December 2014

Wed
17
Dec

Walter Knutsen

Walter Knutsen

 

 

Walter Knutsen of Clermont will celebrate his 80th birthday on Thursday, Dec. 18.

Walter and Marilyn, his wife of 55 years, will celebrate this special occasion with their four children, Mark (Trish) Knutsen of Marion, Karen (David) Miller of Clermont, Kristine (Jason) Lenberg of Altoona, Wis., Karla (Rich) Ehr of Kirksville, Mo., and their families.

Friends, relatives, and neighbors are invited to help make Walt’s day extra-special with a card shower.

Birthday greetings can be mailed to Walter Knutsen, 608 Stone St., Clermont, IA 52135.

Wed
17
Dec

Preschoolers celebrating a 50-year Head Start

 

West Union Head Start teacher Sara Converse leads her students, including (front to back) Chloe Sparrgrove, Michael Horstman, and Kayleigh Stewart in a musical selection during a recent class time. The Head Start program, which includes West Union and 14 additional sites across seven counties is celebrating 50 years of preschool services. (Janell Bradley photo)

 

Preschoolers celebrating a 50-year Head Start

 

 

Janell Bradley
Contributing Writer

 

 

Forty-two years ago, Head Start came to West Union, offering preschool-aged children a step up before starting kindergarten.

This year, Head Start is celebrating 50 years, even if the first center didn't come to West Union until 1972.

From its humble beginnings in the basement of United Methodist Church, the program has grown over the years, with up to 257 children currently being served at 15 sites across a seven-county area. Although the program was in the church for the majority of its history, it moved to the Antes Center next to the former North Fayette Middle School building, and then moved to Rainbow Land Preschool in Fayette in 1995. The program moved to the North Fayette Elementary building about 2006-07 to be more centrally located for the clientele served.

In Fayette County, there are three Head Start classrooms in Oelwein and one in West Union. Although licensed for 20 children, the West Union site serves 19 preschoolers in a classroom at West Union Elementary. Children ages 3 through 5.

Wed
17
Dec

A new beginning for Rolan

 

 

West Central senior Rolan Steinlage is continuing to battle pineoblastoma and the side effects of its resulting treatments at NeuroRestorative in Carbondale, Ill. The rural West Union teenager is being treated at the brain injury center to help him develop strategies, which will allow him to live on his own. (Courtesy photo)

 

A new beginning for Rolan

 

 

By Mike Van Sickle
News Editor
mvansickle@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

“Most kids in their teenage years are trying to find themselves and find the path to get them to their dreams. I was fighting for my life and enjoying everyone and everything that was in my path. I learned the true meaning of what is important and what is not…”

These are just a very few of the words Rolan Steinlage recently journaled as he continues to battle pineoblastoma and the side effects of its treatments.  

The rural West Union teenager was first diagnosed with pineoblastoma, an aggressive primary brain tumor, shortly before the holidays as a then sixth-grader at North Fayette. Pineoblastoma develops in the pineal body, a small cone-shaped organ located in the midbrain. The pineal body secretes melatonin, a hormone that regulates moods and the sleep-wake cycle.

Wed
17
Dec

Grapplers grab 6th at loaded SW Invite

Grapplers grab 6th at loaded SW Invite

By Zakary Kriener
Sports/News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

 

South Winneshiek hosted the South Winn Wrestling Invite in Calmar on Saturday, placing 10 wrestlers in the top six and earning a sixth-place team finish.

The Warriors crowned one champion as well as a runner-up and a pair of third-place finishers on the day.

Class 1A no. 2-ranked Ryan Hageman breezed his way through the 170 pound weight bracket, picking up his second tournament crown of the young season.

Thu
11
Dec

SW girls pick up first win

 

Senior Payton Poshusta was stout on defense in last Tuesday night’s (Dec. 2) matchup with the Riceville Wildcats. She was responsible for five of the team’s 13 steals in South Winn’s 49-29 victory. (Zakary Kriener photo)

 

SW girls pick up first win

 

 

Zakary Kriener
News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

The South Winneshiek girls’ basketball team recorded its first victory of the young season last Tuesday, Dec. 2, in Calmar by defeating the Riceville Wildcats 49-29.

The girls picked up a 33-16 win over Postville on Friday, before losing to Crestwood by a score of 60-15. Player statistics and comments were unavailable at press time for these two games.

Thu
11
Dec

South Winn boys nab opener

 

Junior Logan Schweinefus was very active both offensively and defensively in the Warriors’ season-opening win last Tuesday night (Dec. 2). Here, he goes up for two of his 22 points. Schweinefus also added five steals and a block on defense as the Warriors got the 64-21 victory. (Zakary Kriener photo)

 

South Winn boys nab opener

 

 

Zakary Kriener
News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

The South Winn boys got the season started with a bang by dominating Riceville at home, 64-21, last Tuesday (Dec. 2) in Calmar.

On Thursday evening, the SW boys travelled to Cresco to take on the class 2A Cadets. Despite a strong effort, the Warriors fell in the matchup, 66-44.

In a close game on Friday, the Warriors lost to the Postville Pirates, 53-50, dropping their record to 1-2 on the early season.

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