West Union Parks and Rec director Kathy Guyer is ready to hit the ice this weekend for the grand opening of West Union’s ice rink from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 in the Rotary Park parking lot. The grand opening will feature Euphoria Coffee and hot chocolate, as well as skates to rent or buy from Keith Kovarik.  (Chris DeBack photo)

Get ready to skate!

Ellie Jo Landsgard was the first baby born at Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics in 2019. Ellie Jo and her parents, (l-r) Zach Landsgard and Jackie Rema, received a number of gifts from local businesses for the distinguished honor.  Chris DeBack photo

Ellie Jo Landsgard first baby of 2019 at GLPHC

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

Ellie Jo Landsgard, daughter of Jackie Rema and Zach Landsgard of Gunder, will forever hold the title of the first baby born at Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics (GLPHC) in 2019. 

She was born a happy and healthy baby at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7, weighing in at 6 pounds and 13 ounces and measuring 18.5 inches. This is Rema’s third child and Landsgard’s second. Rema has an older boy and girl, while Landsgard has another girl, as well. 

Jessica Sadler

Sadler named WU Main Street Iowa Volunteer of the Year

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

Many people have helped make the West Union Trunk-‘n’-Treat event a success.

One such person who has helped the event grow in participation to over 600 children attending the event this past Halloween is Jessica Sadler. It is her hard work on this event and other West Union Chamber — A Main Street Community Promotions Committee events such as the Community Awards Banquet that has garnered her the distinction of West Union’s Main Street Iowa Volunteer of the Year this year. 

This winter, South Winneshiek alum Joel Hanson (back row, far right) joined the team of managers for the Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team. The sophomore student, who is also a lifelong fan of the ‘Clones, joins the team and coaches at every single practice and home game and has a wide range of responsibilities to help insure everything runs smoothly. (submitted photo)

Making the most of it as Cyclone manager

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

Watching Iowa State basketball has always been a passion of 2017 South Winneshiek graduate Joel Hanson. With Cyclone cardinal and gold running deep in his family’s veins for many generations, Hanson has been rooting on ISU since he was born. This fall, the Ossian native began a new endeavor that brought him closer than ever to Hilton Coliseum and the Iowa State men’s’ Cyclone basketball program as he became a team manager.

“It basically started with knowing the right people and making the right connections,” explained Hanson, a sophomore studying marketing and management at Iowa State. “I worked for the track team my freshman year and was able to work under someone who pointed me toward the basketball program.”

Once he got his foot in the door, Hanson interviewed for the position during the fall of his sophomore year.

Baby boy Thielen Brosdahl was the first baby born in the new year at Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah. Thielen is the son of Teela Blue and Travis Brosdahl of Mabel, Minn. (submitted photo)

WMC welcomes first baby of 2019!

Welcome, Thielen Brosdahl! Thielen was the first baby born in the new year at Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah. 

He was born at 9:52 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, weighing 8 lbs. 13 oz and measuring 20¼ inches. 

Thielen was welcomed by his parents, Teela Blue and Travis Brosdahl of Mabel, Minn., as well as older siblings Tanner, Alexis, and Kendric.

Elgin to move ahead with levee project

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

The Elgin City Council will move forward with plans to raise the levee.

At its meeting on Monday, Jan. 7, the Elgin City Council held a public hearing on plans to narrow the levee to six feet while also raising it two feet. 

Councilmembers Jim Knobloch and Amie Hilgerson gave a powerpoint presentation on the project to the seven community members in attendance at the public hearing. The presentation included a map that showed where the levee would be raised and gave financing options.

Mallory Hanson, a regional Iowa Byways coordinator and regional tourism and economic development coordinator for Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), stands near one of the many Iowa Byways signs throughout northeast Iowa. Her region oversees four of Iowa’s 14 Byways throughout northeast Iowa, including the Driftless Area Scenic Byway in Allamakee and Winneshiek counties and River Bluffs Scenic Byway in Fayette and Clayton counties. (Zakary Kriener photo)

Iowa Byways offers more than a great view

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

There is no better way to experience the natural beauty, history, and culture of the state of Iowa than to see it for yourself. For nearly 20 years, the Iowa Byways program has helped highlight some of the most scenic and heritage-filled roadways and communities throughout the state.

“Iowa Byways is a great way for communities and counties located near or on the byways to have a unique opportunity to work collaboratively to improve and expand upon our natural and cultural resources,” explained Mallory Hanson, a coordinator for Iowa Byways through Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D). 

Iowa Byways includes a total of 12 state-designated and two nationally designated scenic byways, which cover nearly 2,000 miles and pass through hundreds of communities.

A regional conservation and development organization, as well as a local advisory board oversee each byway. Together, they work to promote, plan, preserve, and enhance the roadways and communities that are part of Iowa Byways.

“We are fortunate to have four byways here in northeast Iowa, all of which fall in our region at Northeast Iowa RC&D,” continued Hanson, who has been an Iowa Byways coordinator since 2011. “We actually have the two most senior coordinators in the state, as my fellow coordinator, Jarred Nielson, has been with the organization since 2010.”

On Tuesday, Dec. 11, John McMillan suffered a spinal cord injury when a cow boosted him over a gate causing him to land face first on concrete. He had surgery the following day in Iowa City. A little under a month later, McMillan is walking around and recovering from the injury at his rural Elgin home.

LeAnn Larson photo

McMillan receives 'Christmas miracle' after spinal cord injury

By Chris Deback

cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

Doctors in Iowa City called John McMillan’s swift recovery from a spinal cord injury a “Christmas miracle.” 

While McMillan still has a long way to go in his recovery, he is just happy to be able to do it from the comfort of his rural Elgin home surrounded by friends and family.

Tuesday, Dec. 11, started like any other day for the owner of a livestock operation. He and his two employees were busy weaning calves from their mothers. All had been going according to plan, and the guys had just six calves to go in the current they were working with when John’s life changed in an instant.

“Most of [cows] were doing good, and we were down to the last six in that bunch,” McMillan said. “A cow got upset because we ran her by the gate, and we couldn’t get her to go out the gate. I warned the other two guys that she was getting upset, but I guess I didn’t listen to my own warning. I was in a bad spot so I ran up the gate. I think she hit me with her head right in my butt and flipped me right over the gate. I landed face first on the concrete.” 

Hunched over on the ground, McMillan immediately knew he was paralyzed. 

David Bolger

Remembering David Bolger and his legacy to UIU

By Meagan Molseed
mmolseed@thefayettecountyunion.com

He’s been described as “down to earth” and an “easy man to talk to.” 

These characteristics made the late David Bolger, who passed away Dec. 29, memorable to many. His boisterous personality, along with his strong sense of financial wizardry, a talent he used tirelessly for the local university for well over four decades, made Bolger a true northeast Iowa legacy.

It was 1964 and Fayette’s Upper Iowa University was facing hard times. A letter from an investment company caught the eye of UIU’s president Eugene Garbee. Garbee hired the young entrepreneur to help invest the college’s funds. It was then that a lasting relationship between the university and the philanthropist began.