September is National Suicide Prevention Month. 988 is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline available 24/7 for anyone contemplating suicide. This year, the 988 Crisis Lifeline shares the message of ‘Compassionate Help. Anytime. Anywhere.’
This theme reflects the core principles and messaging promoted by the 988 Lifeline and partner organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Vibrant Emotional Health:
• Emphasizing accessibility: The phrases reinforce that help is always available through a simple, three-digit number.
• Reducing stigma: The language is designed to encourage those experiencing emotional distress to seek help by highlighting that support is confidential and non-judgmental.
• Building a better crisis response: The theme of “reimagining crisis response” reflects the broader, long-term goal of improving mental health crisis services nationwide.
Knowing what to expect when calling 988, the Suicide and Crisis line, can make reaching out feel more manageable.
When you call or text 988, a skilled counselor will ask about your safety, listen to what you are experiencing, provide support and share resources that may help. People can contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, mental health or substance use concerns, or when they need someone to talk with. Family members, friends and caregivers can also contact 988 when they are concerned about someone else.
The service is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day.
During Suicide Prevention & Awareness Month, save 988 in your phone and share this information with your family, friends and community.
The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, September 17, at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital.
This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Angie Mettille, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
KJ and Ashley Medberry of Waterville announce the birth of their daughter, Maylee Elizabeth Medberry, born August 26, 2026 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. and measured 21 inches in length at the time of her birth. She joins siblings, Ava (14), Carleigh (10), Tucker (8), Ledger (5), Braeley (3) and Charlee (2).
Grandparents are Dave and Melissa Fish of Waukon and Sue and Russ Medberry of Wadena. Great-grandparents are Darlene and Arnold Gibbs, Dave and Charlotte Fish of Waterville, and John and Lois Adam of Waukon. Great-great-grandparents are Mary Ann Duffy of Decorah, and Dolores Fish of Rossville.
Carter and Aubree Fuhrman of Waukon announce the birth of their daughter, Tatum Lynn Fuhrman, born August 24, 2026 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 7 lbs. 7 ozs. and measured 20 inches in length at the time of her birth.
Grandparents are Nicole and Joseph Irvin, Kathleen and Nathan Black, and Hannah and James Cota, all of Waukon, and Holly and Roger Fuhrman of Shakopee, MN. Great-grandparents are Shirley Colsch of Waukon, Harlan Block of Klemme, Mark and Nancy Reiser of Waukon, Rich and Lajune Cota of Waukon, and Donnie and Linda Sawvell of Monona.
Adam and Morgan Walther of Waukon announce the birth of their son, Otto Brett Walther, born August 31, 2026 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. He weighed 9 lbs. 4 ozs. and measured 20 inches in length at the time of his birth. He joins a sister, Ella (22 months).
Grandparents are Randy and Kathy Van Ruler of Waukon and Tammy and the late Brett Walther of Harpers Ferry. Great-grandparents are Howard and Dorthy Van Ruler of Waukon, Dale and Joann Meiners of Waukon, Ron Holmlund of Denver, and Robert Walther of Eldora.
Senior stops for loss of yards ... Waukon football senior Trent Schullo (photo above) wraps up a quarterback sack and the senior pair of (left to right in the photo below McKyan Egan and Kenton Hilgerson team up for another tackle for loss in the Indians’ 80-0 home victory over Oelwein Friday, September 4. Schullo recorded this lone solo tackle and one assist while booting 12 kick-offs in the ballgame, while Hilgerson wrapped up a solo tackle and two assists that included this stop and Egan ended up with one solo and this assisted tackle for loss, in addition to another assisted tackle. View and find out how to purchase these photos and many more by clicking on the Photos link on The Standard's website.
The Waukon football team opened its home schedule for this season with what is believed to be a bit of history, as the grid Tribe hosted Oelwein Friday, September 4 in non-district play and ended up scoring what is believed to be its highest single-game scoreboard total in program history with an 80-0 victory. Scoring on 11 of its 12 possessions in the ballgame, the Tribe bolted to a 44-0 halftime lead and played its reserves the entire second quarter but continued to execute at a high level that helped the Indians keep up their record-setting scoring pace, despite keeping the ball on the ground for a vast majority of the ballgame.
The Indians are next scheduled to wrap up their non-district schedule this Friday, September 11 at Class 3A West Delaware. The Hawks are coming off a 61-25 home win over another Class 2A District 3 squad, North Fayette Valley, this past Friday, September 4, and also own a season-opening win, 42-7, at Marion.
In its only competition of this past week, the Kee volleyball team opened its dual match, home and Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) schedules when the Lady Hawks hosted Postville Tuesday, September 1. In a back-and-forth battle that extended into four sets and had three of those decided by five points or less, Kee’s girls ended up coming out on the short end of that UIC battle.
The Hawks are next scheduled to host Clayton Ridge Thursday, September 10 before playing in the Kepros Invitational hosted by Crestwood High School Saturday, September 12. Kee will then host South Winneshiek Tuesday, September 15 before playing in the Waukon Invitational Tournament Saturday, September 19.
For more complete coverage, pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.
The start of the 2026 Eight-Player District 4 schedule for the Kee football team took the Hawks to a place where history has not been on their side against an Easton Valley team that has not allowed the football Hawks to find the win column in their seven match-ups since 2013. Kee’s grid charges put all of that history behind them in their Friday, September 4 District 4 opener, handling an overall young River Hawk squad that has just one senior and two juniors on its roster to score on nine of Kee’s 10 offensive possessions in the contest - and a couple of Easton Valley’s as well, including the Hawks’ first seven series with the ball on the way to a 66-0 triumph.
