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Brad and Erin Berns of Allamakee County were inducted into the 2024 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines Sunday, August 18.

Ninety-three Iowa counties participated in the honoring this year and selected 125 inductees for their outstanding service and dedication to 4-H. Inductees or their surviving family members were presented a certificate by Iowa 4-H Foundation President Jeff Murphy and State 4-H Program Leader Mitchell Hoyer as they were introduced on stage.

Brad and Erin Berns’ contribution to 4-H is widely felt, said Marissa Foels, Youth Coordinator for Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach Allamakee County. This year’s inductees started as youth members of 4-H. Not only have they since also supported and encouraged their own children through the 4-H program, but also have supported the members of the Elon PMC 4-H club for numerous years by serving as 4-H club leaders.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

When a group of people in the Village of De Soto, WI were trying to come up with a phrase that described the area in succinct and compelling terms, it was because they wanted to capture the attention of folks looking for a break in their increasingly complex and information-glutted lives - a  place to sojourn in peace and quiet, without it involving a remote mountaintop or a deserted island … a place with plenty of trees and water and starlit nights, but also wi-fi access and a world-class pizza.

Enter the founding members of the De Soto Area Tourism Commission - who nailed it, with the tagline “Near everything, away from it all.” The website for the Village of De Soto elaborates: “… the De Soto area is packed full of opportunities for enjoying outdoor sports, relaxing at a campsite, exploring natural wonders, experiencing history, finding great food and drink, and making new friends” (desotowi.com).

Bright, sunny skies and ideal temperatures made for a busy Labor Day holiday weekend for river lovers on the Mississippi River at Lansing this past Saturday through Monday. The sand bars and river channels were full of activity, as evident in this photo by Julie Berg-Raymond.
 

The annual Iowa Bible Reading Marathon will be held locally this Saturday, September 7 at the Hope Center, located at 395 Main Street in Lansing (beside the Post Office). A portion of the Bible will be read out loud from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All are welcome to come help read and/or sit and listen (chairs and refreshments provided). To sign up for a reading time slot, contact Sarah Majewski at 563-568-7015 or sarahmajewski@gmail.com.
 

by Joe Moses

Waukon City Manager Gary Boden and Executive Director Val Reinke of Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) recently provided an update to The Standard relating to the development of new housing options within Waukon, following a recent announcement made by the State of Iowa.
Boden and Reinke began the discussion by noting the recent announcement by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) relating to the Workforce Housing Tax Credit Program, a competitive grant program separated between large and small cities.

by Brianne Grimstad

In late July into early August a group of 42 travelers, comprised of Waukon Middle School students, parents and chaperones, journeyed east to experience the “Grand 8 Day Tour of America’s Heritage.” The tour was taken through Legacy Student Travel.
Bright and early at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, July 27, the travelers boarded a Hawkeye Stages motor coach to begin their journey into the history of the United States of America. During the trip, the group visited downtown Chicago, IL, Gettysburg, PA, Charlottesville, VA, Mount Vernon, VA and Washington, D.C.

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer - the three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. With a record number of deaths by suicide in the United States in 2022 (the last year data is available) and a disproportionate number of deaths by suicide in rural states, this skill is more important now than ever.

Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Each year thousands of Americans are saying “yes” to saving the life of a friend, colleague, family member, or neighbor by participating in this training.

Allamakee County voters will be asked to fill all seven seats on the Veterans Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees in upcoming November General Election

Allamakee County voters will have a unique opportunity in the coming November 5 General Election.

After voter approval in November 2022, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) was transferred from City of Waukon ownership to ownership by Allamakee County. Per Iowa Code 347, a new board of trustees is required to be voted in and all trustee seats are up for election. The VMH Board of Trustees consists of seven members. Membership is open to any eligible resident of Allamakee County.

A brief administrative hearing was held via video conference in Allamakee County District Court Monday, August 19 for the sole purpose of setting a jury trial date in the First Degree Murder case of Brandon Kasemeier, the 40-year-old man from Waukon charged in the January 21 death of his estranged wife, Jami Kasemeier. After about a 10-minute hearing held via Zoom web-conferencing software, that trial date has now been scheduled for January 29, 2025.

by Lissa Blake

Citizens have the right to demand clean water.

And a newly formed non-profit organization is helping rally the state’s population around that cause.

About 30 interested citizens attended a Monday, August 5 presentation at Robey Memorial Library in Waukon, hosted by the Driftless Water Defenders (DWD), Iowa’s newest clean water advocacy organization.

The northeast Iowa-based membership organization began just six months ago and has already grown to more than 100 members. Its focus is teaching Iowa communities about the sources of water pollution, adverse health effects of drinking polluted water and how Iowa communities can advocate for cleaner water.