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Looking back - Top local news stories of 2015

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One of the top local news stories of 2015 was the first-place finish at the state cross country meet for Coach Mark Bauder and the Central girls’ cross country team. Pictured at left are, front row (l-r), Ciera Deitchler, Desi Weber, Ashley Funk, Ellie Kuehl and Cassie Larson; and back row (l-r), Coach Bauder, Emily Asche, Anna Tuecke, Haley Schroeder and Hannah Kuehl. Also in sports news was another perfect season of regular play for Central’s football team.

By Pam Reinig

Register Editor

News organizations across the U.S. have already compiled their lists of “top news stories for 2016” and, for the most part, tragedies like terrorist attacks, mass shootings, climate change and Europe’s immigrant crisis top their lists. Much closer to home, however, the news was decidedly more upbeat with a state high school cross-country championship and a successful first-ever Art in the Park event.

Here’s a look back at some of the people and events that made the headlines last year.

January

John Gnagy ended more than 40 years as an attorney with Ehrhardt, Gnagy and McCorkindale in Elkader. Gnagy and his wife, Sue, arrived in Elkader in 1972, committed to giving small-town life a six-month try. “Long before we hit the six-month point, we were hooked,” said John. “There’s something special about this town and we knew we’d always want to be a part of it.”

Caitlin Kuehl, Garnavillo, who has been working as a stylist in Elkader since 2011, purchased the salon where she has worked, changing the name from Mirror Images to The Beauty Bar.

Tom Gifford, Adam Pollack and Gary Siegwarth received the Main Street Volunteer of the Year Award at the Elkader’s Annual Community Banquet. All three worked tirelessly as members of a committee that spearheaded the development of Elkader’s white water course.

February

We profiled Elkader’s newest resident, author Arthur Geisart, who purchased the former Elkader Dry Cleaners’ building and then hired Greg Anderson to give it a top-to-bottom renovation. Geisert, a wiry septuagenarian, has two dozen children’s books over his 30-year career. One of the best known is “Oink,” which has been translated into six languages.

Central students started growing tomatoes and lettuce using a mineral solution, in water, without soil. The process is known as hydroponics. Central instructor Jerry O’Brien, who is also the school’s FFA advisor, received a $2,700 federal grant to get the work started. In addition to providing fresh produce, the hydroponics system is a great teaching tool. The system arrived as a kit, which students helped assemble. Working under O’Brien’s close supervision, they planted seeds and now they’re monitoring nutrient and water levels in a series of 40-gallon buckets connected to the system.

We met the dedicated musicians who comprise the Bell Choir at Peace United Church of Christ, Elkader, some of whom have been playing together for more than two decades.

March

About 70 people attended an open house at Kendrick Forest Products, Edgewood. U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley was also there to tour the plant and answer questions from visitors.

Three Central students reached 7,900 miles across the globe to help youngstrers in Uganda. Riley Schroeder, Lauran Schroeder and Hailey Mahoney raised money for school supplies for students who attend Shine Ministry School in Kampla, Uganda. Their project started grew out of a three-week enrichment opportunity offered at Central. The girls learned that the school has 235 students in the primary and secondary grades, and nine teachers. Most of the students live in poverty; many are orphans. Many girls are wed at a young age, leaving school when they marry.

School officials announced that a $6 million bond referendum would go before voters later in the year. The bond, which would address several capital improvements projects would require a 60 percent affirmative vote to pass.

Central 8th grader Samuel Nemechek, son of Michael and Tracy Nemechek, was notified by the National Geographic Society that he was a semi-finalist eligible to compete in the 2015 Iowa National Geographic State Bee.

Two Northeast Iowa women who served in World War II have received a unique honor. Marge Costigan and Elaine Syverson, both of Elkader, were given Quilts of Valor made by the employees of The Backstitch. The quilts were presented by Backstitch owner Karen Jackson as part of the town’s recent Ladies Day Out festivities.

April

Freelance writer Jean Marie Hall shared a fascinating recap of the 70-year ministry career of Albert L. Hock. 

The Monona City Council discussed an offer from the Dollar General company to purchase a city lot near Fisk’s Farm and Home.

Monona firefighter Daryl Schlein retired after 32 years, seven months of service on the Monona Volunteer Fire Department. The biggest thing about being involved with the fire department, he said, is that one is always learning. Kurt Gerdes also retired from the Monona Volunteer Fire Department this year after 30 years of service.

Clayton County Deputy Sheriff Michael Aschinger resigned his position effective April 25.  He and his family, which includes his wife, April, and their children Autumn, 5, Bria, 3, and James, 1, moved to Utah. Aschinger is continuing his law enforcement career there.

Elkader native Traci Ott shared some hometown pride with fellow college students and paddling enthusiasts. Traci, daughter of Clark and Janet Ott, invited about a dozen paddlers from a collegiate kayak club to experience Elkader’s white water feature. The group spent more than four hours on the water, walking away with positive impressions of the feature and the town. “I think ‘the Gobbler is a fantastic feature,” said club president Michael McWhorter. “It’s a great place for beginner paddlers to develop experience in whitewater as well as experienced paddlers to continue to develop their play-boating skills. ISU Canoe and Kayak club will certainly be back to paddle the Gobbler again, and we can’t wait!”

May

Clayton County residents said good-bye today to a young man who has helped many people more fully appreciate the natural resources of Northeast Iowa. Brian Gibbs, a Clayton County Conservation naturalist, left his job for a position in the Many Glacier District located in the northeast corner of Glacier National Park in Montana. Gibbs was a regular presence in Clayton County schools, sharing his love of natural resources with students of all ages. He admits that leaving students behind will be tough. “They are the ingredients that nourish my soul,” he said. “It has been such a privilege to share a place I value and love with them. It has been incredibly rewarding.”

Kiana Stender and Luke Orr were named the top graduates in the Central Class of 2015. Stender was also named a member of the 2015 “Best of Class” celebration. The annual event, sponsored by KWWL Television and Wartburg College, recognized the valedictorians or top graduating seniors.

Volunteers and community leaders in Volga planted several trees purchased with a $2,035.98 grant from the statewide Trees Forever and Alliant Energy Branching Out Program.

June

Barb Chandler, Elkader, who was given a “Little Free Library” fully stocked with books for readers of all ages, secured it to a tree in their front yard, hoping readers will stop by to take a book, leave a book or both! Painted brick red with a green roof and fronted by a framed glass door, Barb’s “Little Free Library” is also a reminder of the books her family has enjoyed. Both sides of the house-shaped structure have replicated pages from her children and grandchildren’s favorite stories with original drawings. For example, her grandson, Finn, chose an excerpt from Tom Sawyer illustrated with a section of freshly whitewashed fence. Claire opted to share her love of The Secret Garden.

Paul and Cathy Marcotte received a 2015 Iowa Tree Farmer of the Year award for the work on their 160-acre farm a few miles south of Elkader. The Marcottes planted lots of oak, walnut and cherry trees plus as many as 800 sandbar willows along the Volga River. They also developed an impressive stand of pines, which pay tribute to Paul’s father who planted 12 acres of pines after his retirement. The stately trees also remind them of their New England heritage. 

Clayton County Sheriff Mike Tschirgi announced the promotion of Civil Deputy Steve Holst to the position of Chief Deputy Sheriff for the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office effective May 31, 2015. Holst filled a vacancy created when Michael Aschinger resigned for a position in Utah.

Brian Lawrence, a Clayton Ridge middle school teacher, received a top state award for his dedication to teaching patriotism. 

Central Community Hospital and Pat Martin of Monona, IA were honored with a 2015 Governor’s Volunteer Award for their work with the SHIIP( Senior Health Insurance Plan) Program.

July

For the third consecutive year, a large team of bicyclists on a 4,400-mile fund-raising journey made an overnight stop in Elkader. The “Bike the U.S. for MS” team spent a night at First Congregational Church, Elkader, before continuing to Burnsville, MN, the next stop on their trip. This year, 30 riders made the entire cross-country trip, and another 10 are doing shorter rides.

Garments and Goods opened a consignment store in Elkader, fulfilling a long-time goal for employment services director Rachel Jaster. “I’ve always thought Elkader would be a great place to increase opportunities for our clients,” said Jaster. “There’s a strong retail tradition here. And the place we’ve rented (at the corner of Main and Mulberry Streets) is ideal. We’re really looking forward to being here.”

A total of 25 county residents turned in a total of 1,500 pounds of oil-based paint, 285 pounds of toxic liquids and solids, 223 pounds of paint-related materials and 100 pounds of latex paint at the county’s hazardous waste day.  Other materials turned in included flammable liquids, acid and base corrosives, oxidizers, aerosol cans and antifreeze. Money for the advertising, collection and transportation came through Winneshiek County Landfill grants that included a $1,083.82 educational grant and a $1,790.84 competitive grant. New grant money, in the amount of approximately $3,100, has been awarded for next year’s Hazardous waste Day.

Only 41 percent of Elkader voters gave the green light for over $6 million in improvements for Central Community Schools. The bond vote needed a 60 percent “super majority” to pass.

A forgotten collection of glass plate photos was found in a cabinet in Carter House Museum. The photos show the interiors of local stores and the people who owned them, as well as the customers that frequented them, something that was rather rare for the era. Following a meticulous restoration effort by David Williams, the photos are now part of the museum’s permanent collection. 

Clayton and Allamakee counties are among 18 counties covered by a disaster proclamation signed by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad. The governor’s proclamation allowed state resources to be used for response and recovery activities following severe storms in late June. 

Clayton County Emergency Management received a donation of equipment totaling $20,000.  The equipment included two 9,000 watt mobile generators, an industrial compressor, a power pressure washer, a trash pump and two wheel kits.

For the 16th consecutive year, a church group from Kirksville, MO helped with much needed improvements and clean up work at the Clayton County Food Shelf in St. Olaf. A group of more than 40 people led by Pastor Eric Hanson participated in this year’s seven-day event. Most of the volunteers were high school students. The workers did some interior painting and also bagged up spoiled food for disposal.

The Clayton County Historic Preservation Commission launched a website with information on more than 200 different stone structures in the county.

The Elkader Golf and Country Club celebrated 50 years.

MFL MarMac Community School District was chosen as a finalist in this year’s America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. MFL MarMac Community School District was among the top districts in Iowa in the running for grants of $10,000 and $25,000.

All four members of Elkader’s Sweet Corn Days Committee—Melissa Bonnette, Jim Hoth, Holly Purman and Tonia Robinson—announced their plans to step down from the committee. The decision was difficult to make but the group agreed it was time to bring new ideas to the table. “We’ve debated this for a while but have decided it’s time,” said Bonnette. “We’ve all enjoyed the ride but our lives are changing so much that we feel it is somebody else’s turn. We will miss all of it but we look forward to seeing what the next group can do.”

Clayton County E911/Emergency Management Agency Coordinator Joel Biggs, retired and Chuck Uskavitch, Guttenberg, was tapped to replace him. In addition, Sarah Moser, rural Guttenberg, began her duties as Emergency Management Agency Coordinator.

We met John Frank, Monona, who has donated thousands of hours to clean-up and fix-up efforts at the Clayton County fairgrounds. Frank, a jack-of-all—trades, has been on the County Fair Board for about 35-40 years.  He said that one day five years ago, the Board needed some work done on some of the barns used at the fair.  “I just went ahead and did it, and I’ve been doing repairs at the fairgrounds ever since.” 

August

The Elkader City Council approved nearly $8,000 in repairs and improvements for the shelter house in City Park. According to City Administrator Jennifer Cowsert, several badly deteriorated boards were discovered when plans were initially made to paint the structure two years ago. Bids indicated that about one-third of the wood needs to be replaced, which includes trim around some of the windows. Total cost of the work will be about $7,800.

Naomi Tegeler Hulteng and Casey Hulteng, opened a new business called Rockadot. They also edged out five other companies for a regional Main Street Open 4 Business award worth $8,000. The business located in the front half of the Carnes Brothers Music building, downtown Elkader, and offers a full range of graphic design work (business cards, banners, signs, billboards, logos and so on) as well as professional photography, guitar lessons and music/recording assistance. John Carnes has moved his business to the rear of the building. 

Nearly 200 paddlers made their way through Elkader on the Turkey River as part of the annual Great River Rumble. They formed a small tent city on the east side of Founders Park. According to organizer Rex Klein, they chose the Turkey River this year because a long time participant who recently passed away often talked about wanting to start the trip in Elkader.  The participants on this years’ trip represented 10 states and their backgrounds and paddling experience were as diverse as the multitude of colors and shapes of their boats. Other overnight Clayton County stops were Garber and Osterdock.

Clayton County 4-H and FFA members sold a total of $262,776.95 worth of livestock at the county fair auction. The average price of 74 head of market beeves was $2.09 per pound.  There were 112 head of swine sold for an average price of $1.71 per pound.  8 head of lambs sold with an average price of $3.50 per pound and 14 head of meat goats with an average price of $3.61 per pound.

The Iowa League of Cities named Elkader a 2015 All-Star Community. The designation honors the town’s riverfront revitalization and Founders Park project. This was the first time Elkader has received the award. The All-Star Community Award is the most prestigious honor given by the League to cities. A panel of former city officials and others familiar with municipal government judge entries and determine winners based on innovative efforts in areas such as urban renewal, development, preservation, collaborative efforts or quality of life improvements. Elkader was among three of Iowa’s 945 cities to be honored with the award. The others were Sheldon and Waterloo.

September

The members of the Art in the Park committee announced the results of the first-ever event held the last week in August. Over 1,800 visitors thronged to Elkader to view the works of 39 artists and to sample the fates of several food vendors. In addition to art for sale, over 300 children participated in the special “Creation Station” children’s activity center at the event offered by the Creativity Center of Guttenberg, Iowa.  In addition, many local children participated in a special art display, receiving ribbons and awards for outstanding artwork.  

Scott Egemo was sworn in as the newest member of the Elkader Police Department.  The 23 year-old Egemo is a native of Manchester.  He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa last December.

We met Harvey Sollberger, a world-renown flutist, composter and conductor who now makes his home in Strawberry Point.

NiCole Dennler, Suzy Hilgerson and Mike Whittle earned a place on the Central Community School Board following a regular school election. They replace departing members Kristin Fitzgerald, who has served 10 years, and Todd Lenth and Joleen Jansen, who have been on the board for four and 10 years, respectively.

Angie Leonard Morrow, who holds a leadership position at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, was named Centrals 2015 Hall of Fame inductee. A 1990 Central graduate who grew up on farm south of Elkader, Angie earned an undergraduate degree fine arts, anthropology and history at Central College. She also holds a graduate degree in historical administration from Eastern Illinois University. 

Swiss Valley broke ground on a $20.6 million expansion of its Luana plant. The project includes improvement of the cheese manufacturing operating equipment, including replacement of the current press vats with a moulding system solution, installation of additional system automation, press tunnels and new buffer tanks. The project also includes a 49,000-square-foot expansion that will allow room for the new equipment and additional warehousing space.

October

Long-time physician Ken Zichal retired after practicing medicine in Elkader and Monona for nearly 40 years. Taking his place is Dr. Donna Lawlor.

Garnavillo Emergency Services Department broke ground at the new building site.

Over 686 pounds of medications were collected at 20 sites throughout Northeast Iowa on National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Thirty-five pounds were accepted by Elkader police at their site.

We profiled incumbent Elkader mayor Bob Garms and his challenger, Elkader businessman Josh Pope. Pope later won by the mayor’s seat by a slim margin.

The Central football team wrapped up regular season play with a back-to-back perfect season. The team later lost in the second-round of post-season play. 

November

The Clayton County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to refer issues with Clayton County Auditor Dennis Freitag work performance to the Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who has authority to remove an elected official from office. The Central girls cross-country team brought home a state champs trophy. Central beat out 14 other teams for the top honor.

The Dueling Pianos returned to Elkader for the third time as part of the fund-raising efforts of a group of parents seeking $25,000 to repair and upgrade the youth ballparks at the corner of High Street and Highway 13. The project involves new dugouts, fences, backstops, field and facilities for both ball diamonds. 

December

Central Schools equipped its buses with security cameras. According to Superintendent Nick Trenkamp, all full-time route buses now have cameras that capture images from inside and outside the bus from multiple angles. “When the bus pulls into the school to drop off students, the data from the camera downloads onto our school serve through our wireless network,” Trenkamp explained. While camera footage from inside the bus could be used to address student misbehavior, that isn’t Trenkamp’s primary concern. “Central has excellent students and misbehavior on our buses is a minimal concern,” Trenkamp continued. “More importantly, the cameras catch other vehicles not following the law around buses.”

Central preschool teachers are using grant money to institute a Pint-Sized Scientists program that is designed to develop an early interest in science, technology, engineering and math in students.

A late December arraignment date was set for Brandon James Thoma, 25, accused of attempted murder following an assault on an Elkader woman. (Thoma later ended a plea and his trial was set was February 16, 2016.) 

 

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