This treasure is for trash ... Pictured above is one of the new waste receptacles created by Waukon High School students under the direction of Industrial Technology instructor Caleb Ferring during the 2019-2020 school year. Ten such receptacles have been placed throughout Waukon’s downtown community and were the result of a community enhancement project included within the curriculum of the new Allamakee Welding Academy under Ferring’s guidance. Submitted photo.
Real-life learning experience ... Waukon High School students accepted into the Allamakee Welding Academy under the instruction of Caleb Ferring were instrumental in all aspects of creating the new waste receptacles recently placed throughout the downtown community in Waukon. From creating the initial design and an initial proposal to present to the Waukon City Council for consideration, to cutting all the necessary pieces and the decorative designs into those pieces, to welding all those pieces together to create the final product, the students (some of whom are pictured in surrounding photos above and below) not only helped out the community that houses their high school but also gained some real-life experience in seeing the project through from its conception to the finished product. Submitted photos.
by Joe Moses
The town of Waukon has seen several improvements to its downtown business district recently. Among those is the 2019 Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) Street and Sidewalk Project, which prompted the replacement of the previous waste receptacles placed in the downtown area following the installation of new decorative light poles.
In conjunction with that project, Director Ardie Kuhse with Waukon Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) approached the Waukon City Council with a suggestion to replace the previous waste receptacles that became obsolete with the newly installed decorative light poles now in place downtown.
Kuhse presented several concepts and estimates from a variety of manufacturers to the council. With the City of Waukon on board, Kuhse worked with Street Superintendent Keith Burrett on the style and design that would be both attractive and practical for the street department crew to maintain and empty.
Public readings part of 2020 Bible Reading Marathon ... Although a majority of the 2020 Allamakee County Bible Reading Marathon was conducted privately by individuals due to COVID-19 restrictions, a pair of public reading offerings were held during the four-week event. Pictured above is a July 11 public reading held in Lansing and sponsored by Center Baptist Church of rural Lansing. A July 14 public reading also took place on the lawn of the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon to close out this year’s marathon event. Submitted photo.
The 2020 Allamakee County Bible Reading Marathon came to a successful conclusion Tuesday, July 14, with the completed reading of Scripture, Genesis through Revelation, and a public reading on the Allamakee County Courthouse lawn in Waukon.
Over 70 individuals, in addition to various groups, participated by using the Signup Genius website or the TracPhone number set up for the event. A total of 156 segments of Scripture, each taking approximately 30 minutes to read, were available over the course of four weeks during the marathon event, many of them read by those individuals or groups in their own private settings due to COVID-19 guidelines during this year’s event.
The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met for its regular monthly meeting Monday night, July 20. Personnel matters approved under the consent agenda included After School Program staff, Brenda Good as a substitute bus driver, Rachel Adney and Amber Adney as co-volleyball coaches, 2020-2021 Mentors, fall sports volunteers and the resignation of paraprofessional Mariah Fogt. Also approved under the consent agenda was renewal of the Backpack Program for 2020-2021, the Free and Reduced School Meals policy and the MidAmerica HRA Service Agreement update.
The Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services, has announced its policy for free and reduced price meals for children unable to pay the full price of meals served under the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and the Afterschool Care Snack Program.
State and Local school officials have adopted the family size and income criteria for determining eligibility as printed in the chart accompanying this article.
Households may be eligible for free or reduced price meal benefits one of four ways listed below.
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary #4117 presented Citizenship Awards to 4-H entries at the 2020 Allamakee County Fair. A number of Allamakee County 4-H members completed projects and entry forms for the Citizenship Awards and VFW Auxiliary members then judged the entries on Entry Day of the Allamakee County Fair and selected recipients in grade categories for Kindergarten through sixth (K-6) and seventh through 12th (7-12) grades. In the K-6 grade entries, First Place went to Lauren Plein of the Clover Kids and Second Place was awarded to Allia Ericson of the Elon PMC 4-H club. First Place in the 7-12 grade category was Natalie Byrnes of the River Valley Panthers and Second Place was awarded to Kadee Fish of the Clover Chasers 4-H club. Submitted photos.
For a two-week period in early July, Main Street Lansing offered Lansing area residents and visitors the opportunity to complete a COVID-19 Recovery Survey. In partnership with Main Street Iowa, Main Street Lansing offered the survey as an opportunity to assess the impacts of COVID-19 on Lansing as the community has entered and progressed through the reopening and recovery phases.
The survey received 229 responses, and Main Street Lansing appreciates the input from everyone who took the time to complete the survey. Main Street Lansing’s Board of Directors has offered the following analysis of the survey results:
With recent announcements of job cuts at the Alliant Energy Lansing Generating Station due to the facility currently operating at lower capacity and unofficial stories circulating about pending closure of the facility, Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier outlined some facts clarifying what the impact of such a closure would be on the school district. Alliant Energy officials have previously stated that they regularly review their generation resources in order to operate their facilities in the best interests of their customers, but no decision has been made regarding the future of the Lansing Generating Station at this point in time.
Dr. Crozier’s released statement follows:
Eastern Allamakee Community Schools will not be affected at all if Alliant Energy would close; and there are facts that people should know about this:
Senior swing ... Waukon baseball senior left fielder Nathan Johnson takes a cut at a pitch in the Indians’ 2-1 first-round district tournament loss to Sumner-Fredericksburg at New Hampton Monday, July 13. Johnson was one of seven seniors on this season’s squad who had their high school athletic careers brought to a close with the loss. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this website.
In what turned out to be somewhat of a defensive battle right to the very end on the scoreboard, the Waukon baseball team had its 2020 season brought to an end in the opening round of the Class 2A District 6 Tournament Monday, July 13. In a game played at New Hampton against a combined team from Sumner-Fredericksburg and Tripoli High Schools (SFT), the game came right down to the final play, which ended up being a one-out game-winning single with the bases full of Cougars to bring the baseball Tribe’s season to a halt with a 2-1 loss.
Waukon softball junior shortstop Annika Headington sends a pitch to the outfield for the Indians’ only hit in their 7-1 loss at 11th-rated Crestwood in the opening round of Class 3A regional tournament play Wednesday, July 15. Headington’s lone hit also produced the softball Tribe’s lone run as she drove in fellow junior Regan Griffith in the game’s first inning for a 1-0 Waukon lead that would stand until the game’s midway point. Photo by Nate Troy, Cresco Times Plain Dealer.
The Waukon softball team had its 2020 season brought to a close by one of the best teams in all of Class 3A when the Indians traveled to 11th-rated Crestwood Wednesday, July 15. Having been swept by the highly-regarded Cadets by scores of 9-0 early in the season and 12-0 in three innings just over a week ago, the Lady Indians put an abrupt end to their scoring drought against Crestwood right away in the opening frame and even held a 1-0 lead over the Cadets midway through the contest, but ultimately allowed seven unanswered runs during Crestwood’s final three innings at the plate to put up their best fight of this season against the Cadets before falling by a 7-1 final result.
Crushes a couple ... Kee softball junior first baseman Macy Manning gets swarmed by her teammates after she blasted one of her two homeruns in the Hawks’ 19-10 victory at Upper Iowa Conference champion Turkey Valley Wednesday, July 15 in the quarterfinal round of the Class 1A regional tournament. Manning hit a two-run homerun in the first inning and a solo bomb to spark a 12-run third inning for the Hawks, driving in a total of three runs and scoring three as well in the ballgame. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this website.
The 2020 Kee softball season was brought to a close this past week in a busy week of postseason play, but it took one of Class 1A’s highly-regarded teams to accomplish that feat. The Lady Hawks first ran through a couple fellow Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) squads to start the week, ending South Winneshiek’s season with a 7-1 first-round regional victory at home Monday, July 13 before blasting their way past UIC season champion Turkey Valley by a 19-10 result Wednesday, July 15 at the home of the single-loss Trojans. Kee’s postseason run was finally brought to a close at 12th-rated Mason City Newman Friday, July 17 as the Hawks suffered a 12-2 defeat in five innings on the Knights’ home field to bring their 2020 campaign to a close.
