News Center newsletter

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, October 11 to address a full agenda of items including the Tobacco Awareness Week Proclamation, the Third Reading and Adoption of Ordinance LX Regulating the Burial of Human Remains Outside of Cemeteries and the approval of Secondary Roads Department transfers.

During Public Comment, Jack Knight of rural Waukon discussed the new bridge on Smithfield Drive. Knight said that the soil surrounding the project has been seeded down and that improvements in that area will allow easier access for canoes. Knight advised that the improved design of the bridge and surrounding area, including ditches, will allow better water flow during heavy rains or flood conditions.

Reed Hilsabeck of Lansing was crowned a National Pedal Pull Champion in the Four Year Old Boys division of the National Pedal Pullers Association (NPPA) 2021 National Pedal Pull Championships held at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD Saturday, September 25. Pictured at right proudly displaying his National Champion trophy, he is the son of Brian and Kelly Hilsabeck of Lansing.

The journey to the National Pedal Pull Championships began for the young Hilsabeck at the locally sanctioned (sanctioned meaning able to advance competition winners to the next level) pedal pull held Fish Days weekend this past August in Lansing where he placed first, qualifying him to advance to the Iowa State Pedal Pull Championships. Those State Pedal Pull Championships were held September 11 in Burt, where he placed third overall to earn qualification to compete at the NPPA National Pedal Pull in Mitchell, SD, as the top three State placewinners get to advance.

A Lansing man who was convicted of guiding and outfitting illegal deer hunts several years ago was sentenced Thursday, September 23 to federal prison, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice U.S. Attorney Northern District of Iowa. Cory Gene Fritzler, age 46, from Lansing received the prison term after a March 18 guilty plea this year to one count of conspiracy.

Fritzler was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. His sentence includes two months of imprisonment in a federal facility, two months of home detention, and a fine of $5,000. Fritzler must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

The Waukon Fields of Faith event celebrated its 10th year of existence on a cool, early fall evening at the Waukon High School football field Wednesday, October 6, drawing another large crowd, as evident in the photos above and below. Messages of faith and how it has impacted their own lives were shared by a series of five different speakers during the event, all of whom are pictured in the individual photos immediately below. Those messages involved the more personal local experiences presented by four area high school students that included (left to right in photos at right) Waukon High School senior Braden Hemann, Decorah High school senior Grace Bachelder, Waukon High School sophomore Philip Clocksin and MFL/MarMac High School senior Gabe McGeough, with Waukon High School senior Nick Goltz serving as emcee of the event.

The Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department recently recognized the generous support of three area businesses toward the Third Annual Swinging “Fore” Our K-9 Best Shot Golf Tournament held Saturday, September 25 at the Waukon Golf & Country Club. Sheriff Deputy Ross Kolsrud and K-9 Officer Tyr are pictured in each of the three surrounding photos presenting plaques to Beau Bennett, representing Kious Kountry Auto Collision Center of Waukon (photo above); Amy and Keith Bresnahan, representing A-OK Well Service of Waukon (photo at center); and Shelly Galema, representing New Albin Savings Bank (photo below) in recognition of their high level of financial support each year of this fundraising event and of the Sheriff’s Department’s K-9 Fund, which assists with program expenses including equipment, training and veterinary costs.

The 2021 Allamakee County Bible Reading Marathon was held the first two Saturdays in September, and was sponsored by Center Baptist Church in Lansing and First Baptist Church of Waukon this year. With a new format of holding the event on consecutive Saturdays and hosted by local churches, it was decided to read just the New Testament instead of the whole Bible this year.

Ever wonder why apples turn brown and rot? Allamakee County 4-H Clover Kids took that question a step farther with some apple science at their September meeting. They predicted what would happen to apple slices left out in the air or placed in water, soda pop, vinegar, tonic water and lemon juice (such as pictured in the photo above). After letting the apple slices sit for an hour, the Clover Kids compared the slices to their predictions.

Among states and U.S. territories that use HiSET, a high school equivalency exam, Iowa ranks the highest for the percent of individuals who passed the test. Last year, 95.9 percent of Iowans seeking a high school equivalency diploma passed the exam, compared to 80.5 percent nationally.

The HiSET has served as the state-approved test since 2014. The exam measures the knowledge and proficiencies equivalent to those of an Iowa high school graduate. A total of 1,003 Iowans passed the test last year, which is administered in 25 states, including Iowa, as well as four U.S. territories.

Meanwhile, the highest number of high school equivalency diploma students at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) also passed the HiSET for program year 2020-2021, with 94 graduates, more than any other program year since the test was introduced in 2014. During that time span, 401 students have graduated from the NICC program.

Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association is offering ten $1,250 scholarships for the 2022 academic year to college students pursuing careers, as well as two $1,000 scholarships for students earning degrees from technical colleges/short courses.

“Equity Livestock is proud to help students further their educational endeavors by offering scholarships,” says Curt Larson, president/CEO. “Education can make a difference, and the expense to attend college can be a challenge. Offering scholarships can help make it affordable, and we believe in investing in our future leaders.”

To be eligible, applicants must be a member or the son or daughter of an Equity Cooperative Livestock producer pursuing higher education from an accredited college, university, or technical school. Scholarship winners are selected based on their scholastic achievements, extracurricular activities, application essay response and letter of reference.

Driftless Integrative Psychiatry recently opened its clinic doors at 20 North 2nd Street in downtown Lansing in an historic limestone building that once was home to a real estate office and, back in the late 1800s, an implement dealership.

Dr. Erica Burger, psychiatrist and founder of the clinic, and her husband had contacted the current owners, Dave and Josh Bourassa of Cresco, last winter to see if they had any interest in renovating the building, as there were not many other commercial buildings in the area suitable for a medical clinic. The Cresco pair agreed and worked tirelessly to convert the vacant building into a modern clinic space that opened August 1 of this year.