River Valley

The Ferryville Tourism Council has announced the second of the four Chautauqua Summer Series programs for this season. Wednesday, July 8, Lee Hendrix will be conducting a presentation on his life as a tow boat captain up and down the Mississippi River.

The program will be held at the Ferryville Village Hall at 6:30 p.m. Treats will be available. There is no cost for this program, and a donation can will be out to help defray the costs of Ferryville Tourism events.

Hendrix grew up in the St. Louis area, and he became a deck hand on a tow boat in 1972. The river “bug” caught him, and he received his license to be a tow boat pilot just four years later. His long career includes teaching, developing curriculum for schools about the Mississippi River, and piloting casino boats in the Quad Cities area.

Over the past several months numerous caring and compassionate deeds for wild animals have taken place in New Albin. The young, the middle aged, and the older residents of this community have all taken a focused interest in protecting individual turtles of at least three different kinds, as well as the nests full of eggs the pregnant turtles entrust to residents year after year.

“Young people have been amazingly caring,” shares Friends of Pool 9 Turtle Conservation Project Committee Chairperson Ric Zarwell. “Learning about and practicing compassion is a truly important goal. It is a way of acting everyone could use more of, and that kind of learning surely exists here.”

by Joshua Sharpe

The Lansing City Council met in a regular session delayed a couple days from its typical Monday meeting night due to schedule conflicts for both the mayor and mayor pro-tem with the Monday, June 1 regularly scheduled meeting date for the council. Instead, the meeting was held Wednesday, June 3, with Mayor Mike Verdon and Councilman Ben Ghelf not able to be in attendance, and Mike Manning serving as Mayor Pro-Tem.

by Joshua Sharpe

Located at 315 Main Street in De Soto, WI Pike’s Den has crafted its identity around a simple principle: stay familiar while progressing forward. According to public listings from the Tavern League of Wisconsin, Pike’s Den is a bar and grill owned by Christal Sudol, who describes it online as “locally owned and full of character,” emphasizing that it’s “more than just a bar - it’s a gathering place.” This language highlights the vital role the business plays within the community.

Before becoming Pike’s Den, the same location was known as Pork’s Bar and Pork’s Hilltop. Historical references to these previous names illustrate how deeply rooted this Main Street building is in the local memory, long before the current branding took hold. Rather than starting fresh in a new or unfamiliar location, Pike’s Den has embraced a space that has long been part of De Soto’s social fabric.

A video program about rattlesnakes produced by the Allamakee County Historical Society will be presented to the public June 14 and again later this summer. The program includes a presentation by Ross Geerdes, Allamakee County Conservation Director about local rattlesnakes, including their range, life cycle, poisonous nature, and cautions for humans interacting with them, and featuring a video appearance by Tim the Timber Rattler.

The video program continues with an interview with Mary Egan of Harpers Ferry, who was bitten by a rattler in 2023 and was hospitalized for 13 days. The video concludes with interviews by county residents Paul Howes, Kathy Howes, and Kathy Renk, all of whom will recount their interactions with the snakes in years past.

A new resource for birding in Allamakee County has been released thanks to collaborative efforts between the Upper Iowa Audubon Society and regional partners. The Allamakee County Birding Guide is made especially for those who are new to birding in Allamakee County, and those who are just new to birding. Birding locations and opportunities are grouped into categories built around different group needs, skill levels, visit lengths, and more.

The Guide is available for free at local Visitors Centers, including Allamakee County Economic Development in Waukon, the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center in Lansing, and Effigy Mounds National Monument in Harpers Ferry. A digital copy can be downloaded at www.northeastiowarcd.org.

The New Albin Public Library will be hosting a Meet the Author event Thursday, June 11, beginning at 3 p.m. John Haverty, a published author from Brownsville, MN, will be presenting his new book “Monkey, Bird, Frog and Me.”

The book offers a compassionate message for young readers navigating feelings of difference, loneliness, and self doubt. Through gentle storytelling and an inviting tone, the book creates a safe and encouraging space where children are reminded that they are seen, valued, and never alone.

The Meet the Author event is designed to inspire creativity and learning through fun activities, and there will also be time for little explorers. The event will also include snacks.

Pick up the Wednesday, June 3, 2026 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.

A video program about rattlesnakes produced by the Allamakee County Historical Society will be presented to the public June 14 and again later this summer. The program includes a presentation by Ross Gerdes, Allamakee County Conservation Commission Director about local rattlesnakes, including their range, life cycle, poisonous nature, and cautions for humans interacting with them, and featuring a video appearance by Tim the Timber Rattler.

The video program continues with an interview with Mary Egan of Harpers Ferry, who was bitten by a rattler in 2023 and was hospitalized for 13 days. The video concludes with interviews by county residents Paul Howes, Kathy Howes, and Kathy Renk, all of whom will recount their interactions with the snakes in years past.

by Joshua Sharpe

The Lansing City Council moved through a full agenda during its Monday, May 18 meeting, approving a police vehicle purchase pending final numbers, a temporary 4th Street closure for the Lansing Liberty Motorcycle Rally in mid-June, a correction to an ordinance number, the Lansing Memorial Program, a June meeting date change, and several utility-related financing and grant-application steps. The council also took no action on the Casterton/Becker plat of survey after discussion focused on an unresolved storm-sewer easement connected to the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT).

by Joshua Sharpe

The Lansing City Council moved through a full agenda at its Monday, May 4 regular meeting that combined routine approvals, resident concerns, seasonal staffing decisions, infrastructure updates, and repeated reminders that the city is operating under tighter financial limits. That broader budget caution shaped several of the evening’s decisions, from small purchase requests to larger discussions about capital categories and future planning.

CITIZEN CONCERNS
Resident concerns were discussed early in the meeting, beginning with a written complaint from property owner John Brustkern regarding traffic speed on North Front Street. Brustkern was unable to attend in person, but his concern prompted the council to discuss whether speeding is an ongoing problem on North Front Street and whether additional visual reminders might help.