Welcome to “Rhymes With Lansing” – a mini-series of podcast shows featuring just a few of the amazing folks that call Lansing, Iowa home. Recorded in the Spring of 2024, these shows represent a snapshot in time of life in one of Iowa’s great, rural, Mississippi River towns. Find the intro show to this series
Photo Courtesy of Walking Space Welcome to “Rhymes With Lansing” – a mini-series of podcast shows featuring just a few of the amazing folks that call Lansing, Iowa home. Recorded in the Spring of 2024, these shows represent a snapshot in time of life in one of Iowa’s great, rural, Mississippi River towns. Find the intro
Join us for the 2024 Earth Day Festival taking place on Saturday, April 20th, at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds in both the Community Building and Danan Lansing Building! Explore the latest in recycling, composting, solar power, electric vehicles, native planting, wildlife habitat, conservation practices, and more! This free, open house event is for all ages. Have fun
Erin Cubbon, Naturalist, Allamakee Co Conservation Welcome to “Rhymes With Lansing” – a mini-series of podcast shows featuring just a few of the amazing folks that call Lansing, Iowa home. Recorded in the Spring of 2024, these shows represent a snapshot in time of life in one of Iowa’s great, rural, Mississippi River towns. Find
Maryann Baldwin, Lansing Entrepreneur Welcome to “Rhymes With Lansing” – a mini-series of podcast shows featuring just a few of the amazing folks that call Lansing, Iowa home. Recorded in the Spring of 2024, these shows represent a snapshot in time of life in one of Iowa’s great, rural, Mississippi River towns. Find the intro
Summarize this content to 25 words Clean Energy Districts of Iowa IRA program factsheets. Click each thumbnail. Other links and resources we think you might find valuable: ACEEE IRA Home Energy Upgrade Incentives IRS list of vehicles that may qualify for the 2023 Clean Vehicles $7,500 tax credit Rewiring America Inflation Reduction Act Fact Sheets
Lansing, Iowa – Courtesy, Driftless Visitors Center Welcome to a special mini-series of shows we’re calling “Rhymes With Lansing” – bringing you stories from “where Main Street meets the Mississippi” in Iowa’s very NE Corner. Located in Allamakee County, Lansing is a town of almost 1,000 people ideally tucked into a wooded valley along the
Prescribed prairie burns will take place on parts of the Decorah Park System this spring. The burns will take place between April 4 and May 10. Source link
Valerie Reinke, Executive Director of Allamakee County Iowa Economic Development & Tourism joins us for this episode of “Rhymes With… Allamakee” Iowa’s most Northeastern County is a treasure trove of outdoor beauty, recreation opportunities, and some very dynamic communities. With just over 14,000 people, Allamakee County consists of six small towns: Waukon, Lansing, Postville, Harpers Ferry,
Summarize this content to 25 words
Publicly available electric vehicle charging has greatly improved in Winneshiek County and northeast Iowa. Within Decorah city limits, there are now sixteen level 2 chargers available for public use and two direct current fast chargers at Decorah Chevrolet. County- and region-wide, the situation has improved, too, with public chargers available in Calmar, Cresco, West Union, Lansing, and others.
Level 2 chargers can recharge an EV in 3-8 hours depending on vehicle and charger speed, and are best suited for situations where people park their cars for extended periods of time, like workplaces, downtown areas, hotels, and locations catering to travelers. Level 3 fast chargers can fill an EV in as short as 20-30 minutes and are best positioned to support regional pass-through travel.
The transition to electric vehicles locally and regionally is still in its infancy, and it’s perhaps important to acknowledge the realities, and resulting benefits, of publicly available EV charging for this phase of the transition. First and foremost, a vast majority of those who have already made the transition to EVs or are currently contemplating doing so, have access to low-cost electricity in their garages and aren’t necessarily going to need public or workplace charging. In addition, EV ranges have grown by leaps and bounds over just the past few years. In 2023, the median range of available EV models was 270 miles, roughly on par or slightly below the gas-equivalent automobiles.
As a result, the need for workplace and publicly available charging for those living locally is perhaps less acute than it was several years ago when EVs were in their technological infancy. At the same time, when low-cost EV options become more widely available, the need for publicly available charging options for renters, condo owners, and generally those without access to home charging will grow.
Taken together, we believe Decorah and Winneshiek County are well-positioned to support the current phase of EV adoption. Below is a list of chargers available for public use in Winneshiek County along with the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh). For reference, most EVs achieve 2.5 – 4 miles of range per kWh of charge, and an EV with a range of 270 miles has a 60-80 kW battery.
Location
Charge speed per hour
Cost per kWh
Decorah Chevrolet, 2 chargers
180 kW
$0.49
Weis GMC Decorah, level 3
coming soon
coming soon
State Street across from Fareway, 2 chargers
10.4 kW
$0.31
Downtown Decorah at Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce
21.6 kW
$0.31
Downtown Decorah behind Oneota Coop, 4 chargers
7.2 kW
$0.31
Winneshiek Medical Center, 2 chargers
6.6 kW
$.30
Sunflower Child Development Center
coming soon
coming soon
Preus Library, Luther College, 2 chargers
6.6 kW
$0.23
Luther College Regents Center, 2 chargers
5 kW
$0.23
Downtown Calmar
17 kW
$0.29
NICC Calmar Campus
7 kW
$0.29
Join us on this episode of “Rhymes With Decorah” as we take an awesome opportunity to talk with Decorah Community School District Nutrition Director and Culinary Specialist Chad Elliott. With deep roots in the Decorah area, Chad brings a background in the commercial food service industry to what may be any communities most
We are proud to announce our 2024 Decorah Municipal Band performance schedule! We will be performing at the Lawn Chair Night on June 13 which is in front of the Winneshiek County Courthouse at 7:00 pm and a possible shorter performance at Decorah’s 175th celebration on June 15. More information will be provided about June
Cover image by Anne Butera / MyGiantStrawberry.com Join the WHOLE fam on this show for a rundown on the Spring 2024 Issue of Inspire(d) Magazine! Here’s Aryn’s editors letter for this issue as well. Don’t miss a tiny bit of this beautiful issue (inside and out!). Thanks for listening, reading, and supporting our mission
Event Details Join us in a family-friendly scavenger hunt along Ice Cave Road! Search for Gnomes and other creatures that may be hiding along the trail. Participants can start their hunt at the Dunning Springs Parking Lot and head towards Ice Cave. The trail will have riddles and clues for you to solve along the
Join us on Sunday, March 24th, beginning promptly at 3:00 pm, at Will Baker Athletic Fields. Children find plastic eggs filled with candy or prizes and all egg hunters receive participation gifts at the close of the Hunt. The Easter Bunny will also be there so bring your cameras! After you register online, please stop
Photo Courtesy of WinnMed Emergency Management Services are often not thought of until there is a time of need. Police, Fire, Ambulance, First Responders – all provide essential community services, and face unique challenges in much of our rural regions. Steve Vanden Brink has been serving Decorah and NE Iowa for over 30 years as
STARTING MONDAY, APRIL 1ST, ALL ELECTRONIC WASTE AND OLD APPLIANCES SHOULD BE DROPPED OFF AT THE RECYCLING CENTER (2510 172nd Avenue Decorah, IA) DURING BUSINESS HOURS (6:00 AM to 3:00 PM M-F excluding holidays). THE WINNESHIEK COUNTY LANDFILL WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT ELECTRONICS OR APPLIANCE WASTE STARTING APRIL 1ST. PLEASE NOTE: * A $20 fee
Summarize this content to 25 words
Jim Martin-Schramm
Last fall, Alliant Energy sent a notice to customers about its application to the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) to increase rates.
For many, Alliant’s notice might have been missed or swept into the recycling bin without much thought. Not at Luther College. Luther’s Director of Facilities Services immediately set about figuring out how Alliant’s rate increase would impact the college. He was stunned.
Luther College is facing a 48.2% increase in its Alliant Energy bill if the IUB approves the company’s proposed electric rate increase as proposed.
“You can imagine my dismay when our Director of Facilities Services informed me that Alliant’s proposed electric rate increase would not increase our bill by 20%, as the company estimates in their customer notice, but rather by 36% under Phase I ($371,464) and an additional $85,700 after Phase II. The total increase is calculated to be $457,200 or 48.2% increase over our 2022-23 invoice totals,” said President Jenifer K. Ward in comments she sent to the Iowa Utilities Board on February 13, 2024.
President Ward goes on to say: “It feels like we are being punished for our investments in efficiency and renewables. We certainly are not being rewarded for reducing our demand on the grid and the production of energy during many of the peak hours of the day. . . . In my view, Alliant’s proposed increase is punitive and unjust. It will have a severe negative impact on Luther College, and the significant proposed increases for residential customers (13.4%) and small businesses (20%) are going to harm Luther’s employees and Decorah’s vital downtown businesses.”
One of those downtown businesses is the award-winning restaurant, Rubaiyat. An analysis performed by the Clean Energy Districts of Iowa (CEDI) has revealed that the restaurant is facing a 38% increase in its electricity bill, which is almost twice the 20% average increase Alliant has told businesses that they will experience.
“I’m just sick about the potential of that big of an increase. . . I feel so helpless and frustrated,” said Rubaiyat’s co-owner, Kim Carlson-Bonnet.
Other analyses performed by CEDI for local businesses and institutions in the area indicate that some customers will likely have larger increases than the average 20% increase the company has projected. The same will likely be true for residential customers.
One of the things driving Alliant’s increased costs is the cost of electricity in the summer. For residential customers, it is scheduled to increase 57.4% from 11.685 cents/kWh in 2023 to 18.408 cents/kWh once the rate increase has been fully phased in. This will significantly increase the energy burden for households living paycheck to paycheck and for those in large homes and/or those with inefficient air conditioning systems.
For businesses taking service under Alliant’s non-residential general service tariff, electricity will increase 87% from 11.916 cents/kWh to 22.295 cents/kWh. Some businesses will see their summer electricity bills more than double.
These increased costs will be significantly exacerbated by Alliant’s proposal to eliminate declining cost block pricing for residential and commercial customers. The cost increase will be mitigated slightly by Alliant’s decision to limit summer rates to June, July, and August, which is one month less than is currently the case.
Alliant’s proposal to raise electric rates is its third in seven years, and the largest in its history. Alliant’s residential rates are almost the highest in the State of Iowa and third highest in the Midwest among investor-owned utilities of similar size.
If you are concerned about how this rate increase could affect your home or business, make your voice heard. The Iowa Utilities Board encourages all citizens and ratepayers to voice their perspectives to the Board by submitting comments by email to customer@iub.iowa.gov or by mail to Iowa Utilities Board, 1375 E. Court Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50319-0069. All communication should reference Docket RPU-2023-0002 in the subject line of the email or letter.
The Clean Energy Districts of Iowa is an official intervenor in the Alliant electric rate case as the CEDI Coalition, which currently consists of 47 communities who oppose the magnitude of Alliant’s proposed rate increase. To date, 83 communities have filed with the IUB a resolution drafted by CEDI opposing the rate increase. The City of Decorah was the first to sign the resolution and to join the CEDI Coalition.
I urge you to make your voice heard at the Iowa Utilities Board. The first round of testimony is due on April 16 and the legal hearing will take place at the IUB July 9-12. The Board will likely issue its final decision and order shortly thereafter.
Jim Martin-Schramm is on the Board of the Winneshiek Energy District. He also serves as a Policy Analyst for the Clean Energy Districts of Iowa and as the manager of the CEDI Coalition.
The Oneota Valley Community Orhestra has been bringing incredible performances to NE Iowa for 10 years! Join founder and musical director Matt Cody, along with musician and board member Benjamin Kratchmer as we talk all things OVCO. The organization, started in 2014, was brougth to life to present live classical music to the residents of
Winneshiek County residents! Did you hear you can earn a home composter for no cost this year? See the details listed below to find out if you are eligible. Composting your food waste helps reduce pressure on our landfill. It also creates healthy soil that can be used as fertilizer in your garden! Click on
Liudmyla Skorlupina is a Ukrainian English teacher, currently living with her son Zhenia in the US. They are from Bucha, Ukraine, and were able to participate in the “Uniting for Ukraine” Federal humanitarian program, which allows them to spend up to two years in the US with a host sponsor family. Liuda and Luther College
Cy Nelson of Decorah is pictured with his wife, Mona, and many of the emergency responders who participated in his care. Winneshiek County emergency responders were presented with a Clinical Save award for their role in a cardiac arrest event that happened in December. Cardiac Arrest Event Cy Nelson of Decorah and his friend Kevin
Olivia Lynn Schnur is a writer, Mental Health Counselor, and yoga teacher, with roots in NE Iowa! You may have read some of Olivia’s pieces in the pages of Inspire(d) over the past 4+ years, as she and Aryn have partnered to present various themes and topics throughout each issue. Olivia has a wealth of
The Glocks upgraded their water heater to a more energy-efficient heat pump model, saving about $650 annually. Rebates and incentives help offset installation costs.
Happy Wednesday all! Remember to unscrew those bottle caps before tossing plastic bottles in the recycling bin, and ensure your plastic bottles are empty. Our recycling team appreciates the help! Also, another friendly reminder: we only accept HARD plastics with the magic numbers 1 or 2 in the recycling triangle. This number is usually found
WinnMed will serve patients and the broader region in a new way beginning February 1, 2024 through the opening of their retail pharmacy. Located in the renovated North Building on their Decorah campus, the WinnMed Pharmacy offers retail pharmacy services, including: prescription filling and education, over-the-counter medications, medication adherence packaging, medication synchronization, compounding, drug disposal,
Decorah Native Kim Karr started her professional career in high school education, and quickly realized a need in the digital world – social media specifically, and the way that young people interact. Fast forward, and Kim has been the Executive Director of Digital4Good and #ICanHelp for a decade – making positive impact on a world
Allergist Michael D’Netto, M.D., tells us what we need to know about the Allergy and Immunology department of WinnMed – WinnMed % Home Allergist Michael D’Netto, M.D., tells us what we need to know about the Allergy and Immunology department of WinnMed Dr. D’Netto, allergist, is seeing patients full time at WinnMed in Decorah. Keep
Big shoutout to our amazing community! We’ve noticed a significant rise in cardboard here over the past couple weeks, and the best part? The loads have been clean with minimal contamination! Kudos for the exceptional job in maintaining the quality of our cardboard recycling. Thanks for your efforts and stay safe in this snow!
Decorah Community School District Superintendent Tim Cronin joins us for this episode of “Rhymes With Decorah” to talk about his long family ties to Decorah, generations of educators, the successes and challenges our School district faces, and the perfect “Decorah” day! Dr. Cronin’s path found him attending Luther College for undergrad studies (and basketball!) before
Decorah Parks and Recreation invites the community to join our Winter Walkers program beginning Monday, January 1st! Winter Walkers is a fun way for folks of all ages to stay active, spend time outside, and stay motivated during the winter when we are oftentimes less likely to bundle up and head outdoors. The aim of
A free, drop-in event for families to enjoy! Join us Tuesdays in Luther College Regent’s Center North Gym, from 11:00am-12:00pm to enjoy open play during the winter weather. *All children must be accompanied by an adult* Please use the North Entrance by the racquetball courts to enter the building. Also note that if Decorah Community
Welcome to “Rhymes With Lansing” – a mini-series of podcast shows featuring just a few of the amazing folks that call Lansing, Iowa home. Recorded in the Spring of 2024, these shows represent a snapshot in time of life in one of Iowa’s great, rural, Mississippi River towns. Find the intro show to this series
Photo Courtesy of Walking Space Welcome to “Rhymes With Lansing” – a mini-series of podcast shows featuring just a few of the amazing folks that call Lansing, Iowa home. Recorded in the Spring of 2024, these shows represent a snapshot in time of life in one of Iowa’s great, rural, Mississippi River towns. Find the intro
Join us for the 2024 Earth Day Festival taking place on Saturday, April 20th, at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds in both the Community Building and Danan Lansing Building! Explore the latest in recycling, composting, solar power, electric vehicles, native planting, wildlife habitat, conservation practices, and more! This free, open house event is for all ages. Have fun
Erin Cubbon, Naturalist, Allamakee Co Conservation Welcome to “Rhymes With Lansing” – a mini-series of podcast shows featuring just a few of the amazing folks that call Lansing, Iowa home. Recorded in the Spring of 2024, these shows represent a snapshot in time of life in one of Iowa’s great, rural, Mississippi River towns. Find
Come celebrate our planet at the 2024 Earth Day Festival! Source link
Maryann Baldwin, Lansing Entrepreneur Welcome to “Rhymes With Lansing” – a mini-series of podcast shows featuring just a few of the amazing folks that call Lansing, Iowa home. Recorded in the Spring of 2024, these shows represent a snapshot in time of life in one of Iowa’s great, rural, Mississippi River towns. Find the intro
Summarize this content to 25 words Clean Energy Districts of Iowa IRA program factsheets. Click each thumbnail. Other links and resources we think you might find valuable: ACEEE IRA Home Energy Upgrade Incentives IRS list of vehicles that may qualify for the 2023 Clean Vehicles $7,500 tax credit Rewiring America Inflation Reduction Act Fact Sheets
Lansing, Iowa – Courtesy, Driftless Visitors Center Welcome to a special mini-series of shows we’re calling “Rhymes With Lansing” – bringing you stories from “where Main Street meets the Mississippi” in Iowa’s very NE Corner. Located in Allamakee County, Lansing is a town of almost 1,000 people ideally tucked into a wooded valley along the
Join us this summer for more Seasons of a Prairie activities! Source link
Prescribed prairie burns will take place on parts of the Decorah Park System this spring. The burns will take place between April 4 and May 10. Source link
Valerie Reinke, Executive Director of Allamakee County Iowa Economic Development & Tourism joins us for this episode of “Rhymes With… Allamakee” Iowa’s most Northeastern County is a treasure trove of outdoor beauty, recreation opportunities, and some very dynamic communities. With just over 14,000 people, Allamakee County consists of six small towns: Waukon, Lansing, Postville, Harpers Ferry,
Summer registration will open on May 1st at 8:00am. Source link
Join us on this episode of “Rhymes With Decorah” as we take an awesome opportunity to talk with Decorah Community School District Nutrition Director and Culinary Specialist Chad Elliott. With deep roots in the Decorah area, Chad brings a background in the commercial food service industry to what may be any communities most
We are proud to announce our 2024 Decorah Municipal Band performance schedule! We will be performing at the Lawn Chair Night on June 13 which is in front of the Winneshiek County Courthouse at 7:00 pm and a possible shorter performance at Decorah’s 175th celebration on June 15. More information will be provided about June
Cover image by Anne Butera / MyGiantStrawberry.com Join the WHOLE fam on this show for a rundown on the Spring 2024 Issue of Inspire(d) Magazine! Here’s Aryn’s editors letter for this issue as well. Don’t miss a tiny bit of this beautiful issue (inside and out!). Thanks for listening, reading, and supporting our mission
Event Details Join us in a family-friendly scavenger hunt along Ice Cave Road! Search for Gnomes and other creatures that may be hiding along the trail. Participants can start their hunt at the Dunning Springs Parking Lot and head towards Ice Cave. The trail will have riddles and clues for you to solve along the
FREE EVENT Source link
Join us on Sunday, March 24th, beginning promptly at 3:00 pm, at Will Baker Athletic Fields. Children find plastic eggs filled with candy or prizes and all egg hunters receive participation gifts at the close of the Hunt. The Easter Bunny will also be there so bring your cameras! After you register online, please stop
Photo Courtesy of WinnMed Emergency Management Services are often not thought of until there is a time of need. Police, Fire, Ambulance, First Responders – all provide essential community services, and face unique challenges in much of our rural regions. Steve Vanden Brink has been serving Decorah and NE Iowa for over 30 years as
The Oneota Valley Community Orhestra has been bringing incredible performances to NE Iowa for 10 years! Join founder and musical director Matt Cody, along with musician and board member Benjamin Kratchmer as we talk all things OVCO. The organization, started in 2014, was brougth to life to present live classical music to the residents of
Liudmyla Skorlupina is a Ukrainian English teacher, currently living with her son Zhenia in the US. They are from Bucha, Ukraine, and were able to participate in the “Uniting for Ukraine” Federal humanitarian program, which allows them to spend up to two years in the US with a host sponsor family. Liuda and Luther College
Cy Nelson of Decorah is pictured with his wife, Mona, and many of the emergency responders who participated in his care. Winneshiek County emergency responders were presented with a Clinical Save award for their role in a cardiac arrest event that happened in December. Cardiac Arrest Event Cy Nelson of Decorah and his friend Kevin
Olivia Lynn Schnur is a writer, Mental Health Counselor, and yoga teacher, with roots in NE Iowa! You may have read some of Olivia’s pieces in the pages of Inspire(d) over the past 4+ years, as she and Aryn have partnered to present various themes and topics throughout each issue. Olivia has a wealth of
Registration is NOW OPEN! Source link
The Glocks upgraded their water heater to a more energy-efficient heat pump model, saving about $650 annually. Rebates and incentives help offset installation costs.
WinnMed will serve patients and the broader region in a new way beginning February 1, 2024 through the opening of their retail pharmacy. Located in the renovated North Building on their Decorah campus, the WinnMed Pharmacy offers retail pharmacy services, including: prescription filling and education, over-the-counter medications, medication adherence packaging, medication synchronization, compounding, drug disposal,
Decorah Native Kim Karr started her professional career in high school education, and quickly realized a need in the digital world – social media specifically, and the way that young people interact. Fast forward, and Kim has been the Executive Director of Digital4Good and #ICanHelp for a decade – making positive impact on a world
The ice rink will stay open as long as conditions are favorable, please obey signage while at the rink. Source link
Allergist Michael D’Netto, M.D., tells us what we need to know about the Allergy and Immunology department of WinnMed – WinnMed % Home Allergist Michael D’Netto, M.D., tells us what we need to know about the Allergy and Immunology department of WinnMed Dr. D’Netto, allergist, is seeing patients full time at WinnMed in Decorah. Keep
Big shoutout to our amazing community! We’ve noticed a significant rise in cardboard here over the past couple weeks, and the best part? The loads have been clean with minimal contamination! Kudos for the exceptional job in maintaining the quality of our cardboard recycling. Thanks for your efforts and stay safe in this snow!
Decorah Community School District Superintendent Tim Cronin joins us for this episode of “Rhymes With Decorah” to talk about his long family ties to Decorah, generations of educators, the successes and challenges our School district faces, and the perfect “Decorah” day! Dr. Cronin’s path found him attending Luther College for undergrad studies (and basketball!) before
Updated January 22, 2024 @ 3:45pm Source link
Decorah Parks and Recreation invites the community to join our Winter Walkers program beginning Monday, January 1st! Winter Walkers is a fun way for folks of all ages to stay active, spend time outside, and stay motivated during the winter when we are oftentimes less likely to bundle up and head outdoors. The aim of
A free, drop-in event for families to enjoy! Join us Tuesdays in Luther College Regent’s Center North Gym, from 11:00am-12:00pm to enjoy open play during the winter weather. *All children must be accompanied by an adult* Please use the North Entrance by the racquetball courts to enter the building. Also note that if Decorah Community