Building Local Community Through Arts, Cultural, and Recreational Events, and the Exchange of Goods and Services
The Decorah Chamber is pleased to celebrate Wellness Businesses on November 7th and 9th. The Decorah Area has a lot to offer when it comes to services for personal wellness, self care, and fitness as well as exceptional spaces for exercise outdoors and healthy lifestyle. Use this weekend for trying something new and giving the gift of time for your personal well-being.
Participate in Decorah Parks & Recreation’s Turkey Trot Thursday, November 27 thru Sunday, November 30!
Build With Bags Grant Funds New Tables at Lake Meyer’s East Picnic Shelter
Winneshiek County Conservation has been awarded $2,000 through the Build with Bags grant program to help fund the purchase of eight new picnic tables that have been placed at the East Picnic Shelter overlooking Lake Meyer. These tables will provide sturdy, durable seating at this scenic picnic area, and this project will free up existing tables for use at other parks.
The tables are made from recycled plastic bags by Plastic Recycling of Iowa Falls, Inc. Each table represents approximately 10,600 plastic bags that won’t end up in the landfill and have been put to use in a durable, recycled product!
Now in its 16th year, the Build with Bags grant program is a cooperative effort of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Keep Iowa Beautiful, Metro Waste Authority in Des Moines, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. In addition to providing funding for the purchase of furniture and equipment made from recycled plastic for parks and schools, the Build with Bags program also strives to reduce the consumption of plastic bags, encourage the use of reusable bags, and increase the amount of plastic bags recycled.
The Decorah Hy-Vee store played an important role in making this grant possible, as Store Manager Ariana Cervantes provided a letter of support on behalf of Winneshiek County that led to it being selected to receive a grant. The Decorah Hy-Vee store encourages its customers to reduce plastic waste by promoting the use of re-usable bags in our community’s store.
For more information on Build with Bags or its grant program opportunities, please visit www.iowagrocers.com.
Presented below are the Election Summary Reports for the City and School Elections.
As the fall foliage dies back and before they are covered in snow, now is a great time to go fossil hunting in northeast Iowa! Most of the fossils found in Winneshiek County are approximately 487 to 443 million years old from the Ordovician Period. During this time, the land we now call Iowa was underwater, so our fossils often resemble ocean life. Have you found any of these common fossils?
Want to learn more about some of the most recently discovered Winneshiek County fossils? Visit Decorah, the county-seat of Winneshiek County, for information about the Decorah Impact Crater, Giant Sea Scorpion, and other amazing fossil finds at this link: https://visitdecorah.com/decorah-impact-crater/
Each Knowing Nature quiz features species found in Winneshiek County. By the end of the year, we’ll have experience identifying over 100 different types of plants, animals, and fungus!
Want to dive deeper into learning about the wildlife of Winneshiek County? Track seasonal changes and natural wonders with our YouTube playlist: “Noting Nature.”
Thank you to Luther College professor, Birgitta Meade, for compiling these “Knowing Nature” quizzes and allowing us to share them with the wider public. Most of the photos in these quizzes were taken by Winneshiek County Conservation naturalist Larry Reis.
The Grammy-nominated Lorelei Ensemble will deliver a bold and inventive program that champions the extraordinary range of the human voice at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. This performance is part of Luther College’s 2025-26 Center Stage Series.
The Lorelei Ensemble is one of the country’s leading vocal ensembles.
“We are thrilled to have the Lorelei Ensemble performing Christopher Cerrone’s ‘Beaufort Scales,’ which earned a Grammy nomination in 2025,” said Susan Potvin, director of programming and outreach. “It’s rare that you hear the original artist performing their Grammy-nominated work in a live performance in our corner of northeast Iowa. You don’t want to miss it.”
“Beaufort Scales” is a 36-minute oratorio for eight voices and live electronics that draws inspiration from various iterations of the Beaufort Wind Force Scale created by Sir Francis Beaufort in 1805, along with texts from Herman Melville, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Anne Carson and the King James Bible.
“Beaufort Scales” is one half of the Lorelei Ensemble’s “Look Up” program on Nov. 9. At turns eerie and hypnotic, razor-sharp and precise, resonant and dissonant, this riveting performance features a cinematic backdrop and a cautionary tale in the era of climate change. The other half includes Meredith Monk’s “Other Worlds Revealed” and “Earth Seen from Above” from her 1993 opera “Atlas,” Molly Herron’s “Stellar Atmospheres” and Elijah Daniel Smith’s “Suspended in Spin.”
“The idea of ‘Look Up’ is about looking up to the sky and seeing we are one entity in this expansive universe, but also looking up and seeing what is happening on the planet right here,” said Beth Willer, Lorelei Ensemble artistic director.
Willer is the founder of the Lorelei Ensemble and has led the group since 2007. She graduated from Luther in 2003 after studying trumpet performance and vocal music education.
The Lorelei Ensemble is one of the country’s leading vocal ensembles. Its members include Elizabeth Bates, Sarah Brailey, Kathryn Cruz, Kristin Gornstein, Kate Maroney, Emily Marvosh, Clara Osowski and Sonja Tengblad. The Lorelei Ensemble has collaborated with leading composers to commission more than 70 new works that expand and deepen the repertoire of sounds, timbres, words, and stories that women use to reflect and challenge our world.
The Lorelei Ensemble performed as part of Luther’s Center Stage Series in 2018.
“The Lorelei Ensemble returns to Luther to perform a stimulating program that will inspire and challenge listeners to consider our physical world and the changing climate in the context of beautiful, unique vocal music,” Potvin said.
Before the performance, treat yourself to brunch starting at 11 a.m. in the Peace Dining Room at the Dahl Centennial Union. The cost is $33 per person.
Buy tickets for the Nov. 9 performance and for the pre-show dinner at tickets.luther.edu or at the Luther Ticket Office in the Center for Faith and Life. Contact the ticket office at tickets@luther.edu or 563-387-1357 for more information.
The Center for Ethics and Public Engagement will host a panel discussion and a community conversation.
October 31 2025
University of Arizona Anthropology Professor Marcela Vásquez-León will discuss her experience mentoring Indigenous and Afro-descendent women at a lecture on Nov. 4.
October 27 2025
Ticket Office Hours:
Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Thursday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Show Day Hours:
9 a.m. – performance
Saturdays 1 p.m. – performance
Mail:
Luther College Ticket Office
Center for Faith & Life
700 College Dr
Decorah, Iowa 52101
Phone: 563-387-1357
Agenda: Pledge of Allegiance 9:30 a.m. Michael Kueny – County Engineer Re: road project updates 9:50 a.m. Miscellaneous …
Expert Advice from Dr. Michael D’Netto
For many, pets are family—but for those with allergies, they can also be a source of sneezing, congestion, and discomfort. Fortunately, with the right strategies, it’s possible to manage pet allergies while keeping your furry companion indoors.
Create Pet-Free Zones
Keep bedrooms and other key areas off-limits to pets to reduce allergen exposure where you rest and sleep.
Bathe and Groom Regularly
Weekly baths and frequent brushing (ideally by a non-allergic household member) can significantly reduce dander.
Clean Smart
Use HEPA filters in vacuums and air purifiers, wash pet bedding weekly, and consider replacing carpets with hard flooring.
Manage Symptoms
Medications like antihistamines and nasal sprays can help.
Allergen immunotherapy
For long-term relief, allergy shots (immunotherapy) may be an option. This is the one treatment option which modifies the underlying cause of allergic symptoms in response to a pet, rather than attempted avoidance or symptom management with medications.
“Pet allergies don’t always mean you have to give up your pet,” says Michael D’Netto, M.D., a Mayo Clinic Health System board-certified Allergist and Immunologist at WinnMed in Decorah. “With a combination of environmental control, medical treatment, and expert guidance, many people can live comfortably with their animals.”
Get Tested
If you’re unsure whether your symptoms are pet-related, an allergist can perform testing to confirm and guide treatment.
Make an appointment
Dr. D’Netto is accepting new patients at WinnMed in Decorah. Call WinnMed at 563-382-2911 or request an appointment online through WinnMed’s online portal, MyChart.