“Marvelous Adventures of Countyland” – an exciting and educational book specially crafted for children, brought to you by NACo (National Association of Counties). This book is an interactive experience designed to make learning about county government enjoyable and accessible for children of all ages. Whether you’re exploring the responsibilities of county officials or discovering how counties serve their communities, each page is packed with wonder and excitement! Below is a pdf to the book.
This event will be held Tuesday, May 14, 4:30 pm, at the Decorah High School Track. To register, see links below. Preregistration is strongly encouraged, but late registration will be taken beginning at 4:00pm near the track entrance on the day of the event.
The 87th annual Decorah FFA Awards Program was held at the Decorah High School auditorium on Thursday, at 7:00 p.m. About 200 guests were in attendance, including parents, family members, community sponsors, business leaders, and members. The Conduct of Meetings Team consisting of President Gabe Monroe, Vice-President Braden Hemesath, Secretary Madelynn Dahl, Treasurer Andrew Carolan, Reporter Mara Lovstuen, Sentinel Hadley Alexander, and Advisor Aiden Helgerson officially opened the awards program.
Chapter President Creed Monroe welcomed everyone in attendance. The 2023-2024 officer team then presented Greenhand FFA Degrees and Chapter FFA degrees to the recipients, and Jackson Irwin presented the FFA Creed. This year’s twenty-one Greenhand FFA Degree recipients include Hadley Alexander, Andrew Carolan, Kale Christopher, Michael Clement, Brinlee Courtney, Madelynn Dahl, Dominick Duffield, William Hahn, Noah Heiselman, Aiden Helgerson, Braden Hemesath, Tristan Hunter, Jackson Irwin, William Kruse, Mara Lovstuen, Gabe Monroe, Karter Orris, Ryan Rocksvold, John Toby Schnitzler, Isabella Schnitzler, and Peyton Schultz.
The 2023-2024 Chapter FFA Degree recipients include Rylee Averhoff, Ryan Bigler, Mason Brumm, Henry Brynsaas, Karlee Bullerman, Jerikah Dodd, Karlie Einck, Nick Farley, Ayden Guevara, Jacob Hageman, Lauren Holthaus, Kaylee Larson, Raleigh Lensing, Lyla Lovstuen, Eden Scheidel, Annika Schmelzer, Jake Teslow, Gracie Thompson, Kamryn Werges, and Thea Zidlicky.
Brody Courtney and Travis Nordheim then awarded the leadership awards to members who successfully served as leaders within our chapter by serving as an officer and/or a committee chairperson. Members receiving leadership pins for completing their first year of service include Kiele Eberling, Rashell Lippe, Lyla Lovstuen, Eden Scheidel, Kamryn Werges, Kolton Werges, and Thea Zidlicky.
Members recognized for more than two years of leadership service to the chapter include Brooke Anfinson, Cade Averhoff, Annika Brynsaas, Brody Courtney, Braunwyn Darrington, Anders Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Travis Nordheim, Jeramiah Rediske, Derek Tieskoetter, Ciara Wedmann, Mara Wyatt, and Olivia Wyatt.
Annika Brynsaas and Derek Tieskoetter introduced the members who had perfect meeting attendance this past year. These members include Hadley Alexander, Henry Brynsaas, Annika Brynsaas, Karlee Bullerman, Brody Courtney, Brinlee Courtney, Karlie Einck, Nick Farley, Aiden Helgerson, Braden Hemesath, Tristan Hunter, William Kruse, Anders Lovstuen, Lyla Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Gabe Monroe, Travis Nordheim, Jeramiah Rediske, Eden Scheidel, Derek Tieskoetter, and Thea Zidlicky.
Anders Lovstuen and Lyla Lovstuen presented scholarship pins and certificates to all of the Decorah FFA members who made the honor roll this past year. Members receiving this honor and a pin include Hadley Alexander, Rylee Averhoff, Andrew Carolan, Kale Christopher, Brinlee Courtney, Madelynn Dahl, Camren Darling, William Hahn, Lauren Holthaus, Tristan Hunter, Jackson Irwin, William Kruse, Gabe Monroe, Karter Orris, Peyton Schultz, and Haley Stinson.
Members receiving a scholarship certificate for being on the honor roll multiple years include Brooke Anfinson, Cade Averhoff, Ryan Bigler, Henry Brynsaas, Annika Brynsaas, Karlee Bullerman, Brody Courtney, Braunwyn Darrington, Jerikah Dodd, Kiele Eberling, Nick Farley, Austin Helgerson, Raleigh Lensing, Anders Lovstuen, Lyla Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Travis Nordheim, Jeramiah Rediske, Eden Scheidel, Annika Schmelzer, Jordan Sims, Kayleigh Smith, Jake Teslow, Ciara Wedmann, and Mara Wyatt.
Kamryn Werges presented the Academic Achievement Awards. The senior academic awards are awarded from the Iowa FFA Association and are presented to the seniors with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. Recipients who received a certificate and a medal include Brooke Anfinson, Annika Brynsaas, Anders Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Travis Nordheim, and Ciara Wedmann.
Kiele Eberling and Eden Scheidel recognized this year’s members of the month. Members selected to be honored for their FFA accomplishments include Anders Lovstuen, Brooke Anfinson, Karlie Einck, Travis Nordheim, Kamryn Werges, Jeramiah Rediske, Derek Tieskoetter, and Creed Monroe.
Creed Monroe and Jeramiah Rediske presented the top five fruit sales awards after announcing the chapter had sold a total fruit sales amount of $55,435. Members receiving fruit sales awards include 1st– Jordan Sims, 2nd – Karlie Einck, 3rd – Karlee Bullerman, 4th – Rylee Averhoff, 5th Aiden Helgerson, 6th – Dominick Duffield, 7th – Derek Tieskoetter, 8th – Lauren Holthaus, 9th – Kaylee Larson, and 10th – Elora Schnitzler.
The Decorah FFA Letter was presented by Gabe Monroe. In order to letter, members must be an active member in FFA and the community. This year twenty-three members lettered in FFA. These members include Brooke Anfinson, Cade Averhoff, Annika Brynsaas, Brody Courtney, Camren Darling, Braunwyn Darrington, Kiele Eberling, Karlie Einck, Christopher Larson, Anders Lovstuen, Lyla Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Travis Nordheim, Jeramiah Rediske, Eden Scheidel, Kayleigh Smith, Derek Tieskoetter, Ciara Wedmann, Kamryn Werges, Kolton Werges, Mara Wyatt, Olivia Wyatt, and Thea Zidlicky.
Each FFA member has a requirement to keep records on either a job placement, agribusiness ownership, or a livestock or crop project. Members then submit their record books for evaluation. Karlie Einck announced the top record books for each class. They were senior Jeramiah Rediske, junior Kiele Eberling, sophomore Eden Scheidel, and freshman Hadley Alexander.
Braunwyn Darrington and Travis Nordheim presented the Star Greenhand award to Brinlee Courtney and Gabe Monroe. They also presented the Star Chapter Farmer award to Anders Lovstuen, and the Star Chapter Placement award to Creed Monroe.
Kolton Werges congratulated this year’s proficiency award winners. This year’s chapter proficiency winners include the following: Annika Brynsaas (Agriculture Sales Placement), Creed Monroe (Agriculture Services), Jeramiah Rediske (Beef Production-Entrepreneurship), Brody Courtney (Dairy Production Entrepreneurship), Kayleigh Smith (Dairy Production-Placement), Eden Scheidel (Equine Science), Karlee Bullerman (Goat Production), Ciara Wedmann (Landscape Management), and Jordan Sims (Swine Production-Entrepreneurship).
Derek Tieskoetter and Kamryn Werges thanked the senior class for all their leadership over the years and congratulated them on all their accomplishments. This year’s 2024 Decorah FFA seniors who were recognized include Brooke Anfinson, Cade Averhoff, Annika Brynsaas, Brody Courtney, Camren Darling, Braunwyn Darrington, Christopher Larson, Anders Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Travis Nordheim, Jeramiah Rediske, Kayleigh Smith, Ciara Wedmann, Kolton Werges, Mara Wyatt, and Olivia Wyatt.
Annika Brynsaas presented the Star FFA Alumni and Supporters award to Cole and Ashley Horgen. Brody Courtney and Creed Monroe then recognized our 2024 Friends of Agriculture Award Recipients Mr. Brian Waskow and Mr. Dave Waskow.
The 2023-2024 Chapter officers then presented the Honorary FFA Degree. The Honorary membership is for any farmers, school superintendents, principals, members of boards of education, chapter advisors, teachers, staff members in agricultural education, business people, and others who are helping to advance agricultural education and the FFA and who have rendered outstanding service. They may be elected to honorary membership by a majority vote of the members present at any regular meeting or convention. This year’s recipients were Hubka Construction and Paul and Sue Bruvold.
Chapter Advisor Joni Bruvold thanked all the volunteers and individuals who have supported the chapter throughout the last year. Following Ms. Bruvold’s speech, the Decorah FFA Alumni and Supporters came to the stage to provide an update. There also was a live auction to raise money for Decorah FFA Senior Scholarships through the Decorah FFA Alumni and Supporters. After watching the year in review video, the new officer installation took place before the banquet was adjourned. The 2023-2024 officers installed the following 2024-25 officers: President – Creed Monroe to Kamryn Werges, Vice President – Brody Courtney to Eden Scheidel, Secretary – Annika Brynsaas to Karlie Einck, Treasurer – Anders Lovstuen to Gabe Monroe, Reporter – Jeramiah Rediske to Brinlee Courtney, Sentinel – Travis Nordheim to Derek Tieskoetter, and Assistant Officer – Derek Tieskoetter to Lyla Lovstuen. The officer team performed the closing ceremonies and concluded the banquet with the Pledge of Allegiance.
2024 Decorah FFA Friends of FFA Award Recipients: Mr. Brian Waskow and Mr. Dave Waskow
2024 Decorah FFA Best Record Book Winners:
Hadley Alexander, Eden Scheidel, Kiele Eberling, and Jeramiah Rediske received best record book awards.
2024 Decorah FFA Honorary FFA Degree Recipients:
Sue and Paul Bruvold received the Honorary FFA Degree. Hubka Construction was absent from the photo but also received the Honorary FFA Degree.
2024 Decorah FFA Letter Recipients: Row 1: Kamryn Werges, Ciara Wedmann, Anders Lovstuen, Creed Monroe, Kolton Werges
Row 2: Eden Scheidel, Derek Tieskoetter, Mara Wyatt, Olivia Wyatt
Ashley and Cole Horgen received the 2024 Decorah FFA Star FFA Alumni and Supporters Award
2023-2024 Decorah FFA Top 5 Fruit Sales:5th – Aiden Helgerson, 4th – Rylee Averhoff, 3rd – Karlee Bullerman, 2nd – Karlie Einck, and 1st – Jordan Sims
2024 Decorah FFA Star Award Recipients:
Gabe Monroe, Anders Lovstuen, and Creed Monroe received a 2024 Decorah FFA Star Award. Brinlee Courtney also received a FFA Star Award but was absent for the photo.
2023-2024 Decorah FFA Proficiency Award Winners Row 1: Annika Brynsaas, Creed Monroe, Jeramiah Rediske, Brody Courtney, Kayleigh Smith Row 2: Eden Scheidel, Karlee Bullerman, Ciara Wedmann, Jordan Sims
Decorah FFA members receiving the Chapter FFA Degree Row 1: Lyla Lovstuen, Raleigh Lensing, Karlie Einck, Nick Farley Row 2: Karlee Bullerman, Lauren Holthaus, Jerikah Dodd, Rylee Averhoff, Annika Schmelzer Row 3: Ryan Bigler, Henry Brynsaas, Kamryn Werges, Eden Scheidel Absent from photo: Mason Brumm, Ayden Guevara, Jacob Hageman, Kaylee Larson, Jake Teslow, Gracie Thompson, and Thea Zidlicky
Decorah FFA members receiving the Greenhand FFA Degree Row 1: Hadley Alexander, Madelynn Dahl, Andrew Carolan, Michael Clement, Aiden Helgerson Row 2: Jackson Irwin, Tristan Hunter, Mara Lovstuen, Isabella Schnitzler, Peyton Schultz Row 3: Dominick Duffield, Braden Hemesath, Karter Orris, William Kruse, Gabe Monroe, John Toby Schnitzler Absent from photo: Kale Christopher, Brinlee Courtney, William Hahn, Noah Heiselman, Ryan Rocksvold
DECORAH, IOWA— Five Luther College seniors attended the annual Sigma Tau Delta Convention in St. Louis from April 3–6. The students, all English majors or minors and members of the Sigma Tau Delta English honor society, presented work on topics like George Eliot’s “Middlemarch” and queer identity in literature, in addition to original fiction and poetry.
Five Luther seniors attended the Sigma Tau Delta Conference in April. From left to right: Mia Irving, Scott Rush, Ashley Imdieke, Ethan Kober, Amy Webb.
The five students who attended were:
Ashley Imdieke, of Northfield, Minnesota
Mia Irving, of Coralville, Iowa
Ethan Kober, of Cedar Falls, Iowa
Scott Rust, of Hudson, Wisconsin
Amy Webb, of Waverly, Iowa
Each year, the international conference brings college students and faculty from different institutions to present their work and celebrate undergraduate writers. Students also learn about career and graduate school opportunities for English majors and minors. They also have the opportunity to earn awards for outstanding work.
Webb received an honorable mention in the Stemmler Dennis LGBT award category for her critical essay “Stone Fruit: Inner Wildness and Queer Identity.”
“The Sigma Tau Delta convention gathers a supportive and dynamic community brimming with creativity and new ideas,” Webb said. “I enjoyed discovering the diverse ways my English minor can be applied in different careers, exploring various interpretations of literature and multimedia and listening to a variety of original poetry and prose by my peers. Overall, it was an incredibly inspiring experience.”
“Luther should be very proud of the quality and professionalism of these students’ presentations,” said Marie Drews, associate professor of English and faculty advisor to Sigma Tau Delta. “In their participation at the conference, the students proved fine ambassadors of a Luther education.”
“I found that this conference was very valuable for me personally, as it gave me the opportunity to meet and learn more about the career paths of professionals in writing and editing jobs,” Imdieke said. “Additionally, I enjoyed the experience of presenting an academic paper that I wrote this year; it was a great opportunity to further develop my public speaking skills and to meet students from all across the country.”
About Luther College
At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Our academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageous for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.
Two Decorah Envirothon teams recently competed in the state contest held at Jester State Park near Saylorville, Iowa. Both teams had qualified for the state competition by achieving very high scores at regional competition. They, along with 13 other teams from across the state, vied for the state title and a trip to the international Envirothon contest to be held in Geneva, New York this year.
For the second year in a row, team DNR finished first at the state competition. Team members are Lucas Arendt, Connor Evelsizer, Gabriel Hiner, Anders Lovstuen, and Aiden Nalean-Carlson. By finishing first at the state contest, they have earned an expense-paid trip to New York to represent Iowa in international competition July 28th-August 3rd. The DNR team had the outright high score in the Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, and Oral Speech categories.
For the second year in a row, team Skabush also qualified to compete in state competition and finished in an impressive second place. Team members include Henry Weis, Nathan Swarbrick, Alex McGohan, Riley Berns and Carson Bohner, who won the current Issue category and finished with high scores in each of the other categories. This is the first year that Decorah teams, competing at the state level, have taken home the first and second place awards.
The Envirothon is a team competition for high school students, testing their knowledge of the natural world around them. In the field and classroom, teams of five students are challenged to use their knowledge and critical thinking skills to conduct hands-on investigations, solve real-life scenarios, and answer questions covering five categories: Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, Wildlife, and a current topic. This year’s current topic, “Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future,” required each five-member team to also prepare and present a speech outlining a designed plan with recommendations and possible solutions to meet the current topic challenges.
Advisor Larry Berland shared, “I am very proud to say that 60 awesome Decorah high school students participated in the Envirothon program this year. They offer hope for the Earth’s environment.” He continued, “A very special thank you goes out to Barb Schroeder and the Winneshiek County Conservation Board along with Conservation Districts of Iowa for their generous donations to our cause. I also want to thank parents, school administration, teachers, and a community that cares: you make our success possible.”
Envirothon State First Place Winner 24: Lucas Arendt, Aiden Nalean-Carlson, Gabriel Hiner, Connor Evelsizer, and Anders Lovstuen
Skabush at State – Second Place: Henry Weis, Carson Bohner, Alex McGohan, Nathan Swarbrick, and Riley Berns
Envirothon State Winners 24: Front row–first place team: Connor Evelsizer, Anders Lovstuen, Gabriel Hiner, Aiden Nalean-Carlson, and Lucas Arendt
Back row–second place team: Chaperone Nick Lovstuen, Carson Bohner, Nathan Swarbrick, Riley Berns, Alex McGohan, Henry Weis, and Advisor Larry Berland
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE CITY OF DECORAH 2024 WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY UPGRADE PROJECT IS ELIGIBLE FOR A CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FROM NEPA REVIEW. THIS PROJECT IS BEING FUNDED IN PART OR WHOLE BY SRF FUNDING.
The proposed project was reviewed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR} for eligibility for a categorical exclusion from NEPA review specified in the 40 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Part 6.204. The project meets all criteria described in the above reference, and it was determined that this project is eligible for a categorical exclusion. Consequently, a preliminary decision has been made that a Finding of No Significant Impact (FNSI) will not be prepared.
This action is taken on the basis of a careful review of supporting information that is on file at the DNR’s Des Moines, Iowa office. The Categorical Exclusion documentation for this project is available online at https://www.iowasrf.com/environmental-review/. The DNR will not take any administrative action on the project for at least thirty (30} calendar days from the publication of this Notice. Persons disagreeing with the above environmental decision may submit comments to SRF-PC@dnr.iowa.gov during this period. For further information, please contact Jean Mayne at Jean.Mayne@dnr.iowa.govor 515-491-7565.
Decorah Parks and Recreation is excited to add a more toddler-friendly experience to the existing Mary Christopher Park playground, made possible by a generous donor. Construction is currently underway, placing a temporary closure on the park now through Friday, May 10th, or until the project is complete.
Decorah Home School Assistance Program (HSAP) students Eva Kriemelmeyer and Dominic Wheeler each received significant awards at the state National History Day competition in Des Moines on April 29.
Kriemelmeyer received the Women’s History Award for best project examining a topic in women’s history. Her project, an individual performance, is titled “Amanda T. Jones’s Vacuum Sealing Method: A Turning Point in Food Preservation.”
Wheeler’s project earned a 3rd place award in the paper category and is the alternate to the national competition at the University of Maryland in June. His paper is titled “Kings, Cavalry, and Golden Apples: Jan Sobieski and the 1683 Siege of Vienna.”
National History Day is a year-long academic enrichment program that challenges students to research, develop, and present projects about historical issues, ideas, people, and events related to an annual theme. This year’s theme is Frontiers in Turning Points in History. The students are coached by HSAP coordinator Bonnie Johnson.
Sangerfest is a celebration and gathering of Norwegian Singing Societies from across the country that happens every two years in rotating venues across the upper midwest. The 2024 Sangerfest public concert will take place on Saturday, June 8, 2024 at the Luther College CFL in Decorah, Iowa.
Since 1975, Dr. David Judisch has been the director of the Luren Singing Society, based in Decorah, and also serving as Director-in-Chief for the Norwegian Singers Association of America (NSAA) since 1984.
Dr. David & Gail Judisch, Vesterheim, Courtesy Luren Singers
Judisch earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Iowa, and is Professor Emeritus of Music at Luther College where he was Professor of Music, Head of Voice and Opera, and Director of the Dorian Summer Music Camps. He was the recipient of the St. Olaf Medal by Norway’s King, His Majesty, King Harald V in 2016. A Eastern Iowa native, Judisch graduated from Wapsie Valley High School and followed his musical education at the University of Iowa. Under the guidance of professors such as Herald Stark, Judisch found opportunities that lead him to Luther College in the early 1970s. With a young family in tow, David quickly made inroads in the community via friends and coworkers like David Greedy, Weston Noble, and Jack Nelson – who in 1975 recruited him into the Norwegian Singing Society culture.
The Luren Singing Society continues to hold the torch along with a small handful of other groups from across the upper midwest to this great Norwegian-American tradition. The group continues past 155+ years of building community through voice, broadening repertoire, relationships, and membership. Multiple tours of Norway and Scandinavia have been mounted over the years including full ensemble tours in 1969, 1973, 1983, 1993, 2001, 2015, and 2023. The NSAA also featured group ensemble tours in 1995 and 2005, with performances across Scandinavia and Europe. Dr. Judisch recalls several notable concerts in this show, including Temppeliaukio Lutheran Church (Church in the Rock) in Helsinki, and countless performances in Norway. Assistant Director Douglas Poppen has also served the group since 2018.
We hope you enjoy this fantastic conversation with Dr. David Judisch, celebrating the rich and deep tradition of Norwegian Singing Societies, and the Sangerfest Celebration.
