Top Stories

by David M. Johnson

There are individuals who choose career paths, some not so well traveled and some paths that involve multiple journeys. Then there are individuals who venture down the road that is above and beyond what was imagined when the journey began.
Brian Dougherty was a local farm kid, raised by John and Rita Dougherty of rural Waukon, who wanted to be a farmer when he grew up. Graduating from Waukon High School in 1991, Dougherty pursued an Associate’s Degree in Farm Management from Ellsworth Community College before joining his brother, Scott, to farm the family farm.

The Village Creek public boat ramp, located just south of Lansing, has recently re-opened with new improvements. The ramp was closed for construction July 5 through the first week of October. Improvements (some of which are pictured in the surrounding photos) include grading and paving the roadway and boat ramp parking, installing a vault restroom, building sidewalks and adding ramp extensions to improve ramp access during low water conditions. The improvements were a joint project between Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fisheries and State Parks Bureaus and the Marine Fuel Tax program. The area is managed through an agreement with Allamakee County Conservation. Jim Janett, Allamakee County Conservation Director, said, “New docks will be arriving in Spring 2019, other possible improvements may include a kayak launching dock and handicapped boat access improvements.

by Lissa Blake

What’s happened at Effigy Mounds over the past 28 years might sound more like the plot of a detective novel than the everyday operations of a National Monument. But after almost 30 years, guardians of the sacred place are in the process of righting a serious wrong.

According to David Barland-Liles, special agent for the National Park Service (NPS) and lead ranger at Effigy Mounds, the skeletal remains of 41 indigenous people, which were missing for 21 years, are being returned to their respective tribes for repatriation.

THE MISSING BONES
The story of the missing bones and how they were recovered involves many individuals who have worked at Effigy Mounds over the past three decades. Barland-Liles said he was working as a special agent for the NPS in St. Louis, MO in 2011 when the matter first came to his attention.

The seventh annual local Fields of Faith event in Waukon was held Wednesday, October 10 inside the Waukon High School gymnasium due to colder temperatures and light rain that forced the event from its traditional venue of the Waukon High School football field. Neither the weather nor the change of venue did anything to dampen the impact of the messages offered by three Waukon High School students and two adult speakers on how faith has impacted their life. Those student speakers are pictured in the three photos in the center below and include, left to right, Waukon High School seniors Megan O’Neill, Emily Kolsrud and Maddie Ahlstrom. Featured adult speakers included Isaac Fruechte (pictured in photo at bottom of page) and Cedric James (pictured below).

Waukon High School seniors Thomas Byrnes (left) and Megan O’Neill (right) were crowned Waukon High School's 2018 Homecoming King and Queen at the traditional "Burning of the 'W'" pep rally Thursday, October 4 at the Waukon High School gym. Additional photos of Waukon High School's Homecoming events are featured on Page 2A inside this week's issue, as well as coverage of Waukon football's Homecoming victory over Waterloo Columbus featured on Page 15A this week.

Pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.

Kee High School seniors Makayla Walleser (left) and Tony Martin (right) were crowned Kee High School's 2018 Homecoming Queen and King at the annual Homecoming pep rally held in the Kee High School gymnasium Friday afternoon, October 5. Additional photos of Kee High School's Homecoming festivities are featured on Page 16A of this week's issue of The Standard, along with coverage of the Hawks' Homecoming game with Easton Valley featured on Page 10A inside this issue. Photo courtesy of the Kee High School Yearbook.

Pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.

Students from Waukon High School will join thousands of other youth and any others who may be interested on athletic fields across the nation Wednesday, October 10 to share their Christian faith with fellow students and the general public during the 15th annual national Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ (FCA) Fields of Faith event. This interdenominational outreach event will be held at more than 500 locations throughout the nation.

The local event is now in its seventh year and will start at 7 p.m. at the Waukon High School football field that Wednesday evening. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held inside the Waukon High School gymnasium.

by Kristin Kopperud-Stinn

George Ashbacher has one of the largest collections of memorabilia in northeast Iowa. Most of the items on display at his Grandpa George’s Barn of Memories are from a radius of 60 miles or less from Harpers Ferry where Ashbacher calls home. In total, there are six buildings, seven if you count the second floor of the main building.

Ashbacher credits 60 years of auctioneering for his impressive collection, which ranges from small souvenir spoons and plates to five vintage tractors. Originally, Ashbacher had 48 tractors in his collection. He also owns more than 200 pieces of chalk ware, 40 lamps and a host of commemorative items from towns such as Waterville, Waukon, Rossville, Elkader, Harpers Ferry, Marquette and McGregor.

by Lissa Blake

A Waukon man convicted of second degree murder last month has now filed an appeal on that verdict.

John Michael Quanrude, 32, filed the appeal Wednesday, October 3. The action came following his sentencing hearing held Monday, October 1 in the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon, where District Judge John Bauercamper sentenced Quanrude to 50 years in prison for the killing of his stepfather and roommate, 60-year-old Dean Russell of Waukon. At the time, Bauercamper instructed Quanrude that he had 30 days to appeal his case.

In a jury trial that took just four days in mid-September before a guilty verdict was handed down, Quanrude was convicted of the crime, a Class B felony, which took place April 16 of this year in the home he shared with Russell at 49 Jean Road in the Parkview Trailer Court in Waukon. At the time of sentencing,

Students at Waukon High School have selected their Homecoming representatives for 2018, with the coronation of this year's Homecoming Queen and King set to take place at the traditional "Burning of the 'W'" pep rally scheduled for this Thursday evening, October 4, beginning at 7 p.m. at Waukon High School. Pictured in the top photo above are this year's Waukon High School Homecoming Queen and King candidates from the 2018-2019 Senior class, including: Left to right - Front row: Queen candidates Megan O’Neill, Brigid Berns, Madisen Ahlstrom, McKenzie Cooper and Grace Howe. Back row: King candidates Michael Headington, Andrew Mellick, Pryce Hesse, Michael Sweeney and Thomas Byrnes. Pictured in the photo directly above, front to back and left to right, are Freshman Class attendants Alyssa Bublitz and Jordan Sletten, Sophomore Class attendants Madelyn Waters and Daniel Gruman, and Junior Class attendants Elizabeth McQuade and Zach Davison.