River Valley

Tuesday, August 12, Main Street Lansing welcomed Jonathan Stone, Program Officer of Revitalization Services for Main Street America, for an official accreditation visit. The day provided the opportunity to highlight the organization’s progress since its last review in 2023 and outline its vision for the future.

As an accredited Main Street America program, Main Street Lansing meets the highest national standards for downtown revitalization and community development. Accreditation is a mark of distinction that connects Lansing to valuable resources, training, and a network of communities across the country committed to preserving historic downtowns while promoting economic vitality.

During the visit, Stone met with board members, committee members, private and public partners, and toured the community - showcasing the many projects and improvements Main Street Lansing has led throughout the downtown and surrounding areas.

The Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center will host Conservation Café Wednesday, August 27, starting at 9:30 a.m. This is a new series started at the Driftless Area Education & Visitor Center to enjoy some social time with a hot beverage and a conservation focused program following. The program will be free of charge, but advanced registration is encouraged.

Learn all about Iowa’s turtle species. Learn where they live, what they are, and maybe meet some of Allamakee County Conservation’s turtle ambassadors.

The public is invited to join a special presentation on bats and bat conservation Saturday, August 23 at 7 p.m. at Effigy Mounds National Monument. Biologists from SWCA Environmental Consultants are scheduled to provide a presentation on general bat biology and discuss how bat surveys are conducted. Visitors are invited to experience how bats are handled and what measurements are taken.

Additional upcoming programs at Effigy Mounds include the following:
• August 25 from 1-4:30 p.m.: National Park Service Birthday - National Park Service will celebrate its 108th birthday. Visitors are invited to enjoy birthday cake and do activities from the Centennial Junior Ranger Book to earn a 2016 centennial pin.
• September 13 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.: North Unit Prairie Bioblitz - Visitors are invited to join park staff in identifying butterflies and other insects on the North Unit Prairie. The park will provide nets and other necessary tools.

Fourteen professionals from long-term care organizations across Iowa have completed a year-long executive leadership program through the Iowa Health Care Association (IHCA), designed to strengthen leadership in nursing homes, assisted living programs, care continuum and home care settings.

Among those completing the program is Theresa Herman of Thornton Manor Care Center in Lansing, pictured at far right in the photo above.

The 2024-2025 Executive Health Care Leadership Institute wrapped up in July with a graduation ceremony and final project presentations in West Des Moines. The program helps rising leaders in long-term care develop key skills in management, communication, workforce development and quality improvement, while fostering confidence and collaboration across care settings.

by Joshua Sharpe

The Lansing City Council met in regular session Monday, August 4 to address a comprehensive municipal agenda, ranging from consent agenda approvals and infrastructure updates to lease agreements, departmental readiness for Fish Days, and regional collaboration efforts. At the forefront were discussions around public works, public safety resources, and interagency operations.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES
Progress on the infrastructure projects for Platt, North, and 4th Streets was highlighted during the recent meeting. Ryan Wicks of Fehr-Graham Engineering provided updates on scheduling and recent accomplishments, stating, “Last week was a good week… they got subgrade down. We’re getting concrete work this week.”

Harpers Ferry Boosters Inc. will be hosting a free Fraud Prevention presentation at the Ethel Robinson Meehan Community Center, located at 234 North 4th Street in Harpers Ferry, Wednesday, August 13, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The free presentation will involve two representatives from the Dubuque location of American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) providing tips, the latest scam updates, and how to avoid fraud,  among other topics.

Those committing fraud steal billions of dollars from Americans every year, and the AARP Fraud Watch Network is fighting back with presentations such as this discussing how to spot and avoid identity theft and fraud to protect oneself and family members. The August 13 presentation is free of charge for everyone of all ages, whether they are AARP members or not. Find out more at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.
 

by Joshua Sharpe

The Lansing City Council convened Monday evening, July 21 to address community concerns, with a focus on plans for the closure of the Black Hawk Bridge following the announcement made the previous Monday, July 14 by the Iowa Department of Transportation regarding closure and demolition of the bridge sometime in the fall of this year. The council also reviewed funding allocations for the upcoming Fish Days event, discussed proposals for a community-centered bridge lighting recognition initiative, and received a report on advancements in workplace safety performance. State Representative Jason Gearhart attended the meeting and reinforced legislative support, emphasizing the importance of collaboration with the city council on the economic and infrastructural implications of the bridge project.

With the July 14 announcement of the closing and demolition of the historic Black Hawk Bridge at Lansing being planned for this fall, The Standard newspaper invites anyone to share their stories, sentiments and memories of the Black Hawk Bridge for printing in this publication. Email those items to news@waukonstandard.com, mail them to The Standard, P.O. Box 286, Waukon, IA 52172, or bring them into The Standard newspaper office located at 15 First Street NW in Waukon to be considered for publication.

Submissions should include the name of the individual submitting the item and their town of current residence for publication, along with a telephone number for possible further contact.
 

Arla’s Sewing Room in Lansing is a 2025 recipient of a Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant to improve energy efficiency in its downtown storefront on Main Street.

Owner-operator Arla Wagner worked with Clean Energy Districts of Iowa’s (CEDI’s) technical assistance to successfully apply to the U.S. Department of Agriculture REAP program for a $2,221 grant and completed the project in late June, installing two electric air-source heat pumps (mini-splits) to improve the building’s heating and cooling efficiency. Project assessments estimate the new units will save Wagner’s business 1,718 kWh or $240 per year.

“I’m very happy with the whole process and the results. I love them!” Wagner says of the heat pumps. “The CEDI team ironed out the details of my application and saw it through - not an easy feat in a year with so many changes to federal programming.”

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking informal comments on administrative rules related to Iowa’s wildlife. Executive Order 10 (EO10), signed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds January 10, 2023, requires all state agencies to identify which administrative rule chapters will be retained or rescinded. The EO10 process includes public engagement with the opportunity for input.

The Iowa DNR has reviewed chapter 571 Iowa Administrative Code (IAC) Chapters 76 (Unprotected Non-game), 93 (Commercial use of captive-reared waterfowl), 104 (Wildlife Importation, Transportation, and Disease Monitoring), 112 (Hunting Preserves) and 116 (Help Us Stop Hunger program administration). Based on the review, DNR has revised these chapters to modernize processes and improve clarity to customers.