Iowa — Some Anamosa residents woke up Tuesday morning reporting a strong chemical smell and taste in their tap water Those viewers sent in tips to Iowa's News Now We contacted the City of Anamosa and they confirmed that a recent chemical treatment change is the cause of the odor City officials emphasized that the water remains safe to drink and no boil order is in effect They added that all tests are coming back normal but people should run their water for a bit City crews are currently monitoring the situation and working to resolve the issue residents are encouraged to flush their taps if the odor is bothersome Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInANAMOSA Iowa (KCRG) - Theisens in Anamosa will be moving into a larger store this summer farm and auto store is moving across the street from its current location announced the move as part of an expansion that will add a new store in Ripon Wisconsin and a 17,000 square-foot expansion to its Pella location the retailer said the larger store in Anamosa will allow them to stock more products in a new layout The expansion at the Pella location is expected to be completed by fall 2025 The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys and girls track and field teams step back into competition tonight when they travel to Anamosa for the Blue Raider Co-Ed Relays Both teams are coming off of a weekend with events in the spotlight at the Drake Relays in Des Moines and titles at their home meets last week The Golden Hawk girls sent four events to Drake Stadium with Jeorgia Evans placing eighth in the 100 and 22nd in the long jump Dessa Poll 16th in discus and the 4×100 team of Jeorgia and Jovi Evans At the Hawks home meet Thursday they scored 175 points en route to a Senior Night team title The Golden Hawks had wins in eight events including Rachel Hostetler in the 800 Harper Pacha in discus along with victories for the 4×4 The Golden Hawk boys had three events at Drake Relays over the weekend Jayden Stafford won his third wheelchair 400 Burke Berry went 12th in shot put and the Golden Hawk 4×100 with Nolan Jergens the Hawks celebrated their seniors with a win piling up 222 points and 11 championships including Stafford in the wheelchair 100 Emmett Swartzentruber in the two-mile and mile Berry in shot put and the Mid-Prairie sprint medley and 4×4 The Hawks will be joined tonight by Central DeWitt Home / Food & Drink / Restaurants The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread ANAMOSA — Hobbies heading into retirement can vary from couple to couple But as Judy and Dan Lubben thought about how to approach the end of their careers a former chief financial officer for Raining Rose a fire inspector for the City of Cedar Rapids was brewing beer and wanted me to make wine,” Judy said then with classes at Kirkwood Community College and now with the couple’s first tasting room opened off U.S Website: lubbenvineyards.com Details: Sample from roughly 20 varieties of red “We had a blast and everything just fell in our path,” Judy said the Lubben Vineyards & Wines they founded in Marion in 2017 has become more than a hobby But with their ironically named signatures in the “High Brow” line they don’t take things too seriously In an industry not culturally known for its accessibility or 25,000 bottles in its most recent production year — double what they made the year before was enough for them to realize it was time to open a physical location to allow their brand to expand beyond farmers markets and wholesale with a tasting room opened in September 2024 they have a window overlooking the future of their business they’ll have vines on another 15 acres “Our intention is for people to come out People love to go to a winery and talk to a winemaker — and they can,” Judy said “Bringing something back home was a big deal to us and (we are) hoping we can bring people to Jones County.” The high school sweethearts are bringing one of their biggest ventures together — an investment of a couple million dollars They’ve reconnected with old friends and met distant relatives they had never known before But perhaps what’s more for the couple is helping others fall in love with the budding Iowa industry that captivated them Judy serves them in jeans and a sweatshirt “We don’t want people to be uncomfortable around wine We got started by going to Hy-Vee to the tastings We drink wine with ice cubes,” Judy said “We’re not hoity-toity.” But they do see room for Iowa to grow beyond the stereotypes it has received in the winemaking community with its sweet the cold climate hybrid grape varieties are given a new application specializing in dry reds and whites consumers are finding accessibility in the notes of reds like Marechal Foch None of them rely on standard-bearers of other famous wine regions like Cabernet or merlot When they started making their Marechal Foch wine they left the skin of the grapes in the barrel for 7 to 10 days — running the risk of the “Foch funk.” But with some risks “We kind of broke the rules and we didn’t know we were breaking the rules,” Judy said “We did things because we probably didn’t know any better Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com I’m the features reporter and dining beat writer for The Gazette. Sign up for the weekly Chew on This newsletter here to keep up with all the latest food and local restaurant news The Gazette has been informing Iowans with in-depth local news coverage and insightful analysis for over 140 years independent journalism with a subscription today © 2025 The Gazette | All Rights Reserved Iowa — A massive fire could be seen over by the Anamosa exit on Highway 151 late Friday afternoon after authorities say a few outbuildings caught fire Fire crews were called to the scene at 22485 90th street just outside Fairview around 4:15 p.m Authorities now say three or four farm outbuildings caught fire Friday and the wind was causing issues and crews with Anamosa fire assisting on scene tell Iowa's News Now they have the fire under control at this time they expect to remain on scene checking for hotspots for a couple more hours Iowa's News Now viewer Rachelle Brown shared video with us just after 4:30 p.m Multiple local fire departments responded to the scene with Martelle Fire heading up the response with the help of fire crews from Anamosa The Jones County Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management Agency also responded Smoke could be seen near Highway 1 and Highway 151 southwest of Anamosa Friday evening Officials told Iowa's News Now's crew on scene the area was under evacuation by order of Emergency Management Agency so we weren't able to get close to the fire The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys and girls soccer teams suffered a pair of road setbacks at Anamosa Friday The Raiders got a single tally in the first half but poured on the insurance after intermission scoring four times Anamosa outshot Mid-Prairie 11-5 and had six corners to one for the Hawks Zeke Claussen-Tubbs had a hat trick for the Raiders and Coy Braden made seven saves in goal for the clean sheet Ashton Townsend led the Mid-Prairie offense with a pair of shots on goal while Mac Yoder made 11 saves for the Golden Hawks The loss drops Mid-Prairie to 1-6-1 this year as Anamosa rises to 5-2-1 The girls contest was a 2-0 Blue Raider victory Anamosa tallied twice before break and made those goals stand up in the final 40 minutes The Raiders outshot the Hawks 20-7 in total Mid-Prairie had three corner kicks to Anamosa’s one Both Blue Raider goals came from Norah Humpal Brooklyn Schneider had two shots on goal for the Golden Hawks Leah Whitson made an amazing 18 saves in goal for Anamosa to preserve the shut out Mid-Prairie got a nine save performance from Niva Helmuth Mid-Prairie is 3-5-1 as Anamosa climbs back to .500 at 3-3 An Anamosa man charged in the death of a Springville driver after a crash two years ago has pleaded guilty … Home / News / Crime & Courts An Anamosa man charged in the death of a Springville driver after a crash two years ago has pleaded guilty to the charge of homicide by vehicle Zachary Twachtmann, 34, initially was charged with homicide by vehicle while operating under the influence, and operating under the influence, after a crash on Springville Road north of Springville resulted in the death of Dylan Vascik, 46, of Springville police believe Twachtmann was intoxicated at the time of the crash Twachtmann pleaded guilty March 26 to homicide by vehicle while operating under the influence Homicide by vehicle is Class B felony which carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison Twachtmann has a sentencing scheduled for May 27 A wrongful-death lawsuit also has been filed against Twachtmann by family members of Vascik The suit was filed in November and still is in the process of being litigated Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com I cover breaking news and trends related to public safety for The Gazette READ MOREAnamosa man pleads guilty to OWI and homicide by vehicle chargesby Tyler Downey An Anamosa man plead guilty to homicide by vehicle and OWI charges Wednesday SPRINGVILLE, Iowa — An Anamosa man pleads guilty to homicide by vehicle and OWI charges Wednesday Police say Zachary Twachtmann, 34, was involved in a deadly crash on Feb 2023 when he was driving south on Springville Road and crashed into a vehicle driving the opposite way The person in the other vehicle was identified at 46-year-old Dylan Vascik of Springville A female passenger in Twachtmann's car was also injured and taken to the hospital The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys and girls soccer teams make the trip to Anamosa tonight for a pair of River Valley Conference matches The Golden Hawk boys are 1-5-1 this year after a 1-1 draw with West Branch Monday where Peyton Fox had the goal and Mac Yoder made eight saves on defense the Hawks have been outscored 26-7 with 38 shots on goal four assists and a 71% team save percentage Ty Huber and Adrian Sanchez Reyes each have an assist and in goal coming off of a 6-0 win over Bellevue last night This season the Blue Raiders have outscored their opponents 22-5 with 111 shots on goal Eli Breitbach has scored seven times with six assists to lead in both categories and Coy Braden has 85 saves Mid-Prairie has won all five meetings between the two schools including 4-1 last year The Golden Hawk girls are 3-4-1 on the season after a 3-2 loss against West Branch Monday where Meadow Flynn scored twice Zoey Curtiss had an assist and Niva Helmuth stopped 17 shots the Hawks have scored and given up 19 goals each with 67 shots on goal nine assists and a 79% team save percentage Lydia Beachy and Brooklyn Schneider each have a pair of assists and Helmuth has 53 saves The Blue Raiders dropped a 4-1 match to Bellevue last night they have been outscored 15-14 in total with 39 shots on goal six assists and an 85% team save percentage Norah Humpal leads with five goals and three assists and Leah Whitson has 66 saves in goal Anamosa has won three straight in the series including 3-1 and 2-1 victories last season Action starts tonight with the girls game at 5p.m Iowa — An Anamosa man is sentenced to 15 years on drug charges Bradley Dugan is charged with one count of possession of intent to deliver less than five grams of methamphetamine and one count of a drug tax stamp violation as a habitual offender He will not be eligible for parole for at least three years This case was investigated by the Anamosa Police Department Iowa — A middle school gym teacher for the Anamosa Community School Districthas been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor for conversations he had with a 15-year-old former student 10 years ago reached out to the teen in2014 on Facebook He said he wanted to see a 'naughty picture' of her The messages had been anonymously sent to theAnamosa Community School District in 2018 and were reported to police shortly after the school's principle believed the claims were 'unfounded' It wouldn't be until 2024 when the messages resurfaced that police investigated further Police were able to get in contact with the former student who confirmed the conversation was real and that it occurred in 2014 She also sent police screenshots of the entire conversation During the initial investigation in 2018,Lasack said that his ex-wife may have sent the messages and that he was going through a separation at the time so they could not confirm if it was before or after his divorce When interviewed,Lasack's wife said she was aware of the 2018 report but not that it had implicated her as a suspect She also said that they were still married in 2014 until it began to deteriorate in 2017 Facebook posts from her account during the time the messages were sent showed that she had been by herself out of state on a trip and wouldn't have had access toLasack's phone Police were able to searchLasack's Facebook account but found that all of his messages were deleted When Lasack was asked about the girl during an interview before his arrest he told them that be had been teaching for 25 years and had a "million thousand" names in his brain a no-contact order has been put in place to protect the former student Iowa's News Now reached out to the Anamosa School District for a statement and to learn if Lasack is still an employee with them An Anamosa parent did forward an email to Iowa's News Now from Darren Hanna Superintendent of Anamosa Community School District Anamosa Community School District Families The following statement will be released to the media this afternoon We felt that it was important to communicate with our families prior to the public release: The Anamosa Community School District is aware of pending criminal charges involving a current employee The employee is currently on administrative leave and will not be on school property or around students followed all District policies and procedures concerning this matter based on information known at the time The District has been and will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement in its investigation Since this is a personnel matter and involves an ongoing investigation the District is not able to discuss any more specifics at this time We appreciate your understanding and as always the safety and well-being of students is our top priority We will provide additional information to our families as we are able to do so Darren HannaSuperintendentAnamosa Community School District Iowa — A fire erupted at Strawberry Hill Apartments in Anamosa on Feb It is unclear how many units were affected but multiple are dealing with smoke damage at the very least but the scene is still under investigation Senator Chuck Grassley met with local farmers in Anamosa for a Q&A session Monday as part of his 99-county tour of Iowa The meeting was notably calmer than recent town halls the senator had Grassley shared his perspective on trade policy emphasizing the importance of market-driven income for farmers I want to make it very clear that the farmers I talk to want to get their income from the marketplace not from the federal treasury," Grassley said Grassley expressed caution about President Trump's trade approach "It's the first time we tried it it brought on the Great Depression," Grassley said Grassley noted the shift in trade policies with a positive ratio in services but lagging in product trade and emphasized that President Trump’s policies are trying to increase product trade “We have a positive ratio in services where we're falling way behind on product And he's trying to bring it up on product,” Grassley said Grassley acknowledged the uncertainty of current policy shifts "You don't know whether he wants higher.. the higher tariffs to bring money into the federal treasury which is a loser as far as I'm concerned," Grassley said he added that having negotiations will have a better outcome "If he's really got 77 countries want to reduce these obstacles to trade then we're going to be better off,” Grassley said said the organization is focused on the best interests of farmers "The Farm Bureau's got people in place in Iowa and in Washington that are looking out for our members and the Iowa ag economy in general," Tellen said Grassley also addressed the issue of checks and balances "Probably everybody in this room is somewhat irritated with Trump because of what he's doing You need to blame the Congresses for delegating this authority to the president in the first place," Grassley said Grassley highlighted the significance of soybean production for biodiesel and urged the Trump administration to support the biofuels industry to boost rural economies “We're giving a subsidy to something we import that's bigger than the subsidy we give to soybeans,” Grassley said Anamosa's football team was undaunted against Waukon The Blue Raiders scored 28 unanswered points to end the night It's the Raiders' first postseason win since 2015 and only their third playoff win in school history KCRG reports that Theisens Home and Auto in Anamosa will be moving from its current location Theisen's regional headquarters in Dubuque announced the move for the Anamosa store as well as the addition of a store in Ripon and a 17,000-square-foot expansion to its Pella store That expansion is expected to be done by this fall The new building that Theisens will be moving to used to be the home of the National Motorcycle Museum. The museum closed in September of 2023 due to financial struggles, according to the Des Moines Register The extensive collection of antique motorcycles was auctioned off to cover bills KCRG reports that moving the Theisens store to that new location will allow the store to stock more products and feature a new store layout A Theisen's official stated that they hope the move to the bigger building will be completed by the middle of July Plans for the old Anamosa Theisens store are still being discussed They'll be moving into the old National Motorcycle Museum.\nRead More KCRG reports that Theisens Home The new building that Theisens will be moving to used to be the home of the National Motorcycle Museum. The museum closed in September of 2023 due to financial struggles, according to the Des Moines Register KCRG reports that moving the Theisens store to that new location will allow the store to stock more products and feature a new store layout Home / Sports / Iowa High School Sports / Iowa High School Football Blue Raiders claim the Class 2A District 4 championship “When we lost to West Liberty (in Week 5) the kids felt like their world came crashing down,” Anamosa football coach Caleb Huss said It was a turning point in the Blue Raiders’ season Anamosa’s defense stymied a pair of goal-to-go situations in the first half 7 Northeast to negative yards in the second half and emphatically claimed the 2A District 4 championship “We’ve had a good defense all year,” linebacker Miken Wheeler said even when the other team is at the 1-yard line.” 4-1 district) scored on its second drive for a 7-0 lead 4-1) was on the verge of tallying the equalizer the Blue Raiders stuffed QB Gavin Kramer for no gain we have to make them earn it,” Huss said “It’s easy to get down and let them score Northeast drove to the Anamosa 5 late in the second quarter The Rebels eventually turned it over on downs at the 24 That turned out to be the Rebels’ last gasp Anamosa churned out 198 yards and held Northeast to minus-8 yards and no first downs Austin Scranton paced an efficient Anamosa attack it’s hard to stop us,” Scranton said Diers completed 14 of 18 passes for 135 yards Anamosa won its first four games; then came that dispiriting loss to West Liberty “We came back the next week and had our best practices of the season,” lineman Jackson Watters said Both teams will host 2A playoff games next Friday Their first-round matchups will be released Saturday morning by the Iowa High School Athletic Association ANA — Austin Scranton 29 run (Eli Breitbach kick) ANA — Hudson Scranton 8 pass from Vince Diers (Breitbach kick) High School Sports Reporter. Get the Sports Newsletter Iowa — For only the second time in team history Anamosa's football team is going to the state quarterfinals after beating West Burlington 48-20 on Friday night The Raiders will travel to play Van Meter next Friday The first job I ever had was detassling corn at Asgro Seed Company in Anamosa Not unusual for a 13 or 14-year-old growing up in rural Jones County where I had to wear a uniform and clock in and out was at McOtto's Family Restaurant in Anamosa I was a cook in the kitchen and I can still remember going home from a shift smelling like onions I'm pretty sure my parents can still smell them too My heart broke just a bit back in 2010 as a fire destroyed the original McOtto's Family Restaurant that was built in 1984 Delivered the Happy Joe's pizzas that we made inside Not to mention had countess gatherings after high school football games on Friday nights Nothing topped an Oreo Speedwagon after a crushing defeat the restaurant was rebuilt and opened back up to the public in 2011 I don't recall if I went back to McOtto's after the restaurant was rebuilt following the 2010 fire But I do have plenty of great memories of the original restaurant and what it meant to me during my teenage years McOtto's Family Restaurant in Anamosa has reportedly closed.\nRead More My heart broke just a bit back in 2010 as a fire destroyed the original McOtto's Family Restaurant that was built in 1984 Iowa (EASTERN IOWA OT) — Anamosa's historic season comes up one game short of the UNI-Dome The Blue Raiders lost 31-0 to Van Meter in the 2A quarterfinals Home / Business News lazy summer afternoon finds a few youngsters and a few older customers at Two Scoops Ice Cream Shop on Anamosa’s Main Street Owner Eilleen Bates said such gatherings have been typical this year “The first year was great because it was new,” said Bates Building momentum to support and attract new business is happening in and around Anamosa this year two natives are putting finishing touches to new businesses “We looked outside of Marion and Anamosa trying to find some land because we wanted a place with a view,” said Judy Lubben of their 20 acres along Highway 151 Since launching Lubben Vineyards & Wines in 2018 have created varieties drawn from small vineyards near Springville and Anamosa “Everybody knows us here,” said Judy Lubben “Not that they didn’t in Marion,” where Lubben Wines’ production and distribution operations are located “It was nice that they chose Jones County and Anamosa,” said Derek Lumsden Jones County economic development director “There’s a lot of traffic that comes through here There’s a lot of things that make Anamosa appealing and you don’t get lost in the shuffle.” Lumsden oversees the current effort to renew a traditional Main Street for new businesses in Anamosa county and property owners are in the second of a three-phase project to renovate 30 downtown buildings “Just the fact that we did 10 buildings in our first (phase) and all but one of them are purchased or full shows that sometimes that what (business owners) needed to hear was ‘They’re putting money in their building now I can put my business in there and not have to spend so much,’ ” Lumsden said The project’s first two stages drew on $1.15 million in Community Development Block Grants with plans to apply for another $650,000 to finish another 10 buildings in 2025-26 Property owners must cover 30 percent of improvement costs and sign a seven-year easement with the city a new housing development is going up along Highway 151 and the renovated Main Street buildings have residential potential “We’re looking at doing upper-story housing,” Lumsden said “We’re looking at some infill lots We’ve got everything you need to do downtown executive director of the Anamosa Area Chamber of Commerce said the rehab and new businesses are helping “a lot from a visibility standpoint It’s a lot more attractive to potential tenants.” “I remember when Main Street was full of shops until it was pretty barren,” LeAnna Boone said It’s just a matter of getting people to come in and see we do have a lot of variety.” restaurant and retail store — clothing and home décor items — after encountering a similar business while traveling “We thought it was neat,” she said “You could have a beer and walk around and shop.” The Boones’ building wasn’t part of the renovation project but they hope to land a share of the next grant The potential behind Anamosa downtown’s classic facades attracted Eileen Bates and her husband “We bought four of these buildings here on Main Street,” she said “We have people wanting to rent them for office space but we need the downtown businesses.” The Bates’ properties weren’t part of the block-grant program “It wasn’t up to code,” she said of the ice cream shop “It’s been a great experience for me,” she added noting she’s staffed Two Scoops with several young employees “I’m losing six of them that are off to college.” The Bateses plan to develop six apartments above their properties as residential spaces or Airbnb rentals “We have the wedding venues coming up,” she said referring to the Lubbens’ winery and another new event center on Anamosa’s south end “We’re fine-tuning the small stuff,” said Matt Linn whose Avacentre Anamosa hosted its first wedding July 8 The former recreational vehicle dealership at the Highway 151/Highway 1 interchange will also house the central kitchen for Linn’s catering business His first Avacentre in southwest Cedar Rapids was spun off from Linn’s Brosh Funeral Chapel “We will offer (catering) services to other funeral homes whenever we acquire other funeral homes,” he said “It’s gone so well that I’m proud we created the idea Linn said Anamosa is located to cater events and draw customers from Cedar Rapids Dubuque and Iowa City — the same markets other local businesses look to tap if you take the center of the wheel and go out 45 minutes” he said “We all want to work together as a team,” Dan Lubben said “We’ve added quite a few restaurants downtown a couple more boutique-type stores,” said Lumsden the county’s economic development director “The events centers bookend the community.” Lumsden is looking to promote Anamosa as a destination for “staycation day trips.” “Most of our advertising goes into the just-far-enough-so-you-want-to-stay-overnight range Lumsden also hopes to attract new residents to town The Anamosa State Penitentiary is the city’s largest single employer with 300-plus employees and a large share of the city residents commute to jobs in Cedar Rapids “We’d like people to live here,” he said “Would they live here if they had more options That’s something we’re looking at developing more now that we’ve got that entertainment core.” UPDATE: The new Lubben Winery facility is now open in Anamosa The new tasting room is open Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m An official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held by the Marion Chamber of Commerce last Thursday at the new facility at 13504 Highway 151 in Anamosa You can stop by and enjoy some of the fine wines that Lubben Vineyards has to offer and some great food as well The new tasting room features room for 100 people and includes a large porch and patio section for outdoor seating! Here are some photos of what you can expect during your trip to Lubben Vineyards in Anamosa It began as a suggestion. An experiment in winemaking. It turned into a passion that will see Lubben Vineyards in Anamosa officially open their new location this week Their new facility at 13504 Highway 151 in Anamosa is ready to open. It will celebrate with a ribbon cutting today, and then open to the public on Friday, September 13th. The CBJ reports that the Lubbens Vineyard tasting room will offer an inviting and relaxed atmosphere It can hold around 100 people and includes a wrap-around deck for some great panoramic views In the future, the CBJ reports that wine education classes winemaking workshops and more could also take place at the new facility If you can't make it out to the new Lubben Vineyard facility, you can order their wine online HERE. The new tasting room will open to the public on Friday.\nRead More The new tasting room features room for 100 people and includes a large porch and patio section for outdoor seating! Here are some photos of what you can expect during your trip to Lubben Vineyards in Anamosa It began as a suggestion. An experiment in winemaking. It turned into a passion that will see Lubben Vineyards in Anamosa officially open their new location this week Their new facility at 13504 Highway 151 in Anamosa is ready to open. It will celebrate with a ribbon cutting today, and then open to the public on Friday, September 13th. The CBJ reports that the Lubbens Vineyard tasting room will offer an inviting and relaxed atmosphere In the future, the CBJ reports that wine education classes If you can't make it out to the new Lubben Vineyard facility, you can order their wine online HERE. Children’s author plans new book for mothers ANAMOSA — When Trina Shaffer had her son five years ago she found it to be an easy way to bond with her child she soon realized it was more than a way to make treats It just calmed me greatly,” she said Website: bakedwithgrace-ia.com Facebook: facebook.com/bakedwithgrace.ia and cupcakes decorated in floral bouquets up to 100 pieces large For more details on the home-based Anamosa cupcake baker visit Baked with Grace’s website or Facebook page “Blooming Motherhood: How I started a blossoming business in the face of postpartum anxiety and how you can thrive in your business while raising your lil’ sprouts,” will be published in September the decorating schemes started to get more complicated With a directive from Grace to start making more “girly” things Trina started making more recipes she found online what started as something for fun turned into a business when parishioners at her church offered to buy the cupcakes she was bringing in So she started to study the craft more with classes from YouTube — a trusted scholastic support for do-it-yourself learners — as well as studying real-life botany subjects and color theory to craft delicate colors as naturally as possible she was a professional with a portfolio of true-to-life cupcake bouquets — from ombre blush pink peonies and budding red roses to buttercups that look as good as they taste “A friend reminded me that talent is just pursued interest,” said Shaffer I started feeling good enough to sell them.” Baked with Grace offers cupcakes baked with light fillings in addition to a standard American buttercream that stands up well to intricate designs on top a hint of salt to balance out its sweetness mini-cakes and cupcakes that can be arranged in floral bouquets of up to 100 flowers her decorating skills truly have become the icing on the cake After donating dozens to organizations around Jones County and the Corridor and cupcakes make people happy,” she said “Maybe other people won’t feel as much joy through a cupcake as I do but it’s the story I really want to be told.” she remembers the roots that helped her blossom The beauty her cupcakes emanate have become a personification of the faith she has pursued in and out of the kitchen — a faith she credits for helping her through postpartum anxiety and a faith she believes makes an ordinary activity something more extraordinary “It’s just marveling at God’s nature,” she said you have to be inspired by it — mine just happened to be with sugar.” “Blooming Motherhood,” will serve as a testament to other new mothers on how to thrive while raising young children she hopes to let them in on the tips that helped calm her that translates to flavors like blackberry lavender or camomile honey She previously wrote two children’s books with her husband “My goal is to tie in recipes that make you feel good with a book that’s encouraging to moms,” Shaffer said “Postpartum anxiety or depression is one of the hidden mental health struggles women face I wanted to shine a light on what brought me here and why I decorate cupcakes now.” He is accused of sending inappropriate social media messages to 10th-grader in 2014 ANAMOSA — An Anamosa Middle School gym teacher has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor after officials charge that he sent inappropriate messages to a 10th-grade girl in 2014 purportedly from physical education teacher Wayne Michael Lasack were first shared anonymously with the district in 2018 and shared the information with Anamosa police The messages again were sent to the district in May leading to Lasack being charged June 17 in Jones County District Court identified as “L.V.” in the criminal complaint told police the messages were turned over to the Anamosa Police Department in 2018 and that she believed the allegations were “unfounded” at the time Anamosa police Officer Tyler Hunt said the principal contacted the department this May about the messages being sent again but with the former student identified this time The Facebook conversation between Lasack and the student “clearly” stated she was in the 10th grade Lasack commented on the student’s physical appearance and told her if they were going to chat “we should probably keep this fairly quiet with you being so young and me being so old.” He also asked the girl to send him a “naughty” photo who was 15 at the time the messages were sent She confirmed the messages were sent by Lasack She had screenshots of the conversation and sent them to police When the matter was first investigated in 2018 Lasack said he was “shocked,” had no knowledge of the conversation and suggested his ex-wife had created the messages Lasack's ex-wife told police she was aware of the 2018 report but she didn’t know Lasack had implicated her as possibly sending the messages She stated the Lasack marriage was “essentially normal” in 2014 and things began to deteriorate in late 2017 Lasack’s ex-wife provided police with Facebook posts that showed she was out of state when the messages were sent in 2014 and that Lasack hadn’t been with her A search warrant was obtained for Lasack's Facebook account but nearly all the messages had been deleted When Anamosa police interviewed Lasack on July 17 he denied knowing the girl in the Facebook conversation told Lasack he had additional information and asked him if he knew the student — giving him her name Lasack said he had been teaching for 25 years and had a "million thousand names in his brain.” Lasack told police he was happy to talk about it but thought he needed his lawyer to be present Lasack was charged last week with sexual exploitation of a minor — cause to engage in an act Assistant Jones County Attorney Sara Smith said the prosecution doesn’t think releasing Lasack without any conditions is appropriate and requested a judge place him under pretrial supervision with the 6th Judicial Department of Correctional Services the court had not responded to the prosecutor’s request Anamosa Community School District Superintendent Darren Hanna said in a statement that “the employee is currently on administrative leave and will not be on school property or around students both previously and currently, followed all District policies and procedures concerning this matter based on information known at the time including notifying law enforcement.” “The District has been and will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement in its investigation,” Hanna said the safety and well-being of students is our top priority.” Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com Reporter covering state and federal courts. Subscribe to the Public Safety newsletter Iowa — An Anamosa man was taken to the hospital after a single-car crash in rural Linn County Tuesday afternoon First responders were called to the intersection of Buffalo Ridge Road and Finn Road outside of Waubeek and found a car rolled over in a nearby ditch Authorities say 19 year old Mark Ward was heading eastbound on Buffalo Ridge Road when he lost control and went into the ditch Ward was taken to a nearby hospital and was treated for what are believed to be non life-threatening injuries He was the only person in the car at the time of the crash The Linn County Sheriff's Office was assisted by Linn County Sheriff's Rescue To ensure the best service, we recommend scheduling an appointment with us Additionally you can also be served by your local county treasurer's office Please check with their office to see if you need an appointment Make a driver's license and ID services appointment Find out what documents you need to get your Iowa license or ID for the first time or to get your REAL ID gold star Vehicle registrations, license plates, and titling services are processed at a county treasurer’s office. Please contact the county treasurer in the county appropriate for your transaction, using the Iowa counties map  Make a motor carrier services appointment. Select "Motor Carrier services (No DL/CDL Services)" branch from the drop down menu when scheduling an appointment Contact us by email (omcs@iowadot.us) or call us at 515-237-3268 to receive an appointment time if you are not able to schedule an appointment at the link above © 2024 State of Iowa - Read our accessibility, data, and privacy policies Loretta Ann Brickley Anamosa Loretta Ann Brickley The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication She was born on October 24,1954 in Marshalltown Loretta was best known for her dedicated service as the children’s librarian at the Anamosa Library and Learning Center her passion for books and her love for children made her a beloved figure in the community Loretta is survived by her husband of 48 years Jack Brickley and Steve (Ashley) Brickley; brothers Dan (Helen) Schmuecker and Doug (Julie) Schmuecker; and several nieces and nephews She was preceded in death by her father Jack Whittlesey and mother Ruth Kruckenberg A celebration of life will be held from 2-4 PM on March 8th at the Anamosa Library and Learning Center the family requests that donations be made to the Friends of the Anamosa Library Home / Sports / Iowa High School Sports / Iowa High School Volleyball “With our setter (Sophie Sander) and our libero (Ava Gibbs) I think we have an advantage at those positions against just about anybody we play,” said Knapper in her first year as head coach at Anamosa Knapper and the Blue Raiders are hopeful the music will play on Two of them — Anamosa and Highway 151 partner Monticello — are seeking their first state appearance 6 Davenport Assumption (24-8); Monticello (26-8) journeys to No “We’re so excited,” Knapper said We’re ready for it to happen.” Anamosa outlasted Center Point-Urbana in a five-set regional-semifinal thriller. Meanwhile, Monticello opened some eyes with a sweep of Solon “We played so well,” Monticello Coach Andrea Ellison said and the energy and atmosphere was insane.” “She’s like having another coach on the floor,” Ellison said She picks up on the tendencies of other players.” Ellison is in her second year as head coach at her alma mater; she graduated from Monticello in 2013 then spent five years as an assistant under Claude Howard at Springville Former coach Stacie Breitbach is now an assistant In other 3A regional finals involving area teams, top-ranked Mount Vernon (41-4) hosts Nevada (30-11), No. 3 West Delaware (37-6) welcomes Union Community (37-11) and No 10 Wilton (32-7) in a battle of River Valley Conference South Division rivals Linn-Mar will try to deny Pleasant Valley a sixth consecutive state-tournament appearance including a regional-semifinal sweep of Dubuque Hempstead Senior Kelsey Klesner averaged 3.63 kills per set for the Lions Pleasant Valley has won 24 consecutive matches led by junior Isabelle Kremer (4.38 kills per set City High pursues its first state berth in a decade The Hawkettes return four starters from last year’s state team led by seniors Kamryn Scheib (2.90 kills per set) and Reagan Hanfelt (2.77) City entered the postseason with eight losses in its previous 11 matches but handled Waterloo West in the regional semifinals The Little Hawks’ top two attackers — Kaitlin Loria and Hattie Galloway — are sophomores West will try to reverse a lopsided loss to Dowling in pool play at the Westside Invitational on Oct The Maroons were 5A state runners-up last year and have six starters back from that team That doesn’t include sophomore Kaylie Klein West came into the postseason on a 2-7 slide but the Trojans swept Marshalltown in the regional semifinals Leading attacker Sophia Austen (3.84 kills per set) and setter Lila Eastvold are sophomores Liberty is two years removed from its 2022 Class 5A championship team and Asta Hildebrand — now a senior — was a major contributor on that squad Hildebrand leads this year’s team in kills (3.32 per set) and also contributes 3.24 assists per set The Lightning snapped a five-match losing streak with a four-set win over Dubuque Senior in the regional semifinals A win would send Cedar Falls to state for the ninth time in the last 10 years The Tigers topped Liberty in the MVC tournament Oct Xavier is heavily favored to reach its ninth consecutive state tournament The Saints have won 13 consecutive matches against Iowa competition and are 25-1 against in-state teams They dropped the first set in their regional semifinal against Waverly-Shell Rock Senior Libby Fandel averages 4.74 kills per set and hits at a .302 rate and junior Josie Smith is second statewide in assists (10.7 per set) Four starters graduated after Clear Creek Amana went 46-1 and advanced to the state semifinals last year CCA continued to dominate the Wamac Conference West Division None of the top four attackers are seniors with junior Averie Lower leading the way at 3.76 kills per set setter Emily Henderson runs the show and averages 8.53 assists per set DCG finished fourth in the Little Hawkeye Conference and has three attackers with more than 200 kills Marion stands between Carlisle and its first state-tournament berth in school history This is the teams’ third postseason meeting since 2019 with the Wolves winning the other two encounters Marion got past Western Dubuque in four sets in the regional semifinals behind 18 kills from senior Carlee Webber who leads the team in kills (4.08 per set) The Wolves are in pursuit on their fourth straight state appearance Seniors Ashlee Kay Christensen (4.33 kills per set) and Sydney Light (3.61) trigger the Carlisle attack If Mount Vernon does the expected and advances it will be the Mustangs’ 16th state appearance in 18 years (and their seventh in a row) The Mustangs return six starters from last year’s runner-up team led by potential state player of the year Chloe Meester (4.85 kills per set Sydney Huber’s 10.86 assists per set leads the state Like the Mustangs; Nevada has swept its way to this point Junior Rachel Borwick (3.93 kills per set) is the Cubs’ focal point The Hawks are chasing their first state appearance since winning the 3A title in 2021; Union has made it to Coralville two straight years The Knights have a veteran setter in senior Avery Knoop who has recorded more than 1,000 assists in each of the past three seasons West Delaware’s attack is always quick it’s extraordinarily balanced with four hitters between 223 and 292 kills Monticello is on the doorstep of its first state tournament Kuper recorded 21 kills and 15 digs in the Panthers’ regional-semifinal sweep of Solon and is the 3A kills leader at 5.79 per set Along with Western Christian and Dike-New Hartford Wahlert is one of the state’s all-time titans; it is the state leader in titles (20) and ranks third in tournament appearances (31) The Golden Eagles were MVC Valley Division co-champions and have a veteran roster led by seniors Anna Roling and Olivia Donovan Anamosa takes aim at one of the premier programs in 3A Assumption has made six consecutive state appearances Anamosa claimed the River Valley Conference North Division regular-season title and advanced with a five-set victory over No The Blue Raiders have solid attackers to go with elite players at libero (Ava Gibbs) and setter (Sophie Sander) Assumption juniors Ellah Derrer and Erin Robbins both hit .400-plus The River Valley Conference South Division co-champions collide for the third time this season; Mid-Prairie won the first two encounters If the Golden Hawks can complete the trifecta they’ll advance to state for the first time in 20 years Junior Jovi Evans was the divisional player of the year and senior libero Dakota Mitchell has committed to play at North Texas Senior Kinsey Drake leads Wilton in both kills and digs Iowa — A fire damaged the Jones County Local bar and restaurant near Anamosa early Tuesday morning The Jones County Sheriff's Office said a passer-by reported smoke coming from the business before 6 a.m Fire crews found heavy smoke and some fire inside the building It was not open at that time and no one was there "Fire crews upon arriving made entry into the building and began to attack the fire from the inside and then there were crews up on the roof that were venting," said Anamosa Sheriff Greg Graver "I grew up here in Anamosa and it's kind of just been an establishment my whole life We'll just have to see if they will be able to rebuild or if it will be a complete loss." The sheriff's office is getting help from the Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office to help determine what started the fire Ruling: She failed to exhaust administrative remedies with Iowa State Appeal Board ANAMOSA — The second lawsuit filed by the mother of a nurse killed by two Anamosa prison inmates in 2021 has been dismissed because the mother failed to exhaust administrative remedies with the State Appeal Board The first lawsuit was tossed out by a judge last year because the estate of Lorena Schulte along with correctional officer Robert McFarland 2021 — was inadvertently closed at the time the petition was filed The second lawsuit was filed in Jones County District Court in January That second lawsuit was dismissed Monday by 6th Judicial District Judge Mike Harris because Stephanie Schulte who filed the claim individually and as the administrator of her daughter’s estate failed to exhaust her administrative remedies with the State Appeal Board It was the argument presented to the court by the defendants — the state Corrections Director Beth Skinner and other prison officials individually named — in their motion to dismiss the lawsuit didn’t immediately respond for comment The defendants also argued the only “properly named” defendant in the lawsuit is the state of Iowa because the others named are either employees of the state or agencies of the state and Harris agreed and ruled the other defendants should be dismissed and that the state should be the sole defendant Harris also granted the dismissal under the defendant’s argument that a wrongful death claim can’t be brought by surviving relatives — only the estate of Lorena Schulte can file those claims against the state Harris also found that some of the claims asserted by Stephanie Schulte hadn’t completed what’s required under law for this kind of civil claim and hadn’t received a final disposition from the State Appeals Board the lawsuit can’t go forward and was dismissed The second lawsuit stated two claims were submitted to the State Appeal Board and when the board didn’t respond after six months they were withdrawn — meaning Schulte had “exhausted all administrative remedies” under Iowa law and could file a civil action Harris ruled the claims were filed when the estate of Lorena Schulte was closed and Stephanie Schulte was discharged as administrator Although the estate was reopened and Stephanie Schulte was appointed as administrator on April 17 the statute of limitations passed on March 23 Schulte and McFarland were bludgeoned to death with hammers that inmates had taken from the Prison Industries program during an failed escape attempt Woodward and Dutcher pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder one count each of attempted murder and second-degree kidnapping Both were sentenced to life in prison without parole And it’s not lost on Van Meter moving on to its 10th straight semifinal game looking to win the program’s fourth consecutive championship in the next two weeks “Slipping into a program like this is exceptional,” quarterback Jay Haley said after Friday’s 31-0 win over Anamosa After a deadlocked game nearing the end of the first quarter Haley was the first to cross the goal line following one of three turnovers forced in plus-territory That wasn’t the only place that Cole made his mark With the Bulldogs pinned deep in their own territory jogging into the end zone with receiver Caleb Moore wrapping his arm around his shoulder to celebrate the team’s longest touchdown of the season “I just saw the whole open and my o-line did a great job blocking downfield He finished the night with three touchdowns and 185 yards from scrimmage and added another 50 yards to his stat line on a fumble recovery that sucked any momentum Anamosa was building in the second half That all helped the Bulldogs pick up their eighth-straight win of the season the team has now shutout their opponent in five of those wins learning from the the mistakes that came in Week 3 “I think a lot of us hate losing more than we like winning we don’t want to play another game like that,” Haley said “We gotta play better than that every week We made some mistakes tonight but definitely some good things also.” Those good things are carrying Van Meter to the UNI-Dome on Saturday at 1 p.m to take on West Lyon with a trip to the championship game next week on the line The Wildcats come in looking to advance to 12-0 this season and repeat the outcome of the 2019 title game against Van Meter where the Wildcats won 50-14 back when both teams were in Class 1A West Lyon blasted Kuemper Catholic in the quarterfinals with a 49-14 win showing off their quick strike potential after scoring five touchdowns in the second quarter alone Quarterback Bryson Childress headlines the team’s explosiveness leading the team with 18 passing and nine rushing touchdowns Wide receiver Jorden Meyer ranks eighth in the class with seven touchdown grabs But his biggest mark could be on punt returns With a defense that ranks third in Class 2A with 30 sacks on the year only one team has been able to score more than once against the Wildcats Iowa — Anamosa spoiled Monticello's homecoming and in the process won back their traveling trophy The Raiders beat Monticello 28-7 to secure their first win in the Cowbell Game since 2019 Judge lowers award to $26.1M; company seeks new trial on crash accusations A Linn County jury has ordered a Cedar Rapids trucking company and a semitractor-trailer driver to pay over $35.7 million to the family of teen severely injured when a semi turned in front of her car in heavy fog in 2020 in Anamosa suffered life-threatening injuries to her skull and brain and received severe facial and jaw injuries as a result of the crash on March 19 according to a lawsuit filed by her parents She suffered traumatic brain injury and underwent numerous surgeries at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics including an over 16-hour surgery to begin facial reconstruction and weeks of rehabilitation at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago a lawyer with Pickens Barnes and Abernathy in Cedar Rapids “It’s amazing she survived,” Novak said Monday She coded at the scene and was given lifesaving measures by first responders She’s an amazing young woman.” Margaret McQuillen graduated this year from the UI with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science The jury award may be one of largest personal injury verdicts in Iowa The two-week trial started June 11 in Linn County District Court The jury’s award was reduced following the verdict because jurors found Margaret McQuillen shared some of the fault Westside Transport and semi driver Clifford Charles Takes were 73 percent at fault and Margaret McQuillen was 27 percent at fault Sixth Judicial District Judge Justin Lightfoot reduced the total damages awarded to the McQuillens by the 27 percent Lightfoot granted a temporary suspension of the verdict award until post-trial motions are filed The trucking company plans to file a motion seeking a new trial The suspension will be lifted after the court rules on the motions Margaret McQuillen’s vehicle was headed south on Highway 151 when Takes the driver of a Freightliner for Westside Transport crossed in front of her but had limited visibility because of fog The semi didn’t clear the intersection before McQuillen collided with it and her vehicle upon impact went underneath the trailer “He proceeded to make one of the most dangerous maneuvers a trucker can make an unprotected left-hand turn where the speed of the cross-traffic was 65 mph,” Rodriquez & Associates a California firm that Novak partnered with on the case “The trucking company had no fog delay policy in place.” “Our client is an exceptionally brave and resilient young woman who deserves every opportunity in life,” Joel Andreesen senior partner with Rodriguez & Associates is a childhood friend of Margaret’s father Matthew McQuillen and they were also roommates at the UI College 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All rights reserved | Web Application by Informatics, Inc. | Pay OnlineEC2AMAZ-JURNIGD Area notes: Blue Raiders claim their first divisional championship since 2018 the Anamosa Blue Raiders certainly impressed Class 3A 12th-ranked Anamosa claimed the River Valley Conference North Division volleyball championship with a four-set home triumph over 3A No “We’ve definitely been preparing for this match all year,” said Reise Neuhaus “It’s something we’ve talked about all season.” 7-0 division) claimed its first RVC North crown since 2018 the Blue Raiders gave the bracket construction crew at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union some substantial evidence that they are deserving of a favorable postseason draw Brackets will be released by the end of the week that’s all I can say,” Anamosa Coach Tierra Knapper said “We came in with a lot of confidence A pivotal moment in the match came early in the third set 6-1) seemed to be gathering momentum and led 8-5 Then came a lengthy delay as officials sorted out an issue with the score outscoring the Blazers 11-3 for a 16-11 advantage take a deep breath and talk about our game plan,” Anamosa setter Sophie Sander said Beckman nearly climbed out of the predicament; Joy Burkle’s kill got the Blazers to set point at 25-24 A couple of errors swung the advantage in Anamosa’s direction then Olivia Miller’s right-side kill gave the Blue Raiders a 2-set-to-1 advantage Blazers Coach Todd Troutman downplayed the role of the delay we don’t make excuses,” he said and we didn’t get enough good swings and that makes them difficult to defend.” “We executed really well,” Sander said we’re good about picking each other up.” Miller added 12 kills for the Blue Raiders Fourteen Beckman players saw the floor at some point Tuesday Tuesday marked the conclusion of the regular-season races in three of the area’s “core four” conferences * The top-ranked team in Class 4A, Cedar Rapids Xavier (23-4, 6-0) wrapped up the MVC Mississippi Division title with a sweep at Linn-Mar * Cedar Rapids Prairie played spoiler in the MVC Valley Division in convincing fashion, sweeping Iowa City High and denying the Little Hawks (14-10 6-1) took care of business and are co-champion * Mount Vernon (32-3, 5-0) wrapped up sole possession of the Wamac East title, while Clear Creek Amana (30-5 5-0) claimed the West by beating Grinnell in an all-or-nothing match * Mid-Prairie (23-5, 5-1) earned a piece of the River Valley South title by virtue of its sweep of Iowa City Regina The Golden Hawks share the title with Wilton (24-3 5-0) has clinched a piece of the Tri-Rivers East crown; likewise Springville (19-7 Both are favored to wrap up their titles solo Thursday * Libby Fandel became Cedar Rapids Xavier’s career kill record-holder Tuesday * West Delaware Coach Brett Mather is on track to claim his 1,000th career win Saturday at the Westside Invitational Mather earned his 998th victory Tuesday when the Hawks outlasted Center Point-Urbana in five sets Iowa — The Anamosa School District released a statement Tuesday morning saying they have accepted the resignation of a middle school teacher charged with sexual exploitation of a minor faces these charges for conversations he had with a 15-year-old former student 10 years ago An Anamosa parent forwarded the statement from SuperintendentDarren D Court records said Lasack contacted the teen in 2014 on Facebook The messages had been anonymously sent to the Anamosa Community School District in 2018 and were reported to police shortly after police said at the time the school's principal believed the "disposition of the claims were unfounded." It wouldn't be until 2024 when the messages resurfaced and police investigated further An arraignment and bond review has been set for August 5.