Nearly 15 years ago, Steve Metcalf of West Union told his son, Rory, and wife, Melva, that the next time Iowa made it to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, that they would take a family vacation to Pasadena to watch the Hawkeyes. On Wednesday, Dec. 30, Rory’s girlfriend, Morgan Streif, Rory, Mel, and Steve (l-r) will fly to California to watch as the Hawkeyes take on Stanford on New Year’s Day. (Zakary Kriener photo)

Metcalf keeps promise to Smell the Roses!

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

“Before the first game of the season, I looked at the schedule and thought to myself that the Hawks have a decent shot of winning most of their games,” recalled West Union native Rory Metcalf, reflecting on the magical 12-0 regular season recently wrapped up by the Iowa Hawkeye football team. “I never dreamed that they would actually pull it off.”After Iowa’s stellar 2002 season, there was speculation that Iowa would play in the Rose Bowl game after winning the Big Ten Conference championship and going 11-1 on the season. However, the Hawks were selected to compete in the Orange Bowl game, which was a more prestigious bowl game at the time.
“I think many Iowa fans were a little upset to not be playing in the Rose Bowl,” shared Rory, referring to the traditional association of the Big Ten champion playing in the game. “I remember exactly where I was when I found out that they would be playing in the Orange Bowl instead. It was bittersweet, but Dad told us that the next time the Hawks made it to the Rose Bowl, the family would go, no matter the circumstances.”
Fast-forward 13 years over several years of mediocre football seasons for the Hawkeyes and they have finally made it back to the Rose Bowl game!

Members of the South Winneshiek FIRST LEGO League team recently traveled to Marion to compete at the regional competition. Isaiah Kruckman, Eryn Sabelka, Kayley Taylor, Hannah Franzen, Henry Castro, Chance Adam, and Jacob Carnesi (l-r) are all members of this year’s team, which finished first overall with 446 points and will advance to the state competition in Ames Sunday, Jan. 17. (submitted photo)

SW Lego League State-bound — again!

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

FIRST LEGO League is the perfect combination of learning and fun for fourth- through eighth-graders around the world. The program challenges young students to research a real-world problem and develop a solution.

The students must design, build, and program a robot using LEGOs. Their robot then competes on a tabletop playing field for a chance to advance in the competition.

Members of the South Winneshiek LEGO League team recently traveled to Excelsior Middle School in Marion to compete in a regional competition.

Elizabeth Goddard is pictured in the family home in Clermont, with a pan of cookies she prepared for baking. Elizabeth suffered brain trauma and broken bones in a bicycle-motor vehicle accident on May 22 and spent five months in a rehabilitation center near Des Moines. (Janell Bradley photo.)

Goddard family blessed to have daughter back home

Janell Bradley

Contributing Writer

After Dennis and Joanie Goddard’s daughter, Elizabeth, was critically injured in a bicycle-motor vehicle accident May 22, the couple relied on prayer and their faith in God to give them hope that their daughter would again walk and talk.

And after 33 days in a coma, the feisty teen finally regained consciousness. Since then, she hasn’t stopped surprising her parents with her strong will to relearn speech and mobility following her initial hospitalization at Gundersen Health System in LaCrosse, Wis.

Elizabeth sustained brain trauma, a fractured C2 vertebra, and a broken femur, in addition to severely torn ligaments in one knee. Following surgery and care while she was in a coma, Elizabeth then spent five months at ChildServe Rehabilitation Center in Johnston.

She returned to her home in Clermont on Oct. 16, entering the city limits with a police and fire truck escort.

The following Monday, Elizabeth began transitioning back into her studies at North Fayette Valley High School. A sophomore, Elizabeth’s days are filled with classes in functions/statistics/trigonometry, reading comprehension and world history, and typically doing a couple of hours of homework each night.

When she has free time, she enjoys baking some of her favorite foods. But while that would be enough to occupy her time, Elizabeth also spends hours doing physical, occupational and speech therapies. She also tries to swim a couple of times a week at a pool in Postville.

The teen is working to strengthen her legs before she undergoes surgery for a torn ACL. She still uses a walker to get around, but has a goal of getting to crutches.

Five days a week, Elizabeth gets ready for school, puts on knee and ankle braces, has breakfast, and completes one of her therapies before school. She finishes her classes about noon, goes to Palmer Lutheran Health Center for another therapy session (Monday, Wednesday and Friday.)

The day the accident happened, Elizabeth was riding her bike home from piano lessons. She has studied with Carla Hanson since the second grade, when the Goddards moved to Clermont from near Maquoketa.

Elizabeth said the last thing she remembers from that day was playing “The Spinning Song” for her teacher.

Bryan and Kari Snyder are pictured with their daughter, Kayden, 3½ months, at their new home near Alpha. The Arts & Crafts Movement-style house was home to the Paul and Therese Kaiser family in West Union for many years. After the property was purchased by Palmer Lutheran Health Center, the house was sold for $1 so that it would be moved from the property. The home’s pocket doors are still intact (see left, in photo)

WU home gets new lease with family near Alpha

Janell Bradley

Contributing Writer

Just in time for Christmas, Bryan and Kari (Bouska) Snyder have settled into a Prairie-style Arts & Crafts Movement home near Alpha, after the historic house was moved 15 miles down state highways and county blacktop roads.

Bryan and Kari, both just 26, came to own the house, built in 1924, in a roundabout way.

Last Wednesday and Thursday were full of tears of joy and happiness for sisters Alissa Dehl and Hilary Nuss after Hudson Bruce Dehl made a grand entrance around 3 a.m. on Dec. 16. Hilary was a gestational surrogate for her older sister, Alissa. The girls grew up in West Union the daughters of Rodney and Kathy Senner, who are proud of their girls beyond works. (Submitted photo)

Hilary delivers the best gift of all for her sister

Janell Bradley

Contributing Writer

As a child, Alissa Senner saw her little sister as the little tagalong.

“There were many times she would sleep in my bed, even though she had a perfectly good bed in a bedroom of her own,” laughed Alissa, now married and living in Omaha.

Mike Johnson Jr. fills up his truck at All Stop in West Union as he prepares for a 12-hour drive to the lower portion of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. With gas prices at a six-year low, Johnson could be looking at saving quite a bit of money this holiday season by driving, rather than flying, to Michigan. 

Gas prices hit six-year low

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

Gas prices are at a six-year low, which has many northeast Iowa families rethinking their travel plans for this holiday season.

The last time gas prices stayed consistently below $2 a gallon was in 2009. Locally the prices are currently $1.92/gallon at Casey’s General Store, $1.92/gallon at All Stop and $1.92/gallon at BP Express, as of Monday morning (Dec. 21).

NFV superintendent receives state recognition

Duane Willhite, superintendent of the North Fayette and Valley Community school districts, was a nominee for the 2015-16 Iowa Superintendent of the Year award sponsored by the School Administrators of Iowa.

Brad and Brenda Brockman (l-r) stand in front of a barn quilt in Carey’s Park alongside Winneshiek County barn quilt organizer Elizabeth Lorentzen. This particular design was donated in memory of Arlene Brockman, who was responsible for helping to bring the beauty of barn quilts to Ossian, among other community-minded projects over her lifetime. (Zakary Kriener photo)

Brockman honored with barn quilt

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

Over a decade ago, Ossian resident and community activist Arlene Brockman contacted Winneshiek County Barn Quilt organizer Elizabeth Lorentzen about bringing the beauty of the rural-inspired barn quilts to Ossian.

“She was so energetic and excited about it,” recalled Lorentzen. “And it just so happened that we were looking to find someone to help spread the barn quilts in the southern portion of the county.”

Current South Winneshiek K-12 principal Kris Einck is ready to tackle a new position within the district next year. After less than a full semester as a Warrior, Einck recently agreed to become the superintendent, high school principal, and athletic director for the 2016-17 school year. The district will also look to hire a principal for the elementary and middle school position. (Zakary Kriener photo)

Einck ready to balance new roles

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

When Kris Einck began the new school year in August, it was his first in which he would don the Warrior red and white colors. The northeast Iowa native was eager to see what challenges would await him as he began the year as principal of both the high school and elementary/middle school. 

However, with less than a full semester of experience under his belt, the current administrator recently accepted a new role within the district for the 2016-17 school year, that of superintendent, high school principal, and athletic director.