March 7, 2024

Page 1

Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Vol. 159, Issue 10

Decorah, Iowa 52101

One Section

www.decorahnewspapers.com

fax: 563-382-5949

Winneshiek County Cattlemen’s banquet is Saturday

Local Girl Scout troops are partnering with Culver’s in Decorah, Sunday, March 10. Local troops will have cookie booths, and 10 percent of sales from Culver’s during the event will be donated to the Winneshiek County Girl Scout troops. Members of Troop 616 are pictured here helping out at last year’s Culver’s event. A salute to Girl Scouts inside this edition.

Supervisors weigh the value of Winneshiek County Public Health services The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors is considering the value of services provided by the county’s Public Health office. During the supervisors’ regular meeting Monday morning, County Auditor Ben Steines handed out a chart showing that Winneshiek County pays far more than any surrounding county for its public health services. According to the chart, Winneshiek County pays $740,000 per year for its public health services, while Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette and Howard counties, which all rely on hospitals for their public health services, each pay less than $170,000 annually. “I think this was looked into because of the last six-county meeting, if I’m remembering correctly,” said Supervisor Shirley Vermace. “People were talking about Public Health, how it was run through their hospitals, compared to having it

phone: 563-382-4221

Six candidates vie for Beef Queen title

Celebrating Girl Scouts

By Zach Jensen

email: news@decorahnewspapers.com

Price One Dollar

run through the budget for the county. I think that just perked up a lot of our ears that day, at the six-county meeting, and we just wanted to look further into it – to see what we can best do in Winneshiek County.” “We have a responsibility to our citizens,” added Supervisor Steve Kelsay. “When other counties are able to have a hospital relationship at an average of $140,000 in expense, and ours runs considerably more than that, I think we have to have a justification for the public – a reason why we do that.” With that, Supervisors Chair Dan Langreck asked Winneshiek County Public Health Administrator Krista Vanden Brink, who was in attendance at the meeting, if she knew how other counties use their hospitals for public health services. “The hospital-based agencies

Eight candidates are vying for the title of Winneshiek County Beef Queen, Little Miss Cowgirl or Little Mr. Cowhand. The winners will be announced during the 2024 Winneshiek County Cattlemen’s Beef Banquet, held Saturday, March 9, in the Community Building at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the prime-rib supper, prepared by U-2 BBQ & Catering, begins at 6:30 p.m. Royalty will be crowned and awards will be presented after supper. Additionally, live and silent auctions will be held to benefit the Cattlemen’s scholarship program. Beef Queen Candidates Lauren Holthaus, the daughter of Travis and Tonya Holthaus of Decorah, is a sophomore at Decorah High School, where she is involved in swimming, track and field, FFA and silver cord. She is a member of Youth Beef Team and 4-H. Her hobbies include showing beef cattle, running, swimming, helping her dad and grandpa out on the farm, playing with her sisters, reading, lifting and babysitting. Lauren’s family farms corn, beans and hay and run a cow/calf

operation of about 100 head. In the future, Lauren plans to attend college for Law or Ag Communications. Alayna Hageman is the daughter of Trevor and Tori Hageman of Ossian. Alayna is a sophomore at South Winneshiek High School. She is a member of the South Winneshiek FFA Chapter, and a national dairy handler when her dairy judging team went to nationals after winning state. Alayna participated in livestock judging and in the conduct team her freshman year, and has shown her heifer and calf at the Winneshiek County Fair, Big Four Fair in Postville, and the Big 4 Fair in Nashua. Alayna is a member of the South Winn Trap Team, Winneshiek County Saddle Club, the Co-Champions 4-H Club, the Iowa Simmental Association, and the Winneshiek County Youth Beef Team. Alayna’s hobbies include playing volleyball, trap shooting, hunting, being outdoors, showing at fairs, working with her animals, riding horses and fishing. Alayna was presented with a

Beef Candidates continued on page 5

Keira Myers

Lauren Holthaus Kamryn Werges

Isabella Kuboushek

Haylee Hanson

Alayna Hageman

Eloise Lechtenberg

Emma Drahn

McCoy McConnell

Vesterheim purchases downtown property By Roz Weis Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum in Decorah recently purchased the former Northeast Iowa Montessori School building in a continuing effort to support its folk art education programs and operations. “Plans are underway, and we will be able to share more later this year,” noted Vesterheim Director of Communications and Marketing Becky Idstrom. The building is located across Mechanic Street from Vester-

The former Northeast Iowa Montessori School building on Water Street has been purchased by Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum. (Driftless Multimedia photo by Roz Weis) heim’s Westby-Torgerson Education Center at 418 W. Water Street.

Local historians will recall the building also was home to the former Christian Camera on

South Avenue in Decorah. The Montessori School has relocated to South Avenue in a residential section of Decorah. Preliminary engineering and design work has already been completed at the new Vesterheim property, and the final design and remodeling work will happen in 2024 with the goal of opening the remodeled spaces in 2025. The purchase of this building was approved by Vesterheim’s Board of Trustees with funding from recent bequests, as well as other financing.

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Public Health continued on page 4

County enters contract to pay $1.25M Visit us online - www.decorahnewspapers for Spectrum building

By Zach Jensen

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A round of applause was heard in the Winneshiek County Courthouse Annex building Monday morning, when Board of Supervisors Chair Dan Langreck announced that, after the county’s purchase of what’s commonly known as “the Spectrum building”, all current tenants of the building are welcome to continue leasing their spaces. The county entered into a contractual purchase of the 18,000 sq. ft. building, located at 607 Washington St., Decorah, on Friday, March 1. Per the agreement, the county paid $250,000 on March 1 and will pay $250,000 per year until the total purchase price of $1.25 million is paid – the final payment for which will be made in

2029. One of the stipulations for the sale, said Spectrum Board Vice President Paul Greenberg outside of the supervisors’ meeting, was that all the current tenants, which includes Toys Go ‘Round, NEI3A, the Decorah Community Food Pantry and The Spectrum Network, be allowed to stay in the building after the sale. “Originally, we looked at renting space to the county for public health services, and then they were interested in buying the property,” said Greenberg in a separate interview. “In our case, that was a win-win, because we’re able to keep everyone already there, there. We didn’t want to see anyone displaced, including ourselves, and we sold it at a very reasonable cost.

“We didn’t do it for the financial gain,” Greenberg continued. “We’re looking at making Spectrum stable in the long term – as well as making sure these other nonprofits, that have partnered up with us, also have someplace to be. We could have sold it privately and made more money, but that wouldn’t have been what’s right for the community.” Greenberg said that because of changes at the state level, a significant portion of the Spectrum building has remained vacant for some time, which significantly contributed to the nonprofit’s overhead expenses. If something didn’t change, Greenberg said the future for Spectrum wouldn’t have been certain. “It’s a beautiful building, and it has a lot to offer,” Greenberg

said. “Real estate is a rarity in Decorah – especially real estate that’s ADA-friendly. It was a difficult decision, knowing that over the years there’s been a lot of people who’ve given money for this building. But, at the same time, if we didn’t make a decision, there wouldn’t be a Spectrum next year.” After Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Winneshiek County Attorney Ben Steines said it’s the county’s plan to have Winneshiek County Public Health move from the Smith Building on Montgomery Street to a vacant spot in the Spectrum building. The Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation, which currently takes up two floors of the Smith Building, would then occupy all levels of the Smith Building on its own.

Vikes advance to semifinals - Thursday, March 7, at 2 p.m.


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