Community News Stories

LOCUST   SCHOOL  BENEFIT

at the

WINNESHIEK  WILDBERRY  WINERY

1966  337^TH  STREET – DECORAH

 SUNDAY  APRIL 28, 2024

2:30  –  4:30  p.m.

 2:30 p.m.  SCHOOL  PROGRAM

“MEMORIES  OF  COUNTRY  SCHOOL  STUDENTS”

 3:00 p.m.  PIE  AUCTION

STEVE  DARRINGTON – AUCTIONEER

 3:30 p.m.  MUSIC  BY  “FAMILY  TRADITIONS”

 4:30 p.m.  LOCUST  SCHOOL  MUSEUM

Open for tours

1640  Big Canoe  Road COST:

$15 covers 2 hours of entertainment,  hors d’oeuvres, coffee & lemonade prepared by the Winery;  music and student memories of what a country school education looked like.

 PROCEEDS  WILL  HELP FUND THE  LOCUST  SCHOOL  FOUNDATION  ISSUE

 Sponsored by Locust School Committee of Winneshiek County Historical Society and Thrivent Financial

 THANK  YOU  FOR  LENDING  A  HAND  TO  PRESERVE  THIS  NATIONAL  REGISTER  PROPERTY!

Who: Canton American Legion

What:  Canton American Legion Pancake Breakfast

When:  April 7,2024  7:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Where:  Canton Town Hall,  Canton, MN

Why: All proceeds go toward the Veterans Memorial

The Porter House Museum in Decorah will offer a lecture on “The Women of Broadway” by Elizabeth Lorentzen and David Faldet on Thursday March 14 at 6:15 and again at 7:45 p.m.  The lecture, at the Porter House on 401 W. Broadway, is open to the public and free of charge.

The Porter House Museum in Decorah will offer a lecture titled “Women’s Work for Public Good” by Elizabeth Lorentzen and David Faldet on Thursday March 21 at 6:15 and again at 7:45 p.m..  The lecture, at the Porter House on 401 W. Broadway, is open to the public and free of charge

News Release: Immediate

Contact Person: Ric Zarwell, Friends of Pool 9

1-563-419-4991

Email:  Refuge100AnniversaryRicZ@gmail.com 

Free Events  Celebrate

100th Anniversary of Upper Miss. River Refuge

One hundred years ago, a group of concerned citizens banded together to protect the Upper Mississippi from being turned into farmland. This group, spearheaded by Will Dig, who created the Isaac Walton League, petitioned congress in 1924  to create the largest wildlife preserve at that time, The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. This Refuge set aside 261 miles of the Mississippi River from Wabasha Minnesota to Rock Island IL and  protected over 240,000 acres of the Mississippi River floodplain. Currently the Refuge is home to hundreds of species of fish, mammals, and birds, in addition it is  a migratory stop for swans, pelicans, and many other birds. The Refuge  brings 3.7 million annual visitors to the area for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, and other recreation.

In celebration of this 100^th anniversary, the Friends of Pool 9, a non-profit group whose mission is to preserve the cultural and natural resources within Pool 9 (between Locks and Dams 8 & 9) is hosting two free events on Saturday, March 9 to commemorate the  100th anniversary of the  beloved Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge . More information about the refuge may be found at https://www.uppermiss100.com/

AT TJ Hunters Banquet Hall on Main Street Lansing, Steven Marking will present his performance entitled “A Visit from Will Dilg”(the father of the refuge) plus jhe will show his film “Our Mighty Mississippi” beginning at 2 P.M.  Marking is a seasoned performer with an incredible voice who sang professionally for a decade in New York City, before following his heart back to the beautiful and peaceful Mississippi River.  During warm months Marking  performs for the American Cruise Lines on the big paddlewheel boats on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers; and creates remarkable river films.

The same day, March 9, at 7 p.m. until close at TJ Hunters,  Big Blue Sky will delight audiences with lively music celebrating the beauty of the river. Well-known in the area, the popular group Jon “Hawk” Stravers and his band Big Blue Sky will create a party-like atmosphere, with abundant camaraderie among all those who love and use the Refuge.. Jon “Hawk” Stravers and Big Blue Sky create original easy listening, folk-rock type music, much of which is focused on connections with the rivers and forests within the Driftless Area.  CDs will be available for purchase. .Often playing in SW Wisconsin and NE Iowa, the group has amassed a loyal following. Stavers is also well known for his research on tracking red-shouldered hawks and his data on cerulean warblers.

Both events will take place at  TJ Hunters Banquet Hall, 377 Main Street, Lansing, Iowa, where lunch, cash bar and dinner will be available

The Friends of Pool 9  (FOP9), the 93 square miles of publicly owned refuge available to all between Lock and dams 8 & 9 will present these free events to celebrate 100 years of amazing recreational opportunities throughout the refuge.  A second purpose is to show appreciation and honor the scores of volunteers who have participated on annual river clean-up days, education activities for nearby school districts such as MRAD (Mississippi River Adventure Days), Kids Fishing Days, help at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery, Tree Planting Projects on new islands, and various other activities.

Friends of Pool 9 is a 501( c )( 3 ) non-profit organization which conserves the cultural and natural resources within Pool 9, and fosters wise public use and enjoyment of the Refuge and the Upper Mississippi River.  For more information, please go to “events” on the FOP9 website: friendsofpool9.org , or visit the FOP9 FaceBook page.   A free will donation at the events will help support the activities of the FOP9. Membership in FOP9 is free to anyone who supports the goals of the organization.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 23, 2024

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Decorah, IA is one of  6 National Winners in Interfaith Power and Light’s Cool Congregations Annual Award for Leadership and Sustainability

Interfaith Power and Light Announces ‘Cool Congregations Challenge’ Winners as

Faith Communities Prioritize Energy Efficiency, Renewables, and Sustainability

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 24, 2024

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Decorah, IA is one of the six national Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) 2024 Cool Congregations Challenge winners awarded a $1000 prize. The annual contest accepts applications from religious congregations around the United States who are doing work to address climate change by reducing their carbon footprint as they create models of sustainability within their communities.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church won the Energy Saver Award for entirely eliminating the use of fossil fuels in heating, cooling, lighting, and powering their buildings. They have converted their building to all-electric, with heat pumps to heat and cool their buildings, powered entirely by solar on their property, preventing 25 tons of carbon emissions annually.

“Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and the other national winning congregations are casting a vision for the kind of world in which they want to live, and then carrying out that vision with practical actions that make a real difference in creating lasting solutions to climate change,” said Rev. Susan Hendershot, President of Interfaith Power & Light.

The Cool Congregations Challenge shows that people of faith are united by concerns about climate change and are taking action. The winners provide strong moral role models for their communities, and their activities have a ripple effect on people in their own homes, demonstrating that acting on climate is a moral issue.

“Iowa IPL congratulates Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on their well-deserved recognition for their work and commitment on prioritizing sustainability. Good Shepherd shows us all what is possible when people of faith come together and live into bold and just action on the climate crisis. They are a leader and will inspire other houses of worship to see what they can do,” says Deaconess Irene DeMaris, Executive Director, Iowa Interfaith Power & Light.

Interfaith Power & Light is mobilizing a religious response to global warming in congregations by promoting energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. www.interfaithpowerandlight.org Twitter: #CoolCongregations @interfaithpower   Facebook: facebook.com/interfaithpowerandlight

Free will donation, Pancake Breakfast. Sunday March 17, 2024 from 8:00am – 12:00pm at the Clermont Fire Station, 808 State Street Clermont IA 52135. Dine in or Carry out. Serving: pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, applesauce, juice, milk and coffee. All donations will be used to purchase pages compatible with the new county wide paging system.

According to new data from the Federal Trade Commission’s website, “consumers reported losing nearly $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022, an increase of more than 30 percent over the previous year”. Roger Huinker, a Northeast RSVP Volunteer trained by the Iowa Insurance Division, will be presenting an “Iowa Fraud Fighters” seminar. He will be joined by staff from Waukon State Bank, Waukon Police Department, and Decorah Tech. Join us at the Robey Memorial Library Meeting Room on February 27th at 10 AM (401 1st Ave W, Waukon). No registration is required.  Presenters will share about different types of scams, ways to identify fraud or scams, what is happening locally, and tips on how to protect yourself from being taken advantage of or what to do if you think you have been scammed. Information will be available from the Iowa Insurance Division Fraud Fighters and the Federal Trade Commission.

Northeast Iowa RSVP matches volunteers age 55 and better with opportunities to serve at non-profits in Allamakee, Howard, and Winneshiek counties.

If your business or organization would like to host a Fraud Fighters seminar, please contact Deana Hageman at 563-277-5181 or rsvp@decorahlibrary.org.