A Homecoming Win

Photos and story by Sydney Scheer

It was a special night for a small town. Homecoming. The night is not only a celebration of gorgeous homecoming candidates and their escorts in a beautiful ceremony. The night is also an occasion to welcome home alumni. Mrs. Virginia McClain has been coming home longer than anyone else! She is still the longest returning alumna to Luther Homecoming. She watched  great-grandchildren,  #10 Peyton Wilson, #11 Jace Wilson, and #25 Reed Wilson, play on Wilson Field.

While Luther packs the stands for any game, homecoming is extra special in our town. So many fans came out Friday night that there was a whole quarter wait at the concession stand, if you could wait that long. Lions were everywhere and the Lions on the field did not disappoint.

Just before kickoff, the homecoming ceremony featured four senior queen candidates, and their chosen escorts.

Kaitlyn Fesler, escorted by #56 Blake Christy

Johnna Stottlemyre, escorted by #24 Dakota Pridemore

Kaitlyn Fesler, escorted by #56 Blake Christy
Nydra McLaughlin, escorted by #84 Jordan Downs
Soleia (Sunny) Nunley, escorted by #3 Bryce Pearson
Johnna Stottlemyre, escorted by #24 Dakota Pridemore

Flower Girl Miss Sara Voss and Crown Bearer Mr. Lakin Sales took the field with the court. Both are in Mrs. Connell’s Pre-K class. The flower girl and the crown bearer got their que when the queen was named, with directional help of the cheerleaders. The student body voted for their Homecoming Queen as part of Spirit Week.

Miss Nydra McLaughlin was crowned Homecoming Queen. After the ceremony, the escorts ran back to the huddle … not to miss game time.

For the football game, the Chandler Lions visited the Luther Lions. It was a slow start. Luther held the Chandler Lions to zero and Luther only scored six points (#4 Tyler Becker) by the start of the second quarter. Middle of the second, Luther scored (#4 Tyler Becker) and then just before halftime, the scoreboard lit up again as #22 Jesse Cole jumped and snagged the ball in the end zone. Then #4 Tyler Becker got on the board again to round out the half to 28-0. Both the Chandler and Luther bands performed at half-time for grand entertainment.

Second half: OH BOY! It was like a whole new ballgame with an abundance of penalties for Luther. Early in the 3rd quarter Chandler grabbed a safety for two points, and not long after, #22 Jesse Cole scored a touchdown and completed the two-point conversion that followed. Early in the 4th quarter, Chandler snagged a touchdown, pushing their score 34-10. The last ten minutes of the game was scoreless, with plenty of penalties. Close to 20 or more penalties for this Friday night game made it a rough ending. But, Luther Lions pulled out on top!

Defensively, there were two notable “BIG PLAYS”. Senior, #11, Jace Wilson, recovered a fumble which led to atouchdown shortly after. Another senior, #3 Bryce Pearson, grabbed another interception, helping the Luther Lions back to another possession.

The defeat of Chandler marked the first district win for the Luther Lions for the 2017 season.

Next week, Crooked Oak comes to Wilson Field for another home game. It’s also “Teacher Appreciation Night.” Kickoff at7pm. Be there.

#mytown #hoco17

Forty-One Apply for Luther Police Chief

The Luther Board of Trustees has stopped collecting resumes for the open position of Luther Police Chief. Forty resumes were received as of the close of the filing period on Wednesday, and one more was found Thursday in an email spam folder, town officials said.

The Board is expected to pick their top eight resumes of qualified candidates to bring to a meeting on September 28, when a Special Meeting and executive session is expected  to be announced as part of the regularly monthly planning meeting.

The vacancy occurred last month when former Chief Marcus Thurman resigned. He has since been hired in Davenport, and in Luther, Deputy Chief Mike Class is serving as interim police chief with a police force of five officers.

Regarding short staffing, Luther Town Trustee and police department liaison Paxton Cavin said any and all safety needs and police business is expected to be addressed by the officer who is working at that time.

“The Board of Trustees expects the Police Department to make the safety of Luther a priority, and our officers already do that on a daily basis,” she said.

The needs of the department were highlighted at Tuesday’s meeting through several agenda items that ranged from a lack of ammunition for training and patrol, a need for technology upgrades and serious repair needs of patrol cars. Cavin said she has been concerned by the amount of needs that the department has but she has also been impressed “with the hardworking officers that make up the Luther Police Department.”

“These officers work tirelessly to ensure the safety of this community using the (sometimes) limited resources they have been given by past Boards of Trustees. I have full confidence in this department and have enjoyed working with them to make sure that the current Board of Trustees is able to meet the needs of those who keep this town safe,” she said.

In related news, the board also passed an increased technology fee of $15 on fines and to assess state fees to those paying fines that the Town had been absorbing. The town’s website has an updated schedule of fines. Most noteworthy, the board voted to double the fine for speeding in a school zone from $200 to $400 effective immediately. All other fines will be capped at $750 plus fees. Visit the town website for more information. 

Shooting in Luther

The sound of gunfire interrupted an otherwise quiet Luther evening on Wednesday. Apparently no one was hurt in what appears to be a shooting attempt involving a group of young men. Luther Police Department reports that just after 8pm, a call was received of shots fired near the First Baptist Church.

There were no victims and no alleged shooters at the scene when Officer Tony Walker got to Cedar between First and Second Street. Waiting outside for the kids to get out of Wednesday night youth group at church were several eye witnesses including Amy Maley.

“I was standing outside of the church when it all went down,” she told The Luther Register.

She said three suspects, described as black males, got out of a black Cadillac sedan. She said she saw them chase some other guys toward the church gym.

“Then there was yelling and then two shots fired in the air and the three guys ran back to the caddy, jumped in and sped away. I was paying attention to them because the car with the other guys flew around the corner and accelerated hard. Then the caddy came from the other direction, ran the stop sign and did a U-turn in the intersection,” said Maley.

Officer Walker said he recovered two casings at the scene.

The investigation continues. One of the victims is known around town, but is not being identified at this time. Just last night at the Town Board of Trustees meeting, the board approved purchasing more ammo and a rifle policy to augment the department’s public safety. Twenty-four hours later, there was a shooting in town, the first shooting of the year in town limits (however, the police used no weapons in this incident).

Episode 2 of Friday Night Wrap Up

photo by Sydney Scheer

It’s Episode #2. The second installment of the new podcast featuring Scott Mitchell of Mitchell Talks and Lion Head Coach Zach Smith came online Wednesday. The pair reviews the takedown of Prague last Friday night and looks ahead as the Lions season intensifies.

They also talk injuries, Friday night’s tailgate barbecue (thanks Mr. Statsny) fundraiser, homecoming and this week’s preview of the game with Chandler.

Check it out on Soundcloud.  

Or at Mitchell Talks.