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Advance tickets for first local show since 2019, scheduled for July 21, available now

by Tanya O’Connor

Switchback’s Brian FitzGerald of Lansing says that the music he and Marty McCormack have spent 30 years creating wouldn’t be what it is today without the people of Allamakee County. So when the duo calls northeast Iowa “magical,” they’re not talking about pixies or fairy dust. They’re talking about you.

t’s the people of this “hard-working, no-nonsense, lack of pretension or ego” place, notes FitzGerald, that the band loves, and that has defined the winding (often gravel) road of their musical careers. Switchback is paying homage to its northeast Iowa home Friday, July 21 at T.J. Hunters in Lansing. This will be the band’s first local show since 2019. It’s called the “Switchback Family Reunion,” because, as they say, “our fans are family.”

Word was received this past Friday, June 30 that Lansing was one of three communities to receive designation as an Iowa Great Place during a recent Iowa Great Places Citizen Advisory Board meeting. Lansing joined Grimes and Polk City as new designees this year.

Through these designations, the State of Iowa recognizes communities dedicated to improving quality of life and quality of place. The selected communities have demonstrated their commitment to stakeholder engagement and long-term planning while cultivating and lifting up authentic assets in their communities.

The designation further facilitates development for arts and culture, recreation and amenities in Lansing’s future. The City will also be able to utilize its standing as a Great Place to receive further funding for projects. Additional details about the designation and its benefits will be published in a future edition of The Standard.
 

A first-ever PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) Awareness Walk was held in Waukon Saturday, June 24, as nearly three dozen individuals made the trek from an initial gathering location of the Allamakee County Freedom Rock in Waukon City Park (top photo) down through Waukon via Rossville Road (lower two photos) to the lawn of the Allamakee County Courthouse (pictured in second photo from top) and the Allamakee County Veterans Museum, where information and resources were available for individuals, or their family and friends, whose lives have been impacted by PTSD. The event was part of the Veterans Administration’s National Center for PTSD program observing June as PTSD Awareness Month, with June 27 being designated as National PTSD Awareness Day.

by Dwight Jones

June is PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) Awareness Month. PTSD is a mental health condition that develops in some people who have experienced shocking, scary or dangerous events at some point in their lives. PTSD can originate from any form of trauma, be it assault, rape, abuse, personal experience and countless other life events. It is normal for all individuals to be alarmed or scared when these events occur, but those feelings normally diminish quickly in most individuals.

According to the National Mental Health Institute, “Symptoms of PTSD usually begin within three months of the traumatic event, but they sometimes emerge later. To meet the criteria for PTSD, a person must have symptoms for longer than one month, and the symptoms must be severe enough to interfere with aspects of daily life, such as relationships or work. The symptoms also must be unrelated to medication, substance use, or other illness.

by Dwight Jones

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary or dangerous event at some point in their lives. After the event, up to and including years or decades later, an individual dealing with PTSD can experience panic when reminded of the trauma, or become easily upset or angry, experience poor sleep, struggle with concentration, etc. from the underlying PTSD.

June is PTSD Awareness Month. Each year on June 27, National PTSD Awareness Day recognizes the effects post-traumatic stress has on the lives of those impacted by it. Locally, a PTSD awareness walk is scheduled for this Saturday, June 24 in Waukon. Look for details on the walk within a separate article adjacent to this one on this same page.

The Allamakee County Veterans Affairs Office and the Allamakee County Veterans Museum are sponsoring a PTSD Awareness Walk Saturday, June 24, beginning at 9 a.m. The Walk will take place from the Freedom Rock in the Waukon City Park to the Allamakee County Courthouse front lawn.

Following the walk, programs, speakers and video presentations will be provided by Veterans Administration PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) Specialists at the Allamakee Veterans Museum at 105 Allamakee Street, across from the Courthouse.

This event is part of the Veterans Administration’s National Center for PTSD program celebrating June as PTSD Awareness Month. Designated PTSD Awareness Day is June 27. Participants are encouraged to engage in 27 minutes of exercise.

by David M. Johnson

The Honor Flights to Washington DC, for individuals who have a military service background, have become a staple the past few years for those veterans.  The events have become an avenue for veterans to be honored for past service and a way for those with military service to enjoy some recognition for their sacrifice as they take in the monuments and events dedicated to the service they gave to their country as a member of the U.S. military.

From World War II through the Persian Gulf/Afghanistan conflict, all individuals who served during this time and were members of any of the military service branches are eligible to take part in the flights. Whether one may have experienced combat or not, the flights are open to all those who are eligible, with veterans who are experiencing health issues getting first priority on the flights.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

Eastern Allamakee Community School District fifth and sixth grade students worked with Lansing Police Chief Conrad Rosendahl this past school year to complete training in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program.  The goal of the D.A.R.E. program is to teach students how to resist peer pressure and make healthy life choices. They will continue with the program as they progress from the initial year of its training this past school year on through to seventh grade.

Chief Rosendahl, a law enforcement officer with 16 years of experience in the Lansing/New Albin area, understands the importance of investing in the future of those communities. Recognizing that education is key, Chief Rosendahl believes that by educating children at an early age about the risks and consequences of substance abuse, the community can reduce the prevalence of drug-related issues in the future.

by Joe Moses

Allamakee Clayton Electric Cooperative (ACEC) received visits from a pair of dignitaries within less than a week of one another in early June. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Iowa’s Second Congressional District made a visit to ACEC Friday, June 2 and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig also visited ACEC Thursday, June 8. Coverage of both visits follows below.

Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Iowa’s Second Congressional District visited Allamakee County Friday, June 2 as part of her second 22-County Tour of 2023 along with stops in Fayette and Clayton Counties later that same day.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

This year marks the fifth season of the Star City Film Festival and the first year it will be held in its new home on the banks of the Mississippi River, in Lansing. Founder and Artistic Director of the Star City Film Festival is longtime actress, producer, director, and founder of Sacred Noise Society, Inc., Katie O’Regan of Waukon. Among the highlights of the 2023 festival will be Friday evening’s “Stories at Sunset” outdoor staged readings of festival-selected screenwriters’ work at the Red Barn Resort; the local premiere of O’Regan’s 2022 film, “Painting Jane,” Saturday evening at T.J. Hunter’s Banquet Hall; and a breakfast with filmmakers Sunday morning at Coffee on the River. The three-day-long festival also includes a red-carpet event and awards ceremony.