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The Kee High School Drama Department will be presenting the musical production “Willy Wonka Jr.” on stage this weekend in the Kee High School gymnasium through special arrangement with Music Theatre International with words and music by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newly and the production adapted for the stage by Leslie Bricusse and Timothy A. McDonald. “Willy Wonka Jr.” is based off of the novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” by Roald Dahl, and the musical represents many of the classic songs from the original movie starring Gene Wilder.

The production is scheduled for two performances, including this Saturday, April 11 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 12 at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door, and there will also be a sweets and cotton candy shop available to purchase treats from.

David Enyart, Assistant Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 64 in Waukon, received this year’s Dellaykee District Scouter of the Year award at the Scouting America Northeast Iowa Council #178 Scouter Recognition Banquet held Saturday, March 28 in Dubuque. The BSA Scouter of the Year award is a district-level recognition award given to an outstanding adult volunteer who has provided exceptional service and leadership. This award honors long-term commitment, training, and unit success in Scouting. Submitted photo.
 

Frederick Staggemeier, 86, of La Crosse, WI, formerly of New Albin, died April 6, 2026, at Mulder Health Care Facility in West Salem, WI. Memorial services will be private.

He was born October 11, 1939, in Caledonia, MN, to Elmer and Erma (Pottratz) Staggemeier. Graduating in 1957 from New Albin High School, his early employment included working and making cheese at the New Albin Cheese Factory.

After leaving this establishment, he attended Coleman Technical Institute for mechanical drafting and, later, Western Wisconsin Technical Institute, entering into the tool and die field. Frederick worked with various businesses in the La Crosse, Viroqua, and Richland Center areas in Wisconsin until retiring in 2005.

The Kee boys track and field team took part in its largest outdoor competition of this early season when they participated in the Frostbite Open hosted by Sumner-Fredericksburg High School Tuesday, March 31. Kee’s boys claimed a pair of first-place event finishes and one runner-up placewinning to headline their way to an eighth-place finish in the 10-team meet field with 46.5 team points.

The Hawks were also scheduled to compete at the Waukon Early Bird Invitational Thursday, April 2 but had that meet canceled by rainy weather. They were next scheduled to take part in the Edgewood-Colesburg Invitational Tuesday, April 7 before competing in Postville’s Foster-Kiesau Relays Thursday, April 9. They will then take part in the Decorah Relays Monday, April 13 before taking part in the MFL/MarMac Coed Invitational Thursday, April 16.

The first outdoor competition of the season for the Waukon boys track and field team proved to be a promising early success, as even though the Indians were a bit short-handed due to attendance by some team members at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference early in this past week, they were still able to top the 10-team field of the Frostbite Open hosted by Sumner-Fredericksburg High School Tuesday, March 31. The track and field Tribe recorded four event wins, half of which were coupled with runner-up finishes to claim  a pair of one-two event sweeps that helped rack up 145 team points to claim team championship honors over the 10-team meet field.

In its only meet scheduled for this past week, the Waukon girls track and field team competed for the first time outdoors this season, finding some fairly good overall success despite having some team members unable to compete due to participation in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference early in the week. Despite that absence including some of the track and field Tribe’s high-end contributors and limiting participation for Waukon to just 16 of the 19 events that took place at the meet, the Lady Indians were able to claim one event victory and four runner-up finishes to help lead the way to 88 team points and a runner-up finish in the 12-team field of the Frostbite Open hosted by Sumner-Fredericksburg High School Tuesday, March 31.

The Waukon girls golf team got its 2026 spring campaign off to a middle-of-the-pack start, opening its competition schedule with a second-place finish in a triangular event Monday, March 30 hosted by Postville High School at Tri-City Golf & Country Club. A Lady Indian squad that was limited in number due to some team members participating in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference turned in a nine-hole team total of 233 strokes to finish behind Crestwood’s team total of 193 strokes and ahead of the Postville host squad that had only three team members and could not compile a team score.

Harvey I. Estebo, 90, of Waukon passed away Sunday, April 5, 2026 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon from natural causes after a lengthy illness. Funeral Services were held Monday, April 13 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing followed by graveside service at Lansing Ridge Cemetery.

Harvey Ingham Estebo was born and raised near Rake February 29, 1936. He was the youngest of 11 children of John and Hilda (Erdahl) Estebo. He was named after Harvey Ingham, editor of the Des Moines Register and Tribune and from whom his parents bought the farm near Rake.

Harvey was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Rake. He went to rural country school before attending public school in Rake and graduated from high school in 1954.

After graduation, Harvey attended Luther College in Decorah until the fall of 1956 when he went to San Diego, CA to live with a brother. While living in San Diego, he worked as a timekeeper for the Rohr Air Craft Corporation.

Francis (Frank) M. O’Malley, 72, of Waukon passed away from natural causes March 22, 2026, at his home. Services will be held at a later date.

Frank was born August 13, 1953, in Waukon to Patrick and Mary (Marsden) O’Malley. He graduated from Waukon High School in 1971. Following high school he attended Western Wisconsin Technical Institute in La Crosse, WI.

In his career Frank was employed in the meat business, the building trades and as a member of the gaming staff at casinos in Biloxi, MS. In 2015 he returned to live in Waukon.

Frank enjoyed playing cards, pool and softball, hunting and fishing. He was a fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Jean Ann O’Malley.

Four farming couples were honored as 2026 Master Farmers at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny Wednesday, March 25. Each year, Wallaces Farmer magazine and the Iowa Master Farmer Association (IMFA) select deserving candidates who reflect exceptional agricultural production skills, commitment to family and service to community.

Among the 2026 Iowa Master Farmers are Steve and Jane Johanningmeier of Waterville. They were joined by this year’s fellow honorees Morey and Rhonda Hill of Madrid, Dan and Susan Voss of Atkins, and Pete and Dana Wenstrand of Essex in receiving that recognition during the centennial year of the program.

This year also featured two new winners of the Exceptional Service to Agriculture Award. They are Greg Tylka, Iowa State University (ISU) Extension nematologist and founding director of the Iowa Soybean Research Center at ISU, and Kirk Leeds, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Iowa Soybean Association.