News Center newsletter

by Lissa Blake

The Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC) Family Planning Clinic in Decorah will close its doors June 30 of this year. At a meeting Monday night, February 27, the NEICAC Board of Directors voted to close the Clinic when its contract with the Iowa Department of Public Health ends at this year's midpoint.

“The decision was very difficult for the Board,” said David Boss, NEICAC director of community outreach and development.

According to NEICAC Director Mary Ann Humpal, the program has lost over $90,000 per year for the past two years and is looking at losing that much again by the close of this fiscal year.

“We are jeopardizing other programming within the agency,” said Humpal.

Humpal said there are many factors that went into the Board’s decision to close the office, which serves around 600 customers in a seven-county area.

Kyle Gordon, son of David and Connie Gordon of Waukon, has achieved the Boy Scouts of America’s highest rank, Eagle Scout. He is the grandson of Herbert (Jr.) and the late Mary Lou Halvorson and Ervin and Sharon Gordon, all of Waukon.
Gordon is a member of Troop 64 in Waukon under the direction of John Troendle, Scoutmaster. The charter organization is VFW Post 4117 in Waukon.

Gordon will be honored this Sunday, March 12 at a 2 p.m. Court of Honor at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon. The community is welcome to attend.

Gordon began his scouting career as a Tiger Cub Scout in first grade with Ann Klenske-Ewing serving as his den leader. Shortly thereafter, DiAnne Haler took over the den in the following years working the boys toward Boy Scouts. As a Cub Scout, Gordon achieved the Arrow of Light, Cub Scouting's highest award, in February 2010. He then crossed over to Troop 64 under the direction of Joe TeKippe and Tim Smith.

The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Waukon has been scheduled for Sunday, March 19 and will begin at 1 p.m. with many of the same festivities taking place as in years past throughout the community.

The parade route will be the same as in past years, beginning from the southeast edge of town and heading up Rossville Road and Spring Avenue to the stoplight intersection with Main Street. Turning left on to West Main Street, the parade will venture up to Second Street SW, where the entries will turn left at the Post Office intersection, travel one block south to First Avenue SW, and then east back to Spring Avenue, turning right at Kwik Star to head back south to its point of origin.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, March 6 to discuss a full agenda of items including the Public Hearing for the Fiscal Year 2018 City Budget, the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI®) and the Fiscal Year 2016 Audit conducted by Hacker, Nelson & Co. P.C.

Mayor Duane DeWalle called the meeting to order with the approval of the agenda and minutes from February 21, 2017. The Public Hearing for the Fiscal Year 2018 City Annual Budget was opened without written or verbal comment and approved by the Council. During the Public Comments portion of the meeting, Jim Allison of Waukon discussed the need for a street light in his neighborhood near Fourth Avenue and Fifth Street SW.

The 4-H program provides youth opportunities to impact their personal lives, community, country and world, objectives also spoken through the 4-H Pledge. The regional 4-H citizenship group met Sunday, February 19 to hear directly from a 4-H alumnus who has impacted a multitude of people through his work in the analytical division of intelligence to assist operations through the United States Defense Department and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The group welcomed Lowell Engle, retired contractor with the CIA and Crypt Analyst with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Lowell grew up as a 4-H member in Bremer County. He was recruited as a college student into the intelligence field and worked 42 years in 48 countries for the Defense Department before retiring in 1991 to return back to an Iowa life of farming. Shortly after, he was contracted again to set up an operations center and found himself working for several more years.

Finding a rewarding and well-paying career in life starts with a plan and having opportunities to learn about different occupations firsthand from individuals who work in the field. This was the motivation for the third annual Career Workshop event at Waukon High School February 10, which was developed in partnership between Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC), Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) and Waukon High School.

The Kee High School Individual Speech season is underway with competition at the District Contest Saturday, February 25 at MFL/MarMac High School in Monona. Kee had eight students involved who performed in 13 events and will be advancing 10 of those events to the State competition scheduled for this Saturday, March 11 at Waldorf College in Forest City. Kee Individual Speech students earned the following District ratings - MaKayla Manning: Expository Address (I) and Prose (I); Emily Benzing: Storytelling (I) and Literary Program (I); Annika Stahl: Prose (I); Tony Martin: After Dinner (I) and Improvisational Acting (I); Tom Martin: Radio News (II) and Improvisational Acting (II); Ian Sickles: Poetry (II); Theron Maddox: Review (I); and Logan West: Storytelling (I) and Improvisational Acting (I). Pictured above, left to right, are this year's District competitors for Kee: Front row - MaKayla Manning, Emily Benzing, Annika Stahl.

Saturday Clover Kids are cleaning the earth one penny at a time. At their February 18 Clover Kids session, youth experimented with salt and vinegar as a cleaning solution. When they mixed the two ingredients together, not much happened, but after adding a dirty penny they watched it begin to shine before their eyes. Clover Kids learned that because water is recycled through the water cycle, humans can help keep it clean by using natural cleaning products at home. Next, the youth learned that flyways are like highways for migrating birds. Flyways provide food, shelter, water and resting places but during their journey birds can also face many obstacles. Youth became migrating birds and tried to fly south without running into one of those obstacles, such as a storm, hunter or fog (pictured above).  Eventually, the birds ran into more developing cities and therefore had habitat destruction and lack of food which caused many of them to not make it to their destination.

by B.J. Tomlinson

After meeting in a closed session at 7 p.m. to discuss strategy in matters currently in litigation, the Lansing City Council began its regular session at 7:20 p.m. Monday, March 6.

City Clerk Katie Becker presented information related to an investment policy,  proposed Resolution No. 890. In compliance with Iowa statutes, the Resolution establishes processes and procedures related to investments. The Council approved the Resolution.

Northeast Iowa RSVP volunteers will be providing electronic income tax filing for low to middle income taxpayers (any age) and those over age 60. The service will be offered at the Waukon Extension Office through the VITA program. Call 563-568-6345 for an appointment in Waukon.

In Postville, the services will be provided through the AARP program at the Postville Public Library. To schedule an appointment in Postville, call 563-277-5186.

For more information about the RSVP volunteer program, contact Kathy or Kim at 563-277-5181 or toll free at 1-877-806-0623.