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The renewed change of venue motion filed April 18 by defense attorneys in the first degree murder trial of Brandon Kasemeier, the 41-year-old man from Waukon charged in the January 21, 2024 death of his estranged wife, Jami Kasemeier, has been denied, marking the second time in the past five months a change of venue motion has been denied in the case.

Kasemeier’s defense team of Raya Dimitrova and Erin Carr of Carr Law Firm, P.L.C., Des Moines had originally filed a motion for a change of venue December 6, 2024 based on pre-trial publicity. That initial motion was denied in January of this year with the understanding that the change of venue motion could be renewed after Iowa First Judicial District Judge Alan Heavens gave approval to a request for the gathering of more information through the surveying of a previous Allamakee County jury pool by a private investigator hired by Kasemeier’s defense team.

Kee High School seniors Ashlyn Henkes (left) and Brendan Jones (right) were selected as the 2025 Kee High School Prom Queen and King at the annual event held this past Saturday, April 26 in Lansing. Henkes was selected from a Queen court that also consisted of fellow seniors Lily Howe and Zoey Timmerman. Jones was chosen from a King court that also included fellow seniors Sawyer Gramlich and Gabe Mattson. Photo by Danielle Potter.
 

Waukon High School seniors Eva Whalen (left) and Seth Lloyd (right) were selected as the 2025 Waukon High School Prom Queen and King at the annual event held Saturday, April 26. Whalen was selected from a Queen court that also consisted of fellow seniors Keeran Barr, Halea Corwin and Ava Johnson. Lloyd was chosen from a King court that also included fellow seniors Graine Curtin, Dalton Frick and McKinley Rostvold. Photo by Brianne Grimstad.
 

Students at Waukon High School and Waukon Middle School were presented with a reminder of the impacts of choices they make through a mock traffic accident conducted Tuesday, April 22 by local emergency responders and a presentation by the Iowa State Patrol and the families of two teenage girls from Dubuque who lost their lives in a traffic accident in the very early morning hours of July 1, 2022. The mock accident event was purposely held during the week prior to the Waukon High School Prom scheduled for Saturday, April 26 in an effort to emphasize to the students the importance of making good choices.

For the second time in a span of five months, defense attorneys in the first degree murder case of Brandon Kasemeier, the now 41-year-old man from Waukon charged in the January 21, 2024 death of his estranged wife, Jami Kasemeier, have filed a motion for a change of venue for the upcoming trial in the case. Kasemeier’s defense team of Raya Dimitrova and Erin Carr of Carr Law Firm, P.L.C., Des Moines had originally filed a motion for a change of venue December 6, 2024 based on pre-trial publicity, a motion that was denied by Iowa First Judicial District Judge Alan Heavens.

The 2025 Waukon High School Prom is scheduled to be held this Saturday, April 26 at the Waukon Middle School gymnasium. Doors will open to the public at 7 p.m. for the Grand March, which is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Parents, family and community members may view the Grand March either seated in the auditorium or standing in the gym.

Following the Grand March will be the coronation of this year’s Prom King and Queen. Visitors are asked to exit the building after the coronation in order for students to start the Prom dance, which is scheduled to begin at approximately 9 p.m. Students who signed up for Post Prom must be inside the doors of the Waukon High School Cafeteria by 11:30 p.m. in order to participate.

The 2025 Kee High School Prom is scheduled for this Saturday, April 26. Pictured above are this year’s senior class Queen and King candidates for the annual event. Left to right - Top row: Queen candidates Ashlyn Henkes, Lily Howe, Zoey Timmerman; Bottom row: King candidates Sawyer Gramlich, Brendan Jones, Gabe Mattson.

The annual Prom banquet will be held at TJ Hunter’s Banquet Hall on Main Street in Lansing, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with a meal and 2018 Kee graduate Chloe Severson being the guest speaker at the event. The Prom dance will also take place in the banquet hall this year following the Grand March and coronation of this year’s Prom King and Queen that will take place in the Kee High School gymnasium.

Little Miss competition for girls ages 7-9, Fair Queen contest for ages 16-21

The Allamakee County Fair Board is seeking applicants for the 2025 Allamakee County Fair Queen contest and is also offering a similar pageant experience to younger girls again this year, as the 2025 Allamakee County Fair will run from July 16-20. The Allamakee County Fair Queen Contest is open to young ladies ages 16-21, and the Allamakee County Fair Little Miss competition is also going to be held again this year for girls ages 7-9.

Main Street Lansing welcomed nearly 40 community members, volunteers, and local leaders to its Annual Meeting held Thursday, March 27 at The Buck Stops Here on Main Street in Lansing. The evening served as a celebration of the organization’s 2024 accomplishments, a look ahead at exciting new initiatives, and an opportunity to recognize the individuals and businesses making a difference in downtown Lansing.

Board of Directors President Chris Troendle opened the meeting with remarks on transparency, communication, and the power of community engagement. He emphasized the importance of celebrating the momentum of the past year while continuing to build a vibrant and welcoming downtown.

Allamakee County authorities continue seeking information from other possible victims

The five individuals from Iowa and Wisconsin recently charged with violations of Iowa securities laws by the Iowa Insurance Division Fraud Bureau had their first scheduled appearances in Allamakee County District Court Wednesday, April 9. Those initial appearances were scheduled after an investigation was conducted following an initial local complaint and a February 1 investment meeting was arranged in Waukon by undercover investigators from the Iowa Insurance Division Fraud Bureau involving the five individuals who were determined to be acting as agents for a company named Bright Silver LLC.