News Center newsletter

Retiring Allamakee Community School District Superintendent of Schools Dave Herold will be among three school administrators honored by the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) later this week with the Bernie Saggau Award of Merit at the Iowa High School Boys State Basketball Tournament being held at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The award presentation will take place during halftime of the Class 4A State Championship game, which is scheduled to begin at 8:15 p.m. Friday, March 9.

Named after the former Executive Director of the IHSAA following his retirement in 2004 after a 41-year career leading the governing body of Iowa high school male athletics, the Bernie Saggau Award of Merit is the highest honor the IHSAA bestows. It is awarded by the Board of Control to individuals for their service to interscholastic athletics and support of education-based activities for students.

The United States Air Force (USAF) Band of Mid-America’s Shades of Blue jazz ensemble (pictured at right) will present a joint concert in collaboration with the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) bands in the Waukon High School gymnasium Monday, March 12, beginning at 7:00 p.m. This is a family-friendly, all-ages event. The Shades of Blue Jazz Ensemble will perform immediately following the Allamakee Community School District Parade of Bands Concert, at approximately 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Submitted photo.
 

Waukon State Bank is participate in Money Smart Week being observed April 21-28 this year, and there is an opportunity for a student to earn money for college through the Iowa Money Smart Kid Essay Contest, which is sponsored by the Iowa Bankers Association in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Students in seventh through 11th grades can now enter the 12th annual Money Smart Kid Essay Contest. The student with the winning essay will be selected as Iowa’s Money Smart Kid for 2018 and receive $1,000 toward college savings, funded by the Iowa Bankers Association.

“The Money Smart Kid Essay Contest is a fun competition to get the next generation thinking about the importance of saving,” said Gail Prestemon, Waukon State Bank President. “We would love to see a student from our local community receive this year’s award and encourage all eligible students to participate.”

Black Hills Energy has received customer reports of late bill payment scams with customers being told that they are past due on their account, and without immediate payment, their service will be disconnected.

“Individuals claiming ties to the utility may threaten to disconnect service if they are not paid immediately or may say you’ve overpaid and must provide personal bank account or credit card information for a refund,” said Tracy Peterson, Vice President of Iowa Gas at Black Hills Energy. “If your account is at risk of service disconnection or you’re due a refund, we will issue advance written notices by mail. Beware, as perpetrators are becoming more sophisticated, manipulating caller ID or leaving a call-back number with a recording that mimics a utility’s phone system message and options.”

by Brianne Eilers

The month of January ended on a positive financial note at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon with a profit of $49,136. VMH Administrator Mike Myers noted that looking at year-to-date statistics, the hospital is financially "about break-even."

He noted that they are still under budget by approximately $10,000 to $15,000. "Considering what we ended at last year, I feel pretty good about that," Myers said.

Acute patient days were up and skilled patient days were also up over last January. Deliveries were the same as last January. Total surgeries were also up, as was overall radiology department patient volume. Myers did note that Emergency Room visits were down some over last January, further explaining that outpatient revenue was 6.9% above budget.

Young wrestlers in grades Kindergarten through sixth grade took part in the Waukon Junior Wrestling program during a recently completed season that lasted from November through January. This season saw the club members compete in four different team tournaments, including the South Winneshiek Tournament at Calmar, the MFL Duals at Monona, the Legends Youth Wrestling Tournament at Cresco (where the Waukon club won the $100 award for bringing the most kids to the tournament), and hosting their own Heffern/Lonning/Mathis Memorial Tournament at Waukon High School, where the club won the third-place team award. The Waukon Junior Wrestling program teaches basic moves for beginners and more advanced moves for seasoned wrestlers. Club leaders and members would like to express their appreciation to the coaches, sponsors and parents for a great season and are looking forward to an even better season next year. Photo courtesy of Micah Lynn Photography.
 

Waukon wrestling 170-pound senior Tristan Hansmeier will be among the top senior wrestlers from northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota who will face off in the 17th annual Iowa-Minnesota All-Star Border Battle dual meet at 7 p.m. this Friday, March 9 at Crestwood High School in Cresco. The event is sponsored by the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame housed in Cresco and tickets for the event will be sold at the door at Crestwood High School.

Dennis Meirick, president of the hosting Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, notes that wrestlers from Crestwood, New Hampton, South Winneshiek, MFL/MarMac, Postville and Riceville will also wrestle for the Iowa squad against some of the state of Minnesota’s top matmen from the southeast portion of the state. The Minnesota squad pulled off a 37-30 win in last year’s Border Battle to even the series at eight wins for each squad.
 

The Kee girls basketball team prided itself on a defensive effort very difficult to solve this season, limiting opponents to a season average of just under 31 points per game that helped the Hawks to just a single-loss regular season and their second-ever State Tournament qualification. The only two teams to successfully solve that Kee defensive puzzle this season also seemed to solve nearly everyone else’s as they both played to the State Championship game of their respective State Tournament bracket with undefeated season records, one of those solvings ultimately bringing the Hawks’ best-ever season on record to a final close where all other teams strive to be.

Charles Frank Miller, age 75, of Corvallis, OR, formerly of Waukon, passed away at his home in Corvallis, OR Tuesday, February 27, 2018 after a battle with cancer. He was born the son of Leonard J. and Ruth H. (Hansmeier) Miller.

Charles loved living in Oregon, and enjoyed golfing, bowling, fishing, bicycling, and the mountains there, and he loved spending time with his entire family. He made several trips home to Iowa throughout his life to spend time with loved ones.

Wayne Teslow, age 66, of Frankville died Friday, February 22, 2018 at his home in Frankville after a long battle with ALS. His funeral was held Tuesday, February 27 at Salem United Church of Christ, rural Waukon with Pastor Sue Klimstra officiating. Military rites were accorded by Decorah and Waukon Area U.S. Army Veterans. Burial was in Salem Cemetery, Waukon.

Wayne was born October 1, 1951 in Decorah to Raymond and Theresa Teslow. He attended school in Frankville until the sixth grade and then graduated from Postville High School in 1969.

He joined the Army at age 17 via the delayed enlistment program and began active duty in 1969. He took his basic training in Ft. Polk, LA. He went to AIT at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland to become a wheel and track vehicle mechanic.  His first assignment was with the 1/1 Cavalry in Chu Lai, Vietnam from May 1970 to April 1971. He returned from Vietnam and was assigned to Ft. Riley, KS.