Home Care In Holland, IA

Harry Holland has been treated at medical facilities in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and most recently, Des Moines for complications caused by exposure to Agent Orange, a tactical herbicide used during the war.

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DES MOINES, Iowa —

A Sunday morning flight from Des Moines to Indiana was a special one for Vietnam veteran Harry Holland.

Holland did two tours in Vietnam after joining the army in January of 1970.

He said he served as an air traffic controller.

"There were so many helicopters over there. They needed somebody to control them. So that's what I did," Holland said.

He continued his duties until he came to Iowa in March of 1972 to raise a family with his wife, Diane.

They were both able to find work in the Hawkeye state.

Holland began receiving treatment for his exposure to Agent Orange, a tactical herbicide used during the war.

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He remembered struggling to walk.

"I walked bowlegged," Holland said. "Finally, it got down to the bone on bone."

He's since endured several knee surgeries, a spinal epidural abscess and a severe hemorrhagic stroke at medical facilities in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and most recently, Des Moines.

Three years ago, Diane left Harry to go back to Indiana for help with her own medical battles.

It left Harry placed in the Iowa Veterans home alone — several hundreds of miles away from his Diane and the rest of his family in Indiana who loved him and cared for him for so long.

That was until Sunday.

The American Legion of Iowa and the Veterans Airlift Command came together for a special mission to get Harry back to Indiana for good.

Jim Clark, state captain of Iowa's Patriot Guard Riders, was at the send-off. He also served in Vietnam for a year, supporting the Marines.

Clark said he relates to the need to keep family close.

"When you're in country for a year, you know, letters from home always kept you going. So it's a big support for the families to be able to support you," Clark said.

Holland's flight landed safely in Indiana Sunday morning.

This article has been updated.

Case New Holland Industrial workers will remain on strike after United Auto Workers members at plants in Burlington in Iowa and Mount Pleasant in Wisconsin voted against a contract proposal the company called its "last, best and final offer."

More than 1,000 workers across both states have been on strike since May 2022 but the vote on Saturday was the first time the membership was asked to consider a proposal during the strike. The company makes construction equipment and agricultural machinery.

About 55% of the voting members rejected the proposal, with 45% voting in favor.

In Burlington, there are roughly 400 members on strike, and the proposal won approval there. But the 700 striking members in Mount Pleasant, near Racine, voted against the deal.

“The members spoke and now we got to find a path forward with the company,” said Nick Guernsey, president of UAW Local 807 in Burlington. “It took eight months for our members to finally have their voices heard.”

In Racine County, members filed into an auditorium at Starbuck Middle School to hear union leaders outline the provisions of the contract.

After the presentation, the members were mostly quiet.

“I was shocked. I thought they’d want to have a little more conversation,” said Rich Glowacki, chairman of the bargaining committee for UAW Local 180 in Mount Pleasant. “I opened the floor to questions. I had probably about a half dozen questions asked of me and after that, there was no more questions, so I opened the polls up to voting.”

Glowacki said the members were “not in a happy place.”

“I didn’t have to say anything bad about the proposal, the proposal spoke for itself,” Glowacki said. “They’re not happy. They feel betrayed. They feel the company should be compensating them better, the benefits should be better, the health insurance needs to be better.”

In a statement, the company said it is “disappointed to learn that its recently negotiated and improved last, best and final offer was not approved in the ratification vote conducted by the union.”

“This offer for a new contract, which included wage increases of 25% to 38% over the four years, would have allowed the employees and the company to move forward at the company’s plants in Burlington, Iowa, and Racine, Wisconsin,” the statement said. “The company strongly encourages the union to allow the employees to reconsider their position in another vote so that the employees can return to work. While we await the union’s next step, CNH Industrial remains committed to honoring and meeting the needs and demands of our customers and, therefore, we will continue operations at both our Burlington and Racine sites.”

Workers feel 'disheartened'

Since May, the facilities in Wisconsin and Iowa have been staffed with temporary workers to continue production. During this time, union members have been put in the difficult decision of having to decide to remain on strike or get another job.

Last fall, CNH Industrial placed an ad in The Journal Times in Racine with some details of a last, best and final offer. Through negotiations, the company “upgraded” the offer but it was still rejected.

“Even though those things were slightly improved, they still were not at what the membership demanded,” Yasin Mahdi, president of UAW Local 180, said. “Eight months is a long time for something that could have been resolved a long time ago.”

Mahdi said members feel “disheartened” by the actions of the company.

“They’re paying their non-union (employees) $27 per hour, today,” Mahdi said. “I don’t know what the problem is with paying us the same thing.”

Officials with both locals plan to meet with their members to get more details on how they want to proceed before meeting with company officials.

“The company has some work to do ahead of them, there’s no doubt about it. We do too,” Glowacki said. “I’m not saying this is a one-party deal. Both parties have to work together to try to come to an agreement that we can live with.”

During the strike, the workers have gotten the support of elected officials like U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, as well as members of the labor community and beyond.

“We had locals coming in from all over the country, it wasn’t just Wisconsin locals,” Glowacki said. “But the overall support of the labor community as well as the community at large, in my mind, has been unbelievable. We’re constantly getting words of encouragement to hold the line and make sure we fight for what we feel we deserve.”

Until a deal is approved, the strike is going to continue.

“I truly hope the company sees what happened (Saturday) and that they really come to the table with some viable solutions,” Mahdi said. “They have a (shareholder) meeting coming up at the end of this month with the fourth quarter results and the fiscal year 2022 results, and I’m sure that the shareholders do not want to hear about these two facilities still on strike.

“And, as we all know, springtime is when farmers need their equipment.”

The strike is among the largest in Iowa since the 2021 strike by thousands of UAW members at Deere & Co. They won concessions after a walkout that idled the company's Iowa and Illinois plants for five weeks.

Case's labeling of the offer as it "last, best and final" was an apparent allusion to an old International Brotherhood of Teamsters contract that stated companies needed to use that specific phrase before declaring an impasse and bringing in outside mediators.

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Nevertheless, the phrase doesn't carry much real weight in the negotiation with Case, said Paul Iversen, a law professor at the University of Iowa Labor Center.

"If the union took it to the membership and the membership turned it down, the (National Labor Relations Board is) not going to say the union isn’t bargaining in good faith," he said.

Des Moines Register staff writer Tyler Jett contributed to this article.

The attorney for the Iowa City Community School District has been evaluating legal avenues to challenge the state's ban on mask mandates in schools, he told school board members Tuesday.

But Iowa's law was written in a way that leaves little room for public schools to fight it, Joe Holland concluded.

"I looked at the court filings in all the states I know of where litigation is pending — Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Arizona — to see if there was anything in any of those cases that was a tool we could use to either impose a mask mandate or get involved in litigation," said Holland, the district's legal counsel. "Unfortunately, they don't offer much relief.

"I want to reassure you that if I thought we had a remedy in court, we'd be there by now," he said.

The school board requested information from Holland about a possible legal challenge to the state's law, according to board President Shawn Eyestone. Holland reviewed litigation in other states with bans on mask mandates in schools, combed through Iowa law and Iowa City's recently imposed mask mandate looking for information, among other research, he told the board.

Iowa law House File 847 says school boards, superintendents or chief administering officers of schools "shall not adopt, enforce, or implement a policy that requires its employees, students or members of the public to wear a facial covering."

That strict language is why the Iowa City district that serves 14,000 students has not chosen to flout the state law, as the school year opened Monday with concerns about the new delta variant of COVID-19 spreading while no vaccine yet exists for children under age 12.

As of Wednesday morning, 16 students are positive with COVID-19 in the district. Ten are in quarantine.

It's not clear what the consequences could be for the district if it chose to defy the mask law, Holland said. But they could include the loss of funding, accreditation or administrators' licenses.

If a district loses accreditation, that means graduating seniors might be denied entry to colleges or universities, he said.

"Litigation would be costly. I don't know if that should be a factor, necessarily, in looking at the safety and well-being of thousands and thousands of students. But there's also a tangible cost in terms of staff time. ... And I don't think we can be blind to political consequences there might be, or consequences that might come back to the district not just this year, but for years to come," Holland said.

Holland said he has been in communication with other districts and lawmakers about "alternatives." The most promising are working through the U.S. Department of Education and possibly the U.S. Office of Civil Rights, he said.

"We just don't have the tools we need right now other than simply defying the law," he said.

Holland is an attorney at the Iowa City-based general practice law firm Holland, Michael, Raiber & Sittig PLC. He has been a member of the Iowa Council of School Board Attorneys since 1980.

School board Vice President Ruthina Malone asked if it would be possible for the Iowa City district to sign on to a lawsuit put forth elsewhere in the state, whether by parents or other districts.

Holland said it is possible. He also said that parents and teachers would have more standing in court than a district.

School board member Charlie Eastham asked a question that prompted 12 seconds of silence in the room: "How far do you think the state can go in imperiling the health of students in this district?"

Holland said he did not have an answer.

On Friday, Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague announced that all people in the city would be required to wear a mask when unable to maintain six feet of social distancing in public. While Teague has defended the legality of his mandate, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' office called it illegal under House File 847, which also applies to cities and counties.

That same day, Iowa City schools superintendent Matt Degner said in a message to families and staff that the district applauds the city's efforts to mandate masks for all individuals in the community, but the district cannot enforce it.

"I don't think the city was surprised that the district couldn't enforce the city mandate," Holland said, mentioning that he has talked to the city attorney about the situation.

Still, the district is under pressure from some parents to break state law. An online petition with more than 1,100 signatures urges the Iowa City school board to mandate masks within district buildings this fall.

Also last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona sent a letter to Reynolds and Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo saying that state law is "at odds" with the Department of Education's planning process for districts that are returning to school. The department offered to partner with Iowa "to further our shared goals" of protecting students and educators.

"What I want the board to know, and what I want the public to know, is that we are constantly looking for ways to deal with this, both (with) litigation and other ways. And we're not going to stop," Holland said.

Cleo Krejci covers education for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter via @_CleoKrejci.

On Dec. 16 of last year, Mallory Lynch steadied her way down the aisle on the upper floor of Toast, the Ankeny wedding venue.

She locked arms with her brother, Deckar, as they arrived at the altar and greeted her now-husband Spencer Gritsch, the boy from Brooklyn, Iowa, who she met during their junior year in college after she saw him on Snapchat.

The floors were lined with Christmas trees. Her dress was lace-covered. Hair pieces fell in the front and the rest was pulled into a tightly held ponytail. The couple spun into one another's arms during their first dance choreographed to Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You."

She had dreamt about this day since childhood with her maid of honor Bri Buzick. But somebody was missing. Mallory's dad Chris Lynch died on Jan. 20, 2022, after a long battle with primary progressive multiple sclerosis that started in 2001 and a serious COVID-19 diagnosis that led to an 11-day hospital stay, where he passed away.

"Bri stayed with me the night he passed because I didn't want to leave his side," Gritsch said.

Grief inspired Gritsch to quit her day job as a teacher and write a new life chapter. One year after her dad's death, the childhood best friends opened a boutique bridal shop, Holland Bridal Shoppe in downtown Pella at 727 Main St.

"People come to Pella to get married even if they don't live here, which I don't think is super common of small towns the size of Pella," Buzick said. "We see the flowers, we see the venues, we see the photographers and we're like, 'It has everything you need except where a bride would get her dress,' and we've always talked about that, even since high school."

'We haven't left each other's side since'

Gritsch and Buzick, both 27, met in fifth grade at Jefferson Elementary School in Pella while practicing softball.

They danced together at Steppin’ Out Dance Studio in Prairie City and played basketball, softball and soccer. They shared sleepovers and spilt secrets. They took prom pictures and partied after graduation at Pella High School in 2014.

Then, they went their separate ways. Buzick enrolled at the University of Iowa while Gritsch studied education at Iowa State in Ames, but they quickly came back together.

“She transferred to Iowa State, and we haven’t left each other’s side since,” Gritsch said.

After graduation from Iowa State, Gritsch became a special education teacher focusing on students in fifth and sixth grades. Buzick enrolled at the University of Iowa's College of Law and went on to work as a family law attorney at a downtown Des Moines firm.

In 2022, Spencer got down on one knee and proposed to Gritsch in March before Buzick got engaged in April to her fiancé BJ Stokesbary, a developer breathing new life into the Dutch community. The "underwhelming" experiences they shared during dress shopping after their engagements led to the idea to start Holland Bridal Shoppe.

"Girls dream of this since they're little kids and then to just kind of show up, try some on and be like, 'OK this is it.' I think there's so much lost in translation there," Buzick said. "It really could just be amazing and after we went through it ourselves, we were kind of missing that feeling."

Shortly after they came up with the idea in April 2022, a rugged menswear store Stierenhuis vacated its space and closed in the city's downtown. The same month, Gritsch exited teaching after a battle with exhaustion and a need to grieve in the wake of her father's death.

"It was just really hard, so I quit without a plan," Gritsch said.

"We went from thinking somebody else should do this to we could do this, and it could be a success," Buzick added.

On a Wednesday in August, they found out the owner of the building was looking for renters. By Saturday of the same week, they hopped in a car and drove to Chicago for their first bridal market, where shop owners select dresses to sell in store.

A next-generation contemporary take on wedding industry norms

At Holland Bridal Shoppe, the hometown girls hope to cultivate an intimate and curated experience for brides. The pair wants to combine tried-and-true wedding traditions with a next-generation contemporary take on industry norms.

Holland Bridal's dresses feature a wide array of styles that are aimed to appeal to romantic brides with an elevated taste. Gritsch and Buzick both said they wanted price points to fit brides with any budget at the downtown shop. Dress prices range from $1,000 to $5,000.

“I think our style of dress matches the vibe of our space, so you’ve got the exposed brick, girly and feminine accents, trendy chairs,” Gritsch said. “I would say just kind of feminine and elevated. We want the dresses to feel expensive because they are high class, but we also want it to be affordable for people."

They offer brides and their loved ones lightly chilled Champagne and pink pieces of candy. Anybody can pull dresses during the appointment-only visits. Gritsch and Busick want to provide a comfortable dress shopping experience for brides of any size.

"There is so much pressure for how you're going to look on your wedding day if you're a woman and it makes the actual trying on of dresses experience intimidating and scary and we just want to take whatever pressure off of that that we can," Buzick said.

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Wedding dresses at the shop include looks that are reminiscent of celebrities' recent weddings, such as a mini dress with a bow veil that looks like it came straight out of the chapel where Kourtney Kardashian tied the knot in Las Vegas last year with drummer Travis Barker. Other more traditional dresses that combine elegance with modern flair could have easily been found during Kate Middleton's wedding to Prince William.

“We want to appeal to a broad audience of brides, especially when we’re pulling from the metro, small towns around Pella, etc.,” Buzick said. “I would say we’re really just focusing on classic styles with a slight bit of trend to it, so what we’ve been saying is the perfect mix of timeless and trend."

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Happily ever after happens at Holland Bridal Shoppe in Pella

Gritsch started a new job recently as a real estate agent for Home Realty in Pella.

Maybe happily ever after doesn't just happen in castles with manicured lawns in the countryside. Maybe they exist in downtown Pella, past cornfields, on Main Street with the people who always stick by us.

Through good or bad. For better or worse. In life and death. The girls who met playing shortstop grew up and opened the kind of bridal shop that only existed in films about fairytales.

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"I think the only thing that truly could make this happen is I'm doing this with my best friend," Buzick said.

In June, Buzick will wed Stokesbary. Her last name will change, but some things always remain. Her maid of honor is that same girl from fifth grade.

Where to find Holland Bridal Shoppe

Location: 727 Main St., Pella

Contact: 641-204-1528 or hollandbridalshoppe.com

Hours: By appointment only Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Jay Stahl is an entertainment reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow him on Instagram or reach out at [email protected].

Cedar Rapids Jefferson’s Lily Holland and Linn-Mar’s Garrett Bauermeister among Iowa Open champions

Morgan Burhans - Prairie senior

CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Rapids Jefferson sophomore Lily Holland has one simple reason for playing summer tennis.

“... so I don’t forget how,” Holland said Sunday after winning the 16-and-under girls’ title at the Baird Iowa Open tennis tournament.

The tournament helps players get prepared for the high school season.

From the start, Holland was unstoppable, cruising through the first few rounds and beating Kate Holton in the finals, 6-1, 6-1.

She said she had a great time at the annual tournament, calling the experience “pretty awesome.”

Holland has many goals this season after placing sixth at the Class 2A state singles in May.

“(Her goals are) to develop more offense by doing more with the balls that land midcourt,” said her coach Cam Watts, “also trying to generate more speed on her ground strokes and serves to get free points.”

Holland said she was able to win the tournament by “being patient and trying to wait to set up the point to finish it.”

Having summer tournaments like the Iowa Open helps her get prepared for the season and complete her goals.

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Another standout player last weekend was Linn-Mar sophomore Garrett Bauermeister. He beat Easton Moon in the 16U finals, 6-1, 6-4.

His success came from “putting balls in play and keeping my head in. I just worked hard the whole match.”

For Bauermeister, the Iowa Open prepares him for the next season by “putting me against the best players across Iowa who are putting in time all year.”

He would like to “make state and hopefully place” next spring.

He had a good time at the tournament, too. Winning the singles title definitely topped off Bauermeister’s weekend.

“It's been fun,” he said. “(I have) lots of friends here. (I’ve) been able to play doubles with them and against them.”