News

Wed
10
Oct

SW Board mulls early retirement packages

 

 

 

 

Wed
10
Oct

Perry Sievert benefit

Perry Sievert benefit

They say life is a journey, but when the journey takes an unexpected turn along the way, the road can get very bumpy.  

For Perry Sievert of Calmar, the last three years have been a rough road. Perry was diagnosed in the fall of 2015 with cancer. He fought hard and won. 

Unfortunately, two years later in the fall of 2017, scans showed that the cancer was back. Once again, Perry faced it head-on by enduring an aggressive stem-cell transplant therapy. He was required to stay at Mayo Clinic for weeks of exhaustingly long and painful treatments. Once again he beat the cancer. 

Wed
10
Oct

Artists' Studio Tour Oct. 12-14

 

Painter Jim Updegraff of West Union will be displaying his artwork on the Northeast Iowa Artists’ Studio Tour on Oct. 12-14. Behind him, his snowy landscape painting was inspired by the view of Eldorado and from the painting “Hunters in the Snow” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder from 1565. Updegraff’s studio is located on Hwy. 150 south of West Union. (Photo submitted)

 

Artists' Studio Tour Oct. 12-14

 

 

 

By Haley Brase
hbrase@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

The annual Northeast Iowa Artists’ Studio Tour is once again ready to welcome area residents and visitors from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday-Sunday, Oct. 12-14. The 41 participating artists’ have studios across Clermont, Elgin, West Union, Decorah, Highlandville, Lansing, New Albin and Spillville. Visitors can drive at their own pace through the scenic northeast Iowa countryside to each location. 

Three of the artists live in Fayette County: James (Jim) Updegraff, Louis Christen, and Peggy and Steve Kittelson.

Wed
03
Oct

Turkey Valley Homecoming

 

Members of the 2018 Turkey Valley Homecoming court include (front, l-r) Queen candidates Kaayla Burke, Kelsey Kurtenbach, and Karissa Schmidt; (back) King candidates Carter Reicks, Dalton Rush, and Simon Schmitt. (submitted photo)

 

Turkey Valley Homecoming

 

 

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

 

Turkey Valley’s 2018 Homecoming is being celebrated this week! With activities kicking off Sunday, Sept. 30, the weeklong celebration will conclude with Friday night’s football game, Queen coronation, and Homecoming dance.

Wed
03
Oct

Kurdelmeyer enjoys digging through Earth's past

 

Bob Kurdelmeyer of Clermont displays the large number of trilobite fossils he has found digging through rocks in Fayette County. In what has become more of an obsession than hobby, Kurdelmeyer has mapped 160 locations in Fayette County where he has found a fossil. 

 

Kurdelmeyer enjoys digging through Earth's past

 

 

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

 

 

 

Five years ago, Bob Kurdelmeyer of Clermont wouldn’t be able to tell you the difference between limestone and concrete. Now, not only can he tell you the difference between a cephalopod and trilobite fossil, but he can tell in which type of rock to find them and the best places to look in Fayette County.

He’ll be the first to admit, trilobite fossils have become a bit of an obsession. Most days, you’ll find the telecommunications coordinator at Northeast Iowa Community College out in the field searching ditches, creeks, rivers, and anywhere else he can find exposed rock, looking for the ancient remains of one of the earliest-known groups of arthropods. 

“I am probably out in the field close to 250 days per year,” Kurdelmeyer said. “Northeast Iowa is such a rich area; I can stop at five or six spots on the way home from work that are just killer. The landowners have been awesome. It helps that I used to mark snowmobile trails, so I knew a lot of them. More often than not, a landowner will say, ‘Hey, I know where another really good spot is.’” 

Wed
03
Oct

Jimmy D's celebrates 10th annivesary

 

Liz Hageman and David “Jimmy” Novak are looking forward to the 10th anniversary celebration of Novak’s purchase of Jimmy D’s in Hawkeye.

 

Jimmy D's celebrates 10th anniversary

 

 

By Chris Deback

cdeback@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

 

 

David “Jimmy” Novak can’t help but smile when he takes a look around his bar and sees all the blood, sweat, and tears he has poured into Jimmy D’s in Hawkeye.

“We built it from nothing,” he said with a fond smile. “There was hardly anything here when I bought it. They had nine bar stools, two tables, and an old 19-inch, tube-style TV. Since then, we renovated the whole works, including the apartments upstairs.”

It was fate that led Novak into the bar after a wedding in Nashua, which resulted in a conversation about buying the local business with former owner Pat Jacobsen, who was a former employee of his at Agriprocessors in Postville. 

“I was coming back from being the best man in a wedding in Nashua, and I stopped in here for a beer,” he recalled. “The owner told me the place was for sale. I was just inquiring about it, and [Pat] called me the next day and said she would give me a good deal. I never would have been here if it wasn’t for that wedding.” 

On Oct. 8, 2008, Novak saw his childhood dream come true when he purchased the bar from Jacobsen. 

“I always wanted to own a bar ever since I was a little kid,” Novak explained. “I never really wanted the food aspect, but it has escalated into that. You have to go where the money is, and it is in the food now. After the first few days it felt like I made a mistake. Everyone in this town didn’t think I could make a go of it because [the bar] was so far rundown and didn’t have clientele.”

Thanks to hard work and perseverance from Novak, and his countless employees who have worked for him over the last 10 years, Jimmy D’s has slowly improved, like a Phoenix rising from ashes, into the “Best Damn Bar in the Land.” 

The first thing the Army veteran did was add more tables and chairs before jumping into improving the restaurant. In the last 10 years, Novak has upgraded the kitchen, adding a walk-in cooler and buying new beer coolers and food freezers. Those investments have paid off as people have raved about the food, especially the steak, with the establishment receiving 5 out of 5 stars on Facebook. 

Wed
03
Oct

'Shabby chic' accessories for hair, decor

 

Selling at Old Mill Floral in West Union and on her Etsy account, TimberLouiseHandmade, Lori Marlatt sells a yarn ball garlands, yarn mobiles, headbands [pictured], hair bands and hair clips. (Photo by Haley Brase)

 

'Shabby chic' accessories for hair, decor

 

 

By Haley Brase
hbrase@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

Lori Marlatt is a floral designer at Old Mill Floral in West Union, but she continues her creativity after hours.

Marlatt would describe her items as “shabby chic.” At the floral shop, she sells rosebud headbands, variations of bow headbands, snap hair clips, two kinds of hair bands, yarn-ball garlands and baby mobiles in diverse colors. In addition to selling at Old Mill Floral, she has an Etsy account, TimberLouiseHandmade. Her Etsy account is named after her cat, Timber Louise.

Wed
03
Oct

Cosmetology, teaching just her style

Jeanette Moschel observes Hailey Bodensteiner as she completes a procedure on her skills sheet during a cosmetology course at Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar. While in school, students must complete six skills, plus complete theory class. Moschel has been teaching at NICC for 31 years; in addition to teaching, she is a cosmetologist at Hair Hut in West Union. (Submitted photo)

 

 

 

Cosmetology, teaching just her style

 

By Haley Brase
hbrase@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

 

Working as a veteran cosmetologist at Hair Hut in West Union, Jeanette Moschel also shares her professional expertise with her alma mater, Northeast Iowa Community College, as a part-time cosmetology instructor. 

Starting her classes in Decorah through NICC, Moschel graduated from the cosmetology program in Calmar in 1976. She was a part of the first cosmetology class when it moved to Calmar, which she thinks is “pretty cool.”

Now, she is an instructor, along with Julie Elsbernd and lead instructor Marilee Mai. Teaching Monday, Tuesday and every other Wednesday at NICC, Moschel enjoys working at her alma mater. 

Wed
03
Oct

NFV celebrates Homecoming Week

 

Members of the 2018 North Fayette Valley Homecoming Court include (front, l-r) Ava Hutchinson, Makenna Koch, Taylor Ellis, Ryin Lehmann, and Cassidy Bohr; (back) Gunner Rodgers, Easton Halverson, Adrian Wurtz, and Carson Ward. Missing from the photo is Weston Fantz. (Zakary Kriener photo)

 

NFV celebrates Homecoming Week

 

 

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

 

 

 

The students at North Fayette Valley High School are on a “Road Trip” this week as they celebrate Homecoming Sunday, Sept. 30 through Saturday, Oct. 6. 

Taking a “Road Trip to Victory,” North Fayette Valley Student Council members have planned a number of fun activities to get the student body excited for Homecoming Week. 

“In May, we came up with four different themes, and we sent out a poll to the student body to vote on,” said Karlee Ihde, NFV Student Council president. “The ‘Road Trip’ theme won. Other themes included Disney, video games, and board games.” 

Wed
03
Oct

Pocket Park land purchase defeated

 

Pocket Park land purchase defeated

 

 

 

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

At its regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 1, the West Union City Council voted, 3-2, against the purchase of the lot at 122 East Elm Street, which would have been the location of the West Union Pocket Park. The land was for sale for $7,000. 

A public hearing was held before the vote took place. Mayor Adam Keller opened the hearing by noting that the City would only be purchasing the land for the park, not the contents that would have been placed in the park. 

A West Union Pocket Park Committee, which had drawn up plans of what the park could look like, was going to seek grants and in-kind donations to fill the park. The land would still have  been for sale to a potential business, with the ability to move the park’s contents to another location if it were to be sold. 

Councilman Kennon Gumm voiced a number of concerns with the park, one of which was with the fence planned along the back portion of the park, which he felt could be a hindrance to law enforcement.

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