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The Band Department of the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) is excited to announce that its band students will be performing the world premiere of the piece "Iowa River Scenes" at the annual All-School Band Concert scheduled for Monday, March 6 at 7 p.m. in the Waukon High School gym. The piece was commissioned by the band department in honor of Cloy and Bonnie Meyer and Clay Kramer from a donation made to the program in their honor. The piece, "Iowa River Scenes," was composed by Cory J. McBride of Oelwein and is based on life in Allamakee County. It is a three-movement work with sections depicting the bluff country, rolling river and American Indian heritage. All band students in grades 5-12 will be participating in the performance of this piece. Submitted photo.
 

Annika Anderson, a senior at Waukon High School and the daughter of Marilyn and Lee Anderson of Waukon, attended the University of Dubuque President’s Academic Honors Luncheon Saturday, February 11 on the university’s campus. Anderson is pictured at right in the above photo with University of Dubuque President Jeffrey Bullock. The academic achievements of more than 30 high school students from the Midwest were celebrated at the luncheon. Each student will receive an academic scholarship for their education at the University of Dubuque. During the luncheon, students also learned about opportunities available to high achieving students at the University of Dubuque, including the Wendt Character Scholars Program, Joseph and Linda Chlapaty Summer Fellowship, Scholar-Leader Honors Program and the Pre-Law Program. Submitted photo.
 

After last Friday's winter weather forced early dismissal of school and postponement of all events, the Waukon High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter is hosting its annual Carnival this Friday, March 3 at the Waukon High school gym and cafeteria from 4-7 p.m. Carnival games along with a small concession stand and cotton candy will be available. All games/activities can be participated in for just a quarter each. Proceeds from the carnival will be returned to the elementary schools in the Allamakee Community School District. Submitted photo.
 

The Waukon High School cheerleaders offer their Little Indians Cheer Camp every year around the same time as the holiday break to help raise funds for new cheer uniforms. This year, the camp was held January 2 to learn cheers, dance, jumps, kicks and stunts. The youngest group or cheerleaders (pictured above) participated in the morning, ranging in ages from Pre-Kindergarten through second grade. The afternoon session involved kids in third grade up to eighth grade (pictured below). Due to weather cancellations, the little cheerleaders’ performance following the camp was postponed to January 5. The youngest kids performed at halftime of the JV game and the older kids performed at halftime of the varsity game that night. Participation numbers were reported as being up this year with around 130 kids registered. Submitted photos.

The Allamakee Sno-Blazers snowmobile club hosted its first annual Radar Run snowmobile speed event Saturday, February 11 at Green Valley Getaway in Waukon. The club previously sponsored local snowmobile drag races for many years, and this inaugural replacement event featured a 450-foot track that the 120 combined spectators and competitors found to be fast and entertaining.  A listing of the fastest finishers in each of the event’s eight classes of competition appears below:

Vintage 340cc - Bob Timmerman
Vintage 440cc - Kevin Benjegerdes
Vintage 500cc - Bob Timmerman
Modern Stock 500cc - Clayton Welsh
Modern Stock 600cc - Andrew Eberling
Modern Stock 700cc - Andrew Eberling
Modern Stock 800cc - Jason Bellmeyer
1000cc/Modified - Bryce D.

January 27-28, four wrestlers from Iowa traveled to Louisville, KY in order to compete in a tournament sponsored by the North Central Association of Schools for the Blind (NCASB). Buoyed by a team effort that resulted in all four wrestlers earning medals in their respective weight classes, the Iowa Rams battled their way to a fifth-place team finish among the 11 teams competing at the event. The Iowa Rams were coached by 1974 Waukon High School graduate Jay Colsch with assistance from Charles Gillaspie and 2016 Waukon High School graduate Carter Fuhrman. Pictured in the center of the above photo are (left to right) Jay Colsch and Carter Fuhrman, and Fuhrman is also pictured below (far right) with the four members of the Iowa Rams squad during their competition in Kentucky. Currently, there are 13 schools in the NCASB Conference.

Virgil W. Hager, 90, of Fort Atkinson, WI passed away peacefully February 14, 2017. There will a celebration of life Saturday, March, 4 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the family’s home, W 2049 Hanson Rd, Helenville, WI 53137. Schmutzler-Vick Funeral Home of Watertown, WI is serving the family.

Virgil was blessed with one son and four daughters. He worked as a painter for many years along with many other things. Virgil had many hobbies from hunting, fishing, a love for woodworking, and a special passion for the collection of clocks and trains.

Survivors include his children: Patricia (Paul) Cheeseman, Dale (Sharon) Hager, Linda (Joel) Hill, Debbie (Ronald) Copeland and Cheryl (Paul) Rice; his step-children: Denise, Dennis and Diane; nine grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. Preceding him in death was the love of his life, Aileen; and his brothers, sisters and parents.
 

Ellen L. Thiele, 91, of Waukon died Friday, February 24, 2017 at Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah. Funeral services were held Tuesday, February 28 at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon with Pastor Grant VanderVelden officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.

Ellen Lorine Thiele was born January 17, 1926 in Cresco, the daughter of Barton and Gertrude (Soum) Warner. She graduated from Cresco High School in 1943, and graduated from Grinnell College in Grinnell in 1947 with a major in music education. After college, Ellen moved to Waukon and taught music for one year.

September 3, 1948, she married Chester George Thiele at First Congregational Church in Cresco. She then worked as a Special Education aide at the Waukon elementary school.

Ramona Clinda Everman, 87, of Postville died Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at the Ossian Senior Hospice in Ossian. Funeral Services were held Tuesday, February 28 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Postville with Rev. Lynn Noel as the Officiant. Burial was at Postville Cemetery, Postville.

Ramona was born March 11, 1929 in the Postville Hospital, where she was also baptized by Rev. Finck and confirmed by Rev. Ludwig.    Ramona’s biological parents were Hall and Clinda (Gericke) Meyer. Ramona was brought into a loving home and was raised by Leo and Mabel (Meyer) Heins when her biological mother died after childbirth.

Ramona attended grade school and graduated from Postville High School. She was very active in vocal music and band, winning many honors at music contests. In her later years, she continued piano at Luther College and taught piano lessons for more than 40 years.

Donald D. Leppert, 90, of Lansing died Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Funeral services were held Monday, February 27 at United Methodist Church in Lansing with Pastor Kevin Smith officiating. Burial was at Mays Prairie Cemetery, rural Lansing.

Donald Dewey Leppert was born September 28, 1926 in Waukon, the son of Dewey and Florence (Bechtel) Leppert. He was baptized and confirmed at Lansing Ridge Presbyterian Church in Church. Don attended French Creek country school in rural Lansing and graduated from Lansing High School in 1945. He worked in North Dakota for a couple of years during the wheat and potato harvest before moving back to the Lansing area to farm with his father and brother, Kenneth.