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The community newspaper for Solon

Solon Economist

The community newspaper for Solon

Solon Economist

The community newspaper for Solon

Solon Economist

The Fall 2025 Community News class (from left) – Reanna Robb, Lily Graham, Sonja Fortier, Aviva Wilks-Adams, Zoe Bentler, Megan Klein, instructor Tyren Rushing, and Liam Halawith.

UI students ready to cover the news that matters to Solon

Chris Umscheid, Editor September 10, 2025

A pair of University of Iowa journalism students will soon be hitting the streets in Solon seeking out stories to tell. Reanna Robb and Lily Graham are in this fall’s Iowa Community News class and...

The Solon High School Marching Band exits the field after pregame ceremonies Friday, August 29. The 40-some-member band performed the National Anthem and school fight song to open the first varsity football game of the season and debuted their competition piece for the year during halftime.

Pumping up the crowd

Chris Umscheid, Editor September 3, 2025

It's a football Friday night tradition. Before the varsity Spartans take the field, the Solon Marching Band, in their orange and black uniforms with polished black hats and plumes, performs the National...

Eli Kampman (3) tackles a Linn-Mar Lion Friday, August 22, at home in a varsity scrimmage. The regular season starts this Friday as Assumption Catholic (Davenport) visits for a non-district

Week Zero for Spartans FB

Chris Umscheid, Editor August 28, 2025

The week before the official start of the nine-week high school football season is called “Week Zero,” and often provides a test for teams before hitting the gridiron for competition in Week One. While...

Solon Centennial Lions Club members Marti Hendricks and Jay Proffitt stand ready to assist as Pieter Frolichs refills his water bottle at an aid station the Lions set up at the SRNA Saturday morning in support of the Core 4 bike races.

Where there’s a need, there’s a Lion

Chris Umscheid, Editor August 20, 2025

The members of the Solon Centennial Lions Club are used to unique bicycling events – the Club hosts the annual Fat Tire Classic every February on the trails around Lake Macbride. “We just celebrated...

A resident unloads items from a trailer as workers from LRS-Johnson County Refuse assist during Solon’s annual Clean Up Day community garbage drop-off Saturday, August 9, at the Solon Recreation and Nature Area.

Cleaning up the town, one load at a time

August 13, 2025

The City of Solon held its annual Clean Up Day Saturday, August 9 at the Solon Recreation and Nature Area (SRNA) with LRS-Johnson County Refuse providing trucks and crews to haul away residents’ unwanted...

Xiang helps RJ fist-bump Trixie the Tyrannosaurus during the 4th annual Dinosaurs at Dusk event on the patio at the Solon Public Library. The event celebrated the life of Jack Neuzil, who hand-crafted well over 100 wooden dinosaurs combining his love of woodworking, dinosaurs, and improving the lives of children.

Keeping Jack’s memory alive

Chris Umscheid, Editor August 6, 2025

Jack Neuzil (Nov. 25, 1930-April 19, 2025), better known to many simply as ‘The Dinosaur Man,’ was remembered and honored Friday, August 1 as the Solon Public Library held its fourth annual Dinosaurs...

Ken Fullard (bass and vocals) keeps the rhythm going while Dave Shawver wails on the saxophone as the Funk Daddies rock downtown Solon with their mix of R&B and soul music Wednesday, July 23 during the Music on Main Street concert series.

Hot funk on a summer night

Chris Umscheid, Editor July 30, 2025

It was hot in downtown Solon last Wednesday evening as the cool sounds of classic R&B from the Funk Daddies filled Mushroom Park for another installment in the Music on Main Street concert series....

Iowa football lineman Kade Pieper muscles a hay bale at the annual Hay Bale Toss during Solon Beef Days Friday, July 18. Pieper defended his 2024 win with a 13’ toss in a showdown to claim the 2025 Championship.

Kade Pieper two-peats at Beef Days Hay Bale Toss

AJ Dolan, Intern July 23, 2025

It has become an annual tradition for Iowa football players to put their strength to the test at Solon Beef Days’ esteemed Hay Bale Toss, and this year was no exception, hosting numerous Hawks in the...

Seniors Addie Miller (left) and Izzy Frees embrace with tears flowing after the final out of the Class 3A regional semifinal against archrival Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon Saturday evening.

Lady Spartans softball handed season-ending loss by Mustangs

AJ Dolan, Intern July 16, 2025

MOUNT VERNON — The anticipation in the air could be cut with a knife on Saturday as Spartan fans packed the house of the Mount Vernon Mustangs, fighting for a chance to move on in the postseason. This...

For the Stahle family, their annual peaches and cream sweet corn sales is a tradition and a labor of love. Check their Facebook page – Stahle’s Peaches and Cream Sweet Corn, for times they’ll be in the Dairy Queen and E’s Floral parking lot off Highway 1.

Sweet corn, sweeter tradition

Natalia Scales, Intern July 9, 2025

SOLON — Every summer, a familiar sight pops up just off Highway 1 in Solon. A truck filled with freshly picked ears of peaches and cream sweet corn, and a group of residents ready to sell it. Behind...

Brady Wick, a sophomore, sign signals an out ending the Stormin’ Pointers’ half of the seventh inning of game two Thursday, June 26 at home after gunning down CPU’s Geovanni Perez on a dive back to second base.

Postponements, sweeping the Pointers, and postseason brackets for Spartans baseball

Chris Umscheid, Editor July 1, 2025

SOLON — Dylan Gorham, a junior, achieved hero status last Thursday evening as he smacked an RBI double, scoring courtesy runner Tyler Greazel, breaking a 5-5 tie with the Stormin’ Pointers, and delivering...

Maddox Kelley, a sophomore, slides in as a Cedar Rapids Washington Warrior leaps for the ball in varsity action
Thursday, June 12, in Solon. The Warriors edged the Spartans by one run to win 4-3.

A pair of sweeps as Williamsburg and Grinnell fall to the Spartans baseball team

June 25, 2025

Solon shuts out Raiders 2-0, 10-0 WILLIAMSBURG — The perfect week started Monday, June 16 with a trip to WaMaC West foe Williamsburg. Seniors Ty Bell and Jackson Link scored in the top of the...

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