News Center newsletter

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The regular monthly meeting of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors was held Monday, March 19 at Kee High School in Lansing. Board President Heather Schulte was absent, so Vice President Bobbie Goetzinger called the meeting to order.

The meeting opened with a public hearing on next year’s budget with a call for public comments. The State has approved a 2.06% allowable growth with a tax rate of $11.87 per $1000 valuation. Officially, the district had an increase of two students for a total of  327.1 students. Valuation increased $4.02 million, therefore some funding had to be shifted from state aid to property tax. Continuing concerns are declining enrollment and declining unspent budget authority. The spending authority for the district is the sum of property tax, state aid, miscellaneous income and unspent balance. There were no public comments and the hearing was closed.

The four Kee High School students pictured at right were nominated to participate in the All-State Individual Speech Festival to be held Monday, March 25 on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. These four students were part of 11 Kee students who performed at the State Speech Contest held at Waldorf University in Forest City March 13, where 15 Kee events received 11 Division 1 ratings and four Division 2 ratings. Kee’s All-State nominees (pictured clockwise from top left) include Amanda Fahey in Prose, Neve Goetzinger in Solo Music Theatre, Sahreya Dodd in Acting and Ella Strong in Literary Program. Submitted photos.
 

by Macie Hill

The regular meeting of the Lansing City Council was held Monday, March 18. Discussion centered around the adoption of the consent agenda, a People Service update and appointing a new city attorney.

The consent agenda consisted of council meeting minutes from March 4 and March 11, liquor license renewal for Red Barn Resort and Main Channel Grill, the Treasurer’s report for February, and the transfer of $718.40 from the Trust fund to the General fund to cover playground expenses. A motion was made and seconded to approve that consent agenda without any concerns.

Kee High School’s Prom has been scheduled for April 13 with its Post Prom event scheduled to follow from midnight until 4 a.m for Kee High School juniors and seniors and their guests. This event is a substance free celebration providing table games, raffles and silent auctions, snacks and drinks, and door prizes.

All Kee High School junior and senior students are welcome, even if not participating in Prom. There is no fee to attend. Hypnotist Michael DeSchalit from Wand Enterprises has been booked and all guests will be entertained by his show.

The Post Prom Committee and Kee High School junior students have been hosting Sunday Bingo events, worked the brat stand at Lansing Fish Days and delivered Easter eggs with the “Egg My House” event in order to raise funds for this year’s Post Prom festivities. The group is very appreciative to all area businesses and individuals for their continued support.

The Waukon girls track team has had 42 young ladies report for early-season duty to begin its 2019 campaign, with more than half of this season’s squad made up of varsity letterwinners returning from last spring’s squad. Among those 22 veterans are five of six Lady Indians who competed at every high school track and field athlete’s ultimate destination last season, the State Meet.

The Waukon Park & Recreation Youth Soccer Program is for boys and girls in Kindergarten through sixth grade. Basic fundamentals of soccer will be taught along with team participation.

Teams will be grouped together as follows: Kindergarten is alone, first and second graders will be together, third and fourth graders will be together, and fifth and sixth graders will be together. Different size fields and balls will be used to accommodate the lower ages and skill levels. All players must wear shin guards and they must be covered by socks or pants. Cleats are optional.

The games will be played Saturday mornings starting April 13 and will run for five weeks. There will not be games April 20 due to Easter weekend. The dates will be as follows: April 13, April 27, May 4, May 11 and May 18. The make-up date will be Tuesday, May 21, if needed.

LaVonne Winters Brandt, 84, of Frankville died Tuesday, March 12, 2019 at Aase Haugen Home Memory Care in Decorah. Funeral services were held Monday, March 18 at Frankville Presbyterian Church with Rev. Gary Catterson officiating. Burial was at Frankville Cemetery.

LaVonne Sophia Winters Brandt was born July 6, 1934 in Waukon, the daughter of Leonard and Minnie (Flage) Snitker. She attended Ludlow country schools and September 27, 1950 she married LeRoy Winters in Winneshiek County. To this union, five children were born: Gary, Cindy, Peggy, Bonnie and Deloris. In August of 1974, LeRoy passed away.

December 28, 1974, LaVonne married Wayne Brandt at Frankville Presbyterian Church and with this union, she gained three more daughters: Karen, Karlene and Konnie. Wayne was the love of her life and passed away in April of 2003.

Helen Inga (Lovstuen) Olson, age 90, of Decorah died suddenly Sunday, March 10, 2019 of kidney and heart failure at the Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah. Funeral services were held at Glenwood Lutheran Church, rural Decorah Monday, March 18 with Rev. Stacey Nalean-Carlson officiating. Interment was at Glenwood East Cemetery, Decorah.

Helen was born September 9, 1928 to Inga (Ehrie) and Helmer Lovstuen at their farm (established 1854) in Glenwood Township, Winneshiek County. She was baptized and confirmed at Glenwood Lutheran Church. Helen attended Glenwood #5 (Lee) country school and graduated from Decorah High School as valedictorian of the Class of 1947. She worked for Attorney Shea as a secretary until she married.

September 25, 1949, she married Vernon Thomas Lien Olson at Glenwood Lutheran Church with Rev. Norman Dversdahl officiating. They farmed with her parents and purchased the family farm in 1955 where they raised their seven children.

Gary L. Larson, 76, of Waterloo, died Saturday, March 16, 2019 at Rosewood Estate in Waterloo. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 21 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Waterloo with burial at 10 a.m. Friday, March 22 at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Wexford.

Public visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 20 at Hagarty-Waychoff-Grarup Funeral Service on West Ridgeway Avenue in Waterloo, where there will be a 7 p.m. vigil. Visitation will continue for one hour before services at the church Thursday. Memorials may be directed to Cedar Valley Hospice or the church.

Gary was born July 8, 1942 in Waterloo, the son of Clarence George and Lorena Opal Petersen Larson. He married Alice Marie Mullarkey May 20, 1972 at Wexford. She died August 31, 2004. Gary served in the U.S. Army and was employed with John Deere for 38 years, retiring in 2000.

Theron Krambeer, 58, of New Albin died Friday, March 1, 2019 at his home in New Albin. Visitation will be held from 2-6 p.m. Saturday, March 23 at the New Albin Community Center, New Albin.

Theron was born February 25, 1961 to Merlin Gene and Margaret (O’Hanley) Krambeer in Winthrop, MA. He graduated from Kee High School in Lansing with the Class of 1978.

Theron was united in marriage with Karla Halverson, and they later divorced. Theron worked as a Mechanic and Machinist for Trane Co. and Sebring Enterprise. He loved working on cars, motorcycles and anything with a motor.