Et Cetera

By Emma Mills   AmeriCorps NCCC’s Oak 2 worked with the Lutheran Disaster Response in Minot, N.D. They were helping to restore homes that were effected in the Mouse River flooding last summer. Minot has had NCCC teams present since the flood happened in June of 2011. Many of the homes in the area had been mucked and gutted before the arrival of Oak 2.

By: Rachel Lebeaux   Name: Mark Robertshaw   Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri   Mark is serving as the Pine 6 NCCC Team Leader at the Vinton Campus. He chose to serve because it will be a once in a lifetime experience that adds a very unique attribute to his medical school applications.   Mark graduated from DeSmet Jesuit High School in May 2007 and the University of Notre Dame in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Science.

  Jake Keppy of Durant captured the Grand Champion Market in the FFA Market Swine Show judged Thursday and Friday at the 2012 Iowa State Fair. Keppy's hog first won the Champion Purebred Market Pig banner on the drive to the championship. Earning the Reserve Grand Champion title this year was Chelsea Schminke of Van Horne. Alexis Delaney of DeWitt claimed the Reserve Champion Purebred Market Swine award.

  Youth from across Iowa captured the spotlight at the FFA Breeding Swine Show on Friday at the 2012 Iowa State Fair. Alicia Lane of Spragueville captured the Champion Commercial Gilt title, while Jake Keppy of Durant took the Reserve Champion Commercial Gilt title. Champions in the FFA Breeding Swine Show included: Champion Berkshire Gilt – Brandon Reed, Ottumwa Reserve Champion Berkshire Gilt – Austin Lane, Spragueville Champion Chester White Gilt – John Engelking, Keystone Reserve Champion Chester White Gilt – John Engelking, Keystone Champion Duroc Gilt – Amy Sampson, Nevada Reserve Champion Duroc Gilt – Cory Sampson, Nevada Champion Hampshire Gilt – Jennifer Arkfeld, Portsmouth Reserve Champion Hampshire Gilt – Jake Keppy, Durant Champion Poland China Gilt – Abigail Leufsen, Anamosa Reserve Champion Poland China Gilt – Dakota Olson, Keswick Champion Spotted Gilt – Austin Hofman, Sioux Center Reserve Champion Spotted Gilt – Noah Taylor, Bouton Champion Yorkshire Gilt – Alicia Lane, Spragueville Reserve Champion Yorkshire Gilt – Seth Warren, Glenwood Champion Other Breeds Gilt – Zach Caslavka, Muscatine "Nothing Compares" to the 2012 Iowa State Fair, August 9-19.

   FFA members exhibited 464 birds in the Poultry Show judged Thursday at the 2012 Iowa State Fair. Jennifer Lane of DeWitt showed the Grand Champion Market Broiler. Runner-up to Lane and claiming the Reserve Champion Market Broiler title was Aric Luzum of Decorah. The Grand Champion Breeding Birds title went to Payton Rivera of Durant.

  Grand Champion honors were awarded Thursday in the FFA Market and Carcass Lamb shows at the 2012 Iowa State Fair. Tanner Berry of Sac City showed the Grand Champion FFA Market Lamb, and Brendan Kuesel of Victor took Reserve Grand Champion in the show. In the carcass judging, Tyler Leete of Elk Horn was awarded Champion honors, and Chase Whetstone of Gilbert exhibited Reserve Champion Carcass Lamb.

  Charles and Marilyn (Greaser) Yedlik will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on August 26th, 2012. They were married August 26th, 1972, at the Vinton Presbyterian Church. They are the parents of Sara (David) Arnold of Vinton, IA and Carrie (Mark) Pingenot of Vinton, Iowa. They were blessed with 4 grandchildren, Emma Arnold, Parker Arnold, Andrew Pingenot and Madeline Pingenot.

By: Rachel Lebeaux   Amanda Martin is originally from Waterloo, Iowa but currently resides in Vinton. Amanda received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Clarke University in Dubuque and her Master of Arts in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Iowa State University. Amanda served two years as an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) member at the Volunteer Center of Story County, providing volunteer recruitment and training.

By Deon Johnson   Oak 3 spent one month assisting with Science Center summer camps in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The teams worked in four classrooms (pre-K and kindergarten, Grades 1-2, Grades 3-4, and Grades 5-6) in a variety of capacities.   Oak 3’s guided the pre-K and kindergarten kids in exploring the world of incredible insects by making wiggly worms and spinning spider web crafts with them and  children from first and second grade investigated the age of the dinosaurs.

  Alliant Energy encourages residents to call 48 hours before digging to know what’s below   With Aug. 11 almost here, Alliant Energy hopes this date on the calendar, 8/11, will serve as a natural reminder for everyone to call 811 prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked.   Every year, thousands of incidents happen in Iowa where someone digs into a buried natural gas line or other underground utility service like electrical lines and fiber optic lines.