Kristi and Josh Giesemann of Cumming have been going to track meets all Spring, cheering on their kids as they raced with other athletes in Class 4A. On May 14th they joined other parents in cheering their kids on at their district meet in Indianola. Their kids, Jamison and Kinzie gave their all, and that helped their medley races advance to the state meet May 21st-23rd.
    Jamison, a senior during the track season, advanced to State in three events, the 4x200, the Sprint Medley, and the Distance Medley, his favorite of the three races. At State, he and his fellow Warriors placed 24th in the Sprint Medley and 13th in the Distance Medley with a season best time of 3:31.49. Unfortunately, they were disqualified in the 4x200.
    "I love the different distances in that relay the most," he said of the Distance Med. The race combines four runners, the first two running 200 meters each, the next running 400 meters, and the final running twice around the track for 800 meters.
    While all positions on relay teams are important, the second and third might have more pressure as they not only receive the baton, but they also have to hand it off. Thus they have two chances to be involved in droppage or handing off at the wrong time. Jamison said that the team uses lots of practice and communication to keep the baton in the hands of the runners.
    "A lot of us have been running together 4+ years," explained. "That builds pretty strong friendships and a team mindset."
    This final track meet for Jamison was very much not his first meet at Drake University, the home of the state track meet. In 2025 he ran the 4x100 and the 4x200 at the Drake Relays, a competition that pits athletes from more than just their class together. Jamison also ran the Distance Medley and 4x100 and placed 4th in the Sprint Medley in the state competition last year. This year he and his fellow runners ran the 4x200 at the Drake Relays, placing 4th.
    Why does Jamison enjoy running in track? Well...
    "I love the competition," he said. "It's a lot of hard work, and I love the drive it takes. A lot of us train together during the off season, and that extra effort has shown. Our coach is a great leader, and we're surrounded by an awesome coaching staff. They're always challenging us, supporting us - they just want what's best for us both on and off the track."
    Jamison will be attending University of Northern Iowa in the Fall. While he won't be running on a track, he will be running with his teammates as he plays rugby. Best of luck to you.
    Jamison's little sister Kinzie also spent time on the track at State this year, but her stints were mere seconds of actual run time. As a member of the 4x100, each runner only runs 100 meters which takes somewhere around 10 seconds to complete. The ladies placed 23rd in the preliminaries.
    While she was a sophomore during the track season, she also was not unfamiliar with the Drake track. She and her teammates qualified for the Drake relays both her freshman and her sophomore years. Did these extra meets help Kinzie with her big race at State, her first time competing in the track finale?
    "Yes, it helped," she said. Running at Drake relays sort of prepares you for State because you're familiar with that track and the big atmosphere.But, you still get nervous!"
    Kinzie had an advantage over many tracksters, the power of teammates in her race so that she wasn't alone. Like her brother, she had to receive the baton and then hand it off to another teammate. She, however, had just 100 meters to grab and get rid of the baton. How do they coordinate these motions?
    "We typically work on it during practice weekly and right before the race," she explained. "Some of us have handed off to each other since 7th grade, so that builds a strong connection."
    That strong connection definitely works for this team!
    A junior at Norwalk in the Fall, Kinzie will be running for the Warriors her final two years of high school.
    "I like to compete," She commented. "I also like my teammates and enjoy meeting new athletes to run against at meets."
    The kids of Kristi and Josh Giesemann, they are grandchildren of Barb and Doug Moser of Danbury and of Karen and Jim Giesemann of Dubuque.

    Main Street will be a bit congested and a bit closed on Saturday for awhile. While thunderstorms are forecast for Saturday evening, the day appears to be clear for the morning and afternoon, perfect for some roadtripping.
    The third annual All Wheels Poker Run will be held this weekend. The event will start and end at Dana Hall.
    Registration will be held from 9:30 until 11:00 with the ride beginning at 11:00. Registration is $30 with $10 for an extra hand. Cash prizes will be awarded to the best hands.Food and drinks will also be held at the poker run. The winners will be announced at 5:30.
    Proceeds will be donated to Dana Hall and the Carlson Frum American Legion of Danbury. Neither Dana Hall nor the Legion are responsible for injuries or damages.

    Buried treasure isn't just in storybooks - it's right beneath our feet! Join Cord Memorial Library for an exciting, hands-on archaeology education event where we explore how modern technology helps us uncover forgotten pieces of local history. Discover how metal detectors are used by researchers as vital tools to locate, preserve, and study historic artifacts that have been lost to time and buried in the ground.
    Whether you are a history buff, a curious student, or an aspiring scout, this event will change the way you look at the dirt under your boots! Come to Cord Memorial Library on Wednesday, June 24 at 1:30 p.m. The event is hosted by the Sioux City Railroad Museum, Railway Archaeology Project 13WD206.
    Learn how metal detectors work and why archaeologists use them to map out historical sites. Get an up-close look at actual items recovered by the Railway Archaeology Project 13WD206 and learn how they piece together the story of Iowa's railroad past. Watch a metal detector in action and learn the proper, respectful ways to recover buried history without damaging the surrounding environment.
    Did You Know? The code 13WD206 is a unique state archaeological site number. "13" stands for Iowa, "WD" stands for Woodbury County, and "206" is the specific historic site being meticulously documented by the Sioux City Railroad Museum!
    This event is free and open to all ages. Come ready to learn, ask questions, and dig into the past!

    American flags flying high are true patriotic symbols. However, after awhile these flags get weather worn and need to be retired. The proper disposal of worn out flags is to find a legion who takes care of the disposal. In our area, that is the McNiff Legion Post in Anthon.
    The Legion will be holding their annual flag retirement ceremony on Saturday at 1:30 at the Anthon Event Center.
    If you have any flags that need retiring, they may be left in the box outside the Anthon Legion Hall, and the legion will take care of the flag.
    All are welcome to attend the ceremony.

    Despite rain falling throughout Saturday, Oto Days went on as planned. Some of the events suffered as people stayed home instead of wandering in the rain Saturday afternoon, but the evening proved to be very nice, and morning activities were indoors so were not affected.
    Friday night went well. The kids enjoyed the foam party. The designated area was filled with foam, smiles, and lots of laughter.
    Photo posted on Facebook by Oto Pub and Grub.