Community News

Wed
11
Dec

Librarian Ellen Thiele announces retirement; Reception planned ...

Robey Memorial Library in Waukon is honored to celebrate the career of Ellen Thiele, who will retire December 21 of this year after 30 years of service to the library and the Waukon community. In honor of her retirement, Robey Memorial Library will host a reception Saturday, December 21 in its community room from 1-4 p.m. The community is invited to share stories, memories and cake.

When Ellen Thiele began her library career in 1994 she was following in familiar footsteps. Her mother, Mrs. Ellen Thiele, served on Robey Memorial Library’s Board of Trustees for 25 years. During that time, the library moved from City Hall to its current location on First Avenue NW. Thiele’s work as a librarian saw the further expansion of the library in 2014. Her career, alongside her mother’s years of service, has profoundly impacted the Waukon community and made Robey Memorial Library become a leader in cultural and community life.

Wed
11
Dec

Iowa Youth Institute offers abundance of opportunity in agricultural science; Students in eighth-12th grades can apply by end of March 2025


Expanding her horizons through Iowa Youth Institute ... Waukon High School 2024 graduate Olivia Marti, currently a first-year student at Iowa State University in Ames, has discovered and further expanded her interest in the agricultural science industry through her involvement with the Iowa Youth Institute and Global Youth Institute. She is pictured at far right in the above photo taken at the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue held in Des Moines in late October with World Food Prize Foundation Chief Operating Officer Mashal Husain and World Food Prize Foundation President Terry Branstad, the former Governor of Iowa and U.S. Ambassador to China. Submitted photo.

Waukon High School 2024 graduate Olivia Marti shares her experience, both in Iowa and globally

by Alaina Gebel

Globally, one child dies from hunger-related causes every 10 seconds. One-third of all food on the planet is wasted, and one out of three schools worldwide do not have safe water and sanitation. According to the World Food Prize website, by 2050, there will be at least nine billion people on the planet. Of those nine billion people projected to inhabit the planet, who is willing to solve the world’s global dilemmas?

Wed
11
Dec

Allamakee County Veterans Museum to host video interview of Donald Rubendall as part of Battle of the Bulge presentation


Battle of the Bulge 80th anniversary ... Donald Rubendall of Allamakee County is pictured above receiving battlefield commission as Lieutenant. A recorded interview with Rubendall will be part of the program presented at the Allamakee County Veterans Museum in Waukon Saturday, December 14 and Monday, December 16 in honor of the 80th anniversary of WWII’s Battle of the Bulge. Submitted photo.

Saturday, December 14, at 10 a.m., the Allamakee County Veterans Museum will present a program commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge during World War II at its museum located at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon. The program will also be repeated Monday, December 16 at 10 a.m. at the museum.

The German Army’s attack on the Allied front lines in Belgium and Luxembourg in the Ardennes Forest through Bastogne and St. Vith was intended to seize the port of Antwerp in a last ditch effort to stop the Allied attack on the German homeland from the west. The Battle of the Bulge began December 16, 1944.

Wed
04
Dec

Waukon City Council amends ordinance regarding City-owned off-street parking during a snow emergency, hears budget process presentation

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, December 2 to address a full agenda of matters including a Hazard Mitigation Plan presentation, discussion of the Fiscal-Year 2026 Budget and discussion of downtown signage relating to snow removal and parking.

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with council members Steve Wiedner, Nicholas Engrav and Dave Blocker present in the City Council Chambers. Councilman Kevin Johnson was present via Zoom web-conferencing. There was no Public Comment with the meeting moving into Department Reports.

Wed
04
Dec

Veterans Memorial Hospital earns 2024 Performance Leadership Award from the Chartis Center for Rural Health


VMH recognized during National Rural Health Day ... As part of National Rural Health Day, Veterans Memorial Hospital announced it has been recognized for the second year in a row with the Performance Leadership Award for excellence in patient perspective of quality care. Michael Coyle, hospital CEO, contributes this award to the amazing hospital staff and thanks community members for taking the time to complete their patient surveys. Submitted photo.

Again this year, as part of National Rural Health Day, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon has announced that it has earned the Performance Leadership Award for excellence in Patient Perspective. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards recognize top quartile performance (i.e., 75th percentile or above) among rural hospitals in Quality, Outcomes and/or Patient Perspective.

Wed
04
Dec

Peoples State Bank donates to community food pantries ...

Each year, in honor of Giving Tuesday, Peoples State Bank gives a donation to local community food pantries in the area. In 2024 Peoples State Bank donated a total of $8,000 to local food pantries, including West Grant Lions Club, Clayton County Food Shelf, Coulee Cap Food Pantry, Gays Mills Food Pantry, Lancaster Food Pantry, Living Faith Food Pantry, Allamakee County Food Shelf and Six Rivers Food Pantry.

Pictured above at the donation presentation to the Allamakee County Food Shelf located in Waukon are: Left to right - Front row: Food Shelf volunteer Mary Axmear accepting the donation check from Peoples State Bank Ag Relationship Manager Dennis Lyons; Back row: Peoples State Bank Ag Relationship Manager Reid Mahoney, and Food Shelf volunteers Vicky Thorson, Gary Rumph and Charles Berg.

Wed
27
Nov

New Winter Parking Ordinance going into effect for downtown Waukon ...

The Waukon City Council passed a new Winter Parking Ordinance at its November 18 meeting in an effort to better facilitate snow removal in the downtown Waukon area. The new ordinance is scheduled to go into effect from November 15 through April 1 each year, and will become effective immediately as of the publication of the ordinance in this week’s edition of The Standard (see Page 10).

Wed
27
Nov

The Learning Tree Childcare Center in Lansing launches capital campaign to open permanent childcare center in former Lansing Middle School building


Future home of a permanent childcare center ... Plans are underway to make a portion of the former Lansing Middle School (pictured above) into a permanent childcare center by The Learning Tree Childcare Center. A capital campaign is being launched to help finance the estimated $500,000 renovation project, with the Lansing and New Albin communities and surrounding areas having the opportunity to invest in the project and the future of their communities. Photo courtesy of The Learning Tree Childcare Center.

Facilitating social-emotional growth ... The preschool class at The Learning Tree Childcare Center in Lansing is pictured above showing their feelings and emotions puppets. “Social-emotional growth is such an important part of our preschool program,” Director Jenny Cole says. Photo courtesy of The Learning Tree Childcare Center.

Learning within their community ... The new Before and After School program students at New Albin Elementary School recently participated in a STEM activity at the New Albin Library. “Community engagement is an important part of our curriculum and program,” Director Jenny Cole says. Photo courtesy of The Learning Tree Childcare Center.

Meeting with Senator Ernst ... Learning Tree Director Jenny Cole, left, met with Senator Joni Ernst, right, during the Senator’s River to River Tour stop at the Postville Childcare Center to talk about improving access, affordability and quality of childcare in Iowa. “I was able to discuss with her our plans for the new childcare center and the challenges our rural communities face with childcare and how it affects not only families but our businesses and school district,” Cole says. “We were also able to share with her the benefits of the Wage Enhancement Pilot Program Allamakee County was selected to participate in during 2023 and advocate for the program to continue not only for our county but the entire state.” Photo courtesy of The Learning Tree Childcare Center.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

The Board of Directors of The Learning Tree Childcare Center is launching a capital campaign to bring to fruition its five-year plan to open a permanent childcare center for the Lansing and New Albin communities. After much consideration, the location selected for the Center is the former Lansing Middle School.

“Director Jenny (Cole) did a lot of research for a location and the board members helped brainstorm,” Board President of The Learning Tree Childcare Center Lisa Welsh says. “Finding a large space is very difficult and the old middle school had some challenges; but with brainstorming and Jenny’s hard work, we worked around those problems.”

Wed
27
Nov

Main Street Story Walk for months of November and December ...

Robey Memorial Library in Waukon and The Oneota Valley Literary Foundation (OVLF) are partnering to host Main Street Story Walk in Waukon featuring the children’s story, “How to catch a Yeti!” by Adam Wallace. During the months of November and December, families are encouraged to read this story in the windows of various business storefronts as they stroll the downtown area. For this and upcoming Story Walks in Waukon, the OVLF will be providing a free copy of the featured book to every family that stops by Robey Memorial Library with a photo of themselves completing the Story Walk, while supplies last.

Wed
27
Nov

Michelle McLain-Kruse welcomed by RSVP as new volunteer coordinator

Michelle McLain-Kruse
Michelle McLain-Kruse

by Paul Scott, RSVP volunteer

More than 600 people in Winneshiek, Allamakee and Howard Counties volunteer for non-profit groups in partnership with Northeast Iowa RSVP. That’s why the organization is happy to have added a new Volunteer Coordinator, Michelle McLain-Kruse.

“Our program continues to grow so it is wonderful to have Michelle join the team,” according to RSVP Director Deana Hageman.  “Having her here to assist volunteers in finding opportunities that match their time availability, knowledge and skills is crucial to our program.”

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