Waukon High School music students participate in NEIC Honor Choir ... The 22 Waukon High School music students pictured above and below participated in the Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) Honor Music Festival, which was hosted by Waukon High School Monday, January 17 during a day where no school had been previously scheduled. The students are under the musical guidance of band director JoAnn Knipfer Sherman and vocal director Sarah J. Bieber.
Pictured above are the Waukon High School participants in the NEIC Honor Band. Left to right - Front row: Tamara Guchshenkov, Abby Wiemerslage, Alaina Gebel, Bailey Sherman, Taylor Kiel; Back row: Cody Huinker, Logan Lubahn, James VanderVelden, Jacob Smith.
Pictured below are the Waukon High School participants in the NEIC Honor Choir. Left to right - Front row: Olivia Dougherty, Madelyn Helgerson, Annie Ellingson, Kody Darnell; Middle row: Sarah Stock, Brenna Berns, Hannah Teslow, Reagan Lubahn, Hailey Houg; Back row: Gabe Goettel, Quinn Snyder, Caleb Perkins, Keira Miller. Submitted photos.
written by Alaina Gebel
Waukon High School junior and music student
Monday, January 17, six high schools from across the Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) participated in the NEIC Honor Music Festival hosted at Waukon High School. Students from Charles City, Waverly-Shell Rock, Crestwood, Decorah, New Hampton and Waukon High Schools spent the day practicing music pieces under the guidance of two skilled directors, and then performed their musical selections in the evening at a concert held in the Dave Schoeberlein Gymnasium.
Among the attendees were 22 Waukon High School music students selected to participate. The students from Waukon High School are under the direction of vocal director Sarah J. Bieber and band director Jo Ann Knipfer Sherman.
Waukon After School Clover Kids beat the snow with a blizzard-themed meeting in January. After discussing the characteristics of a blizzard and reading the book ‘Blizzard’, they made their own snowman measuring sticks (pictured below). Youth learned the correct way to take an accurate measurement: away from buildings, in the open and in a relatively flat spot. They then had fun painting a winter scene with snow paint made out of glue and shaving cream (pictured above). Clover Kids ended the meeting with an emergency kit relay game. They had to choose which items are needed in case of an emergency and which items are for fun. After each group had their kit done, the group discussed why each item was important. Items included were a blanket, weather radio, emergency contact list, food/water, flashlight and a first aid kit.
Mailed letters will replace phone calls again this year
The Allamakee Scholarship Fund (ASF), Inc. phon-a-thon held in February has been the major fundraiser for the organization and is conducted by the student applicants in conjunction with the Allamakee Scholarship Fund, Inc. Board of Directors. In past years students used phone banks at Waukon High School and at Waukon State Bank and FreedomBank in Waukon.
Last year with COVID-19 precautions, no phone calling was done and students addressed and mailed phon-a-thon donation letters. That will hold true again for this 2021-2022 fundraiser also. Dates for those mailings to be completed this year are Thursday, February 10, Tuesday, February 15 and Wednesday, February 16.
At its regular meeting Monday, February 7, the Lansing City Council adopted Resolution No. 961, expressing its support for the creation of a Façade Improvement Program in Allamakee County utilizing American Rescue Plan funds.
In a letter to the editor published in The Standard last month, Main Street Lansing Executive Director Andy Kelleher indicated that Allamakee County received nearly $2.7 million as part of its allocation of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds through the Plan. Signed into law March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) is intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including the public health and economic impacts (naco.org). As part of the $362 billion in federal fiscal recovery aid for state and local governments, $65.1 billion is provided in direct aid to counties.
The Waterville Public Library is holding a Healthy Living Series: Mental Health Matters in February. Each discussion will be led by an individual with expertise, knowledge or experience in the subject matter.
The next topic of discussion in the series is this Thursday, February 10 and is entitled Swimming Through Grief. The February 17 will discuss Alcohol and Substance Abuse Issues and Resources, with a final February 24 session Winter Blues, Pandemic Woes.
Each discussion in the series will begin at 6:15 p.m. at the Waterville Public Library, located at 115 Main Street inside the Waterville Community Center. Everyone is welcome to attend and there is no cost.
Recently, Waukon High School 2014 graduate Parker Hesse (center of back row), now playing tight end for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League (NFL), spoke to the local huddle of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Hesse shared what it takes to have success in football and in life. His message was that, first and foremost, faith in Jesus and in oneself is the key to success. He also answered several questions relating to life as an NFL football player. The FCA huddle meets the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. at the Waukon Wellness Center. Contact local FCA Coordinator Kim Welch for additional information.
A pair of Waukon football seniors signed their talents on to their respective collegiate programs during National Letter of Intent Signing Day Wednesday, February 2. Pictured at right are, left to right, Elliot Kooiker and Lincoln Snitker, both of whom helped lead the Indians to a 10-2 season record this past fall, along with the program’s fourth consecutive undefeated District Championship and its fifth consecutive advancement to the Class 2A State Play-Off Semifinals.
Single-game record 11 assists ... Waukon girls basketball junior Maggie Criswell soars toward the hoop in the Indians’ 65-60 home win over North Fayette Valley Tuesday, February 1. Criswell dished out a new single-game program record of 11 assists in the win, breaking the previous mark of 10 assists first set 12 seasons ago by 2010 Waukon High School graduate Tatum (Meyer) Wagner. She also scored nine points and recorded three each of steals and rebounds. View and find out how to purchase this photo and more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.
Junior Maggie Criswell breaks 12-year-old single-game assist record
The Waukon girls basketball team had a fairly busy week start out well before eroding to consecutive losses this past week, beginning with a 65-60 home win over North Fayette Valley Tuesday, February 1. That win to open the week gave way to consecutive weekend losses that included a 58-35 loss at Class 4A Decorah Friday, February 4 followed by a 72-36 loss at home to Class 5A second-rated Waterloo West Saturday, February 5.
Now holding an 11-8 season record that includes a 5-4 mark in Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) play, the Indians were next scheduled to wrap up their regular season schedule hosting Charles City Tuesday, February 8 before beginning postseason tournament play Saturday, February 12 at home against West Delaware. Further details of that postseason path can be found elsewhere on the Sports pages in the February 9, 2022 edition of the Standard.
Sectional champion at 126 pounds ... Waukon wrestling 126-pound junior Jakob Regan returns Aplington-Parkersburg/Grundy Center freshman Carter Liston to the mat in the semifinal round of the Class 2A Sectional 9 Tournament at Cresco Saturday, February 5. Regan went on to defeat Liston by 13-1 major decision on the way to claiming the 126-pound championship and advancing to the District Tournament this Saturday, February 12 in New Hampton. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.
Regan crowned Sectional champ; Malone, Dickson and Dugan runner-up
The Waukon wrestling team began its postseason journey Saturday, February 5 at the Class 2A Sectional 9 Tournament hosted by Crestwood High School in Cresco, with four of the mat Tribe’s 13 competing wrestlers battling their way to top-two finishes in their respective weight classes to earn continuation of their season with advancement to the Class 2A District 5 Tournament at New Hampton this Saturday, February 12. Further details of the District Tournament path for those four advancing Indians can be found in the February 9, 2022 Sports pages in the Standard.
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Julie A. Connor, 62, of Waukon passed away Saturday, February 5, 2022 with her family by her side. A Celebration of Life will be held Tuesday, February 15 from 4-7 p.m. at Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon. There will be no formal memorial service held at this time. The family will hold a private memorial service at a later date.
Julie Ann Connor was born December 20, 1959 in Caledonia, MN to Donald and Marguerite “Marge” (Schroeder) Rommes. Julie graduated from Caledonia High School in 1978 and later attended Luther College in Decorah, where she obtained her teaching degree. Julie taught for 23 years, teaching many different grades in both the Allamakee and Eastern Allamakee School Districts.
