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Wed
26
Sep

Waterville Elementary School building to stay alive as Community Center


Repurposing an iconic piece of Waterville history ... Waterville Mayor Dave Monserud sits in the new Waterville City Council meeting room now located in the former Waterville Elementary School building. The Waterville Public Library and a room dedicated to Waterville history are also currently housed in the former school building, with planning also currently taking place for remaining space within the former school structure. Photo by Kelli Boylen.

Room dedicated to Waterville history ... Work is underway on the History Room in the new Waterville Community Center. The room will include new trophy cases (one of which is featured at right) and a display of photos of classes that graduated from Waterville High School. Photo by Kelli Boylen.

Public library now housed in director’s former first grade classroom ... Although the Waterville Public Library now has less space than in its previous location, Library Director Heather Bente said they are excited to be in the new location. The library’s 5,000 volumes are now housed in the Waterville Elementary School room where Bente once attended first grade. Photo by Kelli Boylen.

by Kelli Boylen

For many, the thought of the Allamakee Community School District closing the doors at Waterville Elementary School at the end of the school year earlier this spring meant the building would be left to its memories up on top of the hill and possibly fall into an undesirable existence. However, thanks to the generosity of people in the area, the school building will continue to serve “the town on the hill” as a community center.

Waterville city government has already moved its operations to the new Waterville Community Center and the Waterville Public Library has moved its more than 5,000 volumes and shelving to the new location. Work is also currently underway on a museum featuring the school and community.

Wed
26
Sep

Waukon and Kee High School FFA chapters win State Championships on same day in dairy Career Development Events, will now compete at National FFA Convention


Dairy Cattle Evaluation State Champions ... The Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High School was crowned the 2018 Iowa FFA Champion Dairy Cattle Evaluation Team in early September. Pictured above, left to right, are Waukon High School agriculture instructor and FFA advisor Jessica O’Connor with team members and Waukon High School students Grace Howe, Faith Palmer, Cayla Nolting and Kaylee Gibbs. Submitted photo.

Milk Quality & Products State Champions ... The Lansing FFA Chapter at Kee High School was crowned the 2018 Iowa Champion FFA Milk Quality & Products Team in early September. Pictured above are team members including: Left to right - Front row: Kee High School students Brooke Stanley and Rachel Walleser. Back row: Kee High School student Charles Stendel, Kee High School agriculture instructor and FFA advisor Ray Rankin and Kee High School student Peter Boland. Photo courtesy of the Kee High School Yearbook.

The honor of a State Championship is something every school strives for but only a handful get to experience, so to have two schools within about a 20-minute drive of one another in the same county each achieve a State Championship on the same day is, indeed, a rarity.

That’s exactly what transpired for the FFA chapters at both Waukon and Kee High Schools Saturday, September 8, as they each had teams emerge as the best in the state of Iowa in their respective Career Development Events (CDE) held in conjunction with the 2018 Youth Dairy Classic at Manchester. The Little Switzerland FFA Chapter of Waukon High School was crowned the Iowa Champion FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation Team and the Lansing FFA Chapter of Kee High School in Lansing was named the Iowa Champion FFA Milk Quality & Products Team.

Thu
20
Sep

ALERT! Local law enforcement advises of use of Snapchat app to solicit nude photos

Wednesday, September 19, the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an individual attempting to solicit nude photographs of young females in the area through the social media app “Snapchat”. The suspect reportedly initiates contact through the messaging feature on the “Snapchat” app and gives a false name that the potential victim may know through social media, such as Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat, and requests the potential victim to send nude photographs of themselves through the “Snapchat” app. This suspect has attempted contact with numerous potential victims in the area. The “Snapchat” account being used is dylan3404dj and the suspect is using the names Chris or Dylan. This activity is being directed toward high school-aged persons. This incident is under investigation by the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office and Waukon Police Department.

Wed
19
Sep

Quanrude found guilty of Second Degree Murder


Found guilty of Second Degree Murder ... John Quanrude of Waukon (right) stands with his lawyer, Scott J. Nelson, as the verdict is read in his jury trial for Second Degree Murder in the shooting death of Dean Russell of Waukon. In a trial that began Monday, September 10 in the Allamakee County Courthouse, the 12-member jury rendered a verdict of guilty Thursday morning, September 13 after deliberating for just one hour. Standard photo by Lissa Blake.

by Lissa Blake

Guilty as charged.
That was the verdict handed down Thursday, September 13 in the Second Degree Murder case of the State of Iowa versus John Michael Quanrude of Waukon. Quanrude, age 32, was convicted of shooting his stepfather and roommate, 60-year-old Dean Russell of Waukon, the afternoon of April 16 of this year in the home the two shared at 49 Jean Road in the Parkview Trailer Court in Waukon.

Prosecuting the case were Allamakee County Attorney Jill Kistler and Susan Krisko, assistant attorney general for the State of Iowa. Quanrude was defended by Scott J. Nelson of the Iowa State Defender’s Office located in Dubuque. The case was tried by District Judge John Bauercamper in the large courtroom of the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon.

Wed
19
Sep

Tickets still available for 14th annual Women’s Health Day event scheduled for September 25


Women’s Health Day event September 25... Tickets still remain for the 14th annual Veterans Memorial Hospital and Elliott Jewelers Women’s Health Day being held Tuesday, September 25 at the Waukon Banquet Center. All those purchasing a ticket for the event will be entered into a drawing to win this Ladies’ 14kt yellow gold ‘Rhythm of Love’ diamond pendant on an 18” box style chain (retail price $1,000) compliments of Elliott Jewelers of Waukon. In addition, many more door prizes will be given away at the event. Tickets are available at Veterans Memorial Hospital and Elliott Jewelers in Waukon. Tickets will also be available at the door, until the event is sold out. Submitted photo.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital together with Elliott Jewelers of Waukon will be hosting the 14th annual Women’s Health Day wellness event and luncheon Tuesday, September 25 at the Waukon Banquet Center. All ages are invited to attend this educational event, beginning at 11 a.m. with a wellness fair offering a variety of health tests and information, and a salad luncheon and program held from Noon to 1 p.m.

Tickets are available at Veterans Memorial Hospital and Elliott Jewelers in Waukon. Tickets will also be available at the door, until the event is sold out. The proceeds from this event will be used to renovate the outpatient treatment room at the hospital.

Wed
19
Sep

Northeast Iowa Community College district voters approve bond levy continuation

Allamakee County voters well in line with overall approval percentage

Despite just four percent turn-out, voters in the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) district gave their approval for the continuation of a $39 million bond levy in a special election held Tuesday, September 11. With vote totals considered unofficial until results are canvassed, the measure was approved with 84.16 percent of the votes cast. Following the official canvas, the results will be certified by the county boards of supervisors.

Wed
19
Sep

“Star Trail” over the Mississippi River near Lansing ...

 Bruce Ferguson of San Diego, CA created this “Star Trail” photo and submitted it to The Standard for publication consideration. Ferguson and his two brothers and their families, all from the San Diego, CA area, were visiting their parents who live in La Crosse, WI and the entire family rented a houseboat from S&S Houseboat Rentals in Lansing to “cruise the Mississippi for a few days” in late August. Ferguson explained that the images used to create this photo were taken while the boat was anchored at the sand bar in the main channel of the Mississippi River where the family spent its final night on the houseboat, just to the north of the Black Hawk Bridge in Lansing seen in the photo’s bottom right corner. Ferguson said he used a Canon 70D digital camera and a timer set up on a tripod to take photos every 15 seconds for a couple of hours around midnight. He then used Photoshop to merge the photos together to create the time lapse effect of the “Star Trail” image above.

Fri
14
Sep

Quanrude found guilty of Second Degree Murder


John Quanrude of Waukon (right) stands with his lawyer, Scott J. Nelson, as the verdict is read in his jury trial for Second Degree Murder in the shooting death of Dean Russell of Waukon. In a trial that began Monday, September 10 in the Allamakee County Courthouse, the 12-member jury rendered a verdict of guilty Thursday morning, September 13 after deliberating for just one hour. Standard photo by Lissa Blake.

A 12-person jury has found John Quanrude of Waukon guilty of Second Degree Murder in the April 2018 shooting death of Dean Russell of Waukon. In a trial that started Monday, September 10 in the Allamakee County Courthouse, the jury deliberated for just one hour before returning that guilty verdict Thursday, September 13. Quanrude is now scheduled to be sentenced October 1. Further details about the trial and guilty verdict will be published in the September 19 edition of The Standard.

Wed
12
Sep

Once record-setting Indian teammates, Hesse and Weymiller will now square off against each other as a Hawkeye and a Panther this Saturday


Their first collegiate meeting ... Waukon High School 2014 graduates Marcus Weymiller and Parker Hesse (left to right in above photo) stand together in gear representing their respective schools following the last time UNI and Iowa matched up on the football field in 2014. Both Hesse and Weymiller were redshirt freshmen in that first season of their collegiate careers and did not take the field in competition for that game, but both will be on the field at the same time in this Saturday’s in-state match-up as fifth-year senior starters, Hesse at right defensive end for the Hawkeyes and Weymiller at runningback for the Panthers. Submitted photo.

My, how they’ve grown ... Waukon High School 2014 graduates Parker Hesse and Marcus Weymiller (left to right in above submitted photo) stand together after a Youth Sports Foundation (YSF) football game during their late elementary years. It was likely back in their fifth grade season of YSF football when the two last took to competition on the gridiron not being on the same team, but this Saturday, September 15 the two will suit up against one another in an in-state match-up at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. Weymiller is now a runningback for the University of Northern Iowa Panthers (as pictured in left photo at right) and Hesse is a defensive end for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes (as pictured in the right photo at right). Both have their final seasons underway with their respective college programs, with game time scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and the game scheduled to be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Once teammates in nearly every football game they’ve ever played, the 2014 Waukon High School graduate pair of Parker Hesse and Marcus Weymiller will be taking the field on opposing teams this Saturday for the first time since they were in elementary school.

“I believe the last time we actually faced off on the football field was in a YSF (Youth Sports Foundation) scrimmage in fifth grade,” Hesse shared. “Other than that, the only other time we played against one another was fourth grade flag football, and on the playground.”

Wed
12
Sep

Raging flood no match for WDNR wardens on rescue missions in Vernon County


Warden Stringham.. Wisconsin DNR Warden Shawna Stringham was involved in flood rescues in southwest Wisconsin in late August. The former Shawna Kerndt is a 1991 graduate of Waukon High School. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin DNR.

Rescue mission ... Warden Shawna Stringham assists a woman and her dog out of her La Farge home and into the warden boat. Warden Stringham is the former Shawna Kerndt of Waukon. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin DNR.

Waukon High School 1991 graduate Shawna (Kerndt) Stringham involved in flood rescues

(Editor’s Note: The following article was first published in the “Warden Wire” section of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources [WDNR]website [dnr.wi.gov]. It is being reprinted here with permission from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Among those featured in the article is WDNR Warden Shawna Stringham, who is the former Shawna Kerndt and a 1991 graduate of Waukon High School.)

by Joanne M. Haas/WDNR Bureau of Law Enforcement

WDNR (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources) wardens equipped with boats, training and a lot of guts rescued residents and pets from flooded Vernon County homes Tuesday night (August 28) when the Kickapoo River roared into La Farge and Viola with a fury and force that unearthed buildings, fuel tanks, electric lines and more.

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