River Valley

Following the resignation of all three officers of the Lansing/New Albin Police Department within a month’s time as they departed for other employment opportunities, the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department has been called upon by the communities of Lansing and New Albin to assist in providing temporary law enforcement coverage in those two communities. Lansing/New Albin Chief of Police Conrad Rosendahl’s resignation became effective June 26, as he began a new job as Chief of Police for the City of New Hampton July 1, and his two remaining officers, Darby Stone and Troy Riehm, first formally submitted their resignations at the July 8 meeting of the New Albin City Council and also at the July 15 meeting of the Lansing City Council, with those resignations both being effective as of this Friday, July 26.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

Immediately prior to the regular meeting of the Lansing City Council Monday, July 15, Stan Schwartzhoff was sworn in as a new council member. Schwartzhoff is filling the seat left open after the resignation of Lisa Welsh in June.

POLICE
The council approved the resignations of Officer/Interim Chief of Police Darby Stone and Officer Troy Riehm, effective July 26. These resignations, following the resignation of former Lansing Chief of Police Conrad Rosendahl (which was effective June 26) effectively leave the City of Lansing with no local police coverage, including for Fish Days weekend, August 9-11 - a weekend for which the Lansing Lions Club and Fish Days Committee have requested additional police protection, as in previous years.

Robert O’Connor, dressed in full attire as Ward Hill Lamon, Abraham Lincoln’s bodyguard, will give a first-person account of his relationship with President Lincoln and explain why he was not at Ford’s Theater the fateful night of President Lincoln’s assassination. The program is being held at Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library Thursday,  July 25 at 6:30 p.m. O’Connor is an author of a number of books with their stories centered around the Civil War period.
 

The 2024 Firecracker 5K  Run/Walk was held Saturday, July 6 in Harpers Ferry. It was hosted by Harpers Ferry Boosters, Inc. and is the organization’s main annual fundraiser which helps the group offer financial support to various organizations and worthy causes benefiting the Harpers Ferry area throughout the year.

The race, which is managed by Fast Track Racing, is known for being flat and fast, and thus is attractive to all age groups. The route offers lovely views and a tranquil setting overlooking the Mississippi River on the east and the rising bluffs framing the west side of town.

This year the registered race participants exceeded 200 individuals, which is the largest number since the race began. The vast majority of participants were from Iowa, however, other represented states included California, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

The July session of “Let’s Talk Bridges!” (held Thursday, July 11, at Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library) was a little shorter than the usual hour-long presentation regular attendees look forward to every month. There wasn’t a lot to talk about by way of progress on the bridge - crews with Kraemer North America, the contractors building the new bridge, haven’t been on the river since mid-June because of high water.

River Bluff Daze is being planned for Saturday, July 27 in Ferryville, WI featuring such free events as an antique tractor pull, a hike, a farmer’s market, food and fireworks. For more details, visit the community’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ferryvillewi or its website at www.visitferryville.com.

At 8:30 a.m. Joanne White will lead a nature hike on the Sugar Creek Bluff Natural Area. Participants should meet at the Ferryville Boat Landing at 8:30 a.m. and carpool to the trailhead.  Hikers will see birds, wildlife, and wild flowers on the gradual 1.5-mile round trip to the scenic overlook. This hike is sponsored by the Ferryville Tourism Council.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

During its regular meeting Monday, July 1, the Lansing City Council approved City Clerk Katie Becker’s resignation, effective July 26, 2024. Becker informed the council that she has taken a job as the city administrator for the City of Riceville. The city clerk position is being advertised (see Page 26 of this week’s edition of The Standard).

The council also approved the hiring of Elizabeth Carlson Jones as the deputy city clerk, at a rate of $18.50/hour with a $.50 raise after 90 days.

Robert O’Connor, dressed in full attire as Ward Hill Lamon, Abraham Lincoln’s bodyguard, will give a first-person account of his relationship with President Lincoln and explain why he was not at Ford’s Theater the fateful night of President Lincoln’s assassination. The program is being held at Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library Thursday,  July 24 at 6:30 p.m. O’Connor is an author of a number of books with their stories centered around the Civil War period.
 

Monday, August 5 more than 100 area kids and their adult chaperones will have the opportunity to explore the Mississippi River with the assistance of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Osborne Nature Center, the Prairie du Chien Rod and Gun Club, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Genoa Fish Hatchery, and Robert Vavra with Maiden Voyages.

Mississippi River Adventure Day (MRAD) is planned to take place from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, August 5 at Lawler Park in Prairie du Chien, WI. This is a free educational event with a lunch provided for all participants. Register online at https://docs.google.com/MRAD.

Tuesday, June 25, American Express and Main Street America announced the grant recipients for the Backing Small Businesses Grant Program. The Works, based in Lansing, was among the winners.

“We are continually seeking new ways to serve entrepreneurs and small business owners in our region,” said Maryann Baldwin, founder and owner of The Works, a site for coworking and small business coaching. “Adding multimedia capabilities to our resources is something I’ve hoped to provide since the founding in fall of 2021. This grant will allow us to finally do that. I am very honored that our contributions and intentions have been recognized and supported in this way. We look forward to offering podcasting and video production tools later this year.”