The Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center will host a Building Better Birders Workshop Thursday, February 18 starting at 6:30 p.m. The presentation will feature “Common Feeder Birds of Iowa” by Kelly McKay, Mark Roberts and Brian Ritter. The program will be free of charge, but advanced registration is encouraged.
Kelly McKay is from the BioEco Research and Monitoring Center in Hampton, IL. He will be assisted by Mark Roberts, Environmental Education Coordinator from the Clinton County Conservation Board, and Brian Ritter, the Executive Director of the Nahant Marsh Education Center. Funding for the speakers has been provided by the Resource Enhancement and Protection - Conservation Education Program (REAP-CEP).
The Lansing VFW Auxiliary Post #5981 recently sponsored its annual Patriotic Essay Contest. Third through sixth grade students in New Albin Elementary School were able to share their patriotic ideas in the contest. The students pictured above were awarded the first-place prize in the contest for their respective grade level. Left to right: Maddie Culberson, fifth grade; Noah Mauss, third grade; and Ronny Escobar Lopez, fourth grade. Submitted photo.
The Allamakee County Conservation Foundation (ACCF) is offering scholarship opportunities for graduating seniors who will be attending a college or university pursuing a degree in natural resources or a related field. One $500 scholarship will be offered to a senior from each of the area high schools in Allamakee County in the Postville, Allamakee Community, and Eastern Allamakee Community School Districts.
Students who would like to apply for the scholarship are encouraged to visit www.allamakeecountyconservation.org, the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center, or their school’s guidance counselor for an application. Applications will be accepted until April 1 and recipients will be notified by May 1.
Waukon Head Start classrooms will be holding Registration Tuesday, February 23 from 4-6 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall in Waukon. Head Start, operated by Northeast Iowa Community Action, is a full day program that offers a safe and nurturing environment while providing fun and active learning.
Qualified teachers partner with families to provide a preschool experience for children who are three and four years old. Head Start services are funded by federal and state grants and are free for families who qualify. Transportation is available in some areas.
Nutritious meals and snacks are provided by the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Parents are encouraged to bring proof of income and proof of their child’s birthdate.
Mental Health Today/Matt Howe Tribute Endowment (MHT), in partnership with the Alice Hermeier Foundation Endowment, has announced plans to use its 2020 endowment disbursement to provide transportation for Allamakee County residents of all ages to and from wellness checks, mental health checks and mental health therapy appointments. Both endowments were created through and are held by the Allamakee County Community Foundation (ACCF), an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque.
“The Allamakee County Community Foundation has made the brain health of our region a priority for our research and grantmaking. We are proud to support funds like MHT and the Alice Hermeier Foundation, which are making an impact for residents who need it most,” said Betty Steege, ACCF Coordinator.
Rides will be provided at no cost by Northeast Iowa Community Action EARL transit services. Appointments can be within Allamakee County or outside its borders.
Combinations of sunlight, clouds and other weather factors have created some very artistic skies in northeast Iowa during recent days, both during the early morning sunrise in the east (photo above) and early evening sunset in the west (photo below). According to the National Weather Service, the bright reds and oranges visible in those sunrise and sunset moments are a combination of many factors, but the premise of those dominant colors stems from the fact that sunlight takes a much longer path through the atmosphere during those sunrise and sunset times than it does during the middle part of the day. Because this lengthened path results in an increased amount of violet and blue light being scattered out of the sunlight beam by a process collectively known as multiple scattering, the light that reaches an observer early or late in the day is noticeably reddened.
Season ended with third-place District Tournament finish ... Waukon wrestling 120-pound sophomore Jakob Regan locks up control of Roland-Story freshman Logan Powers in their third-place match at the Class 2A District Tournament at New Hampton Saturday, February 13. After falling by just a 2-0 decision on a late reversal in his opening-round match with Hampton-Dumont junior Jack Showalter, Regan defeated Powers by a 9-5 decision in this third-place match but was denied a wrestleback opportunity when Showalter was beaten in the championship match to claim second place and the final qualifying spot for the State Tournament, leaving Regan in third place and finishing his sophomore season with a 27-8 record. Photo courtesy of Nate Troy, Cresco Times-Plains Dealer.
Waukon wrestling 120-pound sophomore Jakob Regan was looking to make a return trip to the State Wrestling Tournament when he competed in the Class 2A District 6 Tournament hosted by New Hampton High School Saturday, February 13.
However, that advancement to the season grand finale for a second consecutive season was denied for the lone Indian District Tournament qualifier by just two or three points in a couple different matches, as Regan finished third in the 120-pound weight class to have his season brought to a close, bringing the 2020-2021 Waukon wrestling season to full completion.
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Sizing up a scoring strike ... Kee girls basketball junior Reagan Mudderman looks to launch a three-point shot in the Hawks’ 58-38 win at Riceville in the opening round of Class 1A Regional Tournament play Thursday, February 11. Mudderman scored a game-high 32 points, recorded team-high totals of eight assists and four steals and also grabbed two rebounds and blocked one shot in the victory. Photo courtesy of the Kee High School Yearbook. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.
The Kee girls basketball team wrapped up its regular season and got its postseason underway in opposite directions this past week, ultimately extending its season even further down the postseason road. The Lady Hawks began this past week with a 38-36 loss at home to East Buchanan Monday, February 8 to end their regular season with a loss but got their Class 1A Regional Tournament underway with a convincing win at Riceville, 58-38, Thursday, February 11 to keep their 2020-2021 campaign alive.
20 for 20 ... Waukon girls basketball senior Margaret Wacker muscles in a basket in the Indians’ 72-43 home win over Crestwood in the opening round of Class 3A Regional Tournament play Saturday, February 13. Wacker, who wears #20 on her uniform, powered in nine such buckets down low, converting two of those into hoop-and-harm three-point plays to score 20 points in the ballgame. View and find out how to purchase this photo and more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.
The Waukon girls basketball team both wrapped up its regular season and began its postseason in victorious fashion this past week, starting up another win streak to end the regular season during the week and carrying it over into the start of postseason play over the weekend. The Lady Indians opened the week with a 64-35 win at Oelwein Monday, February 8 to wrap up their best Northeast Iowa Conference season in right around a decade before ending their regular season schedule with a 65-45 win at home over Jesup Tuesday, February 9 and then beginning postseason tournament play with a 72-43 triumph at home over Crestwood Saturday, February 13 in the opening round of Class 3A Regional play.
The Kee boys basketball team wrapped up its regular season schedule this past week in sweeping fashion in more ways than one. The Hawks not only swept both their opponents this past week for an undefeated week heading into postseason play, but also completed a regular season sweep of West Central to finish with its first winning season in Upper Iowa Conference play in 10 years. The Kee boys opened the week pulling out a 67-63 home win over East Buchanan Monday, February 8 before closing out the regular season with a 74-68 win at West Central Tuesday, February 9.
That final sweeping week improved Kee’s season marks to 11-10 overall that included a 9-7 record in the Upper Iowa Conference (UIC), marking the first time since the 2010-2011 season that the Hawks posted a winning record in UIC play, that UIC season mark also being 9-7 for the Hawks that year. This season’s 9-7 campaign placed Kee in fifth place in the final nine-team UIC standings.
