Palisades Park Closed for Season
Palisades Park is closed to vehicle traffic for the season. The park remains open to pedestrian traffic and will be groomed for skiing when weather allows.
Month: November 2025
Holiday Hours 2025
Letters to Santa
Children have the opportunity to send letters to Santa at the North Pole beginning Monday, November 17th. Letters can be dropped in the special, red mailbox located inside of City Hall, outside the Park-Rec Office.
Please make sure to include your name and a return address. All letters to Santa must be dropped in the mailbox by Monday, December 15th to give Santa enough time to reply before Christmas!
Through extraordinary support, One Team Day raises nearly $593,000
A total of $592,631 was raised during Luther College’s sixth annual One Team Day on Thursday, Nov. 20, making the event the most successful one in the college’s history.
Launched in 2020, One Team Day is a 24-hour campaign to support student-athletes at Luther College.
“My initial reaction was disbelief — this level of support is extraordinary,” said Athletic Director Megan Wilson. “But if any place could rise to the moment, it’s Luther. The pride people hold for this institution continues to amaze me. One Team Day is truly representative of competition, character and our community.”
Launched in 2020, One Team Day is a 24-hour campaign to support student-athletes, celebrate Norse spirit and highlight the importance of athletics and student-athletes within the Luther community.
Along with supporting their favorite teams, as they have done in the past, Luther invited community members to support the $24 million Gerdin Fieldhouse renovation project as part of the 2025 One Team Day event.
The daylong event concluded with the One Team Day Happy Hour for Luther alumni, parents, coaches, and fans of Norse athletics at Impact Coffee, 101 Water St. Many people attended the free event sponsored by Impact Coffee and stayed for Impact Trivia, hosted by Luther student-athletes, following the happy hour.
Wilson expressed her gratitude to the One Team Day supporters.
“Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for investing in our student-athletes and the Gerdin Fieldhouse. One Team Day and the renovation project are truly transformational for the student-athlete experience,” Wilson said.
Luther College’s sixth annual One Team Day is Thursday, Nov. 20. “It marks an exciting milestone in the Gerdin Fieldhouse renovation,” said Amanda Bailey, head women’s basketball coach. “You’ve seen the progress and construction all year. Now, we’re inviting the entire Luther community to help us finish this project strong.”
November 14 2025
Supported by the Williams Endowment Fund, the day begins with Curry’s address at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall.
November 14 2025
Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors Meeting 20251124
Agenda: Pledge of Allegiance 9:30 a.m. Rachelle Howe – UERPC Re: funding request 9:50 a.m. Jeff Kuboushek – Recycling …
Reindeer Workshop
Join us for an evening of reindeer making, led by Decorah Parks & Recreation staff. This workshop will take place on Tuesday, December 9th at 6:30pm and 7:30pm sessions in the Decorah Park Shop (613 Park Street, next to Whalen Cabin).
Winneshiek County Conservation’s Hidden Gems
Northeast Iowa is home to many fantastic landscapes and opportunities for adventure. In the Iowa Driftless Region, Winneshiek County Conservation manages over twenty natural areas that provide recreational benefits while also protecting unique landscapes and species. This list compiles just a few of the lesser known gems accessible to the public in Winneshiek County—take a trip to get outdoors and experience these valuable areas.
From the 1960s to the early 2000s, this park used to be a part of a ski run called Nor-Ski Runs. The hill above the park still features an algific talus slope, a fragile and rare ecosystem, that is best not disturbed to protect its unique plant and animal species. Winneshiek County Conservation manages a picnic table and canoe access area in the park with great views of the Upper Iowa River and Luther College’s prairie plantings.
At Chimney Rock Park, you can find a historic bridge, vault toilets, and river access for paddling or fishing on the Upper Iowa River. For the bridge history buffs out there, the old Chimney Rock bridge is unique and historically significant, as it is an intact version of a rare bridge made by a company that has few remaining examples. The more adventurous may try hiking off-trail up the hills around the parking area for a scenic view of the Upper Iowa River from above. From the river or valley, look for the 150-foot tall chimney rocks that give the park its name. These spires are the result of weathering and erosion when softer limestone is carved away from the bluffs.
Step back in time to when most of Iowa was tallgrass prairie. Southwest of Fort Atkinson is a 90-acre park that features both restored and remnant prairie, as well as established trails that are excellent for birdwatching. Bobolinks, warblers, sparrows, phoebes, eagles, hawks, and flycatchers are just some of the birds you might see.
If you are planning a canoeing or kayaking route on the Upper Iowa River, the Bluffton Bluffs are a must-see. These 300-foot tall bluffs are some of the best the Driftless Area has to offer. The park itself does not have trails, making this natural area best to view from the river below.
This small—3.5 acre—park is home to a remnant upland prairie with limestone outcroppings. Off trail hiking is allowed, but please be careful to leave as little trace as possible. Ludwig Preserve is a great place to visit more than once a summer: each visit you will see a different explosion of colors thanks to the unique prairie wildflowers such as wild bergamot, rough blazing stars, leadplant, gray-headed coneflowers, and flowering spurge. Prairies are colorful places, and there’s no better place to see that than Ludwig Preserve.
Sindelar Wildlife Access contains one of the only healthy and naturally reproducing populations of native brook trout in northeast Iowa, a rarity that was once commonplace before European settlement. This 18-acre park has several trails along Casey Springs Creek that are great for birdwatching or angling.
U.S. News ranks Luther College among the nation’s best for undergraduate teaching
Professor Todd Pedlar with students Alain Ishimwe and Sam Wilson.
Luther College moved into the national ranking for undergraduate teaching programs among national liberal arts colleges in the recently announced 2026 U.S. News Best College rankings. Luther remained ranked as one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges at 111, down slightly from last year’s 108, and remained the second-highest ranked liberal arts college in Iowa.
“This year’s rankings reflect Luther’s core strength — our undergraduate teaching and our ability to draw excellence from all students,” President Brad Chamberlain said. “Luther’s inclusion in the national top rankings continues to affirm we are a proud Iowa-based college with a regional student body, a national reputation, and a global impact”
Luther’s score in peer assessment, one of the largest core components of the U.S. News rankings, rose for a third consecutive year.
Along with its national ranking, Luther also maintained its position among the top performers on social mobility, top undergraduate nursing programs and most students studying abroad.
“We know many families consult a wide range of rankings when investigating which colleges to visit each year, and Luther continues to exhibit strength in the top surveys,” Chamberlain added. “At the same time, the Luther story is best experienced in person, and we encourage prospective students to visit Luther and Decorah to bring to life what is in the rankings.”
“Receiving [the Weston Noble Award] inspires me to keep improving my service to Luther College and to the world,” said Juan Tony Guzmán, director of the jazz program and professor of music at Luther College. “I was close to Mr. Noble since I came to the United States in 1988. Like many others, I benefited from his wisdom, generosity, kindness and humor.”
October 23 2025
McGee also received the Kuh Family “Positively Luther” Award.
August 19 2025
City of Decorah Awarded $1,000,000 Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) Grant for the Decorah Athletic Complex
WinnMed Awarded Federal Appropriations Grant for Surgical Equipment –
WinnMed in Decorah, Iowa has been awarded a $700,000 federal appropriations grant for surgical equipment, sponsored by Congresswoman Ashely Hinson. The award was announced to WinnMed leadership following the re-opening of the government in November. The dollars will support the recent purchase of a da Vinci 5 Surgical Robot, the newest version of this robotic equipment by Intuitive. It is only the second in the state of Iowa, following University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Congresswoman Hinson said, “Earlier this year, I got to tour the improvements underway at WinnMed in Decorah and see their lifesaving services firsthand. I’m so proud to have helped secure federal funding for surgical department upgrades at WinnMed. This project will equip WinnMed with state-of-the-art surgical technology—expanding access to safe, minimally invasive surgeries in rural Iowa and reducing the need for residents to travel long distances for care. I will continue fighting to improve access to care in rural Iowa.”
The da Vinci 5 allows surgeons to perform complex procedures through small incisions, which can lead to less pain, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery times. Its advanced features include improved ergonomics for surgeons, high-definition 3D visualization, and refined instrument control, all designed to elevate the surgical experience. Erik Brink, D.O., WinnMed General Surgeon, was the first to use the equipment in early November. He said, “It was an honor and privilege to begin to offer the very best in safety and minimally invasive surgical techniques. Many patients will benefit from the increased capability of WinnMed.”
WinnMed Chief Administrative Officer said, “We are incredibly thankful to receive the appropriations grant and be selected by Congresswoman Hinson’s office as one of her projects to fund. Coming at a time of rapid growth at WinnMed, being able to have support to help fund much needed (but expensive) equipment like a surgical robot helps accelerate our progress to bring this technology to our region.”