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John and Eileen Curtin of rural Waukon wave to the fans at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City as John was honored as a “Hawkeye Hero” on the football field during the first quarter of the Military Appreciation Day Iowa Hawkeye football home game vs. Northwestern Saturday, November 10. Curtin was nominated for the honor this past summer by his daughter-in-law, Olivia Curtin, who is married to the Curtins’ youngest son, Brad. The honor involved John and his wife, Eileen, being heralded by the Kinnick Stadium crowd as they stood near the 20-yard line during a first quarter media time-out while John’s history as a military veteran serving in Vietnam was announced over the stadium speaker system and photos of John were also shared on the stadium video screen. The Curtins also got to visit the field of Kinnick Stadium prior to the ballgame and toured the stadium press box, where they were able to meet Iowa Hawkeye football broadcaster Ed Podolak.

Retired Navy Master Chief Carl Christianson of Waukon provided introductions and opening remarks during the Thursday, November 8 flagpole dedication ceremony held at the Allamakee County Public Safety Center north of Waukon. Local veterans John Regan, Commander of the VFW and Tom Regan of the local American Legion assisted Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick in preparing the American flag for its raising during the flagpole dedication ceremony (pictured above). Following the raising of the flag, Judge John Bauercamper of the First Judicial District addressed the public and veterans in attendance by discussing the symbolism and significance of the flag and the history of the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department with 29 sheriffs having served since the County’s establishment.

Byrnes, Schellhammer returned to Supervisors seats by Allamakee County voters, Egan edged by Osmundson in Iowa House District 56

by Lissa Blake

Since serving in Vietnam 50 years ago, U.S. Army Veteran John Curtin has continued to honor his country and his service in the military by participating in many area events.

However, this Saturday, November 10, Curtin, himself, will be honored for his military service during one of his favorite pastimes, an Iowa Hawkeye football game.

Curtin, of rural Waukon, was nominated by his family this past summer to be a “Hawkeye Hero” for a day. During the Iowa vs. Northwestern Military Appreciation Day football game this Saturday at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Curtin will be recognized during a media time-out in the first quarter of the game, where a brief piece of his military story will be told and some photos will also be shared on the stadium’s big video screen. Further details of Curtin’s honoring taking place this Saturday appear elsewhere with this story in a colored box.

by Lissa Blake

When Waukon’s Helen Stegen reflects upon the gifts she received in life, she treasures the fact she had her very own war hero in her uncle, Harris Quanrud.

“He was my hero … and still is,” said Stegen, now 81 years old.

Stegen was born Helen Forde in 1937. Her mother, Harriet Quanrud, was a sister to Harris Quanrud, who was born August 4, 1915.

“I was just three years old when Harris went into the Army, in April of 1941,” remembered Helen.

Although she was young, she said she can vividly remember her mother and aunt Barbara sitting on top of a heater, crying. “And I cried too, because they were crying. I had never seen my mom cry before,” said Helen.

Helen remembered the Quanrud family having a schedule for corresponding with Harris when he was overseas. “Each of his three sisters and his mom had a specific day of the week they would write to him. My brother, Jim, and I wrote to him as well,” she said.

The Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently announced that 58 Iowa communities have received a total of more than $171 million in low-interest loans through the State Revolving Fund to assist in advancing water quality projects. State Revolving Fund Construction Loans are a low-cost construction financing option available for Iowa cities and municipalities for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Planning & Design Loans are zero percent loans that assist with the first-phase of project expenses.

Tuesday, October 30 at 9:23 p.m., the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a farming accident that had occurred in a farm field in northern Allamakee County near the town of Bee, MN, located northwest of Dorchester near the Iowa-Minnesota border. Houston County, MN Sheriff’s Dispatch reported it had received a 911 call reporting that an individual had been run over by a combine when it backed up to unload corn into a wagon.
Gerald Oren Myhre, age 64, of Caledonia, MN was identified as the victim, and he was pronounced deceased at the scene as a result of injuries sustained in the accident. The incident remains under investigation by the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office. Assisting at the scene was the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, Spring Grove, MN Fire Department, Spring Grove, MN Ambulance Service, Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office, Gundersen Air Ambulance and Veterans Memorial Hospital Ambulance.

Voters are scheduled to trek to the polls Tuesday, November 6 to cast their selections for the 2018 General Election. A sample ballot of the respective races within each level of government in this year’s election was published on Page 6B in the October 24 issue of this newspaper.
A listing of polling sites for all 11 of Allamakee County’s voting precincts was also printed on Page 6B in that October 24 issue of The Standard. Election polls will be open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. November 6.

The Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) Board of Directors announced Growing Bear Daycare and Preschool, Inc as the 2018 Cloy Kuhse Positive Impact Award winner at the ACED Annual Meeting hosted in Waukon Thursday, October 18. This annual award was created to highlight and recognize a business that is making a positive impact in Allamakee County, as well as to honor the memory of Cloy Kuhse and his vision. Growing Bear now joins the list of annual award recipients including New Albin Savings Bank, Waukon Dental, Mike Ferring Construction of Waukon, TASC of Waukon, Wuennecke’s Meat Market of New Albin, and Norplex-Micarta of Postville. Allamakee County Economic Development Executive Director Val Reinke shared with the audience in attendance, “Quality of Place is the drawing card to recruiting talent and attracting companies. Quality of Place includes housing, childcare and transportation. Quality childcare means happy kids, parents and employers.

by David M. Johnson

There are individuals who choose career paths, some not so well traveled and some paths that involve multiple journeys. Then there are individuals who venture down the road that is above and beyond what was imagined when the journey began.
Brian Dougherty was a local farm kid, raised by John and Rita Dougherty of rural Waukon, who wanted to be a farmer when he grew up. Graduating from Waukon High School in 1991, Dougherty pursued an Associate’s Degree in Farm Management from Ellsworth Community College before joining his brother, Scott, to farm the family farm.