most recent athletic conference debate Monday by instructing DCSD Superintendent Tim Cronin to formally apply for membership to the Upper Iowa Confer-
ence (UIC). This move was on the heals of recent action on the part of the UIC to decline an informal membership meeting request from the DCSD last week. According to Decorah Athletic Director Adam Riley, he has had conversation with the Iowa High School Athletic Association, and a formal request to join the conference is the next procedural step in ensuring that a school desiring to be a member of a conference is granted that opportunity. “One thing to be clear is that time is of the essence,” Riley stressed. “It’s imperative that there is some dialogue that can come from this (request).”
Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) member-schools are currently Central, Clayton Ridge, Eastern Allamakee, MFL MarMac, North Fayette Valley, Postville, South Winneshiek, Turkey Valley and West Central. UIC officials met Feb. 6 and accepted Howard Winneshiek’s application for conference membership and extended invitations to New Hampton and Allamakee County Districts. It was during that meeting, that the UIC voted to decline the membership meeting
Athletic conference continued on page 5
Winneshiek County deputies seek market adjustment raises Sheriff Marx presents request at supervisors meeting
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Wicks Construction, Inc. gives former North Winn School building new purpose Property to house local company’s seasonal employees By Zach Jensen Wicks Construction, Inc. bought what’s left of the North Winneshiek School building for $460,000 in 2022 with one purpose in mind: To provide housing for an invaluable team of Hispanic migrant workers, who come to Decorah each year on work visas — specifically to work for Wicks Construction. That goal became a reality Feb. 6, when the Winneshiek County Board of Adjustment approved Wicks Construction’s request. But, the decision faced some challenge and scrutiny from a nearby neighbor. Wayne Hageman spoke against the proposal during the board’s Jan. 2 meeting. At that
meeting, no representatives of Wicks Construction were present to answer Hageman’s concerns, so the application for the conditional use permit was unanimously denied. Hageman also attended the Feb. 6 public hearing on the issue, but this time, so did representatives Gavin Wicks and Patrick McDermott of Wicks Construction. “Currently, we provide housing in other locations, and we’d like to be able to utilize this space for that purpose,” Wicks said. “We don’t plan on utilizing it for shortterm rentals. This will only be for
N. Winn building
continued on page 5
By Zach Jensen
not put anybody through the academy in many, many years.” Marx explained that the academy is only one cost associated with hiring a new law enforcement officer. In addition to the academy cost, each new officer must undergo rigorous on-the-job training, and the liability that accompanies the often-revolving door of new officers and deputies is also often very costly. “You’re looking at two years before you can really trust them to go out for the wide range of things they [deputies] have to be responsible for and take care of at the county sheriff’s office level,” he said. Marx also said that, according to information from the Sheriff’s Deputies Association, the average cost of a new recruit is about $65,000. However, he estimated that Winneshiek County’s cost would likely be closer to $50,000, if it had to train new recruits, because the county’s training costs are likely less than the statewide average. “In the last nine years that I’ve been Sheriff, I’ve hired every single deputy, except for my Lieutenant and Chief Deputy,” Marx said. “So, that’s 12 deputies. Figuring that at $50,000, going well-below the statewide average, that’s a $600,000 savings to the county. So, recruitment and retaining is everything. “When the deputies negotiated in 2022, it was a good contract,” Marx con-
tinued. “When they got done negotiating that, they were toward the top of the pay scale. Over the last and subsequent year from that, they went from near the top of the pay scale to dead last.” He added that, in addition to his deputies being paid less than similar counties around the state, they’re also paid less than deputies in both Allamakee and Howard Counties. “We’re still thought of as the premier agency to work for, and I’ll back that up,” Marx said. “Last time we tested, we had 10 certified, experienced officers applying. Nobody else around us is doing that. They’re offering $10,000 signon bonuses. They’re offering to pay off contracts. They’re offering all these incentives, and they still can’t get a single applicant that’s worth hiring. We haven’t offered any of that, and yet, we’re still able to get top of the echelon.” Marx said that won’t continue if Winneshiek County deputies’ salaries aren’t competitive. “I talked with Tim Beckman a week or so ago, and he’s done at least one [round of recruiting], and he’s not getting any responses,” Supervisor Steve Kelsay added, referring to the Howard County Sheriff.
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Fewer qualified candidates are applying for and keeping law enforcement jobs across the country. And, that national trend has a trickle-down effect, meaning law enforcement agencies at the local, state and national levels are finding it difficult, if not impossible, to attract new officers and deputies. Through an email shared with Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors members last week, the Winneshiek County Deputies Union has requested raises for all the county’s deputies in order to remain competitive. When the current contract was negotiated in 2022, the board agreed to revisit wages and look at adjustments if they fell out of line with the market during the course of the contract. Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx presented that request, on behalf his deputies, to the Board of Supervisors during its regular meeting Monday morning, in an effort to clarify the context of the request and advocate for his deputies’ and county’s best interests. “Right now, recruiting and retention is a hot topic across the United States and certainly, here in Iowa,” Sheriff Marx said. “So far, we’ve been able to be unicorns in the industry. We’re probably one of the few … possibly one of the only agencies in the state of Iowa that has
Raises
Save the date for Decorah Citywide Garage Sales - May 4
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