News

Wed
20
Jan

Josey Jewell: Northeast Iowa gem

 

Born and raised in Winneshiek County, Josey Jewell knows a thing or two about hard work and dedication. The Iowa Hawkeye linebacker helped make the 2015 season one of the most memorable ones in history, but he attributes much of his success and work ethic to his rural Iowa upbringing. (Zakary Kriener photo)

 

Josey Jewell: Northeast Iowa gem

 

 

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

 

When Josey Jewell first stepped onto the practice field in an Iowa Hawkeye jersey three years ago, he was a self-admitted undersized, small-town kid with the odds stacked against him. Today, he is an All- Big Ten linebacker on a team coming off one of its most successful seasons in decades.

“I weighed about 190 pounds when I was a senior in high school,” said the Decorah native, who helped lead his high school team to state runner-up and a state championship during his junior and senior seasons, respectively.

Wed
20
Jan

Local blood donor intentional about giving

 

Elgin resident Greg Kleppe received this certificate from LifeServe Blood Center, which recognizes him as an 18-gallon donor. Kleppe has tried to be intentional about giving blood ever since he was a 19-year-old college student at Iowa State University, when he first donated.

 

Local blood donor intentional about giving

 

 

Brian Smith
Contributing Writer
bsmith@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

Giving blood is not something that happens by chance. Those who give must be intentional about doing so, often rearranging their normal routines to allow them the time needed to donate. Though we live in an age in which everyone always seems to be busy with a variety of things, there are those who make donating blood a priority.

Greg Kleppe of Elgin has given blood since 1980, when he was a freshman attending Iowa State University in Ames. He has now given 149 units of blood, which translates to 18 and 5/8 gallons. Though it hasn’t always been easy to donate, Kleppe views giving blood as a way to help others, and has found a way to make it a regular part of his life.

Wed
20
Jan

More important than a text — YOU!

More important than a text — YOU!

 

 

 

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

Paying constant attention to the road is something that every driver, young or older, struggles with, yet it is the single most important aspect of driving.

The distractions are many, from the radio to passengers to using a mobile device while driving, among others.

I struggle with it and have to remind myself to stop staring at the beautiful northeast Iowa scenery as the sun comes up on my way to work and instead focus on the road.

Wed
20
Jan

Local teens/photographer featured in national magazine

Zoe Larson, photographer Morgan LaRue, and Carson Larson (l-r) hold the January issue of Gothesque Jr. magazine, which features a eight-page photo spread of the two sisters submitted by LaRue. 

 

Local teens/photographer featured in national magazine

 

 

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

 

Photography is a tricky hobby. It takes practice, patience, and a defined eye to produce a successful photo shoot.

Upper Iowa University student Morgan LaRue is one of those talented individuals. When one looks at LaRue’s work, one would think she is a seasoned veteran with years of experience. That is simply not the case. Though she is still a little rough around the edges, LaRue’s natural gift is easily expressed on the pages of various magazines.

Wed
20
Jan

Bernie Sanders to make stop at UIU Sunday

Bernie Sanders to make stop at UIU Sunday

 

 

 

Mayor Andrew Wenthe announced at Monday’s Fayette City Council meeting that Upper Iowa University will host Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in the UIU Student Center on Sunday evening, Jan. 24.

Wed
20
Jan

Beef Royalty candidates announced

 

Beef Royalty candidates announced

 

 

Brian Smith

Contributing Writer

 

 

 

            Outgoing Fayette County Beef Princess Maria Streif will take on the new title of 2016 Beef Queen at the Fayette County Cattlemen’s Association Membership Banquet on Saturday, Jan. 23. Maria, the daughter of Todd and Heidi Streif of West Union, will accept the crown from 2015 Beef Queen Megan Matt.

Wed
20
Jan

Joyce Rawson exemplifies generosity

Joyce Rawson of West Union talks with Hope Boyer, a nurse from LifeServe Blood Center of Waterloo, as she donates blood at Holy Name Catholic Church on Wednesday, Jan. 6. 

 

Joyce Rawson exemplifies generosity

 

 

 

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

 

 

January has been proclaimed National Blood Donor Month by the American Red Cross to honor people like West Union resident Joyce Rawson, who has given blood every chance she’s had for the last 40 years.

Rawson couldn’t say how much blood she has given over those 40 years, but did note that since LifeServe Blood Center in Waterloo started doing blood drives in West Union, she has given over eight gallons.

Wed
13
Jan

'Raising the bar'

 

Marsha Winter makes notes as she listens to student Gavin Geickert read to her. Winter, along with Jenny Larson, is an instructor that leads the Title I and Reading Recovery programs at South Winneshiek, DeSales, and CFS schools. The programs, which provide reading and writing assistance to first- through third-graders, has been a part of the district’s curriculum for 18 years. (Zakary Kriener photo)

 

'Raising the bar'

 

 

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

 

“If a child is struggling with something, I look to myself, not the student,” shared South Winneshiek district Reading Recovery and Title I instructor Marsha Winter.

That mentality is just one small piece of the equation that helps make the district’s Reading Recovery and Title I programs so successful.

“South Winneshiek really took a leap of fate when it first decided to implement the program,” explained Winter. “I was part of the first training class at Keystone in 1998. We are currently in our 18th year with the Title I program.”

Since its implementation, the program has grown every year, helping hundreds of young students along the way.

Wed
13
Jan

-6 Degrees? Worth every second

 

Zak and Mak Kriener, along with father Darryl Frana (l-r) stand near the field at TCF Bank Stadium prior to kickoff between the Minnesota Vikings vs. Seattle Seahawks playoff game. The three, along with over 52,000 other fans, were part of the third-coldest game in NFL history as they braved the -6 degree temperature to root on the their team. (Zakary Kriener photo)

 

-6 Degrees? Worth every second

 

 

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

 

 

 

As I crawled out of bed at 5 a.m. Sunday morning, dressed myself in several layers, and stepped outside into the frigid temperatures, I began to question my decision to join my dad and brother on our trip north. 

Last Sunday, Jan. 3, I received a call from my brother, Mak, shortly after the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers and secured a home playoff game. He said that Dad was buying us both tickets to join him in Minneapolis to watch our favorite team play in the first round of the NFL playoffs.

Over the years, I have attended several games in Minneapolis. I have seen some pretty memorable moments, including Adrian Peterson setting the NFL single-game rushing record, the longest play in NFL history, and a last-second Hail Mary touchdown pass from Brett Favre to give the Vikes a win. The one thing these games all had in common? They were all played in the warm, comfortable Metrodome stadium.

So as we left northeast Iowa on Sunday, with enough extra layers to make us look like we each weighed an additional 50 pounds, we knew what we were in for.

Wed
13
Jan

Sullivan elected Vice Commander

District Commander David Cassell (right) swears in 2016 elected Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla officers Steve Gress (center) and Art Sullivan at a Change of Watch ceremony on Dec.12.

 

Sullivan elected Vice Commander

 

 

Art (Sully) Sullivan of Clermont has been elected to his first one-year term as flotilla vice commander. In 2012 the former chief of police for the city of Clermont Iowa retired after 35 years in law enforcement having served in South Carolina and Iowa. In May 2012 Sullivan joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary where he also serves as the flotilla public affairs officer (FSO-PA).

Steve Gress of McGregor was elected to a second one-year term as flotilla commander. In 2012 company president Gress retired from Sysco Food Services of Iowa, where he’d been employed for 34 years and joined the Auxiliary in December of that year.

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