News Center newsletter

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering the class “Decorating Cookies for Christmas” Thursday, December 7 from 6-8 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, located at 1220 Third Avenue NW.

The pre-baked cookies, frosting, sprinkles and other embellishments are supplied for a fee due the night of the class. Those attending will supply the enthusiasm for decorating and creating, and go home with a dozen cookies. Children ages six to 11 are welcome to participate with a parent.

To register online for “Decorating Cookies for Christmas”  (#58017) or for more information, visit www.nicc.edu/solutions or call NICC Business and Community Solutions at 800-728-2256, ext. 399 (Calmar campus) or 563-568-3060 (NICC Waukon Center).
 

The past year has offered some trying moments for the Waukon girls basketball program, with some unique transitions in the coaching ranks - the permanence of one nobody ever hopes to have to deal with. After playing to just a 2-6 start to last season, the first of those coaching transitions took place during the holiday break and eventually played out to an 11-11 season record, with the return of all but one of those players from last season looking to improve on that mark during their 2017-2018 campaign following another coaching transition in the off-season.

The Kee girls basketball team will have a somewhat new face leading a much more familiar line-up in an effort to return at least to what has become a very familiar spot for the program in the past three seasons. First-year head coach Lisa Steckel will benefit from a crew of five returning letterwinners that consist of a vast majority of the Hawks’ statistical leadership from last winter’s 17-5 campaign, all hoping to make their way back to continued recent postseason success that has seen Kee play its way to the brink of State Tournament qualification, surpassing that brink with a first-ever State Tournament berth two seasons ago but coming up a combined six points shy of that goal on each side of that history-making effort, including a one-point loss in last season’s regional finals to Janesville.

Coming off an inaugural season last winter of learning for both coaching staff and student-athlete performer, the Waukon bowling program looks to build on the foundation laid during that 2016-2017 initial campaign in its second season this winter. Helping that cause will be a total of 10 letterwinners returning with their first-year experience, including a trio of veterans coming back from a girls squad that posted a 4-5 season record and more than twice that many letterwinners, seven, from a boys crew that finished with a 3-6 mark last winter.

Abigail "Abbie" Osterholm, 86, of Waukon passed away Saturday, November 18, 2017 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, November 22 at 11:30 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, with Fr. Mark Osterhaus and Rev. Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, November 21 at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon, where there will be a 3:30 p.m. rosary and a 5:30 p.m. VFW Auxiliary Service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Good Samaritan Center or Veterans Memorial Hospital, both in Waukon.

Patrick Allen Sandry, 49, of Lansing passed away Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at Mayo Healthcare in La Crosse, WI after a short, courageous battle with cancer. Funeral Services were held Monday, November 20 at the United Methodist Church in Lansing. Pastor Sedar Wembonyama and Pastor Tom Mattson were the officiants. Interment was held in the Oak Hill Cemetery, Lansing following the funeral.

Patrick Allen Sandry was born August 25, 1968 in Waukon to Robert Sr. and Marian (Halverson) Sandry. Pat graduated from Kee High School in 1986. Pat’s first job was working in California as a carpenter with Dennis Palmer. After that he had worked for Northern Engraving, Viking Insulation and Culligan.

He was presently working for Cabela’s in Prairie du Chien, WI as second shift Lead in the Distribution Center for 10 years.

The Waukon football team used a dominant second half to pull away from an 8-0 halftime lead to a 29-0 Class 2A State Championship victory over Williamsburg Friday, November 17 at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. Following a 10-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter from senior Abe Schwartz to junior Michael Sweeney that helped the Indians to that 8-0 halftime lead, the Indians added back-to-back touchdowns by senior Evan Armstead on a 22-yard third quarter pass and a 30-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter followed by a 16-yard run from senior Mitchell Snitker to finish off the football Tribe's first-ever State Championship.

Ernest Joseph “Ernie” Luster, 87, of Lansing died Tuesday, November 14, 2017 at Gundersen Health Systems, La Crosse, WI. Mass of Christian Burial was held Saturday, November 18 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing. The Rev. John Moser was the celebrant. Burial followed the service in Gethsemane Cemetery in Lansing with military honors.

Ernie was born March 4, 1930 in Harpers Ferry to John and Loella (Schellsmidt) Luster. Ernie graduated from Harpers Ferry High School with the Class of 1948.

Following high school, Ernie worked for the Milwaukee Railroad for a time. He served his country honorably during the Korean War from 1951-1953. Following his time in the military, he helped build the IGA in Lansing. Ernie worked for the United States Postal Service for many years and was the Postmaster in Marquette until his retirement in 1995.

Ida Mae (Welsh) Gonsalves, 80, of San Jose, CA entered into eternal rest November 10, 2017 at DawnView Care Home in San Jose, CA, surrounded by her family, after a long battle with Alzheimer's. A Funeral Mass took place at St. Julie Billiart Catholic Church in San Jose, CA Saturday, November 18. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to www.alz.org.

Ida was born February 25, 1937 in Waukon, the 13th child of Mary and Patsy Welsh. Eleven children survived childbirth, and three are still living: Mary Lou Cota, Lloyd (Betty) Welsh and Bernard Welsh. She is also survived by her husband of 56 years, Bob Gonsalves; three daughters, Lisa (Mark) Hanson, Lori (Shawn) Kimball and Kristi (Jeff) McCabe; nine grandchildren; 67 nieces and nephews; and countless grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

by Jeremy Leitz, Executive Director Allamakee County (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• December 15: Report acreages intended to be used for forage and pasture in 2018
• December 15: Sign up for, or opt out of, the 2018 Margin Protection Program

County Committee Election
Producers in Ludlow, Jefferson, Post, Franklin, Linton, and Fairview Townships should have received their county committee voting ballots last week. The last day to return completed ballots to the FSA office is December 4. If you’re an eligible producer in one of these townships, please be on the lookout for your ballot. Committee members are a critical component of FSA operations.