News Center newsletter

News Center newsletter categories.

Wed
16
Nov

An epic journey: Waukon graduate Owen Frieden logs more than 2,000 miles hiking the Appalachian Trail this past summer


Nearly 2,200 miles from start to finish ... Owen Frieden of Dorchester, a 2021 graduate of Waukon High School, is pictured both above and at right at the beginning and end of his journey this past summer hiking the Appalachian Trail across 13 states in 149 days. Although the Appalachian Trail is designated as beginning at Springer Mountain, GA, Frieden’s nearly 2,200-mile trek began at the Appalachian Trail Approach, where he is pictured above, at Amicalola Falls in Dawsonville, GA, which is one of the access points for Springer Mountain. Nearly 2,220 miles and half a year later, Frieden reached the Appalachian Trail’s ending destination of Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park in east-central Maine, where he is pictured below raising his trekking poles in jubilation 149 days later, having completed his journey. Submitted photos.

Sunrise on McAfee Knob ... Waukon High School 2021 graduate Owen Frieden raises one of his trekking poles above his head in celebration of the sunrise view he has from McAfee Knob while hiking the Appalachian Trail this past summer. McAfee Knob is located on Catawba Mountain near Catawba, VA and is described by hikers as one of the highlights of the Appalachian Trail for its panoramic rock ledge and the view it provides. Submitted photo.

Variety of pathways ... The trek along the Appalachian Trail that Owen Frieden of Dorchester completed this past summer encountered a variety of pathways through the nearly 2,200-mile journey he covered in 149 days. Among those pathways were the wooden planks known as “bog boards” (photo above) that make their way through the Alpine Mountain environment in Maine, or the rock-lined path across the top of Franconia Ridge (photo directly below) in New Hampshire, or the dirt path (lower photo) cut through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park beautifying both North Carolina and Tennessee. Submitted photos.

by Lissa Blake

Looking back at how he spent his summer, Waukon High School graduate Owen Frieden has a lot to reflect upon. He hiked 2,194.3 miles across 13 states in 149 days, all on the Appalachian Trail in the eastern United States. Not only was the long journey the greatest adventure of his life thus far, he says he also made “an unfathomable number of friendships that will last a lifetime.” Frieden shared photos and commentary from much of his epic adventure on his Facebook blog: https://www.facebook.com/WOATH22.

Wed
16
Nov

Allamakee County voters approve hospital ownership conversion from City to County, follow most trends in other November 8 General Election ballot items

Nearly 60% of registered voters in Allamakee County cast a ballot in the November 8 General Election, resulting in 5,849 votes being recorded by Allamakee County residents. Although that local turn-out was part of this year’s statewide trend of being one of the largest voter participations in recent history for a mid-term election (at slightly less than 55% statewide), area voters also had added incentive with the inclusion of the much more local decision of determining the ownership fate of their local hospital.

Wed
16
Nov

Waukon Wellness Center is celebrating 15 years of being a health and fitness partner in the community


Waukon Wellness Center celebrating its 15-year anniversary ... The Waukon Wellness Center is celebrating its 15-year anniversary this week, November 14-18, with a variety of events taking place at the Center. In addition to all of the exercise equipment and other amenities the Center has to offer the community, the instructors pictured above surrounded by some of those amenities offer guidance in more than two dozen types of health and fitness classes offered at the Center. Those instructors pictured in the middle of the photo above include: Left to right - Front row: Deb Rixen and Jeanene Delphey; Back row: Lois Henry, Megan Enyart and Sue Torkelson. Submitted photo.

by Abigail Waters

The Waukon Wellness Center welcomes everyone to celebrate the facility’s 15-year anniversary. The celebration is currently taking place within the Wellness Center this week, November 14-18, with activities such as free walking each day until 3 p.m., free exercise classes and daycare, 15% off all punch cards, a Veterans Day celebration with free gifts for those who served their country, member appreciation day, wellness testing compliments of Veterans Memorial Hospital, free daily prizes with a grand prize of a one-year membership, and so much more.

The Center originally opened November 15, 2007 with a goal to provide community wellness and improve and maintain the health of local residents. Today there are over 1,000 members, with the facility experiencing daily use from people of all ages.

Wed
16
Nov

Holiday Parade in Waukon scheduled for December 8; Entries being sought

Members of the First Presbyterian Church in Waukon have assumed the role of organizing this year’s Holiday Parade in Waukon. The event is scheduled for Thursday, December 8, beginning at 7 p.m., in an effort to coordinate with the local Holiday Hop event being planned by Waukon businesses earlier that same evening.

Anyone from the general public, business community, school or any community organization is invited to decorate any vehicle, float, side-by-side or other creative avenue with lights and participate in the parade as it travels through downtown Waukon. All registered entries will be entered in a drawing for prizes, and there will also be a Grand Prize awarded for the most festive float.

Wed
16
Nov

Residents of Waukon invited to complete survey on local housing needs

The City of Waukon has begun working with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach on a program to help improve housing in the area. The Rural Housing Readiness Assessment program, or RHRA, has been implemented in over 40 rural communities across Iowa and has won numerous awards for assisting communities in the development of housing action plans.

The program begins with a self-assessment of the community that collects relevant plans, studies, resolutions and ordinances. As part of this assessment, input from the wider community is sought to help highlight housing needs from residents and people who travel to Waukon to work.

Feedback from the survey will assist the Housing Committee develop priorities in the City’s action plan. Survey results will be included in the final report from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, along with all of the presentation materials, a detailed action plan and relevant resources to support those efforts.

Wed
16
Nov

Ag in the Classroom visits West Elementary Kindergarten ...

Elizabeth Blake, Ag in the Classroom Coordinator for Allamakee County Farm Bureau, recently visited Kindergarten classrooms at West Elementary School in Waukon to talk about farm turkeys. She read a story about a family’s turkey farm and the students worked on a book on the life cycle of turkeys. Submitted photo.
 

Wed
16
Nov

Allamakee Community Education Association celebrates American Education Week 2022 within the Allamakee Community School District November 13-19

American Education Week is observed every year in the United States during the week prior to the Thanksgiving holiday with the principal idea of reminding everyone of the roots of American education. This year’s observance is taking place November 13-19.

In addition to the variety of activities and events planned within the Allamakee Community School District throughout this week, the American Education Week Committee of the Allamakee Community Education Association has submitted the photos below that provide a sampling of the foundation of American Education Week within local schools, as well as thoughts from students within the Allamakee Community School District as to why they value the education they receive within the Allamakee Community School District.

West Elementary School

Barrett - I like to see my friends and learn. I really like Mystery Science and all the fun activities we do.

Wed
16
Nov

Lansing City Council considers Main Street Lansing request for an increase in funding, approves budget amendment

by Julie Berg-Raymond

During its regular meeting Monday, November 7, Main Street Lansing (MSL) Executive Director Andy Kelleher requested that the Lansing City Council increase its investment in MSL from $10,000 to $20,000 per fiscal year.

Kelleher noted that 2016 was the last time the City of Lansing had increased its investment in Main Street Lansing - eight fiscal years ago. “Lansing’s economy has grown significantly since 2016,” Kelleher said. “The efforts of Main Street Lansing are responsible for much of that growth.”

Kelleher offered a presentation outlining the ways in which MSL has contributed to the city’s economic growth and explained why an increased investment on the part of the City would benefit Lansing. Following a brief discussion, the council postponed making a decision until its January 16, 2023 meeting.

Wed
16
Nov

Area drop-off sites for Operation Christmas Child gift boxes include New Albin and Decorah

This week is National Collection Week

More than 4,500 locations will open to collect Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts for the Samaritan’s Purse project. Volunteers are preparing to collect shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, which is scheduled for this week, November 14-21.

Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts - filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys - to children worldwide since 1993. Everyone is invited to pack a shoebox to contribute. Individuals, families and groups still have time to transform empty shoeboxes into gifts. The project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children in need. Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a Shoebox webpage at https://samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/.

Wed
16
Nov

New trial date set for next year in Lansing murder case; Defendant to undergo psychological evaluation

The Lansing man charged in the May 9 strangulation death of another Lansing man has had his rescheduled trial date set and will also now be undergoing a psychological evaluation, according to documents filed in Allamakee County District Court this past week. Andrew Karvel, age 65, was arrested in August of this year after an investigation into the May 9 death of 83-year-old Daniel Lundy inside a Lansing residence.

Karvel has since pleaded not guilty in September to the charge of First Degree Murder in the case. His initial trial in the case was scheduled for November 2 but was postponed at the request of all legal counsel involved in the case.

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - News Center newsletter