March 2016

Gilmore City native Levi Peters, who has battled injuries off and on throughout his sports career, has decided to call it a career as an Iowa State University football player. Peters released a statement this morning through the ISU sports information department.Peters, who will graduate in the spring, has endured numerous injuries in his five-year career with the Cyclones. Peters had two surgeries on his right knee prior to enrolling at Iowa State. He’s had his left foot operated on twice and tore his Achilles tendon in his right foot, which also required surgery. A native of Gilmore City, Iowa, Peters has grown into an Iowa State fan favorite with his passion, hustle and tenacity on the football field. He’s also been one of ISU’s most active ambassadors in community service.

ZOLA J. PISEL, 86, Gilmore City, died Thursday, March 3, 2016. Those wishing to send online condolences can send them to masonlindhart@gmail.com and we will see that it gets to the family. Be sure to put the deceased’s name in the subject line.

Chad Graaf of Humboldt has always felt that hard work and perseverance pays off. His work ethic hasn’t gone unnoticed as he was recently named Superintendent of the Year by the Iowa Golf Course Superintendent’s Association of Iowa. Graaf, who is beginning his 11th year at Lakeside Golf Course north of Fort Dodge, received his award at the annual Iowa Turf Grass Show and awards banquet in Cedar Rapids earlier this winter. “It is a pretty neat feeling. It’s good for Lakeside and good for the city of Fort Dodge, obviously, to help grow the game of golf. Anything we can do to promote the game of golf is a positive,” Graaf said. “It’s a nice award for my career and my staff. But I also feel it goes a lot deeper than one person,” Graaf said. See full story in the Humboldt Independent Newspaper. Subscribe for full access to the Independent by clicking the link above today to get started.

Cassie Habben, a combined first and second-grade teacher at Gilmore City-Bradgate Elementary School, wants the public to know her school is planning on being around a long time and a lot of great things are taking place at GC-B. Staff and administration at GC-B are embracing new project-based initiatives to prepare students for the challenging world that awaits. “A lot of people view small schools as waiting to die. That is not us at all," Habben said. A year ago the district, led by the leadership of school superintendent Jeff Herzberg and former principal Val Jergens, implemented Makerspaces into the classroom. It is a concept that allows students to explore, create and invent.