News Center newsletter

To the Editor:

In response to the Leslie Sand Letter to the Editor in the December 29 edition of The Standard, there were several issues in that letter about climate change that should be addressed.  First, the mention of NASA and their release of information that claims that there is a rapid increase in warming, faster than caused by natural cycles.

NASA has been notorious on their climate change “adjustments” of climate temperatures. Both UAH (University of Alabama at Huntsville satellite data) and RSS (Remote Sensing Systems satellite measurements) have shown no appreciable, dramatic increases or fluctuation in global temps, basically a two decade or more of no temperature increases to cause alarm. “NASA’s temperature trends are “almost 20 times larger than the satellites,” noted physicist Lubos Motl.

To the Editor:

Thank you for your article on the bottle deposit bill. We need to do something.

A couple things to add.

1. I called the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and they explained to me that if a store sells you the product, by law they are required to redeem them. Also by law, a redemption center has to have hours open to the public. The problem is that no one will step up and enforce it.
2. Postville is a long way to go to redeem the bottle deposit, especially at the cost of gas these days.
3. Prairie du Chien is an option, as Wisconsin doesn’t have a bottle bill and we can then just recycle, like Wisconsin and Minnesota.
4. The best thing, I think, is to do away with the bottle bill completely. We can recycle, like other states.

To check out further information, call the DNR at 515-725-8200.

Thank you very much.

Harold Miller
Waukon

Marian Shafer, 93, formerly of Waukon but most recently living with her daughter in Clifton, VA, passed away December 24, 2021 of a heart attack at Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, VA. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, January 11 at 1 p.m. at Salem United Church of Christ in rural Waukon with Pastor Sue Klimstra officiating.

Friends may greet the family one hour before services Tuesday, January 11 at the church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Masks are required. The service will also be live streamed on Martin-Grau Funeral Home’s Facebook page. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

Gene Johnson, 82, of Waukon passed away peacefully Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon due to complications of COVID-19. Memorial services will be held Wednesday, January 12 at 1 p.m. at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon with Pastor Duane Smith officiating.

Friends may greet the family from 11 a.m. until the time of services at the funeral home Wednesday, January 12. Burial of ashes will be held later this coming summer at Oak Hill Cemetery in Lansing, with military graveside honors.

Alton Eugene Johnson was born March 10, 1939 in Lansing, the son of Hjalmer and Irene (Slindee) Johnson. He was baptized and confirmed at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Lansing and graduated from Lansing High School.

Stella M. (Thorstenson) Karges, 105, of Fargo, ND died Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at JB Homes Assisted Living in Lakeville, MN. Graveside services at Old West Paint Creek Cemetery in rural Waukon are pending.

Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.

by Brianne Eilers

The holiday season is here and for many, that means finding themselves with more empty cans and bottles after hosting parties and get-togethers with family and friends. However, with fewer places willing or able to take cans and bottles, and redemption centers closing or struggling to keep up, many people are finding it hard to get rid of their empties.

Iowa is one of ten states in which consumers pay a bottle deposit on cans and bottles containing carbonated beverages and alcoholic beverages. Iowa’s “Bottle Bill” was enacted April 1, 1978, and implemented July 1, 1979, as a way to prevent littering. The program is under the jurisdiction of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

To read the the full article, Year in Review - Part 1: Top local news stories from January-June 2021, pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.

Below is a portion of that article, January through March, summarizing the top news stories that appeared in The Standard.

JANUARY
The New Albin City Council met in a special session Monday, December 29 to discuss a change in the office of Mayor of New Albin. Current mayor Josh Dreps has recently moved outside of the city limits of the City of New Albin, and therefore can no longer serve as Mayor of New Albin.

Allamakee 4-H Toppers 4-H club recently held a bake sale with all proceeds being donated to the new all-species show barn at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds. A total of $569 was raised by the event. Club members have expressed their excitement about the new facility and look forward to showing in the larger show ring. Pictured above at the check presentation, left to right, are 4-H Topper club member Cassidy Gibbs, Allamakee County Fair Board Treasurer Bobbi Baxter and 4-H Topper club member Kiersten Gibbs. Submitted photo.

Three sisters, all teachers, gardeners and forward-thinkers, are leaving their shared legacy in the form of an endowment fund with the Allamakee County Community Foundation to provide community support for services and opportunities that enrich quality of life in rural communities near their homes.

The sisters, Valeria Herold, Anastasia Kriener and Rosemary Kriener, grew up on a family farm in rural Fort Atkinson. The Herold and Kriener Family Legacy Fund supports community service organizations, educational scholarships, faith-based centers and land stewardship.

“The fund has already impacted the small communities where we live in that we can designate yearly gifts, including to the South Winn First Responders and three local fire departments,” says Rosemary’s daughter, Anne Blocker of Waukon. “With so many teachers in the family, educational scholarships and libraries will also be among our benefactors.”

Northgate Care Center in Waukon, owned and operated by ABCM Corporation, is honoring Administrator Lou Ann Wikan for 50 years of serving Waukon and surrounding Communities. Wikan started her career at Northgate Care Center January 5, 1972.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions on health care facilities, Northgate Care Center is unable to hold an in-person reception for Wikan on her actual 50th anniversary date. Thus, on or by January 5, the facility is asking everyone to join in the recognition of Wikan’s 50 years of service by showering her with cards.

Cards recognizing her service can be sent through the ABCM website at www.abcmcorp.com > choose the “Waukon” location > choose the “Greeting Card” function. Cards and any other items can also be mailed directly to Northgate Care Center, c/o Lou Ann Wikan, at 960 4th Street NW, Waukon, IA 52172.