Home / Business News / Agriculture State regulators considering penalties for dairy identified as the source The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread Manure-laden runoff from a dairy farm killed more than 100,000 small fish in a creek in March near Decorah according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Two people reported the manure runoff March 10 and the Iowa DNR traced it to Dale Humpal Dairy Rainfall and snowmelt is believed to have washed manure from open lots at the site through a field and into a tile intake that goes to Dry Run Creek an environmental specialist for the Iowa DNR "We assume it was probably from that weekend," Meyers said "But we don't really have a good way to estimate how much was discharged because it was a continuous flow — a small flow over a long period of time." The department's investigation found dead fish in a stretch of about 10 miles of the creek which was tainted with ammonia concentrations from manure that were toxic to aquatic life The runoff at the dairy wasn't visibly contaminated by manure but an investigative report noted areas of the creek that were covered with ice that had manure and fish stranded on their surfaces Iowa DNR officers "visually observed fish gasping for air on ice," one report said Meyers said Humpal was unaware of the contamination before the department's investigation Humpal had constructed dams on parts of the site to prevent runoff from leaving the property Humpal did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this article The department's fish kill investigation estimated that about 126,000 small fish perished It is among the largest fish kills in Iowa documented by the Iowa DNR The value of the fish in the kill near Decorah — for which the state can seek compensation from those responsible for killing them — was about $31,000 The department can also impose an additional fine of up to $10,000 It's unclear when the department might issue the penalties Comments: (319) 368-8541; jared.strong@thegazette.com 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 the Decorah Police Department received a report from an individual who had concerns about what they felt was an inappropriate relationship between a Decorah High School Teacher and a student was arrested and transported to the Winneshiek County Jail Social media posts indicate that Bliven was the band director for Decorah Community Schools Bliven’s charging documents allege that between October of 2024 and Feb Bliven engaged in a “pattern of behavior” with a student that was inappropriate and sexual in nature According to a press release from Decorah Police and officers made contact with the student allowing for more evidence to be discovered DPD then informed the Decorah Community School District administration of the active investigation Bliven was charged with sexual exploitation of a school employee which is a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine between $1025 and $10,245 Bliven has been served an order requesting no contact between him and the student Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the FCC Public file should email news@kaaltv.com or call (507) 288-7555 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page An Iowa city is among 50 others across the country selected as the most charming towns in America by HGTV Decorah, Iowa, was selected to represent Iowa, according to HGTV Located in Winneshiek County along the Minnesota border HGTV highlighted Decorah's annual Nordic Fest and the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum There is also the Trout Run Trail that traverses for 11 miles throughout the community The Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve offers a recreational getaway to all visitors and always remains cool What is the Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve?At the Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve ice forms in the cave as surface water seeps in and is cooled by the cave's limestone walls Cold air trapped from the winter months remains due to the cave's downward slopes The ice reaches a maximum thickness of 8 to 10 inches by June Talk to experienced hikers at local bike stores to navigate the system Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17 DECORAH, Iowa — Decorah has been recognized as one of the most charming towns in America by HGTV, joining a list of 50 towns across the nation located in Winneshiek County along the Minnesota border stands out for its unique attractions and community events The town is celebrated for its annual Nordic Fest and the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum which highlight its rich cultural heritage an 11-mile path that winds through the community offers scenic views and outdoor activities Decorah also boasts a local farmers' market providing fresh produce and goods to residents and visitors alike A band teacher at Decorah Middle School and Decorah High School was arrested last week on charges that he had … Home / News / Crime & Courts A band teacher at Decorah Middle School and Decorah High School was arrested last week on charges that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with one of his students is charged with one count of sexual exploitation by a school employee the Decorah Police Department started investigating him Feb 15 after it received a report from someone who had concerns about a suspected inappropriate relationship between Bliven and a student The individual provided some evidence to substantiate the concerns and police discovered more evidence after making contact with the student The police department contacted the school district and the two organizations worked together “to isolate this incident to allow for a complete and thorough investigation,” according to the release Bliven had a sexual relationship with the student between October 2024 and February The complaint said he engaged “in a pattern of behavior with a student that involved physical touch was inappropriate and sexual in nature.” A no-contact order has been filed on behalf of the student Bliven had his first appearance in court Saturday and was released after posting 10 percent a $5,000 bond according to the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office The Decorah Community School District said in a statement Friday that Bliven has been put on leave pending the outcome of the investigation we are unable to provide further details at this time The safety and well-being of our students remain our top priority and we will take appropriate action based on the findings,” the statement reads Bliven has worked for the district since 2014 Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com I cover breaking news and trends related to public safety for The Gazette The Luther College Symphony Orchestra and Nordic Choir will perform Mozart’s Requiem in D minor at Luther College in the Center for Faith and Life Tickets can be purchased by following the link below or at the door Purchase your Tickets Here! Praised for her “spicy and rich lyric soprano,” (Vocal Arts Chicago) Wisconsin native Emily Secor enjoys performing on and off the operatic stage Emily has been a frequent artist in Madison Opera productions having spent two seasons with the company as a Studio Artist (2018-20) and appearing as guest artist during their digital 2020-21 season Recent performance engagements with Madison Opera include covering “Susanna” in Le nozze di Figaro and the “Trio Soprano” in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti and performing the role of “Diana” in Orpheus in the Underworld Emily has also held young artist residencies with Des Moines Metro Opera Emily maintains a private voice studio and regularly adjudicates for the Wisconsin State Music Association’s regional and state festivals Emily is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa where she received a Master of Music degree and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College in Decorah Praised for her “exceptionally beautiful mezzo” by San Francisco Classical Voice mezzo-soprano Laura Krumm most recently returned to The Metropolitan Opera to cover Stéphano in Roméo et Juliette sang Eliza in Omar with San Francisco Opera and traveled to Hong Kong to sing Jane Seymour in Anna Bolena with Musica Additional recent highlights include her début with LA Philharmonic as Siegrune in Act III of Die Walküre at the Hollywood Bowl under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel; her celebrated Rosina with San Francisco Opera and Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera; and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Reno Philharmonic and Auburn Symphony In the 2024-2025 season Laura will make her Los Angeles Opera début as Stéphano in Roméo et Juliette sing her role début as Prince Charming in Cendrillon with Cedar Rapids Opera appear with Orchestra Iowa as a soloist in Mozart’s Requiem and return to San Francisco Opera for their production of Idomeneo The Iowa native earned a Master of Music from the University of North Texas and is a graduate of Luther College in Decorah is an Assistant Professor of Music in Voice at Truman State University in Kirksville she taught voice at the nationally known Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso and she looks forward to returning this summer Jill was on the voice faculty at Luther College in Decorah she performed at the North Star New Music Festival at Truman State University and performed as a soloist with the Truman State University Wind Symphony she will perform with the Fox Valley Symphony in Appleton and will return to sing with the Elm Ensemble in Minneapolis She received her Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in voice from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) she sang the roles of Marcellina in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro the Old Prioress in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites and Baba the Turk in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress Jill earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music at Luther College in Decorah she performed in the opera scenes program and the spring opera productions praised by The Wall Street Journal for his “vivid tenor that is both beautiful and full of raw feeling” is a graduate of The Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artists Program In addition to singing many of the standard lyric tenor roles Stenson has created leading characters in two important World Premieres He left an indelible impression as Danny Chen in An American Solider with Opera Theater of St and had a big personal success as Gen Watanabe in Bel Canto with Lyric Opera of Chicago where he returned to sing Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte Almaviva in The Barber Of Seville and Sprink in Silent Night with the opera companies of Seattle he has sung with the Glyndebourne Festival and the opera companies of Toulouse and Bordeaux Stenson participated in several virtual productions produced by Seattle Opera He appeared in their stagings of Elixir Of Love Andrew returned to the opera companies of San Francisco American bass-baritone Zachary Owen has performed with such companies as the Glimmerglass Festival He has performed the roles of Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore Owen is the recipient of numerous awards including the Grace Keagy Award at the Lotte Lenya Competition the Luther College Brudos Family Prize for Opera Performance and was selected as National Semifinalist at the 2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition He is an alumnus of the Marion Roose Pullin Studio at Arizona Opera He holds a BM in Music from Luther College and a MM Voice Performance and Artist Diploma in Opera Performance both from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music It is the policy of Luther College to provide equal educational opportunities and equal access to facilities for all qualified persons The college does not discriminate in employment or any other basis protected by federal or state law Iowa — Cody Whittle has secured a victory in the runoff election for the Decorah City Council At-large seat according to unofficial results released Tuesday night by the Winneshiek County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections reflecting a 24.45% turnout among the city’s registered voters was triggered after no candidate secured the required majority in the December 10 special election Decorah’s city charter stipulates that a candidate must receive over 50% of the vote to win outright The initial race included three candidates with Whittle falling just short of a majority at 49.02% Whittle is a local business owner and founder of Big Driftless His plans include exploring incentive programs to encourage long-term rentals over short-term accommodations and promoting accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to increase housing options This election fills the vacancy left by former Councilperson At-large Ross Hadley Whittle is expected to be sworn in at the Decorah City Council meeting on January 21 and will serve until the end of Hadley’s term on December 31 Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInDECORAH Iowa (KCRG) - A man was arrested late Wednesday night following a high speed chase in Decorah a Winneshiek county deputy attempted to pull a vehicle over and the driver refused to stop continued to drive at a high speed towards Luther College in Decorah Eventually the car was located parked in front of a Luther College building Police report finding methamphetamine inside of the vehicle Cody Reisner was arrested shortly afterwards on Luther College campus Home / News / Government & Politics / Local Government Margin against replacing Alliant grows since 2018 vote Decorah voters again said no in a special election Tuesday to forming a municipal electric utility and eventually severing ties to Alliant Energy voted against taking steps to form the municipal utility while 1,169 voters In 2018, Decorah voters also denied the idea of forming a city electric utility, but by only three votes after the results were recounted the margin against the idea grew to 182 votes The measure would have allowed the council to study municipalization of the city's power The vote would be a first step in establishing a utility that would replace Alliant which provides power to the city’s residents Supporters of the idea said they were committed to a clean energy future and frustrated by Alliant’s rates