The Pie Lady – aka Laura Bru – smiles while pulling a fresh pie from the oven in her rural Gladbrook pie shop kitchen mere days ahead of Thanksgiving 2022. Bru and her burgeoning business were profiled in a Sun Courier feature story which printed in late January 2023. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

William Kiburis converts a steal into a breakaway dunk during the second half of the 2023 Class 1A state quarterfinal basketball game played March 6 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

Gladbrook Museum volunteer Terri Luehring, left, accepts a cleaned annual from volunteer Darrell Paustian before placing it in a cupboard behind her on March 9 in Gladbrook City Centre. All of the Northern Sun-Print newspaper archive books were donated to the Gladbrook Museum by Ogden Newspapers, publisher of the Sun Courier. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Artist Pat Acton pictured on Wednesday, March 29, in Gladbrook at the Matchstick Marvels Tourist Center beside his new model which takes inspiration from the 1985 film Back to the Future. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

Crayon Corner Learning Center director Amber Gebel, left, and G-R Elementary School principal Shaun Lehmann pictured on Friday, April 14, in Gladbrook. The district and the daycare are partnering to offer preschool in Gladbrook next school year. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

G-R's Kennedy Brant, right, competes on Thursday, May 18, at the state track meet. Brant was 24th in the 100-meter dash prelims in 13.57 and turned around soon after to do the 400 in 1:00.34 for 11th place in 1A. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

The undefeated GC/G-R boys soccer team was all smiles on Wednesday, May 24 after vanquishing Denver 4-1 in a Class 1A Substate 2 final for a trip to the 2023 state tournament in Des Moines.

Kassidy and Greg Tessendorf pictured in early June in front of their new seasonal ice cream shop located at 413 Main Street in downtown Reinbeck. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

The 2023 Little Mr. and Little Miss Corn Carnival candidates and court pictured during Gladbrook’s 101st annual Corn Carnival including (l-r) Jackson Gienger, Michael McHenry, Little Mr. Corn Carnival 2023 Cooper Murty, Little Mr. Corn Carnival 2022 Theo Schmitz, Charlette Bruene, Little Miss Corn Carnival 2023 Codi DeWitt, Bostyn Brallier, Little Miss Corn Carnival 2022 Kinley Miller, Adalyn Zitzow, Ella Thede, and Emma Bauer. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

GMG’s Colin Teske (5) and Rider Kupka (33) celebrate on their way off the field after the Wolverines defeated BGM 8-4 on July 8 during the Class 1A District 7 championship baseball game in Brooklyn. Teske earned the pitching victory and Kupka came through with a suicide squeeze bunt as the Wolverines moved to within one win of state. PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent Caleb Bonjour, right, smiles alongside Gladbrook resident Amy Geels, left, and her son Benton during a welcome reception held in the new superintendent’s honor at the Gladbrook Memorial Building on July 13. Benton, a first grader, attends the district’s elementary school located in Reinbeck. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Colbie Fevold, right, of rural Gladbrook pictured alongside her steer Mighty Maverick. Fevold, 11, competed as an exhibitor with her steer during the 41st Annual Iowa Governor's Charity Steer Show at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 12. PHOTO COURTESY IOWA GOVERNOR’S CHARITY STEER SHOW

Lilly Bru, left, pictured with rural Gladbrook resident and fellow Salem Church of Lincoln member Doug Sienknecht at this year’s Iowa State Fair FFA Sheep show. PHOTO BY THE PIE LADY/LAURA BRU

Lincoln Mayor Trent Wentzien, right, sitting on his "throne” as he was escorted down the parade route by wife Deb Wentzein as part of Lincoln’s 140th birthday celebration held on Aug. 20. The sign proudly proclaimed: “Wentzien Hardware since 1909. The ‘old’ plumber is pooped, but loves to watch his grandkids!" PHOTO BY MARGARET THOMSEN

Holly Robertson of Five R Farm located in rural Reinbeck smiles while chatting with a member of the public (off frame) as she arranges a bouquet during Reinbeck’s 12th annual Art Festival and Car Show held on Saturday, Sept. 16. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Vanessa Arvizu-Ersland, right, in the lead role of Princess Winnifred rests her head on Alex Rogers/Prince Dauntless’s shoulder during a special performance of G-R’s fall production “Once Upon a Mattress” staged on Nov. 9. PHOTOS BY SOREN M. PETERSON AND RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s Isaac Clark (12) is flanked by fellow seniors Landyn Brubaker, left, and Austin Vaverka (5) as he raises the Rebels’ 8-Player state semifinalist trophy following the Nov. 8 football game at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. Bedford overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Gladbrook-Reinbeck, 31-30. PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

Gladbrook-Reinbeck Preschool teacher Kennedy Dye, right, smiles while introducing her three and four-year-old students prior to the start of the program’s winter concert held on the upper floor of the Gladbrook City Centre on Dec. 14. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER