SPORTS | 5-9 A look into what the fall sports season holds along with the fall sports schedules
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New senior housing complex proposed for Solon
Local athletes to represent Team USA in Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
Plans for 20-unit development in preliminary stages Joel Kellar Solon Economist
joel-kellar@uiowa.edu
SOLON — Senior Housing Consults are planning to put in a new senior housing development within the next two years. The need for senior housing is growing in Solon, so the company is working on getting approval for a two-phase project that will start with a 20-unit building being built. 16 of these units would be single bedrooms with the remaining four being two-bedroom units. The goal of the housing project is to create a complex for independent living seniors 55 years or older. They plan on adding garages to this complex and will include a community space in the interior. The housing will be on two, one-acre lots on Windflower Lane. The lots are neighboring the Pet Health Center of Solon and across the street from Charlie’s Wholesale. The lots were put on sale by the Solon State Bank and both sides have agreed to the offer. These lots have had a few discrepancies in the past when there were attempts to buy. The worries included traffic and parking, but President of Senior Housing Consultants, Allen Phillips, believes there will not be any issues this time around. Phillips said, “We have a nice project that will include plenty of parking. The great thing about seniors is not all of them even drive.” The project still has a way to go before construction begins. City Administrator Cami Rasmussen explained, “The project is at concept phase with no formal applications submitted to date. The next step in the process is for the city staff (myself, city engineer, Public Works Director) to meet with Mark Takes and Allen (Senior Housing board members) to better understand their intentions and begin to formulate a timeline for the above formal process.” Phillips and Takes presented their proposal to the city council on July 17. Rasmussen said it was, “well-received by HOUSING | 12
INSIDE
Erin Kerkhoff, the Hometown Hero that can’t see
Jessica Heims’ pipe dream turns into a reality for a third time
Joel Kellar Solon Economist
Joel Kellar Solon Economist
joel-kellar@uiowa.edu
joel-kellar@uiowa.edu
SOLON — Erin Kerkhoff was just a third grader when she SWISHER — Jessica Heims wanted to be a track and field realized her passion and love for running. This epiphany came athlete because her older sister had been running in track and to her at track and field day at Solon elementary school, where cross country through the school program. As the younger Brent Sands ran the event. Unbeknownst to Kerkhoff, Sands sibling, she wanted to do everything her sister did because would help coach her for the next 14 years as she achieved Heims wanted to be like her. more than she ever dreamt of. The sisters begged their mom to sign them up for a track From the outside, Kerkhoff was just a little girl who was club when Heims was ten years old, and she has been hooked inspired by Allyson Felix, one of the all-time great female on track and field ever since. American sprinters. But Kerkhoff’s life “There’s no other sport for me. Track was always a little different. Since birth, and field, that’s all she wrote,” said Heims. she has dealt with a visual impairment Scout Basset, USA Paralympian, played HOW TO WATCH caused by an optic nerve atrophy. She a major role in introducing Heims to para The Paris 2024 Paralympics (Wednesday, has 20/300 vision in her right eye and track. As an established para track athAugust 28-Sunday, September 8) can be 20/400 in her left. This means that she lete, she reached out to many younger seen on the Paralympic YouTube Channel cannot see the big “E” when taking a regpara-athletes to give advice and guide (www.youtube.com/@paralympics) and ular vision test at the doctor's office. them through being a para-athlete. the International Paralympic Committee Since that moment on track and field Heims said, "We were her little duckwebsite (https://www.paralympic.org) as day, Kerkhoff had an escape from her life lings. She made sure we were taken care well as on Peacock (www.nbc.com). whenever the stress piled on her. Even of at competitions and that we had all the with all the success and outside noise opportunities opened up to us. She would being a Team USA athlete, she still finds forward us grant opportunities and let us herself using running as a way to take a break from life. Kerkknow how to get financial resources for prosthetics.” hoff said, “[Running] is my free zone, it’s my space. Whenever Throughout high school at Cedar Rapids Prairie and college I am stressed about an exam or anything like that, I know I at the University of Northern Iowa, Heims dabbled in both just want to go run. It is just where I love to be.” throwing and running. An unusual combination for athletes. Kerkhoff quickly became a star in the track community. After her first Paralympic games at the 2016 Rio games, Heims While running for the Lady Spartans, Kerkhoff was an 11-time decided to focus on one event. She wanted to be as healthy as state medalist and anchored the 2019 4x400 meter relay team possible to do as well as she could at that single event. to a state championship. She broke the school record in the The postponement of the Tokyo games due to COVID 4x400 meter relay and the 400-meter dash. Her 4x400 meter allowed her extra time to prepare and decide what event to relay record still stands as the fastest time in Solon girls’ track focus on. So Heims picked the discus. Heims said, “I have a history. huge passion for throwing. It’s a fun community, a fun event, Her records are impressive considering the disadvantage and not one that is the most common. You don't see throwers she has when competing with other athletes. She can only every day, so I love that community.” see a couple feet ahead of her, which can make it difficult to The first time she made the Paralympics in 2016 she had to navigate the track during the race. She cannot see the finkeep reminding herself she was actually a Paralympian. At KERKHOFF | 2 HEIMS | 2
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