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The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Board of Trustees has announced Jayne McCormick, the hospital’s current Chief Nursing Officer, will serve as the permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, effective October 1. McCormick has been with Veterans Memorial Hospital for more than 24 years and has served in many different capacities throughout her career.

“Jayne has spent many years on the leadership team with the hospital and worked her way from a young nurse to become the Chief Nursing Officer. Beyond that, she’s handled CEO responsibilities a number of times when past administrators were out on extended leave,” explains Dennis Lyons, Chairman of the VMH Board of Trustees. “She is qualified to lead the hospital. There is consensus among the Board of Trustees to promote from within when possible and we’ve now accomplished this for the first time in recent history for the CEO position.”

Waukon High School seniors Vaughn Stegen and Brynn Weymiller were crowned Waukon High School's 2026 Homecoming King and Queen at the "Burning of the W" pep rally held Thursday evening, October 1 at Waukon High School. Additional photos of Waukon High School's 2026 Homecoming events are featured on Page 16 in this week's issue, as well as coverage of the Waukon football team's Homecoming victory over top-10 rated Osage featured on Page 17. Even more photos from this year’s Homecoming festivities can also be found at the Photos link located on this webpage.
 

Everyone is invited to join area youth and fellow community members on athletic fields across the nation Wednesday, October 7 in sharing their Christian faith with other students and the general public for this year’s Fields of Faith event. The local event is now in its 15th year and will have live music beginning at 6:15 p.m., with featured speakers to begin at 7 p.m. at the Waukon High School football field that October 7 evening, or in the Waukon High School gym in the event of inclement weather.

The community of Postville celebrated a major milestone in community health care Thursday, September 24 with the ribbon cutting ceremony and open house for the new Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Postville Clinic. Over 100 people attended the event which highlighted the community’s support for the new facility and the importance of expanded health care services in Postville and the surrounding area.

The ribbon cutting ceremony, arranged by the Postville Chamber of Commerce, began with remarks from Postville Mayor Dennis Koenig, who spoke about what the beautiful new clinic means to the community and how it will benefit the town and surrounding area.

Postville High School seniors Alan Ciriaco-Munoz (left) and Jasmin Roman (right) were crowned the 2026 Homecoming King and Queen during halftime of Postville’s Homecoming football game Friday, September 25. Ciriaco-Munoz was selected from a Homecoming King court that included fellow seniors Cedric Navarro, Micah Minikwu and Herman Ixquier Castro. Roman was chosen from a Homecoming Queen court that included fellow seniors Leticia Dahl, Esveydi Palafox-Schultz and Olivia Schultz. Photo courtesy of Postville High School.

Pick up the Wednesday, September 30, 2026 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.

Students at Waukon High School have selected their Homecoming Court representatives for the 2026 celebration, with the coronation of this year’s Homecoming Queen and King scheduled to take place at the “Burning of the W” pep rally planned for this Thursday evening, October 1, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Waukon High School gym. Pictured in the photo at right are this year’s Waukon High School Homecoming Queen and King candidates from the 2026-2027 Senior class, including: Left to right - Front row: Queen candidates Brynn Weymiller, Kaylin Regan, Blythe Bucknell, Nora Davis; Back row: King candidates Tristyn Crawford, Tade McCormick, Jaxon Regan, Vaughn Stegen.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

The Northeast Iowa Artists’ Studio Tour (NIAST), established in 1998, is Iowa’s first, largest, and longest-running studio tour of its kind. This year, it is being held Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11. Hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

NIAST is a free, self-guided, driving tour through the hills and valleys of northeast Iowa for behind-the-scenes visits to both private studios and public galleries. The Tour radiates up to 40 miles in all directions from the central hub of Decorah; winding through scenic northeast Iowa.

Left to right - Front row: Homecoming King candidates Alan Ciriaco-Munoz, Cedric Navarro, Micah Minikwu, Herman Ixquier Castro; Back row: Homecoming Queen candidates Leticia Dahl, Jasmin Roman, Esveydi Palafox-Schultz, Olivia Schultz. Coronation of the 2026 Homecoming King and Queen will take place at halftime of Postville High School’s Homecoming football game being played this Friday, September 25 against Starmont, with kick-off scheduled for 7 p.m. There will also be a Homecoming Parade at 2 p.m. Friday with a pep rally to directly follow at the Postville High School gym. Photo courtesy of Postville High School.
 

Seniors Tanner Troendle (left) and Rylee Mudderman (right) were crowned Kee High School’s 2026 Homecoming King and Queen at the “Lighting of the K” coronation event held prior to Homecoming Week Sunday, September 20 in the Kee High School gymnasium to kick off this week’s Homecoming festivities. The change to an earlier coronation date allows the King and Queen to preside over the entire Homecoming Week. Celebratory pages highlighting Kee’s 2026 Homecoming can be found inside this week’s edition of The Standard on Pages 16-17. Photo by Danielle Potter.

Pick up the Wednesday, September 23, 2026 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.

Stanley Pophal, 64, of Wausau, WI, was sentenced Wednesday, September 2 in U.S. District Court by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 96 months (eight years) in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering. The sentence follows a comprehensive, multi-agency investigation into a scheme that defrauded 190 investors out of $14.25 million. Pophal pleaded guilty to the charges June 12 of this year. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $14.25 million.

“The successful resolution of this case underscores the vital cooperation among state, local, and federal authorities,” stated Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen. “We extend our sincere gratitude to the Allamakee County Attorney’s Office, the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. Their early collaboration with our Fraud Bureau was instrumental in identifying and halting this fraudulent activity.”