News Center newsletter

Over the past several months there have been issues with the weekly pick-up of trash within the city. The Contractor has regularly missed multiple locations on any given Tuesday, resulting in the inconvenience of residents having to deal with a two-week accumulation of their trash. It was the hope of the city that, with our regular reporting of the missed locations, this would serve as the prompt necessary for the Contractor to correct their oversights. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.

Patrick Joseph “Pat” Connelly, 87, of Lansing passed away August 23, 2026, at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Private family services were held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing Saturday, August 29. The family asks that memorials be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Pat was born March 17, 1939, in La Crosse, WI, to Joseph and Regina (Barry) Connelly. He grew up on the family farm in Rising Sun, WI, and attended country school before graduating from Viroqua High School. Following high school, Pat entered the Army National Guard, where he served in the heavy weapons infantry for three years and was honorably discharged in 1962.

November 15, 1969, Pat married Kathy Conway in Lansing. Together they made their home in Lansing, where they raised their three sons, P.J., Tim, and Steve, and shared 56 years of marriage.

Phil and Sheryl (Monson) Young of Waukon are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple married August 28, 1976 at Scheie Lutheran Church in Mabel, MN. When not traveling throughout the country, Phil and Sheryl enjoy playing cards, camping and taking scenic drives in their vintage Jeep.

Their family includes children Brandon and Erika (Roche) Young of Denver, CO, Blair Young of Los Angeles, CA and Brea Young of Tampa, FL, and grandchildren Alexus and Jayda Romero, Alex Longuefosse and Rowan and Beckett Young.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH), Elliott Jewelers and the Waukon Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Wellness Night Out will be held Tuesday, September 1, from 4-7 p.m. at the Allamakee Fairgrounds Pavilion. The theme for this event is “The Strength Within.”

A total of seven different speakers on a variety of popular health and wellness topics will outline the night at very specific times so guests can come and go throughout the evening if they wish.  The doors will open at 4 p.m. with the first 200 ladies attending receiving a goodie bag filled with information, freebies and coupons. The first hour, ladies will have time to wind around the 50 health and wellness vendors that will be on site sharing information, drawings and giveaways.

It is common for families and caregivers to notice when something seems different about an older loved one. They may seem withdrawn, lose interest in activities, worry more than usual, or have difficulty managing changes in daily life.

Grief can affect people in many ways. It may show up as sadness, fatigue, changes in sleep, loss of interest, or difficulty finding comfort in familiar routines. For older adults, grief may be connected to the loss of a spouse, friend, independence, health, or a long-held role in life.

These changes can be signs that additional emotional support may be helpful. Reaching out for care can be an important step toward connection, understanding, and improved well-being.

These experiences deserve care, patience, and support.  Talking with others in a supportive setting can help older adults process what they are experiencing and build coping skills for the days ahead.

by Beth Shafer, Growth and Development Coordinator, Veterans Memorial Hospital

Making a gift to the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation has never been easier. With postage rates continuing to rise, donating online is not only quick and secure - it also saves the cost of a stamp while ensuring your entire gift goes to supporting local health care.

To make an online donation, simply visit www.veteransmemorialhospital.com. Then, click on About, Foundation and then simply click the “Donate” box.  Donors can make a one-time or recurring gift to the Foundation by using a credit or debit card. Gifts may also be designated to a specific fund, project, memorial or tribute if desired.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Tuesday, September 1, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.  This date is moved up from the usual first Monday of the month due to the Labor Day Holiday.

This month’s blood drive is focusing on helping childhood cancer warriors keep up their fight. The Blood Center of Iowa is honoring brave children and families facing cancer and sickle cell disease.  Many of them rely on blood transfusions during treatment.  Blood donations bring them hope, healing and strength to even the youngest cancer fighters.

Every day, more than 100,000 Americans deal with the complications of sickle cell disease. There is no cure, but there are treatments that help these patients’ suffering, including blood transfusions.  Some sickle cell patients may need as many as 100 units of blood each year to alleviate their symptoms or even save their life.

The local Grief Support Group will again be holding their monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Thursday, September 3, from 5-6 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital.  Nancy Haberichter will be facilitating the meeting.

This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief.

Feel free to attend and bring a friend. This grief support will continue meeting the first Thursday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
 

Memorial donations were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Kathy Fossum by Cindy Barness, Dave and Sandy Lyons, Joann Peake and Joan Schmidt. Memorial donations were also received in memory of Sandy Hesse by Marilyn Clark, Terry and Diane Oesterle, Diane Regan, Larry and Nancy Straate, Chuck and Lois Votsmier and Dave and Laurie Martin.

Memorials were also received in memory of Frank O’Malley by Frank and Patty Goltz and Kathy O’Malley; in memory of Bernard Pausch by Ron and Nancy Adam; in memory of John Simmons by Bill and Beth Shafer; in memory of Kate Urell by Marilyn Clark; in memory of Jane Butler by Karla and Dave Hammel; plus an additional memorial donation in memory of Stan Straate by Mary Engstrom.

This past July our youth group joined two hundred and fifty others for our national youth convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was in Cincinnati because that put us near the Creation Museum west of Cincinnati and the Ark Encounter just across the border in Kentucky. These two wonderful sites help the Bible come to life through evidence for creation, responses to evolutionary claims, and a life-sized recreation of Noah’s ark!

Our theme for this year was “In the beginning…” which comes from the very first verse in the Bible, Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This is how it all began. Out of nothing there was something by the power of His word. God created a beautiful world in six twenty-four hour days and rested on the seventh.