A directive from the Waukon Mayor’s office has now changed the official trick-or-treat date within the Waukon community for this weekend. Originally set for this Friday, October 31, the date has now been changed to Saturday, November 1 from 4-8 p.m.
The change was made due to several Waukon High School athletic teams competing this weekend in State level competition. The Waukon boys and girls cross country teams will compete Friday at the State Meet in Fort Dodge, the Waukon football team will be playing in the second round of the State Play-Offs at Alburnett that Friday evening, and the Waukon cheerleading squad is also competing at State competition this weekend.
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Waukon will be hosting its “All Hallows Eve” event this Friday, October 31. Trick-or-treaters are invited to traverse a path through the building to receive treats by entering the church building at 27 2nd Avenue NW through the decorated door indicated on the directive signage.
Treats will be available for all ages, plus each child will receive a book of their choice before exiting onto 1st Street NW on the west side of the building. The decorated door will be open on 2nd Avenue NW for participants to walk right in from 5-7 p.m.; there is no need to knock.
Car ferry landing areas ... The image above shows the area where the car ferry will help residents and visitors cross the Mississippi River at Lansing beginning sometime in early November, with the Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation yet to announce an official start date of that service. The ferry landing area on the Iowa side (pictured in the center of the above image) will be at the Lansing City Marina just south of the Tiki Bar, with entrance to the area (as marked above) from the north end of that marina area and exit from the south end, both along North Front Street. The ferry landing on the Wisconsin side will be to the south of the bridge construction area, as indicated in the lower right corner of the image above. An official start date for the car ferry is expected to be released by the Departments of Transportation in the near future. More information can also be found online at iowadot.gov/lansingbridge. Image courtesy of the Iowa Department of Transportation.
The Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation (DOT) are partnering to offer a free car ferry across the Mississippi River during the closure of the Iowa 9/Wisconsin 82 bridge. This service connects Lansing with Wisconsin near De Soto and Ferryville while the new bridge is under construction.
According to DOT information available at iowadot.gov/lansingbridge, the ferry is expected to begin service in early November. The exact start date is anticipated to be announced by DOT officials in the near future.
The car ferry is expected to run seven days a week, starting each day at 5:30 a.m. from the Wisconsin landing area, with a first departure from the Iowa side expected to be at 5:45 a.m. The final trip of each will take place at 9 p.m. from the Wisconsin side, and at 9:15 p.m. from the Iowa side.
State Auditor Rob Sand visits Lansing as part of Town Hall Tour... State Auditor Rob Sand addressed a large crowd at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center in Lansing Tuesday, October 21 as part of his 100 Town Hall Tour across the state of Iowa. Sand had discussion with and fielded questions from the crowd regarding water quality, changes affecting Medicare, Medicaid and rural hospitals, military veterans issues, Iowa’s private school voucher program, cancer research and the Iowa National Guard. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
by Joe Moses
Current State Auditor and Iowa Gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand visited the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center in Lansing Tuesday, October 21 as part of his 100 Town Hall Tour across Iowa. The Allamakee County stop October 21 in Lansing was one of five Town Hall Q&A sessions for Sand that day including Howard County, Chickasaw County, Bremer County and Allamakee County with the 100 Town Hall Tour concluding in Decorah in Winneshiek County.
Prior to the Town Hall at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center, in response to a question from The Standard relating to the closure of the Black Hawk Bridge in Lansing and the continued pursuit by local officials relating to disaster relief to provide assistance during the anticipated two-year period remaining for the bridge replacement, Sand noted his frustration about the closure, “I can’t understand how it came to this point. I mean, it’s irresponsible.”
Tuesday, November 4 is scheduled as the City/School Election to determine which candidates will be elected by voters to leadership positions at the most local levels of government and guidance. Out of the six communities and three school districts within Allamakee County, there will be a total of five contested races, according to candidate listings from the Allamakee County Auditor’s Office that were also printed, along with additional election information, on Page 24 of the October 15 edition of The Standard. Those candidates can also be found on sample ballots that are available online at https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/.
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, October 27 to address a short agenda of matters including the consideration of appointments to the Historic Preservation Commission, consideration of the hiring and appointment of a Deputy Sheriff, and the consideration of a change order relating to the Allamakee Public Safety Center Water System Modification Program. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Dennis Keatley and Tom Clark present. There were no comments during the Public Comment portion of the meeting.
Following the time allotted for Public Comment, the meeting moved into the review of a plat request for the Mary Wachter Estate, et al. Administrative Assistant Claire Opperman with Planning and Zoning provided an overview of the plat request with the Supervisors approving the matter following review.
Main Street Lansing will be sponsoring a Trick-or-Treat Downtown Extravaganza the evening of Halloween, Friday, October 31, from 4-6 p.m. Local youth are invited to trick-or-treat through the downtown businesses in Lansing. There will also be hot dogs and hot chocolate available for free at the downtown plaza.
Lansing native Denise Keenan will the featured speaker at the next When Relationships Change event being hosted by Our Savior Lutheran Church in Lansing Sunday, November 2. A pre-Thanksgiving meal will be served at 12:30 p.m. followed by Keenan’s presentation. There is no cost or registration needed to attend.
Denise Keenan is a multi-faceted practitioner with expertise in such areas as Holistic Wellness, Life Transformed Coaching, Reiki, Pranic Healing, Hypnotherapy, Yoga Instruction, Sound Healing, Coaching Life, and Bodywork. She is the daughter of the late Walt and Margaretta Keenan.
The Lansing City Council held its regular meeting Monday, October 20 at City Hall with all council members present. The council approved the 2026 Driftless Half-Marathon date, adopted several financial and administrative resolutions, and reviewed progress on ongoing infrastructure projects.
Paddling the length of the Mississippi River ... Nikki Bettis (second from right in the above submitted photo), a mother of 15 children, is paddling the length of the Mississippi River with her seven youngest children (pictured above with her) as part of a transformative journey for her and her family. Part of that journey included an overnight campout on a sandbar near Lansing.
by Joshua Sharpe
The Mississippi River shimmered in the early autumn light as a small convoy of canoes navigated steadily downstream. Leading the group, Nikki Bettis, a mother of 15, skillfully guided her youngest daughter through the morning current. Together with her seven youngest children, Bettis is on a transformative journey known as 32 Feet Up, which redefines resilience, adventure, and the unbreakable bonds of family.
From the headwaters of Minnesota to the rolling bluffs of northeastern Iowa and on down the mighty Mississippi, Bettis and her children have spent weeks traversing the 2,350-mile stretch of river that has historically supported steamboats and commerce. Their floating fleet - comprising four canoes, an adopted grandfather named Smoky, and a support vehicle shadowing them from the shore - serves as part expedition, part classroom, and part act of personal renewal.
