Local archive
Community
Decorah City Council’s first-reading vote would create zoning, utility and environmental requirements for any future data center or cryptocurrency mining center proposed in the city, but it did not approve a specific project.
Community
Decorah Parks and Recreation will host a free outdoor screening of <em>The Great Outdoors</em> at Will Baker Park on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, beginning around dusk.
Traffic & Construction
Decorah residents can choose a guided hike, bike ride or run during Trail Night on Thursday, Sept. 24, meeting at the Carlson Park parking lot by 6 p.m.
Community
Decorah Mayor Andy Carlson has proclaimed Sept. 17 through 23, 2026, as Constitution Week, urging residents to reaffirm the freedoms outlined by the nation’s founders.
Culture
Seed Savers Exchange will welcome visitors into the hayloft of its historic barn at Heritage Farm during Iowa’s 26th Annual All-State Barn Tour on September 19–20.
Business & Openings Downtown Decorah
The Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce has announced 10 business award recipients and eight individual honorees for its 2026 Business Awards Event, scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29. The evening will recognize business achievements, community service, tourism, collaboration, young professionals and local projects that contribute to life in the Decorah area.
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.
Culture
Vesterheim will host “Makaber Antologi,” a free storytelling and music event featuring Norwegian folklore, history and Hardanger fiddle music, on October 16, 2026, in Hanson Vesterheim Commons.
Crime & Public Safety Downtown Decorah
Decorah families can explore emergency, construction and city maintenance vehicles during a free Touch a Truck open house on Saturday, October 10, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
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.
Crime & Public Safety Luther College
Decorah News reports five recent arrests involving allegations of operating while intoxicated, stalking and probation violations. The available source material does not provide the names of those arrested, arrest dates, locations or case outcomes.
Community
The Cadets rushed for 259 yards in a victory over Decorah, according to a Decorah News sports report.
Sport
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will hold a May 21 public meeting in Decorah to discuss proposed 2027 nonresident small game hunting seasons.
Culture
A carved drinking bowl at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah preserves Norwegian craftsmanship, symbolism and customs surrounding shared celebrations and farm life.
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.
Community Original Decorah
The Decorah Historic Preservation Commission has released two brochures, according to a Decorah News headline. The supplied article material does not include the brochures’ titles, subjects, release date or information about where residents can find them.
Culture
Since moving to Decorah in 2005, Bill and Kathi Wild have supported Vesterheim through photography, Heritage Park tours, philanthropy and volunteer service.
Community
Supporters of the Decorah Rotary donated $1,259 in tips from a pork chop booth to the Decorah Community Food Pantry, according to Decorah News.
Sport
Decorah News reports that Decorah won the Oelwein Invitational, though the supplied article material does not include event results, dates, individual performances or team statistics.
Crime & Public Safety
A Decorah woman has been arrested on two child endangerment charges, according to a Decorah News report. The report says court hearings have been scheduled, but the supplied material does not include the woman’s name, arrest date, hearing dates or additional case details.
Community
Diane Ott Whealy, who co-founded Seed Savers Exchange near Decorah, received the 2026 GardenComm Green Medal Sustainability Award for more than five decades of work preserving heirloom seeds and agricultural biodiversity.
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.
Community Phelps Park
A campaign barbecue at Phelps Park brought together Iowa House candidate Jeff Thurlow and congressional nominee Lindsay James as Democrats focused on faith voters and “common-good issues” ahead of the 2026 election.
Community
The Decorah Water Department is scheduled to begin its fall hydrant-flushing program on Sept. 1, according to a report from Decorah News.
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.
Traffic & Construction
A new traffic pattern is in place on Iowa 9 in Decorah as reconstruction continues between U.S. 52 and Pleasant Avenue. The Iowa DOT says pilot cars and flaggers will guide motorists through the work zone until the planned completion Wednesday night, Sept. 2, weather permitting.
