News Center newsletter

Weeklong canoe/kayak trip traveling Root and Mississippi Rivers from Rushford, MN to Prairie du Chien, WI

Participants in the 2017 Great River Rumble, an annual canoe and kayak trip, will paddle from Rushford, MN on the Root River to Prairie du Chien, WI on the Mississippi River between July 29 and August 5 this year. The weeklong river adventure is expected to attract nearly 200 people from across the nation, and will include a pair of local overnight stops in Lansing and Harpers Ferry this year.

The group has already met in Prairie du Chien, WI Saturday, July 29 to load boats and gear, then travel to Rushford, MN by chartered bus. Overnight stops are planned for Houston, Hokah and Brownsville in Minnesota, Blackhawk Campground in Wisconsin, and Lansing and Harpers Ferry in Iowa, before a final landing in Prairie du Chien.

The family of Faye and the late Gary Nolting of Waukon was honored with the Bernie Heffern Memorial 4-H Family Award by the Bob and late Bernie Heffern family before the 4-H/FFA Livestock Auction held Sunday, July 23 at the close of the 2017 Allamakee County Fair. The award was created by the Heffern family in memory of Bernie Heffern, who passed away in 2008. Bernie was very passionate about all areas of 4-H and its importance in the lives of youth and their families. She and her husband, Bob, were inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame in 2007 for their lifelong dedication to 4-H. Each year during fair week, the Allamakee County Fair Board observes families and selects a family who emulates the Heffern family attitude of helping others, working well with each other, and going above and beyond for the fair. The Hefferns hope that creating this award and honoring a family each year will help to develop the kind of passion and dedication Bernie showed for the 4-H program.

The Allamakee County Conservation Board (ACCB) and Allamakee County Conservation Foundation will celebrate the completion of the new 10,000-square-foot Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center on the south edge of Lansing Saturday, August 12. The Grand Opening event will take place during the annual Fish Days celebration in Lansing and will involve an open house viewing of the new facility for the public scheduled to take place from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the new facility location of 1944 Columbus Road, Lansing.

Attendees can tour the property and learn about the interpretive and dimensional displays housed at the center, covering topics such as geology, limnology (rivers/streams), archeology, wildlife studies, river town industries and economies, American Indian cultures and more. The Center will provide meeting and office space for public use, classrooms and group learning areas, multiple observation decks and more.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, July 31 to address a full agenda of items, including a First Reading of an Ordinance to establish a Pioneer Cemetery Commission, Consideration of a new hire for the Victim-Witness Coordinator position and a Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) recap.

Chairperson Larry Schellhammer called the meeting to order with the current agenda and the meeting minutes of July 24 being approved. Supervisor Dan Byrnes was present with Supervisor Dennis Koenig not in attendance due to a scheduled absence. The Supervisors moved into Public Comment with discussion of RAGBRAI in Allamakee County.

The annual Kid’s Archeology Day at Effigy Mounds National Monument will be held this Saturday, August 5 from 1-3 p.m. at the Visitor Center. All ages are invited to participate in the events, which will take place rain or shine and are free of charge. A variety of activities offer kids the opportunity to learn about the past by trying their hand at decorating clay, basket weaving, fur trade era beaded bracelets, spear throwing with an atlatl (as pictured above) and American Indian games. Kids visiting Effigy Mounds can also participate in a Junior Ranger program by picking up a Junior Ranger Book and completing age-appropriate activities to earn a new wooden Effigy Mounds Junior Ranger badge.

Nineteen students from the Waukon High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter traveled to Anaheim, CA June 28-July 3 for the FBLA National Leadership Conference. These students joined more than 9,600 other high school students as they competed in business-related competitive events. Students also had the opportunity to attend workshops and listen to keynote speaker Rob Schallenberger. While in California, students visited Huntington Beach, Universal Studios, Newport Beach, Downtown Disney and attended an Anaheim Angels baseball game. Pictured above, left to right, are: Front row: Bailey Mathis, Mary VanderVelden, Callie Ferring, Maddie Ahlstrom, Ally Goltz. Second row: Austyn Ede, Caryssa Hermanson, Emma Hatlan, Laurel Keenan, Aubree Cota, Leah Bulman, Brock Hatlan. Back row: Lauryn Behrend, Sydney Ross, Jacob Hosch, Quinton Lewis, Logan Sullivan, Lauren Griffith, Brigid Berns. Submitted photo.
 

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering the class “Financial Planning for Millenials” Wednesday, August 16 from 9-11 a.m. and “Estate Planning Essentials for Everyone” Thursday, September 7 from 3-5 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, located at 1220 Third Avenue NW.

Keystone Area Education Agency (AEA) will be offering the required training course for the Iowa Substitute Authorization. This authorization allows an individual to substitute in a PK-12 classroom. For those who are a Certified Paraeducator, this assigned special education classroom may be at the elementary, middle school, junior high school or high school level.

The four core components of the course are Classroom Management, Strategies for Learning, Diversity and Ethics. Upon successful completion of the program the participant may apply to the Board of Educational Examiners for a license. A state and federal background check is also required. Local districts have the option of hiring individuals with the Substitute Authorization, but it does not guarantee employment. Interested parties are encouraged to check with their local district.

Anyone who meets the following five criteria is eligible to receive this authorization:

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that a situation in Minneapolis recently seems to be a perfect example of what can go wrong when leadership decides to make diversity a goal rather than a naturally occurring event.

I had heard and read about the incident in which a rookie cop in the passenger seat of a police car shot across in front of the officer who was driving, and hit and killed an Australian woman who had approached the squad car in her pajamas. She came to greet the officers because she was the one who had called in a neighborhood disturbance.

I did not give it much thought until a TV show I was watching cut to a news conference being conducted by the female mayor of Minneapolis. She barely got started before being interrupted by the audience.

To the Editor:

I find myself writing again not to convince Mr. Quandahl to change his beliefs or voting habits; rather, I wish to ensure any impressionable readers are not swayed by his alternate facts. I have many thoughts so please excuse me if I transition from topic to topic sporadically.

Firstly, I write as a progressive member of the Green Party, but seeing as my only choice to resist the current administration is to join corporatist Democrats I suppose I’ll defend progressives as a whole. Progressives are not takers. I want other people to have access to the things to which I have access. I want other people to have access to healthcare. I want other people to have access to education, to housing, to food.