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Monday, February 3 at 7 p.m.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and participants must be registered or in line by 7 p.m. in order to participate

For more information call Allamakee County Democratic Co-Chairs Karen Pratte (563-535-7254) or Lori Egan (563-568-1290)

Monday, February 3 at 7 p.m.

Doors open at 6 p.m. for registration

For more information contact Allamakee County Republican Chairperson Dan Emerson at 563-568-7361

Precinct #1 - Hanover, Waterloo Townships AND Precinct #2 - French Creek, Jefferson, Ludlow, Makee, Union Prairie Townships
Waukon High School Auditorium, 1059 Third Ave. NW, Waukon
 
Precinct #3 - Franklin, Post Townships AND Precinct #4 - City of Postville
Postville Elementary School Auditorium, 314 West Post Street, Postville
 
Precinct #5 - City of Waterville and Linton, Paint Creek Townships AND Precinct #6 - City of Harpers Ferry and Fairview, Taylor Townships
American Legion Hall, 118 North Fourth Street, Harpers Ferry

Voter registration available at caucus sites that evening

Registered Republican and Democrat voters across the state have the opportunity to participate in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses Monday, February 3, providing local residents a critical voice in the nomination process for this country's next president by casting their vote for their preferred candidate.

Those who choose to participate in the caucuses will not only choose presidential candidates for this year's election, but will make their voices heard as both political parties formulate their campaign platforms. Nomination petitions for other state and national elected offices will also be considered by caucus goers.

To attend a caucus, voters must be registered as either Democrat or Republican, but registration will be allowed at each of the caucus sites. Caucus locations for both political parties for the February 3 event are featured below in the bordered boxes.

Award nominations due by February 14; Princess applications due by March 1

The 2020 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet will be held Saturday, March 21 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The meal will be served from 7-8:30 p.m. with the program starting at 8 p.m. The annual celebration recognizes the importance of the dairy industry in Allamakee County and the contributions dairy families make to the industry.

Every year, top producers from the county are recognized at the banquet. In addition, several other awards are presented that evening. The Allamakee Dairy Promotion Board and the Allamakee County Extension Office are accepting nominations through February 14 for the following awards:

The Regional Welding Academy newly renovated at the Waukon High School/Middle School complex has been featured in the newest issue of Trade & Industry Development magazine, a global publication of Due North Media designed to help industrial executives define corporate strategies for growth, specifically focusing on the many aspects of site selection and facility planning.

The new educational welding facility was featured in the Industrial & Advanced Manufacturing 2020 edition of the magazine as part of an article entitled “Workforce Training Programs are Transforming Businesses” that appears on pages 22-28 of that edition. The Regional Welding Academy was one of seven such facilities featured in that article, getting its specific mention on page 26 for its impact of “listening and responding to employers’ needs.”

The Oneota Film Festival board announces the 10th Annual Oneota Film Festival, “Beyond the Crater,” scheduled for February 13-16 at Luther College, downtown Decorah, and for the first time in festival history, at the Town Theater in Waukon.

The weekend will provide many opportunities to watch films, make connections with filmmakers and friends, and meet other members of the broader northeast Iowa community and beyond at the many special events, filmmaker Q&A discussions, and film screenings. The first Oneota Film Festival (OFF) was held in 2010 on the Luther College campus. The theme was Sustainability. Four-hundred people from the Midwest and around the United States attended.

Three years later, newspapers and television news reported: “An asteroid as big as a city block smashed into what is now northern Iowa about 470 million years ago...

Main Street Lansing recently presented a plaque to Lansing Iowa Food Trust (LIFT) in recognition of its designation as the Nicest Place in Iowa by Reader’s Digest magazine in a recent nationwide contest. Receiving a brief mention in the November 2019 issue of Reader’s Digest (page 72) along with the other 50 state winners in the contest, LIFT was honored for providing a place for those in need to acquire basic necessities without judgment. The LIFT board members, some of whom accepted the plaque in the photo above, are dedicated people who devote their time and energy into making LIFT the safe, accessible and welcoming place it is. The nomination from earlier in the year that eventually resulted in LIFT being designated the Nicest Place in Iowa finalist read, in part, “A small group of community members volunteered their time to help form LIFT from the ground up.

Veterans Memorial Hospital physicians and staff have announced that the First Baby of the Year Contest was won by Sophia Mae Hernandez, daughter of Veronica Santoyo and Mario Hernandez of Postville. Sophia was born Monday, January 6 at 6:17 p.m., weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 19-3/4 inches long. Dr. Dave Schwartz assisted with the delivery.

Sophia’s grandparents are Amber Santoyo of Postville and Laurie and Brian Dahl of Ossian. Her great-grandparents are Bonnie Stifel of Postville and Clifford Harnak of Ossian.

An open house reception was held Monday, December 30 at the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon in honor of the retirement of Iowa Judicial District 1A District Court Judge John Bauercamper, effective at the end of 2019. In honor of his retirement, staff members of the Allamakee County Courthouse presented Judge Bauercamper with a plaque of appreciation and also raised among themselves $300 as a retirement gift that Judge Bauercamper, in turn, then donated to the Allamakee County Historical Society. Pictured above at the presentation of the plaque and the $300 further donated to the Allamakee County Historical Society are, left to right, Allamakee County Historical Society President Jim Garrett, The Honorable John Bauercamper, and Allamakee County Attorney Anthony Gericke. Judge Bauercamper was first appointed to the bench in 1986. He had also practiced private law, in addition to serving as the Allamakee County Attorney and Juvenile Court Referee.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in a pair of meetings this past week. Coverage of both a January 9 special session and the board’s regular meeting from Monday, January 13 appears below

JANUARY 9
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met Thursday, January 9 in special session to discuss options relating to the Vet’s Club building located on Allamakee Street in Waukon and the lease involved with the building. Board Chairperson Larry Schellhammer and Supervisors Dan Byrnes and Dennis Koenig listened to comments and suggestions from various stakeholders.

Schellhammer opened the discussion by outlining options available including keeping the Vet’s Club’s operation the same, County ownership of the building, City ownership of the building, developing a joint venture between the City and County, or negotiating a new contract with a private entity.