The Board of Directors of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) met at Kee High School in Lansing Monday, November 11. The meeting began with a work session prior to the regular board meeting.
Board members Bobbie Goetzinger, Heather Lutz, Joe Manning, Melanie Mauss and Arla Wagner were all present. Superintendent Nick Trenkamp and Board Secretary Michele Martin were also present.
During the work session, Superintendent Trenkamp gave a presentation that included an overview of certified enrollment, open enrollment history, unspent balance, insurance costs, class size, and current tax rates.
Early in the second full week of November, the Iowa Department of Education released the results of the new state school performance ratings and federal designations, called the Iowa School Performance Profiles. Using data from the 2023-2024 school year, this year’s Profiles marked the first time new state school performance ratings and federal designations have been determined using an updated state plan for school accountability and support.
The Lansing City Council met Monday, November 18 to address a range of agenda items, including a water/sewer forgiveness request, project contracts, policy updates, and department reports. No citizen concerns were raised during this meeting.
HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN
Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker presented an update on the Allamakee County Hazard Mitigation Plan. He emphasized the significance of Chapter Five of the Plan, which outlines potential projects for grant funding. Snitker stated, “The most important chapter is Chapter Five. That’s actually the Hazard Mitigation Plan projects or potential projects.”
2024-2025 Waukon girls basketball team ... Left to right - Front row: Claire Schulte, Emma O’Neill, Elle Wilkins, Kara Helgerson, Marissa Schullo; Middle row: Sophia Palmer, Kaylin Regan, Bella Moudy, Nora Davis, Norah Palmer, Cora Miller, Tegan Dahlstrom; Back row: Bryiah Stewart, Haylee Jeglum, Blythe Bucknell, Keira McCormick, Reese McCormick, Willa Troendle, Molly Kurth, Hayley McNamara, Jamiah Larson. Not pictured: Bobbi Finney and Callie O’Neill.
2024-2025 Waukon girls basketball returning letterwinners ... Left to right: Blythe Bucknell, Keira McCormick, Reese McCormick, Willa Troendle, Bella Moudy, Elle Wilkins.
The 2024-2025 Waukon girls basketball will benefit from the return of six varsity letterwinners from its 13-9 campaign last season. Those six experienced veterans include the spectrum of grade levels in leading an overall high school squad that includes a total of 23 young ladies from the freshman on up through senior grade levels.
Leading that high school program, in addition to making up half of this season’s returning letterwinning core, is this winter’s trio of seniors in Keira McCormick, Reese McCormick and Bella Moudy. The junior pair of Willa Troendle and Elle Wilkins and sophomore Blythe Bucknell complete that list of veteran returnees from last winter’s hardcourt campaign.
“These girls will provide good leadership for us,” second-year Waukon girls head basketball coach John O’Neill said of his letterwinning returnees. “They have experience from last year and hopefully that will make them more comfortable and confident this year.”
2024-2025 Waukon girls bowling team ... Left to right - Front row: Megan Huinker, Olivia Shelton, Peyton Koester, Mercedes Wilkins; Back row: Lauryn Howard, Brooklyn Moen, Molly Peake, Tori Zezulka.
2024-2025 Waukon boys bowling team ... Left to right - Front row: Harley Puent, Mayson Miller, Colton Snitker, Keigan Leiran; Back row: Gabe Sellers, Trey Hammel, Michael Koester, Dekota Bechtel. Not pictured: Kevin Troester.
The Waukon girls and boys bowling teams will both be facing similar participation numbers in their respective squads for their 2024-2025 campaigns, as the Lady Indians have eight young ladies reporting for early-season duty and the Indian boys will have nine competitors take to the lanes this winter for a total of 17 bowlers between the two teams being led by a combination of five returning letterwinners. With a large number of freshmen rolling their way into this season, just over half of this season’s girls squad will be returning participants from last winter, while only about one-third of the boys team will be made up of previous bowlers in the program. The teams will be coached by both Kim Shelton and Jesse Peterson in a co-coaching effort for this season.
The Kee football team played its way to a 5-4 season record for its 2024 campaign, qualifying for the Eight-Player State Play-Offs for the second consecutive season as the third-place team in the final District 3 standings behind the two District 3 teams to beat the Hawks, Don Bosco and Riceville. Even though that 5-4 mark is just above average, the teams responsible for those four losses were all well above average in playing to a 30-2 combined record during their regular season schedules, and each won at least one State Play-Off game, including a Gladbrook-Reinbeck team that ended
Kee’s grid campaign in the opening round of those Play-Offs on the way to finishing as this year’s Eight-Player State Runner-Up this past weekend.
Gwendolyn Mary Waldron, 64, of Scottsdale, AZ passed away November 13, 2024 at Hospice of the Valley Lund Home after having complications from a stroke. The American Legion is hosting a Celebration of Her Life Sunday, December 8, beginning at 2 p.m., at American Legion Post 2 in Tempe, AZ, located at 2125 South Industrial Park Avenue. Gwen’s family will also have a Celebration of Life at a later date this summer in Waukon.
Gwen was born July 19, 1960, in Waukon, the daughter of Bill and Marge Waldron. She was baptized and confirmed in the St. Patrick’s Church in Waukon. She attended St. Patrick’s School through sixth grade and graduated from Waukon High School in 1978.
Cleone Arvin Snitker, 84, of Postville passed away Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at WinnMed in Decorah. Funeral Service was held Monday, November 25 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Postville, with Rev. Lynn Noel as the officiant. Inurnment followed in the Postville Cemetery, Postville.
Cleone Arvin was born June 19, 1940 to Willard and Esther (Kruger) Snitker on a farm near Frankville. He was baptized August 18, 1940 at Salem Reformed Church and confirmed December 20, 1953 at the Community Presbyterian Church.
Cleone started working for local farmers when he was 12 years old and in high school Cleone worked at the filling station. He attended and graduated from Postville High School with the class of 1958.
An Allamakee County jury returned a guilty verdict Tuesday, November 19 on charges of First Degree Arson and Animal Abuse filed against Mindy Jones. The charges stem from a February 13, 2022 fire that began at 9 Allamakee Street in Waukon in a building owned by Jones and housing her Tin, Rust & Harmony business, destroying both her building and another adjacent to it, in addition to damaging other neighboring buildings.
Approximately two dozen area military veterans were honored during an event hosted Saturday, November 9 at AJ Bar & Grill in Waukon, in honor of the Veterans Day holiday. The event was hosted by Midwest Veterans of America and included each of those veterans receiving a plaque and small American flag, in addition to rounds of applause and gratitude from the many in attendance for their years of service to their country. Many of those honored veterans are pictured in the photo at right, standing on the staircase at AJ Bar & Grill for a group photo, and many of their family members, friends and acquaintances were also in attendance to witness and share in their honoring. The event was emceed by retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant Kevin Herman, a 1984 graduate of Waukon High School, who is pictured standing among the honored veterans at right. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
