Memorial Day Goerend NFV...

they’ve
ceremony ordained graduated
A-2 A-13 A-13 & 14

The Union
FAYETTE COUNTY

WEDNESDAY,
S MAY 29,
29 2019
20 9 U FayetteCountyNewspapers.com West Union, Iowa $1.50

Care, relationships drive new

Gundersen Palmer Lutheran CEO
Patrice Kuennen under-
stands the power of positive
relationships.
“Our patients’ needs
and our community’s health
drives everything we do,” the
new chief executive officer
(CEO) at Gundersen Palmer
Lutheran Hospital and
Clinics shares. “Listening
to our neighbors, caring for
them and supporting them
creates a healthier commu-
nity for everyone.”
Kuennen, a Waucoma
native, has been with
Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Patrice Kuennen
since 2012, most recent-
ly serving as chief nurs-
ing officer, a role she will continue until a replacement is
hired. “Patrice values the knowledge and contributions of
every member of the Gundersen Palmer Lutheran team,”
says Garith Steiner, vice president, Gundersen Health System
Critical Access Hospitals and Clinics. “Her knowledge of pa-
tient care and relationships with the people who provide the
care make her an ideal fit.”
Kuennen joined Gundersen Palmer Lutheran as a
staff nurse and soon after led the Medical/Surgical unit as
nurse manager, and she later became chief nursing officer
in 2017. Prior to her care for patients at Gundersen Palmer
Lutheran, she was a nurse leader at Covenant Medical Center
in Waterloo, where she served as manager in the NICU and
Pediatric unit.
“We’ve cared for patients and our community very well
for many years,” Kuennen closed. “I’m honored to be selected Brad Punke, UniLock territory manager, met with city officials (second from left, l-r) Nick McIntyre, city administrator;
for this role, and I’m excited to continue to work alongside Adam Keller, mayor; and Kennon Gumm, city councilman, about the high-failure rate of pavers in the downtown district
the great Gundersen Palmer Lutheran clinicians and staff of West Union. (Chris DeBack photo)
to support their care for our patients, their families and our
community.”

Fox files lawsuit against

WU continues to seek
City of West Union
By CHRIS DEBACK
answers to pavers’ issues
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com By CHRIS DEBACK ager, to show them the extent started turning tours away After the tour, the
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com to which the pavers continue because of the conditions of group met in the basement
Former West Union po- to fail. the pavers. of Fehr Graham’s office to
lice officer Sierra Fox is su- The City of West During the short tour, “It’s like this all over,” further discuss the issue.
ing the City of West Union Union met with represen- Punke was able to take McIntyre said to Punke as “As you can see we are
in Fayette County District tatives from Unilock and pictures of the failing pav- they looked at some Pavers falling behind,” McIntyre
Court for sexual harass- Culvers on Thursday, May explained. “I guess we are
ment, sexual discrimination, 23, to continue discussions “It’s like this all over,” here just to ask you what
and retaliation. She is asking about why pavers are fail- can Unilock do for us?”
for a jury trial. ing in West Union’s down- McIntyre said to Mayor Keller noted
She has also named town district. Punke as they looked to Punke that they want
West Union police chief Paul Adam Keller, mayor; at some Pavers on Elm to continue to show off the
Becthold and West Union Kennon Gumm, city coun- downtown district.
City Administrator Nick Sierra Fox cilman; Nick McIntyre, Street. “We are see- “We want to bring
McIntyre as defendants. city administrator; and Jon ing a higher-failure people in again and say,
Fox’s attorney, Katie Ervin Carlson, submitted the formal Biederman, Fehr Graham rate and that’s why we ‘Hey, here is our street. We
petition to Fayette County District Court today (Tuesday, May Engineering, walked had issues but it is fixed
21). The petition lays out the same information that has been around South Vine Street
wanted to have an- and everyone is happy,’”
reported in previous stories. by Biederman’s office and other conversation.” Keller said. “We continue
Fox claimed, in her letter of resignation from the West Elm Street by Winers with to show it off, and it helps
Union Police Department, that Becthold made derogatory Brad Punke, Unilock ter- ers. McIntyre noted to him on Elm Street. “We are see- you out more than it actu-
comments about women, that he witnessed and ignored sex- ritory manager; and Nick that they used to host a lot ing a higher-failure rate and See PAVERS’ ISSUES
ual harassment, ignored her requests to attend K-9 training, Jensen, Culver’s Lawn and of tours of the Streetscape that’s why we wanted to have continued A-2
Landscaping project man- project, but that the City has another conversation.”
See FOX LAWSUIT
continued A-14

Renewable energy showcased during Reynolds visit

By CHRIS DEBACK
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com
A day after signing
the Empower Rural Iowa
Act, Iowa governor Kim
Reynolds made a stop in
West Union and visited with
a couple local businesses.
Reynolds started her
tour at the West Union
Chamber — A Main Street
Community’s office before
heading over to Euphoria
Coffee’s new location on Elm
Street, in the former Iowa
Food Hub building. While
the location is currently un-
der construction, Nick Yost,
Euphoria Coffee owner, did
have a sample of his coffee
for the governor to taste. He
also gave her a bag of coffee
to take back with her to Des
Moines.
Yost spoke with the gov-
ernor about how he got his
start roasting coffee beans,
which led to him and his wife
opening the coffee shop that
is currently located across
the street from the Fayette
County Fairgrounds. Yost
added that he is compet-
ing in the Main Street Iowa
Open 4 Business Contest,
and he should know if he
moves on to regionals some-
time in June. If he makes it
through regionals he will
be one of five businesses in
the running for $25,000. He
would be using the money
he wins from the Open 4
Business contest to help with
his transition to downtown.
Reynolds then made her
way to Bank 1st to view the
organizations solar array.
As she was walking through
downtown West Union
Jon Biedermann and Dick
Woodward took some time
to talk about the Streetscape
project, as well as the Upper
Story Housing project that
have been completed in the
last decade.
When she arrived at
Bank 1st, she was greeted by
its staff and received a small
presentation on the solar ar-
ray, the banks conversion to
geothermal, and changing
to LED lights from Derek
Heins.
“This is at least my sec-
ond visit [to West Union],
and I have just been so im-
pressed at the leadership
position when it comes to re-
newable energy and just the
forward thinking the com-
munity has put in place,” she
said. “As I visited a couple of
businesses, I loved how they
talked about sourcing local. I
love how they have taken the
geothermal and expanded
to solar. I think that is really
being prudent, responsible,
and innovative. As I signed
the Empower Rural Iowa Bill
yesterday this community is
a great example that we can
highlight to other communi-
ties across the state to what
you can do in the area of re-
newable energy.”
The state will be holding
See GOVERNORS VISIT Jon Biederman (left), Fehr-Graham Engineering, and Dick Woodward (right) speak to Iowa
continued A-2 governor Kim Reynolds about the Streetscape and Upper Housing Story projects that were
completed in the last decade. (Chris DeBack photo)

this week’s
U Connecting Our Community!
ONE SECTION
Local News/Society/Sports ..... Sec. A
June SOCCER
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Calendar TODAY’S LOW: 58°
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Let’s ks! Saturday

Hardee’s Tiger
Haw
Monday
Tuesday
JUNE 2019
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday 1
SB Tournam

11 a.m. -
ent NFV

BB V/JV
vs. New Hampto
n
Chance of rain 60%.
Fareway ~ Decorah Sunday

6
7
SB V @ Jesup
Tournament

BB JV
8
SB V @ Jesup

9 a.m. - SB
Tournament

JV @
Clayton Ridge
5
Day of School 10 a.m. -
4 2 p.m. - Last @ Postville BB V @ Cascade
11 a.m. -
3 e Co-Ed Golf m. - BB V/JV