News Center newsletter

AWANA International is celebrating 75 years of ministry to children this year. It was begun by Art Rohrheim as he taught children in his neighborhood of Chicago. In the 1980s AWANA grew to international venues and today reaches 9.3 million children each week.

AWANA is an international youth organization that provides a weekday program open to youth from churches of all denominations. The name AWANA is taken from II Timothy 2:15, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

AWANA does not promote the doctrine of any specific church or denomination but rather gives priority to the Bible as the Word of God. The vital Scripture verses on salvation and Christian growth are the heart of all AWANA achievements.

Nancy Einck of Waukon will be the featured speaker at the St. Patrick’s Women’s Lenten Breakfast scheduled to be held Friday morning, March 20 at St. Patrick Parish Hall, located at 109 2nd Street SW in Waukon. She will be sharing her Lenten message on “The Sound of Silent Whispers in the Sand.”

Nancy and her husband, Dave, have been married for 48 years. They are the blessed parents of Nate and Debbie Einck, Sean and Tiffany Merrick, Bryan and Kate Einck, and Mitch Einck (1986-2012), and they have also been further blessed with seven grandchildren, Luke, Ben, Katelyn, Evan, Tyler, Brooklyn and Austin.

Coffee, rolls and fruit will be served, beginning at 6:30 a.m., with the program starting at 7 a.m. allowing women to attend the event before starting their scheduled day. All women are invited to attend.
 

The annual Eagle Day in Ferryville, WI is taking place this Saturday, March 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Ferryville Village Hall, co-sponsored by the Ferryville Tourism Council and the Friends of Pool 9.  The chairwoman again this year will be Monique Gonzalez with Lori Novelli as co-chair, and the emcee will be Bob Schmidt.

A program of events for the whole family will showcase the lives of eagles. Events during the day include nest building, a program on duck identification, details about the Raptor Resource Project with the Decorah Eagles, and a live bird program at 1 p.m. with the birds coming from the River Valley Raptors.

Main Street Lansing is inviting residents, business owners, and community partners to attend its Annual Public Meeting Monday, March 30 from 6-7 p.m. at TJ Hunter’s in downtown Lansing. This open meeting is an opportunity for the public to learn about the work Main Street Lansing has accomplished over the past year, hear updates on downtown initiatives, and learn about the organization’s vision for the future of Lansing.

Community members will also have the chance to hear from board leadership, celebrate individuals making a difference in the community, and share their own thoughts during a public comment period.

“Main Street Lansing is built on community collaboration,” said Chris Troendle, President of Main Street Lansing’s Board of Directors. “Our annual meeting is a chance to reflect on the progress we’ve made together and invite residents to be part of the conversations shaping the future of downtown Lansing.”

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, March 16 to address a full agenda of matters including review of the County’s Fiscal Year 2025 financial audit, consideration of setting a date and time for the Fiscal Year 2026 County Budget Amendment Public Hearing, and the discussion and consideration of the Fiscal Year 2027 County Health Insurance Provider.

The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson ProTem Dan Byrnes with Supervisor Dennis Keatley also present in person at the Supervisors Board Room within the County Courthouse. Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tom Clark was present via Zoom web-conferencing.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, March 16 to address a full agenda of matters including the Public Hearing relating to changing the zoning district classification from “M-1” Manufacturing to “B-2” General Business District for Certain Real Estate, the Final Reading and adoption of the Ordinance amending the code by changing the city elections procedure, and discussion of the proposed development of a sidewalk inspection and replacement program. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with council members present including Cassie Handke, Nicholas Engrav, Tim Smedsrud, Steve Wiedner and John Lydon.

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community Education Association (ACEA) representatives met with Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Negotiations Committee members Beth Shafer and Erik Helgerson, as well as ACSD Superintendent Jay Mathis Tuesday, March 10 to begin the process of contract negotiations.

In its proposal to the district, ACEA asked for a $615 dollar increase to the teaching and coaching base salary, bringing that to $35,000. They also asked that step movement and lane changes be given as per Article XIII, Section 3. Total increase with step movement and lane changes as well as the base salary increase would be 3.05%.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering a Mini-Science Experiment Camp Tuesday, April 7. The youth camp will run from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, 1220 Third Avenue NW.

Join the Curiosity Crew on a three-part mission into the heart of science. Each part of this series will challenge young explorers to investigate fascinating phenomena and conduct awesome experiments.

The deadline for paid registration is March 31. To register, visit www.nicc.edu/waukon or call the NICC Waukon Center at 563-562-3263, ext. 6700.
 

Senior Brandon Leppert tops 800 meter field at 2A IATC Indoor Championships

The Waukon boys track and field team got its 2026 season underway with a pair of indoor meets this past week. The Indians had a handful of team members compete in the Dickinson Relays at the UNI-Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls Monday, March 9, and just one runner in the Iowa Association of Track and Field Coaches Indoor Championships on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames Friday, March 13.

The Waukon girls track and field team opened its 2026 season with a pair of indoor meets this past week. A number of Lady Indians competed in the Dickinson Relays at the UNI-Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls Monday, March 9, before also taking part in the Iowa Association of Track and Field Coaches Indoor Championships on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames Friday, March 13.

The Lady Indians are next scheduled to compete in the Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) Indoor Meet Tuesday, March 24 at Luther College in Decorah. The Indians are then scheduled to open their outdoor season by competing in the Frostbite Open hosted by Sumner-Fredericksburg High School Tuesday, March 31.

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