News Center newsletter

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, July 6 to address a full agenda of matters including a City Hall building structural evaluation update, the review and consideration of the First Reading of the Ordinance amending Chapter 76 Bicycles and Skateboards, and the Second Reading of the Ordinance amending Chapter 105 “Solid Waste Control”. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with council members present including Cassie Handke, Nic Engrav, Tim Smedsrud and Steve Wiedner.

The Waukon softball team brought its Upper Iowa Conference season to a close this past week, but earlier than what was anticipated, as the final three games of the diamond Tribe’s schedule this past week were called off. A Thursday, July 2 home doubleheader with Postville already postponed from June 10 was called off again due to weather, not to be made up this time due to lack of room on either team’s schedule, and a Friday, July 3 game at Starmont was called off due to the host squad not being able to field enough players for that contest.

The four games the Lady Indians were able to play included a pair of Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) doubleheaders played within the first half of the week. The diamond Tribe first fell at home to North Fayette Valley by scores of 4-2 and 8-0 in six innings Monday, June 29 before suffering a similar fate at Turkey Valley Wednesday, July 1 by final results of 3-2 and 10-6.

The Kee baseball team had both its regular season and overall season brought to a close this past week, playing five games and winning just two of them to bring its 2026 campaign to a close with a 20-16 season record that includes a 14-3 mark in Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) play that placed the Hawks second in the final standings of the Small School division of the UIC. The Hawks opened the week with one of its biggest wins of the season, as they handed Class 1A fifth-rated South Winneshiek its first UIC loss of this season, playing to a split at the home of the Warriors Monday, June 29 with a 10-4 triumph in game one before suffering a 10-0 loss in the night cap.

UIC Large School division crown is first top finish in baseball standings since 2007 season

The Waukon baseball team wrapped up its regular season with three games this past week, including two final games that helped the diamond Tribe clinch the Large School division championship of the Upper Iowa Conference (UIC). Those two UIC contests came on the same night against two different teams Monday, June 29, as the Waukon boys first handed North Fayette Valley a 13-2 mercy-rule loss in six innings before doing likewise to MFL/MarMac by a 14-0 count in five frames.

The Kee softball team wrapped up its regular season and also completed an undefeated championship run to the Small School division crown of the newly-revamped Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) with the sweeping of a final pair of UIC doubleheaders this past week to wrap up a regular season record of 28-10 that includes an overall UIC record of 18-4. Those two UIC sweeps included a Monday, June 29 double-dip at Clayton Ridge the Lady Hawks won by mercy-rule scores of 10-0 and 12-2, both in four innings, to complete an undefeated season against Small School UIC foes, followed by a home sweep of MFL/MarMac Wednesday, July 1 by scores of 18-1 and 13-0, both in a mercy-rule four innings as well.

To the Editor:

Iowa is facing a public health emergency that demands honest conversation. According to the National Institutes of Health, Iowa now ranks second in the nation for cancer incidence - with an overall cancer rate more than 10 percent above the national average - and is one of only a handful of states where cancer rates are still rising. Every year, more than 21,000 Iowans are diagnosed with this disease. We deserve to know why.

The answer, increasingly, points to our environment. A March 2026 report from the Iowa Environmental Council and The Harkin Institute - the result of 16 listening sessions held across the state - identified four major environmental risk factors linked to Iowa’s cancer rates: pesticides, nitrates in drinking water, PFAS (“forever chemicals”), and radon.

Kathleen Jo Fossum, 75, of Waukon passed away Saturday, May 23, 2026. Services will be held Friday, July 10 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon. Family and friends will be able to visit with the family prior to the service from 9-11 a.m. at the church. After the service, family and friends will be welcomed to gather at The Empty Nest Winery in rural Waukon for visitation and a lunch.

A private graveside service will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to St. Patrick’s Schools, Veterans Memorial Hospital, or Good Samaritan Center, all in Waukon. Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.iowacremation.com under Obituaries.
 

To the Editor:

Maybe you’ve heard, Texas has a screw worm invasion from Mexico, caused, say government officials, by President Biden letting in all those “illegals”.

Fact Checks:
1) As of June 10, the invasion of five infections: three cattle, one dog, and one I don’t know what. But it can easily grow. (Editor’s Note: The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reports, as of July 1, there are 31 active infections).
2) The last time the U.S. had screw worms was in the 1960s, and they were eradicated with the sterile male flies, and then a monitoring program was put in place to keep an eye on the little buggers.

But, in March of 2025, when Secretary of Agriculture Rollins took over, the monitoring program was cut. Elon Musk’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) decided it was an unnecessary cost, I guess, or maybe the Secretary of Agriculture made the decision.

Darrell S. Rogness, 85, of Waukon passed away peacefully at his home Thursday, July 2, 2026, surrounded by his four daughters. Funeral services will be held Thursday, July 9 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, with Fr. Philip Agyei officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, both in Waukon.

Friends may greet the family from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 8 at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon where there will be a 3:45 p.m. Scripture Service.

Darrell Sanford Rogness was born October 8, 1940, to Sanford and Evelyn (Erickson) Rogness in Wabasha, MN. The family lived in Kellogg, MN, until Darrell was nine years old, at which point they relocated to Monona. Darrell was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church, and later joined the Catholic Church.

Harry Lester Larson, 84, of McGregor passed away Sunday, June 28, 2026 at the Great River Care Center in McGregor. A Funeral Service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday, July 10 at Giard United Methodist Church in Giard with Rev. Linda Hauschild officiating. A viewing will be held prior to the service; however, there will be no visitation with the family. Burial with Military Honors will follow at Giard Cemetery in Giard.

A celebration and meal will follow the burial at his son Todd’s farm, where Harry made his home, at 28113 Highway 18, McGregor. The meal will be served beginning at 3:30 p.m., with a time of celebration to follow. Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service of McGregor is assisting the family with arrangements.

Harry was born December 18, 1941 to Leonard and Thelma (Moen) Larson in Waukon. He graduated from Waukon High School with the Class of 1960 before proudly serving his country in the United States Navy.