You may know Keith Brake as the editor of a sports-oriented community website.
Some of you remember him as a long-time television announcer on Local Channel 3 in Montezuma.
And, you may recognize that Keith and his wife, Linda, are professional Christian clowns – The Kingdom Klowns of Iowa.
Brake, who turns 68 in July, has served in many areas since coming to Montezuma early in 1994. The couple is leaving in June, moving to Wisconsin to retire near Linda’s family.
In honor of his contributions to the community, the Montezuma Community Boosters have named Keith grand marshal of the “Let Freedom Ring” Parade on July 6.
Brake’s desire to help push Montezuma toward a bright future led him to develop a weekly newspaper, NewsLife, which lasted about a year.
It was the second time around for Brake and a news product he named “NewsLife.”
Starting in 1988, he developed the paper and its staff in his hometown of Geneseo, Ill. He covered news and sports, trained and developed the staff and introduced a “story board” rotation for feature news.
NewsLife, Geneseo version, won the Verle Kramer Memorial Trophy during its first full year. The award went to the best overall weekly paper in Illinois in its circulation class. The Illinois Press Association sponsored the contest.
NewsLife also was honored for having the best sports section in Illinois. Brake’s sports pages won similar honors in Iowa while he edited the Sioux County Capital-Democrat in Orange City.
Brake began his career in 1971 as a reporter and feature section editor at The Daily Dispatch in Moline, Ill.
He served as the sports information director and assistant college information officer at a community college in Moline.
He was marketing director for a number of years at an arts and craft dealership operated by his family. But he maintained his relationship with The Daily Dispatch as a sports correspondent.
He also developed his play-by-play and news broadcasting skills at WGEN radio in Geneseo, doing everything from tape-delay broadcasts to live “radiothon” fund-raising events.
While at the Dispatch, he covered a highly-successful Geneseo High School football program, which was in the middle of a 55-year streak of winning seasons that included four state championships.
“I learned a lot about athletics and the importance of positive role modeling from that program,” Brake said.
Brake later developed “Brake in The Action,” a sports column covering 18 school districts in western Illinois. He also had temporary assignments as a beat reporter covering the Iowa Hawkeyes and the St. Ambrose University Bees football team.
NewsLife was privately-owned when it was begun, but was sold to a corporate group that discontinued it not long after the paper won the Kramer Trophy. That put Brake on a road trip that eventually led to Montezuma.
He served as editor of weekly papers in Orange City and Monticello in Iowa. While in Orange City, he edited Northwestern College’s football magazine and covered Red Raider football and basketball games.
Next came experience as general manager of three papers based in Morton, Ill.
Brake came in Montezuma in 1994 and was affiliated with papers in Brooklyn and Montezuma.
He has been secretary of the Montezuma Community Boosters during his entire time here.
He later became a board member and state public relations director for the Iowa Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He got into the insurance business in 1998. He was affiliated briefly with Coleman Agency (now called “All in One Agency” with Dana Coleman. He left insurance last year.
Keith and Linda began The Kingdom Klowns of Iowa in 2005 and have appeared at churches and for organizations around the state up to 100 times a year. She has developed their own scripts and has customized them for their audiences.
Keith did sports and special events announcing on Local Channel 3 in Montezuma from 1995 through 2015. He also developed a news program for the channel.
Linda operated LuLu Consignments at 321 East Main St. for a time.
Keith and Linda have a daughter, Amber, an artist who resides in Fridley, Mn., near Minneapolis.
Other career highlights
Helped to develop community guide magazines in Monticello and Montezuma, which are still published in their respective communities.
Helped to develop a classified ad paper in the Peoria, Ill. east bluff area.
Encouraged and helped organize development of Montezuma’s Christmas Walk, which is now called “Hometown Holiday.” It was based on his experiences with a similar event in Geneseo.
Is a two-year past president of the Montezuma Lions Club. He was a Rotarian in Geneseo. Brake has received the Lion’s Warren Coleman Award for distinguished community service. He was honored by the Montezuma FFA chapter in 2012, and by the athletic program in 2008.
He helped to gather people together during the formative process of the Montezuma Community Foundation.
Is a founding member and president of the Montezuma Dollars for Scholars board and was a charter member of the Iowa Dollars for Scholars Board.
Was an 11-year board member of the Quad-City Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, including six years as president. He was the organization’s public relations and development director the entire time. The annual budget almost doubled during that time and reached six figures.
Brake helped to secure a major national corporate sponsorship for the corps, which is a youth activity for musicians age 21 and under.
He founded The Maple Leaf Fund, which restored extracurricular programs which had been cut from the school budget in Geneseo.
Assisted in promoting and developing a fund drive which built the Geneseo Community Center, a combined recreational and senior citizen’s meeting facility.
Keith has been writing and photographing Montezuma sports and community news for his websites, currently www.montezumamagazine.com, since 2006.
