River Valley

The Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library sesquicentennial presentations continue Thursday, July 13 in celebration of the 150th birthday of the town of Lansing being observed this year. The July 13 presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the library, with hot dogs and brownies being served at 5:30 p.m.

The subjects for the July 13 sesquicentennial presentation include pre-settlement exploration of the Upper Mississippi River and Lansing areas; origins of Lansing city government and court house location; and Black Hawk Bridge history. The discussion will be led by local author, historian and city planner Bill Burke.

by Macie Hill

The regular session of the Lansing City Council was held Monday, July 3. The following items were discussed: the Lansing Fire Department liquor license, a half hour parking sign in front of Kerndt Brothers Bank, hiring someone to paint the eagle signs in town, and discussing an ATV/UTV ordinance.

The meeting opened with a public hearing on a Proposal to Enter into a General Obligation Bridge Improvement Loan Agreement. No comments were heard or read, and the public hearing was closed and a resolution to enter into the loan agreement was approved.

The Lansing Fire Department received approval on a liquor license for RAGBRAI® and will not need to apply for a new one for Lansing Fish Days. A liquor license was also approved for the Lansing RAGBRAI Committee.

Wednesday, July 12, the Ferryville Tourism Council is sponsoring the second of this summer’s evening bonfire programs in Ferryville’s Sugar Creek Park at 8 p.m. The event will be held under the pavilion at the south end of the park just off of Wisconsin Highway 35, the Great River Road.

The program is “From Weeds to Wild Flowers on Gobbler Ridge” and will be given by Tim Eisele, a writer from Madison, WI. He and his wife, Linda, have restored a large section of their land in Crawford County, WI from regular land to native prairie. The resulting prairie is an attraction for birds, insects and animals that are native to the area. Eisele will use multi-media to show the process he and his wife went through during this years long process.

Attendees are asked to bring lawn chairs and bug spray.

The Ferryville Tourism Council is sponsoring the first of three summer bonfire programs Wednesday, June 28 at 8 p.m. at the south end of Sugar Creek Park in Ferryville, WI. Ric Zarwell will be the speaker for a program entitled, “Birdwatching in the U.S., from an Expert like John James Audubon to an Active, Maybe Obsessed Local Man.”

Zarwell was born and raised in New Albin. He has been a lifelong birder and has created, along with his wife, Betty, the River and Bluffs Birding Festival in the Lansing area. They have traveled to 44 nations and all seven continents to view birds native to those areas. Zarwell has a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology and a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources, both from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He leads birding trips and conducts monitoring of bird species in various habitats.

The Allamakee County Conservation Board (ACCB) will be hosting a series of summer day camps for the youth of Allamakee County throughout the month of July. The camps will be held at parks throughout Allamakee County. The series will feature camps for all age levels from three to 15 years of age. All camps will be free of charge, however, participants must be pre-registered.

Children ages seven to 10 will be able to participate in Birds Camp July 27. Birds Camp will be from 9:30-11 a.m. at County Home Park.  Participants will learn about kinds of birds in Iowa, what calls they make, and why they have different colors.

by B.J. Tomlinson

Last August, in the fall of 2016, while in Iowa City attending the University of Iowa, Ethan Halverson didn’t feel well. Ethan is a 2012 graduate of Kee High School in Lansing and the son of Marty and Faye Halverson of Lansing.
"Not really sick, just not like himself,” said his mother, Faye. Ethan then noticed swollen lymph glands that became lumps in his neck and upper chest.

On first examination, the doctors adopted a wait-and-see treatment plan, thinking perhaps the symptoms indicated a virus. But when the condition did not improve they ratcheted up their diagnostic options to include CT scans, ultrasounds and lab work. As a result of that further testing, in November of last year Ethan was diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a malignant cancerous growth of cells in the body's lymphatic system.

by Macie Hill

The regular meeting of the Lansing City Council was held Monday, June 19. Discussion circled around MSA representatives addressing the City's radium issue in its water supply, Main Street well inspection, a new hiring for a city lawn mower position, fencing put up in front of the train tracks for RAGBRAI®, an ATV ordinance update, and a public hearing scheduled for the July 3 meeting.

MSA Professional Service representatives attended the meeting to meet all of the council members and let them know that they are interested in preparing the city's radium preliminary engineering report. The town of Farley in Iowa is one of MSA's clients which is having a similar situation that Lansing is having with radium. The project that MSA is proposing to take on would be about a three-year process with three parts, including design, bidding and construction.

The Ferryville Tourism Council is sponsoring the first of three summer bonfire programs Wednesday, June 28 at 8 p.m. at the south end of Sugar Creek Park in Ferryville, WI. Ric Zarwell will be the speaker for a program entitled, “Birdwatching in the U.S., from an Expert like John James Audubon to an Active, Maybe Obsessed Local Man.”

Zarwell was born and raised in New Albin. He has been a lifelong birder and has created, along with his wife, Betty, the River and Bluffs Birding Festival in the Lansing area. They have traveled to 44 nations and all seven continents to view birds native to those areas. Zarwell has a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology and a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources, both from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He leads birding trips and conducts monitoring of bird species in various habitats.

Fundraising campaign within $15,000 of its goal

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The Lansing Lions Club hosted community members of all ages Sunday, June 11 for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new playground equipment to be placed in the city park just south of the ball diamond within the Lansing Sports Complex on the east edge of town. Sunday, June 11 had been designated as National Children's Day, a seemingly fitting time to break ground on a new playground project designed to benefit local children and those visiting the Lansing area.
Efforts have been underway since August of 2016 to raise almost $68,000 to fund the project, with $15,000 remaining to be raised. If funds are complete, the installation of the riverboat-themed playground equipment would take place right after Labor Day this year.

by B.J. Tomlinson and Susan Cantine-Maxson

Wisconsin and Iowa officials had initially estimated that the Wisconsin Highway 82 connection between Iowa and Wisconsin might be closed for several weeks for repairs after a portion of the highway near the Wisconsin side of the river washed out suddenly in the early morning hours of May 30, ultimately claiming the life of 59-year-old Lansing resident Jim Walleser. The washout happened just shy of two miles east of Lansing, creating a 70-foot long crater in the eastbound lane of the highway as it approached what is known as Henderson Bridge that spans Henderson Slough of the Mississippi River.

Stunned residents of the area have been asking how this tragic event occurred and wonder if it could happen again.