Features

Starlighters Theatre announces cast for spring production

Published by admin on Thu, 02/02/2023 - 7:40am

     Starlighters II Theatre is proud to announce the cast of “A Night of Suppressed Desires,” a series of three one-act plays that explores what happens when we try to hide our true desires. The three one-act plays will be held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 24 through 26, and March 31 through April 2.

The cast of “Constancy” is:

   • Moira – Allie Mersch

   • Rex – Max Cline

The cast of “Overtones” is:

   • Harriet – Diana Jones

   • Hetty – Lindsay Ryan

   • Margaret – Denise Cherry

   • Maggie – Emily Burds

Brehm hired as new library director

Published by admin on Thu, 01/26/2023 - 3:40pm

     There is a new face behind the desk at the Monticello Public Library, assisting patrons.

   On Jan. 3, the library welcomed Faith Brehm as the new director, replacing Michelle Turnis following her resignation at the end of 2022.

   Brehm is no stranger to Monticello. She is a 2013 graduate of Monticello High School.

   “I am familiar with the community and people know me,” she said of growing up in Monticello. “Hopefully feel comfortable coming to me so I can help fulfill the needs of the community.”

Sacred Heart School prepares to celebrate Catholic Schools Week

Published by admin on Thu, 01/26/2023 - 3:39pm

     Sacred Heart Catholic School is planning to celebrate National Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 29 through Feb. 4.

   The ongoing theme set forth in 2021 for Catholic Schools Week (CSW) is “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.”

   The week “typically observes the annual celebration with Masses; open houses; and activities for students, families, parishioners, and community members.”

   Scared Heart, which runs preschool through sixth grade, has lots of activities planned for CSW:

Monday, Jan. 30

   • PJ Day

   • Art

JK Ross expands to new location in downtown Monticello

Published by admin on Thu, 01/26/2023 - 3:36pm

     In March 2021, Karen Ross opened her clothing store, JK Ross, in the former Baked. Location near the intersection of First Street and Main Street. Almost two years later, she has found a new home in downtown Monticello that allowed her to expand and grow her clothing and accessory lines.

   JK Ross is now open 412 E. First St., in the lefthand side of the former Century House.

   Since she originally opened, Ross said business has been good.

   “I draw a lot of people from other towns,” she said

Monticello library brings back ‘Arm Chair Traveler’ series

Published by admin on Thu, 01/26/2023 - 3:28pm

     It’s been a few years, but the Monticello Public Library is once again bringing back a popular series…

   “Arm Chair Traveler” allows people in the community to hear about far-off places and people’s travels literally without leaving the comfort of their chair.

   The series ran for several years, ending in 2019. Due to travel restrictions during the COVID pandemic, few people were traveling or leaving the United States.

MHS has multiple ‘I’ ratings, state speech qualifiers

Published by admin on Thu, 01/26/2023 - 3:20pm

   Monticello High School speech students earned multiple Division I ratings at both the River Valley Conference and the District Large Group Speech Contests, over the past two Saturdays.

   Those who earned a “I” at the district contest Jan. 21 qualified for the State Large Group Speech Contest, to be held Feb. 4 at Cedar Rapids Washington.

   Results of the two contests follow.

  

Conference contest

   Monticello traveled to Bellevue to participate in the River Valley Conference Large Group Speech Contest Jan. 14.

Fagan family hang tough following stage 4 cancer diagnosis

Published by admin on Wed, 01/18/2023 - 2:48pm

     The attitudes of Eric and Devin Fagan of Monticello, and their six children, would lead you to believe that life inside the Fagan home is perfectly fine. They do not let on that their husband and father is battling Stage 4 prostate cancer.

   Eric, who’s in his 40s, was diagnosed on Nov. 8, 2021. Everything since then has been about jumping hurdles as he remains present in his family’s life.

   “It’s very aggressive,” Devin said of his cancer, which is not genetic. Nor has Eric ever had a history of cancer before now. “It’s hormonal.”

Keep Wishin’ grants end-of-life wishes

Published by admin on Wed, 01/18/2023 - 2:47pm

     In 2005, Heather Weers’ grandfather’s life unexpectedly changed when he went to live in a nursing home.

   “He didn’t get to do all of the things he had hoped to do,” she shared. “He had a dream of fishing one last time…”

   Has it happened, a “kind nurse” who worked at the nursing home arranged for Weers’ grandfather, his wife, and their grandkids to spend time together fishing on the Wapsipinicon River.

   Her grandfather passed in 2006, not long after that precious time they all had together.

Specht, Greif recall lasting friendships with Ukrainians

Published by admin on Wed, 01/18/2023 - 2:46pm

     It's been over 30 years since Paul and the late Kathy Specht and Jim and Sharon Greif each hosted young men from Ukraine as part of the Iowa Corn Growers Association Farmer-to-Farmer exchange program.

   In the early fall of 1991, both farm families hosted agricultural workers from Ukraine: The Spechts welcomed Nikolai Kucher from the Kyiv (Kiev) area; the Greifs hosted Yuri Yablonski from the eastern region of Ukraine.

   Those young men were in Iowa for about four weeks.

Jones Co. Tourism seeks interest in tour guides

Published by admin on Wed, 01/18/2023 - 2:37pm

     For the past 14 years, since Bob Hatcher has worked as the Jones County Tourism Association (JCTA) director, he’s offered his expertise and history of Jones County to out-of-town tours.

   Tour buses (coach buses) bring visitors to Jones County on an annual basis. Prior to the pandemic, Hatcher said there used to be 25 to 35 tours a year. In 2021, there were nine.

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