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Wartburg College Associate Professor of Science Education Michael Bechtel was once again among an elite group of educators selected to partner with a research astronomer to conduct a yearlong research project as part of the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)/IPAC (Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA) Teacher Archive Research Program. Bechtel is a 1989 graduate of Waukon High School and the son of Sherry and the late Dean Bechtel of rural Monona.

Bechtel, who was first selected for this honor in 2019, will work with program director and researcher Luisa Rebull and educators from New Hampshire, Texas, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Wartburg students Ashlyn Scharr, Abra Freeman and Angela Bettess will join him on the project.

The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) has announced that Troy Peterson of Waukon Feed Ranch has been honored as a 2025 Master Pork Partner Awardee. The award winners embody the diversity of Iowa’s pig farms and the dedicated individuals who support pork producers. Nominated by peers and neighbors, these honorees reflect the strength and collaboration within the pork industry.

Throughout his career, Peterson has been a steady and trusted resource for pork producers across Iowa. In his role with Waukon Feed Ranch, he leads agronomy sales and manure management planning for hundreds of farms. His work helps producers maximize the value of manure while protecting water quality, maintaining compliance, and strengthening the long-term sustainability of swine and crop production.

Per the professional recommendation of the City of Waukon’s engineering firm, MSA Professional Services, the City of Waukon offices currently housed in City Hall at 101 Allamakee Street were scheduled to begin vacating the building Tuesday, February 3.

City of Waukon officials announced Thursday afternoon, January 22 the decision to vacate City Hall until the building’s structural integrity could be fully assessed following some noted areas of concern within the building and further assessment being deemed necessary.

Due to the move, public service availability Tuesday, February 3 would be greatly impacted, as access to the building was restricted to authorized personnel only, and all entrances, along with certain adjacent sidewalk areas, were secured and barricaded.

The Iowa State Patrol has recently introduced its latest graduating class from the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) Basic Training Academy. That graduation event took place Friday, December 19 in Pleasant Hill and included 2021 Waukon High School graduate Konnor Krambeer, who has now been assigned as a Trooper to District 8 of the Iowa State Patrol, headquartered out of Mason City.

As part of the 20-week training academy, Krambeer received his Iowa State Patrol badge number (ISP #471) in November from Colonel Nathan Fulk, Chief of the Iowa State Patrol based in Des Moines. The training academy was held at the Camp Dodge military facility in Johnston each week day for that 20-week period.

Concerns with the structural integrity of Waukon City Hall that have been points of discussion over the past several months have now resulted in a recommendation to vacate the property until the building’s structural integrity can be fully assessed, according to an announcement made late last week. A media release issued Thursday afternoon, January 22 by Waukon Mayor Arvid Hatlan and the Waukon City Council on behalf of the City of Waukon explained the concerns with the building originally constructed in 1902 and a call for action more specifically, as follows:

In October (2025), EMC, the City of Waukon’s insurance provider, conducted a regular inspection of the City Hall building. As a result of that inspection, the City was provided with several recommendations to address various building-related concerns. One of those recommendations was to hire a licensed structural engineer to evaluate the building.

In keeping with the front page headline of “Fallen... but never to be forgotten!” in the December 24, 2025 edition of The Standard, following the December 19 demolition of the main span of the Black Hawk Bridge and its removal from the waters it once spanned since that demolition date, The Standard has been gathering some of the articles or smaller news items that could be found in searching the archives of the former Allamakee Journal and Lansing Mirror newspapers that once served the Lansing area.

In an effort to continue to preserve the bridge’s memory - and perhaps refresh or create some new ones - some of those news items will be printed within the pages of The Standard as space and time allows.