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Being ranked second in the initial Class 2A rankings by the Iowa Track & Field Coaches Association, the Waukon girls cross country team took its first competition steps toward proving that high regard when the Lady Indians - literally - ran away with the team title at the Edgewood-Colesburg Invitational Tuesday, August 25. Placing four runners within the top 15 individual finishers and all five of their team-scored runners within the top-21 of that overall field of 130 runners at the all high school meet with just a single girls race, the distance Tribe tallied 53 team points to top the remainder of that field of nine scored teams by at least 20 points.

The Waukon girls were next scheduled to compete in the Charles City Invitational this Thursday, September 3. The Lady Indians will then take part in the North Fayette Valley Invitational at West Union Thursday, September 10 before competing at the Starmont Invitational scheduled for Tuesday, September 15.

The Waukon boys cross country team got its 2026 campaign started Tuesday, August 25 at the Edgewood-Colesburg Invitational that featured only high school competition, and also had all levels of that high school event compete in just one race. The Indians placed three of their runners within the top-15 overall competitors in the 114-runner boys field to help tally a team score of 112 points that placed the distance Tribe fourth in the meet’s field of 11 scored teams which was topped by a Waterloo United team that placed four runners within that same top-15 and all five of its scored runners within the meet’s first 16 individual finishers for a team total of 43 points.

Even with eight returning varsity letterwinners this season, the 2026 Kee volleyball team will still have an abundance of new faces - at least to the high school volleyball court - to try and make this fall’s campaign the best it can be. Coming off of a winless season last fall and in the grips of a five-season stretch with no more than two match wins during any of those campaigns, the combination of those varsity veterans and a renewed look from the top down for this season’s squad is looking to change that recent trend.

The change at the top for Kee volleyball comes in head coach Kelly Welsh. The former Kelly Dibert is a 2004 graduate of Kee High School, where she played volleyball for the Lady Hawks during her high school career. She also brings experience coaching youth volleyball within local programs to the helm of the varsity level of play.

Sharen Kaye Roth, age 79, went to be with the Lord August 27, 2026, surrounded by her husband and children at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church in Waukon Friday, September 4 at 11 a.m. with visitation at 10 a.m.

Sharen was born January 18, 1947, to Ben and Lydia (Lubben) Gruis in Forest City. She attended school and graduated in 1965 from the Buffalo Center School. After high school, she attended cosmetology school in Mason City.

Sharen met her future husband, Russell Roth, while he was working for her father. Their love story had a memorable beginning - Sharen was not impressed with Russell at first and thought he was trouble. Her first impression clearly didn’t have the final say, and April 9, 1966, Sharen and Russell were married, beginning a life together filled with family, love, and many treasured memories. They were blessed with four children, Peggy, Jill, Michael and Dawn.

Barbara J. Thorstenson, 53, of Waukon passed away unexpectedly Sunday, August 23, 2026, at her home in Waukon. Martin-Grau Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. A private family celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Barbara Jean Thorstenson was born September 1, 1972, in Decorah, the daughter of Orlando and Donna (Gelo) Moen. She was baptized and confirmed at Glenwood Lutheran Church in rural Decorah. Barb grew up on a farm with horses and with her siblings Lori and Robert. She graduated from Decorah High School where she excelled in Flag Corps, represented DECA at the State Convention, and later received first place at the National Convention in San Francisco, CA. She also attended McConnell School of Business in Minneapolis, MN.

October 18, 1991, she married Bradley Thorstenson at the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon. They had two daughters, Jessica and Rebecca.

Sophia Izabel Ghegan, 16, of Waukon died Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI, from injuries sustained in a Sunday, August 16 automobile accident. Memorial services will be held Friday, September 4 at 11 a.m. at Iron Ridge Church in Waukon with Bryan Mincks officiating. Friends may greet the family from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, September 3 at Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon.

by David M. Johnson

Usually there are not a whole lot of events at the local, city, or county level that attract national attention. Aside from something like a major fire that has recently happened at Agri Star in Postville, there is typically calm and little consternation in the neighborhoods of this local area.

Time is like constant rain and a strong wind; it comes and then moves on, and what happens that looks and seems important at the time will gradually fade from memory. The seemingly innocuous 1948 National Plowing Match at Dexter, IA is one of those events where, over time, it became a footnote, a blip or sidebar of history - until a recent local discovery of some photos by the Harpers Ferry Area Heritage Society.

The Works, located on Main Street in Lansing, announces a program with Alene Keenan entitled “One Extraordinary Day: What 9/11 Revealed About Humanity.” The program will take place Thursday, August 27 at 6 p.m. at The Works location at 274 Main Street, Lansing. 

Keenan is a Lansing native, and a Wine and Hospitality Educator who has been around the globe, serving as yacht chief stewardess for multiple lines. Her crew was docking in Manhattan September 11, 2001 when the unthinkable occurred, and many events she witnessed left her with a strong desire to share them with others. On the 25th anniversary of that fateful 9/11 this year, these memories continue to burn bright. Beyond the headlines and heartbreak, 9/11 revealed something extraordinary about people to Keenan. She’ll provide an inspiring presentation exploring courage, servant leadership, and the quiet acts of humanity that emerged when the world needed them most.

by Joshua Sharpe

Recurring issues with Lansing’s contracted residential garbage collection service were addressed during the Monday, August 17 Lansing City Council meeting. Officials discussed the frequency of missed Tuesday pick-ups, resident complaints, and the additional responsibilities placed on city employees when collections are not completed. In some instances, Street Department employees have collected garbage that was not picked up by the contractor, while the City Clerk’s Office has dedicated time to handling complaints and communicating with the service provider.

Over the past several months there have been issues with the weekly pick-up of trash within the city. The Contractor has regularly missed multiple locations on any given Tuesday, resulting in the inconvenience of residents having to deal with a two-week accumulation of their trash. It was the hope of the city that, with our regular reporting of the missed locations, this would serve as the prompt necessary for the Contractor to correct their oversights. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.