News

Wed
20
Jul

Margroff donation benefits Pheasants Forever

 

Fayette County Pheasants Forever accepted a donation of $102,686.92 from the estate of the late Robert Margroff of Elgin. Dick Jensen, neighbor and personal representative of Margroff, presented a check to the group at its meeting on Tuesday evening, July 12. Those present for the occasion include (l-r) Larry Glass, Leon Deutsch, George Schaefers, Dick Jensen, Rod Marlatt, Blake Gamm, Brett Whitcher, and Eric Boehm.

 

Margroff donation benefits Pheasants Forever

 

 

Brian Smith
Contributing Writer
bsmith@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

   Fayette County Pheasants Forever accepted a donation of $102,686.92 from the Estate of the late Robert E. Margroff of Elgin. Margroff died May 25, 2015, and was the son of Ervien and Lulu (Timmons) Margroff.

  A 1948 graduate of West Union High School, Robert was trained as a linotype operator in Charles City. He set type for the newspaper in Harlan before returning home to rural Elgin to live on the family farm after the death of his father. It was then that he began to pursue his passion for writing.

Wed
20
Jul

Valley grads building toward game success

 

The Heinous Games team of (l-r) Ben Hemesath and Levi Fink have created a tabletop card game called Build-A-Burger, which they are in the process of marketing. Both Hemesath and Fink graduated from Valley High School in 2012 and are currently attending Iowa State University.

 

Valley grads building toward game success

 

 

Brian Smith
Contributing Writer
bsmith@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

   Have you ever been playing a game with friends and thought to yourself, “I could make something like this”? Well, that is exactly how Heinous Games, the game design team of Levi Fink and Ben Hemesath, was born.

  “We were playing a board game in our apartment in Ames one night, and I leaned over and told Levi, ‘We could make a better game than this.’ That was about a year ago, and since that time we have created a couple of different games and are getting ready to market one of them,” explained Hemesath, who, like his partner, is a 2012 alumnus of Valley High School in Elgin.

Wed
20
Jul

After 20 years, K&K continues to bloom!

 

After taking a Master Gardener class in the mid-1990s, Keith Kovarik set out to create a unique and inspiring garden center that would draw people from across the state. Today, K&K Gardens in Hawkeye is considered a must-see destination for many garden enthusiasts. (LeAnn Larson photo)

 

After 20 years, K&K continues to bloom!

 

 

Brian Smith
Contributing Writer
bsmith@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

When Keith and Kelli Kovarik decided to start growing a few plants in the basement and garage of their Hawkeye home 20 years ago, they didn’t really have any idea where it might lead. The couple’s love of gardening, encouraged by Keith taking a Master Gardener course in Decorah in 1994, led to growing several hundred vegetable, annual, and perennial plants from seed. In the beginning, they used what they grew themselves or gave plants away to family and friends.

Wed
13
Jul

Winneshiek County Fair is underway!

Winneshiek County Fair is underway!

 

 

 

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

 

The 2016 Winneshiek County Fair is officially underway in Decorah as of Tuesday morning!

While one full day of fun and entertainment is in the books, there is still plenty of time to get to the fairgrounds to enjoy this year’s festivities.

Wed
13
Jul

'Individuals don't accomplish things - groups do'

 

South Winneshiek co-cross country coach Kevin Kearney was recently recognized as one of eight finalists for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) National Coach of the Year at a ceremony in Louisville, Ky. After coaching the Warrior cross country team since 1994, Kearney was humbled by the nomination, but was reluctant to receive all the credit for accomplishments that came as a result of over 20 years of cooperation from the school district, other coaches, and athletes that put in the time and dedication to develop a successful program. (Zakary Kriener photo)

 

'Individuals don't accomplish things - groups do'

 

 

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

Kevin Kearney is a familiar name around the South Winneshiek school district and community. He has taught at the high school since 1994, the same year that he helped bring the sport of cross country to South Winneshiek.

“When we first started out, there were five students who participated between South Winn and Turkey Valley,” explained the Warrior coach of over 20 years. “This year, we have 77 students in grades seven through 12 who have signed up to go out.”

Wed
13
Jul

A visit to Swaziland changes Appler's outlook on life

 

Kathryn Appler visited a preschool and an orphanage to meet, play, and talk with the children in Big Bend, Swaziland, where a great number of children have lost their parents to HIV or AIDS.

 

A visit to Swaziland changes Appler's outlook on life

 

 

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

 

College is often thought of as a place to find oneself. After those awkward teenage years, college is a place for young adults to discover who they truly are by making new friends and allowing their experiences to shape them.

Wed
13
Jul

Karen Becker receives award from NWS

 

Karen Becker holds her 25-year certificate as a National Weather Service cooperative observer next to her temperature gauge.

 

Karen Becker receives award from NWS

 

 

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

 

The weather affects us all every day. It is unavoidable, from sunny afternoons to dark, rainy evenings.

Most of us are affected by different kinds of weather. Here in the Midwest, we’ll never have to deal with a hurricane, but then again tornadoes are highly less likely on the East Coast.

A multitude of jobs are weather-related. The obvious is storm chasers and meteorologists, but there is another group of people with an unheralded passion for the weather. Those are National Weather Service (NWS) cooperative observers.

Right here in Fayette County, one such cooperative observer, Karen Becker, received an award for 25 years of service.

Wed
13
Jul

Using talent to give back

 

Kenny Friedly of Fayette takes great pride in his handcrafted projects. One of the last steps in building picnic tables is making sure they are sanded down to be smooth and comfortable.

 

Using talent to give back

 

 

Gina Hoffman

Contributing Writer

 

 

As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” 

Ken Friedly, a longtime resident of the Fayette community, is doing just that. After a lifetime of farming and serving with the military, Friedly moved from the farm into town. However, true retirement was not an option for the ambitious gentleman.  Since his move, he has been putting an impressive carpentry talent to work in order to serve and bring joy to others in the community and those who have made a difference to him during his life.

Wed
13
Jul

Edward Jones moves to North Vine Street

 

Mike Johnson and Chandra Ritter are excited about Edward Jones’ new location at 109 North Vine Street, between Salon D’vine and Hair Design. 

 

Edward Jones moves to North Vine Street

 

 

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

 

The Edward Jones office in West Union moved up to North Vine Street on July 12.

The office's new location, which was recently renovated by Heins Construction, is 109 North Vine Street, between Salon D’vine and Hair Design. It will provide Mike Johnson and his receptionist Chandra Ritter approximately 500 more square feet of office space. That means a larger conference room, where the business can continue to host client birthday lunches once a month, and a slightly larger office for Johnson.

Wed
13
Jul

Lifelong lessons learned while teaching abroad

 

Kirkwood student Kayla Lueder of West Union is pictured with a couple of her preschool students, to whom she taught English and from whom she learned a bit of the Swahili language in the process.

 

Lifelong lessons learned while teaching abroad

Janell Bradley

Contributing Writer

 

 

It was the experience of a lifetime, as Kayla Lueder was immersed into another culture in exchange for teaching English to preschool-age children this summer in Africa.

Lueder, a student at Kirkwood Community College, spent June 2-19 in Moshi, Tanzania, as part of a study-abroad program. Dropped off at the school at 7:30 a.m., she typically spent the next five hours teaching English to 3- and 4-year-olds, while her afternoons consisted of learning basic Swahili.

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