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by Brianne Eilers

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors held its regular monthly meeting Monday, August 21. A reception to welcome new teachers was held prior to the beginning of the meeting.

Keystone AEA board member Dr. Bill Withers and Administrator Pat Heiderscheit were present at the meeting. Dr. Withers noted that he usually checks in with school boards to see if they have any concerns that he needs to take back to the AEA. He also noted that he will be running for re-election for his seat and asked the board members for their support. Heiderscheit stated that he appreciated the working relationship between Keystone AEA and ACSD, and also noted that Keystone is grateful to have some space available to them at East Elementary.

A new study released by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce shows that the concentration of well-paying, family-sustaining jobs - with a median salary of $55,000 - is growing for employees who hold less than a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree.

The 2017 research report by the Georgetown Center, “Good Jobs that Pay without a BA,” indicates an 83 percent growth of these good jobs held by two-year associate’s degree earners since 1991. The highest gains are in the trades, healthcare, skilled services such as information technology, financial and business services industries.

Many of Northeast Iowa Community College’s (NICC) most successful students and graduates have earned two-year degrees in these fields and secured well-paying local employment careers that offer stability and opportunities for advancement. NICC students and recent graduates of two-year degrees illustrate these workforce trends, particularly in healthcare.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The regular monthly Board of Directors meeting for Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) was held Monday, August 21 at Kee High School. President Heather Schulte called the meeting to order. Also present were members Bobbi Goetzinger, Kelli Mudderman and Bruce Palmborg. Board member Melanie Mauss was not present due to jury duty in Cedar Rapids. In addition, school personnel attending included Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier, New Albin Elementary Principal Chad Steckel, High School Principal Mary Hogan and Board Secretary/Business Manager Janet Heiderscheit.

June 30, Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC) closed the doors of its Family Planning Program, resulting in Allamakee citizens losing access to reproductive healthcare. The clinic covered the six counties of Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek.

The Waukon boys cross country team may be small in returning veteran leadership, but the squad’s overall numbers hold some promise. Seventeen young men have reported for early-season workouts for the Tribe distance dandies, but just three of them return with varsity experience from a team that made a third consecutive trip to the State Cross Country Meet last season.

“First and foremost, I am pleasantly surprised by the number of guys we have on the team this year with several new additions,” said Waukon boys cross country coach Tara Stein. “It will be nice to have enough guys out to be able to score as a team for both varsity and JV races. I have been very pleased with how hard all of the guys have been working during camp and the first couple weeks of practice and I am anxious to see how we come together and compete as a team.”

The 2017 Waukon girls cross country team will be led by four varsity letterwinners this season that include representation from three different grade levels. Add to that veteran core an overall young mix of varsity newcomers, and Waukon girls cross country coach Brett Egan has the makings of another possible step forward for his program that has featured 16 high school participants thus far in early-season workouts.

Those four veteran returnees include senior Gabby Marti, junior Megan O’Neill and sophomores Ellec Armstead and Madalyn Marti, who return from a squad that posted a fifth-place finish at last season’s Northeast Iowa Conference Meet and ultimately had its season ended with a ninth-place team finish at its Class 2A State Qualifying Meet.

The Kee football team returns six letterwinners from a team that played to a 3-6 season record last fall, but was a play or two away from having that record reversed if not improved even more. Those six letterwinners will lead an overall group of 25 players and include a quartet of returnees who earned All-District honors from last season, that being the senior foursome of Tucker Colsch, Brock Flack, Eric Rud and Noah Spearbecker.

As one might expect, a majority of that returning veteran core is made up of this season’s senior class. Whether a letterwinner or not, Kee football coach Chad Winters will be looking to those uppermostclassmen to lay the foundation for this season.

“The seniors have set the tone for practice,” Coach Winters explained. “They understand the hard work and dedication needed to be successful on the football field.  They are very encouraging to the younger kids and always helping teach during drills.”

The Kee cross country program faces varying scenarios between its girls and boys squads for the 2017 season, but coach Pat Wagner sees overall promise and potential with each. The cross country girls suffered no graduation loss and return all six of last season’s high school competitors from a team that finished its 2016 campaign right at the brink of State Meet qualification. The boys, on the other hand, are dealing with the reshuffling of their distance deck, with graduation taking away some veteran mainstays, a bit of experience returning, and some new faces holding some promise in their distance debut.
“We are excited about this season,” Kee cross country coach Pat Wagner said. “In early season workouts the student athletes are focused and working hard. All six girls are returning letterwinners, and (juniors) Jacob Berns and Ryan Whalen return on the boys side.”

Each year the Waukon Swim Club honors swimmers with the Michael J. Hager Award given in memory of Michael J. Hager (1960-1991), who was the son of Bonnie and the late James Hager of Waukon. This year’s Michael J. Hager Award recipients are, left to right in photo at right, Alexis Hogan, daughter of Jeremy and Heather Hogan of Waukon, and Ryan Lubahn, son of Troy and Shari Lubahn of Waukon.

Michael Hager loved swimming. In 1976, as a lifeguard at the pool, he started the Waukon Swim Club. He worked as a lifeguard, swam with the club and coached until he graduated from high school in 1978. He went on to attend college for one year at William Penn University and then transferred to Luther College, where he swam for the Norse for three years. Each summer, Hager would come home to coach the swim team and lifeguard at the pool until he graduated from Luther in 1982.

Cletus C. Althoff, 93, of Lansing, formerly of Waukon, died Sunday, August 20, 2017 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Funeral services will be held Friday, August 25 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, with Fr. Mark Osterhaus officiating. Burial with military rites will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

Friends may greet the family from 10:15 a.m. until time of service at the church Friday. Martin Funeral Home of Waukon is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the charity of your choice.

Cletus Cyril “Clet” Althoff was born October 24, 1923 in rural Lansing, the son of Alex Theodore and Martha Margaret (Teeling) Althoff. He moved with his family to Dubuque when in grade school and graduated from high school there. Clet attended Loras College in Dubuque. Before graduating he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He served at a number of bases across the county and became a head pilot for B-17 crews.