Author: Chris Baldus

Newspaperman, professionally, since 1991 Husband since 1992 Father since 2001, triplets plus two States I've lived in: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Idaho and Iowa Graduate of Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minn. An offensive lineman who dreamed big
Nashua Post

Nashua AM Update: Pleasant temps today

Chris Baldus

Good morning, Nashua-area readers. It’s Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022. Happy Thankgiving Today’s weather will be mostly sunny early, then becoming cloudy, with a temperature rising to near 45 by noon, then falling to around 36 during the remainder of the day. South wind 5 to 14 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph. Tonight it will be partly cloudy, with a low around 25. Northwest wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Friday will be sunny, with a high near 49. West wind 6 to 10 mph. Continue reading Nashua AM Update: Pleasant temps today

Oelwein Post

Oelwein update (Nov. 24): Temps in the 40s, Huskies bowling wins and more

Chris Baldus

Good morning, Oelwein area readers. It’s Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022. Happy Thanksgiving. • WEATHER: NICE THANKSGIVING TEMPS Today will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 49 and a south wind 7 to 14 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Tonight will be Partly cloudy, with a low around 25, and a northwest wind 7 to 14 mph. (Extended Forecast) • SPORTS: HUSKIES BOWLING WINS The Oelwein boys bowling team opened its season with a win on Tuesday at the Super Bowl in Forest City. The Huskies defeated the Forest City Indians 2,632 to 2,571. Senior Austin Espe lead the … Continue reading Oelwein update (Nov. 24): Temps in the 40s, Huskies bowling wins and more

Charles City Post, Nashua Post, Oelwein Post

High school girls basketball scoreboard

Chris Baldus

Sumner-Fredericksburg 55, Charles City 36 The Cougars opened their season with 19 points in the first quarter on Tuesday in Charles City. They held the Comets to 7. By halftime their lead was 35-14. Sophomore Saela Steege led S-F scorers with 16 points followed by junior Isabelle Elliott (14), senior Alivia Lange (9), junior Jana Meyer (9), senior Abby Zabel (4), junior Alivia Seehase (2) and sophomore Brielle Volker (1). Charles City statistics were not immediately available. Oelwein 76, Postville 26 The Huskies 50-point season-opening home victory over the Pirates on Tuesday snapped a nine game losing streak dating back … Continue reading High school girls basketball scoreboard

Oelwein Post

Ossian man struck and killed on road north of West Union

Chris Baldus

An Ossian man watching his car being pulled out of a ditch was struck and killed Monday night north of West Union. The incident is under investigation. Guadalupe Salgado Bernal, 54, was pronounced dead at the scene in the 27000 block of Lincoln Road. According to a Fayette County Sheriff’s Office news release it received a report at 6:28 p.m. Nov. 21, about an SUV stoking a pedestrian on Lincoln Road north of West Union. When deputies arrived, they found that Bernal had put his car in the ditch and a nearby resident was using a tractor to pull it … Continue reading Ossian man struck and killed on road north of West Union

Nashua Post

N-P announces Honor Rolls for end of last school year

Chris Baldus

Nashua-Plainfield High School announced its second semester Honor Rolls on Monday. These are for the last half of the 2021-22 school year. A Honor Rolls 9th Grade — Ty Berger, Bailey Bond, Maverick Dietz-McDonald, Faith Franzen, Paige Franzen, Grace Gelner, Amberley Gerholdt, Josslynn Glaser, Zachary Hauser, Kadence Huck , Cale Jensen, Isaac Jones, Callahan Levi, Marleigh Lowe , Jennifer McLeland, Avery Novak, Luke Paplow, Easton Richards, Jayden Rinken, Quinton Rosol and Caleb Sinnwell 10th Grade — Dylan Blanchard, Dawson Demro, Isabella Dietz, Tucker Franzen, Jordyn Frost, Trae Geise, Micaiah Groothuis, Hunter Hackman, Payton Howland, Caleb Lentz, Danielle Long, Maci Malven, … Continue reading N-P announces Honor Rolls for end of last school year

Oelwein Post

Oelwein AM Update (Nov. 30)

Chris Baldus

Good morning, Oelwein area readers. It’s Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. • WEATHER: Today will be mostly sunny, with a high near 46. Light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Tonight will be mostly clear, with a low around 20. South wind 3 to 7 mph. Wednesday will be sunny, with a high near 47. South wind 3 to 8 mph. • COMMUNITY: The Oelwein FFA led the Feed a Family program and donated 30 boxes of food to local families. • SPORTS: • The Oelwein varsity bowling teams travel to Forest City today for a … Continue reading Oelwein AM Update (Nov. 30)

Nashua Post

Nashua AM update (Nov. 22): Warmer today & tomorrow

Chris Baldus

Good morning, Nashua area readers. It’s Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022 • WEATHER: Today will gradually become sunny with a high near 46 and a lIght south wind, according to the National Weather Service. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 18. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Wednesday will be Sunny, again with a high near 46. • SPORTS: The Nashua-Plainfield varsity girls basketball team opens its season tonight in Tripoli. Tip off is at 7:30 p.m. • CALENDAR: Thanksgiving break for area school begins Wednesday. Classes resume Monday. Continue reading Nashua AM update (Nov. 22): Warmer today & tomorrow

Oelwein Post

WV coach gets national recognition

Chris Baldus

The NICL-East volleyball Coach of the Year, Wapsie Valley’s Austin Shepherd, has also been recognized by a national coaching association. The American Volleyball Coaches Association chose Shepherd as a 2022 Class of 30 Under 30 High School Award recipient. The program was established in 2009 to honor up-and-coming coaching talent at all levels of the sport, and was expanded in 2016 to include a category for high school coaches. This year’s 30 recipients are a diverse group, ranging from head to assistant coaches, varsity to JV coaches, and girls to boys coaches. They represent schools in 18 different states and … Continue reading WV coach gets national recognition

Oelwein Post

Deputies arrest Maynard man on gun charge, Randalia woman over drugs

Chris Baldus

Fayette County Sheriff’s deputies arrest a Maynard man and a Randalia woman on felony charges over the weekend in separate incidents. On Friday, Nov. 18, a deputy arrested Dalton Bunn, 24, of Maynard on a valid Clayton County arrest warrant for charge of felon in possession of a firearm. Bunn was transported to the Fayette County jail and later transported to Clayton County Jail. On Sunday, Nov. 20,a deputy initiated a traffic stop at 12:49 a.m. on 2000 Chevrolet S20 truck for a traffic infraction. After further investigation, the driver Samantha Kay Darling, age 47 of Randalia, was arrested and … Continue reading Deputies arrest Maynard man on gun charge, Randalia woman over drugs

Oelwein Post

More weather and deer-related crashes in Fayette County

Chris Baldus

Weather contributed to crashes in rural parts of Fayette County last week, and a deer caused one this morning, according to the Sheriff’s Office. On Friday, Nov. 18, just before 6 a.m., a white Ford Ranger was traveling west on Golden Road when due to weather conditions the vehicle lost control, crossed the center line, rolled over into the ditch and came to rest on its side. No injuries were reported and vehicle was towed from the scene. Snow was falling at the time of the crash. The accident remains under investigation. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 9:30 a.m, a … Continue reading More weather and deer-related crashes in Fayette County

Oelwein Post

Oelwein AM update (Nov. 19): Girls wrestling gets season started

Chris Baldus

Good morning. It’s Saturday, Nov. 19. • Girls wrestling gets winter sports started — Oelwein, East Buchanan, Sumner-Fredericksburg are among the teams competing at a girls wrestling tournament this morning in Independence. For live results, click here. • Subzero wind chills today — Today will be partly sunny, blustery and cold, with a chance of flurries. Temperatures will drop to around 15 by 5 p.m. with wind chills nearly 5 below zero. Northwest wind gusts could be as 40 mph. Winds will slow down slight tonight, with wind gusts around 30 mph. The temperatures will drop to around 5 with … Continue reading Oelwein AM update (Nov. 19): Girls wrestling gets season started

Charles City Post

CC area AM update (Nov. 19): County Board winner quits; girls wrestling gets season started; wind chills go subzero

Chris Baldus

Good morning Charles City area. It’s Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, and here’s what’s happening in local news. • Subzero wind chills today — Today will be partly sunny, blustery and cold, with a chance of flurries. Temperatures will drop to around 15 by 5 p.m. with wind chills nearly 5 below zero. Northwest wind gusts could be as 40 mph. Winds will slow down slight tonight, with wind gusts around 30 mph. The temperatures will drop to around 5 with a wind chill of nearly 10 below. Sunday will be warmer, with a high near 34 but the wind chill … Continue reading CC area AM update (Nov. 19): County Board winner quits; girls wrestling gets season started; wind chills go subzero

Charles City Post, Nashua Post, Oelwein Post

Be prepared for dangerous cold days through the weekend

Chris Baldus

Good morning. It’s Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. HAZARDOUS WEATHER: Winds chills tonight will be in the single digits below zero, according to The National Weather Service. Today’s high temperature should reach about 18 under cloudy skies, but it will be blustery. Periodic light snow will be continue into the evening. Total accumulation could be about an inch. Saturday through Thanksgiving, snow will gradually taper off to flurries on Saturday morning. Little, if any, accumulations are expected. Wind chills on Saturday night will range from 5 to 15 below zero. Learn more about the impact of cold on the body by … Continue reading Be prepared for dangerous cold days through the weekend

Oelwein Post

Oelwein and West Union men sent to prison over drug crimes

Chris Baldus

Men from Oelwein and West Union were sent to prison this week after pleading guilty to felony drug charges in separate cases in Fayette County District Court. Here are some recently concluded felony cases: Thomas Daniel Wilds, 28, of Oelwein, pleaded guilty Nov. 15 to the Class D felonies of third-offense possession of methamphetamine and third-offense possession of marijuana and was sentenced by District Court Judge John Sullivan to a pair of concurrent prison terms of up to five years. Four other counts were dismissed. Fines and surcharges, which exceeded $2,000 total, were suspended. Vanessa Lynn Wilson, 38, of Oelwein, … Continue reading Oelwein and West Union men sent to prison over drug crimes

Nashua Post

Nashua AM Update (Nov. 17): Colder weather on tap, Santa accepting letters, schools on break next week

Chris Baldus

Good morning. Today is Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. Here’s what’s happening in the Nashua area. CLOUDY, WINDY AND COLDER –– Clouds will thicken throughout the day, but the chance of snow will decrease from 40% before 5 p.m. to 20% until 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The high temperature will be near 29 while a west wind blows at 11-18 mph, with gusts as high as 29. The low tonight will be around 13 as a northwest wind of around 15 mph will gust as high as 26 mph. Friday will be colder and blustery. The wind … Continue reading Nashua AM Update (Nov. 17): Colder weather on tap, Santa accepting letters, schools on break next week

Oelwein Post

Monona man, 18, charged in West Union burglaries

Chris Baldus

A Monona man is facing multiple charges related to burglaries reported in West Union in late October. Mason Lee Schroeder, 18, of Monona, is charged with two counts of second-degree burglary, four counts of third-degree burglary from a motor vehicle, three counts of attempted third-degree burglary from a vehicle/vessel, and one count each of second- and fourth-degree theft. He made his initial appearance in Fayette County District Court on Oct. 27, and bail was set at $25,000 cash or surety. According to the criminal complaint filed by West Union Police, Schroeder was spotted through security cameras trying to enter two … Continue reading Monona man, 18, charged in West Union burglaries

Charles City Post

CC man pleads guilty to 3rd domestic assault, placed on probation

Chris Baldus

Logan Justin Pfertzel, 29, of Charles City, pleaded guilty Oct. 27 in Floyd County District Court to Class D felony domestic assault. On Nov. 1, District Judge Peter B. Newell placed Pfertzel on three to five years of probation on a suspended prison sentence of up to five years, with credit for time served. A fine of $1,025 plus surcharge was suspended. Pfertzel was ordered to be placed in the Beje Clark Residential Facility until maximum benefits are achieved. There he is to get substance abuse and mental health evaluations and follow through on recommended treatment. The court also ordered … Continue reading CC man pleads guilty to 3rd domestic assault, placed on probation

Nashua Post

Nashua AM Update (Nov 16): Slick roads, N-P music trips approved, basketball games start Tuesday

Chris Baldus

Good morning, Nashua-area readers. It’s Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, and here’s what’s happening locally. • WEATHER — Snow is likely today. Be careful on slick roads. The skies will be cloudy all day and into the night. The high temp will be near 33, low around 18. Today’s northwest wind of 9 to 14 mph will become a west wind of 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. (Extended Forecast) • TRAVELING MUSICIANS — The Nashua-Plainfield School Board on Monday approved a trip this spring for senior band and choir students to The Chanhassan Dinner Theater … Continue reading Nashua AM Update (Nov 16): Slick roads, N-P music trips approved, basketball games start Tuesday