Local News

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

It’s not unusual for Olivia White to stop mid-paragraph when reading a novel and turn to a map to locate a village or country mentioned in her book. Neither is it unusual for her to research the traditions and lifestyles of people she’s reading about.

“Did you know there are people who drink curdled horse milk?” she asked. “I read about it so I checked it out just to be sure. Yup, there are people in Central Asia who really like that sort of thing.

A bright, articulate and engaging 8th grader at Central Middle School, Olivia’s vast knowledge of all things related to geography is paying off. She and her parents, Bernie and Melodie White of Volga, recently learned that Olivia is a semi-finalist in the National Geographic GeoBee competition, which will be held at the University of Northern Iowa on March 29.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

Despite a strong desire to hold down a job, Taylor Dahlquist had difficulties finding work. Prospective employers were reluctant to give him a chance to prove that a young man like him—a young man with disabilities—would be reliable, productive and capable of working without constant supervision.

Realizing that many disabled people faced a similar challenge, Taylor’s mom, Carrie, set out on a mission to find jobs for them. Taylor’s dad, Patrick, and other family members assisted her. The result was CHOICE Employment Services, a family-owned agency based in Decorah since its inception in 2012. The agency has served over 100 people, including Taylor.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

Next year, I’m paying closer attention to the Farmer’s Almanac. I don’t know how often their long-range weather predictions have been correct since they started publishing in 1818 but they certainly nailed it this winter.

The almanac’s forecast for the current season was released August 21, 2018. It predicted “teeth chattering cold and plentiful snow” for the Midwestern states. When we made it through November, December and into early January without experiencing either, I was ready to thumb my nose at the venerable publication.

And then, January 11, 2019, happened. That’s the date of the first significant snowfall across the state—and once it started snowing, it hasn’t stopped. And as far as “teeth chattering cold” goes, well, new records were set January 29-31 when wind chills reached -62 degrees in Elkader. That shattered the old record of -47 set in January 1996.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

If you’re a parent, relative, friend or classmate of a Central athlete, you’ve probably had this happen: You’re sitting in the stands watching the game and you decide you need something to eat. You want to avoid the rush so with time on the clock you ease out of your seat, make your way down the bleachers and out the gym door. Just as you’re digging into your snack, a loud roar erupts from the crowd and you know you’ve missed something big.

Thanks to collaboration between Central Schools and Alpine Communications, fans will never miss another big sports moment. The school recently unveiled a system that enables fans to see real-time action from the gym on an LED smart TV located in the new concession area. The equipment, which was researched and installed by Alpine, is part of the school’s nearly $7 million capital improvements project.