News Center newsletter

The Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Waukon Center is offering High School Driver’s Education for Allamakee Community School District students. Class #105938 meets August 3-14, Monday-Friday, from 1-4 p.m.

To satisfy the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements, students must complete 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of behind-the-wheel (BTW) driving experience. Attendance is required at all sessions. Students must have an Iowa driver’s permit before the first class.

The deadline for paid registration is one week before the class start date (for free and reduced lunch rates, students should contact the Waukon High School office). To register, call the NICC Waukon Center at 563-562-3263, ext. 6700.
 

by Joshua Sharpe

The Lansing City Council met in regular session Monday, July 20 to address a variety of agenda items. Among those items on the meeting agenda was a vendor fee waiver request by Main Street Lansing for the second annual Makers Market coming up in September, a request involving Cherry Street, a residential setback variance request, an ordinance regarding city elections, and several library matters.

The Northeast Iowa Mudd Puppies, a team of baseball players combining from several communities throughout northeast Iowa, played their way to a State Championship in the 2026 United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Iowa State Tournament held in Cedar Rapids July 17-19. The team competed in the 13 and Under AA division of the tournament competition, sweeping through all six of its tournament games over a three-day period to win this year’s State Tournament crown.

Rose Ella (Egan) Valley, 89, of Waukon passed away peacefully Monday, July 27, 2026, surrounded by family members at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, MN. Funeral services were held Saturday, August 1 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. Ben Valentine and Fr. Donald Hawes officiating. Burial was in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

Rose Ella Valley was born Monday, December 7, 1936, to Timothy B. and Mary M. (Donahue) Egan on her parents’ farm in Linton Township, rural Harpers Ferry. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Pius the V Catholic Church, Cherry Mound. Rose Ella attended Linton No. 1 School and after her dad died, she farmed the family farm in Linton Township, raising dairy cows and crops before she met the man of her dreams, Harold Valley. They were married at St. Pius the V, Cherry Mound June 5, 1956. Harold and Rose Ella were married for 45 years, and four children were born to this union: Tim, Rita, Karen, and Kevin.

Joanne P. Kehr, 96, of Lansing died peacefully Thursday, July 23, 2026, at Thornton Manor in Lansing, surrounded by her family. Funeral services will be held Saturday, August 1 at 11 a.m. at United Methodist Church, with Pastor James “Buck” Buckhahn officiating. Burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery, both in Lansing. Friends may greet the family from 9:30 a.m. until time of services at the church Saturday. The service will be live streamed on the website of the church, lansingiowaumc.org, under the Worship Live Stream tab.

Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home in Lansing is handling the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Mt. Hosmer Park, Gustave F. Kerndt VFW, or Auxiliary Post 5981, c/o Don Peters, 664 Center Street, Lansing, IA 52151; or Thornton Manor - patient recreation department, 1329 Main Street, Lansing, IA, 52151.

Bonnie L. Sanderman, 93, of Cedar Falls, formerly of Waukon, died Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at NewAldaya Lifescapes in Cedar Falls, surrounded by the love of her family. Funeral services were held Sunday, July 26 at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon with Pastor Cathy Jurgens officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Memorials can be made to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon.

Bonna Lee “Bonnie” Sanderman was born August 13, 1932, at her grandmother’s home in Ludlow Township, in rural Waukon, the daughter of Walter and Evangeline (Stock) Grotegut. Bonnie graduated from Waukon High School in 1950. July 10, 1951, she married the love of her life, Neil Sanderman, and together they raised three children. She enjoyed farm life, but she also possessed a quiet determination to continue learning.

Marlys Ann (Hackbarth) Smith, 87, of Monona died Monday, July 20, 2026 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. A Private Graveside Service was held at Monona Cemetery, Monona. Memorials in her honor may be directed to Little Bulldog Preschool and MFL Ambulance Service. Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Monona assisted the family with services.

Marlys was born March 27, 1939 at home in Morgan Township in Franklin County, Iowa, the oldest daughter of Verlynn and Leona (Gorder) Hackbarth. She was baptized and confirmed in the Morgan Methodist Church, which was a quarter mile from her home.

Marlys attended school in Dows and graduated in 1957. She was active in band, chorus, and class plays. She went to Ellsworth Jr. College and received her two-year degree to teach. She worked for a principal, took care of four young children, and cooked and cleaned for a family to pay for her education.

Harold Francis Nelson of Marysville, WA passed away April 12, 2026 at home, surrounded by loved ones. Harold was laid to rest in the Arlington, WA cemetery.

He was born in Iowa September 17, 1931 in the farmhouse of his maternal grandparents. He is the son of Albert Oke Nelson and Leona Marie Mettille.

Harold was raised on his parents’ farm in Houston County, MN. He attended school in a one-room schoolhouse from grades 1-8. The school was almost two miles from his home.  His only method of transportation to and from school was by walking those miles over hills and fields in all kinds of weather.

At the age of 20, Harold joined the United States Air Force. He completed his basic training in Texas at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX and Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, TX. He was then assigned to the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Paine Field, Everett, WA where he served as a jet mechanic and was quickly promoted to Crew Chief.

To the Editor:

Iowa has a nitrate problem in its water. A large part of the problem stems from water run-off from crop land fertilizer as well as farm animals’ waste.

We know that Iowa has multiple creeks, streams and rivers which feed into the Mississippi River. In fact, most of Iowa’s waters flow east. That takes in millions of farm acres where run-off accounts for the large majority of the nitrates getting into our water. Adding tile in the fields quickens the water movement.

In Allamakee County, our drinking water comes from wells, both private and municipal. Our porous bedrock is the problem. Go further south and some west, and many of the larger cities in Iowa pull their drinking water from rivers.

The Raccoon River is central Iowa’s main drinking water source.  The Des Moines River is used for the Des Moines metro area. Cedar Rapids pulls water from the Cedar River. Iowa City draws water from the Jordan Aquifer.

A pair of Allamakee County Veterans who served during the Vietnam War were recently memorialized and honored for their service during the 2026 In Memory Ceremony held June 20 on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Gary Dundee of Postville and Ed Blake of Waukon were two of more than 750 Vietnam Veterans - 38 of them from Iowa - included in this year’s ceremony after their families applied for their inclusion in the program.

IN MEMORY PROGRAM
The In Memory program was created in 1993 by the group Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, fueled by the belief that those who served in Vietnam should be honored and remembered for their service. It has since been managed by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) and enables the families and friends of those who did return home from their service in Vietnam, and later died, the opportunity to have them be forever memorialized for their service.