Local archive
Education
Seed Savers Exchange will continue its ADAPT community science program for four years under a new USDA-funded partnership led by the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Decorah-area and other gardeners can apply to participate in 2027 trials by Dec. 31, 2026.
Education Luther College
Iowa senator-elect Josh Turek made an unannounced Oct. 15 appearance at Preus Library, where he met with Luther College students and Decorah residents while an early-voting station operated nearby.
Education Luther College
Vesterheim will host a free holiday concert by Luther College’s Noble Brass Quintet on Dec. 9, 2026, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Hanson Vesterheim Commons.
Education Luther College
Author and journalist David Epstein spoke to students and Decorah community members at Luther College’s annual Farwell Distinguished Lecture on Sept. 24, discussing generalists, specialists, artificial intelligence and the value of liberal arts education.
Education Luther College
The award-winning all-woman brass quintet Seraph Brass will perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30 in Luther College’s Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. The visit also includes a preconcert dinner and masterclasses connected to the 2026 Luther College Brass Symposium.
Education Luther College
Luther College has limited meal-plan swipes to one every two hours for the 2026-27 academic year while adding a cook-your-own egg station, continuing food events and considering new dining services on campus.
Education Luther College
Tickets for Luther College’s 2026 Christmas at Luther performances go on sale to the public at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. In-person concerts are scheduled Dec. 3-6 at the Center for Faith and Life in Decorah, with livestream and later on-demand viewing options also available.
Education Luther College
Dr. Rene Rocha’s Hispanic Heritage Month lecture at Luther College connected U.S. immigration policy, the 2008 Postville raid and the experiences of Iowa communities affected by interior enforcement.
Education Luther College
An unusually wet, humid September brought mold reports from several Luther College residence halls in Decorah, including Miller and Dieseth Towers, Baker Village and the College Apartments. Luther says it has installed dehumidifiers, inspected buildings and treated affected vents, while students describe persistent growth, delayed Fix-It responses and concerns about their living conditions.
Education Luther College
A federal memo has narrowed when international students can receive authorization for off-campus internships, creating uncertainty for more than 200 students at Luther College. The college says it is helping students understand the guidance and identify alternatives, including required practicums, campus research and study abroad.
Education Luther College
Luther College and Rushford-Peterson Schools have launched a partnership offering qualifying Minnesota students preferred admission and a $500 award, building on Luther’s similar agreement with Decorah Community School District.
Education Luther College
New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones will discuss the social roles of horror at Luther College in Decorah on Oct. 29, 2026. The free public lecture requires tickets and will include an audience Q&A, a book signing and a livestream option.
Education Luther College
A free, nonpartisan candidate forum at Luther College will feature participating candidates for federal, state and Winneshiek County offices, with audience questions and a YouTube livestream.
Education Luther College
Luther College says it welcomed 428 new students, including 401 first-year students, for 2026-27. Total enrollment reached 1,327, while first-to-second-year retention rose to 80.9% and a housing partnership with Northeast Iowa Community College expanded.
Education Luther College
Luther College sociology professor Christian Schlaerth received a $7,400 Winneshiek County Community Foundation grant to expand R.A.D. self-defense classes for women across the region, with the next three-part session beginning Oct. 10 at Luther College.
Education College Drive
Decorah Parks & Recreation is offering free sand at the Decorah Municipal Pool, with weekday appointments available by phone.
Education Luther College
Luther College has appointed Decorah native and longtime faculty member Brian Solberg to the inaugural Hamlet Peterson Distinguished Professorship in Exercise Science. Two other faculty members were also reappointed to endowed chairs for 2026–2029.
Education Luther College
Broadway’s Next Hit Musical will bring an improvised awards show to Luther College’s Center for Faith and Life Main Hall at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. Audience suggestions and votes will shape the performance, which is the opening event in the college’s 2026-27 Center Stage Series.
Education Luther College
South Winneshiek voters approved a PPEL measure, according to a Decorah News report. The supplied report does not include the vote date, tally, funding amount or additional details about the measure.
Education Luther College
Luther College has opened its academic year under a theme focused on belonging, according to a Decorah News report. The supplied material does not include details about the opening event, speakers, dates or planned activities.
Education Luther College
Broadway’s Next Hit Musical will perform its audience-driven “The Phony Awards” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall at Luther College in Decorah.
Education
A Decorah News article reports that a Decorah student received an honorable mention in a Cricket Magazine art competition, but the supplied material does not identify the student, artwork, competition date or judging details.
Education
Decorah Parks and Recreation is inviting families to search local parks for Freddy the Flamingo as part of a back-to-school activity. Participants can photograph Freddy, submit their pictures through the event’s Facebook page and enter a monthly prize drawing.
Education Luther College
Author and illustrator Nora Krug will deliver Luther College’s Opening Convocation address Sept. 3 in Decorah, with an event centered on her acclaimed visual memoir, “Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home.”
Education Luther College
Longtime Luther College facilities leader Jay Uthoff has received the 2026 Spirit of Luther Award posthumously, recognizing more than four decades of service, campus construction work, emergency leadership and sustainability efforts.
Education Luther College
Luther College will announce the inaugural recipient of its Hamlet Peterson Distinguished Professorship in Exercise Science during Opening Convocation at 9:40 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. The professorship honors longtime Luther coach and educator Hamlet E. Peterson and is funded by an estate gift from Jack F. Hustad and Regent Emerita Helen Peterson Hustad.
Education Luther College
New York Times bestselling author David Epstein will speak at Luther College in Decorah at 7 p.m. Sept. 24, 2026, about why broad-based education can prepare graduates for complex and rapidly changing careers.
Education Luther College
Vesterheim will welcome Luther College families to its Decorah campus on September 19, 2026, with free admission for Luther students, faculty, staff and museum members, plus two guided tours.
Education Luther College
Luther College alum Andrew Ellingsen has been appointed director of the Richard L. and Judith A. Torgerson Center for Nordic Studies. Ellingsen brings more than five years of leadership at Vesterheim, nearly two decades of elementary music teaching and longstanding ties to Decorah’s Norwegian-American heritage community.
Education Luther College
Luther College visual communication professor Aaron Lurth has published “Small Luxuries: Film Cameras,” a 128-page book exploring camera technology, historic brands, famous models and the cultural history of photography.
