River Valley

The Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center will host the Driftless Birding Fest Saturday, November 12. The Driftless Birding Fest will include speakers, exhibits and self-guided field trips to area birding hotspots. The self-guided field trips will include the Brownsville MN overlook, Stoddard, WI overlook, New Albin’s Army Road, Red Oak Road near Harpers Ferry and the Ferryville, WI overlook.

At 1 p.m. Saturday, November 12, a program entitled “Commercial Waterfowl Hunting on the Mississippi Flyway” will be presented at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center in Lansing by Allamakee County Conservation Naturalist Ross Geerdes.

Self-guided field trips are available anytime during that November 12-13 weekend. Maps and directions to each site will be available from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday the week prior to the Driftless Birding Festival at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center in Lansing.

The Annual Kee High School Red Cross Blood Drive will be held Wednesday, November 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kee High School in Lansing. For an appointment, call Allison Fitzwater at 563-538-4201, ext. 110 or visit redcrossblood.org

Donating at this blood drive helps one or more graduating seniors earn a scholarship. Those who are donating can save up to 15 minutes when they donate blood by using RapidPass. Visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass for more information.
 

The first-degree murder trial of Andrew Karvel of Lansing has been postponed from its originally scheduled November 2 date in Allamakee County by joint request of both the defense and prosecution legal teams involved in the case, according to Allamakee County District Court documents. Karvel had waived his right to a speedy trial in late September. Another pre-trial conference is scheduled for November 8.

Karvel is charged in the May 9, 2022 strangulation death of another Lansing man, 83-year-old Daniel William Lundy. Following an investigation into Lundy’s death, Karvel was arrested August 17 of this year and had entered a written plea of not guilty at his arraignment hearing in early September.
 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul, MN District, is seeking comments on its draft feasibility report and integrated Environmental Assessment, or EA, for its proposed Reno Bottoms Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project on the Upper Mississippi River near New Albin.

The project is located in Pool 9 of the Upper Mississippi River within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. The project sponsor is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The project aims to increase the quality and extent of floodplain forest habitat and expand fisheries overwintering habitat. Work would include forest management of over 600 acres and almost 30 acres of fish habitat.

The Corps is hosting an open house to discuss the Reno Bottoms project Thursday, November 3 at the New Albin Town House, located at 136 Elm Street in New Albin, from 6-7:30 p.m. The public is welcome to drop in to learn more and meet with staff.

The Heytman’s Landing boat ramp, located south of Lansing on Pool 9 of the Mississippi River, is closed to dredge the boat channel. The work is expected to be completed by mid-November.

Boaters are encouraged to seek other ramps in the area, including Village Creek in Lansing and New Albin Army Road, north of Lansing. There are also many ramps on the Wisconsin side of the river. The Big Slough and Winneshiek Slough landings are accessible across the Black Hawk Bridge along WI Hwy. 82 (more locally known as the dike road).

Blackhawk Park Recreation Area has multiple ramps and the Dairyland Power access south of Genoa has plenty of parking.
 

A Halloween Party has been scheduled for this Saturday, October 29 at the Splash Pad in the town of New Albin. The Halloween Party is a free family event and is taking place from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

There will be a hot dog lunch, and a costume contest will take place beginning at 12:30 p.m. with multiple categories and prizes. There will also be a hayride, pumpkin painting, a scavenger hunt and Halloween games to play.

Trick-or-Treat on Main Street is scheduled for Monday, October 31 from 4:30-6 p.m. at participating Main Street businesses. Participants are invited to stop by the Lansing Office Works location from 5-6:30 p.m. for Halloweenies and Haunted Chocolate.

Community Foundation (ACCF) is accepting letters of interest for its “Emerging Needs” mini-grant program. Organizations should visit dbqfoundation.org/accf for more information and submit a grant request letter by October 31.

The “Emerging Needs” Mini-Grant Fund was created to address funding for community projects outside of the Foundation’s regular grant cycle. Grants up to $500 are available for organizations with a 501(c)3 designation, along with schools and municipalities.

The Community Foundation accepts applications for grants in the areas of Health and Human Services; Education; Neighborhoods and Community Development; Environment; Children, Youth and Families; and Arts and Culture (including historic preservation) that will benefi t people residing in Allamakee County.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

During its regular meeting Monday, October 3, the Lansing City Council approved taking possession of and preserving a 30-by-30-foot section of the existing Black Hawk Bridge - the “west portal” - after it has been detached by the Department of Transportation (DOT) during the bridge replacement project scheduled to take place within the next several years.

Brennan Construction has offered an estimate of $5,000 to move the salvaged section (that estimate does not include any re-assembly). Because the DOT already has to remove the bridge section in question separately due to its location over the railroad tracks, the removal would not cost the City anything - provided the City takes possession of and moves the section in a timely manner. The council discussed places where the bridge section could be kept while a decision could be made about how to utilize it - among them, a location near Anderson Park and a location on the river.

The Allamakee County Community Foundation (ACCF) is accepting letters of interest for its “Emerging Needs” mini-grant program. Organizations should visit dbqfoundation.org/accf for more information and submit a grant request letter by October 31.

The “Emerging Needs” Mini-Grant Fund was created to address funding for community projects outside of the Foundation’s regular grant cycle. Grants up to $500 are available for organizations with a 501(c)3 designation, along with schools and municipalities. The Community Foundation accepts applications for grants in the areas of Health and Human Services; Education; Neighborhoods and Community Development; Environment; Children, Youth and Families; and Arts and Culture (including historic preservation) that will benefit people residing in Allamakee County.