Top Stories

by David M. Johnson

The society and culture of this nation has always had a special reverence for the deceased, almost unwritten rules that determine what respect is to be shown and practiced when it comes to the deceased and their burial. Burial plots of deceased family and ancestors are held in reverence, the gravestone markers are visited and decorated at least once a year, if not more. The gravestone memorials of heroes and leaders are held in even greater esteem.

At Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, DC can be found acre after acre of the burial plots of many of this nation’s fallen veterans representing all branches of military service. Many were killed in battle, many were not. In this awe-inspiring piece of ground there is a particular setting that overlooks that national cemetery.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the closing of St. George High School in Lansing. Alumni of the former high school have been organizing a reunion of all its former students that is scheduled for this Sunday, October 15. Further details of that reunion event appear in a shaded box accompanying this article elsewhere in this week’s edition of The Standard.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
According to information available at www.holyfamilyofthebluffs.org, the first parochial school associated with Immaculate Conception Parish in Lansing began in 1874. In the early 1900s, a new school was built and the parish purchased the brewery next to the church and eventually converted it into a school as well. The first class graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in 1914.

A Lansing man convicted of second-degree murder by an Allamakee County jury in August of this year is seeking a new trial, according to documents filed Monday, October 2 in Allamakee County District Court. Following investigation into the May 9, 2022 death of 83-year-old Daniel Lundy of Lansing, Andrew Karvel, now age 66, of Lansing was arrested by the Lansing/New Albin Police Department in August of 2022 and originally charged with first-degree murder, a Class A felony, for what was alleged at the time to be the strangulation death of Lundy in the Lansing residence the two men shared.

In the trial that took place a year after his arrest, that jury found Karvel guilty of second-degree murder. His sentencing date had been scheduled for October 23.

Allamakee County is one of 10 communities in the state of Iowa that has been selected to participate in a child care solutions program. The program has $2.5 million available to invest within the communities that are able to provide a 50/50 match to access the funds.

An informational meeting about the program and that funding opportunity is scheduled to be held Thursday, October 19 at the Lansing Office Works building, 274 Main Street in Lansing, from 12-1:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided. There is also a virtual link available for those who cannot access the meeting in-person, and that link is available at https://us06web.zoom.us/i/87181480659.

“Be a part of the solution!” meeting organizers urge. “Child care is a critical building block for our workforce and economy. We are looking for our county to come together to support this fund in efforts to create sustainability for our providers.”

Everyone is invited to join area youth on athletic fields across the nation Wednesday, October 4 in sharing their Christian faith with fellow students and the general public for this year’s Fields of Faith event. The local event is now in its 12th year and will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Waukon High School football field Wednesday, October 4, or in the Waukon High School gym in the event of bad weather.

Featured speaker for this year’s Fields of Faith event in Waukon will be Harpers Ferry area native Jeff (JT) Olson, who is the founder and executive director of Both Hands Foundation, a faith-based non-profit serving orphans and widows. With over 153 million orphans worldwide and the costs of adoption on the rise, the mission of the organization is to fulfill the message of James 1:27 by serving orphans, widows and Christian adoptive families.

Friday, September 29 the most physical evidence of the end of a local era took place when a planned implosion event brought down the 492-foot tall smokestack and an adjacent bag house at the Alliant Energy Lansing Generating Station just south of Lansing along Great River Road. The facility had been decommissioned in December 2022, providing its final electric power to customers after more than 70 years in operation.

The implosion event (pictured in the surrounding photos) involved a large booming sound that is reported to have been heard for several miles, followed by a loud crashing noise and large cloud of dust and smoke as the smokestack and bag house structures collapsed within themselves into a planned demolition area. Alliant Energy spokesperson Morgan Hawk said the implosion “was successful and went as planned.”

This is the first article in a series that aims to provide occasional updates on the bridge replacement project at Lansing. Purposes of the series include a) addressing questions and rumors that might arise within the community as the project progresses - particularly for those who do not use the Internet and social media as their primary source of area news; b) directing people to the website developed by the Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation and to the project’s Facebook page, where those interested can access the latest information and sign up to receive project updates via email; and c) offering periodic feature articles that take a closer look at various aspects of the project as it continues to develop.

Readers are encouraged to send ideas for feature and human-interest stories related to the bridge project to The Standard at news@waukonstandard.com.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

Everyone is invited to join area youth on athletic fields across the nation Wednesday, October 4 in sharing their Christian faith with fellow students and the general public for this year’s Fields of Faith event. The local event is now in its 12th year and will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Waukon High School football field Wednesday, October 4, or in the Waukon High School gym in the event of bad weather.

Featured speaker for this year’s Fields of Faith event in Waukon will be Harpers Ferry area native Jeff (JT) Olson, who is the founder and executive director of Both Hands Foundation, a faith-based non-profit serving orphans and widows. With over 153 million orphans worldwide and the costs of adoption on the rise, the mission of the organization is to fulfill the message of James 1:27 by serving orphans, widows and Christian adoptive families.

Waukon High School seniors Cameron Johnson (left) and Jack O’Neill (right) were crowned Waukon High School's 2023 Homecoming Queen and King at the "Burning of the W" pep rally held Thursday, September 21 at Waukon High School. Additional photos of Waukon High School's Homecoming events are featured on Page 16 in the Wednesday, September 27, 2023 print edition and e-edition of the Standard, as well as coverage of the Waukon football team's Homecoming victory over Crestwood featured on Page 27. Even more photos from this year’s Homecoming festivities can also be found at the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.

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Seniors Andrew Kolsrud (left) and Mallory Mohn (right) were crowned Kee High School’s 2023 Homecoming King and Queen at a coronation event held prior to Homecoming Week for the first time Sunday, September 24 in the Kee High School gymnasium to kick off this week’s Homecoming festivities. That timing change in the coronation will now allow the King and Queen to preside over the entire Homecoming Week. Celebratory pages highlighting Kee’s 2023 Homecoming can be found inside the Wednesday, September 27, 2023 print edition and e-edition of the Standard on Pages 20-21. Photo by Danielle Potter.

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