News

Wed
03
Dec

Volunteer closes a chapter in his life

 

While he has stepped down after 36 years as a West Union Community Library board member, it is assured that outgoing President Blake Brown will continue to faithfully utilize the local library and the many services it has to offer. Brown is pictured standing alongside the Donor/Memorial Recognition Books in the Heiserman Annex of the local public library.

(Mike Van Sickle photo)

 

Volunteer closes a chapter in his life

 

 

By Mike Van Sickle
News Editor
mvansickle@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

 

For a lifetime, retiring West Union Community Library Board President Blake Brown has believed that reading is knowledge and broadens each individual’s outlook on life.

“My mother (Lucille Brown) was a voracious reader, so I grew up enjoying to read,” he chuckled while relaxing at the local library last week. “Although while growing up my initial passion was reading and collecting comic books, I have also always enjoyed historical fiction.

“In fact, when I was in junior high, we could test out of English class and into a reading class. I read so many books that year. I would check one out in the morning and read it day and night and start in on the next one,” smiled the Fort Dodge native.

After serving in the U.S. Army, Brown moved to West Union in 1958, where he initially taught and coached at the school.

A 36-year member of the local library board, Brown received his invitation to join the board from Sally Falb.

Wed
03
Dec

Report cards in transition period

Report cards in transition period

 

 

Brian Smith
Contributing Writer
bsmith@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

Getting a report card at the end of a grading period will soon look different for students at North Fayette Valley High School and Middle School, as well as North Fayette and Valley elementary schools. In an effort to make grading more reflective of actual standards or competence in certain skill areas, the schools will be implementing new grading practices beginning this school year.

“We plan to use a four-point scale for competence, with 4 meaning that a student has exceeded the standard, 3 meaning that he or she has met the standard, 2 is improving or needs work, and 1 indicating that little evidence of meeting the standard exists,” explained Duane Willhite, shared superintendent of the North Fayette and Valley districts.

Wed
03
Dec

Council accepts resignation of police chief

Council accepts resignation of police chief

 

 

 

By Mike Van Sickle
News Editor
mvansickle@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

The West Union City Council accepted the resignation Monday of Police Chief Brent Parker. Parker’s resignation is effective Friday, Jan. 9, and he will begin his new duties as a Decorah police officer on Saturday, Jan. 10.

“It was a very hard decision to make,” Parker stressed from his office at the West Union Police Department on Wednesday, Nov. 26. “My wife (Bridget) and I have thought about this for a couple of months. We weighed all of the options – the good, the bad, the pros and the cons. It all came down to what was best for my family and my profession in law enforcement.”

Wed
26
Nov

Winneshiek supervisors learn of leak at Lake Meyer

 

Prior to the recent cold snap that has resulted in most of Lake Meyer's surface freezing over, the lake was drained down two feet to determine why the lake was leaking water, according to Winneshiek County Conservation Director Barb Schroeder. (Janell Bradley photo.)

 

Winneshiek supervisors learn of leak at Lake Meyer

 

 

Janell Bradley
Contributing Writer

 

 

Winneshiek County Conservation hopes to be proactive in resolving an issue of water leaking from Lake Meyer near Calmar.

That's what Conservation Director Barb Schroeder told the Board of Supervisors a week ago when she explained that the good news is that the site where water is leaking has been pinpointed.

"It wasn't an emergency situation," she said, "but we used six-inch siphon tubes to drain the lake by about two feet before the leaking stopped."

Wed
26
Nov

Lots to be thankful for

 

Randy Buddenberg, a new resident of Ossian, has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season. In 2007, he suffered a stroke after having heart surgery, facing him with the challenge of learning to speak, write, and function again. Randy has tackled the rehab process with a positive attitude and has made a great deal of progress over the past seven years. (Zakary Kriener photo)

 

Lots to be thankful for

 

 

Zakary Kriener
Contributing Writer
zkreiner@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

“Sometimes you just have to play the hand you were dealt.” Those are words that 53-year-old Ossian resident Randy Buddenberg has chosen to take to heart.

In March 2007, the former dairy farmer from Waukon was dealt an extremely difficult hand after he had surgery to repair a hole in his heart. After the surgery, a piece of tissue worked its way out of his heart, creating a blood clot that led to a stroke and a subsequent long road to recovery.

“I would joke with the doctors and nurses, telling them they should name one of the rooms after me up here,” recalls Buddenberg, who during his four-month stay at the hospital in Rochester remembers being moved around to over 20 different rooms.

The former dairyman lost his ability to walk, speak, and write following the stroke. The circumstances that Buddenberg had encountered were far from ideal, but he would not let the stroke dictate the way he lived the rest of his life.

Wed
26
Nov

STAR shines over Elgin library

 

With the help and support of assistant librarian Koral Harbaugh, library board members, Friends of the Elgin Library, and the entire community, Elgin Public Library director Lisa Leuck (pictured) has announced that the Elgin Public Library has achieved STAR status for the second consecutive year. The local library was among only 12 libraries from across the state to receive the national recognition.

 

STAR shines over Elgin library

 

 

By Mike Van Sickle
News Editor
mvansickle@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

 

America’s STAR is once again shining over the Elgin Public Library. For the second consecutive year, the local library has been named as a Library Journal’s (LJ) STAR library.

The LJ Index is a national rating system designed to recognize and promote America’s public libraries, to help improve the pool of nationally collected library statistics, and to encourage library self-evaluation.

LJ Index scores and STAR ratings are based on data reported annually by public libraries to their state library agencies and compiled nationally by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Wed
26
Nov

Counting the blessings of health & family

 

Wanda Cole and Anna Wenger share a smile at Curves in West Union, where Anna goes to work out two or three times each week. Cole is the manager at Curves, which presented Anna with the T-shirt she is wearing, recognizing her 1,000th visit.

 

Counting the blessings of health & family

 

 

            Being thankful for what we have in our life may seem cliché or simplistic to some. However, there are those who truly are thankful for everything with which have they been blessed with. Like a thanksgiving plate piled high with turkey, dressing and other holiday favorites, they see their lives as overflowing with good things to be thankful for. Such is the case with Anna Wenger of Elgin.

            “I try to remember to count my blessings every day, and I have a lot of blessings to count. I have a wonderful family, terrific friends, and good health, so I feel very blessed,” said Wenger, who makes a special effort to maintain her good health these days.

           Born Jan. 27, 1928, Anna will be celebrating her 87th birthday soon, but she hasn’t let age slow her down very much. Keeping an active schedule and maintaining her independence is important to her, and she seems to be doing a good job of both.

Wed
26
Nov

Thankful for family and 'friends'

 

The George family, of Maynard, is grateful to be together to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, after a canoe accident on the Volga River a few years ago, nearly caused serious injury to Octavia. The family is pictured in their Maynard home. In front, from left: Octavia and Isaac; and in back, Julie and Nigel. (Janell Bradley photo)

 

Thankful for family and 'Friends'

 

 

Janell Bradley
Contributing Writer

 

 

Even though she has very little memory of a canoeing accident on the Volga River, Octavia George's parents, Nigle and Julie George, will never forget one particular Sunday in July 2008.

The family, then living in Fayette, planned an outing on the river with a few good friends who would travel in kayaks alongside Nigel and Julie in a canoe with their two young children, Isacc, age 3 and Octavia, age 4. All had been canoeing on the Volga River previously. Even so, the Georges took care to plan for any contingencies before setting out.

"Everyone was wearing a life preserver, and we had a cell phone within our group," Nigel recalled.

They put into the river at the Main Street bridge in Fayette, late on that Sunday morning. Julie rememberws it was a hot, sweltering July day. As the group of one canoe and three kayaks paddled downriver, Upper Iowa University professor Kata McCarville eventually took her kayak out and said she'd meet the group at their agreed take-out point at Albany Bridge, within the Volga River Recreation Area.

As the group continued downstream, Julie says she and Nigel decided to slow up and wait for the kayakers, who had fallen behind. As they did so, their canoe turned sideways in the river as they watched for their friends behind them. As the canoe drifted toward a downed tree, the river's current tugged at the canoe, and with little warning, the force caused the canoe to tip and then lodge upside down against the tree.

Wed
26
Nov

Police chief submits resignation

Brad Gardner

 

Police chief submits resignation

 

 

Janell Bradley
Contributing Writer

 

 

Fayette Mayor Andrew Wenthe informed the city council Monday night he had received Police Chief Brad Gardner's voluntary resignation earlier Monday. Gardner did not attend the special meeting of the council, Nov. 24.

Last week, the mayor confirmed that the police chief had been placed on administrative leave. Wenthe did not say if the reason was related to a citation made against Gardner for passing a school bus with red lights flashing and the stop arm extended. That citation came on Nov. 4, two days after the alleged incident was reported by North Fayette Valley school bus driver, Roberta Schlitter.

Wed
26
Nov

Grand Lighting returns Friday

 

The Festival of Lights will once again light up the skies over West Union after the official lighting ceremony on Friday. The switch will remain turned onto the community’s “Festival of Lights” nightly from approximately 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. through the holiday season. (File photo)

 

Grand Lighting returns Friday

 

 

The grand lighting of West Union’s Festival of Lights will be held on Friday, Nov. 28. The fun and festivities are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the West Union Recreation Complex.

Shortly after his arrival aboard his special coach, Santa Claus will begin the countdown to turn on the community’s Festival of Lights. Children who share their wish list with Santa will receive a coloring book, a glow-in-the-dark necklace, and a candy cane. In addition to other children’s activities, hot dogs, cookies, and hot chocolate will be served.

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