JANUARY: New Eldridge mayor Frank King was sworn in and presided over his first meeting on Jan. 3. Newly elected council member Dan Collins and re-elected council member Brian Dockery also recited ceremonial oaths. Collins was named mayor pro tem.
JANUARY: John Glenn and Virgil Grissom students were enjoying their new school libraries. Superintendent Joe Stutting recommended both libraries receive makeovers after his annual school walk-through in January of 2021. The district spent $8,000 on new flooring (replacing carpet with tile) and $30,000 for new shelving.
JANUARY: Bill and Linda Tubbs made a $100,000 donation to launch a fund drive for the new North Scott YMCA, led by Marty O’Boyle and Donn Wilmott. The Y was hoping to raise $1 million to equip the center.
JANUARY: The North Scott School Board approved a plan to install Halo security detectors in high school and junior high bathrooms to detect vaping and loud noises, including cries for help. The detectors had the capability to alert school staff of problems and in some cases, call 911.
JANUARY: The North Scott girls’ wrestling team made history when it hosted the first ever Mississippi Athletic Conference dual meet. While the Lancers lost 24-18 to Bettendorf, the girls said they had a lot of fun. “I liked the atmosphere of having the boys’ teams there cheering you on,” said junior Marin Smith.
JANUARY: Damien “Buzz” Koehn resigned after serving 12 years as mayor of McCausland, due to a move outside of city limits. McCausland residents lauded his tenure. Council member Brian Holland was appointed to replace him.
JANUARY: Lancer Productions presented “Frozen Jr.” as its Children’s Theatre production. The cast included Kaitlyn Wood, Elly Carlson, Thomas McCarthy, Riley McCoy and Ava Hagedorn, and featured Olaf and Sven puppets specially created by Quad Cities puppeteer Seth Chappell.
JANUARY: Funeral services were held for Dean Bassett of Eldridge. Bassett had owned an International Harvester business before working for the North Scott School District as an administrator. He had also served on the school board.
JANUARY: Junior Khylie Wainwright became the first Lancer girl to place at a state wrestling tournament. She finished sixth at the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association State Tournament in Coralville. At the event, the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union announced girls’ wrestling would become a sanctioned sport.
FEBRUARY: The Eldridge Fire Department received the gift of a 1905 department fire helmet. It was donated by Paula Mohr, daughter of Betty Mohr and Eldridge native Wendell Mohr. Her mother was an antiques dealer who acquired the helmet, and Mohr donated it back to the department.
FEBRUARY: Kevin and Paulette Stutting purchased the old Princeton Ale House building, which had served as Kernan’s restaurant for 50 years. The Stuttings were hoping to start a boat club.
FEBRUARY: The North Scott Athletic Boosters raised more than $16,000 as the Cake Auction returned after a Covid-induced hiatus. The 2002 boys’ basketball team was honored at the 20th anniversary of the team claiming North Scott’s first ever boys’ basketball MAC championship.
FEBRUARY: The North Scott boys’ wrestling team placed second at the MAC meet. Trace Gephart (113, pictured), Peyton Westlin (152) and Seth Madden (170) claimed individual titles.
FEBRUARY: North Scott High School officials reported students having seizures. At the same time, they also reported an increase in the number of students caught vaping. Meanwhile, students at the junior high attended an assembly to learn about the dangers of vaping, including negative health effects.
FEBRUARY: The Donahue Sportsman’s Club was recruiting volunteers. Since 1938, the club had cared for the grounds at the ballpark and managed leagues, and was considered a tradition in Donahue.
FEBRUARY: The North Scott archery team won its home tournament. The high school team had already shot the minimum score required for qualifying for the state tournament, with 12 high school archers and four from the junior high also qualifying.
FEBRUARY: Students from North Scott and Pleasant Valley were working with members of Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 75 to build an airplane in the North Scott bus garage.
FEBRUARY: Former Blue Grass police chief Garrett Jahns joined the Eldridge Police Department.
FEBRUARY: It was a good news/bad news week for the North Scott boys’ wrestling team. While the Lancers failed to qualify as a team after coming up short against Bettendorf, they qualified a record 11 individuals at the district meet: Trace Gephart (120), Peyton Westlin (152), Cael Straley (132), Seth Madden (170, pictured), AJ Petersen (195), Ryan Campbell (192), Ayden Golden (113), Aydan Cary (145), David Borchers (285), Hayden Ulloa (106) and Dylan Marti (160).
FEBRUARY: North Scott Junior High students presented “There’s a Monster in my Closet” as their annual musical.
FEBRUARY: Volunteers joined Iowa DNR officers and Partners of Scott County Watersheds members to improve the fish habitat at Crow Creek Lake near Eldridge.
FEBRUARY: The North Scott girls’ basketball season came to an end in the substate semifinals, with a 46-39 loss to Clear Creek-Amana.
FEBRUARY: Lancer wrestlers medaling at the state meet included AJ Petersen (fourth at 195, pictured), Trace Gephart (fifth at 113), Peyton Westlin (fifth at 152), and Seth Madden (seventh at 170).
FEBRUARY: The North Scott boys’ bowling team qualified for the state tournament in Waterloo. Nik Davis and Lex Adkisson also qualified as individuals.
MARCH: Shamus Budde announced he was stepping down as head boys’ basketball coach, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. He had served as coach for 16 seasons, and was the winningest coach in the program’s history, with a 259-108 record.
MARCH: The Scott County Board of Supervisors elected to demolish the county warehouse on Tremont Avenue in Davenport to make way for a new juvenile detention center. The county put in a $4.7 million bid for warehouse space at 1400 Lancer Court in Eldridge.
MARCH; Eldridge Democrat Kay Pence filed paperwork to run for the Iowa 70 House district, taking on incumbent Norlin Mommsen, a Republican.
MARCH: Funeral services were held for W. Norman “Norm” Harvey, who had been employed at Central Scott Telephone in Eldridge for 50 years, retiring as CEO in 2007.
MARCH: North Scott junior Lauren Golinghorst was named first-team all-MAC for girls’ basketball. She was also a third-team selection for the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association Class 4A all-state team.
MARCH: Rep. Ross Paustian announced that he would not seek reelection to the Iowa legislature, and instead would pursue a campaign for the Scott County Board of Supervisors.
MARCH: North Scott alums and current University of Northern Iowa girls’ basketball players Karli Rucker (pictured) and Grace Boffeli returned to the Quad Cities for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, Hoops in the Heartland, at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline.
MARCH: Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stumped for Scott County Republicans during an event at Cinnamon Ridge Dairy in Donahue.
MARCH: The Alan Shepard team of Kallen Rohlf, Sawyer Lentz and Korbin Braack won the North Scott elementary schools’ Battle of the Books.
MARCH: Ted and Grace Merschman became the proprietors of Merschman’s Hardware & Building Supply at 650 E. LeClaire Road in Eldridge.
MARCH: Community volunteers and North Scott High School students read to students at Neil Armstrong Elementary School for the annual Read Across America event.
MARCH: Scott County’s inspection of Park View storm sewers identified 19 trouble areas and at least 30 buried pipes with structural issues. Supervisors planned to allocate some of the county’s $33 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for repairs.
MARCH: A 138-year-old house at 219 W. Davenport St. in Eldridge was demolished to make way for two attached villas. Diamond Builders owner Collin Woods had purchased the home, but said repairs would have been extremely costly.
APRIL: Patrick and Jodi Reid opened the Thrive Professional Building at 220 W. Davenport St. in Eldridge. The former home of US Bank would offer eight office spaces, as well as The Vault coffee shop.
APRIL: Glynns Creek Golf Course pro John Valliere retired after 30 years with the course.
APRIL: John Glenn third-grader Elena Skadal self-published her first book. “Squirrel Trouble” was available on Amazon in paperback and on the Kindle app. Skadal’s book also inspired her fellow students in their own creative writing endeavors.
APRIL: Wolf Carbon Solutions was hired by ADM to construct a carbon waste pipeline, part of which would cut through Scott County. The company said it would negotiate with landowners and not rely on the Iowa Utilities Board for eminent domain.
APRIL: Lancer Productions presented “Matilda” as its spring musical. Cast members included Hannah Noonan, Ethan Windt, Rachel Sorensen, Eliot Morrow, Grace Hamann, Chloe Schwab, Thomas McCarthy, Riley Greenwood, Caleb Strom and Padriac Bozik.
APRIL: Lynn Schmidt-Dolan, Tom Luedke, Kathi Washam, Bill Erps, Ron Tuftee and Dallas Cawiezell were inducted into the North Scott Athletic Hall of Fame. Washam, Luedke and Schmidt-Dolan had been scheduled to be inducted in 2021, but that ceremony was cancelled due to Covid.
APRIL: Longtime sophomore basketball coach Dave McLaughlin was hired as the new varsity boys’ coach.
APRIL: Students participating at the state History Day competition included: Kenzie Bohr and Maddie McNealy, Calla Brunkan and Peyton Wenck, Mallory Deutmeyer, Lillian Farro, Grady Kirst and Katelyn Peck, Trey Feist and Parker Hamly, Madilynn Hillman and Cora and Morgan Vannorsdel. Wenck, Bohr, McNealey and Brunkan (pictured) advanced to the national competition.
MAY: The Eldridge City Council proclaimed May Ehlers-Danlos Awareness Month, thanks to a campaign by Eldridge resident Kilynn Marsengill, who was living with the autoimmune disease.
MAY: North Scott High School nurse Emily Dimmer joined a panel of health care professionals who shared their experiences with the Covid-19 pandemic. Dimmer reported seeing more students experiencing anxiety.
MAY: The North Scott Press received 11 awards at the Iowa Newspaper Association banquet in Des Moines. Bill and Linda Tubbs were inducted into the 50-Year Club.
MAY: The Quad City Symphony and Marc Zyla (instrumental music); Dr. Nathan Windt (vocal music); Sue Boedeker, Becky Esbaum and Kelly Morrow (drama), and Erin Gentz (creative writing) were honored with North Scott Fine Arts Awards. The awards were sponsored by the Rotary Club of North Scott and The North Scott Press.
MAY: Chad Jones was hired as the new North Scott Junior High principal, replacing John Hawley, who was set to retire in Iowa at the end of the school year. Hawley was hired as principal at the Rock Island School District’s Center for Math and Science.
MAY: Durant firefighter Matt Fisher was seriously injured when the fire truck he was in collided with a commercial field sprayer. The Durant community rallied around the Fisher family, organizing fundraisers and sending well wishes.
MAY: Long Grove city clerk Rosina Guyer was promoted, adding the title of finance director to her duties.
MAY: Professional saxophonist Tia Fuller joined the North Scott jazz bands at the annual Jazz Showcase. Fuller had toured with Beyoncé and played saxophone in the Pixar movie “Soul.”
MAY: Work continued on the Eldridge Sanctuary Gardens. The city transformed the old Franklin Park after confirming the presence of unmarked graves at the site of a former church.
MAY: William Elijah, 81, of Clarence, was killed when a train collided with the Liqui-Grow truck he was driving. The accident occurred in Durant.
MAY: North Scott High School student Dylan Bergmann was raising awareness and funds for children in war-torn Ukraine. Dylan was adopted as a child from Ukraine by the Bergmann family.
MAY: The North Scott track teams qualified 17 girls in 13 events, and 16 boys in 11 events for the state track and field meet. Sam Skarich claimed the state title in the high jump, clearing 6’8”, and became the first Lancer since Jared Rus in 2013 to claim an individual track state title. Sydney Skarich finished fifth, and Grace Graham placed sixth in the high jump on the girls’ side.
MAY: Summa cum laude students for the North Scott Class of 2022 included: Adam Allen, Kate Andersen, Alyssa Atzen, Mackenzie Bohr, Calla Brunkan, Luke Bullock, Luke Crawford, Kendall Deutmeyer, Dylan Dufloth, Weston Eichmeier, Caelan Engelbrecht, Eli Engelkes, Ava Garrard, Maddie Gill, Blake Kilker, Joe Knepper, Ireland Laughlin, Austin Lee, Kylie McCabe, Ella McLaughlin, Madison McNealey, Matthew Mize, Eliot Morrow, Bailey Newberry, Nick Piazza, Caden Romero, Isabella Serrano, Isaac Simmons, and Kaitlyn Wood.
MAY: Veenstra and Kimm engineering firm unveiled a streetscaping project for Long Grove. The plan included decorative elements, and well as underground utilities improvements. A public forum was scheduled for August to discuss the ideas.
MAY: The First Street and LeClaire Road intersection-widening project got under way. Project engineer Greg Schaapveld said the plan was to close the intersection once school was dismissed for the summer. The project would also close the intersection at LeClaire Road and Second Street, though access would remain to businesses on this section of road. Schaapveld said Valley Construction told him the work would be done by late fall, with sidewalks and grass seed to be installed in the spring of 2023.
MAY: The North Scott boys’ soccer team’s season came to a somewhat controversial end with a 1-0 loss to Iowa City Liberty in the substate semifinal. The game was played with just two referees, instead of the standard three. Coach Troy Bendickson said after the game that many penalties had been missed. However, “My guys played incredible,” he added.
JUNE: Brian Carsten retired after 35 years in law enforcement. He had been serving as police chief in Princeton and McCausland, and a resource officer at Virgil Grissom Elementary. Carsten said he planned to remain on the Scott County Sheriff’s reserve and possibly seek work in security.
JUNE: The North Scott Student Built Home project hosted an open house at its latest home, built on Tom and Joni Dittmer’s Grandview Farms property near Donahue.
JUNE: The North Scott girls’ soccer team qualified for the state tournament with a 6-1 win over Mount Vernon. They would subsequently bow out in the first round with a 3-1 loss to Waverly-Shell Rock.
JUNE: Lauren Schroeder was crowned Scott County Pork Queen, following in the footsteps of her mom, Katie (Jacobson) Schroeder (1996), and aunts Kelly (Jacobson) Mixon (2000) and Sarah (Jacobson) Lawlor (1993).
JUNE: The Eldridge City Council rezoned 45 acres south of Sheridan Meadows that would be redeveloped as Ivy Acres.
JUNE: Jim and Jane Varcho were named grand marshals of the Long Grove Strawberry Festival parade.
JUNE: Former Eldridge police officer Bobby Flaherty was named police chief in Blue Grass.
JUNE: Lex Adkisson and Kendall Deutmeyer were named to the All-State Jazz Band. Adkisson was chosen as the guitarist, and Deutmeyer was first alternate on alto sax.
JUNE: Scott County primary voters chose Democrats Jazmin Newton, Brinson Kinzer and Joseph Miller, and Republicans Ross Paustian, John Maxwell and Jean Dickson as candidates for Scott County Board of Supervisors in November’s general election.
JUNE: As of July 1, a new Iowa state law would allow all-terrain vehicles to travel on county gravel roads and the paved roads needed to get there. Scott County communities braced for an influx of ATVs, UTVs and golf carts on city streets.
JUNE: Race director Scott Hoag reported a new record number of runners in the Strawberry Stampede, with 398 participants in the quarter- and one-mile runs. Zach Carney of Eldridge and Izzy Danler of Delmar won the mile, and Aviana Abdon of Long Grove and Will Danler of Eldridge took the quarter-mile. The youngest entrant ever, 27-day-old Madelyn McCubbin of Davenport, joined her family for the run.
JUNE: Countryside Community Theatre presented “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Cast members included Tommy Ratkiewicz-Stierwalt, Kristin Sindelar, Hillary Erb, and a 29-member youth chorus with children from across the Quad Cities.
JUNE: Fair Oaks Foods planned to build a 150,000-square-foot meat processing plant in the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center. The proposed plant would employ 247 workers.
JUNE: Eldridge resident Heath Christians purchased Rustic Ridge Golf Course from Kevin and Sandy Wohlford, becoming just the fourth owner of the nine-hole course.
JUNE: Sal and Jessica Castaneda opened The Granary coffee house and brewery on First Street in Eldridge.
JUNE: John and Dianna Romanick of rural Scott County were hard at work with their Bridgehouse Cider company, one of only six hard cider producers in the state. The Romanicks had expanded their orchard to nearly 1,000 trees.
JUNE: Thirty-eight descendants of William “Buffalo Bill” Cody visited their ancestor’s museum in LeClaire as part of the International Cody Family Association’s biennial reunion.
JULY: Princeton council hired Wyatt Heyvaert as police chief, succeeding Brian Carstens. Heyvaert is a former Albany chief.
JULY: Collin and Stephanie Telsrow broke ground on the Rolling Meadows Event Center 601 S. 16th Ave. The couple operated the rental business in Davenport, and plan a 10,000-square-foot event center.
JULY: Evie and Brandt Kemmerer opened Tropical Sno treat trailer in Eldridge. They launched the business with their parents, Jim and Kara Kemmerer, as a summer job.
JULY: North Scott and Clinton baseball teams and fans stood to salute veterans July 1 at Lancer Field. Ceremonial first pitcher Vince Ehrecke hugged grandson Ryan Campbell at the mound.
JULY: Eastern Iowa Community College welcomed Dr. Sonya Williams as chancellor, succeeding Don Doucette, who retired.
JULY: Scott County Republican supervisors voted down Democratic supervisor Brinson Kinzer’s request to pay prevailing, union-level wages for builders of the juvenile detention center.
JULY: “Field of Dreams” was the Walcott Day theme for the annual festival that included games, a cherry pie contest, bags, and the epic outhouse race. Chloe Devlin was named Walcott Day queen, and Teagan Bruns was princess. The pie contest drew 367 entries, which were auctioned to raise $17,600.
JULY: Supervisors enacted the county’s first lighting code, regulating the angle and intensity of commercial lighting outside of town limits.
JULY: The Walcott Truckers Jamboree returned for a 43rd year at the World’s Largest Truck stop.
JULY: Organizers of Eldridge’s veterans’ car show presented a $1,500 check to Eldridge police. The funds were raised July 13 at the car show in Sheridan Meadows park.
JULY: Devin Allbaugh of Davenport was men’s winner, and Rowan Boulter of Iowa City was best of the women in the Moonlight Chase. Kenzie Meyer and Connor Mullen won the one-miler.
JULY: An upset loss to Bettendorf ended North Scott baseball’s state tournament hopes. The finish didn’t fully reflect the boys’ 24-16 season. “Baseball is an unfair game,” co-coach Brad Ward said. Lancer football and wrestling standout Ryan Campbell made the Iowa baseball all-state first team. Senior Cody Sunny was a second-team selection, and senior Sam Skarich made third team.
JULY: North Scott school board members agreed to ask voters to borrow $45 million from future property and sales taxes for a new regional vocational center, stadium upgrades, and improvements to Shepard, Armstrong, the junior high and high school tennis complex.
JULY: Lancer softball pitcher Maddy McDermott’s one-hit gem on July 12, lifted the team over Maquoketa 5-0 and into the state tournament. On July 18, the seventh-seeded Lancers upset No. 2, ADM. The girls finished third among 4A schools. McDermott and outfielder Carley Bredar were named first-team all conference, and earned second-team honors at state.
JULY: Scott County supporters sent $2,135 in contributions to North Scott class of 1986 alumnus Kari Lake, and her campaign for Arizona governor. Lake and most of her eight siblings attended North Scott, where her dad, Larry was a coach and teacher. Classmate Tim Lane, now Scott County sheriff, was among her contributors. Lake lost the November election.
JULY: Retired Princeton deputy clerk Patty Morgan led the town’s annual parade July 23 as grand marshal.
AUGUST: North Scott Chamber of Commerce’s auction of hometown experiences, provided by local businesses, made young Henry Chase a police officer for a day. He suited up with Eldridge officers, who arranged a suspect chase and take down at Sheridan Meadows park.
AUGUST: Jim and Nancy Gruber hosted the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile at their Eldridge home during the Moonlight Chase.
AUGUST: Seventeen kids ages 7 through 13 enjoyed Eldridge parks pickleball camp.
AUGUST: Lancer volleyballer Emma Schermerhorn spent her summer with the Iowa Select Volleyball Club Mizuno team that won the USA Volleyball national championship in Indianapolis.
AUGUST: Scott County’s riverfront towns braced for a Canadian Pacific rail merger that would triple train traffic. Dana and Dave Nichols’ Princeton home is within yards of the track. Their town’s mayor and council formally objected to the merger. The railroad offered Davenport $10 million, Bettendorf $3 million and Muscatine $3 million not to oppose the merger.
AUGUST: Eldridge police filled Sheridan Meadows Park Aug. 2 for a Night Out celebration that chief Joe Sisler said will become an annual event. The event ended with fireworks unused from the city’s 2021 sesquicentennial.
AUGUST: The NSP published its 50th annual Mississippi Valley Fair 4-H and FFA exhibitor results.
AUGUST: Eldridge council members backed a $175,000 settlement with fired city administrator Lisa Kotter. She agreed not to sue the city for wrongful termination.
AUGUST: The council promoted Tony Rupe to Eldridge city administrator. Rupe, of Long Grove, was sewer plant operator when Kotter promoted him to assistant city administrator earlier this year.
AUGUST: Tony and Joyce Singh were among rural LeClaire property owners who said herbicide drift is damaging their oak trees. Former Iowa State University researcher Jesse Randall said his research confirm widespread oak damage across Iowa.
AUGUST: North Scott High School hosted 60 regional educators and first responders Aug. 11 for a shooting response drill.
AUGUST: Shane Bostrom, 35, of Eldridge, pleaded guilty Aug. 11 to a reduced charged of second-degree murder for the June 10, 2021 shooting death of his wife, Jessica Bostrom at their West Davenport Street home. He received a 50-year prison term.
AUGUST: Scott County board chairman Ken Beck urged supervisors to formally oppose the Canadian Pacific railroad merger that will increase the county’s riverfront train traffic.
AUGUST: On Aug. 25, Scott County sheriff Tim Lane swore in new deputies Clinton Law, Jeremy Johannes and Kobe Ahrens. Johannes’ wife, Samantha, became a Scott County deputy last year.
SEPTEMBER: A team from Wolf Carbon Solutions took questions from 19 at an Aug. 30 public hearing in Davenport that was required before the company could launch negotiations for pipeline easements. The Iowa Utilities Board later required Wolf Carbon to hold a second hearing, Dec. 7, because not enough county residents had been notified.
All property owners who spoke asked about safety, and the use of Iowa law allowing the company to seek court orders to secure a route. Quad City Chamber of Commerce representative Olivia Warren, and Clinton ADM plant manager Eric Fasnacht spoke in support.
SEPTEMBER: North Scott Fire Explorers led a 2,200-step stair climb in Lancer Stadium as a 9/11 remembrance. The distance covers the steps to the top of the 110-story World Trade Center tower. Post 9343 members honored the 343 firefighters who died that day.
SEPTEMBER: Ryan Windmiller’s Ivy Acres added 193 new home lots to Eldridge. Council members approved a preliminary plat Sept. 6, and the company broke ground in October on 43 acres between East Franklin Street and Sheridan Meadows park. The project includes three apartment buildings with parking for 140 vehicles. Eldridge council approved more than 200 new home plats this year.
SEPTEMBER: North Scott schools honored retiree Suzette Harper and 10 others at the start of the school year. Harper retired from the junior high after 45 years; John Hawley, junior high principal, 34 years; Dave Koranda, math teacher, 33 years; Chris Lee, White Elementary custodian, 29 years; Deb Heidgerken, bus driver, 27 years; Stephanie Dougherty, Shepard Elementary special ed teacher, 22 years; Rebecca Edmundson, high school health, 22 years; Rita Butlett, junior high reading specialist, 19 years; Susan Stephans, junior high special ed teacher, 17 years; Robin Bell, White Elementary custodian, 16 years; Gara Lee Hundley, White Elementary secretary/office aide, 15 years.
SEPTEMBER: Texan Daniel Reese experienced a warm welcome as successor to retiring Cornerstone Baptist Church pastor Scott Pearson, who plans to retire after 28 years. Reese said a calling his freshman year in college led him to ministry, launching churches in Texas and Ohio.
SEPTEMBER: Seventy-percent of North Scott school district voters backed a $25 million building loan. Just over 1,700 voters participated in a referendum to fund about half of a $45 million building plan. The rest will be borrowed and repaid with future sales tax revenue.
SEPTEMBER: No one was injured when Jerry Coussens crash landed his home-built, two-seat airplane Sept. 17 near 145th Avenue and West LeClaire Road. He and a passenger walked away from the field less than a mile from the Davenport Municipal Airport.
SEPTEMBER: Scott County supervisors decided to use savings, not federal pandemic aid, to help pay for a new juvenile detention center. Most supervisors had considered the center to be eligible for funds, despite complaints from supervisor Ken Croken. On Sept. 15, chairman Ken Beck said pandemic funds would not be used.
SEPTEMBER: Dan and Nancy Urmie were inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame for their outstanding service and dedication to 4-H. The nomination letter commended their work in poultry competitions, and working with young people. “Dan and Nancy are the kind of volunteers every county wants to have.”
SEPTEMBER: Eldridge fire chief Keith Schneckloth was looking for the department’s first full-time, paid firefighter. In an Aug. 15 pitch to council, he outlined a proposal for a paid administrator to handle duties he and other volunteers tackle on off hours, including training, inspections, and grant writing.
SEPTEMBER: Claudia O’Connor and Alex Perez opened Park View Café at 10 Lincoln Ave., in Park View. The couple from central Illinois moved to Eldridge and transformed the old Dairy Queen into a homey, family restaurant.
SEPTEMBER: Cidney Hoerner and her boxer, Cloee, turned heads on the Eldridge trail. Hoerner fashioned a two-wheeled scooter that keeps Cloee rolling despite two bad rear legs.
SEPTEMBER: North Scott’s Sept. 30, 2022 homecoming theme was “Bury Burlington,” and the Lancers came through 46-7. The game capped a week of activities, parade and crowning of queen Natalie Knepper and king Seth Madden. Homecoming court included Natalie Naber, Paige Copp, Cora O’Neill, Cella Hanssen, Lex Adkisson, David Borchers, Nate Schneckloth, and Dylan Marti.
OCTOBER: M. Chance Berger was named director of the new North Scott YMCA. Berger was managing the North and West YMCAs in Davenport.
OCTOBER: Eldridge’s Bruce Builders won the $22.2 million bid to build Scott County’s next juvenile detention center. It’s the biggest project yet for the year-old firm founded by Bill Bruce.
OCTOBER: Tavian Greenwood’s first watermelon patch yielded melons as big as him. The son of Kent and Z Greenwood harvested 19 melons, including a 50-pounder from the family’s Eldridge backyard.
OCTOBER: Nineteen-year-old Maddie Russo’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis rocked her world, launching a treatment regimen aided by Ohl Strong Foundation. In the Oct. 19 NSP, Russo, Tad Robison and Wayne Brimeyer shared stories of their treatments and support from the Ohl Foundation.
OCTOBER: Eldridge Lions Club presented a $1,000 check to the North Scott Community Enhancement Project. That group helped teenagers lead a renovation of the basketball courts at Centennial Park.
OCTOBER: North Scott football’s Oct. 14 win over Fort Madison guaranteed a 15th straight post- season appearance.
OCTOBER: Eldridge council members on Oct. 24 suspended city clerk Denise Benson for misusing city credit cards. City administrator Tony Rupe asked for a state audit. County attorney Mike Walton requested a sheriff’s investigation.
OCTOBER: George and Patty McCord wrapped up 28 years of ministry at the Living Church of Jesus Christ, 208 S. Fifth St., Eldridge. North Scott schools bought the church and home directly west of White Elementary for $500,000. The district had no immediate plans for the property, which is just two blocks north of the junior high.
OCTOBER: Lancer Productions opened its season with “The Play That Goes Wrong.”
OCTOBER: Nik Davis became the third boys' Lancer cross country runner to make the state meet since 2005. He finished 85th. Peyton Madison placed 77th and Kaitlyn Knoche, 86th among the 4A competitors.
OCTOBER: Adam and Andrea Baetke expanded their Baekte Custom Cuts meat processing operation in Long Grove. A federal grant helped expand their processing area, and get certification for interstate sales.
NOVEMBER: Jeff Martens was named Eldridge assistant city administrator. Martens served as NSP ad manager many years. He succeeded James Martin, who became Scott County deputy auditor in July 2021.
NOVEMBER: Princeton police officer Scott Carter retired after 40 years of part-time patrol duty at the riverfront community. That tenure made him the longest serving active-duty officer until his retirement.
NOVEMBER: Donahue resident Grant Polzin’s theatrical work is part of a documentary, “I Am Able,” that premiered Nov. 2 at the Putnam Museum. The film follows Grant and other participants in The Penguin Project, which provides stage play and musical experiences for special needs children and adults.
NOVEMBER: Central Scott Telephone Co., CEO Donn Wilmott announced his retirement. The 62-year-old led the company into the digital age, and launched fiber upgrades to every customer. He also served on the school board, where he led the North Scott YMCA effort.
NOVEMBER: Brendan Handley, of Eldridge, won his age group’s Iowa State BMX championship. He’s the son of Cassie Handley and Stuart Handley. Eldridge resident Dane Dimmer placed fifth in his age group.
NOVEMBER: Junior high student Ryan Squires became the first North Scott national FFA science fair winner. Squires’ project on carbon sequestration was judged best among junior high competitors in Indianapolis.
NOVEMBER: Walcott American Legion members and supporters cheered the presentation of three new veteran statues on Veterans Day. The Legion launched a new squadron group for those who never served. That’s the group that pushed the $25,000 fund drive for the statues that represent men and women who served, and another statue for “those who made sure no one was left behind.”
NOVEMBER: An all-Eldridge team of therapists opened Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s new office at 110 N. First St. Therapists Kerri Hurning and Katelyn Warner, and office manager Laura Tofanelli all live in Eldridge.
NOVEMBER: Lancer football advanced to the Class 4A final four with a Nov. 4 upset win over the Waverly-Shell Rock Go-Hawks. North Scott lost to unbeaten Cedar Rapids Xavier in the semi-finals, to finish 9-3 on the year.
NOVEMBER: Lancer volleyballers wrapped up 2022 with an agonizing 4A tournament loss Nov. 3 to Clear-Creek Amana.
NOVEMBER: Dixon volunteer firefighter Kevin Flynn spent the summer of 2022 fighting Alaskan wildfires. Flynn worked on a cutting crew, clearing fire lines at sites he reached by helicopter.
NOVEMBER: Scott County voters elected Republicans to almost every post on the Nov. 8 ballot. Republicans Ross Paustian and Jean Dickson won county supervisor seats, defeating a slate of Democrats, including two-term incumbent, Brinson Kinzer. Democrat Rita Vargas retained her county auditor spot, one of the few Democrats to prevail in the county.
NOVEMBER: Eldridge United Methodist Church members celebrated their 50th anniversary Nov. 20 with a community breakfast, special service and catered lunch.
NOVEMBER: TCC Materials opened its regional wholesale distribution center at 600 Slopertown Road. The Minnesota-based firm produces and distributes rock, gravel and cement mixes for commercial use, and retail sale at Menards and other big-box stores. The firm got special FFA clearance for their 148-foot tower north of Davenport municipal airport.
NOVEMBER: A school-record 25 Lancers earned all-state choir honors. Tenor Peter LaCorte, soprano Cora O’Neill and alto Anna Sophia Council returned for their third all-state appearances.
NOVEMBER: Credit a team of Eldridge kids for spearheading upgrades to the Centennial Park basketball courts. The kids, working through the North Scott Civic Group and park board, helped launch a $45,000 fund drive. The kids included Gage Wagner, Jacob Link, Ben Peters, Tristan Hoyt, Zane Rus, Tyler Hoyt and Jack Schermerhorn.
NOVEMBER: A Nov. 14 fire killed 2-year-old Cody Dilley Jr., at Walcott Estates mobile home park. Walcott police and firefighters found the boy in a back room. His parents and five siblings escaped.
NOVEMBER: North Scott FFA students harvested corn and beans on fields just west of Hillandale Road. The district bused hundreds of students to the site to watch the FFA demonstration.
NOVEMBER: Lancer cheerleaders finished third in Class 4A competition.
NOVEMBER: Grissom fifth-grader Kinley Albrecht was named national Children’s Miracle Network 2023 champion. Kinley’s five-year battle with leukemia made her familiar with the network, which supports families in treatment. Now her face will be on the network’s promotional materials across Iowa.
NOVEMBER: Eldridge native Erin Gentz became The North Scott Press editor, succeeding Scott Campbell, who retires at year’s end. Gentz is a 2001 Lancer alumna who has managed legal and public notices, ad design, family news and other NSP functions since 2013.
NOVEMBER: Ross Shinberg joined The NSP staff as sports reporter. The Virginia native earned his master’s in journalism at Northwestern University.
NOVEMBER: John and Joan Maxwell, and Amy Nelson, of Donahue, launched a drive against the Wolf Carbon Solutions pipeline planned to run across Scott County. The trio hosted a meeting at North Scott High School auditorium urging about 100 residents to send letters opposing the pipeline to the Iowa Utilities Board.
NOVEMBER: St. Ann’s Knights of Columbus shared $24,000 generated through a Tootsie Roll Drive and an annual golf outing. The golf outing raised $18,000 – the most ever – for the North Scott food pantry. The Tootsie Roll drive funds were given to the special needs programs at the high school, junior high, elementary schools, and East Area Special Olympics.
NOVEMBER: Republican Luana Stoltenberg won the third and last recount of Iowa House District 81, a Davenport district with Slopertown Road as a northern border. Democrat Craig Cooper was declared winner on election night, and again after an initial absentee recount. Stoltenberg requested a district-wide recount that gave here an 11-vote victory.
NOVEMBER: More supplier donations continued to cut costs for North Scott’s student-built home in Eldridge. ABC Supply, Raynor Door and QC Cabinetry added discounts and donations to their contracts for the home. The students used a warm November day to join roofing contractor Peter Kipper on the roof.
NOVEMBER: Sophomore volleyball player Abbey Hayes was named to Iowa Girls Coaches Association Class 4A honor squad.
NOVEMBER: North Scott school board members voted Mark Pratt as board chairman, succeeding Joni Dittmer, who declined to seek the chairmanship.
NOVEMBER: Scott County mourned Phil Roberts, a journalist familiar to NSP readers, WOC listeners, and anyone who attended a eastern Iowa race track. Phil served on the Mississippi Valley Fair board of directors, and was admitted to the Iowa racing Hall of Fame as an announcer.
DECEMBER: The North Scott YMCA opened Dec. 3, realizing a decade-old dream of having a competitive pool in Eldridge. Voters in North Scott school district and the city of Eldridge overwhelmingly backed referenda that allowed the school and city to borrow against future tax proceeds, and open the Y this year.
DECEMBER: North Scott’s Silver Shakers earned their second straight Pom championship at state 4A competition in Des Moines. Carolyn Keppy earned a class 9 championship with her individual routine.
DECEMBER: Eldridge Recreation and Fitness Center closed after 40 years. Original members Jan Goettsch and Lori Rochau say they plan to join the new YMCA. Eldridge council members got an $800,000 appraisal on the center, and voted to sell it.
DECEMBER: Shepard Elementary debuted a school-wide communications and camera system intended to improve education and safety. The $253,818 system includes monitors on lanyards that teachers can use to amplify their voices, alert the office, and activate classroom cameras. The district plans for similar systems across the district.
DECEMBER: Lancer Fellowship of Christian Athletes wrapped 150 boxes with gifts for children overseas.
DECEMBER: An NSP analysis of three years of city credit card records totaled $17,773 in Amazon orders from fired clerk Denise Benson. The records released by the city under Freedom of Information requests, detail hundreds of personal clothes, tools, toys and other purchases made on various city credit cards. Most were delivered to Benson’s Long Grove home. A state auditor and sheriff’s criminal investigation continue.
DECEMBER: Three Eldridge alleys had new, permeable asphalt surfaces that channel stormwater. The alleys were funded with about half of a $1 million state grant that is funded through Eldridge residents’ repayment of a state sewer plant loan. The rest of the grant paid for Hickory Creek bank restoration, and a new program to help residents improve their lawns.
DECEMBER: Eldridge Lions Club presented a $1,000 check to North Scott Food Pantry.
DECEMBER: School district staff and parents congratulated Jodi Bemrich on her retirement after 23 years at the high school. The Grissom Elementary student graduated NSHS in 1979. Among her many duties was staffing the attendance desk, monitoring absences. “Do you know how many times I’ve told students to quit calling in trying to disguise their voice?”
DECEMBER: Walcott Historical Society published a history of Scott County’s one-room schools. “Country Schools Remembered,” is available through the Society’s Facebook page.
