Miss Iowa visits Knoxville VA
Miss Iowa 2008 was at the Knoxville VA Campus Wednesday during an annual visit to our area veterans. Olivia Myers thanked veterans for their service and gave a tap-dance performance. Knoxville 7th grader Ben Thomas also won first place in the VA’s 2009 essay contest and received a $500 savings bond.
Central College recognized for community service
Central College has once again been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for distinguished general community service. Director of Community-Based Learning Cheri Doane says this recognizes Central’s effort to be engaged in the community. The college received the honor for the third consecutive year.
Students perform well on ITBS and ITED
Pella Community School District students flexed their academic prowess in a number of areas, according to the latest standardized test scores. The district recently received results from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and Iowa Test of Educational Development taken this past November. Director of Instruction Lowell Ernst says students again scored in a high range especially in the science area. Over 51 percent of 11th grade students scored above the 90th percentile in science.
Five Star changes name
The former Five Star Industries plant in Knoxville has a new name and continues to offer the same quality products. That’s according to Pat Weiler, president and CEO of the Weiler plant. Weiler says the plant’s products already had the Weiler brand on them, so the name change was planned to increase consistency.
Pella Corporation hosts engineering night for students
Area students will visit Pella Corporation tonight to learn more about engineering. The company will host an event called Discover Engineering. Organizational Development Specialist Carrie Baird says 143 fifth-through-eighth students and 126 parents signed-up for the event, which is part of the PEERS Project. PEERS, or Pella Corporation’s Engineering Educational Resources for Schools, is a partnership with Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa.
Hospitals looks back at a successful 2008
A Knoxville doctor returning home to practice medicine, fundraising success, and new technology were some of the big strides Knoxville Hospital and Clinics made in 2008. Hospital spokeswoman Katrina Nelson says the hospital added Dr. Dan Rowley to the medical staff, has purchased new patient amenities and beds, and installed state-of-the-art C-arm technology to aid in surgical procedures.
Nation marks Lincolns birthday
The nation celebrates the bicentennial birthday of Abraham Lincoln. The 16th President of the United States was born February 12, 1809 in Kentucky. Pella native and Lincoln Historian Dr. Ron Rietveld is a member of the advisory board to the national Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and has been involved with the planning for this occasion. He
says the Iowa portion of the celebration started with the Lincoln Exhibit last fall at the Scholte House in Pella.
Senior activity program plans trip to Nashville
The Marion County Senior Activity program is heading to Nashville, Tenn. this March. Senior Program Manager Dawn Beaver says the group will take a guided tour of Nashville, see the Country Music Hall of Fame and see shows including The Grand Ole Opry and Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theatre.
This is American Heart Month
February is American Heart Month and the Knoxville Recreation Center offers a variety of measurements and activities to keep residents healthy. Fitness Coordinator Trish Wadle says the center offers Body Mass Index for members as one way to determine if they are at risk for cardiovascular disease. Wadle says the center’s recreation programs all help residents get the recommended 30 minutes of daily moderate physical activity.
Central hosts Singfest today
A few area high schools will participate in Singfest today at Central College. According to Central, students will have the opportunity to attend workshops and rehearsals throughout the day. An evening concert is at 7:00 p.m. at Douwstra Auditorium. The performance is free and open to the public. Local participating schools include Pella, Melcher-Dallas, Twin Cedars and North Mahaska.