Dakota Eismer of Battle Creek is a dedicated mechanic at Barry Motor Company, working to keep Ford vehicles rolling or to get them back in working condition when people (I slowly raise my hand) do bad things to their vehicles. His dedication to Barry Motor and to Ford vehicles has stretched outside his job in the shop. Dakota spent countless hours learning all there is to know about Ford vehicles. This dedication to the Ford brand has earned Dakota Ford Senior Master Technician status, the highest ranking possible, and the awards which go with the honor. Dakota joins just 434 technicians in the Twin Cities Region to be able to include Senior Master Technician with his name.
    A Ford Senior Master Technician is a highly skilled and certified technician who specializes in repairing and maintaining Ford vehicles, according to a browser search for the status. They have completed advanced training programs and have demonstrated their technical expertise through testing and certification processes.
    Along with the new title, Dakota earned the following awards for this achievement: The Senior Master Trophy, 2025 Senior Master Challenge Coin, Senior Master Plaque, 2025 Senior Master Medallion, and 2025 Senior Master Technician Magnet. Dakota also achieved Drivetrain Master which included a plaque and 2025 Ingot.
    From what I could find online, Ford Senior Master Technician requirements in the Twin Cities region of which Barry Motor belongs typically includes a high school diploma, a minimum of 5 years of experience at a Ford or Lincoln dealership, and completion of over 550 hours of Ford training modules covering chassis, drivetrain, and gas/diesel specialties. Candidates must have deep expertise in diagnostics and Ford-specific tools. Just the sheer number of extra hours Dakota has booked to master the workings of Ford vehicles over his 6 years of employment at Barry Motor is quite mind boggling.
    "We did each section whenever the classes opened," commented Dakota on the educational opportunities to get him through the courses. "I like working more on the engine side over, like the AC," he added with much thought when asked his favorite part of being a mechanic.
    "On behalf of Barry Motor Company, Mike, Jean, Brian, and staff would like announce their gratitude to Dakota for his personal commitment to technical excellence and customer satisfaction. We are so proud of you," stated the Barry Motor owners in a press release concerning Dakota.
    Congratulations on your new status, Dakota!

    The Danbury Fire Department will be providing food and entertainment at their annual ladies night out at Dana Hall on Saturday.
    Hors d'oerves will be served starting at 5:30 p.m. The "World Famous" Ribeye steak meal will be served starting around 6:30.
    The cost is $70 per person. Tickets may be purchased from any firefighter or at the door. They may also be purchased at either bank in Danbury or at BlueJay Boutique or Schrank's Bar & Grill.

    The Ram ladies basketball team had a decent season, ending during the regional play to Hinton who earned a trip to State. The ladies worked like a true team throughout the season with different leaders erupting during different games. Before the season ended, one Ram hit a major milestone while two joined her in breaking records held by previous Ram ladies.
    Irelynne McNamara (daughter of Heather McNamara and Cory Johnshoy both of Mapleton) shattered the 500 point milestone and is well on her way to hitting the 1,000 point milestone early in the next season.
    "I did not know I was near that (scoring) milestone," commented McNamara. "I am 298 points away from my 1,000 points."
    Irelynne, along with Bryndall Paterson (daughter of Kristin and Dennis Paterson of Anthon) also broke the record for most steals in a game, Irelynne's versus Missouri Valley and Bryndall's versus Woodbine and both earning 11 steals to break records of 10 steals held by Brooklyn Beery, Emalee Fundermann, Kayla Morgan, Riley Ehlers, Adrienne Elmquist, and Tabby Allen.
    "I try to focus on the ball and look for timing and reading their eyes mostly," explained Irelynne of her ability to intimidate other players and get the ball from her opponents.
    "Irelynne is a very high energy player who always competes to the best of her ability," said Coach Paige Landwehr. "She is our best on ball defender, and always draws the toughest defensive match-up each game. She used her never-quit mentality, high basketball IQ, and athleticism to break the record for most steals in a game."
    Along with steals in a game, Paterson shattered the record for most steals in a season with 121, Kayla Morgan's record of 96 steals from 2012-13. Paterson also fed the ball to teammates throughout the season, breaking the record for most assists in a single game previously held by Trista Ohlmeier (12); she earned 13 assists versus Boyer Valley. She wasn't done, though. Paterson also broke the best field goal percentage for a season with 53.5%, beating the 51.7% record previously held by Fundermann and by Reagan Seuntjens.
    "My trick to stealing the ball is having the patience to read the player and anticipating what they are going to do next," Paterson said. "I'm used to playing aggressive defense because I've played AAU since I was little."
    "Bryndall uses her high basketball IQ, her athleticism, and her high energy to take away passing lanes and generate a lot of steals for us which led her to breaking the record for most steals in a game and most steals in a season," commented Coach Landwehr. "Offensively, Bryndall draws a lot of attention from the defense due to her ability to score at all 3 levels, which opens up her teammates. She also has great vision and makes good decisions with the basketball, which led to her breaking the record for most assists in a game."
    The two were great fun on the court. showing great energy, especially when they worked alongside each other on a full court press.
    "Irelynne and I work well together because of our speed and the way we can play off of each other because we've both played a lot of AAU," added Bryndall. "We can always read each other then decide when the right time is to trap the player to make the steal."
    The Rams had one senior this year. This senior, Maddie Petersen (daughter of Justin Petersen of Danbury and Amanda and Matt Mead of Oto) is leaving her mark in the recordbook, tying the school record for most offensive rebounds in a game, tying former teammate Trista Ohlmeier.
    "This year we didn't have much height advantage which made rebounding a challenge," commented Maddie. "In most games I was the main rebounder and getting to that, I had to get mean. throughout practices we did many different rebounding drills. Doing those drills helped me get to that point. Boxing out and using my strength helped tremendously. Effort is a big key to this as well, knowing that if i didn't try to get it, someone else was going to. Knowing that helped me remember that rebounding was an important part of the game for success."
    "Maddie is an extremely hard worker, who always came to practice and games with a positive attitude and a smile on her face," complimented Coach Landwehr. "She did a great job of doing the little things defensively and rebounding that didn't necessarily show up in the stat sheet. She was our go-to rebounder this season. She was a huge asset to our team, and we wouldn't have had the success we did without her."
    Congratulations to all three ladies.