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Wed

Nov

A salute to veterans Henry Lembke: A long voyage home

Submitted by admin on Wed, 11/07/2018 - 07:32

By Pat McTaggart
Freelance Writer

Like thousands of other Iowa boys, Northeast Iowa native Henry Lembke registered for the draft on June 5, 1917, the date that all males between the ages of 21 and 30 were required to do so. World War I was raging in Europe, with America entering into the conflict on April 6. The Army was undergoing a massive transformation from a peacetime force to a force that would be needed to confront the enemy, and that force needed men.

Wed

Oct

Facelift for Elkader Cinema

Submitted by admin on Wed, 10/31/2018 - 08:19

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

Elkader Cinema owners Lee and Diane Akin are closing their doors November 2. Not for good, of course. Just long enough to give the theater a much-needed makeover.

The theater is getting a new screen, new carpet and paint in the lobby, and two more channels for audio. The biggest change, however, will be the seats. The current commercial-grade plush chairs, which are about 30 years old, will be replaced with state-of-the-art reclining theater seats. This is the product the couple had installed in their Ames theater to rave reviews.

Tue

Oct

Meet the candidates Area voters watching two House races

Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/23/2018 - 10:16

Anne Osmundson (R)

Michael Bergan (R)

Clayton County voters will be paying close attention to two hotly contested Iowa State House races in the November 6 general election. In District 55, which includes the town of Elkader and a few surrounding townships, Democrat Kayla Koether is challenging Republican incumbent Michael Bergan. Democrat Lori Egan and Republican Anne Osmundson will vie for the opportunity to represent District 56, which includes most of Clayton County.
Register Editor Pam Reinig and North Iowa Times Editor Audrey Posten had an opportunity to present questions to all four candidates. Their answers follow.

Iowa House District 55

Tue

Oct

Four-way race for two Board of Supervisors seats

Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/16/2018 - 14:17

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

The upcoming retirements of Clayton County Supervisors Gary Bowden and Ron McCartney leave two open seats on that board. Four candidates are vying for the vacancies, Democrats Dick Dinan and Joleen Jansen, and Republicans Steve Doeppke and Sharon Keehner.

The two candidates with the most votes following the November 6 election will win, regardless of political affiliation. In other words, two people from the same party or one person from each party can fill the positions. Again, it all depends the final number of votes.

The Register recently contacted all four candidates with a list of questions. Their responses appear below.
Briefly tell readers about yourself (for example, where you live, family, education, career, and previous government or volunteer experience, leadership qualities including budget management and supervision of employees, and so on.)

Tue

Oct

Meet Utoni Ruff Feeding Clayton County for 30 years

Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/09/2018 - 13:23

Utoni Ruff, supervisor at the Clayton County Food Shelf, was recently honored for her service by the members of St. John’s Ministry, Luana and Farmersburg.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

Utoni Ruff sits behind a well-worn desk that most days she’s too busy to use and surveys her modest office. Located in the basement of a church that ceased holding worship services decades ago, the rented space is clean and cluttered, cozy and cramped. The office extends into a larger room with a scarred meeting table covered with stacks of mandated paperwork. The area also has a new in-floor scale (more on that later).
Behind the office are two equally crowded rooms, the largest of which is lined with shelves where like items stacked together for ease of gathering and distributing. A few carts and piles of large grocery bags complete the décor.

Tue

Oct

Warriors are state-ranked

Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/02/2018 - 08:52

Central’s Lizzie Gifford hits the ball over the net in a volleyball match against North Fayette Valley. A stellar season has led to a state ranking for the team. They are 13th in Class 1A. See story and another photo on page 7.

By Pat McTaggart
Freelance Writer

On September 25, the Central volleyball team defeated South Winn by 3 games to1.
“We knew that it would be a tough night playing against SW for the third time,” Coach Derek Bergan said. “We had played them twice in tournaments and we knew they would be hungry to try and take one from us. The first two sets we felt that we had full control as we won 25-14 25-18. In the third set, however, we really struggled to keep that momentum as we spotted SW a lead and couldn’t climb back into it. In the fourth set we kept SW at bay enough to win 25-23.”

Tue

Oct

Forumin Volga Candidates introduce platforms

Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/02/2018 - 08:47

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

Some of the most intriguing information presented Tuesday night at a political forum in Volga came from a candidate running unopposed for re-election.
Clayton County Attorney Alan Heavens (R) talked about his aggressive prosecution of methamphetamines cases. He has 50 successful felony prosecutions, which he feels has contributed to decreases in usage and the number of labs in Clayton County.

“We’re making a difference but it’s still out there,” Heavens told the crowd. He also briefly touched on his prosecution of vehicular homicide cases, community outreach efforts, and a fines collection system that has returned almost $100,000 to the community.

Tue

Sep

Mary Poppins in Elkader First-ever audition results in big role

Submitted by admin on Tue, 09/25/2018 - 11:18

Meghan Birdnow will make her Elkader Opera House debut as Mrs. Banks in the production, Mary Poppins.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

From date night to opening night—that sums up Meghan Birdnow’s history with the Elkader Opera House.
The Monona wife and mother discovered the Opera House two years ago on a date with her husband, Justin. When the curtain goes up on the fall production, Mary Poppins, you’ll find Meghan not in the seats but on the stage masterfully filling the role of Mrs. Banks.

“I started by following their (Facebook) page and it sparked an old flame, which I had laid aside for many, many years to raise my family and make a living,” Meghan said. “I decided the time had come to share my love for music and acting with my three growing daughters.”

Tue

Sep

Northeast Iowa Farm Crawl Diversity of area farms showcased

Submitted by admin on Tue, 09/18/2018 - 14:49

Natasha Hegmann, pictured with just a few of the beets she harvested this season, is co-owner with her husband. Peter Kerns, of Turkey River Farm.

By Audrey Posten
North Iowa Times Editor

See how a variety of local foods are grown and produced during the Northeast Iowa Farm Crawl, held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 29 and 30. Twenty-nine northeast Iowa “farms”—including 11 based in Clayton County—are slated to participate in the event.

The farm crawl was launched by the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative four years ago, said Clayton County Development Group Executive Director Darla Kelchen, but members of the seven-county northeast Iowa tourism group she is part of took over for the first time this year.

“We all came together and tried to pick out different things throughout the counties,” Kelchen said. “We’re excited. There are neat people doing some great things.”
Participants range from produce farms, orchards and wineries to shrimp farms, dairies and agricultural education centers and museums.
In Clayton County, the stops are just as unique.

Tue

Sep

Cutting Edge Archery Bow hunter opens new business

Submitted by admin on Tue, 09/11/2018 - 09:27

Dave Fulks, St. Olaf, stands at the end of his indoor archery range showing were he hit a deer decoy. Fulks recently opened his business in Elkader.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

A St. Olaf man is one of the few lucky people who’ve been able to turn a passion into a promising business.

Dave Fulks recently opened Cutting Edge Archery in Elkader, a move that came after health issues including the need for a pacemaker made it impossible to continue his work with heavy equipment and industrial magnets.
“I started bow hunting in 2009, and I really like the exercise and solitude that go with it,” Fulks said. “And now that I live in the mecca for bow hunting, an indoor archery range plus retail space seemed liked a good idea.”
If the numbers at his grand opening are any indication, Fulks has tapped into an underserved market.

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