News Center newsletter

Suzanne Catherine Flatten, 78, of La Crescent, MN passed away January 24, 2025. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 8 at the Church of the Crucifixion in La Crescent, MN with a family eulogy to be read beginning at 10:45 a.m. Rev. John L. Evans II will officiate.

Burial will follow in the Pine Creek Catholic Cemetery, rural La Crescent, MN. Visitation for Suzanne will be held at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Mass Saturday.

She was the first born of Ralph and Stella (Collins) Hammel January 6, 1947. She grew up on a large family farm outside of Dorchester, helping with her younger siblings and attending a rural one-room schoolhouse until her high school years.

Mary Ann Etteldorf, 69, of Waukon passed away Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Funeral services were held Saturday, February 1 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. Paulraj Sellam officiating. Burial was at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements.

Mary Ann Etteldorf was born October 17, 1955, in Ossian to Peter and Helen (McDonald) Etteldorf. Mary Ann had difficulty with school and spent many years living at home. She gained independence through living in group homes and finding employment in sheltered workshops in Cresco and Waukon. Mary Ann had been a resident of Northgate Care Center in Waukon since 2020.

Richard W. Troendle, 70, of Churchtown died Monday, January 27, 2025, at MercyOne Medical Center in Waterloo. Private graveside services will be held at St. Mary’s Lycurgus Cemetery in rural Waukon with Fr. Joseph Sevcik officiating. His family will host a summer BBQ get-together in his memory at a later date. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

Richard William Troendle was born July 9, 1954, in Waukon, the son of Raymond F. and Marjorie Catherine (Robert) Troendle. He was baptized at St. Mary’s Lycurgus Catholic Church in rural Waukon and attended Kee High School in Lansing.

April 3, 1976, Richard married the girl next door, Debra Kay Russell, in Homer, MN. They continued living in Churchtown and Richard worked as a security guard for many places including the Genoa, WI, power plant. He later was a delivery driver for Wheeler’s Autobody in Waterloo before retiring in 2016.

Wartburg College’s Dr. Michael Bechtel was one of seven educators selected to serve in the first cohort of the National Center for Science Education’s (NCSE) Sound Science Fellowship program. Bechtel is a 1989 graduate of Waukon High School and the son of Sherry and the late Dean Bechtel of rural Monona.

During his two-year term in the Fellowship program, Bechtel will help the NCSE develop new approaches to resolving misconceptions about topics that are seen as controversial to the public and conduct research to develop best practices for teaching and learning.

“Over my time as an educator, I have become keenly aware of the scientific understanding desert that has been filled with social media memes and anti-science rhetoric,” said Bechtel, an associate science education professor at Wartburg College in Waverly. “I believe the only way these difficult topics can be addressed is through facts, open dialogue, questions and understanding the learner.”

This past week saw the premise of the new bridge over the Mississippi River at Lansing begin to take shape even more as crews from project contractor Kraemer North America set 15 decking support beams in place on the Wisconsin side of the project, with five such beams spanning from the east bridge abutment to Pier 5, five more from Pier 5 to Pier 4, and five more from Pier 4 to Pier 3. As pictured in the surrounding photos, the laying of the beams was performed by two large cranes, with the long beams being delivered by semi tractor and trailer combinations that had steerable rear wheels on the trailers in order to accommodate sharper turns, such as what they experienced turning off Wisconsin Hwy. 35 onto Hwy. 82 (the dike road) just east of the bridge location. Photos courtesy of the Iowa Department of Transportation.
 

Midwest Veterans of America will be hosting a special recognition event this Saturday, February 1 at AJ’s Bar & Grill in Waukon to celebrate National Freedom Day, which is observed February 1 each year honoring the signing by President Abraham Lincoln of a joint House and Senate resolution that later was ratified as the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. President Lincoln signed the Amendment abolishing slavery February 1, 1865, although it was not ratified by the states until later.

An awards presentation will begin at 1 p.m. recognizing 28 U.S. Military Veterans from the local area, with the full menu available to order from as well at the event location. A featured speaker from the La Crosse, WI USO (United Service Organization) and a fundraising auction will also be part of the event.

The public is invited to attend the event. Those who have further questions may call 563-568-5275.

Award nominations due by February 17, Dairy Princess applications due February 28; Dairy Banquet scheduled for March 22

The Allamakee County Dairy Promotion Board is asking for assistance from the general public in identifying worthy candidates to be recognized as this year’s top dairy producers in Allamakee County at the 2025 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet scheduled to take place March 22 this year at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. Every year, top producers and several other awards are nominated from members within the county. The Allamakee Dairy Promotion Board and the Allamakee County Extension office are accepting nominations for the following awards:

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session twice within a week’s time following the Monday, January 20 closure of the County Courthouse in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday with scheduled meetings taking place Tuesday, January 21 and Monday, January 27 during this past week. Coverage of both meetings appears below.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21
The January 21 meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Dennis Keatley and Tom Clark present.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, January 27 to address a full agenda of matters including discussion of allowing chickens within city limits, the Northeast Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund match and the consideration of approving a truck purchase for the Park and Recreation Department. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with council members Steve Wiedner, Dave Blocker and John Lydon in attendance.

During Public Comment, Ann Fossum, a West Street SW property owner, questioned the council about the timeline when speed limit signage would be installed on her street, in addition to noting concerns relating to the fiber optic cable installation and the stake or marker that has not been replaced showing the property line.

The Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center in Lansing will host a new series called Conservation Café Wednesday, February 19 starting at 9:30 a.m. This is a new series started at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center to enjoy some social time with a hot beverage and a conservation-focused program following. The program will be free of charge, but advanced registration is encouraged. To register or receive more information on this event, call Allamakee County Conservation at 563-538-0401.

Join Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Fish Culture Technician Joshua Hefflefinger at the February 19 presentation for a talk about native Brook Trout restoration and Rainbow Trout culture in northeast Iowa.