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Mon
09
Nov

Army soldier encourages listening to vets’ stories


Staff Sergeant Karen Knock-Lucas joined the Army in 1996 after graduating from Seneca High School in 1996. She is shown here during her first overseas deployment to Iraq in 2002. She spent 12 months there. She was also deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 for less than 12 months. She remains active in training and instructing soldiers as well as working as the Richland County veterans service officer.

Karen Knock-Lucas is a master driver with the Wisconsin Army National Guard 229th Engineer Company. When new equipment is acquired, she tries it out and provides job training for her fellow soldiers.

Karen, her husband Paul, and their fellow soldiers walk toward a welcoming crowd after de-boarding a plane from Afghanistan. (Submitted photos)

An impressive scene from Karen’s time serving in the Army in Afghanistan.

Karen’s husband, Paul Brown Lucas, also a member of the 229th Engineer Company, stands atop a Hesco barrier in Afghanistan.

By Correne Martin

Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Karen Knock-Lucas, of the 229th Engineer Company, will be the featured speaker at the Crawford County Veterans Day program on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Soldiers Grove American Legion Clubhouse on Highway 61. The 1996 Seneca High School graduate and new Richland Center veterans service officer, who spent two deployments overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, was honored to accept the role when asked. She plans to tell war stories of veterans and what they’ve been through and encourage the crowd to talk and listen to veterans whenever possible.

“Come to Soldiers Grove. Shake the veterans’ hands and honor and respect them,” she said. “Take the opportunity to listen to their stories. Especially when a WWII, Korean and Vietnam veteran starts to tell a story, we need to drop everything and listen.”

Mon
09
Nov

Quilts of Valor honor area veterans


Eight local veterans received Quilts of Valor at a presentation in Luana by the Northeast Iowa Quilt Guild the evening of Nov. 3. Pictured with Quilts of Valor volunteers Joni Johnson (back, far left) and Sue Lynch (front, far right) are recipients (front, left to right) Laura Moore, Eric Benzing; (back) David Scott, Terry Sharp, Dallas Valley, Richard Augustine, Budd Tieman and Robert Dull. (Photo by Audrey Posten)

These four local veterans received Quilts of Valor at a presentation in Luana by the Northeast Iowa Quilt Guild the afternoon of Nov. 3. Pictured (from left) are Leigh Rekow, John Henry Muller, Norman Mueller and Clyde Thompson. (Submitted photo)

Marines Corp veteran Kurt Kravchuk, of Prairie du Chien, received a Quilt of Valor Saturday from the Northeast Iowa Quilters Guild, represented by Sue Lynch. He accepted it in honor of Barton D. Bonn, a Persian Gulf veteran who was Kravchuk's inspiration for joining the Marines. (Photo by Correne Martin)

Veteran Budd Tieman, of Prairie du Chien, receives his Quilt of Valor from Sue Lynch, Northeast Iowa Quilt Guild program chair. (Submitted photo)

Veteran Dallas Valley, of Prairie du Chien, is thanked by a well-wisher during a Quilt of Valor presentation Nov. 3. (Photo by Audrey Posten)

By Correne Martin and Audrey Posten

When a Quilt of Valor is presented to a veteran, it is typically draped over him or her to symbolize a hug. It is meant to honor and comfort service members and those touched by war or conflict. Last week, 13 patriotic quilts were awarded to area veterans of different military branches and war eras by the Northeast Iowa Quilters Guild. The majority were given at special ceremonies on Nov. 3.

In one of the biggest Quilt of Valor presentations by the guild, those veterans in northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin receiving quilts included:

•Budd Tieman, Prairie du Chien, Navy, Vietnam

•Dallas Valley, Prairie du Chien, Army National Guard, Vietnam

•Laura Moore, Prairie du Chien, Crawford County Veterans Service Officer, Army, Persian Gulf

•Kurt Kravchuk, Prairie du Chien, Marines, served 1982-86—in honor of Barton D. Bonn, Marines, Persian Gulf (presented privately Saturday)

Mon
09
Nov

Firemen respond to calls at Crossing Rivers

By Correne Martin

The Prairie du Chien Fire Department responded to two calls of alarms sounding at Crossing Rivers Health on Thursday, Nov. 5.

The first call came around 6:30 a.m. from something that occurred in the kitchen area that set the alarm off. It was very minor, according to Chief Harry Remz.

The second call happened just before 11:15 a.m. Remz explained that a humidifier system at the medical center was causing a mist in the operating room area. Multiple trucks were dispatched to the scene.
“There was no fire, no smoke, no damage,” he stated. “Their HVAC person will be taking a look at what caused the humidifier system to open up and produce the mist.”

Remz also noted that a number of additional fire calls have occurred at Crossing Rivers in recent weeks. They were related to smoke detectors within the duct work that were inadvertently going off.

Mon
09
Nov

Dump truck hauling blacktop rolls into ditch

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 11:41 a.m., the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a one-vehicle rollover on Johnstown Road about a half-mile east of Highway 27 in Utica Township.

Jamey S. Erlandson, 44, was driving a 1993 International dump truck owned by Blackjack Transport, LLC. Erlandson was driving east on Johnstown Road and slowing as he was driving down a hill. He moved onto the shoulder of the road to allow a vehicle to drive past, traveling westbound on Johnstown Road. As Erlandson moved onto the south-side shoulder, he lost control of the truck causing the truck to turn over in the ditch. The truck came to rest on the driver’s side. The truck was being used to transport about an eighth of a load of blacktop from a job site for Badger Environmental and Earth Works.

Erlandson claimed no injuries from the crash. The International truck sustained severe damage and was towed from the scene.

Mon
09
Nov

Traffic stop results in meth bust

On Nov. 4, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit was parked along Highway 18 in Bridgeport Township when he saw a 1994 Chevrolet K1500 pickup traveling north. The deputy initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle for equipment violations in the city of Prairie du Chien and identified the driver as Trenton Hafke, 20, Prairie du Chien, and Hafke’s passengers, Daryn Harford, 22, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Robert Bodish, 23, Guttenberg, Iowa, and a juvenile.

K-9 Breck was utilized and indicated to the presence of one or more odors of controlled substances on the exterior of the vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted due to the indication from Breck. As a result of the search, Harford was arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine paraphernalia. Harford was booked into the Crawford County Jail.

Assisting on the traffic stop was the Prairie du Chien Police Department.

Mon
09
Nov

Accident causes truck to overturn, spill corn

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 10:42 a.m., the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a one-vehicle roll over crash at the intersection of Stoney Point Road and State Highway 171 in Seneca Township.  

Larry L. Ross Jr., 47, of Gays Mills, was driving a 1979 International grain truck owned by Jason A. Bankes, 31, of Gays Mills. Ross was traveling east on Highway 171 and was slowing to make a right turn onto Stoney Point Road. Ross stated that his brakes failed during the turn, causing the load of corn to shift. Ross lost control of the vehicle, striking the north side ditch of Stoney Point Road, causing the vehicle to overturn on the roadway. The vehicle was transporting approximately 350 bushels of corn. A corn vac was called to remove the spilled corn from the roadway and the ditch.  

Mon
09
Nov

$5.3 Million Kickapoo River Project

 

$5.3 million invested 

in Kickapoo River project

By Ted Pennekamp

 

Mon
09
Nov

Dorothy Mae (Theel) Farmer

 

Dorothy Mae (Theel) Farmer, 90, of Prairie du Chien, passed away Saturday, Nov. 7, unexpectedly at her home. 

She was born April 14, 1925, on the family farm in rural Delaware County, Iowa, to Herman and Gertrude (Tinkey) Theel. She was united in marriage to William F. Farmer on April 8, 1947, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Strawberry Point, Iowa. Four children were born to this union. 

Thu
05
Nov

Three charged in Beating

 

Trio charged in vicious beating of 

restaurant owner

By Ted Pennekamp

 

Three Illinois men were each charged Nov. 2 in Crawford County Circuit Court in regard to the beating of the owner of a Prairie du Chien area Japanese restaurant. 

Thu
05
Nov

Sheriff's Department Ride-along


Crawford County Sheriff’s Deputy Shawn Lenzendorf uses his in-car computer to look up the driving record of a man he stopped for speeding.

 

Training, innovative equipment help deputies keep Crawford County safe

By Ted Pennekamp

 

On a recent fall day, the patrol of southern Crawford County by Sheriff’s Department Deputy Shawn Lenzendorf is “routine,” but as Lenzendorf says, “You never know what you’re gonna run into on any given day. You might be doing traffic patrol, or you might be chasing cattle all day.” 

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