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March 2018

Wed
21
Mar

Local law enforcement now more visible

Submitted by Clauer on Wed, 2018-03-21 15:52

 

Winneshiek County Lieutenant Steve Nesvik (left) and Chief Deputy Jeff Berns (right) display the newly acquired safety vests, purchased through grant money by Sean Snyder (center), Winneshiek County Emergency Management coordinator. The vests, as well as new battery-powered road flares, will make all Winneshiek County law enforcement officials safer when working at night and in low-visibility conditions. (Zakary Kriener photo)

 

Local law enforcement now more visible

 

 

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

 

Safety. That is the No. 1 concern of Winneshiek County Emergency Management coordinator Sean Snyder.

With the help of the local safety advocate, all Winneshiek County law enforcement officials recently received new safety vests and road flares to help them do their jobs more safely and efficiently. 

“As an emergency management coordinator, one of my main goals is to always be on the lookout for our public safety officials,” noted Snyder. “A rising statistic in law enforcement is the number of deaths being attributed to situations where an officer is doing a routine job and, due to poor visibility, is struck by a motorist.”

Wed
21
Mar

A recipe over 170 years in the making

Submitted by Clauer on Wed, 2018-03-21 15:47

 

Inside the evaporator house, Dale Green and grandson John Melcher work on another batch of Sugarbush maple syrup, a nearly 170-year-old family tradition that was brought to rural Castalia by Dale’s great-great-grandfather in 1851. John is the seventh generation of the family to practice the art of syrup making. (Zakary Kriener photo)

 

A recipe over 170 years in the making

 

 

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

 

The story began many decades ago in the year 1851 when Gideon Green, the great-great-grandfather of Dale Green, first laid claim to the land known as Green’s Sugarbush near Castalia.

“He actually drove a flock of sheep as he traveled halfway across the country from New York,” laughed Green. “I suspect they chose this spot because of the abundance of maple trees, as they brought their New England recipe for syrup along with them.”

In his first year after settling in Winneshiek County, Gideon established a cabin near a spring and tapped the first maple tree.

Wed
21
Mar

AcenTek meets with Clermont council

Submitted by Clauer on Wed, 2018-03-21 15:35

AcenTek meets with Clermont council

 

 

Megan Molseed

News Writer
mmolseed@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

 

 

The Clermont City Council met for its regular meeting Monday, March 19, in the Larrabee Building.  

During the meeting, the council met with AcenTek CEO Todd Roesler to discuss the recent removal of KCRG channel 9 from the company's local cable lineup.  

“This is a very unfortunate situation, and our customers and their satisfaction with our company are a top priority,” Roesler noted.  

“Unfortunately, when a video provider, such as KCRG, demands fees double than the agreed-upon amount, and then doubles the amount again, there is only so much we can do if we want to keep providing affordable services to the area,” he continued, adding that he is not legally allowed to discuss specific numbers in the negotiations.

“We know the programming is important to people in the area,” explained Roesler,  “but affordable service will remain our priority.” 

“A lot of people are wondering if there is an affiliate station you can bring in,” inquired Clermont Mayor James Matt.  “Most do prefer the most local option, but having any programing from that station would be better than nothing.” 

Wed
21
Mar

Elgin celebrates River Town of the Year award

Submitted by Clauer on Wed, 2018-03-21 15:30

 

Elgin was officially awarded the Iowa River Revival (IRR) River Town of the Year award on Friday, March 16, at Dotzy’s in Elgin. Members from IRR and the City of Elgin, including (l-r) Robin Fortney, IRR Board of Directors secretary; Jenn Dreier, IRR assistant director; Molly Hanson, IRR executive director; Mayor Bill Pfister; Aimee Hilgerson, Elgin City Council member; and Rhonda Dales, Elgin city clerk, gathered to celebrate the award.  (Chris DeBack photo)

 

Elgin celebrates River Town of the Year award

 

 

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

 

 

 

Elgin was officially named the Iowa River Revival’s (IRR) 2018 River Town of the Year at a ceremony on Friday, March 16, at Dotzy’s Restaurant and Saloon in Elgin. 

Elgin was presented its IRR award in front of a crowd of approximately 50 people, which included Fayette County Supervisors, state representatives, local officials from Elgin and surrounding communities, and members of the public. Elgin Mayor Bill Pfister accepted the award from Robin Fortney, IRR Board of Directors secretary. Cinnamon rolls were made by Rhonda Dales, Elgin city clerk, for a short reception before official festivities got underway. 

Wed
21
Mar

Fayette County Dairy Royalty announced

Submitted by Clauer on Wed, 2018-03-21 15:21

Fayette County Dairy Royalty announced

 

 

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

 

 

 

Brylie Volker and Gracie Walz will be named Fayette County Dairy Princess and Little Miss Squirt, respectively, at the 2018 Fayette County Dairy Banquet on Saturday, March 24, at the West Union Events Center. 

Volker and Walz will represent the Fayette County Dairy Promotions Board at local area events and parades throughout the next year. 

Brylie Volker, 17-year-old daughter of Bill and Shellie Volker of Sumner, is sponsored by Scott Rawson Transport, LLC. 

Volker is involved in the dairy industry through her employment at Onward Swiss, where 73 Holstein, Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, Ayrshire, and Brown Swiss cows are milked. She is the co-secretary of Sumner-Fredericksburg FFA, vice-president of the Harlan-Fremont 4-H Club, reporter for the Iowa Holstein Junior Association, and a member of the Iowa Brown Swiss Junior Association. She was the 2017 Iowa Brown Swiss Princess.  

A junior at Sumner-Fredericksburg High School, she enjoys showing dairy cattle, working at Onward Swiss, and hanging out with family and friends in her spare time. 

Gracie Walz, the 8-year-old daughter of Jeff and Melinda Walz of West Union, is sponsored by Wapsie Valley Creamery. 

A second-grader at St. Francis DeSales Catholic School in Ossian, Walz enjoys helping milk 156 Holstein, Jersey, and Ayrshire cows, as well as raise corn and soybeans on the family farm. She is a member of the Dover Clovers 4-H Club and involved in dance at Expressions Dance Studio. 

In her free time she enjoys showing her calf at the Fayette County Fair, singing and reading. 

 

FC Dairy Banquet

The 2018 Fayette County Dairy Banquet will kick off with a social hour at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m., followed by awards. An ice-cream social will conclude the evening. 

Wed
21
Mar

Lavanda Vagts

Submitted by Clauer on Wed, 2018-03-21 10:03

Lavanda Vagts

 

 

Lavanda Vagts, 95, of Eldorado, Iowa died Friday, March 2, 2018 at Maple Crest Manor, Fayette, Iowa.

Lavanda Angeline Olson was born April 18, 1922 to Arthur and Louise (Skaien) Olson in rural Postville, Iowa. 

She was baptized May 28, 1922 and confirmed May 17, 1936 at East Clermont Lutheran Church, Clermont, Iowa. 

Lavanda graduated from Clermont High School in 1940. 

She remained home to help care for her grandparents and worked in Clermont at Dr. Jerde’s office until 1950. She then moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and was employed in the sales office at Quaker Oats until May 1958.

Lavanda was united in marriage with Richard Vagts on May 4, 1958 at East Clermont Lutheran Church. They moved to their home in Eldorado, where they lived their 60 years of marriage. 

Wed
21
Mar

Upper Iowa wrestling gets $100,000

Submitted by Clauer on Wed, 2018-03-21 09:56

 

Alice and Roger Magnan recently gave the Upper Iowa University wrestling program a $100,000 challenge gift that could mean $200,000 for the program if other alumni and friends will match the gift. Roger was a two-time conference champion at UIU. Alice (DeLong) Magnan is a Maynard native who graduated from UIU. The couple are adamant in how much wrestling has meant to their lives and want UIU to win a national championship. (submitted photo)

 

Upper Iowa wrestling gets $100,000

 

 

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

 

The Upper Iowa wrestling program could get up to $200,000 under a new challenge gift.

Former UIU wrestler Roger Mangan, a 1962 graduate from Chicago, has given the wrestling program a gift of $100,000, with the challenge that other alumni match the gift dollar for dollar.

Magnan was the IIAC champion at 147 in 1959 and 1960. After graduation, the history major, with minors in political science and French, went on to coach for 16 years in Iowa before becoming an educational consultant.

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