Two Weeks Til Gretchen!
Posted 2 July 2009
Appearing
on the Farm Bureau Main Events Stage, Thursday, July 16 at 8:30 PM,
Gretchen Wilson. Wilson debuted in 2004 with the Grammy
Award-winning single "Redneck Woman," a number-one hit on the Billboard
country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut
album, Here for the Party. Wilson followed this album one year later
with All Jacked Up, the title track of which became the
highest-debuting single for a female country artist upon its 2005
release. A third album, One of the Boys, was released in 2007.
Overall, Wilson has charted thirteen singles on the Billboard country
charts, of which five have reached Top Ten: the Number One "Redneck
Woman", as well as "Here for the Party" (#3, 2004), "When I Think About
Cheatin'" (#4, 2004), "Homewrecker" (#2, 2005), and "All Jacked Up"
(#8, 2005). The album Here for the Party was certified 5×
Multi-Platinum by the RIAA for sales of five million copies, while All
Jacked Up was certified platinum and One of the Boys certified gold.
Grandstand seating is included with admission to the Fair.
Reserved seats are available for $34 and can be purchased at the Fair
Office, Ticketmaster.com or (800) 745-3000
Rides
Included at the Delaware County
Fair!
Posted 1 July 2009
Forget
the bracelet. New for this year at the Delaware County Fair, the
rides are free. With the price of admission, all of the mid-way
rides are included. Ride as many times as you like!
According to Fair Manager, Jeannie Domeyer, "A family of 4 saves at
least $20, probably more. In today's economy, the Fair Board
knows that making the Delaware County Fair affordable for families is
important. Mom and Dad can bring the kids to the fair and let
them ride all day without paying for a ride bracelet. Also, you
can see great acts like Big Daddy Weave, Gretchen Wilson and .38
Special perform at the fair with the price of admission."
Pay your price of admission to the fair and receive your carnival
rides, free on grounds shows, teen and beer garden entertainment and
grandstand shows all FREE!
Get your tickets today. The fair office is at the Community Center at
the Fairgrounds, in Manchester.
Office hours are 9-5
Phone 563.927.6449
Adults: $9
Kids 1-11: $1
NICC
Gas Utility Program Generates First
Graduating Class
Posted 26 May 2009
At
NICC’s graduation ceremony in Dubuque on
May 15, the first four Gas Utility Construction and Service (AAS)
graduates walked across the stage to receive their degrees. Good job
market news awaits. The program’s lead instructor, Bob Waechter,
reports that graduates hired for entry-level gas utility jobs in
northeast Iowa can expect to earn an average of $30-$35,000 annually,
and jobs are plentiful because many skilled workers are nearing
retirement. The curriculum input from area energy companies and their
equipment donations also contributes to student and job placement
success.
As NICC’s newest two-year industrial technology offering on
the Peosta campus, the Gas Utility Construction and Service
program trains students on the installation, maintenance and
operation of high and low pressure natural gas distribution systems
used to supply residential, commercial and industrial facilities. The
program’s first graduates say they are ready to work in a good career
with great opportunities and the added job security with working for a
utility company.
Graduates who form the Class of 2009 are:
· Mike Chatfield, the son of Judie Reynolds and Jim
Reynolds of Dubuque
· Aaron Mathson, son of Wayne and Mandy of
Prairie du Chien, Wis.
· Andrew Millman, son of Randy and Dawn Millman
of Dubuque
· Collin Welsh, son of Pat and Sandi of Dubuque
Mike Chatfield previously worked for Gronen Restoration,
where he ran heavy equipment, refinished floors, worked in
demolition, and did carpentry and brick work as part of the
restoration efforts in old Dubuque. For Chatfield, the work
experience generated an appreciation for task variety in a new
career. “I really enjoy the variety that the gas utility career
offers,” said Chatfield. “You’re checking meters, repairing appliances,
and you’re always doing something different in gas utility work.” All
the graduates enjoyed the five-credit, eight-week internships during
their final NICC semester.
Each graduate rotated for four consecutive weeks between
Black Hills Energy and Infrasource. Interns read meters during the
first week, performed operations technician work the second week and
worked as service technicians the third week. During the final week,
the graduates worked alongside construction crews in the field. “The
internship was great,” said graduate Collin Welsh. “I was finally
getting to work with live gas, not just the simulations we used earlier
in our program.”
Lead instructor Bob Waechter said that the donations from
area companies make the hands-on learning approach of the
program possible. John Deere Dubuque Works, Alliant Energy,
Black Hills Energy and Infrasource provided students with a range of
industry-standard equipment needed to do the job. The
companies donated or loaned fitting trucks, fusion units, telemetry
equipment, loader backhoes, gauges and piercing tools for NICC students
enrolled in the program.
Although many area customers may associate gas utility work with meter
reading, gas line leak repair or the local company’s customer service
representative, Waechter said there are many
opportunities in the gas utility field for specialization. NICC Gas
Utility Construction and Service graduates are trained to perform
complex tasks such as annual leak surveys, telemetry, corrosion repair,
pipe welding, trenching and gas line installation.
NICC’s gas utility program is the only two-year program of
its kind in the state of Iowa. In 2006-2007, NICC built a 10,000
square foot industrial technology building equipped with a 2,500
square foot gas utilities lab, classroom space, office space,
computers and storage for heavy machinery. An outdoor field lab
provides extra space for students to practice trenching, on-site pipe
fitting and gas line installation. Gas utility students learn alongside
NICC’s construction trades students in the new facility, which gives
students time to learn in a cross-disciplinary setting.
Over the course of the program, John Deere has loaned
equipment such as a 410JTC loader backhoe. Black Hills Energy donated
polyethylene pipe (PE pipe), meters, regulators and a meter set with
telemetry. Black Hills Energy personnel also trained students in
advanced regulation and measurement work. Infrasource, a national
energy company based in Des Moines, donated one fitting truck that gas
utility workers use to transport equipment to job sites, a John Deere
310 backhoe, a Vermeer backhoe/trencher and various other pieces of
equipment.
Three of these first grads directly benefited from financial
support through The Alliant Energy Foundation. The Alliant Energy
Foundation, an independent, non-profit philanthropic corporation funded
by Alliant Energy shareowners, established a new scholarship for NICC
Gas Utility Construction and Service students. The foundation awards
three $1,000 scholarships annually to students entering or currently
enrolled in the program. Through the coordination of the NICC
Foundation, the funds will be available to qualifying students each
fall.
To learn more about NICC’s Gas Utility Construction and
Service program, call the Peosta campus admissions office at (800)
728-7367 or (563) 556-5110, ext. 401, or visit here |
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