In support of Waukon Indian athletics ... Allamakee Athletic Booster Club board member Karen Frick (left) presents a donation check to Waukon High School Activities Director and Assistant Principal Brian Hilsabeck in the amount of $26,211.19. The donated funds represent the Booster Club’s support of the Waukon Indian athletic program and are used for such things as purchasing new uniforms or equipment, among other purposes. Those who want to provide their own sponsorship of the Allamakee Athletic Booster Club may do so by filling out the sponsorship form printed on Page 19 of this same edition of The Standard with their choice of sponsorship level and bringing it to the Community Appreciation Meal being hosted by the Booster Club Tuesday, August 20 at the Waukon High School in conjunction with the Meet the Team Night that will kick off this school year’s athletic seasons. The sponsorship form and funding can also be mailed to: Allamakee Athletic Booster Club, P.O. Box 283, Waukon, IA 52172. Submitted photo.
Gary Kroeger is featured speaker, all are welcome to provide Booster sponsorship
Waukon High School and the Allamakee Athletic Booster Club will be joining forces Tuesday, August 20 for the annual Community Appreciation Meal and Meet the Team Night Tuesday, August 20 at the Waukon High School. The event will begin at 5 p.m. with the Booster Club’s annual Community Appreciation Meal in the Waukon High School Cafeteria, with a guest speaker and the opportunity to meet the Waukon Indian fall athletic teams and watch them scrimmage.
The Community Appreciation Meal provides an opportunity for anyone to contribute a sponsorship to the Allamakee Athletic Booster Club (AABC). Those wishing to do so may fill out the form in the advertisement found on Page 19 in this edition of The Standard and bring it to Tuesday’s meal for a year-long sponsorship at any of the five funding levels also listed in the ad.
“This is an exercise that’s been a long time in the making,” Mayor Mike Verdon said, as he opened the public hearing on an Urban Revitalization Plan and Proposed Tax Abatement Ordinance during the Lansing City Council’s regular meeting Monday, August 5. Describing an urban revitalization plan/tax abatement, Mayor Verdon said it “offers a tax incentive for people to upgrade or improve a property, therefore increasing the taxable valuation.”
The Allamakee County Conservation Board and Allamakee County Conservation Foundation are hosting accomplished painter and award winning singer-songwriter Chad Elliott Tuesday, August 20 at the Driftless Area Education & Visitors Center located at 1944 Columbus Road, Lansing. Stay afterwards for a concert beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Stop by throughout the day August 20 to watch as Chad Elliott creates a painting inspired by the local landscape. Elliott is a Midwest singer-songwriter who blends folk roots, swampy blues, and soulful writing to deliver music that is unmistakably original. Admission for the concert is by “pass the jar” donation. Those attending are asked to bring their own lawn chair and non-alcoholic beverages.
The Allamakee County 4-H Council sponsored a School Supplies Drive to benefit the Allamakee County Relief Office at the 2024 Allamakee County Fair July 17-21. Supplies such as notebooks, crayons, glue sticks, book bags and more were collected through the duration of the fair. Over 210 items were donated to the Allamakee County Relief Office this year.
The Allamakee County 4-H Council would like to extend its appreciation to all who donated to the drive this year. For further information about the Allamakee County 4-H Program, contact Marissa Foels, Allamakee County Youth Coordinator at the Allamakee County Extension and Outreach Office at 563-568-6345.
By Jim Schipper
Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation Board Member
Many families turn to federal and private student loans, like those offered by Iowa Student Loan (ISL) Education Lending, to cover remaining college costs after savings, earnings and other financial aid. But the options for college financing can be confusing. Here are seven tips for finding the right loans for your family.
Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is introducing two new Associate of Arts transfer degrees, Digital Media and Journalism, designed for students to earn their degree and/or transfer to a four-year university education or to advance their professional careers.
The new programs, established in partnership with several four-year universities, allow graduates to seamlessly transfer their credits into a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. Graduates of the Journalism program at NICC may transfer to Drake University, Grand View University and the University of Northern Iowa. Digital Media graduates may transfer into the University of Northern Iowa’s program.
The 2024 Waukon baseball season played out to a 12-18 overall record for the Indian diamond dwellers. That season-long mark included a 7-13 mark in Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) play that placed Waukon fourth in the final six-team NEIC standings, and culminated in a second postseason tournament run to the Class 2A District Championship game in the past four seasons before having the 2024 summer season brought to a close with a rain-shortened loss at home to Denver in that Class 2A district finale.
“I was happy to see our seniors advance to another district championship game,” Waukon baseball coach Shane Schellsmidt said in reflecting on this season. “They ended their career knowing they played in two district championship games, which is not easy to accomplish, as well as recording three 15-win seasons.”
The 2024 Kee baseball season showed a step forward this season as the diamond Hawks returned all but one player from last season’s squad that played to an even season record and turned in a winning campaign of 26-11 this summer. That overall result included a 13-5 mark in Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) play that placed the Hawks third in the final UIC standings behind the only two teams to beat them in league play, UIC Champion South Winneshiek and UIC Runner-Up MFL/MarMac.
“We improved from a 19-19 season in 2023 to a 26-11 season in 2024,” Kee baseball coach Jim Mauss reflected. “We bring back two-thirds of our starting line-up in 2025, so I’m hopeful we can make another jump from where 2024 left off.”
The 2024 Kee softball season played out to an average overall record of 20-19, but the effort it took to get to that nearly even season mark was anything but average, as nearly half of this season’s schedule included games against larger schools, including games played against some of the state’s largest schools from Class 4A and 5A, as well as several highly-ranked opponents who played their way to every team’s ultimate destination, the State Tournament. Also well above average once again was the Lady Hawks’ Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) result, as they played to a runner-up team finish with a 14-2 record that marked the fourth consecutive season Kee softball has finished within the top three of the final UIC standings.
“We played a challenging schedule this past season which allowed us the opportunity to compete with some strong teams outside of 1A,” Kee veteran head coach Liz Hill said. “These challenges allow us to improve and help us prepare for the postseason.”
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
August 2- 31: Non-Emergency Haying of CRP
August 2 - September 30: Non-Emergency Grazing of CRP
Current – October 31: Organic Certified Cost Share Program (OCCSP)
December 2: Deadline to return COC ballots to FSA Office
Conduct Business Online Through the Farmers.gov Portal
Looking for ways to do business with USDA that saves you time? Look no further than farmers.gov.
When you create an account for the farmers.gov authenticated customer portal, you have access to self-service features through a secure login. Managing your business with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is faster than ever. From e-signing documents, viewing, printing, and exporting maps and receiving notifications of payment disbursements, a farmers.gov authenticated account makes doing business with USDA easy and secure.
