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2D Ron newsum
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4D Jeana BeckeR
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6D kim mason
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7D shea anD sawyeR spRingeR
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8D cameRon nelson
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12D Jamie huse
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14D Blake utley anD teyha milleR FoRt DoDge
15D Justin mikos
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16D Daniel altman FoRt DoDge
18D maDison samuelson manson
20D cassie Dillon BaRnum
21D Danitza caRDenas FoRt DoDge
22D John schmit Rockwell city
24D katelyn Johnson gowRie
26D tim milleR humBolDt
34D liFt wc weBsteR city
36D cinDy loots pomeRoy
37D Don lamB homeR
38D scott engquist haRcouRt
40D waRRen anD kaRen scholten eagle gRove
42D amBeR o’neill lehigh
46D zachaRy tRent DuncomBe
48D JeFF ReDenius lake city
Fourteen years ago, Ron Newsum's vision made the Brushy Creek Area Honor Flights a reality.
SEE STORY, PAGE 2D
By BILL SHEA bshea@messengernews.net
Ron Newsum had to make a decision about a contract for a 737 jet back in early 2010.
The contract with Sun Country Airlines would cost $72,000. His then-new organization, Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight, had $3,000 in the bank.
The Fort Dodge man signed the contract.
It was a leap of faith that paid off spectacularly. The first Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C., with a jet full of World War II veterans was completed in the spring of 2010. Two more trips were made that year to take veterans to see the nation’s war memorials.
Now, 14 years after that first flight, 3,500 veterans from 240 communities have traveled on 25 Honor Flights.
While money might have been a worry when Newsum signed that first contract, it isn’t any more. The Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight has no corporate sponsors, but a steady flow of donations and fundraisers has meant that no veteran has ever had to pay for their Honor Flight trip.
“We have not had to beg for one dime,” Newsum said.
The Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight program is a product of
Newsum’s vision. He had heard about the national Honor Flight program with chapters across the country taking World War II veterans to Washington. And he wanted to get his stepfather, the late Clem Hentges, to the nation’s capital. Hentges was a Navy veteran who had served on small PT (patrol torpedo) boats in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Newsum got to work and brought some other area residents together to form a committee that would conduct the Honor Flights.
One of the first things the group had to do was pick a name. Newsum recalled that in 2009, there was an Honor Flight operation in Des Moines calling itself Central Iowa and one in Mason City calling itself Northern Iowa. With two obvious possible names already taken, the committee picked Brushy Creek after the stream that feeds into the huge lake at Brushy Creek State Recreation Area.
Hentges was aboard that first Honor Flight voyage. Newsum wiped tears from his eyes as he watched his stepfather being escorted out of the plane and onto the tarmac at Dulles International Airport in the Virginia suburbs of Washington.
Since that day, Newsum has worked tirelessly organizing a succession of Honor Flights.
vision made local Honor Flight a reality
RON NEWSUM started the Brushy Creek Area Honor Flights 14 years ago. Since then, 3,500 veterans from 240 communities have traveled on 25 Honor Flights.
Honor Flights are not the first patriotic endeavor Newsum has launched for his community.
An American flag flies at the top of a tall pole in the middle of the Des Moines River thanks to one of his ideas.
He calls the project Old Glory
on the River. The first flag was raised at that site on June 14, 2004, Flag Day.
Newsum said he got the idea for the flagpole while he was part of a cleanup effort on the banks of the Des Moines River in advance of a dragon boat
festival, which was held on the river instead of at Badger Lake at that time.
Newsum said while working, he looked at a pier in the middle of the water which once supported the old Bennett Viaduct and thought, “what a beautiful place for an American flag.”
He got permission from Mayor Will Patterson to put a flagpole on the bridge pier.
Crews from McGough Construction Co. bored a sevenfoot deep hole in the pier and placed a 77-foot tall flagpole in it.
Whenever the flag needs to be replaced, Fort Dodge firefighters go out in a boat and raise a new one.
“It’s been such a fulfilling project,” he said.
He is retired from a career in insurance and financial services. That background prepared him for one of his earliest community service efforts, when he volunteered to help senior citizens figure out the various health insurance plans available to them.
Newsum, who served in the Iowa Air National Guard, received the Veteran of the Year Award from the Fort Dodge Veterans Council. But he isn’t motivated by plaques or certificates.
“The more you give, the more you receive back,” he said.
FoRt DoDge
By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@messengernews.net
Jeana Becker wants the people of Fort Dodge and surrounding towns to know there are prominent destinations and a must-see event in town.
Becker is the chair of the Fort Museum and Frontier Village and is the chair of the Frontier Days committee.
Since moving to Fort Dodge five years ago from the Pocahontas area and Gilmore City, Becker has seen the admiration both for the Museum and Frontier Days.
“I remember coming here from Gilmore to Fort Dodge,” Becker said. “It (Frontier Days) was more young adult and I remembered how much fun I had. I heard a lot of things about wanting it to be more family friendly and have more food.
Giant) and is connected to P.T. Barnum. Little Fort Dodge has had a big impact on America. It lets people know this is a village and you can come in and walk around.”
Becker started as the Fort Museum chair in January. She works to keep things going and makes sure Fort Dodge has a museum.
“The year before we hired some new people in hopes of bringing the Fort back to life,” Becker said.
“We reached out to people in the community that were willing to help us.”
As her tenure started, Becker had some goals.
“When I started, my goal was to bring back awareness and get us in the black,” Becker said. “Not that we were in the red, but I wanted to be able to continue having the Fort Museum for future generations and make it fun for everyone.”
reception in the Opera House and can also get married here.”
After being in charge of the Frontier Days parade, Becker began being a leader of Frontier Days.
“That was my goal and to have more variety. We also wanted to open the stockade. Before I joined the board, I never knew I could go in the stockade. We now have that open and we want to make that known.”
“It’s not hidden, but it’s a hidden gem,” Becker said of the Fort Museum. “It has one of the nation’s largest hoaxes (Cardiff
The Fort Museum has a number of events through the year, including the popular Chilli Cook Off as well as the recent Kids in Biz event.
The Fort Museum also offers the Opera House where events can be held.
“People can get married in our beautiful Cardiff garden,” Becker said. “They can have the
“I gathered a pretty good committee for helping with reaching out and getting partners,” Becker said. “Not just people to give money and be done, but a group to be a part of it.
“We had a lot of great things at Frontier Days this year, and we have a lot of things that we will add.”
It will be a big season next year both for Fort Dodge, the Fort and Frontier Days.
“We have three anniversaries
coming up,” Becker said. “It’s the 165th anniversary of Fort Dodge, 60-plus years of the Fort Museum and the 50th anniversary of Frontier Days.
“We are hoping to go pretty big and bring in a lot of local celebrities and showcase them.”
With both the Fort and Frontier Days, Becker always comes back to the family.
“I really enjoy the familyfriendly atmosphere and love to see the joy in each of the little kids,” Becker said. “There are a lot of things that they can do.
“I love the social interaction with people and there are many different types of social aspects of the event.”
-Submitted photos
THE FRONTIER DAYS COMMITTEE discusses the best way to use the grounds of the stockade. Pictured left to right are Rick Lussman, Beverly Ashton, Sharon Rippke, Jeana Becker, John Huscamp, Sean O’Connor, and Debra Davis, interim executive director.
FAR LEFT: Jeana Becker stands with Jesse Kinch after giving him a tour of the Opera House. Kinch performed during Frontier Days.
By BILL SHEA bshea@messengernews.net
Some local residents who depend on Meals on Wheels can count on Kim Mason to show up at their door on a regular basis with hot food and a friendly smile.
The Fort Dodge woman insists that making the deliveries benefits her as much as the people receiving the food.
“It brings both parties joy,” she said. Mason runs a functional medicine health practice that partners with the Active Health Clinic in Fort Dodge. She and her husband, Dr. Josh Mason, also own Anytime Fitness in Fort Dodge. While her professional life and family keep her busy, she makes an effort to get involved in other ways.
That is essential, she said, if a person wants to truly be a part of the community in which they live.
“If you don’t get involved in the community, you don’t feel that connection,” Mason said. Doing so has the added benefit of being a lot of fun, she said.
“Being involved in the community is where the fun is,” she added.
Volunteering with Meals on Wheels gets her out into the community literally.
Mason doesn’t deliver meals every day. There is a rotating schedule so that the volunteers don’t get overwhelmed. When her turn comes up on that schedule, she delivers nine to 14 meals. She said she has the same route, delivering to the same people. It takes about 45 minutes.
The daily food delivery is an important human connection for the people getting the meal, because they are often alone.
“You get a lot of smiles,” she said.
She added that the food delivery is a daily wellness check for the recipients.
"Everyone needs to find their own people connection, and volunteering is the greatest way of doing that.”
— KIM MASON Volunteer
While her children were students at Duncombe Elementary School, she was a member of the Duncombe Booster Club. She considers that to be some of the most rewarding volunteer work she has done.
“It definitely allowed me to connect with my kids’ teachers,” she said. “It just really made me feel much more involved in my kids’ education.”
The annual carnival called Duncombe Fun Night is the most high profile activity of the Booster Club, and Mason put in some time helping with that. But she also volunteered to work with kids during the school day.
Since all of her children are now out of elementary school, Mason is no longer a member of the Duncombe Booster Club. She is, however, a member of the Study Club.
While the group’s name suggests hitting the books to prepare for a test, Mason said it is actually a philanthropic group of women that conducts one big fundraiser a year. The proceeds from that fundraiser are then donated to a group or effort selected by the club members.
She offers this advice to anyone who wants to feel more connected to their community: “Keep asking questions, keep looking until you find what makes you light up. Everyone needs to find their own people connection, and volunteering is the greatest way of doing that.”
-Submitted photo
KIM MASON, of Fort Dodge, says volunteering and getting involved in the community helps her stay connected.
By JOHN MCBRIDE editor@messengernews.net
Giving back to the community has always come naturally for Shea and Sawyer Springer. They both grew up watching their father, Steve, give as much as he could to the city of Fort Dodge.
So when it came time to figure out their own paths, it was an easy choice to make — give back to the town they’ve loved all their lives.
Shea has taken on the task of running four businesses in town: the Snack Shack, B&L’s Drive-Thru, Midwest Medical Rides and Diamond Pro Lawn Services.
Sawyer has also started down his own path, serving as a probationary firefighter with the Fort Dodge Fire Department and working as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Fort Dodge athletic program.
Both are guided by the memory of their father and their late brother, Sean, who was running both B&L’s and Midwest Medical Rides when he died in an ATV accident last year.
“I think both of us try our hardest to emulate mom (Juli) and dad. But especially our dad,” said Shea, who himself was a firefighter in Fort Dodge before taking on all his business ventures. “It’s what we saw growing up, so 100 percent that’s what motivates us.”
Sawyer said they both probably will never reach the heights that their father did when he was involved in so many things in the community and was running one of the more successful businesses.
“Honestly, I don't think no matter how hard we try, we’re
going to be able to do things he did,” Sawyer said. “I don’t know how he did everything he did. He ran the Fort Dodge concession stand, he was in the Lions Club, Sertoma, he was on the school board. It just blows my mind. As a kid, I just thought he was just involved in a lot. As we got older, I don’t know how he did it all.”
Steve Springer was diagnosed with cancer in March 2020. He passed away on May 31 of that same year.
That year, Shea started taking over the reins at Snack Shack. Then on April 2, 2023, Sean was killed when his ATV rolled over. He was running both B&L’s Drive-Thru and Midwest Medical Rides at the time. Shea stepped in to keep those businesses running as well.
“I never planned to be a business owner,” said Shea. “I was just like Sawyer. I was a young firefighter. Once my dad got sick, I knew it was something I had to do. When Sean passed, I just knew if I had one job, it was to do that.
“It’s not easy. If I had a todo list, it would be the size of a phone book,” he said. “I have always had good people around me. It’s been a huge learning experience. I joke around with friends that I still don’t know what I am doing.”
Shea was a firefighter from 2018 to 2022. He tried balancing that job and running Snack Shack and found that to be a little daunting, so he started full-time at the ice cream shop.
“Amy Rosalez was the manager when my dad was running (Snack Shack). She was a huge help,” he said. “It was 24-hour shifts at the Fire Department. I did the best I
See SPRINGER, Page 9D
FoRt DoDge
By BILL SHEA bshea@messengernews.net
Every year around Christmas, the children of the Pleasant Valley neighborhood are invited to meet Santa Claus.
And if any curious child is daring enough to tug even just a little bit on Santa’s big white beard, they find out it is the real thing.
Getting his beard yanked doesn’t hurt, according to Santa, who in this case is better known to grownups as Cameron Nelson. That’s because the white dye he puts in his beard makes the hair very stiff, he said.
Portraying the jolly old elf is but one of Nelson’s many service-minded endeavors in the Fort Dodge community. He said he has a hard time saying no, and his community benefits from that.
In his most high profile role, Nelson is serving his second term representing Ward 2 on the Fort Dodge City Council. He said he enjoys the one-on-one time he spends working with residents to address their concerns and problems.
Being a member of the council requires a commitment that extends beyond the standard two council meetings a month. But it is hardly the only thing Nelson is involved in.
His list of activities includes Fort Dodge Young Professionals, the Leadership Fort Dodge Steering Committee, Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance Ambassadors, Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance concierge, Stage Door Productions board, vice president of the Lifeworks Charitable
-Submitted photo
“I believe that Fort Dodge is a better place for the time that I spent and that is what I care about. I’ve never sought any sort of recognition.”
— CAMERSON NELSON
Fort Dodge city councilman
given to her.”
A sense of service to the community, he said, “was just kind of instilled in me at a young age.”
It was instilled in him by his parents. His father, Quintin, was a Fort Dodge police officer for 32 years who retired with the rank of captain. His mother, Rhonda, is a member of the Lions Club and helps to conduct the annual Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash.
Foundation board, Webster County EMS Essential Service Committee, Knights of Columbus, Pleasant Valley Awareness Committee, Noon Rotary Club and Webster County Crime Stoppers.
For all of his efforts, he received the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Growth Alliance in March. “I believe that Fort Dodge is a better place for the time that I spent and that is what I care about,” he said. “I’ve never sought any sort of recognition.”
There is a different, rewarding aspect
to his work with each of those groups, according to Nelson. For example, he said, being on the Lifeworks Charitable Foundation board enables him to work side-by-side with people with disabilities who are served by the organization.
He said his civic efforts are possible only because of the support of his employer, Shimkat Motor Co., and his wife, Melissa.
“Shimkat is amazing,” he said. “My wife is amazing as well. If there’s a volunteer of the year award, it should be
Portraying Santa Claus was one of his first community service endeavors. He said about seven years ago, Sherry Washington asked him to play Santa at Coppin Chapel AME Church. Nelson, who describes himself as a “big guy with a big beard,” proved to be a natural in the role.
Serving on the board of the Almost Home Humane Society of North Central Iowa was another of his early civic commitments.
“I got asked to do more at that point,” he said.
could for as long as I could, so I had to step away. It was a tough decision to leave the Fire Department. They were like my family.”
Sawyer went to the University of Iowa, but was unsure of his future when he left Iowa City. He worked at some of the family businesses for a while, but wasn't sure what he wanted to do for a career.
He saw the Fort Dodge Fire Department was hiring and felt that would be a good fit for him.
“I saw they were hiring and I thought it would be perfect. I like to work out and I like to be on my feet and do handson work,” he said. “I was kind of surprised I got it because there were other people who had more experience, but I love it so far.”
Sawyer is taking classes at Iowa Central Community College during his one-year probationary period and is studying to be an EMT and
eventually a paramedic.
He also spends his off days working with athletes at the Fort Dodge Senior High School weight room. He works with former Dodgers Brock Adams and Dalton Summers. Adams is the head weight room supervisor.
“We’re all former Dodgers, which makes a big difference,” said Sawyer. “We understand it’s not the biggest or greatest weight room and we’re not the biggest or strongest people, but we have a great mentality and that goes a long way.”
Both Shea and Sawyer said it was an easy decision to stay in Fort Dodge and be part of this community and help young people find their way.
“I’ve always loved Fort Dodge,” said Shea. “I like that you can kind of know everybody, but not know everybody. I’ve never wanted to leave.”
“I never planned to be a business owner. I was just like Sawyer. I was a young firefighter. Once my dad got sick, I knew it was something I had to do. When Sean passed, I just knew if I had one job, it was to do that.
— SHEA SPRINGER
Owner, Snack Shack, B&L's Drive-Thru, Midwest Medical Rides and Diamond Pro Lawn Services
FF F F
“Honestly, I don't think no matter how hard we try, we’re going to be able to do things he (father, Steve Springer) did.”
— SAWYER SPRINGER
Fort Dodge probationary firefighter and assistant strength and conditioning coach
“I’m the same way,” added Sawyer. “I knew a career or job could take you away, but if I had a choice, I will stay here.”
“I think it’s a really cool thing to hire high school kids
here at the Snack Shack and help them along,” said Shea. “In the same regard, Sawyer is doing that in sports right now. We just teach basic discipline and social skills.”
They both credited their family and upbringing as they went through first the loss of their father and then the loss of their brother.
“When our dad was the first thing we went through, I think we realized we really needed to stick together,” said Shea. “Whether it was a conscious thing or not, we realized how important family is. Those things were kind of thrown at us and we learned, these things happen and we need to stick together.”
“When our dad passed, I remember that night our entire front sidewalk was covered with candles. And then the parade,” said Sawyer. “I think things like that really shine through for what this town really is.”
ank you to all th e that make our community great!
955-7714
(515) 955-7719
(515) 570-0672
jkrealty@frontiernet.net
By JOHN MCBRIDE editor@messengernews.net
Jamie Huse, the longest-tenured staff member at the Domestic/ Sexual Assault Outreach Center, has one of the more challenging jobs there.
She helps children navigate through life when domestic violence or violent crime upends their world.
Huse, a 2002 graduate of Fort Dodge Senior High School, actually serves both D/SAOC and the Homicide/Other Violent Crimes (H/OVC) office in Fort Dodge.
At D/SAOC, she has held the role of child advocate for 18 years. For the past four years, she’s been the homicide/other violent crimes specialist, a program that is under the D/SAOC umbrella, but has its own office.
As the child advocate for D/SAOC, Huse works with children 17 years of age and under who arrive at the shelter with a parent or guardian who is seeking shelter from domestic violence. Her duties there vary greatly, depending on the age of the child and the situation they are coming from.
“We provide basic needs for the kids when they come in. Anyone coming into shelter will have needs,” said Huse, who holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake.
“For kids, it looks very different. They have to leave behind their toys, or their
See HUSE, Page 13D
MONDAY - FRIDAY: 8AM-6PM SATURDAY: 8AM-2:30PM
video games. So a lot of times, it’s me trying to find things to keep them busy or make them feel welcome,” she added. “We try to occupy their mind so they aren’t reminded they are not at home any more and they’re in a strange place.”
Huse said there is also an extra challenge when school is in session. Sometimes children arriving at the shelter are coming from a different school district and need to be enrolled into the Fort Dodge Community School District.
“If they are in school, we try to get them supplies and help them stay up on their school work,” she said. “I can help them get enrolled in schools. Sometimes they are already enrolled in schools here, but we see more coming from different areas so they need to relocate schools. I can get the process started.”
In addition to helping find school supplies and other school needs, the shelter also tries to get children some comfort items, like a new toy or a new blanket.
Huse said once families leave the shelter, she is no longer able to offer them services, but she works with parents if they want to find additional support from other agencies.
“Once they leave shelter, we try to link them with our sister agency, Crisis Intervention Service, to continue that support,” she said. “If they are in school, and the parents are comfortable enough, we can try to link them with a school counselor. Oftentimes, though, with domestic violence situations, the parent may not be comfortable with that.”
Huse said she also tries her best to make the children in the shelter have as normal of an existence as possible. She provides, through donors and volunteer groups, birthday cakes and presents and Christmas presents for those that celebrate.
She also gives children that arrive at the shelter a “care kit” that includes things that make them feel more comfortable in their new surroundings. Those include toys, blankets, activities and other items. All are age specific.
Huse began her role with the H/OVC office in a child advocacy role, because there were a lot of kids that had witnessed some pretty violent crimes, or they were being asked to testify in a criminal trial.
Typically we get our referrals from law enforcement or the county attorney. They'll identify a victim that could need our services and we reach out to them.”
Huse said they can provide emotional support or individual counseling if necessary. They can also make referrals for therapy. And she works with prosecutors, the Iowa Attorney General's office or even funeral homes.
“Anyone that is working with the
“I’ve always tried to put the focus on the kids. It’s not about me. It’s hard and I can have vicarious trauma, and that’s a real thing, but at the same time it’s about the families we work with. That’s their loved one that this happened to. So even if I am struggling with something, I take the perspective that it’s that family that is going through this and I think about what they are going through.”
— JAMIE HUSE Child advocate for D/SAOC , H/OVC
Huse said she helps as best she can to get the children ready to testify. She gets them comfortable with a courtroom setting and what the process involves.
“It’s tough to be in that position as an adult, but then to be a kid and not really understand what's happening, that can be intimidating,” said Huse.
Huse said she’s allowed in the courtroom in a support position. Sometimes, depending on the setting, she can sit with the child or even the child’s attorney. Other times, she has to sit in the general courtroom seating.
“I always make sure I sit where the child or teen can see me. I can’t nod or gesture. I just try to be that reassuring face,” she said.
So after 18 years and dealing with some pretty traumatic events, it would be easy to see Huse get burned out. But she said she’s got a great support system.
“I initially started helping with the program that way, or when we had a high-profile case where the homicide specialists needed extra advocates to help,” she said. “That’s kind of how I got into the program. I officially have been in this position as a child advocate for about four years.”
Huse also helps when adults need support. She helps anyone who is a violent crime survivor or a homicide survivor.
“We offer a wide variety of things,” she said. “We can provide initial support with law enforcement on scene, if they ask us to be there with a family.
family, we can be a part of that process and help in any way,” she said.
“If there is a child that is a witness to a crime and they are going to be asked to testify, initially they’ll pull me in for a meeting with the prosecutor handling the case,” she said. “Then we’ll meet with mom, dad, or whoever.
“Then a lot of the process is meeting individually with them and simply playing games or something like that. We might not necessarily talk about the trauma or what they experienced. A lot of time, it’s just getting to know each other and getting them feeling comfortable.”
“Honestly, the support of my coworkers has been great. I can’t go home and can’t talk about my day. I can’t go home and vent like a different job. We sit in with families and we see crime pictures and videos. I think at the end of the day, it’s nice to have coworkers that I can talk to and ask, ‘Is this really happening?’” she said.
“And, I’ve always tried to put the focus on the kids. It’s not about me. It’s hard and I can have vicarious trauma, and that’s a real thing, but at the same time it’s about the families we work with,” Huse said. “That’s their loved one that this happened to. So even if I am struggling with something, I take the perspective that it’s that family that is going through this and I think about what they are going through.”
Jamie and her husband, Nick, have two children, Caleb and Kinsley.
By DANA BECKER dbecker@messengernews.net
Blake Utley and Tehya Miller share many of the same passions and experiences, both as youths growing up in Fort Dodge and now as current Dodger teachers.
When Utley decided now was the time to pass on a program he started 15 years ago at Fort Dodge Senior High School, there was no one better to fill his shoes than Miller, who was just returning home to begin her career journey.
Back in the fall of 2008, Utley, a 2001 Fort Dodge Senior High graduate, began training to run his first marathon.
“I ran that one in January 2009 with Nick Vinson,” Utley said. “We both trained together and ran it together. Finishing a marathon was always on my bucket list. I talked about it in college, but never ran one. Some classmates at that time mentioned I should run a half marathon and I told them why would I waste my time doing that and not running the whole thing.
”I told them at the time, I guarantee the first one I do is the full distance, and it was. I learned a lot from that experience.”
Utley was given a book by former Dodger head football coach Matt Miller, the father of Tehya Miller, that was written by University of Northern Iowa professors.
“He had heard about the book and thought it would help,” Utley said. “The professors at UNI had a class where you would train all semester long for a full marathon. That included the mental approach along with the physical side to running it.”
After he completed his first distance journey, Utley wanted to figure out a way to include the training in his physical education classes. Through the backing of those in the administration at the time, he was able to start the half marathon class in the fall of 2009.
Since that time, almost 200 students have finished the course and completed a half marathon at numerous cities in the U.S.
“I cannot thank Dave Keane, who was the principal at the time, and Ben Johnson
for all they did,” Utley said. “Dave was a huge believer in great ideas for classes and doing whatever he could to help.
“That first class went down to the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon and we had a great time with it. There were probably 11 or 12 kids, including Jeremiah Reed, who is a teacher here at FDSH now.”
Along with completing the running part of the event, the students also volunteer at the sites of the race with everything from handing out information to setting up and tearing down the start/finish line.
Utley also said he has heard numerous times that other runners would love for their communities to get behind and
support such an experience for their local youth.
A decade later, Miller took the same class and would complete her first half marathon under the guidance of Utley.
“Blake could convince almost anyone to take the class,” Miller said. “If he believed you could do it, he would stay on you and ask every other day if you signed up for the class. I grew up as an athlete, so I always had a competitive side to me. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.
“I was never a runner or even had a thought about running, but I knew this would push me. This class was the
highlight of my whole high school career. It’s hard to pinpoint my favorite memory, I just remember completing that first 10-mile run and thinking to myself, ‘I just did that.’
“But also seeing the faces of my classmates — and the enjoyment when they finished too — was memorable. It’s an odd feeling, but you understand the pain and the hardship they went through to finish. You also build friendships in this class with people you may have never talked to before.”
Miller’s desire to take her college learning in the direction of teaching comes from the half-marathon class.
“It truly changed me as a person and there was no hesitation that I wanted to take this over,” she said. “It’s truly why I became a physical educator. It taught me a new way to be active, but also that anyone can do it.”
Utley echoed those thoughts, saying, “As rewarding as it was to see kids finish, it is super rewarding to hand it off to Tehya.”
“Now it’s her baby and I’m here to help with anything she needs,” he said. “It’s just really cool to hand something off to somebody that I had in class and means a lot to you. I am really close friends with her dad, and now seeing his daughter teaching the same job as him with her own twist, that’s cool to be part of.”
Both Miller and Utley run the miles with the students, who have joined the course from all different hallways.
“I could go on forever about the benefits of this class and why it’s so important, but for me, it shows students they are capable of pretty much anything,” Miller said. “It takes a lot of courage to say you’re going to run a half marathon as a 14- to 18-yearold. That’s not on many adults’ radar, let alone students.
“This class is to prove to you that you can finish it, and you can do it.” she added. “The hardest thing is waking up that morning and tying your shoes. It opens a whole new gate of fitness and mental toughness. We are super grateful that we have such a supportive administration that continues to let us do it.”
FoRt
By BRANDON BRUESCHKE editor@messengernews.net
Justin Mikos is the current store manager of Mikos and Matt Furniture, and is the son of John Mikos, the owner. He has made his mark on the community by helping run the fixture of Fort Dodge that is Mikos and Matt, but also has made an impact by being a key member of the Fort Dodge Young Professionals.
“I was born and raised here in Fort Dodge, went to St. Edmond for schooling,” he said. “I graduated from St Ed’s in 2011, then I went to college at UNI (University of Northern Iowa) and graduated with a marketing degree in 2015. Afterwards, I did an internship at a Lay-Z-Boy store, and then moved back here to work for the family business.”
One major aspect of Mikos’ community work is his involvement with the Fort Dodge Young Professionals. This is a group dedicated to helping improve the economic quality of Fort Dodge by working with and providing opportunities for young professionals.
“I’m the vice president, VP, of Young Professionals this year,” said Mikos, “and we’ve been working on a bunch of different things. Last month, we did a networking event with the Growth Alliance at the new Stella’s coffee shop, and that went over well. We had a good attendance there. Then we also volunteer at the Kennedy Christmas lights. We help set up and then I’ve helped during the light displays, and I've even helped tear down, too.”
Mikos said the Young Professionals group members like to have fun, but also enjoy networking, volunteering and giving back to the community.
1953 and has been a staple in the Fort Dodge community since.
“We’ve been around a long time; we’re on the third generation,” he said. “We’ve always given back to the community. We’re happy to support local foundations, whether it’s the fireman’s ball or like the St. Ed’s or Fort Dodge’s balls they have. We’ve also donated items to the animal shelter, the Almost Home, when they have their Fur Ball.
“It’s fun to attend those events, too,” he added. “That’s a good way to stay connected with people in the community and see where your donations go.”
When asked if he had any advice for someone looking to become more involved in the community, Mikos said, “I would say, don’t be afraid to get active in the community, and don’t be intimidated by it, either, because once you do, that’s when you either meet new people or get reconnected with people that you already knew.
“Don’t be afraid … because everybody has been very inviting and appreciates young people getting involved.”
In his free time, Mikos enjoys golfing, fishing and using the trail system in Fort Dodge. “I’m an outdoors guy, and I really enjoy the advantage of all the outdoor things that Fort Dodge has to offer,” he said.
Mikos also likes promoting his hometown.
“We do volleyball teams down at Amigos,” Mikos said, “and about a month ago, in kind of the early part of May, we had a golf outing out at the country club, and the proceeds are going to the United Way.”
His work with the community also has roots that go back to his family’s store. Mikos and Matt Furniture opened in
“Since I grew up here, and our business has been here for a long time, and Fort Dodge has treated us very well,” Mikos said, “I feel very fortunate to be a part of this community and a part of my family business.”
By MARK ADKINS editor@messengernews.net
Matthew 17:20 could easily be a motto for Fort Dodge-area pastor Daniel Altman.
While he and his family’s faith is much larger than that proverbial mustard seed that Jesus mentions as part of the Bible’s first book of the New Testament, the message behind it — being able to move mountains even with the littlest of faith if you follow the Lord — speaks volumes to what he, his wife, Danielle, and their children have achieved.
“Hey, I was in a situation after high school where I was headed down the wrong road, even after being raised in a Christian home,” he said. “I had a group of mentoring men come from different parts of my life and say, ‘Daniel, you need to think about where you’re going. It isn’t a good route.”
That small faith led to a stint working in the gypsum mills to get himself away from questionable influences. From there, Altman kept having the thought of going into the ministry.
“I started my education online, deciding on an internship in Kansas City for a year and winding up doing two.” he said. “Through all of that, I kept
working online at university, eventually gaining my master’s degree.”
Altman’s pastoral career started in West Des Moines.
However, he felt God’s strong call to come home.
“I just wanted to help in Fort Dodge,” he said. “I empathize with young men who are struggling and have a fire to work with individuals like that.”
While he continues to develop a plan for that long-term goal,
he found a small church called Mission Community Church located south of Fort Dodge in Harcourt and became its pastor in September 2022.
“The church sort of wanted to rebrand itself,” he said.
“That rise has nothing to do with me, honestly,” he added. “It’s all about God’s word and ability to work in this community. I’m just a person — no better than anyone else — who wants to help and share
the Gospel.”
That humility and selflessness caught the eye of many community members, leading to an ask to be on the Fort Dodge Community School District Board of Education.
“I have been working with the school from time to time assisting with at-risk kids who have suspension issues, may get expelled, and so forth,” he said.
“Being on the board allows me to continue to build on that and
give the district an idea of what it needs to be successful in that area.
“I'm always learning — every meeting — about the behindthe-scenes steps the board takes in so many different areas,” he added. “If there is a chance for me to be a role model to struggling youth by what I’m doing with my work on the board, I’ll take that in a heartbeat.”
By DARCY DOUGHERTY MAULSBY editor@messengernews.net
MANSON — While national surveys show that America’s young people are volunteering less than in years past, some local leaders are bucking that trend in Manson. These young professionals’ efforts are integral to the success of the annual Manson Greater Crater Day celebration, economic development and more.
“We want to contribute to the quality of life in Manson,” said Madison Samuelson, who owns Swanson Hardware in downtown Manson with her husband, Drew.
Samuelson volunteered to help coordinate some of the big activities during Manson Greater Crater Days, including the parade. She is part of a four-member committee that includes Cassie Darr, activity director at the Good Samaritan Society in Manson; Macie Schoon, economic development coordinator/ deputy clerk for the City of Manson; and Braden Moser with Heartland Bank.
All these committee members are in their 20s and early 30s. They’ve worked hard to bring some new events to Manson Greater Crater Days and switch things up a bit, from changing the parade route to offering more activities at the Gazebo Park/ City Hall Park rather than the fairgrounds.
“There’s been a big learning curve with all this, but we want to work together to benefit the community,” Samuelson said.
Manson Greater Crater Days, which is held each year in late June, offers a prime time for class reunions and other get-togethers. The parade was always a highlight of summer when Samuelson was growing up in Manson. “There are a lot of events going on during Greater Crater Days, and we want to make things fun.”
Hometown hardware store helps Manson thrive
When Samuelson was growing up in Manson, she always enjoyed spending time downtown at Swanson Hardware, which her grandparents owned and operated. After earning her degree at Iowa State University, Samuelson planned to move on and become an elementary school teacher, but everything changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I came back to Manson and realized
'Deep down I knew I would come back'
MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL COMMITTEE helping coordinate some of the events at Greater Crater Days 2024, including the parade, are (left to right) Madison Samuelson, owner of Swanson Hardware; Cassie Darr, activity director at the Good Samaritan Society in Manson; and Macie Schoon, economic development coordinator/deputy clerk for the City of Manson. Another committee member not shown in the picture is Braden Moser with Heartland Bank.
I didn’t want to leave the hardware business,” said Swanson, 26, who teamed up with her husband, Drew, 24, to purchase the business in August 2023. “After years of working part-time at the store, I decided my heart really did belong here.”
While hardware has historically been a man’s world, young professionals like Samuelson are injecting new energy into this industry. “When guys come in and ask to speak to the manager, sometimes they’re surprised to find out that’s me,” she said.
Personalized service sets a familyowned business like Swanson Hardware apart from the big-box stores.
“We greet everyone who walks through our door,” said Samuelson, who noted that some customers drop in with their dog, since Swanson Hardware welcomes well-behaved pets.
On a typical afternoon, customers might stop by to purchase anything from a posthole digger to paint. (Swanson Hardware is consistently among the top 100 paint sellers within the Hardware Hank system in the Midwest.) The 4,000-square-foot
slow down, Samuelson was grateful she and her husband had the opportunity to buy the Manson store. It wasn’t always a clear-cut path, though.
“For years, my grandpa was adamant that he knew I’d come back, which drove me crazy at the time,” Samuelson said. “I was too busy with bigger dreams about changing the world through the classroom.”
Working at the store part-time all those years, however, had planted a seed that took root.
“Hardware runs deep in our family, but truthfully it’s way more than that,” Samuelson said. “Deep down I knew I would come back.”
The young couple reached out to the Small Business Development Center in Fort Dodge, put together a business plan and worked with Hardware Hank to put together a profit-and-loss statement as they prepared to buy the business.
The Samuelsons and their Swanson Hardware team love serving the community — and they’re just getting started.
Swanson Hardware store stocks nearly 12,000 items, from batteries to bolts.
“I never thought I’d get excited about hinges!” Samuelson said.
For Samuelson, the hardware business has been part of her life since she was a child. Her grandparents, Randy and Deb Swanson, purchased their first hardware store in 1992 in downtown Manson. They bought another hardware store in Rockwell City and owned a third hardware store in Emmetsburg (which Samuelson’s uncle Nick Swanson now operates).
“I thought it was cool that my family seemed to know everyone,” Samuelson said.
As Samuelson helped out at the Manson store, she learned how to pay attention to detail. “When my grandma would walk down an aisle and spot an item out of place, she’d fix it,” Samuelson said. “Now I’m the same way.”
When the Swansons were ready to
Madison Samuelson is a member of the Manson Chamber of Commerce and Manson Betterment. She volunteers her time to help Manson Hometown Grocery with marketing and advertising.
Drew Samuelson, 24, serves as the public works director for the City of Manson, plus he runs a lawn care and snow removal business. He also volunteers on the local fire department, serves as an EMS driver and operates a tree removal business (Manson Tree Service) with the Samuelson’s neighbor, Jonathan Pierce.
The Samuelsons received the 2024 Impact Award from the Manson Economic Development Corporation in March 2024. This award recognizes a resident or residents of Manson who have generously given of their time and talents for the betterment of the community.
“People in this community are always in your corner, and we feel fortunate to have this support,” Madison Samuelson said. “I never dreamed I’d be selling hardware here, but now I wouldn’t want to do anything else. Drew and I and the Swanson Hardware team look forward to serving the community for years to come.”
By DOUG CLOUGH editor@messengernews.net
BARNUM — Since January of this year, Cassie Dillon has been mayor of the town of Barnum, population 191. She’ll tell you she’s still a “little wet behind the ears,” but that myth is soon dispelled if you’re lucky enough to catch her for a conversation between her mayoral and teaching lives.
“I served on City Council for two years first,” said Dillon. “The mayor position became open, and I was already pretty involved, so I thought why not mayor?”
Indeed — why not?
“My roots go deep here,” said Dillon. “I was born in Gilmore City and grew up around the Pioneer area. My grandparents were lifelong residents of Barnum. My grandpa, Joe Collier, was the mayor of Barnum for many, many years. I know that my grandfather had an article written about him in a newspaper, so it’s kind of funny how life takes a similar turn a generation later.
“There are five generations on my mom’s side who have lived here, and my dad’s parents lived here. He went to school in Barnum,” she added. “Long story short, I’ve spent a great deal of my life in Barnum before moving here. The man I married lived in
Barnum his whole life. It was meant to be.”
Dillon has been married to her husband, Eric, for eight years.
She has a specific memory about her Grandpa Collier — during his tenure as mayor — getting phone calls about dogs running loose in town.
“When we’ve dealt with zoning questions, it’s been neat to see his signature on documents he worked on back in the 1990s,” said Dillon.
Apparently, his term was not relegated entirely to canine crime.
“While I was on City Council, it was easy to see the potential in this little town,” said Dillon. “When you come to Barnum, you’ll notice right away that we are a vibrant community; we are not allowing our town to be anything other than the best it can be. We have friendly neighbors and safe neighborhoods. I love this town, and I wanted to be in a position of leadership.”
Being proactive, Dillon said, is the most important aspect of being mayor.
“My main goal is to provide a safe and loving environment to raise our kids,” said Dillon. “On the block where we live, kids can ride up and down the street on their bikes because people know to drive slowly. There’s no better way to live.”
The coincidence of Dillon
position as gathering the community together for the benefit of Barnum as a whole.
“With the current generation of people, everyone seems to be behind their phones,” said Dillon. “We need to know our neighbors as well as we did back in the day, so I’m looking forward to creating community events beyond the sesquicentennial.”
Dillon said that a portion of her mayoral position is just like that in any other town.
“We spend time on payroll, approval of minutes, and responding to citizen complaints — it’s all part of the city service,” said Dillon. “A lot of time in small towns, we don’t have black and white ordinances; a nuisance isn’t a nuisance until somebody complains. With the transition of me as the new mayor, some of the previous complaints are resurfacing again. Reworking ordinances to make them as concise as possible will help to solve some of those issues.”
Dillon has been a teacher in Gilmore City for 13 years.
and her grandfather both having articles written about them may be “funny” to Dillon, but it’s easy to see why she is garnering as much attention.
“This is our sesquicentennial year, so it was easy to get involved quickly,” said Dillon.
“We’re celebrating our 150th
year as an incorporated town. We’re making some renovations to the park and toys there, making improvements to the playground, painting the shelter, and working on signage. All of this is taking quite a bit of the community’s time.”
In the end, Dillon sees her
“I’m a teacher-leader within my building as well,” said Dillon. “I have a lot of experience with events and functions. My teaching experience has prefaced being a mayor in that I have led meetings and gathered people around an important purpose and cause before. It’s made community leadership a natural fit.”
By KELLI BLOOMQUIST editor@messengernews.net
Danitza Cardenas has a saying that she often uses when working with students in the Fort Dodge Community School District — “Si se puede,” which means “Yes, you can” or “It’s possible.”
Everything is possible for Spanishspeaking students and families in the district as Cardenas breaks down language barriers and helps families to navigate the education process and opportunities.
Cardenas, who will begin her 10th year with the district in the fall, serves as an interpreter for Spanish-speaking students and families. She translates information from English to Spanish that is sent home, assists school staff, helps with the registration process, records messages in Spanish, attends parent/ teacher conferences as needed, and works closely with the students who are learning the English language.
“Danitza is much more than a translator,” said Ryan Flaherty, principal of Duncombe Elementary School. “She is a connection and lifeline for our Spanishspeaking families. She is their connection to a quality education, to health care and many more avenues.”
Cardenas enjoys working with students and families as a liaison that makes connections and communicates between school and home.
“Danitza has been an indispensable bridge between our ELL students and the Fort Dodge Community School District,” said Josh Porter, Fort Dodge Community School District superintendent. “Her dedication to translating and guiding families through the school system ensures every student, regardless of language, has access to the educational opportunities they deserve.”
Cardenas has lived in Fort Dodge for more than 24 years and attended and graduated from the Fort Dodge Community School District. She moved away for a period of time, but returned to Fort Dodge to serve as a Spanish interpreter for a much more diverse district.
“The district is making improvements and communicating with all of the families,
“I love working with the kids and their families because I want them to feel some relief that they have someone to communicate with in their home language. I also love my work family because they are very supportive and everything we do is for the betterment of our students.”
— DANITZA CARDENAS
Intrepreter for the Fort Dodge Community School District
not only in Spanish and in English, but in other languages as well,” said Cardenas.
“(This role) is important to me because I feel that parents should be informed on how their kids are doing in school and to also be partners with the school staff for the betterment of the kids.”
Cardenas met her husband, David, in Fort Dodge, and the couple have three children — Daniel, Deya, and David
Jr., all who have attended Fort Dodge Community Schools.
“I love working with the kids and their families because I want them to feel some relief that they have someone to communicate with in their home language,” said Cardenas. “I also love my work family because they are very supportive and everything we do is for the betterment of our students.”
DANITZA CARDENAS will begin her 10th year with the Fort Dodge Community School District this fall, where she serves as an interpreter for Spanish-speaking students and families. “Danitza is much more than a translator,” said Ryan Flaherty, principal of Duncombe Elementary School. “She is a connection and lifeline for our Spanish-speaking families. She is their connection to a quality education, to health care and many more avenues.”
By DARCY DOUGHERTY MAULSBY editor@messengernews.net
ROCKWELL CITY — Ever heard the quote, “Some people see things as they are and ask, ‘Why?’ I dream things that never were and ask, ‘Why not?’”
John Schmit combines this spirit with a practical, hands-on approach to improve the quality of life in Rockwell City.
“I don’t do well with just sitting around,” said Schmit, 63, who has served the community for decades.
He’s a Boy Scout troop leader, as well as an active member of Rockwell City Revitalization, a nonprofit organization that has helped improve the community, one project at a time, for the past 15 years.
The organization dates back to 2009, when local resident and businessman Gary Dudley established it. Back then, 50 to 60 people attended the meetings, Schmit said. The first big project the group tackled was the construction of a new bandstand/ gazebo on the southeast corner of the Calhoun County courthouse square.
“We built that around 2009-2010,” said Schmit, who noted that the site is a hub of free live music throughout the summer, thanks to generous sponsorship from local businesses and other donors.
It’s not uncommon for 100 to 200 people to gather at the bandstand to enjoy the concerts, which will include The Expressions, Ridottos, and Rockin 88’s yet this summer.
“These are fun events that get people out of the house,” Schmit said.
In 2010, Rockwell City Revitalization also created the Sweet Corn Daze celebration, which is held the first weekend in August each year.
“We started this to draw more people to town,” said Schmit, a 1979 Rockwell City High School graduate who owns two Snap-on Tools franchises in Rockwell City and Fort Dodge. “Lots of people have class reunions then.”
For Schmit, improving the quality of life in Rockwell City is interconnected with the community’s heritage.
“Our ancestors built the schools, parks and other things we use and enjoy today,”
said Schmit, citing a stone marker east of the Rockwell City swimming pool that reads “In Honor of Dr. L.E. Eslick, founder of the Rockwell City Park.”
“The very least we can do is maintain these things, if not improve them,” he added.
A Rockwell City native, Schmit credits the late Martin Hildreth, a local business owner, with showing him the value of community service.
“If he decided a project needed to be done, he’d tell you to show up and help,” Schmit said. “He did a lot for this town.”
While Schmit’s work takes him beyond Rockwell City (he has worked with Snapon Tools since 1991 and covers six counties), he makes time to give back to his hometown. What he calls “25 years
of busy” is evident throughout Rockwell City through his willingness to work with other volunteers to:
n Help maintain the E. Patrick Minnick Memorial Walk Park west of the Calhoun County Expo grounds, as well as the Kids Kingdom playground in the city park.
n Add a drinking fountain and maintain the flowerbeds at Hero’s Park. Located across from the Rockwell City fire station, this small park honors local first responders and law enforcement officers.
n Create Gardens on 4th. These vibrant blooms east of the Calhoun County courthouse enliven a previously dilapidated spot where Rosie’s Bar and Grill was once located.
n Pour concrete for picnic tables at the Rockwell City RV Park.
n Create the Rockwell City dog park east of the Calhoun County Museum in 2022. “The City of Rockwell City has
been a good partner with us,” Schmit said.
n Repair the entrance to the Rockwell City park. When a vehicle damaged a stone pillar at the entrance to the park in the spring of 2023, Schmit and other volunteers raised money to hire a contractor to restore this historic structure, which has graced the area for nearly 100 years.
n Install more than 20 wayfinding signs around town in 2023 to guide people to the city park and other destinations.
Schmit has also worked with Rockwell City Revitalization to install Burma Shave-style signs welcoming people to Rockwell City, add lighted billboards along U.S. Highway 20, and install lighting at intersections north out of Rockwell City on the road to Twin Lakes.
As a Boy Scout leader, Schmit and his troop members have removed underbrush at the Rainbow Bridge park just east of Rockwell City. In 2008, Schmit’s son, Ian, an Eagle Scout, built the bus stop shelter that kids still use outside of the Calhoun County Museum. In addition, Schmit and local troop members conduct a flag-burning ceremony to properly dispose of tattered flags that the public deposits in a drop box near the Freedom Rock at the courthouse square.
Schmit enjoys the friends he has made along the way. Among them are Joan Wagner, the Calhoun County assessor and fellow Rockwell City Revitalization volunteer.
“John is the go-to-guy,” Wagner said. “He’s the one who shows up when work needs to be done. He has a way of convincing others to join in and help, too.”
Schmit appreciates the sense of community that can thrive in a small town. He also feels an obligation to give back to the community where he has raised his family and grown his business.
“It’s easy to drive by a mess and say, ‘Someone should do something,’” he said. “If everyone says no to helping, however, nothing gets done. When I see a challenge, I try to help solve the problem to make Rockwell City and Calhoun County the most livable places possible.”
By ERIC PRATT epratt@messengernews.net
GOWRIE — Katelyn Johnson’s goals were relatively modest when she started her Swingin’ Fore Soldiers golf tournament fundraiser in 2019.
What the 2009 Prairie Valley graduate didn’t fully understand at first was just how much her hometown community — as well as people and businesses from across the region — would rally around the cause.
This year’s event, which took place earlier in June at the Gowrie Municipal Golf Course, raised a record $51,000 for Iowa military families.
Johnson is its founder, but the collective credit for the exponential growth of Swingin’ Fore Soldiers goes more to the citizens of Webster County and northcentral Iowa.
“I owe everything to my community for supporting this,” she said. “We cannot exist without you. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all who have shared this vision with me. Know you are truly saving and changing lives, and never forget, we are standing on the shoulders of the most courageous and selfless heroes that exist.”
Johnson initially wanted Swingin’ Fore Soldiers to be a support system for both veterans and troops actively serving in the United States Armed Forces.
“I love to help and give back and was thinking, ‘What is an area back home I could get the community involved?’” said Johnson, who now lives in West Des Moines. “My initial thought was the military. I don’t think we do enough for the military. I don’t think we give back enough.”
The inaugural tournament five years ago was a success, raising nearly $4,500. Both the interest in and popularity of Swingin’ Fore Soldiers — which now includes not just golf, but a live auction, raffles, games, other forms of entertainment and a number of ways to honor the military — has taken off in ways Johnson could have never imagined.
Today, there are 27 teams, more than 75 sponsors and countless volunteers
-Submitted photo
from the area contributing to the cause.
“Our mission has been the same from day one: To support our military, veterans and their families by honoring the promise, dedication and sacrifices made to protect our freedoms and our future,” Johnson
ABOVE: Katelyn Johnson speaks during this year’s Swingin’ Fore Soldiers event in Gowrie.
LEFT: Katelyn Johnson pauses for a quiet moment of reflection earlier this month in front of an area addressing military suicide prevention during the Swingin’ Fore Soldiers event in Gowrie.
said. “That will never be blurred.”
The money is distributed in a variety of ways, addressing medical expenses, car and rent payments, utility bills, food and gas, emergency funding, the Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight, care packages overseas, thank-you gifts, an annual holiday turkey and ham giveaway, adopting military families to help with Christmas gifts and meals, gifts at patching ceremonies, funeral expenses, and a number of other purposes.
Recently a new project — “Homebound for Heroes” — was also added, as Swingin’ Fore Soldiers aids
“Our mission has been the same from day one: To support our military, veterans and their families by honoring the promise, dedication and sacrifices made to protect our freedoms and our future.”
— KATELYN JOHNSON Founder, Swingin' Fore Soldiers
in the ability to move veterans from one place to another.
“We give back 100 percent of the proceeds raised to active duty, reserves, veterans and Gold Star families across Iowa,” Johnson said. “It’s also my understanding that we are one of the only emergency-funded organizations in the state, meaning we get funds into our service members’ hands within hours of a phone call.”
Swingin’ Fore Soldiers has now distributed more than $110,000 for active duty, reserves, veterans and Gold-Star families since 2019. Johnson confirms anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 military members and their families have been impacted during that period of time.
Johnson is also passionate about prioritizing the mental health conversation.
“Every day, we lose over 22 service members to suicide,” Johnson said.
“It’s raw, it’s real, and our organization directly impacts the ability to support these families and break down the barriers that it’s OK to ask for help and ultimately prevent the tragic loss of any of these amazing men and women.
“It doesn't matter where you came from, what your past is or how much money you have in this lifetime … you are here because God has a plan and purpose. Everyone here has a family and friend that cares about them. Our organization is a phone call away for anyone, but especially the military families. It’s my goal to one day reduce that 22 to zero.”
By BRET HAYWORTH editor@messengernews.net
HUMBOLDT — Decades ago, when Tim Miller was in fourth grade, he sat with a Danville, Iowa, school music instructor as it was time to begin with school instrumental music.
The teacher told Miller he should go with trombone, even though the 10-yearold student wanted to pick trumpet, as he was used to seeing an older brother play in his musically gifted family.
Recounting his outlook that day, Miller said, “I want to play trumpet, so that’s what I’m going to play. I’m going to do it. I was adamant.”
It was a path well picked.
Today, Miller, who lives in Humboldt, is a trumpeter and all-around talented musician who is part of a lot of musical groups in the area, including the Karl L. King Municipal Band in Fort Dodge. He has played in bands that have played as far west as Sioux City, south to the Des Moines area and in Minnesota.
Some favorite venues are the Okoboji-area Green Space (also known as Preservation Plaza) adjacent to the buzzingly busy Arnolds Park Amusement Park, plus the newly revamped Laramar Ballroom in Fort Dodge.
“It is really neat what they’ve done with the Laramar,” Miller said.
He also had a 40-year career teaching music in schools, with a first stop at Sheffield, then a much longer stint in Humboldt from 1985 to 2016.
“We came here for long-term stability for my job, and for my kids to have a good experience,” he said of the decision he made with his wife, Debra, to whom he has been married for 48 years.
Dean Davis, Jeremy Ober, Dan Cassady, and others that Fort Dodge music fans may know.
“Oh, and there’s that guy who plays trumpet,” he said. “Most people don’t recognize me unless I have a trumpet in my face.”
Beyond trumpet, Miller said, he is adept at guitar, both rhythm and bass guitar. Miller first played in a band called Galaxy in 1988, where he played bass. It was a group that played cover songs from the 1950s to the 1970s. At that time, he was busy with young children, but made sure he found time for gigs.
“You tried to maintain your craft,” he said. “It keeps you current with trends. I never wanted to drop out of the music scene.”
Playing the fare of multi-instrumental music groups like Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears appeals to him, and is a big part of the groups in which he now plays. And that’s a long list.
“I’m just playing in four bands now,” Miller said.
“They had a great experience,” he said of his children.
He grew up in a musical family, with father Carl Miller and uncles who at gatherings would sing Gene Autry songs. His three brothers were gifted, too.
“We just grew up with it,” he said. “It was part of our family, part of our culture.”
“It is an emotional expression; it can be a real emotional high, just performing,” he added. “Mentally, it really forces you
to focus intently on being a performer. I love being able to ramp up as a performer. I love being able to create the sound. You turn signs and symbols (printed music) into sounds. I told my students, what you are is an extension of that sound. It is a great way to communicate with an audience without saying a word.”
Miller said that while he plays in lots of regional bands, he’s not that well known. He cited area musicians such as
On the busy three-day weekend of June 7-9, he played in three of them. Miller is a member of the Karl L. King Municipal Band, has been in Jive For Five since 2000, and also plays with Lone Tree Revival and the 515 Big Band.
Wait, he remembered the number of bands is actually five, including a praise band for Northfield Church of Christ in Fort Dodge. He plans to continue with those bands for as long as possible.
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By JANE CURTIS editor@messengernews.net
WEBSTER CITY —
In the beginning there were five. Five people seated around an old cocktail lounge table surrounded by the chaos left behind by the previous owner.
That owner was a serious packrat.
It was sometime after Good Friday 2019.
Around that table were members of newly-formed LIFT WC: Darcy Swon, president; Lindsay Henderson, vice president; Zach Chizek, treasurer; John Hawkins and Jake Pulis. Around them was their future: three floors packed with, to put it nicely, junk.
And dirt.
But those five people were somehow able to see promise: an iconic three-story brick building anchoring downtown Webster City, its main floor thriving with a business, its third floor ballroom once again the site of great entertainment that once got the place humming.
This was the historic Elks Club Building, built in 1906 but left deteriorating over the last few decades until most people, if you asked them, said it would be impossible to save.
On that Good Friday 2019, the LIFT board and volunteers started pitching the building’s contents into huge rolloffs parked in the front and back of the building.
Fast forward to Good Friday 2024: $2.8 million has gone into the Elks Building project — $1.095 million of it in charitable gifts.
The electrical, HVAC and plumbing are in the process of being completed. Drywall installation will begin sometime around July 8. Painting will follow. Millwork will follow that.
The new elevator is expected to be installed next spring.
Each of the board members brings expertise to the effort, Swon said. Hawkins, the town’s mayor, and Pulis, are businessmen in transport and electrics. Chizek is an attorney.
Henderson knows how to write successful grants. Swon is a communicator.
And now there is a sixth board member: Shannon Swon is now its secretary; she is Darcy Swon’s daughter.
“She came to me one night
won’t be much help right now. But once the building is done, I’d like to be able to help bring my friends in and then help with event planning, things like that.”
The impact of a youthful perspective is crucial, the board learned, according to Darcy Swon. “You know, we overlook things sometimes being as busy as we are and all that, and she’ll say, ‘Well, wait a minute, what about this?’”
Nearing the Elks Building goal line, with just $600,000 left to raise, the town’s attention shifted from its remarkable resurrection to the devastating fire that gutted another brick building downtown in November 2023. Firefighters from multiple towns saved the adjacent Webster Theater, but it was heavily damaged by smoke and water.
ABOVE: The LIFT WC Board has grown to six members. From left are Darcy Swon, Shannon Swon, Jake Pulis, Zack Chizek, Lindsay Henderson and John Hawkins.
LEFT: LIFT WC is working to renovate and restore the historic Elks Club Building, which was built in 1906. The group is nearing the goal line, with $600,000 left to raise for the project.
at home and said, ‘How can I get involved with LIFT?’” Darcy Swon said.
She asked her daughter why she wanted to be involved.
Her daughter replied, “Because I want to be a voice of the younger people. I know I
The short story goes like this: In order to save the Webster Theater building, the east wall of which is stabilized by the bunker-like building that burned, LIFT took ownership of the burned building. It hired a mason to tuckpoint the exterior. The upstairs and main floors have been completely gutted. When it reaches a stage at which it can be sold, that is LIFT’s plan.
LIFT calls the building 608.
“Everybody on our board is passionate about our community and every single one of us, if you start to criticize anything, we will look at you and say, ‘So, what are you doing?’”
LIFT WC’s annual Taste of Fall fundraiser is Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Briggs Woods Conference Center south of Webster City.
Donations can be made to LIFT WC through Enhance Hamilton County Foundation, 501 Bank St., Webster City, IA 50595 or by donating online at desmoinesfoundation.org/ LiftWC. All donations are taxdeductible.
By BRET HAYWORTH editor@messengernews.net
POMEROY — Some years ago, a memorial to veterans in Pomeroy was eroding so badly that names were essentially unreadable.
Pomeroy resident Cindy Loots was concerned about the memorial, and, after talking with others during a class reunion, she hatched the idea to create a new version. A classmate quickly gave $100, and another person contributed similarly.
But there were also dissenters, because Loots knew the cost would be considerable, estimated to be about $37,000 for a more hardy granite version.
“If somebody will tell me I can’t do something, that triggers me,” she said.
So she took on the role of chief fundraiser.
What became Pomeroy Area Veterans Park eventually cost $51,000 by the time it opened in 2021. All the money came via donations or grants.
The word area is in the memorial name because it was broadened from the prior version to include veterans from surrounding small towns such as Jolley and Knoke, between which Loots grew up on a farm. That expanded the number of veterans included, totalling more than 700 listed on five granite pillars in the vicinity of five feet tall. More than names, it also lists some of their military service details.
Later that year, Loots was elected mayor of Pomeroy. In fact, that November 2021 election was highly notable in her family, as two sons also won elections — Doug to the West Des Moines City Council and Dustin to the Pocahontas Area Community School District Board of Education.
There have been other highly notable elections in her life. When Loots was first elected to the Pomeroy City Council on Nov. 8, 2005, it also marked the day she first became a grandmother with the arrival of Brayton.
She and husband Gordon shared a long life in Pomeroy with five children and 10 grandchildren until he died in January 2024.
“His last wish was to stay home,” Loots said. “We kept that wish for him.”
She said that each of her five adult children would stay a week on a rotating basis. They relieved her of having sole caretaking duties, sharing their skills, such as cooking or playing music over the final four months of their father’s life.
Loots also gives back with her musical ability. She is a keyboardist or music leader in three churches in or near Pomeroy. Loots, who graduated with the Pomeroy class of 1968, plays keyboards, piano
or guitar in the services. She first performed music in 1976 in her home church, St. Mary’s Catholic in Pomeroy.
“I like music, I like worship, I like praise,” she said. “It is the source of everything that gives me strength.”
Loots has been elected to two terms as mayor.
“I’ve always been here,” she said. “I’ve always been a leader. I’ve managed people my whole life. I’ve wanted to promote positive change.”
"If somebody will tell me I can't do something, that triggers me.”
— CINDY LOOTS Pomeroy mayor
As for the leadership portion, her work life involved managing hospital or clinical laboratories in Fort Dodge, Estherville, Pocahontas and Emmetsburg for decades before retiring in 2016.
Loots was elected as mayor amid a period of some controversy, as city officials embarked on a push to have residents clean up properties. Loots said that continues to upset some people, but she hopes they understand it is being carried out in an even-handed way to all.
In fact, she said her approach to serving as mayor is this: “I hope to be as fair to everyone as I can.”
As she volunteers and serves as mayor, Loots aims to be open to learning lessons from people she meets from all walks of life. And she encounters a lot of Webster and Calhoun county people via writing a weekly column in the Calhoun County Journal-Herald in Manson. Loots typically ends each column with a personal tidbit, which she hears is usually the favorite part for readers.
A recent column dealt with the still rippling grief that comes with losing a spouse. Several people after church voiced their support to her. During her final caregiving period for Gordon Loots, she received several cards from a woman.
“She lifted me up,” said Loots, “because she knew what I went through.”
By LORI BERGLUND editor@messengernews.net
HOMER — Don Lamb has never really been bored. It’s not something he understands well. He’s far too busy to ever be bored.
“You’ve got to enjoy what you’re doing,” Lamb said. “That’s the fun part for anybody that does anything. A lot of people have jobs and they hate to go to work, and then complain about it when they get home. I’ve never been down that road.”
Where Lamb has been most of his life is down a gravel road, operating his own small business in the remnants of the pioneer town of Homer. Not much has changed here over the years, and that seems to be much of the appeal for customers who come from far and wide to have Lamb look at a piece of machinery that no one else seems to be able to fix.
“Everybody asks me if I get bored,” Lamb said. “I don’t know what bored means.”
The pace of life is different in Homer. Pull into the driveway of Lamb Tractor and Small Engine Repair on a sunny June afternoon, and one will find birds singing in the trees as a soft wind blows the tall grass around the edges of the sprawling property that was once part of a thriving little community.
It may take a few minutes to wander the caverns of Lamb’s shop, which winds around what was once the Homer grocery store. A dance hall in the second story was a popular place for couples to kick up their heels on a Saturday night.
On any given day, one will find Lamb underneath a tractor, behind his welder’s hood, scavenging for a part, or welcoming members to the tractor club that meets here regularly.
Lamb has spent most of his life within a few miles of
Homer. He learned young how to work on just about anything mechanical, and that work is what makes life interesting.
“I grew up about a mile down the road,” Lamb said. “In 1960, my dad bought this place behind us. It had a house and a garage, and we built a new shop. He had
been farming for the Woodard brothers, but he quit that and us boys all grew up working in the shop.”
His father, Eldon Lamb, was a blacksmith who built a diverse business in his new shop at Homer.
“He worked on tractors, he did welding, he was a blacksmith,” Lamb said. “He repaired a lot of farm machinery for everybody. He sold tires, tractor tires, truck tires, and had quite a business for car tires.”
In the days when many Iowans put studded snow tires on their cars in the winter, the Lamb boys kept busying trading tires off and on for customers who flocked to Homer each spring and fall.
“When we got out of school, we’d come home and we had to work until 10:30 or 11 at night because the cars were lined up in the driveway waiting,” Lamb said. “There was a certain date in the fall when you could put them on, and then you had to have them off at a certain time in the spring, so there was a flood of people coming out.”
Somehow, all that hard work seemed like normal family life for the Lambs. When there was a project to be done, they worked on it together. When neighbors needed help, everyone pitched
HaRcouRt
By DOUG CLOUGH editor@messengernews.net
HARCOURT — Scott Engquist has been a mover and shaker in the town of Harcourt.
But Engquist is primarily known as the fourth-generation leader within Engquist Lumber Co.
“It was started in 1890 by my great-grandfather,” said Engquist, who is president of the company. “We’re 134 years old. My grandfather, my father, and I have also served the region a long time. We work with general contractors, and we help people plan their projects. We also provide delivery. We have a hardware store at the front end of the building, which offers our customers the chance to get products locally.
“Engquist Lumber continues to serve the community after all this time; it’s been good for our family and our community and those who are around us,” he added.
Engquist has fond memories of growing up with the family business.
“We used to get boxcar loads of lumber,” said Engquist, who knew he would continue the family business while earning a business degree in college. “I would work with my grandfather to put the wood away. We hand-stacked that lumber in piles. I was only 10 years old when I would do odd jobs for him.”
Engquist Lumber has six employees, which includes Engquist and his wife, Diane. The couple have two children, Alex, 34, and Thomas, 32.
Engquist has also served on the Harcourt City Council for three terms, a total of 12 years.
“We worked on cleaning up the community, which always
-Submitted photo
a project that the community backs, we provide funds to support it. The three main activities are a Christmas program for the kids, an Easter egg hunt, and our big fundraiser is our community appreciation/ fun day, which is the first Saturday in August. All funds from these programs are doled out to the community and to the school district.”
At Faith Lutheran Church, Engquist also participates for the congregation’s good.
“I just do what everyone does,” said Engquist. “I’ve taken my turn on the church council as well as building committees.”
In addition, Engquist is also a board member of Security Savings Bank, and he said that it does “a wonderful job supporting the communities in the area.”
Of course, the lumber industry has benefited from Engquist’s involvement.
makes some people happy and others not,” said Engquist, whose primary role was to work on street improvements.
“We bought some properties, cleaned them up, and sold them. It wasn’t only City Council people involved, though; there were also several community people, which was good to see. Some housing was bought and torn down because no one would purchase those homes, and they weren’t helping the tax base. The council is going to continue that work, and they will do a good job.”
During Engquist’s three terms, the council also hired a new clerk, but what he’s most proud of is the continuity of the work started during his tenure.
“Harcourt is a great family community,” said Engquist.
“I’ve been here all my life except for when I went to college. I grew up on a block with both sets of grandparents and two great-aunts. I naturally wanted to stay close to my family members; that was the first goal, and it’s seemed to work out since I’m still here.”
Engquist has also been part of the Harcourt Community Club, a member of Faith Lutheran Church, and a centennial committee co-chair.
“One of the things that was most satisfying was being part of a movement to help a business continue,” said Engquist. “There was a gentleman who owned a gas station who retired
and closed his business. The next owner wanted to have above-ground tanks. We worked with our legislators to allow this to happen. Those tanks are still there today, and that was more than 20 years ago. If he wouldn’t have been able to install above-ground tanks, I’m not sure he’d have opened that business.”
Always civic-minded, Engquist has also participated in the Harcourt Community Club, a town-building organization.
“Over the years, we have provided funding for different groups,” said Engquist. “We’ve provided funds for the summer baseball program. In the past, we’ve provided scholarships to high school seniors. If there is
“I’ve been involved in our state lobbying efforts, which helps independent, small businesses like ours,” said Engquist. “We’ve given back to our industry, and we do whatever we can to be involved. When I was chairman of the legislative committee, we developed the Lien Registry; we were instrumental with coming up with a bill after the 2008 downturn. The Lien Registry allows people to say that they’re out supplying material to a job, which helps the banks and others know who needs to be paid before a loan is closed out. That’s one of the bigger pieces of legislation that we were involved in.”
By KOLLEEN TAYLOR editor@messengernews.net
EAGLE GROVE —
You just do it. That sums up what 63 years of service means to Warren and Karen Scholten, of Eagle Grove. This quiet, busy couple moved separately to teach in the Eagle Grove Community School District in the early 1960s. And they found each other, married and began decades of working together to make the city their home.
She taught kindergarten, first grade and remedial reading in the Eagle Grove school system for many years, retiring in 2003. He began as an industrial arts instructor, but shifted his focus to special education and began advocating for intellectual disabilities. He also volunteered in concession stands and with the Boy Scouts for many years.
They both spent their summers delivering meals when they were not teaching.
In 1973, when an explosion at a cafe in the heart of Main Street devastated this central Iowa community, it initiated a need for counseling, and Warren Scholten began a long journey in leading a volunteer organization to help.
When he retired in 2001, and Karen two years later, it did not change their service to Eagle Grove.
The Scholtens are known for their work with Eagle Grove Concerned Inc. Karen Scholten presides over the Meals on Wheels program. The couple works together with Elderbridge for both the home delivery program and congregate meals program in Eagle Grove. Meals are prepared and served at the Senior Center, in addition to a home delivery program that involves many.
“They have demonstrated an
unselfish commitment of time and patience in leading our local nonprofit in various areas of community service,” said Kurt Knudsen, who has served with Warren on the Eagle Grove Concerned Inc. board since its inception.
“Our first project was the Eagle Grove Community Counseling service in 1973, after the explosion in downtown Eagle Grove,” he said.
Concerned Inc. also started a hospice program in Eagle Grove, in addition to the ongoing meals programs.
The Scholtens are quick to identify the many other people and groups involved: Nine churches and the Eagle Grove Rotary Club rotate weeks for the home deliveries. Karen Scholten can tell you who covers the east side of town and who handles the west side and where they are in the six-week cycle. Between the home deliveries and congregate meals, more than 1,000 nutritious meals are served each month, Monday through Friday.
“People are good about taking responsibility (for delivering meals),” said Karen Scholten. “It’s important to spend time with people.”
And that is what they do.
The Scholtens have not only helped organize and deliver this program, they spend time talking with the people who receive the meals.
“My mom would go to homes as a ‘quarterly,’” said Warren Scholten. “It’s hard to go in for just a minute. It’s important to have the one-on-one.”
“Elderbridge sponsors the local home delivery program,”
Karen Scholten said. “This was started by a group of women who saw a need and started delivering meals.”
Eagle Grove Concerned Inc. is the subcontractor with
Elderbridge for the meals programs.
Their commitment to providing meals stems from a history that Karen and Warren share. Both their mothers benefited from meal programs in the communities where they lived. That need is common in every community, and they have worked hard to keep it going in Eagle Grove.
“The James R. Johnson Foundation, a local group, has helped with grants for the Senior Center in addition to the Wright County Charitable Organization,” said Warren
the past few years.
“It’s just fun to see the joy when they are announced.” she said.
Warren’s work to address mental health issues in the Eagle Grove area has spanned more than 50 years, with fond memories of his work with Special Olympics. He took one Eagle Grove student to the very first national Special Olympics in Chicago at Soldier Field on July 20, 1968.
“I heard Eunice Kennedy Shriver speak at this,” he said, referring to the sister of President John Kennedy. Over the years, their church involvement has also been important. They both taught Sunday School and brought music into churches and the Rotary Ann retirement home. Both are musicians — Warren sang in choir, while Karen played piano or organ. Their memories of weekly hymn sing-alongs at the Rotary Ann still brings smiles to their faces.
“We’ve been given a gift through Christ,” said Karen Scholten. “Our response is to give thanks and to carry and share.”
Scholten. “They have been so good to Concerned Inc. and the Senior Center.”
Over the years, the Scholtens both have a history of helping where needed. When the neighboring town of Belmond was hit by a tornado in the early 1970s, Warren was there to help.
Until a year ago, Warren Scholten worked with Dollars for Scholars, a scholarship program for graduating seniors. Karen Scholten is also a member of the Eagle Grove Equality Club. She serves on the scholarship committee and has enjoyed presenting the scholarships over
Loretta Moon, who is treasurer of the Senior Center, summed up the Scholtens’ volunteer work: “As I reflect over the years I have worked with Karen and Warren through the Eagle Grove Senior Citizens, congregate meals, and Eagle Grove Concerned, Inc., they are always kind and put others first.”
“They always care about the individual and have a listening ear whenever you meet,” she added. “Mother Teresa wrote, ‘If you want to change the world, love your family.’ Their love of Eagle Grove's family is just that example.”
By LORI BERGLUND editor@messengernews.net
LEHIGH — It was a summer job, a good chance to earn some money and spend time in the great outdoors.
Amber O’Neill spent two summers at Brushy Creek State Recreation Area in 1999 and 2000, gaining valuable experience as a summer intern while finishing her degree in animal ecology at Iowa State University in Ames.
She would move on, learning from parttime jobs working in county conservation departments in Cerro Gordo, Louisa, and Ida counties before returning as full-time manager at Brushy Creek more than 20 years ago.
“It’s such a unique area,” O’Neill said. “It was an exciting first job.”
After all these years, O’Neill still finds her work at Brushy Creek to be interesting and never without a challenge.
“Being outdoors, and the variety of each day throughout the seasons makes this job interesting and never boring,” she said.
Originally from Shell Rock, O’Neill spent a lot of time outdoors when she was growing up.
“I grew up on an acreage, just outside of town, and we had a five-acre woods to play in or just read a book in,” she said. “I was always outside a lot, hiking or canoeing. Kayaking wasn’t such a big thing back then, but we did a lot of canoeing.”
Back in her high school days, O’Neill thought of becoming a journalist, but a class in conservation sent her in another direction.
“I took a class in conservation, natural resources and environmental studies, and I had a great teacher who really opened me up to what’s out there,” she said.
O’Neill has never looked back, satisfied with a career that keeps her outside and constantly adding different skill sets to her resume. Not only is Brushy Creek a unique ecosystem, it’s a small community within itself.
“Something we talk about amongst ourselves is how we are basically running small towns in our state parks and recreation areas,” O’Neill said. “You
really have to be a jack of all trades.”
She isn’t just the manager at Brushy Creek, she is a hands-on person keeping the park and its 6,400 acres in top shape for the public. While Brushy once had three people in her position, she is now the sole manager, along with three certified peace officers to patrol the large and diverse area.
“I have to be a plumber, electrician, mechanic,” she said. “I am a certified wastewater operator for the lagoons we have here. We do a lot of prescribed burns here, and I’m a certified wildland firefighter.”
With the heavy equipment required of her job, she also has a Class A CDL. Her tools of the trade on any given day can range from a chainsaw for clearing dead trees to running a skid steer to reshape a trail damaged by heavy rain.
“Maintaining trails is a never-ending job, and it’s one of my favorite things to do,” she said.
Answering distress calls is another part of the job. Injured hikers, lost horses —
all of these things are not uncommon and come with the diverse territory at Brushy Creek. Just like a small town, where everyone helps one another, other horse riders helped out recently in finding a horse that went missing after throwing its rider. Thankfully, the rider was not injured.
Managing public grounds also means she spends a lot of time meeting with and educating the public. She serves as a naturalist and can offer the history of Brushy Creek State Recreation Area, ranging from its modern dam to three pioneer cemeteries that still dot the landscape here. Finding time to offer more public education is difficult, but always one of her goals.
“I did a solar eclipse hike this year and had over 20 people come out,” she said. “A lot of them said it was their first time visiting Brushy and they were really excited about it.”
A good place to start is the difference between Brushy Creek as a recreation area and state parks, such as nearby
“I enjoy protecting and improving our natural areas here at Brushy Creek and offering quality outdoor recreation experiences for the public to enjoy.”
— AMBER O'NEILL Manager, Brushy Creek State Recreation Area
Dolliver Memorial State Park.
“We’re not a park; we’re a recreation area,” O’Neill said.
The chief differences between a park and recreation area include the hours available for public use and the different ways in which the public can use the land.
“We allow public hunting and we’re open 24 hours a day, that’s the biggest difference,” O’Neill said. “There are many parks, but only a handful of recreation areas.”
With a public shooting range, hunters can sight in their guns before going off on a hunt. Popular species to hunt include deer, pheasant, coyote, and even squirrels.
“We get groups that come every year for squirrel hunting,” she said.
That summer job back in 1999 worked out well for O’Neill. She not only found her career, but her future husband. Ryan O’Neill was also working as an intern at Brushy Creek that summer. He was also a student at Iowa State University, but they had never met on campus.
The couple married a few years later. Today, they and their three children enjoy camping and kayaking and all sorts of outdoor activities together. Ryan O’Neill is park manager at Black Hawk State Park and the family makes their home in Calhoun County, mid-way between their two jobs.
“I enjoy protecting and improving our natural areas here at Brushy Creek and offering quality outdoor recreation experiences for the public to enjoy,” O’Neill said.
By BRANDON BRUESCHKE editor@messengernews.net
DUNCOMBE — Zachary Trent is a father and volunteer firefighter who works hard to help others in his community.
He was elected mayor of Duncombe last November, and since then he has worked to help the Duncombe and greater Webster County community become a better place.
“I grew up in Webster City,” Trent said. “I moved to Duncombe about 14 years ago. Then I met my wife, and joined the Fire Department right when I moved here. I just became captain a couple of years ago. I have two kids, one boy and one girl. They are 7 and 4.”
Going from a firefighter to an elected official is not as big of a leap as one may assume, according to Trent. Both, he said, are here to help the community and serve the people to the best of their abilities.
He has been involved in some infrastructure projects for the city of Duncombe.
“We’ve got a couple things in motion that basically help the town out,” he said. “We pushed to get the water treatment plant fixed. We got that all done for the citizens of Duncombe to have better water service, pushed to get the water tower done.
“The lagoon came from the old mayor, so I’m just kind of overseeing that and we’re pushing that through, getting that redone. And there are a couple roads in town that we’re planning on picking up and redoing, re-asphalting them and everything on that end. It’s been a bunch of stuff going on these last five or six months now.”
Trent’s advice to other people looking to make an impact in their communities is simple: doing it is extremely rewarding.
“I would say that it’s a very, very, very good experience,” he said. “Being a firefighter, you meet a lot of people. I know a lot of people in town, you know, through the Fire Department and all that stuff, and I’ve had a lot of interactions
with people as mayor also.”
He said keeping up with the new faces in town can be overwhelming at times.
“There’s new people that move in all the time,” Trent said. “You meet them through here and there, and it’s awesome. It’s a very good experience.”
Trent said he’s mainly here to serve.
“I’m trying to make a good community for everyone. I know it's not going to be easy, but there is a lot of work to be done and we're just going to do the best we can.”
“I’m just here for the people ... kind of trying to get everybody on the same page,” he said. “I’m trying to make a good community for everyone. I know it’s not going to be easy, but there is a lot of work to be done and we’re just going to do the best we can.”
in again.
“My work ethic, I got to say, came from my dad,” Lamb said. “We did a lot of work. We baled hay for everybody back then. We shelled corn. We ran a custom combining business. We hauled livestock when they built the new stockyards in Webster City.”
For Lamb, learning at his father’s side just seemed like a lot of fun.
“I started working on lawn mowers when I was 8 years old and my dad showed me how to set the points on them. They all had points; it’s not like today where it’s all electronic.”
Growing up at such a time and place as Homer in the 1950s and ’60s provided its own sort of carefree spirit for kids.
Lamb recalls with fondness playing in the dusty streets of Homer as a kid in those years. The streets are long gone, but Lamb can eye a fence row and tell a visitor just where the streets and blocks were laid out. Homer had its own twostory schoolhouse, several homes, an old courthouse and four churches.
That strong faith in the Homer community is perhaps one reason Lamb has made it a lifelong practice not to work on Sundays. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and Lamb will
“Helping people is what I like to do. If you’ve got a problem, I like to solve it.”
— DON LAMB Owner, Lamb Tractor and Small Engine Repair
never forget a fateful Sunday when he broke his own rule.
“I never do anything on Sunday for anybody,” Lamb said. “We were brought up that way, not to work on Sunday, and we don’t. I told my wife that day that I needed to go down and plant this 50 acres. She said, ‘You don’t usually do that.’ But it had been raining and the pressure was on to get the corn in the ground.”
It was that one time that this man who is an expert at working on any type of tractor slipped on a tractor step, grabbed the shift lever, and the rest was history. He tore up his back and his wrist, but was lucky to be alive when he was basically run over by his own tractor.
“I get shivers on my back thinking about it,” Lamb said.
The accident was in 1999. The following year he was offered a job by Case to work as a mechanic and then shop foreman in Ames. The benefits were tempting.
“When you’re self-employed, you make your own benefits, and they were offering really good benefits,” Lamb said.
He took the job and enjoyed it, but every day as he drove past his Homer shop on his way to Ames, Lamb was leaving a piece of his heart behind.
“Every day I went by here and there was a piece of me that was right there,” he said. “I was trying to do something on the weekends to help people, so I quit and I came back here.”
When he did, farmers near and far breathed a collective sigh of relief that Lamb was back in his shop. He has earned a reputation for being able to fix tractors, small engines, chainsaws, and a myriad of other farm implements that most other folks just give up on.
These days, Lamb is still overhauling tractors, welding, selling lawn and garden tires, and stays busy repairing lawn mowers and chainsaws. The combination of storms, derechos, and emerald ash
borer killing the ash trees has meant that just keeping chainsaws running for folks is about a full-time job.
In August, he will again host the annual Homer Threshing Bee, bringing in folks to relive the farming methods of the past and simply enjoy an August afternoon in a place where the past seems to come to life in a most happy way.
He enjoys working with his hands, and he wishes more young people would give it a try.
“I think there’s gratification to working with your hands,” Lamb said. “Helping people is what I like to do. If you’ve got a problem, I like to solve it.”
Sometimes, when a particular project is posing a challenge, he finds the best thing to do is walk away from it for a day or two and then come back with a fresh mind to tackle it anew. Lamb doesn’t know much about giving up. It’s not part of his DNA.
“You need to figure out that there’s nothing you can’t do,” Lamb said. “There’s nothing out there that’s impossible. You can do it. You just need to study it and figure it out. Do it, and move forward. You don’t need to forget the past things, you learn from them.”
By DARCY DOUGHERTY MAULSBY editor@messengernews.net
Lake City — Survey nearly any rural Iowa community about residents’ needs, and affordable, quality housing almost always rises to the top.
In Lake City, local chiropractor and entrepreneur Jeff Redenius is providing innovative options, from independent living apartments to extended-stay suites.
“I want to help more people stay in Lake City instead of having to go to another community,” said Redenius, 34, who owns Redenius Chiropractic, PLC, and Lake City 24 Hour Fitness in downtown Lake City.
He’s currently building a retirement duplex that will be ready by the spring of 2025.
Located on the south side of Lake City, about three blocks south of Main Street and a couple blocks west of Landus cooperative, each independent living apartment will feature zero-entry access, heated floors with zone heating, two bedrooms, a one-car attached garage and a small storage area in the garage. Each apartment will be nearly 1,000 square feet.
Redenius is considering the name “Timberline Estates” for the duplex development. A line of trees to the south of the property hints at where the Chicago and North Western railroad used to run through Lake City. In years past, this area used to be the site of a lumberyard.
“My Grandpa Dusty Redenius worked there,” said Redenius, noting that his late grandfather worked for the Joyce Lumber Company, Wisconsin Lumber Company, Fullerton Lumber and Lake City Lumber during his long career.
Redenius’ father, Gary, a long-time building contractor in
Lake City, purchased the former lumberyard property in the mid2000s. “I spent years mowing that property, which had been divided into lots,” Redenius said. “I kept thinking about ways we could look at new opportunities here.”
Redenius has received a number of inquiries about the duplex project and is already preparing to build more efficiency duplexes at this site, for a total of eight units. People who rent a unit will have many expenses (utilities, internet, lawn and snow removal) included in the monthly price.
“I like to take something that looks like nothing and transform it into something useful,” he said. “My plan is to build a new duplex every couple of years.”
Baptist Church evolves into extended-stay suites
Creating new opportunities has been Redenius’ trademark since he moved back to his hometown of Lake City eight years ago.
The 2008 Southern Cal High School graduate earned his bachelor of science degree in athletic training from Central College in Pella in 2012. During school breaks, he often helped his father with various building projects in the Lake City area.
Right before Redenius was set to attend the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, he began having second thoughts about his future. “I almost didn’t go to chiropractic school because I found so much joy in the building projects I did with my dad,” Redenius said. “He said, ‘Just because you’re a chiropractor doesn’t mean you can’t continue to build things,’ so I just held true to that statement.”
After completing his education at the Palmer College of Chiropractic, Redenius and his wife, Jenny, a public-school teacher and professor at Iowa Central, moved to Lake City in 2016.
JEFF REDENIUS, a chiropractor and entrepreneur in Lake City, has several building projects in the works. He renovated the historic former First Baptist Church (above) and transformed it into four spacious, extended-stay units known as Sanctuary Suites.
They opened Lake City 24 Hour Fitness in the former Ben Franklin dime-store building that summer. By August 2016, Redenius opened his chiropractic clinic next to the fitness center along Main Street.
While both of those businesses have thrived, Redenius continued to look for more opportunities in the local area. He purchased an apartment complex in Lake City and bought the former First Baptist Church (located two
Each short-term, fully-furnished rental unit includes a full kitchen, washer/dryer and internet service. Renters range from wind turbine crews to interns at Dobson Pipe Organ Builders in Lake City.
It’s quite a transformation for a church whose congregation had dwindled and eventually merged with the Woodlawn Christian Church in Lake City in 2017. “I love old buildings and try to preserve them when I can,” Redenius said. “The mortar joints on this church’s original rock foundation are perfect, so it was worth saving this building.”
Taking the long view
As Redenius looks to the future, he not only continues to build efficient new duplexes in Lake City, but he’s offering a turnkey solution to help others do the same. He created The Building Boys website (thebuildingboys. com) to help educate people about the building process and sell the floor plans online.
The website includes a series of YouTube videos featuring Redenius and his father. “My dad has more than 40 years of construction experience,” said Redenius, who began helping with various projects when he was still in grade school. “We have a series of ‘master carpenter’ videos that explain dirt work and foundations to sidewalls and more.”
blocks south of the downtown business district) in 2018. He invested countless hours and plenty of sweat equity (along with new white steel siding and a new roof) as he renovated the historic church, which was built in 1890.
While Redenius initially created apartments in the church sanctuary and 1960s-era education wing, he later adapted the entire property into four spacious, extended-stay units known as Sanctuary Suites.
The floor plan package, which includes digital and hardcopy schematics, includes foundation plans, floor plans, 3D renderings, a building material list, as well as guidance on electrical materials, HVAC/plumbing materials, and kitchen/vanity schematics. Redenius hopes resources like this will help other entrepreneurs revitalize their rural communities.
“I’m looking long-term. I want these solutions to benefit the community now and for years to come.”
