A Shelby County resident will be honored at the Iowa State Fair this week. Steve Leinen,  of Panama, has been selected as “Iowan of the Day” at this year’s Iowa State Fair. The Iowan of the Day program is sponsored by the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation and selects 10 lucky Iowa residents who are nominated by others for the award. The Foundation receives hundreds of nominations each year. Every Iowan of the Day gets his/her special day at the State Fair. Leinen’s day at the fair is Friday. Leinen says he was nominated by Lois Kramer.

“She nominated me and I didn’t really know the program existed and called me one night and told me you have been nominated for Iowan of the Day. It has a lot of perks to go with it.” Leinen and three of his guests will get the royal treatment on Friday. He said “We get four free passes to the fair along with a parking pass up close and get in early. We get a golf cart to drive around, cash to spend and four tickets to the concert that night. The highlight of the day is getting on the Bill Riley talent stage to get the award. It is a pretty special deal.”

Leinen will  share the award with his wife, adding “That’s the reason I am today because of her. We work as a team on any volunteering that we do and the award is somewhat based on that so she deserves it just as much as I do.” The Leinens serve on the Harlan Community Booster Club, Panama Athletic Association, the Panama Fire Department and Steve is Secretary on the Shelby County Cattlemen Board. Steve Leinen says on the night he found out he won, he originally thought he was suppose to help the Kramers with redecorating work.

He said “Dave and Lois invited us to their house to supposedly look at some landscaping. It happened on the day they tore down their kitchen wall and I thought I was going to be asked to help as she had a stack of papers in front of her. All of sudden she started telling me about what she did and she showed me a bunch of pictures that she had sent in. So I was surprised.”

As Iowan of the Day, Leinen received a free night stay for this (Thursday) evening at the Marriott before starting his day at the Fair Friday.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)