News Center newsletter

The annual Spring Migration Day Hike at Sugar Creek Bluff Natural Area will be held Saturday, May 8 at 8 a.m. This is the first of the “Linked to the Land” hikes sponsored by the Mississippi Valley Conservancy and hosted by the Ferryville Tourism Council as well. Several changes are needed this year for everyone’s safety. First of all, the hike is limited to 36 participants. Registration is required and can be done at www.mississippivalleyconservancy.org. Masks are also required for the safety of everyone. The group will meet at the trailhead, not at the Ferryville Village Hall as in years past.

Friends of Pool 9 (FOP9) will be hosting its Pool 9 Mississippi River Clean-Up Saturday, April 24 from 8 a.m. to 12 Noon. There will be no mass meetings of individuals at the Lansing VFW building or elsewhere, as in year’s past, and there will not be a lunch following the clean-up. All volunteers are required to sign the 2021 Friends of Pool 9 Release of Liability form before participating in the event.

by Alexis Johnson

The regular meeting of the Lansing City Council was held Monday, April 19 at Lansing City Hall. Discussion centered around the consent agenda, citizens action, Streets report and Parks report.

Citizens action consisted of Tom Burke’s tree maintenance plan for trees in City of Lansing parks. He is interested in cleaning up some surrounding trees as well as planting some other trees such as the previous tree at the ball field that was taken down a couple years ago. A motion was made and seconded to approve Tom Burke’s plan for City Park trees. The council also reviewed and considered Resolution #953, which deals with Andrew Burke’s proposed real estate subdivision plot.

The Waukon girls golf team continued its early-season streak of success by defeating four more opponents to remain undefeated two weeks into this spring’s campaign at 7-0. The Lady Indians first began their home schedule with a second Northeast Iowa Conference victory, 203-229 over Waverly-Shell Rock Monday, April 12. The golf Tribe then swept three opponents in a home quadrangular Tuesday, April 13, tallying 210 strokes to leave Decorah (280), Postville (284) and MFL/MarMac (310) well behind.

Creed Welch breaks nearly century-old long jump record with leap of 22’0.75”

The Waukon boys track team ran, threw and jumped its way to a pair of runner-up team finishes on the tracks of fellow Northeast Iowa Conference squads this past week. The Indians finished behind the host squad at the Decorah Relays Monday, April 12 and did likewise behind Clear Lake at the New Hampton Invitational Thursday, April 15.

At the April 12 Decorah meet, history was made when the longest-standing record in Waukon High School boys track history was finally broken after nearly standing for nearly a century in the school record books. A long jump distance of 21’10” posted by Noel Robey in 1924 was finally bettered 97 years later when Indian senior Creed Welch launched a leap of 22’0.75” on that cool, breezy afternoon to win that event.

The Waukon boys golf team played a very busy early part of this past week, ultimately recording its first meet wins of the season. The golf Tribe first fell at Waverly-Shell Rock, 203-149, Monday, April 12 before tallying 190 strokes to defeat both MFL/MarMac (192) and Postville (256) in a non-conference road triangular at Tri-City Golf Course near Luana to hold a 2-3 meet record on the season.

The Indians were next scheduled to play at Decorah Monday, April 19 before playing their first home meet Tuesday, April 20 against Caledonia, MN. The golf Tribe will then host Crestwood Monday, April 26 before playing at Sumner-Fredericksburg Tuesday, April 27 and then hosting New Hampton Friday, April 30.

For more complete coverage, pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.

In what turned out to be its only competition of this past week, the Kee girls track team made the most of that lone opportunity at the MFL/MarMac Invitational Thursday, April 15, winning the meet by more than 40 points. The Lady Hawks claimed victory in 10 of the meet’s events to rack up 153 team points on the way to that title, winning five of the six individual non-hurdle running events and four of the six non-hurdle relays as well.

Prior to that dominant performance, the Kee track girls were also scheduled to compete in the Waukon Early Bird Invitational Tuesday, April 13. That meet was called off due to cold and windy conditions.

Nancy Kay (Pape) Wirkler, 52, of Waukon passed away Monday, April 19, 2021 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services were held Thursday, April 22 at the Gospel Hall in Garnavillo. Burial followed in Garnavillo Cemetery.

Nancy was born December 12, 1968 to Gerald and Marilyn (Dickman) Pape in Prairie du Chien, WI. She was raised on a dairy farm in Hickory Creek valley and graduated from MFL Community School in 1987.

Nancy was united in marriage to Robert Wirkler February 12, 1988 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Luana. She milked cows and raised cattle with her husband for 12 years before they made the tough decision to move on to other occupations. Nancy loved children and enjoyed her years providing care to her nephew until he started school and nieces when needed. She was most recently employed at TASC in Waukon.

Larry Patrick Lamborn, 72, of Luana died Friday, April 9, 2021 peacefully in his sleep at his home in Luana. Funeral Service was held Thursday, April 15 at Living Faith United Methodist Parish in Monona with Rev. Deb Parkison as the officiant. Burial with Military Rites followed at Smithfield Cemetery, Monona.

Larry was born March 17, 1949 in Waukon to Lloyd and Noraline (Borcherding) Lamborn. He graduated from MFL High School with the class of 1967 and attended college in Calmar for Farm Management.

Larry was united in marriage to Jane Clark June 27, 1970 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Waukon. Three children, Alan, Lori and Mark, were born to this union.

Walter Robert Hammell, 96, of Caledonia, MN died April 17, 2021 at his home. Visitation will take place Wednesday, April 21 from 4-7 p.m. at the Four Seasons Community Center, 900 North Kingston Street, Caledonia, MN. A private family funeral will be held Thursday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Caledonia. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Caledonia.

The family kindly asks that face masks be worn and social distancing be practiced. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Caledonia.

Walter was born May 11, 1924. He attended Iowa #5 School in Allamakee County. June 25, 1946, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth (Betty) Byrnes at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Hanover. They farmed on the Sand Cove near New Albin until they moved to Minnesota in 1969 where he farmed on Jefferson Ridge, outside Caledonia. Later in life, he moved into Caledonia.