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VFW Auxiliary Gustave F. Kerndt #5981 has announced the kick-off of the VFW Auxiliary’s annual Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. Local students in grades 9-12 have the opportunity to compete for $33,000 in national scholarships.

Students must submit an original two- or three-dimensional piece of artwork.  Digital art, photography and jewelry are not accepted.  The entry must have been completed during the current 2021-2022 school year and the application must include a teacher or supervising adult’s signature.

The first-place winner from each Auxiliary will advance to District competition with District winners advancing to the State competition.  State first-place winners compete for national awards.

VFW Auxiliary Gustave F. Kerndt #5981 announces the kick-off of the VFW Auxiliary’s National Anthem Singing Contest, “Get Excited for the Red, White and Blue!” Local youth in grades K-12 can showcase their talent, display their patriotism and express their creativity while competing for their share of $2,000 in national awards.

Contestants must submit a video of their solo vocal performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Video must be saved to a DVD or flash drive, or uploaded to an online video platform (e.g., YouTube or Vimeo) and submitted to a local Auxiliary for judging.  The video must be recorded between July 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022. Entries will be judged on vocal ability, mastery of lyrics, originality or interpretation and entertainment value.

Waukon Middle School football coach Tim Bulman was honored with the Don Taft Memorial Junior High School Football Coach of the Year Award for Class 2A during the Class 2A State Championship football game at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls Friday, November 19. Bulman has been coaching football for 37 years, with all but four of those years being at the junior high/middle school level and those other four years being as a junior varsity coach. That coaching tenure has included positions in the Terril and Jesup school districts before he coached the past 19 seasons in Waukon.

The Waukon boys basketball team is coming off one of its best seasons in recent history this past winter and will return four letterwinning veterans from that campaign that ended with a 15-6 season record. Although four returning veterans can fill a large portion of a five-player regime that takes to the basketball court, that leadership foursome and this season’s supporting cast will have some significant holes to fill from the graduation of a six-player senior class that helped the bucket Tribe reach the 15-win mark for just the third time in the past decade and play to its best Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) record and team finish in well over a decade, all while setting some records along the way.

The biggest change for the 2021-2022 Kee boys basketball team from last season to this season will be at the very top of the totem pole, as the team returns seven varsity letterwinners as seniors this winter but will be guided by a new head coach after the retirement of Pat Wagner since last season. Jeff Cota will be taking over those head coaching reins this season, but even though he may be new to the position, he is certainly not new to the program or to the charges he inherits.

Mary Lou Potempa, 71, of Las Vegas, NV, formerly of Waukon, died April 9, 2018 at Nathan Adelson Hospice in Las Vegas, NV. Joint graveside services for her and her husband, Bob, will be held Wednesday, December 1 at 11 a.m. at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating.

Martin – Grau Funeral Home in Waukon assisted the family with local arrangements.

Mary Lou Potempa was born May 3, 1946, the daughter of Emmett and Jenette (Leyse) Burgess in Waukon. She attended nursing training in Cedar Rapids, and she then moved to Denver, CO, where she worked as a registered nurse (RN) at Colorado General Hospital. Mary continued in the medical field when she and Bob moved to Las Vegas, NV, where she served as a unit secretary at University Medical Center (UMC) of Southern Nevada.

She married Robert Potempa December 14, 1974. Mary was a person who reached out with love to everyone she knew. She is preceded in death by her parents.

Robert J. Potempa, 75, of Las Vegas, NV, died Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, NV. He was reunited with Mary, his wife of over 40 years. Joint graveside services for him and Mary will be held Wednesday, December 1 at 11 a.m. at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Martin – Grau Funeral Home in Waukon assisted the family with local arrangements.

Robert J. Potempa was born April 10, 1946, the son of Bruno F. and Julia (Karas) Potempa on the south side of Chicago, IL. He attended St. Turibius Elementary School and De LaSalle High School. He married Mary Lou Burgess December 14, 1974.

Bob’s career in sales took him to Denver, CO and Las Vegas, NV, where he and his wife, Mary, lived for 30 years after he retired. Bob enjoyed traveling, attending church and playing golf.

James “Jim” F. Rossi, 95, of Lansing died Sunday, November 28, 2021 at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse, WI. Funeral services will be held at a later date at Immaculate Conception Church, 648 Main Street, Lansing.

Online condolences may be made at www.blaschkeschneider.com.
 

Wayne W. Duvel, age 86, of Richland Center, WI passed away Monday, November 22, 2021 at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. Upon Wayne’s wishes no formal funeral services will be held. No flowers are requested. Memorials can be made to Lakeland University Building Fund, Sheboygan, WI.

He was born in Waukon May 29, 1935, the son of Wesley and Ellen (Vangen) Duvel. June 18, 1960, he married Mary Jane Dhein. Wayne graduated from Lakeland College and earned his Masters in Education at UW-Superior. He worked for 35 years at Racine Unified School District and three years previous in Algoma, WI.

by Brittney Snitker, Pharm.D., BCPS, CDE, Pharmacist and Certified Diabetic Educator, Veterans Memorial Hospital

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. If you have diabetes, you are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke than someone who does not have diabetes.  There are many things you can do to lower your risk of heart disease. Diet and exercise are most important but when these are not enough, there are a few other medications that can help lower cardiovascular risk.