Grinnell News

100 + PEOPLE WHO CARE – GRINNELL TO FUND LOCAL FOOD CONNECTION The April 24 meeting of 100 + People Who Care – Grinnell resulted in the decision to fund the Local Food Connection with the proceeds from this quarter’s selection process.  By pooling contributions of $ 100 per member, 100+ People Who Care – Grinnell will be contributing more …

Dear Grinnell-Newburg Board of Education, Staff, Family and Friends, Happy Friday!  It has been a very busy week for our Grinnell staff and students, and it is hard to believe that it is already Friday.  This past Wednesday, community police, fire, EMS, hospital,staff, administration and mutual aid responders participated in a community emergency drill at Grinnell Middle School.  I want …

Two Cyclists Announce Bicycle Ride Across Iowa to Raise Funds for Therapy Equipment for the Rehabilitation Clinic at St. Francis Manor   (Grinnell, IA – April 18, 2018) Two Grinnell cyclists, Tim Stahl and Jon Duke, will soon be pedaling their bicycles 370 miles across Iowa on gravel and dirt roads. Tim and Jon, who work together in the Rehabilitation Clinic …

Music in the Park 2018 Lineup Announced   By Michael McAllister Two years can be a long time.  Grinnell’s Central Park last hosted Music in the Park in August of 2015. Not that the organizers didn’t do a fantastic job the past two summers, and not that the substitute venues—Ahrens Park, the Grinnell College campus, and the steps of Stewart …

New Helping “Hands” in an Emergency Montezuma and East Poweshiek Ambulance Services each obtained two new LUCAS®3 systems through the Poweshiek County Board of Health’s Public Health Grant. The Physio-Control LUCAS®3 Chest Compression System is a mechanical chest compression system that provides compressions at a rate and depth consistent with current American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). …

Sig Barber, emeritus professor of German at Grinnell College, will present the final lecture in the 2017-18 Bucket Course series The class will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 9, at the Drake Community Library. Admission is free and advance registration is not necessary. Barber’s subject will be photographer Ansel Adams and his use of black-and-white …

Most of us assume that when we get in an airplane we will be safe and will get to our destination efficiently.  Much of that safety and efficiency results from using wind tunnels, in which air blown at a known velocity is used to test different designs and parts of aircraft.  An upcoming two-session Bucket Class offered by Ben Guenther …

GRMC Administrator Retires Long-time vice-president of operations at UnityPoint Health – Grinnell Regional Medical Center, David L. Ness, decided to retire from his duties at the end of March. Ness joined then-named Grinnell General Hospital in 1986. He has served as a vice-president, interim CFO and interim CEO over the course of his 31 years with GRMC. “We wish Dave …

Despite Unfair Weather, Food Fair Fares Well By Michael McAllister When Grinnellians awoke on Saturday morning, April 14, little evidence existed to support the fact that the day was the twenty-sixth day of spring. But, before the day ended, an oasis of spring had sprouted, courtesy of McNally’s Foods and representatives of the local foods community. The occasion was the …

Iowa’s 80s Football Revival Owes Much to a Slab of Prime Rib By Michael McAllister The most accurate passer in Big Ten history made a pass through Grinnell on Tuesday, April 10, to talk to fans, to sign books, to answer questions, and to tell the story of his journey from Wheaton, Illinois, the land of Billy Graham and the …

Final ’18 Legislative Coffee Dominated by DHS Report By Michael McAlister On Saturday, April 7, approximately 60 Grinnellians gathered at the Presbyterian Church for the final in a series of three legislative coffees sponsored by the local chapter of the League of Women Voters. Becca Davis called the event to order by reminding those in attendance of the importance of …

Mary Kathryn Nagle will present ‘Sovereignty in the Law, Sovereignty of our Stories’   GRINNELL, Iowa —  Mary Kathryn Nagle, an attorney, nationally acclaimed playwright and executive director of the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program, will give the Scholars’ Convocation Lecture at Grinnell College on Thursday, April 19. Her lecture, “Sovereignty in the Law, Sovereignty of our Stories,” is free …

Grinnell College Zone of Confluence Strategic Initiative Advances City Council approves a resolution supporting Main Street development proposal  GRINNELL, Iowa — The Grinnell College initiative to improve the social, cultural and economic vitality of the area between the downtown business district and the college campus continues to advance. Last October, the college issued a request for proposals from potential development …

Vets Commission Elects Officers, Welcomes New Member By Michael McAllister In its regular monthly meeting at the Drake Community Library on April 9, 2018, Grinnell’s Veterans Memorial Commission maintained its chairperson and its five-member strength. The commission elected Leo Lease (second from right above) to continue as its chair, Randy Hotchkin (far right) as its vice-chair, and Marie Andrews (far …

Hotel Grinnell, City of Grinnell Win Awards at Rural Iowa Summit By Michael McAllister There is a piece of advice that goes something like this:  Be like a duck.  Stay calm and serene on top, but paddle like hell underneath. The Iowa Rural Development Council’s Rural Iowa Summit proved that Iowa’s rural communities and towns fit that maxim:  they appear …

UnityPoint Health®–Grinnell Regional Hospice will host an end-of-life and hospice volunteer training for residents in the GRMC service area. This class is intended for people who are interested in learning more about end of life issues and care. This year, the training will be held on five Wednesday mornings, from 8 a.m. to noon. Hospice volunteer and end-of-life training will …

St. Francis Manor Announces A Free Lunch & Learn Educational Program    (Grinnell, IA – April 5, 2018)  St. Francis Manor will offer a free educational Lunch & Learn program to the public on the important topic of Health Insurance for Seniors – Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplements and Drug Cards.  This program will discuss the differences between these coverages …

  Dr. Janet Stutz, Superintendent of Grinnell-Newburg Community Schools, has been named a Friend of the AEA by Iowa’s Area Education Agencies. Stutz received the award during a presentation at the AEA Boards of Directors’ Conference on April 5. This is the second year for the awards and it is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate outstanding candidates for their …

Neleman Named a 100 Great Iowa Nurse UnityPoint Health®– Grinnell Regional Medical Center (GRMC) nurse Katie Neleman, RN, surgical coordinator, received the 100 Great Iowa Nurses award. This program, supported by the Iowa Nurses Foundation, recognizes 100 outstanding nurses every year in Iowa for their courage, competence, and commitment to patients and the nursing profession. The 100 nurses earn the …

Grinnell Awarded Grant from Iowa Economic Development Grinnell was one of 18 Iowa communities awarded a Community Catalyst and Building Remediation Grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority. The amount of the grant will not exceed $100,000 and will be used for the Grinnell Beyer Block project in downtown Grinnell. The Beyer Block project includes the buildings on the north …

100 + People Who Care – Grinnell to Meet April 24 The quarterly meeting of 100 + People Who Care – Grinnell will be Tuesday, April 24, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Caulkins Community Room at the Drake Library, and will last no more than one hour. This will be a voting meeting for the organization, …

Hawkeyes Great Chuck Long to Appear in Grinnell April 10 as Guest of Grinnell Mutual, Rotary April 3, 2018 – Hawkeyes Great Chuck Long will share stories of his football life and career and sign copies of his just-released biography Destined for Greatness during meetings with Grinnell Mutual and Grinnell Rotary Tuesday, April 10. Long, who played quarterback for the …

St. Francis Manor Announces Manager/RN for its New Hammond Center for Assisted Living   (Grinnell, IA – April 4, 2018) St. Francis Manor is pleased to announce that Sammi Bryan, RN has been named Manager/RN of the Hammond Center for Assisted Living which is currently being constructed at 907 Orchard Drive and scheduled to open in November.  The 2-story Hammond Center will …

Iowa’s Nice Guy Set to Make Nice—Maybe—at Rural Summit in Grinnell       By Michael McAllister Brace yourselves, Iowa conservatives.  Scott Siepker, the man who represents Iowa Nice—niceness being a conservative virtue—wears that title at the behest of flaming MSNBC primetime progressive Rachel Maddow. Brace yourselves also, Iowa progressives.  Iowa’s Nice Guy does not deliberate over words.  While his videos may …

Howard McDonough and the Carousel of Time By Michael McAlister Farmer, welder, builder, mechanic, cook, fundraiser, historian, entrepreneur, drag racer, Grinnellian—all these terms describe Howard McDonough. And yet the description is far from complete. An afternoon with McDonough is an education, but McDonough presents himself as more conduit than teacher because he acknowledges that what he knows and what he …

  Applications now available for Grinnell College Community Mini-Grants Grants support local projects enhancing the quality of life in Grinnell   GRINNELL, Iowa – Grinnell College is now accepting applications for the spring cycle of community mini-grants.  Grant applications are due Friday, April 6, and awards will be announced by Friday, May 18.   The program has directed approximately $400,000 …

Bikes to Art Speeds toward May 19 By Michael McAllister One event featuring wheels inspired another when, on March 11, 2017, the two art-and-bicycle enthusiasts pictured above, Melissa Berman and Ryan McGuire, attending the Grinnell Skate & BMX Park fundraising project, discussed possible combinations of art on wheels. Berman, then an eleven-year resident of Grinnell, former owner-operator of The Purple …

Second Rural Development Summit Will Peak April 5-6 in Grinnell By Michael McAllister Bill Menner stands in front of a newly painted wall in Grinnell’s oldest building as sunlight streams through the unadorned window of an office yet to be furnished—and considers possibilities. That—considering possibilities—has been his occupation since 1998. The office itself at 807 4th Avenue is a possibility …

Arts Council to Host Reggae Film & Dance Party at the Stew On Friday, April 6, the Grinnell Area Arts Council will present a reggae music-centered event at The Stew. The event will begin with a screening of the classic Jamaican film The Harder They Come, which stars reggae musician Jimmy Cliff, and features his music. Following the movie, local musician Chris …

Superintendent’s Weekly Update Dear Grinnell-Newburg Family and Friends, Happy Spring!  Spring Break is upon us!  Let’s hope the weather follows too.  Spring break is a time to rejuvenate while spending time reading a captivating book, enjoying friends and family, and finding some down time before the end of the year hustle and bustle.  We will begin our Spring Break this …