JANUARY: A 24-railcar pileup Jan. 3 on LeClaire’s riverfront left city and county authorities amazed that no one was killed or injured, and more mindful than ever of the threat posed by growing rail traffic along the Mississippi shore. A 300-gallon spill of an industrial chemical remained on the tracks (and away from the river and storm drains) after 24 railcars, including seven tankers, careened off the tracks.
JANUARY: With a vote on referenda slated for early March, the campaign for the proposed new YMCA in Eldridge began with a series of information sessions presented by North Scott schools. Meanwhile, the Eldridge City Council and park board members planned to close the city-owned fitness center, regardless of the outcome of the referenda.
JANUARY: Heather Shults is named principal at White Elementary, replacing Bernadette Brustkern, who was promoted to curriculum director.
JANUARY: Erin Paysen succeeds retired Glenn Elementary principal Kelly Rohlf.
JANUARY: Twelve-year-old Noah Schlicksup was featured for his popular YouTube channel, North Scott Sports Network, on which he broadcasts Lancer games live using his phone.
JANUARY: The town of Blue Grass mourned the loss of Mayor Larry Guy, who had served on the fire department and city council as well.
JANUARY: Senior basketball sensation Grace Boffeli scored 99 points in a single week of games to take over the top spot as all-time North Scott scoring leader. Her career point total (1,303 in late January) cruised past the mark of 1,282 set by former and future teammate Karli Rucker at the University of Northern Iowa.
FEBRUARY: Eldridge Democrats selected Pete Buttigieg of Indiana as their presidential candidate in the Feb. 3 Iowa Caucuses. Scott County as a whole went for Bernie Sanders. But what turned out to be the bigger story for the first-in-the-nation event was how long it took for statewide results to be reported and tabulated. Iowa Capital Dispatch editor Kathie Obradovich wrote, “Regardless of who was at fault, the caucuses’ failure to live up to those expectations has made more than 200,000 earnest, well-meaning and civic-minded Iowans a national joke."
FEBRUARY: The North Scott Athletic Boosters’ annual cake auction brought in over $14,000 to support Lancer sports teams.
FEBRUARY: Nate Fitzgibbon and AJ Gross are the new owners of GT Sports Custom Design Products in Eldridge, having purchased the long-running business from the Gene Schneckloth family.
FEBRUARY: Milwaukee, Wis., native Lisa Kotter was selected by Eldridge City Council members to serve as the city’s next city administrator. The former Geneseo, and Moline, Ill., administrator replaced John Dowd, who planned to retire at the end of March.
FEBRUARY: At the Class 3A district wrestling tournament, seven Lancers qualified for the state tournament: Juniors Josh Connor (132, pictured) and Deven Strief (145) claimed individual district crowns, while sophomore Trace Gephart (113) and Peyton Westlin (120), along with senior Zach Campbell (170) advanced without having to go through wrestlebacks. Seniors Cael Bredar (126) and Jake Matthaidess (160) were forced into an extra match when the wrestlers they defeated in the semis were upset.
FEBRUARY: At Regional Duals, senior Will Burklow recorded a pin that helped push North Scott’s No. 6-ranked wrestling team to a return to State Duals, where the Lancers finished fourth. That was their best finish since back-to-back third-place finishes in 2000 and 2001.
FEBRUARY: At the state tournament, the Lancers finished in 11th place, with four medalists: Deven Strief (145, pictured) and Peyton Westlin (120) both finished fourth. Jake Matthaidess, a three-time state qualifier, finished sixth at 160. Zach Campbell, a returning state qualifier, finished seventh at 170.
FEBRUARY: Young thespians at North Scott Junior High presented “Lady Pirates of the Caribbean” as their annual musical.
FEBRUARY: Genesis Health Systems presented Dr. Micheal Schreck with the Genesis Distinguished Physician Award. Schreck, a Durant High School graduate, spent most of his 35-plus-year career in medicine in Eldridge. He planned to retire in June.
FEBRUARY: North Scott’s robotics team made its first appearance at the state competition in Cedar Rapids. Team members included: Isaac Simmons, Austin Lee, Cole Voshell, Mitchell Mess, Duggan Kohnlein, Ephram Huscko, Adriana Phillips and Delaney Norris.
Bryan Butcher
MARCH: The first week of March, Scott County health and safety authorities were bracing for any potential COVID-19 outbreak they believed would look very different from what was occurring in China, Italy and elsewhere.
County health director Ed Rivers urged caution and patience when considering local ramifications of an illness where, at that point, 94 percent of all deaths remained concentrated in one Chinese province. “This is still an event with its locus in China,” said Rivers. “What people in the U.S. can do right now is get your flu shot, cover your cough and wash your hands.”
MARCH: For the third time in four years, North Scott’s Lady Lancers punched their ticket to the state basketball tournament. The team headed west with a 23-0 record and school-best 31-game winning streak. That record stretched to 26-0.
MARCH: For the second straight year, seniors Grace Boffeli and Presley Case earned recognition on the Class 4A all-state team. Boffeli was a first-team choice, while Case was a second-team selection. Boffeli was also named MAC Player of the Year for the second time, joined on the all-conference first team by Case. Junior Sam Scott was named to the MAC second team, while seniors Adriane Latham and Brooke Kilburg earned honorable mention. Coach TJ Case was named Class 4A Coach of the Year.
MARCH: North Scott’s boys’ basketball team qualified for the state tourney on a miracle buzzer beater by senior Ty Anderson to defeat Waterloo West, 41-40. They entered the state tourney as the No. 5 seed.
MARCH: The Lancers’ record-setting season came to an end for the third straight year on the hardwood of Des Moines’ Wells Fargo Arena, this time in a hard-fought loss to Waukee in the Class 4A quarterfinals. Seniors Ty Anderson and Sam Kilburg were first-team selections when the MAC honor teams were announced. Anderson, who now ranks fifth on North Scott’s all-time scoring list, was a repeat first-team selection, while Kilburg joined him after being a second-team choice a year ago. Junior Landon Eiland was a second-team selection, and senior Trent Allard earned honorable mention. Anderson was also named first-team all-state, with Kilburg a second-team selection.
MARCH: Eldridge resident Sean Peeters, a senior at Davenport Assumption, also was named to the all-conference first team and honored as MAC Player of the Year. Coach Shamus Budde was named Coach of the Year for the second straight season.
MARCH: After hosting its first invitational, North Scott’s archery team was set to make some noise on the state’s big stage, qualifying as the 15th-ranked team — the highest in school history.
MARCH: Virgil Grissom Elementary captured its third consecutive title in North Scott’s annual Battle of the Books, held March 7 at the Scott County Library in Eldridge. Representing the Princeton school were Sedi Beydler, Mallory Deutmeyer and Emily Stutting.
MARCH: Racing to manage an unprecedented health emergency affecting every resident whether they believed it or not, Scott County began mobilizing against the coronavirus. “Last week’s skepticism collapsed as the U.S. president, Iowa governor, Scott County supervisors and North Scott schools implemented cautions intended to slow the certain spread of COVID-19, so that hospitals do not face crowds like those that cleaned out grocery store shelves last week,” NSP assistant editor Mark Ridolfi wrote. Gov. Reynolds expanded the list of business and agencies closed to curb the spread of the virus. The list included restaurants, taverns and theaters, limiting gatherings to no more than 10; schools were set to resume April 13; the library, community center and fitness center were closed indefinitely; the Catholic Diocese canceled Iowa-side services, while other churches were adapting. North Scott superintendent Joe Stutting confirmed a four-week school closure through April 10, while cautioning, “This could go from four weeks to closing out the school year as of now.”
MARCH: Steve Grolmus, owner of North Scott Foods in Eldridge, urged patience and kindness following a weekend that saw a run on toilet paper and other essentials.
MARCH: Scott County authorized its first FEMA flood property buyout in memory. Supervisors approved using $118,000 in federal funds to get a couple out from under a home on Scott Park Road that has succumbed to Wapsi River flooding at least six times. County planning director Tim Huey said the county would own the .6 acre property, level the house, and likely use the land for prairie restoration.
MARCH: While schools had closed, meal deliveries began March 25 at sites throughout the NS district for any child through age 18, regardless of enrollment.
MARCH: Scott County medical director Dr. Louis Katz urged clearer, more concise public communication on COVID-19, decrying the avalanche of unspecific, jargon-y information from health officials at all levels. Katz warned that initial positive tests in the county “are the tip of the iceberg.”
APRIL: Central Scott Telephone partnered with the Scott County Library, Faith Lutheran Church in Eldridge and St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Long Grove to provide free public wireless internet access. Their goal was to assist employees having to work from home, as well as students having to learn online during the school shutdown.
APRIL: Longtime city administrator John Dowd wrapped up his 30-year career and turned over the Eldridge reins to Lisa Kotter.
APRIL: Area pastors prepared to preach Easter sermons to empty pews, with their congregation members tuning in via Facebook or YouTube.
APRIL: Gov. Kim Reynolds extended her school closure mandate from April 10 to April 30, and NS Supt. Stutting said he wouldn’t be shocked if students didn’t return to their classrooms the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. That happened on April 17. Across the state, districts were required to “continue to provide continuous learning opportunities for students until the end of the regular school year,” the governor announced.
APRIL: Teachers in Walcott and North Scott paraded through their towns in an effort to connect with their students. Many of them displayed signs of encouragement to the families learning from home. Meanwhile, many of the children and their families stood by with signs of their own, expressing thanks and love for their teachers.
MAY: Local businesses welcomed customers cautiously the third week of May, and face masks began to appear in NSP photos.
MAY: The Scott County landfill prepared for the disposal of thousands of hog carcasses, if needed, as the pandemic temporarily slowed Iowa pork production.
MAY: Longtime North Scott administrator, educator and coach Frank Wood wrapped up a five-decade career, 35 years of which were spent serving North Scott.
MAY: On a glorious Sunday afternoon on the last day of May, diplomas were handed out one at a time in a socially distanced ceremony in front of the high school. Then, graduates and their families in a long line of decorated cars, paraded through the streets of Eldridge, allowing the community to express its support and best wishes.
JUNE: North Scott’s History Day program fielded three national qualifiers and four national alternates among 15 entries involving 25 students from the junior high and high school. Students competed through videos and PowerPoint presentations. Qualifying for National History Day were: Mikayla Moore, Hannah Smith, Hanna Belk and Jenna Willet (pictured). Alternates included: Dylan Engelbrecht, Cameron LaPage, Madison and Kaitlyn Knoche and Lizzie Samara.
JUNE: The owners of Walcott Trust & Savings Bank announced the sale of the bank to CBI Bank & Trust.
JUNE: The Strawberry Stampede proceeded in Long Grove, despite the cancellation of the town’s Strawberry Festival. The fun run was spread out over three days to assure social distancing, and included participation by families, not just the usual under-14 crowd.
JUNE: The owner of Grand Haven Retirement Community in Eldridge planned a $3 million, 50-unit expansion he said is necessary to compete with tax-exempt senior campus developments under construction in Bettendorf and DeWitt. Joel Callahan approached Eldridge City Council seeking residential development property tax incentives.
JUNE: Monsignor Drake Shafer celebrated his final Sunday morning Mass at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Long Grove to an empty sanctuary. He retired after 47 years in the priesthood (11 at St. Ann’s), and the congregation honored him with a drive-by retirement parade.
JUNE: A 400-pound black bear was seen roaming rural Scott County, attracting hundreds of curious human followers. A few days later, it was spotted in Illinois.
JULY: Campgrounds at Scott County and West Lake parks were bustling, as restless campers sought to vacation while maintaining social distance.
JULY: A project years in the making was completed in the spring and highlighted in The NSP in July. Volunteers erected a new directory board in the middle of Maysville Cemetery so visitors could easily locate the graves of the people buried there.
JULY: The national census took center stage in early July, when Iowa ranked fourth-best in participation of all the states with 67.9 percent. Donahue led Scott County participation with 83.8 percent. Sponsored by area businesses, The NSP featured different communities each week, encouraging residents to complete and return their census forms, or participate when door-to-door census takers came by.
JULY: The Lancer baseball team sat just one game behind MAC leader Davenport Assumption as North Scott earned a No. 3 seed for substate competition. The Knights dashed the Lancers’ hopes for a MAC title, and Pleasant Valley brought North Scott’s impressive 16-9 season to an end.
Senior pitcher Grayson Drezek was named second-team all-state. He, along with Parker Ruth, Carter Wenck and Jake Matthaidess were first-team all-Southeast District, while Nate Link, Luke Haedt and Sam Skarich (pictured) were second-team selections. Making the all-MAC teams were: First team – Drezek, Ruth and Wenck; Honorable mention – Matthaidess, Skarich and Haedt.
JULY: On the girls’ diamond, the Lancers, rated fourth in the MAC, set their sights on a deep post-season run. North Scott reached the semifinals at the state tournament, where they fell to defending champion Carlisle in the semifinal round. The Lancers ended up finishing fourth in the state after a loss to eighth-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes. Named to the all-tournament team were Sam Lee and Rachel Anderson. The Class 4A all-state softball team included Brooke Kilburg (first team) and Sam Lee (second team.) Kilburg and Maddy McDermott also earned first-team all-MAC honors, while Lee, Ryann Cheek and Drew Lewis were second-team selections. Honorable mention went to: Rachel Anderson, Taylor Robertson and Sydney Skarich.
JULY: The NSP analyzed the federal Payroll Protection Program funds provided to more than 2,300 Scott County businesses and nonprofits. Among the loan recipients were Amhof Trucking, Risius and Associates Veterinary Service, and The North Scott Press, all of Eldridge.
JULY: Sisters Lauren and Natalie Schroeder tackled a 4-H citizenship project by restoring the playground at Dixon Memorial Park.
JULY: Eldridge teen Peyton Brenner called his mom, Christina, his hero after her quick thinking and actions saved his life following a horrific ATV accident on his grandmother’s rural Blue Grass acreage.
AUGUST: About 83 percent of North Scott students surveyed planned to return to classrooms on Aug. 25. After a hectic few weeks of cleaning, sanitizing and preparing guidelines for every safety precaution imaginable, the North Scott school district was ready to teach 2,673 in classrooms and 504 online only. “We don’t know what lies ahead, but I’m really proud of the team that’s come together,” said school board member Donn Wilmot.
AUGUST: Packing winds clocked at more than 85 miles per hour, an Aug. 10 storm that became known as a derecho caused massive power outages and left almost unprecedented damage in its wake across Iowa. Hurricane-like winds flattened cornfields, destroyed buildings and downed trees. The Cedar Rapids area was especially hard hit.
AUGUST: Some areas of Scott County were without power for nearly a week. But, as always, the community came together to assist those who needed help removing downed trees and branches, and cleaning up tons of other debris.
AUGUST: North Scott High School sports teams were given the OK to begin their seasons, with a long list of mandatory guidelines to avoid coronavirus infection.
SEPTEMBER: Just a few days into the new school year, COVID-19 found its way into North Scott. Superintendent Joe Stutting tested positive, as did a sophomore football player, which called for the cancellation of the Lancer sophomores’ season opener before the first quarter had ended.
SEPTEMBER: The fleet of boats used by local first responders for water rescues was highlighted, following a tragic accident on the Mississippi River in mid-August that claimed two lives.
SEPTEMBER: Scott County librarian Cathy Zimmerman was awarded the Excellence in Outreach Award from the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services. She has led the county’s bookmobile for the last 14 years.
SEPTEMBER: Park View held a “Chalk the Walk” event to celebrate the Owners’ Association’s confirmation of enough votes in a referendum for a $500,000 grant from Iowa’s Water Quality initiative. The Sanitary and Water District was midway through a $1.3 million water treatment overhaul, and beginning an estimated $5 million sewage treatment project, all financed with low-interest loans through the state. Families were invited to create chalk drawings and signs along the parkways that define the community.
SEPTEMBER: The North Scott Press was judged best in the nation for local news coverage in the National Newspaper Association’s 2020 Better Newspapers Contest. The Eldridge-based paper was recognized for excellence in a record 21 categories.
SEPTEMBER: The high school was shut down for one week after there were 11 positive cases among students and staff in a seven-day span, forcing more than 200 students into quarantine — including the entire varsity volleyball and sophomore football teams. Officials had requested two weeks of online learning, but that plan was rejected by the state. The district’s junior high and five elementary buildings were not affected. The high school shutdown forced the cancellation of all sporting events, including the Homecoming football game, as well as the following week’s matchup. The traditional Homecoming dance and parade already had been taken off the event calendar.
SEPTEMBER: With no high school football for two weeks, a few fans got their fix by attending the only game in town — North Scott seventh-graders, who lost a close one to Bettendorf.
SEPTEMBER: Lancer golfers, cross-country runners and volleyballers were just as anxious as the football players to return to their respective seasons, which they did at the end of September.
SEPTEMBER: Local photographer Kelcy Hanson set out to take photos of families living through quarantine and the global pandemic, accepting donations for the North Scott Community Enhancement Project. She ended up photographing 189 families and raised more than $6,000.
SWEEKIT PHOTO
SEPTEMBER: Developer Dale Grunwald planned 140 home lots and nine six-plex condo buildings on 80 acres at South First Street and Lincoln Road, which had been rezoned by the Eldridge City Council. And with no objections, the council also approved a package of property tax incentives for Grand Haven Retirement Community to add apartments and townhomes on two adjacent lots.
SEPTEMBER: A shooting suspect was located and arrested without incident in a restroom at Casey’s General Store in Park View. Scott County Sheriff’s deputies said a woman survived a gunshot wound to her leg in the shooting, which took place at 44 Manor Drive.
SEPTEMBER: Park View Lutheran Church celebrated its 50th anniversary with special services. “COVID-19 has prevented us from having a big celebration with lots of people and food, however, it’s been fun to dig into our history this year,” said Rev. Peter Hoft.
OCTOBER: North Scott High School junior violist Kaitlyn Wood joined three other teens in a string quartet accompanying “Beatles vs. Stones – A musical Showdown,” Oct. 20 at the Adler Theatre in Davenport. She performed “Eleanor Rigby,” “Hey Jude,” “Gimme Shelter,” and other global hits written 40 years before she was born.
OCTOBER: North Scott school’s FFA chapter achieved a top 10 national ranking for the first time, reflecting its customary education and agriculture promotion, student achievement, and community engagement for assisting The NSP with candidate forums.
OCTOBER: The NSP celebrates Scott County 4-Hers' 154 projects completed in 2020 without a fair.
OCTOBER: Ohnward Bancshares Inc. chairman Alan R. “Al” Tubbs is this year’s recipient of the Bruning Award from the American Bankers Association for his banking service to rural America. His father, Edward L. Tubbs also received a Bruning Award.
OCTOBER: 1982 North Scott High School alumnus Craig Kluever won the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence, a top award for faculty at University of Missouri, where he is director of undergraduate studies for the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
Mizzou Visual Productions
OCTOBER: U.S. Bank announced a plan to close its Eldridge branch Jan. 2, ending a business presence that began as the town’s first bank in 1899.
OCTOBER: Megan Sacia and Max Solis reigned as North Scott High School homecoming queen and king Oct. 9, nearly a month after the game was postponed from Sept. 18.
OCTOBER: The Eldridge fire station got a new, $125,000 shingle roof to replace an original steel roof that was leaking. Fire Chief Keith Schneckloth said a steel replacement would have exceeded $350,000. He said Estes Construction, Giese Roofing, Hahn Roofing and Hornbuckle Heat and Air did the work.
OCTOBER: The late Roger Kirby’s family is the latest among 35 recipients of Ohl Strong grants to pancreatic cancer patients in memory of Dr. Brent Ohl, who died of the disease in 2016. Ohl Strong provided support to Kirby’s wife, Judy, daughter Sara Braack and their family during cancer treatment for the beloved North Scott teacher, former Eldridge fire chief and public works director.
OCTOBER: Eldridge council member Bernie Peeters and Mayor Marty O’Boyle cut the ribbon Oct. 9 to officially open the 1.9 mile trail extension on the abandoned rail bed along South First Street.
OCTOBER: Utica Ridge Road and 240th Street became a four-way stop following years of accidents attributed to growing traffic on Utica Ridge Road. The corner only had stop signs for Utica Ridge traffic, and had been the site of eight crashes in the past 12 months, county engineer Angie Kersten told county supervisors.
OCTOBER: North Scott FFA students Taylor Mayhue and Dylan Engelbrecht led Zoom interviews Oct. 13 for The NSP with Iowa Second Congressional District candidates Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Rita Hart.
OCTOBER: Eldridge students used the First Street trail to make their daily commute from Rustic Ridge neighborhood homes to Shepard Elementary in Long Grove. Adult volunteers, including school liaison officer Bruce Schwarz, helped chaperone the trips.
OCTOBER: The Scott County auditor mailed a record 46,000 ballots by Oct. 31 in response to requests from registered county voters. Those initial early requests exceeded the 41,759 absentee ballots cast in the 2016 presidential election.
OCTOBER: Auditor Roxanna Moritz accepted two grants totaling $430,870 for election expenses from The Center for Tech and Civic Life, a non-profit established by Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg and his wife.
OCTOBER: North Scott sophomore Bailey Boddicker and senior Owen West qualified for the state cross country meet in Fort Dodge after claiming top-15 finishes at the Class 3A district meet held at Crow Creek Park. Boddicker booked her second straight trip, while West became the first Lancer to qualify for the state meet since Adam Fink in 2004.
OCTOBER: The 80th anniversary of the National Cornhusking Championship in Scott County resurrected memories of 125,000 swarming the Keppy family fields near Eldridge. Recollections and photos of the event filled The NSP Country Connection section, and drew thousands of online views.
OCTOBER: River Valley Coop donation of grain bin coffer dams are helping 17 eastern Iowa an western Illinois fire departments respond to grain bin accidents. That includes Eldridge, Donahue, Walcott, Dixon, LeClaire, New Liberty, and this year, Maysville.
NOVEMBER: A team of U.S. Navy sailors destined to serve on the USS Iowa submarine visited the state to assist derecho clean up in suburban Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. The crew will be commanded by Lancer alumnus Randy Riewerts, executive officer of the nuclear submarine scheduled to launch in 2022.
NOVEMBER: Donald Trump won North Scott High School’s election week mock poll conducted by National Honor Society students.
NOVEMBER: North Scott’s volleyball team advanced to its second straight state tournament with a regional final win over Burlington, without starter Ella McLaughlin, who was in quarantine. A week later the Lancers lost in the opening round to Gilbert, again, with McLaughlin out of the lineup.
NOVEMBER: Lancer junior Oliver Hughes caught the game-winning touchdown pass to lift North Scott over rival Assumption 13-10, under the Oct. 30 blue moon. It was another come-from-behind effort on their path to the state championship.
NOVEMBER: North Scott school board members selected Joni Dittmer as the next board president, succeeding Glen Keppy, who kept his school board seat, but declined to run for chairman again. Dittmer is in her 14th year on the board and is the longest serving member. The board voted 4-0, with members Donn Wilmott, Mark Pratt and Molly Bergfeld abstaining over concerns about the nomination procedures.
NOVEMBER: Scott County voters reelected incumbent GOP supervisors Tony Knobbe and Ken Beck. Beck finished 78 votes ahead of Democratic challenger Yazmin Newton. Democrat Rev. Rodgers Kirk finished fourth. Democrat Joe Biden beat President Trump 46,890 to 43,661, but Trump won Iowa. Scott County voters also preferred Democrat Theresa Greenfield over Sen. Joni Ernst, 45,717 to 42,921. Ernst won the state. Mariannette Miller-Meeks beat Democrat Rita Hart, of Wheatland for Iowa’s Second Congressional seat across the 24-county district. In Scott County, Hart won 47,421 to 41,948. For state legislature, Republicans representing House District 92, Rep. Ross Paustian, House District 97, Rep. Norlin Mommsen, and Senate District 46 Sen. Mark Lofgren all won reelection.
NOVEMBER: Jan and Florene Veldhuis-Kroeze, of Eldridge, celebrated their 60th anniversary.
NOVEMBER: Lancer football earned its first trip to the UNI-Dome with a game-ending, end-zone fumble recovery to seal a 24-21 upset of West Delaware on Nov. 6. The Lancers advanced to the semifinals after three straight quarterfinal setbacks.
NOVEMBER: North Scott swimmers Grace Veach and Leah Patton qualified for the state meet with the Pleasant Valley swim team. Junior Veach earned her third invitation to state. Sophomore Patton earned her first.
NOVEMBER: Brownlie Sod House Questers donated scrapbooks from the historic Long Grove homestead to the Scott County Library.
NOVEMBER: Former Iowa Sen. Roger Jepsen died at the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Nov. 13, after living for a time at Grand Haven Retirement Community in Eldridge. Jepsen served as a county supervisor before winning election as Iowa lieutenant governor, then serving Iowa in the U.S. Senate from 1979-1985.
NOVEMBER: New Eldridge police officer Tony Cavanaugh was sworn in Nov. 16 by Mayor Marty O’Boyle at the Eldridge council meeting. Cavanaugh is a Davenport West High graduate who worked a decade as a Marengo, Iowa police officer.
NOVEMBER: A recount board on Nov. 17 launched a second count of Scott County ballots in Mariannette Miller-Meeks' 47-vote win over Rita Hart in Iowa’s Second Congressional District race. The three-man board comprised Ian Russell for Hart, Dick Davidson for Meeks, and independent member, Judge John Nahra, convened at the county’s Tremont Avenue warehouse.
NOVEMBER: Eldridge SuperWash got some new, old leadership. Dennis Boeck is one of the partners who took over and upgraded the business at 231 S. 9th Ave. He was an employee of the company that opened the car wash some 40 years ago.
NOVEMBER: Lancer football delivered another thriller on its path to a championship with an overtime win over unbeaten Cedar Rapids Xavier in the school's first-ever trip to the state semifinals in the UNI-Dome.
NOVEMBER: Long Grove turkey farmer Chuck Brockmann provided turkeys for Christian Care, the second annual Tasty Café Thanksgiving dinner, and some new friends in North Carolina. Chuck Brockmann, of Raleigh, N.C., discovered the Long Grove farmer in an online search. Their shared name was enough to order two.
NOVEMBER: Eldridge Mayor Marty O’Boyle’s COVID-19 positive test after being sick at the Nov. 16 council meeting forced the shutdown of city buildings, and quarantine of city administrator Lisa Kotter.
NOVEMBER: How ‘bout them Lancers? North Scott’s miracle-making 2020 team trounced powerhouse Harlan, 30-6, in the Class 4A state championship game. Because of COVID-19, the game was played in front of less than 300 fans in the UNI-Dome. Fans lined LeClaire Road as the team headed to Cedar Falls, and then welcomed them home with a late-night, socially-distanced pep rally.
NOVEMBER: North Scott's girls' basketball team opened the season Nov. 20, with a win over Dubuque Hempstead, extending the 34-game win streak that culminated with its third state championship in four years.
DECEMBER: Eldridge’s $15.6 million sewer plant and system upgrade can handle up to 3,600 new residents. The work completed earlier this year was featured in a story and photo display detailing the project launched five years ago by retired city administrator John Dowd and public works director Randy Reimers.
DECEMBER: Scott County Library’s memory project is capturing video interviews from residents describing their long-ago memories. Librarian Nancy Youngbauer is in the second year of the grant-funded project collecting images, scrapbooks and stories. Contact the library to learn more.
DECEMBER: North Scott High School holiday concerts moved online and to The Pit, preserving a tradition during the pandemic. Eighteen Lancer musicians earned all-state honors through online auditions. Top performers include three-time all-staters, tenor Owen Popelka, bassoonist Savanna Connor, tenor Alex Johnson; second-timers, baritone saxophonist Nolan Blodig, soprano Abi Jensen, bass Cooper Frank, tenor Kyle Skinner, soprano Lily Bendickson, alto Kaitlyn Wood; and first-timers, cellist Aviana Holst, bass George Behnke, bass Jacob Bibens, and soprano Elena Kook.
DECEMBER: Eldridge Hometown Holidays went mobile, with a drive through a festive Scott County Library parking lot. Eldridge-North Scott Chamber director Tabbitha Kramer counted at least 274 cars with more than 1,100 people enjoying Faith Lutheran’s living nativity, QC Rock Academy holiday performers and treats from other community groups.
DECEMBER: Eldridge council members are backing a bid to bring hundreds of softball players to town next August. The council agreed to provide up to $15,000, and make improvements to Sheridan Meadows ball diamonds to brings the International Softball Congress men’s tournament Aug. 14-27.
DECEMBER: Tony Sacco’s Coal Oven Kitchen opened Dec. 14 in the old Lancer Grille. The restaurant makes its Quad-City debut and is part of a national chain owned by Dynamic Restaurant Holdings, the Bettendorf successor to Happy Joe’s.
DECEMBER: Scott County Park’s Glynns Creek golf course wrapped up its busiest year ever with a record 372 rounds in December, a month the course is usually closed.
DECEMBER: Walcott turkey farmers Ron and Susie Kardel found the first family to be delightful at the White House turkey pardoning ceremony. Ron Kardel, president of the National Turkey Federations, presented two turkeys from his Walcott farm. President Trump issued the ceremonial pardon, and the Kardels let his grandchildren pet the birds, which were returned to Iowa.
DECEMBER: North Scott’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams opened the season with victories, during a time when both head coaches tested positive for COVID-19, and the Lancer girls went unbeaten in calendar year 2020 as they ran their state-best winning streak to 39 games.
DECEMBER: North Scott’s Silver Shakers dance team finished brought home a pair of third-place finishes from the Iowa State Dance championships in Des Moines, while coach Lindsay Ambrose was home recovering from COVID-19.
DECEMBER: Junior Hannah Bain was the gold medalist Class XIII state champion in the solo competition. Annika Foit finished second, while seniors Megan Sacia and Olivia Wessel finished in a tie for 10th.
AMANDA WILLIAMS
