The Top 10 Local News Stories of 2018: #6 and #5

Posted: Tue, Jan 1, 2019 4:28 PM

(What were the top local news stories of 2018 in Decorah? decorahnews.com is "counting them down!"):

#6: Breweries continued to make news in Decorah in 2018. The biggest news--February's opening of the new Toppling Goliath brewery in the Decorah Business Park (http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2018/02/18473.html) The 52,000 square foot brewery on Prosperity Drive includes a new 9,000 square foot taproom with space for up to 1,300 people at a time.

Decorah's other brewery, Pulpit Rock, made news by landing on several "best of" beer lists along with Toppling Goliath, while Calmar's brewery, PIVO, celebrated its first anniversary and the former Toppling Goliath taproom on College Drive was reborn as "Dixie's Biergarten.".

#5: 2018 was a time of transition for a lot of people. In February longtime Decorah Viking football coach Bill Post announced he was retiring after 45 years serving in Decorah schools and Decorah's football program. (https://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2018/02/18467.html) Luther College President Paula Carlson announced her retirement in June (https://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2018/06/19578.html), starting a search for Luther's 11th President. In August, Decorah School Superintendent Mike Haluska announced plans to retire after the end of the 2018-2019 school year (http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2018/08/20064.html). Also in August, longtime Decorah Viking baseball coach Dennis Olejniczak retired in August after 55 years of being in Decorah's baseball program (https://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2018/08/20131.html).