Local archive
Education Luther College
Luther College’s spring 2026 graduating class included three students from Decorah, with Andrew Bradley Chamberlain earning cum laude honors, Elizabeth Clement graduating cum laude and Dylan Joseph Muhlbauer receiving magna cum laude recognition.
Community
Vesterheim’s 2026 calendar lists five Free Second Saturday events, beginning Aug. 8 and continuing monthly through Dec. 12.
Education Luther College
Luther College has named Rose Baldwin its associate director of programming and outreach. She began work on campus July 27 and will manage the Center for Faith and Life box office and event operations as the college prepares for upcoming performances, Homecoming and Family Weekend.
Traffic & Construction Luther College
A section of the Pulpit Rock trail is temporarily closed for repairs, while Decorah Parks and Recreation lists summer activities including a movie in the park, a special-needs celebration, Trail Night and Nordic Fest’s Gnomes in the Park scavenger hunt.
Education Upper Iowa River
Luther College in Decorah has announced its 2026-27 Center Stage Series, featuring seven public performances, a subscriber bonus concert by Cantus, school matinees and a special April event marking 50 years of the Center for Faith and Life.
Traffic & Construction
Construction of the Decorah Community School District’s new elementary school remains on schedule after precast concrete wall panels and initial structural steel were installed. The project still awaits final approval from the Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office, but district officials do not currently expect the review to delay the planned 2027-28 opening.
Community
Seed Savers Exchange has completed a 2025–30 strategic plan that shifts emphasis from rapid collection growth to long-term stewardship, including seed regeneration, refreshed supplies, better documentation and broader access.
Sport
Seed Savers Exchange’s 2025 ADAPT program invited gardeners to grow rare varieties, document their traits and share results with other growers. The program’s amaranth trials generated hundreds of images, comments and ratings while introducing participants to a crop many had never grown before.
Culture
Seed Savers Exchange says it became the first U.S. nonprofit genebank to undergo a comprehensive external assessment by the Crop Trust, a review that affirmed its community-based model while identifying three priorities for improving seed conservation.
Community
Seed Savers Exchange has launched an endowment with a $1 million founding gift from longtime seed advocate Amy Goldman Fowler, setting an initial goal of $5 million within five years.
Business & Openings
Seed Savers Exchange says donor support helped its farm team improve production efficiency, achieve a 90% crop success rate across 86 varieties in 2025 and preserve more rare seeds. Permanent fencing is planned for high-production areas in 2026.
Culture
Seed Savers Exchange has added Peg O’ My Heart, a family tomato preserved by Virginia gardener Peg Davis, to its 2025 From the Collection catalog after growing 88 plants at Heritage Farm.
Education Luther College
Luther College has named Diego Rodriguez its new director of student activities and leadership. Rodriguez brings more than 20 years of experience from higher education, NASA and student affairs, including recent work supporting more than 40 clubs and student organizations at the University of Iowa.
Traffic & Construction
Vesterheim will present “In Trunks, Hands, and Hearts: What Norwegian Immigrants Brought to the United States” on August 13, 2026, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minnesota. The free Kristianian Lodge meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.
Education Luther College
Sophia Chadima, a 2026 Luther College graduate from Swisher, will serve as an English teaching assistant in the Czech Republic during the 2026-27 academic year after receiving a Fulbright award.
Education Luther College
Five Luther College students, including students from Harpers Ferry and Elma, Iowa, have each received a $1,000 Karen Julesberg Scholarship for the 2026-27 academic year. The awards support students in Luther’s TRIO Student Support Services program, which serves 165 students annually.
Community
The WinnMed Auxiliary will hold a two-day used book sale in August to raise money for WinnMed’s new Reach Out and Read program, which provides books to families with young children receiving care at WinnMed.
