Leonard John Moellers, Jr.

Leonard “Len” John Moellers, Jr., 67, of Vinton, died Sunday, August 14, 2016. Cremation has taken place. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, August 17, 2016, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Marion. Memorial Services: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, August 18, 2016, at the funeral home by Arlen Holten. Private Committal Services will take place at a later date.

Survivors include his wife, Connie Moellers of Vinton; children, Lara (Bryan Giblin) Moellers of Marion, Jason (Lori) DeWald of Newhall, Melissa (Travis Bryan) Cowdin of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Joshua DeWald of Marion and their mother, Janie Fairchild of Marion; Renae (Chad Pirtle) Becker of Marion; and seven grandchildren, Arielle, Camryn, Ryan, Sagan, Lillian, Noah and Avery.

MedLink AIR, which is the emergency medical helicopter for Gundersen Health Systems, is currently experimenting with a trial run of basing one of its two helicopters in Decorah. With a full flight staff that has accumulated over 130 combined years of experience, on-shift flight nurse Terry Dorshorst, pilot Sebastien Cosyns, flight nurse Julie Gollnick, and chief nurse Terri Wenthold of Ossian (l-r) are shown in front of the twin-engine EC-145 aircraft on the temporary base helipad at the Decorah Municipal Airport. (Zakary Kriener photo)

Wenthold on his 'A' game with MedLink AIR

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

When working in the emergency medical field, it is important to be on the top of your game at all times. When working on an emergency medical helicopter, a transportation method for patients requiring the highest degree of and most urgent care, the need to bring that “A” game is magnified exponentially.

“It can be a very fast-paced job,” related Terri Wenthold, a lifelong resident of Ossian and 16-year veteran of MedLink AIR, the emergency medical helicopter for Gundersen Health System. “When you are working on this level, you are working with the best.”

Blue Devils’ running back Colin Kime makes a Springville defender miss in the open field during a 59-20 loss on Friday, Aug. 19. Kim led the Blue Devils with 105 yards rushing and two total touchdowns.  Chris DeBack photo. 

Blue Devils pecked by Orioles, 59-20

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

Football is back in northeast Iowa!

However, it wasn’t a very pretty debut for the West Central Blue Devils, who turned the ball over six times en route to a 59-20 loss to the Springville Orioles on Friday, Aug. 19.

It took the Orioles less than two minutes to score on the opening possession of week zero’s matchup. The three-play drive was capped off with a 13-yard touchdown run by Cavanaugh Riley. He took the shotgun snap and ran the option left, faking the pitch, which froze Brady Forsyth long enough for Riley to evade him for the score.

NRCS employee Roger Erickson (center) discusses a tool used for soil and water analysis during a cover crop field day just outside West Union on Tuesday, Aug. 16. The device can test for phosphorus, nitrates, pH (acidity) and sulphur. Listening (at right) are Tim Recker and Bob Deering. (Janell Bradley photo)

Soil scientist advocates healthy soil for healthy people

Janell Bradley

Contributing Writer

Healthy soil grows healthy food, and that makes for healthy people and livestock, according to an international lecturer and advocate for good soil-health practices who spoke near West Union last week.

Dr. Jill Clapperton, the principal scientist and co-founder of Rhizoterra Inc. of Washington, was a guest at a field day hosted on the Loran and Brenda Steinlage farm southwest of West Union on Tuesday, Aug. 16.