Feature Stories from the Star Eagle pages.
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As of April 17, Dan Schmidt is no longer a member of the NRHEG school board, but has instead become the district’s Transportation Site Manager. The position, which, like the district-wide management positions for food services and buildings and grounds, is new this year, will have Schmidt in charge of matters to do with bus drivers and routes, bus safety and maintenance, and bus garage operation and organization.
The board voted both to accept Schmidt’s resignation and to instate him in the transportation position during the meeting. Other resignations accepted April 17 were those of secondary-level math teacher Susan Schaub and the retirements of business teacher Lise Weegman and language arts teacher Deb Bently.
A report shared by district food services manager Sara Meihak revealed that the department is apparently having a successful year. Meihak described “farm to table” practices which, she said, have been among the factors which have resulted in increased popularity for school meals. Locally grown foods have been purchased from rural Janesville’s RCR farms, and have been raised by students in the school greenhouse. In addition to providing fresher, better-tasting food, Meihak said, the programs have allowed the food services program to receive more than $55,000 in grants to cover the costs for acquiring it.
This change and others have led to an increase of more than 10,000 meals (breakfasts and lunches) over last year’s numbers, even though all student meals were free last year thanks to federal Covid support.
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By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher
The National Institutes of Health have found that inmates who leave jail or prison are not only likely to begin using drugs again upon release, they are more at risk for death by overdose than other addicts. Even if they may have been forced to “get clean” during incarceration, returning to their former social circles and circumstances often encourages them to pick up old habits.
The Waseca/Steele County “Drug Court” program focuses on helping people whose lives have included drug use to change their habits while also building resources to help them resist the temptations they will inevitably encounter.
Offenders who have been brought into the court system because of drug-related crimes–everything from drug possession or sale, DWI, or even crimes such as burglary which were motivated by a desire to get money to buy drugs–may be referred for consideration for this research-based program.
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By DEB BENTLY
Staff Writer
With a snowstorm brewing and all (other) NRHEG evening events postponed, the Feb. 21 school board meeting soldiered on, even though one school board member and three scheduled presenters were unable to attend.
Official business transacted was light, but included authorizing the superintendent to advertise for a “transportation site manager,” that is, for someone to supervise and manage buses, the bus garages, and related matters. Until now, any leadership in the transportation site has been site specific, rather than covering the full transportation program.
Also enacted was a “Resolution for reduction of programs and positions,” an authorization allowing the school administration to reduce staff, if necessary , based on anticipated enrollment and student needs for the 2023-24 school year.
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By TRISTAN JENSEN
Editorial Assistant
Amy Ihrke, of rural New Richland, was one of three new members elected to the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva School Board for a four-year term which began January 2, 2023.
Ihrke, daughter of Wayne Miller and Karren (Smith) Miller, grew up on the same New Richland farm where she now lives, having taken ownership in 2017 after the death of her father. Her mother now lives in New Richland. Amy married Mike Ihrke in 2004: They have two children: Jace, a tenth-grader at NRHEG, and Taytum. Taytum is married to Chad Erickson and has one child of her own, Ihrke's grandson Nolan. “My family is probably the most important thing to me,” she said. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her children and grandchildren, more so in the summer than the winter, traveling up north together. On the farm the Ihrkes raise cattle, but there is one named Ruby who Amy calls her “pet cow.” Ihrke and her family raised Ruby from infancy, which has given her a special place in Ihrke's heart.
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By RACHEL LOVERINK
Staff Writer
There’s a new District Data Specialist at the NRHEG Elementary School. And since day one on the job (beginning with the 2022-‘23 school year), students and staff alike have been singing Joyce Meldahl’s praises.
Whether it be directing students to the health office or classrooms, supervising, assisting families and visitors, interacting with parents regarding absences, uploading grades, updating contact information or helping students throughout the day with whatever they may need, Meldahl makes sure that each and every student is on track.