Michelle Mullen has been a certified medication aide for 25 years. June and July of this past summer at Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City, when a COVID-19 outbreak happened, was the toughest time she's had in all of those years.
"It’s heart-wrenching seeing these residents go through that," Mullen said. "I get to go home every night. I get to be with my family. And they don’t. When we have someone pass away and they can’t come in, it’s heart-wrenching. They’re missing out on everything."
Which is why on Thursday morning, Mullen was in line to get a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Good Shepherd headquarters on Second Street Northeast.
A syringe is used to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to an employee of Good Shepherd Health Center at the facility's main campus in Mason City on Jan. 14.
"It’s the main reason why I did it: So that they can have their lives back," Mullen said. She wasn't alone.
The process began at 9 a.m. and by 9:45 a.m. between 15 and 20 Good Shepherd staff members had gone through it.
In the dining area of Good Shepherd, which had been converted into a vaccination room, a number of workers were seated in a socially-distanced circle eating breakfast burritos while going through a short monitoring period to watch for any adverse effects.
At the first step of the process, two workers in face shields and white coats sat at an L-shaped plastic desk where they asked screening questions for people getting vaccinated. From there, folks were then gradually funneled to the vaccination area.
The first round is set to begin the week of Dec. 28 and will be handled by the likes of CVS and Walgreens.
Ian Stockberger, the CEO of Good Shepherd, was one of the first to get vaccinated at the site. His hope for the day was to get through about 300 people, 160 of which would be residents.
"We decided not to rotate them through, they’re getting it where they’re at," Stockberger said.
Good Shepherd employee Erin Garner-Moen receives her COVID-19 vaccination at the healthcare facility's main campus in Mason City on January 14. Garner-Moen said she "barely felt a thing," during the injection.
The way he sees it, this initial move toward more widespread vaccination for COVID-19 in the area is the first step toward the familiar.
"This is what it’s been all about for a year now. It’s probably the beginning of getting to something more normal."
The 105-year-old woman was sitting in the Rev. Pastor Kent Mechler's office at Good Shepherd…
Like Mullen, Stockberger acknowledged that the worst of the pandemic for Good Shepherd came in the summertime.
"We left the fear back in July and August and now we’ve been living with it. It’s become normal," he said.
Even with some of that fear gone, Stockberger did say that the current situation at the health center is hard on residents. For far too many, they've only been able to visit with family members through the window or over the phone. Freely coming and going isn't as viable of an option when there's concern about contracting a deadly virus.
Good Shepherd staff members check in fellow employees at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic held at the main campus of the facility in Mason City on January 14.
"The missing component to this big equation is residents getting visitors, activities for residents, the resident life is what we need to have return to normal."
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Globe Gazette staff favorite stories of 2020
Jared McNett's 2020 story of the year: No tubal ligations at MercyOne
Dr. Jonna Quinn, obstetrics and gynecology provider at MercyOne North Iowa, talks about the recent decision by the hospital administration to eliminate its tubal ligation services, effective March 31, due to pressure from a Catholic bishop.
Dr. Roberto Velez, obstetrics and gynecology provider at MercyOne North Iowa, talks about the recent decision by the hospital administration to eliminate its tubal ligation services, effective March 31, due to pressure from a Catholic bishop.
Without question, a story in the Globe Gazette earlier this year entitled "MercyOne North Iowa eliminates tubal ligations, over OB-GYNs' objections" featured some of my favorite reporting of the entire year.
Globe Gazette reporter Ashley Stewart has the most graceful writer's touch of anyone in our newsroom and is incredibly detail-oriented. Both of those qualities are crucial for a story such as this.
In the piece, Ashley talks at length with the providers who can no longer provide tubal ligations — also known as getting one’s tubes tied or tubal sterilization — within the MercyOne system and what that means for their patients.
Ashley deftly teases out the tension between obligation to patients and medical facilities in this one. If that weren't enough, she imparts information that might not be abundantly clear going into reading the story.
READ IT ONLINE: https://bit.ly/2KRpYqJ
It's sometimes tough for a story to remain engaging when it's taking a turn toward the informational but Ashley doesn't have that problem here which speaks to her talents and the quality of this piece.
Dr. Jonna Quinn knew when she had her second child earlier this month it’d be her last.
What a Globe Gazette News+ membership can do for you:
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- Two products in one – not everything that's in the print edition of the Globe Gazette is on our website, and not everything on our website is in the print edition.
- Access to newspapers.com archives dating back two years.
- The ability to carry your local news with you and receive alerts instantly as news unfolds.
- Advertising that frequently gets you deals you won't find anywhere else.
You can join here (https://bit.ly/2PtWJs1) for as little as $5 a month.
Ashley Stewart's 2020 story of the year: Local favorite Richie DeLuna makes Hall of Fame
Dennis "Richie" DeLuna could play a lot of different styles on his six-string but friends, family and fans of his most often bring up artists such as Santana and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
I consider reporter Jared McNett our Globe Gazette newsroom movie and music buff, and when he has the opportunity to report on either of those topics — and let’s be honest, new food joints — he truly shines.
His wealth of knowledge and experience reflects in his reporting and provides an enjoyable read for anyone visiting our site or picking up a newspaper.
In February, Jared had such an opportunity, and he nailed it when he wrote about Richie DeLuna’s long overdue induction into the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association Hall of Fame in 2020 after a seven-year campaign.
DeLuna, born Dennis Luna, was known as Mason City’s “King of Guitar” and played in the band Corn Fed. He died in 2013 at 60 years old due to liver complications.
Jared’s article is a beautiful tribute to the musician and man who is so treasured by his family and friends. It also provides a snapshot of how deserving he was to be an Iowa Rock Hall inductee.
READ IT ONLINE: https://bit.ly/2KmggwH
VIDEO: A brief look at the art display recently installed at Cupola Inn Bed & Breakfast near Nora Springs.
Unfortunately, DeLuna’s induction into the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association Hall of Fame was postponed until Memorial Day weekend of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But as Jared ends his original article, “Soon enough, Richie will be in the ‘right place.’”
Melanie Mergen's 2020 story of the year: Trucker drives 1,850 miles to deliver cat
The Welter family's 3-year-old cat Franklin watched airplanes at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport from the passenger seat of Travis Anderson's tractor-trailer earlier this month. Anderson transported Franklin to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he was reunited with his family.
In August, Ashley Stewart reported on the family of Matt and Tiffany Welter, who got to be reunited with their lost cat after moving to Georgia.
By a stroke of luck, Travis Anderson, an area trucker, saw a Facebook post from the family and was willing and able to travel the 1,850 miles in his semi truck to bring Franklin the cat back to his familiar family and his new home.
Since Anderson was going to haul a delivery to Texas, he brought Franklin along with him and met Matt in Tennessee.
READ IT ONLINE: https://bit.ly/3mLExt9
Like Matt notes in the story, "There's a lot of good out there still."
I found this to be a great reminder about how generous people can be — and the lengths our neighbors can be willing to go to lend a helping hand.
A Clear Lake family that moved to Georgia earlier this month has been reunited with its cat.
Shane Lantz's 2020 story of the year: Rockwell phone booth one of the last in Iowa
The phone booth in Rockwell is one of the few still standing in North Iowa.
"What's the deal with the Rockwell phone booth?" was my favorite Globe Gazette news story of the year. It combined two of the best things in local journalism, novelty and a hyper-local focus.
With this story, Globe Gazette reporter Jared McNett pursued a quirky story that only the most observant person would pursue. Back in the 20th century, America had more than 2.7 million pay phones. Now, with the rise of cell phones, that number is down to around 100,000, though Iowa is reported to only have around 20 left.
READ IT ONLINE: https://bit.ly/3mR6aRG
WATCH NOW: The phone booth in Rockwell remains somewhat of a landmark to residents and visitors.
In the story, Jared goes into the history of phone booths in America, talks to several people who used to help operate them in Rockwell and the surrounding area, and discusses the reason why phone booths have "gone the way of the Dodo."
Jared's story is a great example of why local journalism is important. Where else are you going to read about North Iowa's phone booths, in such informative and entertaining fashion?
Local history, and how it impacts our modern lives, is always a fascinating topic. When a approached from a unique angle like this, even better.
Back in the days when as many 2.7 million pay phones dotted the American landscape, this stalwart of Rockwell had functionality. It was needed.
Gunnar Davis' 2020 story of the year: 'Every name has a story'
Rik Zortman, a 47-year-old Coralville resident, is a man who spends a lot of time on his feet. But he does it for good reason.
After losing his 3-year-old son, Armstrong, to cancer in 2009, Zortman began running in his honor. In 2017, he started using an app to live-track his runs, which he designed to spell out names on the app. Since then, he's been to over 90 counties in the state of Iowa spelling out the names of cancer patients on each run. He made a stop in Mitchell County over the summer.
Lisa did a great job telling Zortman's own personal story, as well as the story of Marshal and Helen Green. Zortman ran the name "GREEN" in Mitchell County, and after Lisa wrote the story, he sent her a route saying, "THANK YOU."
You can tell Zortman cares about the names of the people he runs for, and you can tell that Lisa cares about her work. It was an important story that was well-written and powerful.
Jerry Smith's 2020 story of the year: Hand of God guides rescuer
Sandra Bednarz and Brandon Shahan.
Sometimes, you just have to put your faith in God.
At least that is what Brandan Shahan and his fiancé Sandra Bednarz thought when they happened upon a burning car along Dows Junction on Good Friday with a 2-year-old child trapped in his car seat and a mother frantically trying to free him.
Shahan pulled the mother out of the car and went back to the nearly fully engulfed car and walked out of the flames carrying the 2-year-old child.
"It was suddenly like I was the calmest I'd ever been in my life," he said. "I felt like I was in a miracle. Like God had just pushed the pause button on everything."
Amanda Jones' minivan, after the fire was extinguished.
READ IT ONLINE: https://bit.ly/2KzXamB
This video, taken by Brandon Shahan while across the road from the van, was taken just seconds after he and his fiance, Sandra Bednarz, had rescued Amanda Jones and her three children. The popping noise you hear are the windows exploding. The fuel tank had already exploded by this point.
This story of a miraculous rescue written by Globe Gazette Editor Jaci Smith of people running into harm's way instead away from it gave us faith in humanity, and for those who believe, faith in God.
The way the story was told kept you on the edge of your seat and gave you the perspective of both the rescued and the rescuers.
Most days we put our faith in God that we're on the right path.
Lisa Grouette's 2020 story of the year: Age no barrier to boogieing
In February, I accompanied reporter Jared McNett to an assignment at the Mason City Senior Activity Center, covering what I expected to be a run-of-the-mill human-interest piece about a weekly social gathering.
However, it was definitely not run-of-the-mill, and it has easily become a go-to news story to read when I'm having a bad day. It's an instant mood booster.
The first several minutes at the center, we observed like flies on the wall - just getting a feel for the place. It didn't take long, though, before the attendees of the senior dance began making their way over to Jared to start telling their stories.
It was maybe the first time I've been privy to the politics of senior social life, which is surprisingly a lot like younger folks' social endeavors, save maybe for preferred style of music.
READ IT ONLINE: https://bit.ly/38wT4DH
Seeing how happy the men and women were, hanging out, gossiping, dancing, laughing...it was really such a great assignment. Jared did a brilliant job putting that into words. He and I both agreed we could have spent hours there just chatting with everyone, which is probably why I've read the article a million and one times.
Age is no barrier to boogieing.
Melanie Mergen's 2020 top sports story: No cold feet at this sports wedding
Mason City Multipurpose Arena employees Deeann Grant Kite and Scott Lloyd (center) exchange rings at a brief wedding ceremony on the ice, alongside Scott's father, John, and Deeann's daughter, Shannon, on Saturday, March 21.
This Mason City arena wedding, reported on by Jerry Smith, was certainly one way to break the ice.
Back in March, in what had to be an area first, Zamboni driver Scott Lloyd and arena administrative assistant Deann Grant Kite, from opposite ends of the ice, drove a Zamboni and Olympia, respectively, to meet each other at the scoring table and exchange vows.
What a fun, unique ceremony!
READ IT ONLINE: https://bit.ly/2KOcTyq
This to me was a great example of adaptation when a situation's changes fall out of our control. In a year that's wreaked havoc on so many wedding plans — including those of several Globe employees — this wholesome story was a delight to hear and read about. While the onset of COVID-19 meant Deann and Scott's wedding ended up being smaller than they anticipated, it sounds like they still made their day one to remember.
It was a wedding the likes of which no one in Mason City has seen before.
Shane Lantz's 2020 sports story of the year: No sleeves, no problem
My favorite sports story of the year came from Gunnar Davis, with "No Sleeves, No Problem for Powerhouse St. Ansgar." I have always loved the fun macho culture of high school football, and Gunnar's story was a blast to read.
In it, he explored the St. Ansgar football team's tradition of going sleeveless during games, no matter what the weather. The story was written after the Saints beat West Fork in the second round of the IHSAA playoffs, a game where the temperature dipped down into the 20s.
READ IT ONLINE: https://bit.ly/38A29vy
WATCH NOW: St. Ansgar Saints football hosted the West Fork Warhawks on Friday, Oct. 23.
This story went beyond the game to give the readers a fun look inside the mind of a football team. Those little traditions and unexpected stories are the ones that make this profession fun. The St. Ansgar football team is well known for their skill, but Gunnar took us even further into what makes them tick.
There’s a tradition that dates back years for the St. Ansgar football program.
Gunnar Davis' 2020 sports story of the year: Shane whiffs at baseball
Back in August, our full-time sportswriter and part-time athlete Shane Lantz wrote a column about taking batting practice with Mason City baseball standout Avery Mellman.
At the time, Mellman was finishing up his senior baseball season and getting ready for a career at Division I South Dakota State. On the other hand, Shane was finishing up a long week of writing sports.
When I first started covering baseball, Shane told me about how he tried out all four seasons for the baseball team in high school and never made it.
I love him.
READ ONLINE: https://bit.ly/2KzwdzB
In the column, Shane tells the story of taking batting practice with a D-I athlete as only he could: With a lot of heart, information and humor. Not only does he accurately tell about his story in baseball and what his experience was like, he gives a deeper look into what makes Avery Mellman great.
This story was a lot of things: An accurate look into Shane's life, a profile over Mellman and an ode to the sport Shane loves so much: Baseball.
Ashley Stewart's 2020 sports story of the year: A little friendly rivalry
Forest City's Reese Moore,left, and Newman Catholic's Max Burt, right, pose for a photo in 2016 after finishing 2nd in the USSSA Major Iowa State Tournament, as members of the Mason City Redhawks.
This year, probably more than ever, I’ve appreciated our sports reporters’ ability to find stories that go beyond the play-by-play gamers, and they’re good at sharing them.
One of my favorites was done by sports reporter Shane Lantz.
In July, Shane reported on a friendly competition between high school baseball players and longtime childhood friends Reese Moore, a Forest City sophomore, and Max Burt, a Newman Catholic freshman.
They were two of the state's top baseball players this season, both putting themselves near the top of Iowa's offensive leader boards in several different categories.
READ IT ONLINE: https://bit.ly/3mLREdR
Shane tactfully weaves each player’s outstanding statistics with details about their friendship started through baseball in a way that made me feel like I knew them without ever meeting them.
As a child who spent hours playing sports, like soccer and basketball, the article was nostalgic for me. It reminded me of the friendships I had because of sports and how they shaped who I am as a person and as a professional.
I’m looking forward to seeing Moore and Burt excel as baseball players, but more importantly, as friends, during the 2021 season.
Jared McNett's 2020 sports story of the year: Black Bats barnstorming baseball
The July 8, 1933, edition of the Mason City Globe Gazette advertised a game between the Texas Spiders and the Mason City Bats. Several of the players in this photo had played in 1932 on the Mason City Black Bats.
Baseball isn't something that tickles my fancy much anymore. Ever since the Kansas City Royals managed a second World Series win in 2015, my capacity to care about America's pastime has greatly diminished.
But, I can still be gripped by a great baseball story.
READ IT ONLINE: https://bit.ly/2JeplH5
That's what sports reporter Shane Lantz's "Black Bats barnstorming baseball team made history in Mason City" is. It's a great story about a wholly different time in America when Black baseball players yearning for competition had to get creative to find it. The story is one of the best the Globe Gazette had to offer this year.
The crucial thing for an oral history type piece is to get the best possible anecdotes to include. Shane certainly does that.
At one point in the story, which traces the short run of the Black Bats in Mason City, Shane writes that the team's first baseman, Frank Mitchell, would tell the other fielders to throw the ball to him badly so that he could make a more spectacular play. Incredible. That one snippet says so much about Mitchell in so few words. Reading even that, it's hard to not start loving baseball all over again.
What a Globe Gazette News+ membership can do for you:
- A deeper examination of local issues than you'll find anywhere else.
- Two products in one – not everything that's in the print edition of the Globe Gazette is on our website, and not everything on our website is in the print edition.
- Access to newspapers.com archives dating back two years.
- The ability to carry your local news with you and receive alerts instantly as news unfolds.
- Advertising that frequently gets you deals you won't find anywhere else.
You can join here (https://bit.ly/2PtWJs1) for as little as $5 a month.
Baseball season has been delayed this year, but April 15 is still a special day in the baseb…
Chris Zoeller's 2020 sports story of the year: Meyer sisters reunite at Iowa
Former Mason City standouts Makenzie, left, and Megan Meyer celebrate with their teammates after defeating Indiana last season at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Makenzie has graduated, and Megan, a sophomore, will play a bigger role this season for the Hawkeyes.
The first basketball season after I joined the Globe Gazette staff, I had the opportunity to cover the Mason City girls basketball team on the road to a state championship. On that team of talented players were the Meyer sisters, Megan, who was then a freshman, and Makenzie, a senior.
In January, reporter Shane Lantz and I traveled to Iowa City to cover a University of Iowa women's basketball game during a season that reunited the sisters, again as a freshman and senior.
READ IT ONLINE: https://bit.ly/37K2zk0
Megan Meyer, center, and teammates celebrate on the bench after Megan's sister, Makenzie, knocks down a three-pointer to take the lead in overtime last season against University of Indiana at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
Sports stories that go beyond the x's and o's are always fun to cover and read. I appreciated Shane's look into the sister's lives off the court as Makenzie once again relished the big sister roll to help Megan navigate the team and college life in general.
Shane always makes sure to ask off topic questions when interviewing athletes that go beyond just stats. Being able to include anecdotes, such as what food a student misses from back home, makes for more unique stories.
Lisa Grouette's 2020 sports story of the year:
In Shane Lantz's November column, he looked at the importance of athletes leaning into their emotions and embracing the tears that accompany them.
As a photographer who covers sporting events alongside our sportswriters, I must say I agree. There is a priceless catharsis awaiting those who are able to let their feelings spill out. Which is why Shane's take was so important.
Shane Lantz
The high of your team moving on in the post season or the low of your team's ambitions stopped short, coupled with adrenaline and exhaustion, can make it pretty much impossible to rein in your feelings.
Happy tears are so lovely to capture. The students celebrating their victory, so excited to represent their school in the next round, gives me goosebumps. But, sad tears are equally as lovely to capture.
READ IT ONLINE: https://bit.ly/34FY0VJ
Catching a glimpse of a person in the most vulnerable of moments, whether through photos or words, is a delicate job, and one that Shane takes on with precision. Without embracing the emotions that accompany athletics, the game itself has no heart.
When a student athlete puts so much energy, work, and heart into being the best player and teammate they can, it's an effort worthy of tears – happy or sad.
A wise man once said “There’s no crying in baseball!”
Jerry Smith's 2020 sports story of the year: 'What Would Logan Do?'
Charles City's Kiki Connell competes on Oct. 30 at the Iowa Cross Country State Championships at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge.
This was one of the most inspirational stories the Globe Gazette published in 2020.
Charles City cross country standout Kiki Connell usually found herself leading the pack in most of the races she ran in her high school career. But she is never really alone as she calls on the memories of her deceased friend to help her through grueling races.
"What Would Logan Do?"
READ ONLINE: https://bit.ly/38zlahR
That is the inspirational message Connell had written on her wrist much of the season as she ran down her dream of competing and finishing near the top of the state cross country meet.
The Logan she refers to is Logan Luft, a Charles City teen who died in a 2017 ATV accident at the age of 15 and was the inspiration for Iowa's “Logan’s Law,” which allows people to register as organ donors on Iowa hunting and fishing licenses.
As an editor, a good lead to a story is critical to bring people in and keep them engaged in the story. Shane Lantz's lead was spot on. I was hooked after the first 27 words.
The story was not only inspirational, but was well-written and was a window into how student-athletes cope with such things as the death of a close friend and the stressors associated with high level competition.
Whenever Charles City cross country runner Kiki Connell competes this season, she doesn't ru…
Jared McNett covers local government for the Globe Gazette. You can reach him at Jared.McNett@globegazette.com or by phone at 641-421-0527. Follow Jared on Twitter at @TwoHeadedBoy98.
