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Memorial Day Observance in Waukon

MONDAY, MAY 28

by Lissa Blake

Over the past 50 years, the world has repeatedly heard about the more than 58,000 Allied soldiers who died in Vietnam.

But on this Memorial Day, and every day, Waukon’s Gwen Brainard wants to remind everyone that each of those soldiers has a story.

“I want people to know what war is really like, and that I really feel my husband died in vain,” said Brainard of the death of her husband, Terry Miller.

HER STORY
Next year will mark 50 years since Terry Miller died in Vietnam. A young newlywed, almost finished with college and with a baby on the way, Miller was drafted because he wasn’t able to secure a student teaching assignment in the summer of 1968, which voided his education exemption.

A fallen Allamakee County soldier from the Korean War never had the proper burial or closure to his passing, but he was one of many honored at a ceremony held last fall in Waterloo at the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum.

Roy Martin Vickery, a native of Post Township of Allamakee County, was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW) during the Korean conflict and died in captivity. His remains, however, were never returned and he and 139 other Iowans are still listed as “Missing in Action” (MIA).

National POW/MIA Remembrance Day was observed September 15, 2017 with that ceremony held at the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum in Waterloo. The ceremony focused special attention on servicemen and women who were listed as missing from the Korean War era, noting that “As the frontlines rapidly changed in 1950 and 1951, many fallen heroes were unable to be recovered due to the hostility of the enemy.”

Waterville High School player returns to the court for Granny Basketball event this Saturday

by Brianne Eilers

Organized team basketball will be played one final time in the gymnasium at the Waterville Elementary School before the school is closed for good at the end of this current academic year, marking the end of an era but perhaps sparking some pondering reflections as well.

The defending two-time national Granny Basketball League champion Harpers Ferry Fireflies will be hosting the Eastern Division Granny Basketball games this Saturday, May 19 at the Waterville Elementary School gymnasium. Games start at 10 a.m., with several teams participating in these games.

Last week’s article focused on Step One in being “Voter Ready” in 2018: Register to Vote. This week’s article is about Step Two: Bring a valid form of ID to the polls.

Valid forms of ID include:

1. Iowa Driver’s License (not expired more than 90 days)
2. Iowa Non-Operator’s ID (not expired more than 90 days)
3. U.S. Passport (not expired)
4. U.S. Military ID or Veteran ID (not expired)
5. Iowa Voter ID PIN card (must be signed).

In December 2017, Iowa Voter ID PIN cards were sent, by the Secretary of State election office, to all registered voters without an Iowa Driver’s License or Iowa Non-Operator’s ID. If you feel you should have received a PIN card, and did not, or you have lost it or misplaced it, contact the Allamakee County Auditor’s office at 563-568-3522.

by Joe Moses

The Second Degree Murder case against 32-year-old John Michael Quanrude of Waukon involved a bit more court and document activity this past week, including review of a requested change and some necessary changes made upon further document review. Although separate matters not impacting one another, the end result was Quanrude remaining in the Allamakee County Jail but his trial date being moved up by more than two months.

Traditionally beginning and ending in Wisconsin, the Patriot Tour consists of one American Flag being carried through 48 continental states, escorted by tens of thousands of motorcycle riders for 110 days straight, all in honor of America’s Armed Forces members.

The annual Tour typically travels through Waukon in September near the end of the Tour, but starting with last year reversed its course in making Waukon one of its first visits on the Tour, which will take place this weekend.

This year, the Tour will initiate in Beaver Dam, WI and will overnight in Fennimore, WI before heading to Waukon this Sunday, May 20. The Tour is scheduled to cross the bridge between Prairie du Chien, WI and Marquette at approximately 11:45 a.m. Sunday, heading west on Hwy.18/52 to Postville and then traveling north and east to Waukon.

Thursday, May 31, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will host an open house meeting to present preliminary floodplain maps to Allamakee County citizens. The meeting will be held in the Supervisors Board Room at the Allamakee County Courthouse, located at 110 Allamakee Street in Waukon, that Thursday from 6-8 p.m. This meeting is open to the public.

The open house will provide property owners, both rural and urban, an opportunity to view the preliminary maps and learn how their flood risk may have changed. Representatives from FEMA and the Iowa DNR will be on hand to answer questions and address residents’ concerns about the preliminary flood maps.

by Sharon Drahn, Editor
Postville Herald

Iowa’s junior senator, Joni Ernst, stopped at the Allamakee-Clayton Rural Electric Cooperative (ACREC) north of Postville Friday morning, May 4 as part of her annual 99 county tour through the state. While at the facility,  she visited with a group of dairy farmers from Allamakee County and surrounding areas.

During her opening remarks, Ernst noted that she had toured the Dairy Center at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) in Calmar prior to arriving in Postville. She said, “I was very impressed with the center and its operation. I grew up on a livestock farm, but I am aware of the challenges that face dairy farmers as well as all in the dairy industry. As I am sure most of you know, I, along with Senator (Chuck) Grassley, serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee and, as a member, I try to look at ways to help with rural development ideas and trade issues in the dairy industry.”

The Second Degree Murder case against 32-year-old John Michael Quanrude of Waukon has taken a more definitive path this past week, as Quanrude has entered a written plea of not guilty to all charges filed against him in relation to the April 16 fatal shooting of 60-year-old Dean Russell of Waukon. The case was scheduled for an arraignment hearing Monday, May 14 in District Court in Allamakee County, but Friday morning, May 4, Quanrude filed a written arraignment entering his not guilty plea and waiving his right to a speedy trial, according to court documents.

Additional court documents also filed Friday, May 4 by Quanrude’s attorney, Scott Nelson of the State of Iowa Public Defender’s Office, Dubuque location, included a Notice of Defenses for Quanrude. That document listed Quanrude’s defenses in the case as Diminished responsibility and Self-defense.