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Derek Heins of West Union won the 2026 Men’s Invitational Tournament hosted by the Waukon Golf & Country Club Saturday and Sunday, July 25-26. Heins, the Invitational’s 2022 Champion, birdied the final two holes of regulation play to force a play-off with 2016 Invitational Champion Heath Hesse, and ultimately claimed the tournament title on the second play-off hole. Submitted photo.

For a full recap of this event, pick up the Wednesday, August 5, 2026 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.

Everybody is Carrying Something

The cashier smiles and asks if you found everything you needed.

A farmer fills his pick-up with gas before heading back to the field.

A teenager scrolls through her phone while waiting for a friend.

A couple argues about which cereal to buy.

It seems like an ordinary summer day.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned this summer, it’s this: almost everyone you meet is carrying something you cannot see.

I just got back from Alaska, where I cared for my mother-in-law during the last week of her life. Though I work as a hospice chaplain, I had never experienced death from the family’s perspective before. Caring for someone you love at the end of life is not easy. It was so much harder than I imagined.

When I finally came home after the funeral, I expected the whole world to feel different.

To the Editor:

I’m tired of the corruption that has gripped our elected officials at federal and state levels. At one time, to be elected to office was the highest form of public service. One chose to work for the greater good. Those days are behind us.
President Trump has led the trend to corruption and grift. He increased his personal wealth by $1.2 billion last year through his crypto schemes. His family businesses also grew rapidly by billions of dollars due to the licensing deals in countries that were negotiating with the U.S. over tariffs and military aid. His son’s company has got contracts with the defense department to build drones. Trump wants the IRS to promise never to audit him, or his family, so there will be no pretense for honesty nor legality.

Thanks to a partnership between Amazon, The Good Life Gallery & Frame Shop on Main Street in Lansing, and the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD), some local students will head back to school with a little extra support this fall. Through coordination by The Good Life Gallery & Frame Shop, Amazon has donated 60 backpacks filled with school supplies for students in the Eastern Allamakee Community School District.

The partnership was coordinated by Lesya Ryzhenkova, owner of The Good Life Gallery & Frame Shop, whose business partners with Amazon on community initiatives. The donation reflects a shared commitment to supporting local students and families as they prepare for the new school year. Each donated backpack includes a pencil case, markers and earbuds, as pictured in the submitted photo below at left.

People who live in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than urban counterparts and have a 40-percent higher likelihood of developing heart disease and face a 30-percent increased risk for stroke mortality, according to an American Heart Association’s presidential advisory on rural health. Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) is committed to changing that.

For its efforts to optimize stroke care and reduce gaps in rural health outcomes, Veterans Memorial Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Rural Recognition award.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), vaccines help the body learn how to defend itself from disease without the dangers of a full-blown infection. The immune response to a vaccine might cause tiredness and discomfort for a day or two, but the resulting protection can last a lifetime.

Infections are unpredictable and can have long-term consequences. Even mild or symptom-less infections can be deadly. For example, most people infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) never show any sign of infection. But for some, the sign appears years later as an aggressive, life-threatening cancer. By then, it’s too late to get vaccinated.

Vaccines work by imitating an infection - the presence of a disease-causing organism in the body - to engage the body’s natural defenses. The active ingredient in all vaccines is an antigen, the name for any substance that causes the immune system to begin producing antibodies.  

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital is devoted to providing the hospital and its patients and visitors with many services. Their annual membership drive is on now. A gift case is located in the hospital’s main lobby and is filled with a variety of useful gifts for patients, friends and family. The Gift Case is sponsored by the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital, who also make many of the handmade items that are located in the case. Pictured here, is Jim and Bev Larson-Needham who coordinate the items in the case. Patients, visitors and the general public are all welcome to shop at the hospital’s gift case anytime Monday-Friday until 7 p.m. Auxiliary membership registration forms are available at the front desk of Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. For more information, call Bev Larson-Needham, Auxiliary President, at 563-568-8168. Submitted photo.
 

The staff at the Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Postville Medical Clinic recently gifted a handmade quilt to their young patient, Brandon Benda. Brandon has been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia cancer that was diagnosed by his provider, Alex Berns, NP at the Postville Clinic. The quilt was made by clinic nurse, Alisha Henderson, and given to Brandon from the entire staff. Alisha states, “Brandon is an extremely tough little boy and he is in our thoughts every day here at the clinic.” Pictured here, left to right, is Alisha Henderson, RN; Brandon and his mother, Courtney Benda; and medical assistants Selina Perez and Sandy Lopez. Submitted photo.
 

Caring for a loved one can be fulfilling, but it can also be emotionally and physically demanding.

Many caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and feelings of isolation over time. Taking care of your own mental health is just as important as caring for someone else. Finding support, sharing your experiences, and taking time to recharge can make a lasting difference.

Veterans Memorial Hospital’s (VMH) Senior Life Solutions (SLS) offers support not only for older adults, but also for those navigating the challenges that come with caregiving and life transitions. You are not alone in this journey.

Anyone can make a referral to the Senior Life Solutions program - primary care providers, specialists, family members, friends, community groups, nursing or residential facilities and anyone can also self-refer themselves.

Summer days are long, but before you know it, back-to-school season will be here. With a new school year just around the corner, Emplify Health is encouraging parents and caregivers to start preparing now so kids can step into the first day feeling confident, healthy and ready to learn.

Step 1: Shift sleep and wake times
One of the biggest adjustments for children returning to school is the sudden change in sleep and wake schedules. After weeks of staying up late and sleeping in, the shift to early-morning alarms can be jarring (and tantrum inducing). Emplify Health experts recommend gradually adjusting bedtime and wake-up times at least two to three weeks before the first day of school – moving schedules earlier by about 15-20 minutes every few days until they align with the school-year routine.