News Center newsletter

by Julie Berg-Raymond

Main Street Lansing Executive Director Andy Kelleher has asked the Lansing City Council to consider sending out a Request for Proposals to renovate the Stone School into apartments, using an Iowa Economic Development Association (IEDA) downtown housing grant.

“The grant is designed to create new housing opportunities in communities with populations under 30,000,” Kelleher noted during a presentation to the council Monday night, October 18, during its regular meeting. “On the surface, it’s a program to increase upper story housing in downtown buildings, and we don’t really have a strong need for that; most of our upper stories are activated. But the program also explicitly states that it can be utilized for vacant school buildings within the downtown vicinity.”

The Stone School is only two blocks from downtown, and it’s within Main Street Lansing program boundaries, so it is eligible for this funding, Kelleher explained.

Main Street Lansing will be hosting a city council candidate forum Wednesday, October 20 at 6 p.m. at TJ Hunter’s Banquet Hall in Lansing. There are five registered candidates running for three council seats in the upcoming November 2 City/School Board election: Michael J. Manning, Steve Murray, Deb Volker, Lisa Welsh and Ian Zahren.

Questions will come from both the moderator and the audience. The moderator for the forum is Kraig Tweed, Regional Director for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

Feeling stressed and frustrated? Need a lift? Then take a drive, enjoy the changing fall leaves in the scenic countryside and drive through Lansing to see the brightly-colored, positive signs on Main Street.

Humans have a natural tendency to dwell on the negative, to worry about the “what ifs.” “What if” those worries and negative thoughts were replaced with positive ones?

The new public art project from Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing, dubbed “The Positive Sign Campaign,” aims to do just that. Using recycled pallet boards, these paintings with upbeat and funny messages are meant to be inspiring to all who read them.

The idea began with Pastor Laura Gentry, who is also an artist, laughter yoga teacher and motivational speaker. She’s long been interested in the power of positivity. Research shows that positive thinking can lower stress levels and boost overall health.

Jude (Amos) Ervin Hermsen, 87, passed away October 7, 2021 after a three-week struggle with a breakthrough COVID case at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, WI. There will be no immediate services but a date will be set for a Celebration of Life in Waukon in the future where Jude will be laid to rest with his wife, Shirley. Donations in his name can be made to St Paul’s Elder Services of Kaukauna, WI.

Jude was born in Little Chute, WI November 2, 1933 and fondly remembered his youth and friends of Little Chute. His father, Henry Hermsen, passed away when Jude was young, so he was raised by his strong, single mother, Susan Hermsen.

Jude attended St John’s College in Minnesota and ultimately graduated from the University of Minnesota. He started his studies in Architecture and was a truly talented artist but, alas, not a mathematician so finished in Marketing and started his job hunt.

Harold Thomas Marks III was welcomed with open arms by his Savior, and reunited with his youngest son, Robert, Friday, October 8, 2021 at St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, WI after a sudden heart attack at his home in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

Celebration of Harold’s Life Service will be Sunday, October 24 at noon at Lansing United Methodist Church in Lansing with his dear friend and Pastor Sedar Wembonyama officiating. There will be a lunch to follow the service, graciously catered by friend Mike Conway, owner of Milty’s in Lansing, and served by Carol and the Lansing UMC Ladies Bible Study group.

Picha Funeral Home in Wisconsin Dells is in charge of Harold’s cremation. Harold’s dear, dear friend, mentor and fatherlike figure, Bob, is crafting the wooden memorial urn that will hold his remains.

Indians will open Class 2A State Play-Offs hosting West Liberty this Friday

by Perry Hesse

The Waukon football team completed a perfect 5-0 Class 2A District 4 season Friday, October 15 and a 7-1 regular season record with a 59-28 victory over Union, LaPorte City. The win wrapped up a fourth consecutive undefeated District Championship season for the Indians and allows them to host their first-round play-off game this Friday, October 22, with 3-5 West Liberty traveling to Waukon. That match-up was set with Waukon earning a top seed while the Comets were the fourth-place team in Class 2A District 5.

Waukon seems to be rolling offensively entering the play-offs, racking up another 565 yards of offense Friday night including 202 yards through the air and another 363 yards via the ground game. All of this despite several penalties handicapping the offense.

Hawks will open Eight-Player State Play-Offs this Friday hosting Northwood-Kensett

by Perry Hesse

Perhaps the largest crowd to ever attend a football game in Lansing Friday, October 15 was not disappointed in the action as a battle of unbeaten teams waged war to a 51-46 contest which ultimately resulted in the Kee football team’s first loss of the season. The ninth-ranked Hawks led by 10 points entering the game’s final quarter but the fourth-ranked visiting River Hawks of Easton Valley scored three touchdowns in the final frame and were able to run out the clock for the victory.

“We obviously knew we had our hands full as Easton Valley is an excellent offensive and defensive football team,” said Kee football coach Chad Winters. “I’m so proud of how my team battled all night long, they left everything on the field. We came up short but Easton Valley is one of the best teams in the eight-player class.”

The Kee volleyball team wrapped up its 2021 regular season schedule playing a final pair of dual matches against two teams from the top-end of the Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) this past week, both opponents sitting just behind UIC-undefeated North Fayette Valley with just a couple league losses each.

The Lady Hawks first hosted a Turkey Valley squad with just two losses in UIC play Tuesday, October 12, falling in three straight sets by scores of 12-25, 6-25 and 12-25. The Kee girls then fell to another UIC squad with just two league losses at MFL/MarMac Thursday, October 14, surrendering final results of 12-25, 3-25 and 7-25.

The Waukon volleyball team wrapped up its regular season this past week with both dual match and tournament action, recording a single win in what amounted to six matches for the week. The Tribe netters first traveled to the home of Class 1A 10th-rated Dunkerton Monday, October 11 and fell in four sets, winning set one, 25-17, before having the next three get away by scores of 20-25, 19-25 and 18-25 to fall in the match.

The Lady Indians then played through the multi-day Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) Tournament to a single win in five total matches now that Oelwein is no longer a member of the NEIC. They opened that event with two match losses on its first night, Thursday, October 14 at New Hampton, that included a three-set loss to the host Chickasaws by scores of 21-17, 10-21 and 10-15 and a two-set sweep to NEIC-undefeated and Class 4A third-rated Waverly-Shell Rock by scores of 10-21 and 8-21.

Ness Pumping and Porta-Potty Rentals, along with Monroe Auction, will host their annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Saturday, October 16 in the Waukon City Park to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and detection. The event will begin at 9 a.m. and will be COVID-19 friendly. Participants may come and go as they please that morning and can choose to walk with friends, family or on their own. Walk-ins are welcome. Breast Cancer survivors will be asked to sign a pink porta-potty sporting the breast cancer ribbon. Event t-shirts will be available for sale and light refreshments will also be offered.