Local News

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

A family of sandhill cranes has taken up residence near the Driftless Area Wetlands Centre in Marquette, representing the first nesting pair the facility has ever had.

Once common dwellers in Iowa wetlands, sandhill crane populations waned in the late 1800s due to over-hunting and loss of habitat. The first breeding pair returned to the state in 1992, and, today, more than 20 Iowa counties have documented nesting sites.

“The adults have been here since spring, around April,” said Wetlands Centre Director Alicia Mullarkey, avidly watching the cranes through a spotting scope set up outside the nature facility. 

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

The Monona City Council gave the go-ahead, at its June 15 meeting, to establish several permanent campsites at Gateway Park.

Robin Jones, who has stayed at the park’s recently-updated sites with her husband, made the request.

“It’s nice out there,” she told the council. “If there are campers there, others tend to come. I’m not saying make them all permanent, but have a few. You put all that work and money into doing that, so it may bring people in.”

Currently, campers cannot stay at the park for longer than two weeks at a time.

Sit back and relax and sample a variety of regional wines and beers at the Lazy River Beer and Wine Festival. The annual event will be held this Saturday, June 27, from noon to 4 p.m., on the Marquette riverfront. 

The McGregor-Marquette Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event, will be implementing physical distancing measures to help assure the safety of both attendees and vendors.

Five wineries are slated to participate this year, including Marquette’s own Eagles Landing Winery. Other attendees are PromiseLand Winery from Guttenberg, Jennings Winery from Strawberry Point, Empty Nest Winery from Waukon and Winneshiek Wildberry Winery from Decorah.

Gerald (Bert) Bruehahn, 79, of McGregor, formerly of Prairie du Chien, Wis., passed away at the Great River Care Center in McGregor on June 14, 2020.

He was born on Oct. 27, 1940, to Bert and Eliza Bruehahn in Monona. In his younger years, he had a country band called Little Bert and the Country Class. He worked security at 3M in Prairie du Chien until he retired. Bert owned the Circle Bar in Prairie du Chien for a while and also had a cab business called B Line Cab Co. After retiring, Bert continued to work security jobs.  

Surviving Bert are his four children, Scott (Jill) Bruehahn of Mt. Horeb, Wis., Stephanie (Jerry) Koons of Elkader, Tina Bothum of Colorado and Rhonda Ruhser of Colorado; one sister, Loretta Funk of Buffalo, Wyo.; 12 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.