NR Clinic welcomes new nurse practitioner
- Details
- Hits: 5979
PRACTITIONER - The New Richland clinic welcomed Wendy Trihus as the new nurse practioner back in November to replace Allison Berg-Heinemann. (Star Eagle photo by Melanie Piltingsrud)
By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD
Contributing Writer
The New Richland Mayo Clinic has a new nurse practitioner. Wendy Trihus has been caring for patients there since November.
Trihus grew up in Northwood, Iowa, and now lives east of Geneva with her husband, John, who works as a custom farmer. Trihus was working at the Mayo Clinic branch in Wells when she was asked if she’d like to take the New Richland branch. “It was much closer to home,” she said.
Trihus started out studying general requirements at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Iowa. Following that, she received a two-year nursing degree from Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, and finished her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Briar Cliff in Sioux City, Iowa, a university with a Catholic Franciscan basis.
“In the beginning I was a nursing home nurse,” says Trihus, “and then I did some hospital nursing and home care nursing, and then I did public health visits.”
Having worked as a nurse for a number of years, Trihus decided it was time to work independently. She enrolled at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., working as a home health nurse in Council Bluffs, and then switching to hospital nursing until she finished her degree in 2004.
The frozen celebration arrives
- Details
- Hits: 3723
Snow Week coronation rescheduled
Snow Week at NRHEG will be held Feb. 11-15. Coronation will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 2:35 p.m. in the high school gym. The Snow Court will be introduced, the Snow Queen and Snow King will be crowned and winter sports coaches will speak about the teams. Royalty candidates are, front from left: Hannah Budach, Caitlin Goette, Darian Pearson, Sydney Schlinger, Caty Nelson, and Karenna Strom. Back: Aaron Fleming, Jack Hogstad, Devin Buendorf, Jacob Schuller, and Andre Hill. Missing from photo: Spencer Tufte. Due to school closing on Tuesday, Feb. 12, the Snow Week Coronation program has been rescheduled for 2:25pm on Friday, Feb. 15, in the high school gym. Coronation will immediately follow the talent show, which will run from 1:10 p.m. to approximately 2:20 p.m. (Submitted photo)
NRHEG cheerleaders ring in new year in style
- Details
- Hits: 2922
Trip to England memorable for Worrell, Westrum, Hill
UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE — From left, NRHEG cheerleaders Avery Hill, Laura Worrell and Hailey Westrum recently traveled to England. (Star Eagle photo by Melanie Piltingsrud)
By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD
Contributing Writer
Seniors Laura Worrell and Hailey Westrum, and sophomore, Avery Hill spent their holiday break from NRHEG High School in style – with a trip to London.
The girls are on a number of cheer teams at NRHEG, and last June they participated in a two-day cheer camp with the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA). At the cheer camp, they competed with a cheer routine for the opportunity to visit London, England with their cheer coach Kari Buendorf, and perform in the London New Year’s Day Parade. UCA chooses winners based on cleanness, tightness, and how well the cheerleaders learned the routine.
According to the girls, they practice every day. “We have three different teams going on right now,” said Westrum, “our Winter Sideline, Wrestling and Performance.” According to the girls, there are 14 cheerleaders on Winter Sideline, eight on Wrestling and 18 on Performance. These girls are on all the teams, so they had good reason to win the UCA competition.
The cheerleaders left for London on Dec. 26, returning Jan. 2. In the meantime, they saw just about all the important sites in London.
On Friday, the day after their arrival, they toured Windsor Castle, Hill’s favorite part of the trip. She enjoyed walking around the castle and the grounds with a recorded tour guide and headphones.
The Olson miracle
- Details
- Hits: 3988
Ambulance crew credited for lifesaving efforts
TOGETHER AGAIN — Front left to right: Robert “Kim” Olson and Kimberly Olson. Back: Sam Morgan, Sarah Sundve, Chad Neitzel, Dylan Arnold and Sara Jo Vulcan. (Submitted photo)
Publishers’s note: The following is an account from last Thanksgiving written by Kimberly Olson.
The Olson family Thanksgiving began as a typical one, with plenty of food and plenty of children.
With our table for 12 filled we took turns at saying what we were each thankful for. This has become an annual tradition. Mr. Olson always saves his speech for last. He listed the many family blessings we had received since the previous Thanksgiving — from two weddings of our children and the addition of their spouses to the family, to the graduation of several more children. He spoke of another daughter, Melanie, who had just recently moved back home after making a few changes in her life. He ended his talk by saying that he was also thankful all of his loved ones including himself were healthy and that none of us were celebrating the holiday from a hospital bed. I had no idea what things he had just prophesied and how much things would soon be changing. Later that evening, after the last of our adult children left, we decided to call it a night and head to bed.
Our sleep only lasted about an hour and a half with my husband waking to indigestion. He asked if I had any antacids. In what must have been milliseconds I uncharacteristically chose calmly to call 911, giving our names and location and stating my husband might be having a heart attack. I wasn't panicked at all as I thought the problem was probably just that last piece of pie. My husband didn't have a history of needing antacids, but it was Thanksgiving after all.
A bounty of learning
- Details
- Hits: 2828
Hydroponics provide fresh vegetables, practical experience for students
NUTRITOWER - Dan Sorum has always been looking for ways to further educational opportunities in school. His newest venture, hydroponic towers, are courtesy of several grants. (Star Eagle photo by Jim Lutgens)
By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD
Contributing Writer
What would you do if you wanted to grow beautiful, fresh produce in your kitchen all year round? You’d get a hydroponic tower. Dan Sorum, ag educator at NRHEG, has done just that for his students this year.
Sorum already helps his students plant the school garden in the spring, but he also wanted to teach students how to grow plants hydroponically. He wrote grants to attain the money to purchase three $1,100 hydroponic towers for his classes from a company in Ontario, Canada called Nutritower
The company sent along seed packets, which Sorum planted in one of the towers during the first week of school as his “test tower.” Growing on that tower now are several plants each of kale, miniature tomatoes and cucumbers, basil and lettuce. “Basically, the idea was to raise this one with the intention of seeing how it works,” says Sorum. “The cucumbers do take over a little more than I thought they would, so next time I do cucumbers I’m going to have them in their own tower.”
Sorum soon involved the students in the project, and all three towers were up and running.
The full spectrum fluorescent lights toward the inside of the towers provides light for the plants, so lack of sunlight is no problem. Sorum said it was really bright in the room at first when all three towers were lit up, but leafy plants soon began to tone that down.