Dr. Katie (Pleggenkuhle) Fassbinder Getz, formerly of rural West Union, recently received the 2017 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Wisconsin Outstanding Mental Health Professional of the Year award. Last year, she earned the NAMI La Crosse County Outstanding Mental Health Professional of the Year award for her work in the mental health care field. 

Fassbinder Getz honored for her work

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

Former rural West Union native Katie (Pleggenkuhle) Fassbinder Getz was recently honored with the 2017 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Wisconsin Outstanding Mental Health Professional Award.

According to a press release from NAMI, Fassbinder Getz was chosen because of her “dedication and commitment to promoting recovery and improving the treatment and quality of life for people affected by mental illnesses.”

A 1995 graduate of North Fayette High School, Fassbinder Getz went on to attend the University of Iowa, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and Spanish in 2000. She was accepted to medical school at the U of I, and it was during her third year that Fassbinder Getz discovered her passion for psychiatry. 

Erin Kurdelmeyer of Clermont is pictured in front of the Waipi’o Valley on the island of Hawaii. Kurdelmeyer spent a semester studying in Hawaii at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. She took numerous hikes and spent plenty of time on the beach in the laid-back atmosphere of the Hawaiian Islands. Submitted photos

The semester of a lifetime

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

Raise your hand if you're a college student who would like to escape the harsh Iowa winter and instead spend the semester in Hawaii.

  Erin Kurdelmeyer of Clermont experienced what winter is like on the Hawaiian islands when she spent the spring semester of her junior year at Iowa State University (ISU) there. 

  While many students study abroad for a semester, the 2015 North Fayette Valley graduate knew she wanted to experience something new. Rather than going to another country, she found a cheaper route by heading off to paradise. 

Ben Daleske

Daleske excited for public sector work

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

Fayette County has a new assistant county engineer in Ben Daleske. 

Daleske, 25, currently resides in Sioux City, where he works as a design engineer for Sabre Towers and Poles. While the city life is nice, Daleske is looking forward to moving his family back to a small town. 

Lynn Thompson has run a K-12 art program since she started teaching in the Urbana school district 41 years ago. Thompson moved to West Central two years later. Here, she demonstrates to her kindergarten students how to cut the mouth out of a paper plate to create Pac-Man.  (Chris DeBack photo)

Thompson retires as WC art teacher

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com
 

For 39 years Lynn Thompson, West Central art teacher, has helped students express their creative side.

  On June 6, she’ll stroll away into a picturesque sunset knowing full well she had an artistic impact on each student who walked through her door. Although Thompson is looking forward to retirement, she will miss West Central. 

Robin Madole has been one of the most familiar faces in the Valley school district for over 35 years. Serving as everything from a physical education teacher to a math instructor and coaching four different girls’ sports in her time with the school, Madole has undoubtedly had an opportunity to touch countless lives there and more recently at North Fayette Valley High School. (Zakary Kriener photo)

How one year turned into a career

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

When Robin Madole first came to the Valley school district at the beginning of the 1982 school year, she had no intentions of staying more than a year and then moving on to a larger district. After a year of living in the community, however, her roots became firmly planted in the Fayette County soil.

Terry Redfern of Hazel Green, Wis., places the highest bid of $425,000 during the Signode building auction on Wednesday, May 24. The seller has seven days from May 24 to reject Redfern’s high bid.  Chris DeBack photo

Signode bid of $425,000 pending

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

A Wisconsin man’s bid of $425,000 was the highest bid at the live auction of the Signode building in West Union on Wednesday, May 24.

Terry Redfern of Hazel Green, Wis., was the highest bidder. The owner of the building has until today (May 31) to reject the bid; it was unknown whether or not he or she had done so by press time. 

Williams and Williams Real Estate Auction in Tulsa, Okla., which conducted the auction, is seeking “back-up bids” for the property. 

Don Avenson

Avenson remembered for impact on Volga Lake

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

Oelwein resident and former Iowa House Speaker Don Avenson, 72, died from a heart attack while on vacation in western Nebraska on May 19.

  Elected to the Iowa House in 1972, Avenson was a strong advocate for northeast Iowa. 

  One of Avenson’s greatest accomplishments came early in his political career when he lobbied for the State to keep its promise and create the Volga River State Recreation Area. 

fter seven years as Montauk Historic Site manager, Wade Schott of Clermont will be leaving the position for a similar one with the Butterworth Foundation in Moline, Ill.  LeAnn Larson photo

Montauk site manager bids farewell

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

Wade Schott, Montauk Historic Site manager, will be saying goodbye to Montauk one final time on June 2. 

The Clermont historic site is in search of a new site manager after Schott resigned his post, effective his final day. 

Schott has taken a building supervisor position with the Butterworth Foundation in Moline, Ill. He will be responsible for supervising the Butterworth Center and Deere-Wiman House.

Cody Williams, 31, of West Union unlawfully entered Quillin’s grocery store approximately eight minutes after midnight on May 15 and proceeded to take items from the store for the next 90 minutes. Williams took cigarettes, alcohol, Kingsford charcoal, canned food and meat products (not pictured). 

Man arrested in Quillin's, Subway robberies

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

A West Union man was arrested in connection with burglaries at Quillin’s grocery store and Subway restaurant in West Union. 

Cody Williams, 31, of West Union was arrested Monday evening, May 15, and charged with two counts of theft in the second degree; theft in the fourth degree; burglary in the first degree; and burglary in the second degree. 

When Chris Bemiss (second from right) of West Union was diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor in February, her life was flipped upside down. Now, after undergoing surgery and with radiation treatment in the future, Bemiss credits her loving family, including (l-r) Brooke, Brittany, husband Rick Thompson, and Brianna, with helping her most through the tough times. (submitted photo)

Positivity key in beating brain tumor

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

For Chris Bemiss, a lifelong resident and well-known member of the West Union community, the last several months have been some of the most eventful and life-changing she has ever experienced.

“It all started about a week before Christmas (2016),” explained Bemiss. “I started to experience slight visual disturbance in my eyesight, but I didn’t really think much of it at first.”

She went through the holiday season like most others, spending time at holiday parties with her husband and three children, just the same way they had for many years prior.

“It wasn’t until mid-January when my condition began to worsen,” she recalled. “I decided it was time to go to the doctor and get it checked out.”