Community News Stories

Please self-report any/all damages after last night’s storm. The process is super easy and will help Winneshiek County Emergency Management catalog the damages that are reported to the state.

Steam Engine Days…how it all began
By Lynn Clauson and Dorothy Anderson

(From the 30th Anniversary Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days Program, Martell Publishing Co., 1972)

The morning of October 3, 1953 dawned clear and warm – a perfect day to publicly exhibit the powers of the old steam engines. Also a good day to do the threshing and have a little fun besides. Admittedly, Steam Engine Days was started on a small scale. The first of the now annual Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days was nothing more than a public exhibition of oldtime threshing with steam engines, but then not all good things start big.

With the coming of the gasoline engine or tractor and the modern combine, the use of steam power to “thresh” the grain was becoming a thing of the past. A love for the steam engine was very strong in a few men in the Hesper community and they felt this part of farm history should not be forgotten. Other communities were holding special days to keep this method of harvesting alive, so why not Hesper! They would at least have a small get-together.

The first location of what is now an annual event was the Gerhard Clauson farm, six and one half miles east of Hesper, Iowa. At the time, Mr. Clauson invited Jesse McMillen of Hesper, and James Sylling of Spring Grove to join him since both men also owned engines. The three men didn’t expect any widespread interest, but all were prepared to have a good time anyway. Mrs. Clauson recalled that she and her husband’s sister were prepared to serve lunch themselves. Several doughnuts were purchased at a bakery, but as this supply vanished, homemade cookies were brought out of storage and used. A hot-dog stand was also on the premises. Because the only form of advertising had been spread by word-of-mouth, Clauson and the others were very surprised when crowds of several hundred came to view the exhibition. Even the cool weather of the afternoon didn’t chase the crowds away. No elaborate entertainment had been planned for the exhibition of steam engines in 1953, but the children were treated to horse and buggy rides over much of the farm by Lloyd Larson.

Another avid steam engine man was a Mr. Christau, “Krink”, as he was called. Somehow he had heard of this get-together and wanted to be there. He was from Grand Meadow, Minnesota. He and his wife decided to come to see the steam engines that day. As they arrived in the Hesper and Mabel area, he inquired how to get to this event. No one he happened to ask had heard about it, so they were of no help. Mr. Christau started down some gravel roads and all of a sudden he realized he saw the tracks of a large steam engine’s wheels in the road. So, he and his wife just followed them and soon they were enjoying themselves at the Clauson farm.

All in all, the exhibition was considered a great success. The three men who organized the event and those attending had felt that it was quite an idea. It seemed that there was an interested in the old steam horses, so there was talk of holding another exhibition again the following year.

The talk was not in vain. In 1954, another celebration was held, this time on the Charlie McMillen farm west of Hesper. More publicity was given, and in 1954 the first buttons for the event were sold. The buttons provided an even greater attraction and the crowds grew. In a nearby field belonging to Charlie Sellman, twelve airplanes bearing spectators landed. This was startling considering the mild interest Mr. Clauson had expected when he suggested the idea. However, even at the first exhibition, eight or nine airplanes had landed bringing interested people to the event. Mrs. Aurthur Anderson made a tape recording of the engines as they paraded up the driveway to the field to begin “threshing”. In the fall of that year, Charlie McMillen’s son-in-law, Arthur Anderson and family moved to the farm and for years following he plowed up pop bottles and other remnants of that day. Cars were parked all over the farm and even in neighboring fields. A few more side events were added that year including the Hesper Improvement Club food stand. They continued until 1972.

Because the event had aroused such an interest, each fall over Labor Day weekend, the event was continued on farms in the Hesper area. In 1955 a large crowd gathered at the Otto Rasmussen farm to view the steam engines. Hesper Steam Engine Days were held on the Fred Koppen farm in 1956. In 1957 festivities were again held on the Rasmussen farm with the Koppen farm the site of the event in 1958 and 1959.

In 1959, Jesse McMillen added another steam engine to the collection which was drawing such interest. After fourteen months of work, he was able to demonstrate a “midget” engine, a half-scale Advanced Rumley at Steam Engine Days. Mr. Christau was a builder of steam engines, and Jesse McMillen hired him to build this engine. Jesse, and his brother Charlie spent many days in Grand Meadow helping “Krink” build. Although Charlie McMillen no longer owned an engine, he enjoyed helping his brother. Later they built an upright which added more interest to the celebration.

After the festivities in 1959, the six men who had kept the event going – Gerhard Clauson, Jesse McMillen, James Sylling, Charlie McMillen, Dewey Golberg, and Arnold Peterson – were wondering how they could continue as the crowds were getting almost too large to handle. The public expressed a wish that it not be discontinued.

At this time the Mabel community saw this as an opportunity for them to offer a place to hold the event. So, in 1960, Mr. Odell Lee Sr., acting on behalf of the Mabel Business Association, contacted Jesse McMillen and urged the Hesper group to move their steam engine activities to Mabel. This sounded like a good idea to the Hesper group, so, on the first Friday after Labor Day in 1960, the first Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days came into existence. In cooperation with the Mabel Business Association, a complete celebration with parades, entertainment, in the form of a carnival, Queen contests, fall games, and many other activities was set up, although the main attraction remained the old steam horses.

“Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days” had been born. The festival which made Mabel more than a tiny dot on a map, however, depended upon the community for its growth. Today cars from almost every state may be found on the grounds. This success is certainly due largely to the participation of so many local organizations.

The Mabel Business Association continues to plan for this day as the outstanding event of the year. As many as 50,000 people attended the festival in 1967, and an average of 35,000 a year make it a great “weekend”.

Members of many groups such as the area 4-H clubs and farm organizations contribute greatly by making floats for the parade and sponsoring events such as the queen contest which actually started when Hesper held it alone around 1957. It has become one of the highlights to Steam Engine Days.

The VFW sponsors a “Kiddie parade” each year. This preceeds the large parade led by the steam engines. They have had to have their iron wheels “padded” so as not to ruin the black-top roads. Towns nearby add their bit to the parade also. The Shriners from Rochester usually put on their motorcycle demonstration on one of the days.

The churches in the area have all contributed. The Hesper Lutheran Church and Mabel First Lutheran Church have food stands on the grounds. A later addition and one which is enjoyed by everyone is the church service on Sunday morning. A guest pastor is brought in for the service. Special music is provided by area groups. In place of a bell tolling three times, a steam engine whistle is blown three times. This seems so very appropriate and sends shivers up the spines of those who cherish the memory of those “good ‘ol days”.

New attractions are constantly being added including window displays, flower shows, art contests, and an antique show. Arts and crafts are displayed by local and distant personnel.
Although “steam” is still the main display used not only to thresh but to saw wood, etc., a display of gas engines, antique and new, has been added. And, as some of the original founders have passed on, new faces appear as the interest continues. Lloyd Foltz has taken over Jesse McMillen’s engines.

Through all of the changes and updating, Steam Engine Days has undergone, the basic idea to exhibit the old steam horses has not been lost even though they have many modern attractions to compete with. Perhaps that is why people from all over the United States are attracted to the tiny village of Mabel each September to gaze at the mighty steam engines and to mingle with the people who works so hard to make it possible.

Bryan Richards, Emerging Disease Coordinator at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin will speak about Chronic Wasting Disease on September 19, 2019 at 7:00pm in the Rushford-Peterson School Auditorium. In this presentation he will discuss basic characteristics of CWD and how it impacts the potential for successful deer management, documented disease distribution and prevalence trends, and recent science updates. An open discussion will follow.

CWD is a fatal, contagious, neurodegenerative disease in deer and elk. The cause is a malformed prion which has been found in tissue and fluids of infected animals, including in their urine, feces, saliva, blood, and antler velvet. Those prions have also been found to be present environmentally in soil and plants.

Southeastern Minnesota is now a disease management zone, which means the DNR will implement rules that attempt to control the disease within the area. According to the DNR CWD Management Plan, should prevalence of CWD be found to be greater than 5% in this area, the DNR will then move to label the area an endemic zone and switch to passive surveillance, liberal hunting, and monitoring within the zone.

Whether you are a landowner, farmer, a concerned citizen, or hunter the spread of CWD will affect all residents of southeast Minnesota. Attendance by all residents is encouraged.
The presentation is sponsored by the Farm Bureaus of Winona, Houston, and Fillmore Counties along with the Bluffland Whitetails Association. You may contact Cynthie Christensen, President, Houston County Farm Bureau, (507) 251-8465 for more information.

Free event Thursday, August 29, 4-7 pm

Winneshiek Medical Center will hold a Grand Community Picnic on Thursday, August 29 from 4-7 pm on the WMC campus.

“The Grand Community Picnic has become a fun tradition for many families as summer winds down each year. The picnic is an opportunity for the medical center to continue to show our gratitude to the people who trust us to provide health care for their families, neighbors and friends,” says Lisa Radtke, chief administrative officer, Winneshiek Medical Center.

Free Community Picnic Attractions

• BBQ pork sandwich, chips and a beverage
• Giant Bouncy House Obstacle Course
• Kids games area
• Giant Walk-Through Colon (cancer education for everyone)
• “What You Don’t See” trailer (drug education for parents/caregivers)
• Face painting
• Popcorn from the Lion’s Club
• Pokey Pete rides
• Trolley rides by Decorah Trolley Company
• Live music by Mike McAbee
• Garden tours
• Garden food demonstrations
• WMC ambulance tours
• WMC Radiology tours
• Fire truck display
• Winneshiek County Canine McCoy meet-and-greet

Moo-Mobile shakes will also be available for $1 each throughout the evening.

More Information
The picnic is made possible with the help of more than 100 staff volunteers from Winneshiek Medical Center, the WMC Auxiliary and WMC Foundation, and will be held rain or shine.

Convenient parking will be available, with regular trolley rides and golf carts running from the parking lots to the event site.

Information on the WMC Grand Community Picnic is also available at www.winmedical.org/community-picnic. For additional information on the picnic or other Winneshiek Medical Center activities, please call the WMC Marketing & Communications department at 563-382-2911 or email communityrelations@winmedical.org.

Don’t be a VICTIM of a scam!

This is a lengthy post. It is intended to inform people about SCAMS that are going around on the phone and internet. Please take time to read the information below provided by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Tell your family and friends about these scams so they are not taken advantage of financially.

Imposters / Scammers are everywhere! When the phone rings, do you know who is calling before you answer or who sent the mail you just opened? When at your computer or on your smart phone, do you know who sent the email in your inbox? Do you know who created that pop-up message on your screen? All of these methods and many more are being used by scammers who are not what they may seem to be.

Here are some common indicators that you are dealing with an imposter:

• Requests for personal information. Examples include: date of birth, social security number, Medicare ID number, credit card numbers, or bank account numbers.
• Requests for payment of any kind. No contest, prize or grant recipients have to make payment to receive their winnings or award.
• Requests for payment by wiring money or pre-paid debit cards. Providing money through either of these is the same as giving someone cash and it is not likely that it can be traced or retrieved once given.
• Threats and urgency. The more threatening the call – you’ll be arrested, have to go to court, have your credit ruined the more likely it is from an imposter. Calls requiring urgent action from someone you do not know are likely made by imposters.
• Requests for secrecy. This is especially true for appeals for financial assistance from relatives who say “Don’t tell my mom and dad.” Or for calls about winning a prize where you are told by the caller you can’t tell anyone else about it until you have received your winnings.

Imposter Phone Scams

• IRS or Department of Treasury. Threatening calls that you must pay now for tax violations. The IRS will not contact you by phone. They would contact you by mail. They will not make threats.
• Federal Grant Award. Do not be fooled by the 202 area code look like the call is coming from Washington, D.C. These unsolicited grants are not awarded. In the rare case where someone receives a grant they did not apply for, no payment is required to receive the grant.
• Medicare or Affordable Health Care Act. The caller claims to be a government representative insisting that you provide personal identification information and/or pay a fee or face loss of benefits. Government agencies will contact you by mail, not by phone. They will not make threats on the phone.
• Other Law Enforcement or Government Agency. The caller may threaten deportation but for a fee will assist you to get your certification. They hope you will be scared enough to part with money and/or personal identification information. Or a caller may claim that a foreign dignitary who needs your help with a money transfer is “legitimate”. No law enforcement or government agency makes these kinds of calls.
• Lottery or Prize Winner. The caller says you have won but an administrative fee, shipping, or taxes need to be paid. You never have to pay for a prize or winnings.
• Family Assistance. Also known as the “Grandparents Scam”. These callers prey on the goodwill and desire to help family. The caller will say they are a family member, usually a younger one, in some kind of trouble needing immediate financial assistance. These scammers will feed off of information you inadvertently give them. The caller will ask you not to call someone who could verify the legitimacy of the call (“Don’t call mom or dad”) and to send money in an untraceable manner.
• Computer Problems. The caller claims to be from “Microsoft” or “Google” or another known company and states they have detected a problem with your computer. The caller may tell you to look in a particular place in your computer where you will see many error messages. The caller will tell you this is because of a virus or other problem with your computer. The error messages you are seeing are completely normal on any properly functioning computer. These callers will attempt to get you to pay for services, likely via credit card and to give access to your computer so they can steal personal information and download damaging software known as “malware” that will continue to allow access and even control of your computer. None of these companies make these kinds of calls. Never give a caller access to your computer unless you are sure you know who is on the other side of the phone.
• Utility shut off. The caller states you haven’t paid your utility bill and someone is on the way over to disconnect your service unless you make an immediate payment to the caller. These calls target small businesses but some consumers report receiving these calls at home. To check if what the caller says is true, call the number on your billing statement, not the number the caller gives you.
• “Spoofed” Numbers. Technology exists that allows a caller to control what shows up on Caller ID. This is called “spoofing”. Calls may appear to come from a governmental agency, company or even a neighbor when actually the calls are coming from outside the country. If you do not recognize the number on the Caller ID, let the call go to your answering machine or voicemail. If it is important or a personal call, the caller will leave a message. If you have a question about the message left, call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-422-7128.

Imposter Mail Scams
Mail scams require a response once you’ve received the mail. The most common imposter scams are prize scams where you are instructed to call and told that you need to make a payment of some sort to receive you winnings. Versions of the phone imposter scams may also come in the mail or through email.

Imposter Computer Scams

• Email scams. Email imposter scams may be versions of the imposter phone or mail scams. Often the objective may be to get you to click on a link that will ask you for personal information or to click on an attachment that will download a virus or other malware to your computer.
• Screen Pop-Ups. A message will pop up on your screen, usually claiming there is something wrong with your computer and telling you to click on the window for assistance. You will then be given information to contact someone to help you, possibly from a known company like “Microsoft” or “Google”. This is a variation on the Computer Problem calls. Often the screen pop-up messages are the result of a virus that has been downloaded to your computer to get you to make contact with them rather than the calling you. Sometimes you may receive a call once this message appears or you click on the pop up window. If an error message appears on your computer, contact someone you know and trust for help. Do not click on pop-up windows reporting a problem with your computer.
• Online search imposter scams. When looking for assistance through an online search, be aware that some companies, including scammers, have paid to have their links appear at the top of your search list. It is very easy to think you are talking to a representative of the actual company you want, or are on their website, only to find you are being asked to provide personal information, payment information and/or access to your computer. Check the website address to make sure you are dealing with the real company.
• Online dating imposter scams. Online dating makes it easier for a person to misrepresent them self. Fake or outdated photos may be used, personal histories enhanced or exaggerated, personal traits fabricated. With traditional dating it is possible to talk with friends, family members or acquaintances to check a person’s reputation. Online dating does not usually make this possible. Once a scammer is confident they have your trust, they will start asking for money. They may tell you they need it to help get money the government owes them, cover the costs of a sudden illness, surgery, a robbery, accident, or job loss. It may be for them, or a daughter or son. They may ask for money to cover the cost of travel to finally meet face-to-face. You might get documents from an attorney as “proof” of their genuine intentions along with a promise to pay it back. As real as the relationship seems, it is a scam and you lose the money sent.
• Social networking website imposter scams. Treat links in messages on these sites as you would a link in an email message. If it looks suspicious, even if you know the source, it is best to delete it or mark it as junk. Hackers can break into accounts and send messages that look like they are from your friends, but are not. If you suspect that a message is fraudulent, use an alternate method to contact your friend to find out. Do not trust that a message is really from who it says it is from.

Do Not Respond!
The best defense against all these imposter scam is to not respond.

• Do not answer the call. Use your Caller ID. If you do not recognize the number let it go to your answering machine or voicemail. If you do answer the call, hang up as soon as you realize this is not someone you want to talk with. Talking to these callers or calling them back will likely result in additional contacts from them and other scammers.
• Delete email from unknown senders. If you do not know who sent it, do not open it. Sometimes opening an email is enough to tell a scammer that this is a valid address and they will continue to send you email. If you do not know who sent it, never click on a link or attachment in an email.
• Verify your search result. Before acting on the result of an online search, check to make sure you are dealing with the company you want. If you do make contact, watch for the signs of a scam.
• Do not call the verification number you are given. Call the number on a billing statement, found in the phone book or reliable online directory. Never check to see if something is legit using the number given to you on the call, mailer, email or message.

Urbandale, Iowa – The Iowa State Fair has ended and the eggs have been counted. The Iowa Egg Council, along with the help of wonderful volunteers, served 173,952 eggs-on-a-stick to fairgoers!

The egg-on-a-stick continues to be a fair-favorite year after year, and from what we hear, a family tradition. What’s not to love about a 70 calorie, high protein snack that’s FREE?!

Add the Iowa Egg Council booth to your list of stops for the 2020 Iowa State Fair. We will see you next year!

Be on the LOOKOUT!

A white Chevrolet s10 truck (as pictured) was stolen from a residence in Northern Winneshiek County. We are looking for assistance in locating the white Chevrolet s10 truck and/or identifying the suspect.

**The white utility truck in the video was not the one stolen.

Please contact the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office with any information

If you have any information about her whereabouts please contact the West Union Police Department at (563)422-3535.

This subject fled from officers at the Decorah Wal-Mart a short time ago. He is suspected to be from the Milwaukee area. He may be looking for a vehicle as we suspect that we have his. We ask that you lock your vehicles and make sure you remove the keys from them. Also, lock your residence if you leave for any period of time.

If you see suspicious activity in your area, please contact police. I know the photo is not a good one, but we wanted to get the information out ASAP. The suspect does have a large neck tattoo.

18th Annual Community Vacation Bible Camp (later this year because of all of the snow days)

ROAR: Life is Wild, God is Good!

Takes place in a Jungle

(We call it VBC Camp, not VBS School, because it is nothing like school) ☺

Hosted by St. Benedicts, Decorah Covenant, Washington Prairie Lutheran and Stone Ridge churches.

Open to all, do not have to belong to any church to join the fun! …A community event held at
Stone Ridge Church.
August 5 – 9, Mon – Fri
9 am – noon

Campers start at 4 yrs old.
Going into 5th grade can be helpers
Older kids and adults – crew leaders, or station leaders.
If you love kids and love God this is the place for you!
Gain Leadership experience, Be a Role Model.
High School kids get Silver Cord hours too.

Outdoor Games, Imagination Station, High Energy, make new friends

Looking for a Photographer.

Sign up at: vbspro.events/p/events/decorahvbs
Link on decorahnews.com and church sites

Everyone gets a t-shirt and every camper family gets to keep a CD of the fun music
Camp empowers kids to boldly face life’s challenges.