\New Hampton mail carrier Carolyn Geschke delivered the mail a bit  late on Sept. 25.
The 12-year U.S. Postal Service employee was recognized by the postmaster general and others for her actions on the day that she took the time to check on a local resident after noticing a gas leak.

Nearly 20 years ago, Daniel Stephenson began providing lithographs of the United States Constitution for public buildings — now his son, Gary Stephenson, is carrying on that tradition.

     Jurors in a Chickasaw County sexual abuse case heard from experts and friends and family of the defendant on Thursday and Friday.
     Terry L. Schott Sr., 50, of Fredericksburg is standing trial in Chickasaw County District Court on a third-degree sexual abuse charge. He is accused of providing alcohol to a 15-year-old female and then raping her at his home on June 14, 2008.
      On Friday, consulting forensic scientist Thomas Burr testified about the impact of alcohol on memory and other symptoms caused by intoxication. During her testimony early last week, the victim in the rape case reported remembering little after the alleged assault.

     About 20 volunteers with the fire department, city and Aveka Manufacturing in Fredericksburg spend Saturday cleaning up a portion of the Wapsipinicon River near Washington Avenue. Fredericksburg Fire Chief Ray Armbrecht said they cleared enough debris to burn three large piles. “It was a mess,” he added. Most of the debris came from previous flooding.  

NHHS exchange students find common ground with a former Ukrainian compatriot

    Two New Hampton High School foreign exchange students recently discovered they had a few things in common with an Ukrainian-born middle school student.
    Middle school Principal Donita Sweitzer invited Russian native Katya Shasheva and Ukraine native Mariya Kuranova to visit with eighth-grader Sandrah Zeien.
    Zeien, who was adopted at age 4,  took a trip back to the Ukraine in July to attend her biological sister’s wedding.
    “My mom promised that when she got married, they would bring me back for the wedding,” she said.
    The three students shared a mid-morning meal during Zeien’s live skills class and watched a DVD of her trip to the Ukraine.

    At Monday night's meeting the New Hampton City Council approved sale of two issues of general obligation bonds. Both issues were purchased by Banker's Bank, Madison, Wis., along with Luana Savings Bank, New Hampton.
    Series 2009A, totaling $400,000, will be used for the City's portion of the Main Street renewal for $250,000 and the City's share of $150,000 to be used for purchase of a new fire truck.
    The second issue 2009B, for $1,295,000, will be used to redeem outstanding bonds dated Jan. 1, 1999. The reissue will result in a savings to the City of $78,000, due to a lower interest rate.
    The interest rate on 2009B the larger issue is 3.07 percent and 3.51 on 2009A. There were a total of four bidders on the larger issue and three on the lesser one.

     The New Hampton School District is working to balance a shrinking budget and the need for new technology.
     District Technology Coordinator Mary Frese, along with Network and Computer Technician Jeremiah Cantu, reviewed the school’s five-year technology plan at the New Hampton Community School District Board of Education meeting Tuesday.
     “It’s kind of difficult with the financial situation we’re in now to move forward,” said Frese.
      The district is working through an ongoing five-year plan to replace and add to the school’s technology through 2012. Frese explained that the plan is not yet visionary, but instead she called the technology plan “sustaining.”

    A Chickasaw County jury heard testimony on Monday from a Fredericksburg teen who claims she was raped at her friend’s home last summer.
     Terry L. Schott Sr., 50, of Fredericksburg is currently standing trial in Chickasaw County District Court on third-degree sexual abuse charges. Jurors heard two days of testimony earlier this week, with the defense expected to begin presenting its case this afternoon.
     A 16-year-old female was the first to take the stand Monday. The teen, who was 15 at the time of the alleged assault, described for the jury the events of June 14, 2008.
     The teen said she went to the Schott home twice during the day and testified that she visited the home nearly every day because she is friends with the defendant’s two children.

    When Dr. Todd Becker was asked to be the keynote speaker at this year’s New Hampton High School Philomena Meyer Chapter of the National Honor Society Induction Ceremony, he joked that he was the only member in his family not to be a member of the Honor Society.
    That changed on Nov. 10 when his daughter and New Hampton National Honor Society president, Kaylee Becker, presented her father with an honorary membership into the organization. Dr. Becker, who is a dentist in New Hampton,  used dental terminology and analogy to motivate students to continue working toward their goals in life. Becker has two other children who were also inducted into the Philomena Meyer Chapter of the National Honor Society.

      The Chickasaw County K9 Unit, led by Deputy “Ringo,” has recently fallen under budget reallocation, and now the unit is operated by the personal finances of handler Reed Palo, one of Chickasaw County’s deputy sheriffs.
      Therefore, fundraising efforts are being coordinated immediately to begin sustaining K9 Deputy Ringo’s monthly expenses. All proceeds of these events will go to the “Fill the Dog Dish” fund.
      The Chickasaw County K9 Unit will be hosting a series of community-minded fundraising events in six Chickasaw County communities in November to assist in raising needed funds. Families are invited to bring children and pets to area fire departments to take holiday photos with Santa in front of their local fire engine for a free-will donation. Photos will be e-mailed to participants to be printed for holiday cards or used as gifts. Local firefighters will be on hand assisting with the coordination of the fundraising events.

There were few surprises in the New Hampton city election on Tuesday as incumbents in the mayor and city council races were re-elected.

An Honor Flight trip to the World War II Memorial and other monuments in Washington, D.C., brought back many memories for a group of local men.

 A line stretched down the New Hampton High School hallway on Thursday evening as students waited to receive the H1N1 vaccination. About 500 vaccinations were administered in the first school clinic to be held by Chickasaw County Public Health.

    After several weeks of lengthy discussions and some heated bantering, the Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on Monday, Oct. 12, to make the county attorney’s position full time, effective on the first of 2010.
    “This discussion has got to be about the county attorney going from part time to full time and the monetary amount,” said Board Chairman Virgil Pickar, Jr. “Anyone who can not stay within the parameters of those two things, I’m going to ask them to excuse themselves from not only voting, but also the discussion of this issue, and that pertains to myself as well.”
    The Board also discussed whether the county attorney’s workload warranted a change from part-time to full-time status.

    Chickasaw County Public Health Director Kathy Babcock reported Wednesday that the H1N1 virus is in the county and schools.
    “It is here ... H1N1 is in the county. It’s in the schools. I don’t know how many cases there are at this time,” said Babcock.
    The pubic health nurse and director said the H1N1 vaccine is arriving in Chickasaw County; however, the shipments are small.
    “It is coming in at small increments. I don’t have control over this. People are calling, and we are getting overwhelmed with requests for the vaccine. I can’t do a clinic because the supplies are so limited,” said Babcock.
    The Center for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that children and young adults age 6 months through 24 years be vaccinated against 2009 H1N1 as soon as the vaccine is available.