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Wed
18
Sep

Talk Times: Local volunteers providing opportunities for people who may be in need of someone to talk to

by Lissa Blake

Sometimes having a real conversation with another human being can really help a person’s state of mind. “Everyone is dealing with a lot of stuff,” said Pastor Grant Vander Velden of First Presbyterian Church in Waukon.

Vander Velden said following the COVID-19 pandemic, when human interactions were at an all-time low, he started hanging out in coffee shops, just to get back to being around people and to be more available for others. “I started having these incredible conversations with people,” he said. “Sometimes you just need some assurance that you are not the only one.”

Vander Velden hosts weekly Talk Times Wednesdays, from 3-5:30 p.m. as a specific time for people to stop in at Aztec Parlor on Main Street in Waukon and simply visit with him.

Wed
18
Sep

Black Hawk Bridge to be closed twice each weekday for 30-minute periods

Those who drive on the Black Hawk Bridge at Lansing will need to be aware that intermittent closures on the bridge have resumed as of Tuesday, September 17, weather permitting, according to an announcement made by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) Monday afternoon, September 16. Construction crews will continue work on constructing a new pier and driving the pier foundation for the new bridge that will replace the current bridge. Intermittent closures of a half-hour in length will happen on the existing bridge to reduce vibration from construction activity and traffic, limiting the chance of damage occurring.

These closures are anticipated twice a day each weekday and will take place between the hours of 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Weather permitting, these closures will be done by Friday, October 4. Updates will be provided on the Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing Facebook page as well as through other local media sources as construction progresses.

Wed
11
Sep

Kee High School’s 2024 Homecoming will kick off with public coronation ceremony this Sunday afternoon ...

For the second consecutive year, Kee High School in Lansing will kick off the celebration of its Homecoming Week with the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen taking place at the beginning of the Homecoming Week, rather than during the previously traditional Friday afternoon pep rally event. This Sunday, September 15, Kee High School’s Homecoming King and Queen for 2024 will be crowned at a ceremony beginning at 5:45 p.m. in the Kee High School gym, in conjunction with a “Lighting of the K” event also taking place as part of Homecoming Week 2024, with those events being open to the public. The switch to the Sunday afternoon coronation event prior to Homecoming Week getting underway was made last year in an effort to “have our King and Queen preside over the entire week of Homecoming, rather than just the final half-day,” Kee High School Homecoming faculty sponsors explained.

Wed
11
Sep

Waukon natives Jim and Jody Zahn pursuing big things in their small town lab as they bring their Natureferm business back home with them


Zahns bring research & development business back to their hometown ... Waukon natives Jim and Jody (Van Ruler) Zahn stand with their son, Jackson, among some of the lab equipment they use in their Natureferm research and development business they started together. The Waukon High School graduates returned to their hometown earlier this year and brought that research and development business to the former JaDecc’S building on 1st Street NW in Waukon. Submitted photo.

Brings global experience to his hometown corner of the world ... Jim Zahn, a 1986 graduate of Waukon High School and the son of Bob and Cathy Zahn of Waukon, is pictured above standing within the plant he was in charge of in Tennessee for DuPont, the multinational chemical company. Zahn has taken his education and experience from many years in the field of industrial biotechnology and, along with the human resources background of his wife, Jody, a 1987 graduate of Waukon High School and the daughter of Howard and Dorothy Van Ruler of Waukon, started a new research and development business called Natureferm that they have now brought back to their hometown of Waukon within the past several months. Submitted photo.

by Brianne Grimstad

In May of this year, a new business moved into the building at 17 1st Street NW in downtown Waukon. Formerly housing The Copy Shoppe and more locally known previously as JaDecc’S, the building has now taken on a new identity as the home of Natureferm, becoming an R&D (research and development) center where a potentially life-saving drug is being developed in partnership with Iowa State University (ISU), the University of Michigan and a German Research Institute specializing in disease treatments.

Jim and Jody (Van Ruler) Zahn are both Waukon natives and owners of Natureferm. Jim is the son of Bob and Cathy Zahn, and Jody is the daughter of Howard and Dorothy Van Ruler.

After leaving Waukon in 1988, they attended Central College and Iowa State University (ISU). They then spent the next 35 years working in industry, within the fields of Human Resources for Jody and Industrial Biotechnology for Jim.

Wed
04
Sep

Brad and Erin Berns are Allamakee County inductees into Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame


Erin and Brad Berns inducted into Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame ... Brad and Erin Berns of Waukon were selected as this year’s inductees into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame for Allamakee County. Pictured above at the induction ceremony held Sunday, August 18 as part of the Iowa State Fair are Iowa 4-H Foundation Executive Director Emily Saveraid, Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame inductees Erin and Brad Berns, and Iowa 4-H Staff and Volunteer Development Manager Tillie Good. Submitted photo.

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.

Wed
04
Sep

New De Soto Area Tourism Commission aims to “attract more visitors … and have them spend their recreational, overnight lodging dollars on local businesses”

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).

Wed
04
Sep

A Labor (Day) of Love ...

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.
 

Wed
04
Sep

Public invited to take part in Iowa Bible Reading Marathon this Saturday

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.
 

Wed
28
Aug

Housing development with potential of bringing 72 apartment units to Waukon near City Park receives $1 million in tax credits from IEDA


Apartment complex project near City Park awarded $1 million in workforce housing tax credits ... The open area in the center of the photo above taken by Standard Assistant Editor Joe Moses just north of the Waukon City Park and west of the Waukon Mobile Home Community will be the location for residential development by Dexter Quandahl of Q4 Construction through a development agreement with the City of Waukon. The project, which has the potential to eventually include the construction of four apartment complex buildings with each housing 18 rental units, received a significant boost this past week when Quandahl was awarded $1 million in workforce housing tax credits through the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) for the first phase of the project.

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.

Wed
28
Aug

Waukon Middle School eighth graders embark on historical, educational journey to nation’s capital, other meaningful sites


Laying of the Wreath part of historic trip for Waukon Middle School eight graders ... Eighth grade students from Waukon Middle School were able to take part in the traditional Laying of the Wreath Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery during their Grand 8 Day Tour of America’s Heritage they participated in through Legacy Student Travel in late July into early August. The ceremony and cemetery visit were part of the many historical and educational aspects of the trip, with Waukon Middle School eighth graders Allia Ericson, Alexus Rowan, Cole Smedsrud and Kevin Troester being selected to participate in the laying of the wreath based on essays the students had to write and submit for the honor. Submitted photo.

Waukon Middle School eighth graders at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Monument ... Waukon Middle School eighth grade students stand on the steps of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Monument in Washington, D.C. during the chaperoned trip they took during late July into early August. The visit to the monument was just one of the many historical and educational venues the group visited during the Grand 8 Day Tour of America’s Heritage they participated in through Legacy Student Travel with some parents and Waukon Middle School teachers Payton Dietzenbach and Shaylie Hammel serving as chaperones. Submitted photo.

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.

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