Community News Stories

DECORAH, Iowa—Luther College will host the second annual Dorian Choral Retreat for adults from June 28 through June 30, 2019. The public is invited to attend ‘Livssang’, the culminating event of the weekend, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 30, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. ‘Livssang’ will include a performance of the choral repertoire learned during the retreat, sharing of personal stories and a hymn sing led by Pastor Mike Blair, there is no charge for admission.

Designed for Luther alumni, music educators and all who love singing, the choral retreat is meant to be a musical escape. It’s an opportunity to take a break from everyday life, sing alongside music enthusiasts and a time to explore Decorah and all Luther College has to offer.

Weekend highlights include a keynote speech by Bret Amundson titled “Transformational Choral Singing” which will show how the arts – singing in particular – can enliven social justice efforts. Other events include breakout sessions by Luther alumnus Tanya Kruse Ruck, campus pastor Mike Blair and choral faculty Mark Potvin and Jill Wilson. Rehearsals of choral repertoire will be led by Andrew Last, director of choral activities.

The Dorian Choral Retreat is available to anyone at least 19 years of age. Costs are dependent on housing preference. You may choose to stay in the Luther College residence halls, or you may find your own housing option off campus. Specific rates can be found here.

Registration for the retreat is available at https://tinyurl.com/choralretreat, enrollments will be accepted through June 21.

Luther College is home to more than 2,000 undergraduates who explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Our 60+ academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu

Prairie du Chien, WI – The Crossing Rivers Health Clinic in Prairie du Chien is celebrating five years of caring for the community. In honor of this milestone anniversary, the Clinic is hosting a Customer Appreciation Celebration on Monday, July 1 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Patients and community members of all ages, including those who are not clinic patients, are welcome to enjoy a picnic supper consisting of hamburgers, chicken, beef hot dogs, salads, and fruit, along with an inflatable obstacle course for all ages, face painting, and door prizes including one adult and one youth bicycle. Attendees will also have the opportunity to tour the clinic and meet staff members.

“Our Clinic team is incredibly excited to welcome the community to celebrate our five year anniversary with us,” shared Maria Mathis, Clinic Director. “We are honored that we have the opportunity to provide care to residents of this region. As primary care providers, we truly enjoy the relationships that are created with our patients and their families. This event is a great time to celebrate our patients and our community!”

The Crossing Rivers Health Clinic provides comprehensive family care and services including acute illness care, chronic disease management, DOT and sports physicals, immunizations, Medicare wellness visits, obstetrics and postnatal care, preventative medicine, well-child check-ups, and women’s health services. The board-certified team of Clinic providers include Dr. Walter Downey, Family Medicine Physician; Katy Maker, Certified Nurse Midwife; Sue McMillan, Family Nurse Practitioner; Terri Payne, Certified Nurse Midwife; Brian Quick, Physician Assistant; Charlene Sauer, Family Nurse Practitioner; Molly Schlegel, Certified Nurse Midwife; and Dr. Kenneth Valyo, Doctor of Osteopathic Family Medicine.

The Crossing Rivers Health Prairie du Chien Clinic is located at 37822 US Hwy 18 next to the Medical Center. To learn more about services provided at the Clinic, along with provider videos, patient stories, and information on health topics, visit crossingrivers.org. The Crossing Rivers Health Clinic is now welcoming Dean Health Plan’s Commercial Insurance.

Photo: The Crossing Rivers Health Clinic team is hosting a Customer Appreciation Open House in honor of the Clinic’s five year anniversary of providing care.

Sponsored by DECORAH BANK & TRUST in cooperation with Decorah Parks and Recreation

On TUESDAY, JUNE 18, slide into summer at the Decorah Municipal Pool! This free, family fun night will be from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, and will include free pool admission, a bouncy house, face painting, and other fun activities. Popcorn will be given away and pizza and other refreshments will be available for purchase.

Winneshiek County Development, Inc. (WCDI) is excited to confirm that Hy-Vee will open a grocery store in Decorah’s Centrum Plaza in the former Quillin’s location. The 25,000 square-foot store will offer a large grocery product offering. Renovations of the existing structure will begin this fall.

Benefiting the Local Community
The store is forecasted to add up to 70 new jobs to the local economy. In addition to the products and services their stores provide, Hy-Vee has a long history of working as partners with the local communities where their stores are located. “Hy-Vee is an outstanding organization and we are excited about their investment and interest in our community,” states Fromm. “Over the years, we have heard many times from community members about their interest in bringing Hy-Vee to our area, and that feedback is what really set off this endeavor.” Local building owners, Kent and Marla Klocke, “We are grateful to WCDI, Decorah Jobs and the city of Decorah for supporting this economic development project that will not only benefit Decorah but our surrounding communities as well.”

Project History
The work to bring Hy-Vee to the area has been a collaborative effort over nearly twelve months when the development group first came to Decorah searching for challenging projects. Stephanie Fromm, Director of WCDI, initiated and fostered the relationship between local business owners Ken and Marla Klocke–owners of the building which will now house Hy-Vee–and project developer Brian Ridge of Ridge Development and commercial real estate professional Ryan Fitzpatrick of Cushman and Wakefield. This fostered relationship resulted in the agreements to purchase the former Quillins Grocery box for redevelopment and eventually lead to the opportunity to develop the building for the Hy-Vee store.

“It is always exciting when you can help fulfill the needs of parties on all ends of a transaction,” states Fromm. “This one project enabled us to assist the Klockes in the transition of their building, utilize existing infrastructure for a new project, and secure a high-quality retailer for our area that will become an anchor tenant that spurs further growth and development of our local economy.”

For more information about the project or the services available through Winneshiek County Development, contact Stephanie Fromm at 563-382-6061 or director@winneshiekdevelopment.org.

Prairie du Chien, WI – A team of four participants from Crossing Rivers Health Cardiac Rehabilitation and Healthy Hearts program recently participated in the 20th Annual Hearts of Gold Games held in Baraboo, Wisconsin. The Crossing Rivers Health team won the first place overall team award, along with six total medals in categories ranging from cooking to basketball, golf, and walking.

Crossing Rivers Health Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab Manager Tammy Thompson was proud of the team’s participation. She said, “We have been participating in the games for all 20 years and thank each of the participants for entering these challenging events and representing our organization year after year. Our participants certainly enjoy participating in the Hearts of Gold Games and look forward to the event every year. Participation in these games and belonging to a group exercise program provides an opportunity to form new friendships that otherwise wouldn’t have been formed. These participants reap more than just the medals they win, they reap the benefits of maintaining their long-term health, and living a lifetime of wellness.”

Individuals interested in learning about the Cardiac Rehab, Peripheral Artery Disease Exercise Program, as well as the Healthy Hearts or Pulmonary Rehab programs are encouraged to call Crossing Rivers Health at 608.357.2349 or visit crossingrivers.org to learn more.

Participant results:

• Bake-off –  Female: Dyan Winkers – 2nd place
• Dart Ball – Male: Bob Zwirlein – 2nd place
  Female: Connie Collins – 3rd place
• Putt Putt Golf – Male: Bob Zwirlein – 1st place
• Prediction ½ mile track walk – Female: Connie Collins – 2nd place
• Prediction ¼ mile treadmill walk – Female: Connie Collins – 2nd place

Photo (L to R): The Crossing Rivers Health Hearts of Gold Games team won the first place overall team award, along with six total medals in categories ranging from cooking to basketball, golf, and walking. Team members include: Betty Brietsprecher, Monona; Dyan Winkers, Woodman; Connie Collins, Prairie du Chien; Bob Zwirlein, Monona; and Pat Stovey, Crossing Rivers Health Clinical Exercise Physiologist.

DECORAH, Iowa — Vesterheim, the national Norwegian-American museum and heritage center, is grateful to have community partners like Mississippi Welding who are willing to support our Folk Art school classes. Their support serves, not only our community members, but also participants from across the nation enabling many to find their own way to create at Vesterheim! Mississippi Welding provided assistance accessing welding equipment.

Pictured here is metal artist Kelly Ludeking who taught an amazing metal sculpture class at Vesterheim this past weekend.

With world-class exhibitions and 12 historic buildings in scenic Decorah, Iowa, Vesterheim, the national Norwegian-American museum and heritage center, showcases the best in historic and contemporary Norwegian folk and fine arts, and explores the American immigrant experience. This national treasure is also a center for folk-art education, offering a wide variety of classes in authentic Norwegian folk art every year. For more information on the museum’s exhibitions, classes, events, membership opportunities, and ways to donate, check Vesterheim’s website at vesterheim.org, call (563) 382-9681, or write to Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, 502 W. Water St., P.O. Box 379, Decorah, IA, 52101-0379.

Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum & Heritage Center
P.O. Box 379
523 W. Water St.
Decorah, IA 52101

Two upcoming concerts!!

1. The Decorah Municipal Band performs Wednesday, June 26, for Music in the Park in downtown Spring Grove, Minnesota, at 6:30 pm. The band is under the direction of Jim Fritz and Merlyn Finley. Bring a friend and find a cozy place to sit and enjoy the FREE live music! More at decorahmuniband.org.
2. The Decorah Municipal Band performs Thursday, June 27, for Lawn Chair Night in front of the Winneshiek County Courthouse at 7:00 pm. The band is under the direction of Jim Fritz and Merlyn Finley. Bring a friend and find a cozy place to sit and enjoy the FREE live music! More at decorahmuniband.org.

Iowa Organ Donors has sponsored this Saturday’s race (June 15, 2019), come and show support for this great organization. Donations have been pledged, if attendance in grandstands reaches 800 paid spectators, in addition Gundersen helicopter will be landing in the infield to attend this event. A fantastic show is instore for all, come in force, and support this organization.

U.S. Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management

Northeastern States District

626 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Ste. 200

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

www.BLM.gov/whb

MEDIA ADVISORY

What:

• Approximately 60 wild horses and burros gathered from western public rangelands will be available for adoption in Marshfield, WI.

 Who:

• Media can come out to visit the event to meet adopters and wild horse specialists on Friday and Saturday.

 When:

• Friday, June 14, select your wild horse or burro from 9:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday, June 15, select your wild horse or burro from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 Where: 

• Central Wisconsin State Fairgrounds
  513 East 17^th Street
  Marshfield, WI  54449

Directions:

• Going South on Hwy 97 to McMillian St., turn left on McMillian and take a quick right onto Peach Ave.  Follow Peach Ave. through town to Fair parking areas.                                           

To help maintain an ecological balance on western rangelands and to preserve mustangs as ‘Living Legends’, BLM gathers some horses and burros each year to control the population and offers them to adopters with good homes for the animals.

Wild horses are intelligent, athletic, sure-footed, and many compete in a variety of equine events; they excel in cutting, endurance, western pleasure, and even dressage.

For more information or for assistance in arranging an interview with a past adopter in your area, please contact Public Affairs Specialist, Martha Malik, at (414) 297-1236 or Martha_malik@blm.gov.

Regional Health Services of Howard County in Cresco is encouraging area residents to take a step toward better health with Walk with a Doc, a health program that brings doctors and patients together to walk one Saturday morning a month beginning on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 9:00 am at Prairie’s Edge Nature Center on Valley Avenue in Cresco.

Walk with a Doc is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire communities through movement and conversation.

The Walk is open to anyone, and participation is free and pre-registration is not required. Walkers will enjoy a refreshing and rejuvenating walk with Dr. David Heine and other healthcare professionals, who will provide support to participants and answer questions during the Walk.  Please bring a water bottle to help stay hydrated during the walk.

Learn more about Walk with a Doc at www.walkwithadoc.org or call Amanda Reicks, RN, Population Health Care Manager and WWAD Project Coordinator at RHSHC in Cresco at 563-547-6644.