Division I Soloists and Ensembles ... Left to right - Front row: Leah Schnitzler, Moriah Downing, Lauren McCabe, Bailey Sherman, Annie Ellingson, Alice Day; Middle row: Toby Treptau, Lucia Aldrich, Taylor Kiel, Reagan Lubahn, Tate Ellingson, Gabe Goettel, T’Laiyah Leiran; Back row: Ryan Kolsrud, Jacob Smith, Micheal Duncklee, Logan Lubahn, Noah Evans, Jackson Perkins. Not pictured: Cody Huinker, Alaina Gebel, Kallie Troester, Jay Aldrich. Submitted photo.
Division II Soloists and Ensembles ... Left to right - Front row: Lauren McCabe, Taylor Kiel, Reagan Lubahn, Ella Dehli, Kallie Troester; Back row: Ryan Kolsrud, Jacob Smith, Micheal Duncklee, Trace Earles, Dekota Bechtel, Logan Lubahn. Not pictured: Cody Huinker, Alaina Gebel. Submitted photo.
Division III Soloists and Ensembles ... Left to right: Noah Evans, Leah Schnitzler, Alice Day, T’Laiyah Leiran. Submitted photo.
Saturday, April 1, members of the Waukon High School Band participated in the Iowa High School Music Association solo and ensemble festival. The event was held at Waukon High School and hosted by the music staff along with the Allamakee Music Boosters.
The College and Career Connection (CCC) program at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) provides high school students with work-based learning experiences, such as business tours and job shadows, to help guide their future professional success.
Many students throughout the year participate in CCC events and activities to gain insights into possible careers. These activities, and one-on-one guidance from College and Career Coaches, make a difference in the students’ understanding of what a career is really like and whether it’s a good fit.
State of Iowa Treasurer Roby Smith is reminding Iowans there is still time to contribute to their College Savings Iowa 529 account and deduct those contributions from their 2022 state taxes. “An added benefit for Iowa taxpayers is the state income tax deduction. If you want to maximize your $3,522 Iowa state tax deduction for each plan beneficiary on your 2022 taxes, the deadline for contributions is May 1, 2023,” stated Smith.
Whether opening a 529 account or already owning at one, College Savings Iowa can help save for future education costs while also taking advantage of tax benefits. “I want to ensure Iowa taxpayers make the most of the tax deduction available to them,” Smith continued.
Additional tax benefits for all participants include tax-deferred earnings and tax-free qualified withdrawals. For more information about College Savings Iowa, call 888-672-9116 or visit CollegeSavingsIowa.com.
Good Friday Justice and Peace Stations of the Cross event ... Pictured above is the group of walkers in front of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church who participated in Lansing’s third Justice and Peace Stations of the Cross event held Good Friday, April 7. In the photo at left, prayers are said for peace in Ukraine at The Good Life and Frame Shop owned and operated on Main Street in Lansing by Ukrainian immigrant Lesya Ryzhenkova. Pictured in the photo, left to right, with Ryzhenkova are Marlene Duffy, Mike Larsen, Ann Fields, Judy Schild (former owner of the frame shop) and Lanny Fields. Photos courtesy of Lynsey Moritz.
Friday, April 7, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing led a Good Friday Justice and Peace Stations of the Cross event. This was the third such walk hosted by the congregation with the largest group of walkers so far. Some carried signs calling for justice or declaring God’s wide embrace.
The tradition began in 2021 when being outside was the safest way to hold the service during the pandemic. “We wanted to make a strong connection between our faith in Christ and how his suffering continues whenever any of God’s people suffer,” explained Pastor Laura Gentry of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.
The Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors met in regular session Monday, April 17. Board President Bobbie Goetzinger called the meeting to order with fellow board members Tony Becker, Melanie Mauss and Arla Wagner all present. Board member Kelli Mudderman was absent. Also present at the meeting were EACSD Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier, Kee High School and Middle School Principal Dr. Sarah Murray, New Albin Elementary School Principal Donna Thomas, Board Secretary Michele Martin and Technology Coordinator Dave Ellefson.
The board held a public hearing on the 2023-2024 school budget that was opened and closed with no comment. The board then approved the agenda, followed by approval of the April consent items, minutes of the March meeting, bills for April, Secretary’s Financial Report for March, and the Student Activity and Food Service March Reports.
Lansing Iowa Food Trust (LIFT), the food bank in Lansing, will be closed indefinitely because of the rising flood waters of the Mississippi River. As evident in the photos above and below, volunteers evacuated all items from the building this past weekend. LIFT personnel will not restock the food bank until after the flood danger has passed and the building has been cleaned of any flood residue that may be left behind.
Clients are encouraged to seek out other area food banks in order to serve any of their food needs in the near future, and they can search for nearby food banks on https://www.neifb.org or https://www.foodpantries.org. Clients may also want to check with the Allamakee County Food Shelf located at 1125 West Main Street, Lot #39 in Waukon. The Allamakee County Food Shelf can be reached by telephone at 563-568-3994. Submitted photos.
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, April 24 to address a full agenda of matters including Quarterly Reports from Environmental Health and Veterans Affairs, consideration of submitting a grant application relating to County Substance Abuse Programs, and consideration of the contract and bond for the Yellow River Drive asphalt project. The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Mark Reiser and Dennis Keatley present.
There was no Public Comment during the time allotted for that agenda item.
The meeting moved into plat requests with Allamakee County Zoning Administrator Stephanie Runkle providing an overview of the Daric Wayne and Lacey Jo Steiber and Joseph C. and Carol A. Stammeyer plat request and the Stephen E., Michele M. and Chase S. Pladsen plat request. Both requests were individually approved.
Blasting out of the blocks ... Waukon boys track senior James VanderVelden erupts out of the starting blocks on his way to leading off the Indians’ distance medley relay team that ran to victory in a time of 3:57.83. In the final home meet of his high school career, VanderVelden also anchored the track Tribe’s sprint medley relay squad to a win in a time of 1:42.62 and finished second in the 400 meter hurdles with a clocking of 1:01.66. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.
The Waukon boys track team ended up with just one full team competition this past week, as its Monday, April 17 Decorah Invitational was called off due to weather conditions. Several Indians were able to compete in a handful of events at the Tipton Invitational Tuesday, April 18, compiling enough team points to finish seventh in that nine-team field, and the track Tribe then hosted its own Indian Relays home invitational Friday, April 21, finishing in second place.
The Indians were next scheduled to compete in the Crestwood Invitational at Cresco Thursday, April 27. The track Tribe is then slated to compete at New Hampton Monday, May 1 before competing in the Northeast Iowa Conference Track Meet upon returning to New Hampton Thursday, May 4.
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Top-three in all four of her events ... Waukon girls track junior Kaitlyn Krambeer soars toward the long jump sand at the Gary Bottorff Invitational hosted by Kee High School Thursday, April 20. Krambeer finished second on jump criteria after tying for the longest jump of the night of 15’5”, and she also finished third in the 200 meter dash and also led off an Indian victory in the distance medley and runner-up finish for the Tribe in the 4x100 relay. Photo courtesy of the Kee High School Yearbook. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.
What was anticipated to be an extremely busy week of three meets in four nights for the Waukon girls track team had the last of those meets trimmed from the schedule by Mother Nature Friday, April 21 as the North Fayette Valley Invitational was called off. The Lady Indians did compete in two other meets earlier in the week and fared quite well in each of them, finishing second at the Crestwood Invitational in Cresco Tuesday, April 18 before winning the Gary Bottorff Invitational hosted by Kee in Lansing Thursday, April 20.
The Lady Indians were next scheduled to host their own Indian Relays Tuesday, April 25 before competing at MFL/MarMac Thursday, April 27, with further details of the Indian Relays being printed in a shaded box elsewhere on this week’s Sports pages. The track Tribe is then slated to compete at Edgewood-Colesburg Monday, May 1 before competing in the Northeast Iowa Conference Track Meet in New Hampton Thursday, May 4.
Senior sprinter top-three finishes ... Kee girls track senior Jaylyn Walleser sprints down the home stretch at the Hawks’ Gary Bottorff Invitational Thursday, April 20. Walleser finished third in the 400 meter dash in 1:15.75 and helped Kee’s sprint medley to a win in 2:01.64 and its 4x400 relay to third place in 5:15.54. Photo courtesy of the Kee High School Yearbook. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.
The Kee girls track team was able to get both of its meets in this past week, both in less than ideal weather conditions. The Lady Hawks finished sixth at the Crestwood Invitational in Cresco Tuesday, April 18 before finishing in second place at their own Gary Bottorff Invitational Thursday, April 20.
The Hawk track girls were next scheduled to travel to Clayton Ridge Tuesday, April 25 before returning to MFL/MarMac Thursday, April 27. The Lady Hawks will then travel to Edgewood-Colesburg Monday, May 1 before returning to Clayton Ridge Thursday, May 4 for the Upper Iowa Conference Meet.
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