Torrential downpours brought flash flooding throughout Fayette County in June, causing the evacuation of area campgrounds and closing several roadways, including Highway 18 near Hawkeye.
Year in Review
By Mike Van Sickle
Contributing Editor
It was a year of celebrations and tribulations for the communities in the valley in 2014. Among the featured topics of public discussion published in The Leader this past year were the following:
After hearing a report on enrollment projections at their joint meeting in June, the North Fayette and Valley school boards unanimously approved extending the current North Fayette Valley whole-grade sharing agreement through the 2017-2018 school year.
While the student athletes and coaches celebrated top honors (see this week’s sports section), it has been in the classroom that the students have thrived amongst the new and expanded opportunities.
Among the growing programs is Project Lead The Way (PLTW). North Fayette Valley High School received national certification in August for its program that has been offered at the school since 2013.
PLTW, a nonprofit organization and the nation’s leading provider of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education programs, offers a rigorous world-class curriculum that allows students to apply what they are learning in math and science classes to real-life activities, projects and problems.
NFV students were honored throughout the year for their accomplishments, including then senior Abby Oelrich, whose entry “House in the Woods” earned a runner-up finish in the Congressional Art Competition in May.
Among the additional honorees, Sam Poppen achieved the highest honor for high school musicians, earning a spot as a bass singer in the All-State Chorus. Meanwhile, Bethany Merkle, Trenton Clausen, Jordan Einck, Brandon Busari-Okoro, and Ashton Johnson were selected to the Opus Honor Choir.
The North Fayette Valley FFA Chapter celebrated a record-breaking 12 students receiving the prestigious American Degree award. The honored students were Molly Schmitt, Tony Moellers, Evan Ihde, John Lauer, Rachel Strong, Tyler Nydegger, Spencer Spain, Ben Burkhart, Zane Bodensteiner, Joe Mohlis, and Geordan Hanson.
The Conduct of Meetings Team including members Tiffanie Koch, Allie Ney, Madison Imoehl, Ethan Lape, Morgan Lauer, Regan Pleggenkuhle, and Colby Larson also earned the opportunity to compete during the week of the National FFA Convention.
At the same time, Chapter members Grace Kerr and Alex Fettkether placed 15th in the National Science Fair.
More recently, the North Fayette Valley Middle School Lego team qualified for state competition.
On Saturday, April 12, residents of Fayette and the surrounding area were shocked to see what Mother Nature had in store. As the storm that had been predicted moved into the area, residents prepared themselves as best they could for the hail that had been forecasted. However, at approximately 8 p.m., the hail that began to fall was something for which no one could truly prepare.