Education

Bridget (Pfiffner) Adam, a 1998 graduate of Waukon High School and the daughter of Jim and Jan Pfiffner of Harpers Ferry, will receive the Upper Iowa University Service to Community Award as part of the 2026 Homecoming celebration this week at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, from where she graduated in 2002. Adam is currently a teacher of Computer Science and a Building Technology Integration Leader at Holmes Junior High in Cedar Falls.

Adam has three children, including her son Chance, who also became a graduate of Upper Iowa University this past spring. Her other son, Chase, is a 2025 graduate of Western Technical College in La Crosse, WI, and her daughter Caylie is in her second year at Waldorf University in Forest City.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors met Monday, September 14 at Kee High School in Lansing. Board President Arla Wagner called the meeting to order with board members present including Heather Lutz, Vice-President and District 2 representative; Joe Manning, at-large member; and Glen Delaney, District #3 member. Tommy Martin, District 1 member, was absent.

Also in attendance were Superintendent Jay Mathis, Board Secretary/Financial Administrative Assistant Michele Martin, PK-5 Principal/PK-12 Curriculum Director Donna Thomas, and Grades 6-12 Principal/PK-12 Special Education Director Liz Hill. The board approved the meeting agenda. Since there were no visitors and no public comment, the board moved on to approving the consent items of the previous month’s minutes, bills, and financial and activity reports.

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met for its regular monthly meeting Monday, September 21.

Under the Consent Agenda, the board approved the following personnel (pending satisfactory background check): Kloe Hemmersbach, Middle School Girls Wrestling Coach; Isaac Ericson, Middle School Boys Wrestling Coach; Dave Dougherty, Substitute Route Driver; Joseph Swizdor, Route Driver; Hayden Comstock, Assistant Musical Director; Hayden Comstock, Full-Time Elementary Paraprofessional; Brenna McCarthy, Full-Time Elementary Paraprofessional; John Papp, Volunteer Basketball Coach; Tim Bulman, Jack Regan, Dani Bucknell and Kadence Pape, Volunteer Wrestling Coaches; Dallas Howe, Full-Time Elementary Paraprofessional; Cassidy Wiseman, Part-Time Elementary Paraprofessional; Thomas Benda, Substitute Bus Driver; and Ava Sons, Full-Time Middle School Paraprofessional.

When Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) celebrates a milestone like its 60th anniversary, the true measure of its impact isn’t found in the brick-and-mortar buildings on campus. It’s found in the lives of the people who walked through its doors, redefined their futures and stayed to reinvest in the region.

Corey Tieskoetter is a testament to that legacy. Today, Tieskoetter is a successful business development officer in the crop insurance division at Farm Credit Services of America, where he manages a six-county territory in northeast Iowa. But over a decade ago, he was a nontraditional student stepping far outside his comfort zone.

By 2012, Tieskoetter had spent more than a decade in the workforce. He had good jobs and worked with great people, but he reached a point where he realized he wanted to do something different. Living in Ossian, NICC was the logical place to look.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering a Ceramic Halloween Painting Party class for youths. This class will be held Tuesday, October 6 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, 1220 3rd Avenue NW.

Those attending can learn how to apply colors, styles and their own unique imprint on their own Halloween bear. Have fun being creative and enjoying uncomplicated artmaking with a ceramic bear and numerous colors provided. No experience is necessary and all skill levels are welcome. All supplies are included.

The deadline for paid registration is September 29. To register online visit www.nicc.edu/waukon or call NICC Waukon Center at 563-562-3263, ext. 6700.

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Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Makerspace Open Lab sessions for students in grades 3-7. The following youth classes will run from 3:30-5 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, which is located at 1220 3rd Avenue NW:

September 9 - Session 1
October 14 - Session 2
December 2 - Session 3.

The lab is a learning space for creative exploration of STEAM. Participants can use Legos, robotics and electronics, create movies and animation, design and build, and more. A teacher will be available to guide students in the basic use of the tools and technology. Registrations preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.

To register online, visit www.nicc.edu/waukon or call the NICC Waukon Center at 563-562-3263, ext. 6700.
 

Scammers are getting smarter, but Fraud Fighters offers an opportunity stay one step ahead.

Join Kerndt Brothers Savings Bank for a free Iowa Fraud Fighters presentation Wednesday, September 9, at 11:30 a.m. at Robey Memorial Library in Waukon. Learn how to recognize today’s most common scams and tactics used to target Iowans. This presentation shares real-life examples, practical tips for prevention, and what signs to watch for before it’s too late. Attendees will also learn where to report suspected fraud and discover free resources available through Iowa Fraud Fighters to help stay informed and protected.

Family caregiving is a growing responsibility for many Americans. Nearly 39% of U.S. adults provide care for a family member or friend with a chronic health condition. While caregiving can be rewarding, it often brings challenges that may affect caregivers’ physical health, emotional well-being and overall life satisfaction.

“Caregiving can be stressful, and many caregivers struggle to find the support they need,” said Barbara Dunn Swanson, a health and human sciences educator with Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach.

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Education met for a pair of meetings within the past several weeks. Coverage of both meetings appears below.

JULY 23 SPECIAL MEETING
The Allamakee Community School District Board of Education met for a special board meeting Thursday morning, July 23. The board approved change order 22 in the amount of $12,173.45 for the Waukon Middle School HVAC project.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The Eastern Allamakee Community School District Board of Directors met for its regular monthly session Monday, August 10, at Kee High School in Lansing, with President Arla Wagner calling the meeting to order. Board members Heather Lutz (District 2), Joe Manning (At-Large), Tommy Martin (District 1) and Wagner (At-Large) were present. Board member Glen Delaney (District 3) was absent.

Superintendent Jay Mathis, Board Secretary and Financial Clerk Michele Martin, PK-5th Grade Principal Donna Thomas and Grades 6-12 Principal Liz Hill also attended. The board approved the meeting agenda with no public comment. Consent items were reviewed and approved, including previous meeting minutes, bills, the secretary’s financial report, the student activity report and the food service report.