Two new speed feedback signs have now been installed at State Highway entrance routes into the town of Waukon. City of Waukon officials want to assure motorists that these are not speed cameras that result in mailed citations nor are they data collection units, but instead are reminders to slow down and obey speed limits posted above each sign. The signs will display the speed a vehicle is traveling (such as the “40” pictured in the left photo), and will also display a “SLOW DOWN” reminder message if that vehicle speed exceeds the posted speed limit (as in the right photo). Standard photos by Joe Moses.
The Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (CPKC) Holiday Train is scheduled to make its return to the Lansing and New Albin areas again this year as part of its 2023 trek to help raise money, food and awareness for local food banks in communities along the CPKC network. The festive railway celebration is scheduled to make its way through northeast Iowa this Friday, December 8 with local stops in Marquette (from 1:45-2:30 p.m.), Lansing (from 3:50-4:30 p.m.) and New Albin (from 5:15-6 p.m.). The two Allamakee County visits in Lansing and New Albin will find the Holiday Train coming to a stop near the ballfield in Lansing along South Front Street between North 2nd and Dodge Streets. The New Albin stop will take place near the parking lot adjacent to the railroad tracks on Railroad Avenue between Ross Avenue and Oak Street. Those attending the event are asked to bring a cash or non-perishable food donation if they are able.
The largest remaining structure at the decommissioned Alliant Energy generating station at Lansing was brought to the ground by a final implosion process that took place just before 8 a.m. Friday, December 1, as depicted in the photo at left. Additional photos and information regarding the implosion event can be found in the Wednesday, December 6, 2023 edition of The Standard.
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New police officer sworn in ... Alyssa Rostad (left) was sworn in as a new officer for the Waukon Police Department by Waukon Mayor Arvid Hatlan (right) at the Monday, December 4 meeting of the Waukon City Council. Officer Rostad is from Houston, MN and is a 2019 graduate of Houston High School. She graduated from Simpson College in Indianola with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Submitted photo.
by Joe Moses
The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, December 4 to address a full agenda of matters including changing city council meeting dates in January, hiring a police officer and discussion of funding for the City Facade Improvement Grant Program.
Mayor Arvid Hatlan called the meeting to order. There was no public comment during that alloted time with the meeting moving into Department Reports.
Robey Memorial Library Director Cate St. Clair encouraged children and families to participate in the Main Street Story Walk which continues in December. St. Claire noted that copies of the book “Winter is Here” by Kevin Henkes are available for free at the library to children that complete the Main Street Story Walk, with this being made possible through a donation by the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation.
Service planted firmly in their volunteerism ... Some of the RSVP volunteers who worked in the butterfly garden in Decorah Tuesdays last summer included: Left to right - Front row: George Hagen, Mary Glock, Jerri Osenga and Drew Pellett; Back row: Diane Kruse, Robert Fischer, Green Americorp volunteer Matt Novotny and Miriam Patton. Photo courtesy of Miriam Patton.
Still growing in her volunteer efforts ... Using her expertise in nurturing wildflowers and creating nature centers, Jerri Osenga, 95, has logged more than volunteer 1,100 hours at the Decorah Butterfly Garden through Northeast Iowa RSVP. Photo courtesy of Ellen Modersohn.
written by Ellen Modersohn and submitted by Northeast Iowa RSVP
On a mild day in early November Jerrine Osenga sprinkled some Smooth Blue Aster seeds into the Decorah Prairie Butterfly Garden on the city’s west side. She had harvested them from another city park.
“We can always use more asters,” she said. A butterfly garden needs diversity of plants and colors, and blue can be a rare hue among wildflowers.
Jerrine, known as Jerri, has been looking out for the well-being of the garden for the past dozen years. She is one of many volunteers over the past 23 years who have indulged their passion for prairie plants to keep this Upper Iowa River-side acreage thriving.
Mentoring partnership ... Iowa State University senior Madalyn Palmer (left) has served as a mentor for freshmen in the College of Agriculture’s learning community, including Ashlyn Hammel during her first year. Submitted photo.
Editor’s Note: The following article was originally printed October 6, 2023 in Wallaces Farmer. It is being reprinted here with permission granted by editorial staff of that publication. The article features Waukon High School 2021 graduate Madalyn Palmer, currently a senior student at Iowa State University in Ames, and Spring Grove, MN High School 2022 graduate Ashlyn Hammel, who is currently a sophomore at Iowa State University.
Helping new students be successful in a new environment is exactly what the ACES program is doing at Iowa State University (ISU).
ACES stands for Agricultural Community Encourages Success and provides ISU freshmen with a residential learning community for about 50 students of an agricultural major. By applying and being accepted into the program, 25 females and 25 males live in a similar space in Maple Hall in the dormitories in Ames.
The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter is offering a free, four-week virtual education series to help families facing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. The programs help families better understand what to expect so they can be prepared to meet the changes ahead, including changes in communication and behaviors, discussing dementia as a family and planning ahead for future financial and legal considerations.
The virtual series will begin this Thursday, December 7 at 12 p.m. via Zoom and continue each Thursday through December 28. The schedule of programs includes:
December 7 - Effective Communication Strategies: This program explains the communication changes that take place throughout the course of Alzheimer’s disease, how to decode and respond to the verbal and behavioral messages delivered by someone with dementia, and strategies to connect and communicate at each stage of the disease.
The Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors met Monday, November 27 at Kee High School in Lansing. Board President Bobbie Goetzinger called the meeting to order. Board members Tony Becker, Bobbie Goetzinger, Melanie Mauss and Arla Wagner were present, and board member Kelli Mudderman was not in attendance. EACSD Superintendent and Lansing Middle School/Kee High School Principal Dr. Sarah Murray, New Albin Elementary School Principal Donna Thomas and Board Secretary Michele Martin were also present.
Audience members attending included Lansing FFA Advisor Ray Rankin and the following FFA students: Jackson Schulte, Kaleb Drape, Dustin Stendel, Kyle Mauss, Mason Mohn, Zachary Meyer and Landyn Rankin. Visitors Tom Martin, Marian Verdon and Tyler Verdon were also in attendance.
Those who travel on the State of Iowa Highway 9 bridge (Black Hawk Bridge) over the Mississippi River from Lansing to its intersection with the State of Wisconsin Highway 82 in rural Crawford County, WI need to be aware of a construction project that may slow down their trip through the end of next week. That construction project started Monday, December 4 and will last through Friday, December 15, weather permitting, according to information provided by the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Construction crews will close the eastbound lane on the bridge so the bridge rail can be repaired. Motorists will be guided across the bridge with flaggers while work is taking place. More can be learned about this project on either of the Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation (DOT) websites or by following posts on the project’s Facebook page.
Thursday, December 14, from 5-6 p.m., Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library will be hosting another monthly learning and informational session with the lead engineering staff working on the Black Hawk Bridge replacement project. Everyone is invited to bring questions and curiosity. The engineers plan to have hands-on activities and this is a unique opportunity for the local community to learn a lot about the bridge building process.
Sessions will be held monthly the second Thursday each month and are for all ages. Questions about this program can be sent to libary@lansing.lib.ia.us.
