One of the highlights of Catholic Schools Week involved duct taping principal Kristin Kriener to the wall in front of the whole school! Helping secure her to the wall are teachers (l-r) Heidi Bohr, Heidi Snell-Anderson (kneeling), and Jenni Busarrow. (submitted photo)

Catholic Schools Week

Local business owners Gail Hackman (Old Mill Floral) and Drew Wedemeier (Winers Fine Wines and Craft Beers) are partnering with the Fayette County Fair for a promotion that will give away two tickets to the Shenandoah concert on Tuesday, July 18, at the Fair. The winner of the drawing will also receive a dozen roses and a bottle of wine. (Zakary Kriener photo)

A dozen roses, a bottle of wine and 2 tickets to Shenandoah

By Zakary Kriener

zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

The Fayette County Fair, along with Old Mill Floral and Winers Fine Wines and Craft Beers, are partnering to give away a special Valentine’s Day gift package that will include two tickets to the Tuesday, July 18, concert featuring Shenandoah and Steve Schroeder, as well as a dozen roses and a bottle of wine.

Shoulder widening and paving along Nature Road is among the recent improvements conducted in Fayette County. Fayette County was one of 37 grant recipients from across the nation, and the only one in Iowa, last week to receive Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant funding for implementation projects in this first round of the program. (Courtesy photo)

Fayette County secures over $10.4 million for safer roads

By Mike Van Sickle

mvansickle@fayettecountynewspapers.com

  Fayette County has been awarded $10.425 million to address roadway departure crashes along approximately 50 miles of roadway through shoulder widening, rumble strips and other low-cost treatments. Officials anticipate the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant funds will assist in lowering lane departure crashes that account for nearly of 60% of fatalities and serious injuries in county accidents.

 “For so long rural roads have been underfunded,” said Fayette County Engineer Joel Fantz. “These grant funds will help to rectify that and why it’s of national significance. I know it will make a difference for the people of Fayette County.”

Water usage billing issue resolved

Due to a connection issue with the Gateway (receptacle that receives data from water meters regarding water usage), January’s Ossian water bills were not able to be completed because of the lack of information.

The issue has been resolved and water bills were mailed out on Jan. 25. As a result, you may notice that your water bill is higher than normal due to the addition of six more days of usage in this billing cycle.

February water bills should return to normal as there will be less days in that billing cycle.

Please contact the City Clerk’s office at (563) 532-8939 if you have any questions.

St. Francis de Sales church will feature a new, blue ceiling as well as several accent colors and trim colors that will help beautify the church that will celebrate its 25^th anniversary this year. (rendering courtesy of Riehle Decorating)

St. Francis de Sales church restoration project is underway

By Zakary Kriener

zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

A big project is underway at St. Francis de Sales in Ossian – one that will change the interior look of the church, which will celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the building this year.

“Through this process of updating, we are celebrating renewal,” said Clark Goltz, a member of the renovation project committee. “It’s a renewal of the building, a renewal for the parishioners, and a renewal of our faith!”

The two West Union speed cameras were installed along Pine Street near the North Fayette Valley High School (pictured) and Highway 150 south in June 2021. According to city documentation, speeding infractions for the first six months of Fiscal Year 2023 (2,385) have decreased by 684 or nearly 23 percent when compared to the same period in Fiscal Year 2022 (3,069).

Speed cameras appear to be causing a slow down

By Mike Van Sickle

mvansickle@fayettecountynewspapers.com

  The eyes from above appear to be having an impact on driver awareness in West Union since the installation of the two speed cameras in the community in 2021. 

  According to West Union Police Department documentation, nearly 7,745 infractions were recorded July 1, 2021-December 31, 2022. During this time, infractions for the first six months of Fiscal Year 2023 (2,385) have decreased by 684 or nearly 23 percent when compared to the same period in Fiscal Year 2022 (3,069). The highest recorded month was when the cameras were first installed in July 2021 with 703 violations. The least number of violations were recorded in September 2022 with 212. 

One of Josh Baumler’s biggest and most successful movie projects that he has worked as an animator on is Avatar 2: The Way of Water, which has topped $2 billion at the worldwide box office this year. (submitted photo)

Hawkeye native works on Avatar 2

By Zakary Kriener

zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

“It’s a place I never really expected to be at and it honestly doesn’t even feel real,” admitted Josh Baumler of Hawkeye. “It’s something that I really enjoy – I love being able to give the illusion of life and create characters that others can emphasize with and truly enjoy.”

What Baumler is referring to is his recent work in helping bring one of the most iconic movies of our time – Avatar 2: The Way of Water – to life through his animation skills.

The annual Lake Meyer Ice Fishing Derby will be held Sunday, Feb. 5, at Lake Meyer Campground in rural Calmar. (submitted photo)

Lake Meyer Ice Fishing Derby is Feb. 5

The annual Lake Meyer Ice Fishing Derby will be held Sunday, February 5th, 2023, at Lake Meyer Park. Registration begins at 12:00 pm at the Lake Meyer Campground shop and fishing runs from 12:00-4:00 pm. Registration costs $5 for adults (16 years and older) and is free for all children (15 and younger). All ages are welcome!

Prizes will be awarded for 1st and 2nd bass, bluegill, crappie, northern pike, and perch. All participants will be eligible for one of many door prizes provided by local businesses. Award ceremonies and prize drawings will be held following the close of fishing.

Callie and Paul Spies Jr. of rural West Union were joined by their 3-year-old son Gunner in admiring the newest member of their family, Adeline Lorraine Spies. Adeline became the first baby delivered at Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital in 2023 when she was born Thursday, Jan. 19. (Mike Van Sickle photo)

GPLHC delivers first baby of 2023

By Mike Van Sickle

mvansickle@fayettecountynewspapers.com

It took a few more days than normal on the calendar, but the Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Health Center (GPLHC) OB unit in West Union delivered its first baby of the new year Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Adeline Lorraine Spies, the daughter of Callie and Paul Spies Jr. of West Union, was born at 10 p.m. The infant weighed 6 lbs. 14 ½ oz. and measured 19 inches.

Among those attending the announcement of the 2023 WMT Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade home base and routes at the Fayette County Fairgrounds Dance Pavilion Friday were (front, l-r) Bill Poston, Tractorcade ride coordinator; Jim Greif of Prairieburg, who has participated in each of the 24 Tractorcades; Matt Marsala,executive director of West Union Economic Development and West Union Main Street/Chamber; (back) Matt Kenney, iHeartMedia senior marketing consultant/event manager; Jon Caspers, Becks seed advisor; Kevin Converse, Fayette County Ag Society president;Neal Schrage, Tractorcade group leader. (Mike Van Sickle photo)

Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade to make West Union home

By Mike Van Sickle

mvansickle@fayettecountynewspapers.com

  Coming on the heels of RAGBRAI’s visit in 2022, West Union can expect another estimated 1,000 visitors to the community in June after WMT radio formally announced the community as the home base for its 24th Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade. The entire route for the Sunday-Wednesday, June 11-14, event was also released during the official announcement Friday, which included a radio broadcast from the Fayette County Fairgrounds Dance Pavilion.