Wrage receives Distinguished Service Award

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Region 8 Director Rich Wrage received the Distinguished Service Award on March 26 from the Epsilon Sigma Phi Alpha Mu Chapter at ISU, an honor society representing extension professionals. Region 8 includes Hardin, Boone, Story and Marshall Counties.

Epsilon Sigma Phi Alpha Mu Chapter annually recognizes meritorious service members and distinguished partners that have helped promote extension work in their community and across the state. Wrage has served in several leadership roles within the honor society. He works effectively with county extension councils, county employees and provides creative and innovative programs.

Since 1928, the Epsilon Sigma Phi Alpha Mu Chapter has been an honor society representing extension professionals at ISU. Their goals are to maintain high professional standards, foster professional relationships, and sustain morale and prestige of the extension service.

Main Street Iowa honors outstanding achievements

DES MOINES — Main Street Iowa hosted the 31st annual Main Street Iowa Awards Celebration on April 7 at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines. The program honored the efforts of those who work day in and day out in downtown revitalization in Iowa. The event was attended by approximately 550 individuals representing communities across the state.

Main Street Iowa has annually presented awards honoring outstanding accomplishments, activities and people that are making a difference in Iowa’s Main Street districts. Projects large and small are recognized and serve as outstanding examples of what historic commercial district revitalization is all about.

Vic and Gayle Hellberg, of Marshalltown, of the Marshalltown Central Business District, were one of the recipients of a Leadership Award. This special award recognizes inspirational leadership and volunteers who make significant contributions to the local Main Street programs’ downtown revitalization mission.

During the event, 10 communities were recognized for reaching significant benchmarks based on private dollar investments made in the purchase and revitalization of properties within their respective commercial districts. State Center along with four other communities attained $10 million in local investment since being designated as local Main Street programs.

Lee excited to take the reins at Fisher Elementary

Mark Lee said is excited to take over as the next principal of Fisher Elementary School in the Marshalltown Community School District later this year.

Lee is currently elementary principal at Baranof Elementary School in the Sitka, Alaska School District.

“I am incredibly excited to be joining the Marshalltown community as the new principal of Fisher Elementary,” Lee said. “My family and I are looking forward to moving from southeast Alaska to be closer to family in the Midwest. I grew up visiting Iowa and we will find ourselves right at home.”

He has a wide range of previous teaching and administrative experience with a background in music, special education and reading.

Lee holds a bachelor’s degree in Music from Concordia University and holds three master’s degrees including one in educational leadership and administration from Western Governors University.

“I am very excited to have Mr. Mark Lee join our building administration team as the next Fisher Elementary School principal,” said Marshalltown Community School District Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte. “He was selected from a pool of nearly 40 candidates for the position and the Fisher School Community was involved in the selection process and strongly affirmed him as the best candidate for the position.”

Lee will start on July 1 after the current Fisher Elementary School Principal Vicki Vopava retires at the end of this school year.

Marshalltown soldier earns 734th regional support group patch

Pvt2. Tyler D. Nablo, of Marshalltown, was part of approximately 40 Iowa Army National Guard Soldiers recently recognized during a patching ceremony held at the Camp Dodge Joint Maneuver Training Center in Johnston.

This ceremony represents a time-honored tradition, where Iowa Citizen-Soldiers officially receive the left-shoulder military patch representing their unit of assignment in the Iowa Army National Guard.

It also marks completion of the Iowa National Guard Recruit Sustainment Program, a preparatory training program that provides new recruits the education and skills needed to excel during their Army Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training (military school).

These Soldiers represent today’s Iowa Army National Guard, which consists of 7,000 Citizen-Soldiers based in more than 40 communities across the state. Nablo, a 2016 graduate of East Marshall High School, of Le Grand, now becomes a Motor Transport Operator with Detachment 1, 1168th Transportation Company, of Marshalltown.

Motor transport operators are primarily responsible for supervising or operating wheeled vehicles to transport personnel and cargo. They are the backbone of the Army’s support and sustainment structure, providing advanced mobility on and off the battlefield.

“[I joined] to serve my country, carry on a family tradition, to better my life and to help get my education,” Nablo said.

By completing Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training, Nablo is now eligible for the Iowa National Guard Educational Assistance Grant, a state-funded tuition assistance program for Iowa National Guard members who attend Iowa community colleges and four-year colleges and universities, both public and private. Under this program, Iowa National Guard members will receive tuition payment up to 100 percent of the State Regents’ rate, an amount up to $7,108 per academic year.

Nablo, son of Amanda Nablo, of Des Moines, is also eligible for the Reserve Component GI Bill, which pays a Soldier $600 per month while attending college, technical or vocational trade schools. And he’ll also receive monthly drill pay and 15 days of paid duty each year for Annual Training.

Go to www.iowanationalguard.com and click on the Recruiting tab for more information. You can also find more information about the Iowa National Guard by following us at www.facebook.com/IowaNationalGuard.

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Submit local business news

The Times-Republican invites businesses in its circulation area to submit brief items concerning their employees or businesses for the Names & Notes column, which is published on Sundays.

Potential subjects of these business briefs include announcements of new businesses, branch acquisitions, departures of longtime employees, employee recognitions or new hires. Submissions will be edited and run on a space-available basis. Items must be received by 5 p.m. Thursday for consideration in Sunday’s column.

Submit brief articles and JPEG headshots to: Names & Notes, Newsroom, Times-Republican, 135 W. Main St., Marshalltown 50158, or call Kathy Beane at 641-753-6611 or email news@timesrepublican.com