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In its only game played prior to the early print deadline for this week’s edition of The Standard due to the Christmas holiday, the Kee girls basketball team continued its early-season roll over its Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) foes, recording a third consecutive UIC victory where they surpassed 60 points on the scoreboard while limiting their foe to a score in the 20s. The Clayton Ridge Eagles became that latest doubled-up victim in a Tuesday, December 17 home match-up, as the Lady Hawks recovered from an early deficit where they allowed their Clayton Ridge guests their only double-digit quarter scoring of the ballgame before dominating the game’s remainder on the way to a 61-22 triumph.

Ronald D. Brandt, 94, of Waukon died Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Memorial services were held Saturday, December 28 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Burial with military honors was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.

Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements. In lieu of flowers and gifts, memorials may be directed to St. John’s Lutheran Church or Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Ronald Dwayne Brandt was born August 7, 1930, in Waukon, the son of Alvin Benjamin and Alvina Bertha (Bechtel) Brandt. He was baptized and confirmed at Zalmona Presbyterian Church in rural Waukon, graduated from Waukon High School in 1948, and enrolled at Luther College in Decorah.

The Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC) recently announced that Allamakee County was one of six counties in the state of Iowa being recognized as having a top-performing jail following completion of the department’s annual jail inspections. The recognition celebrates jails that demonstrate excellence in operations and management, ensuring the safety and well-being of both prisoners and staff.

The DOC evaluates jails across three categories based on capacity for housing inmates. Allamakee County was one of two jails in the state of Iowa recognized for the top honor in the Medium Jail category, which includes facilities with 31-100 beds. Wayne County, along Iowa’s south central border with Missouri, also received the “Best of the Best” recognition for medium-sized jails. In the Small Jails category (up to 30 beds), Fremont and Ringgold Counties were recognized. The honors in the Large Jails division (101 beds or more) were bestowed upon Black Hawk and Warren Counties.

Defense Attorney Aaron Hawbaker of the State of Iowa Public Defenders Office in Waterloo has filed a Motion for a New Trial on behalf of Mindy Jones, who was found guilty by a jury in Allamakee County District Court nearly a month ago on charges of Arson in the First Degree and Animal Abuse.

Court documents indicate the motion was filed by Hawbaker Tuesday morning, December 10 and a hearing on that motion has now been scheduled for February 3, 2025, the same day Jones was scheduled to be sentenced following the guilty verdict an Allamakee County jury returned in the case stemming from a February 2022 fire in the initial eastside block of Allamakee Street in Waukon that destroyed the building housing Jones’ Tin, Rust & Harmony business, along with an adjacent business building, while also causing damage to other buildings on that same block.

As the calendar closes in on one month prior to the scheduled trial date in the First Degree Murder case of Brandon Kasemeier, the 40-year-old man from Waukon charged in the January 21 death of his estranged wife, Jami Kasemeier, the defense team for Kasemeier has filed a Motion for a Change of Venue in the case. That motion was filed late Friday, December 6 by Kasemeier’s defense team of Raya Dimitrova and Erin Carr of Carr Law Firm, P.L.C., Des Moines, citing “the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed…” guaranteed by the Constitutions of both the United States and the State of Iowa.

The Waukon Police Department has launched a “Scams” page on its website to help citizens identify the various types of scams and what they should be aware of to hopefully protect themselves from becoming a victim of a scam or fraudulent act. Police Department officials say the department will continue to add to this page as they become aware of new scams.

The “Scams” page can be found on the Waukon Police Department website, at www.waukonpolice.com, by clicking on the “Scams” tab at the top of the homepage (circled in red in the submitted image accompanying this article). Scams are listed on that tabbed page under various headers, and clicking on those headers will lead to a description of what each scam has entailed, or may entail. There is also a list of “Ways to protect yourself” resources that can be clicked on for further informational assistance with prevention and/or follow-up measures.

submitted by the Waukon Chamber of Commerce

As the year comes to an end, so does a tourism project for the Waukon Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber was awarded an Iowa Tourism Grant to help promote a series of events and simultaneously build a digital media library. Chamber staff worked with non-profit Northeast Iowa RC&D and local business partners to accomplish the project, which helped promote the town to a broader audience and created a digital content legacy that will continue to benefit the community for years.

The project featured five Waukon events throughout 2024 including the Cupid Shuffle, Spring Fling, Corn Days, Wine with the Witches, and the Holiday Hop.  The project brought together multiple organizations that coordinated events over five weekends throughout the year to demonstrate to tourists that they could fill their weekends with activities in the community.

Scout Outreach has begun at the afterschool program for elementary schools in Waukon. Once a month at each school, including West Elementary, East Elementary and St. Patrick Schools, kids can take part in activities to learn about camping and Scouting. Scout Outreach is led by Scoutmaster Amy Russell and assisted by Troop 64 Scouts. Submitted photos.
 

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, December 16 to address a full agenda of matters including the appointment of a full-time Sheriff’s Deputy, consideration of the County Highway Safety Pledge, and the opening and consideration of County Farm pasture and cropland bids. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Dennis Keatley and Mark Reiser present.

by Joshua Sharpe

The Lansing City Council convened Monday, December 2 to discuss a variety of topics. Among the agenda items were trash collection contracts, policy updates, infrastructure improvements, and administrative software challenges.