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Monday, February 5, at approximately 9:50 a.m., Kentucky State Police responded to a nine-vehicle, double fatality collision located on Interstate 24 at the 80-mile marker near Hopkinsville, KY in Christian County along the southwestern edge of Kentucky and northwest of Nashville, TN. One of those nine vehicles involved in the accident contained a local trio of sisters, two of whom lost their lives from the injuries they sustained in the accident.

The three sisters, 55-year-old Mary Engrav of Waukon, 58-year-old Joan Lyons of Waukon and 61-year-old Barb Winters-Kelly of Waterville, were traveling to Nashville, TN to attend the funeral of a family friend, according to family members. They are the daughters of Janette Ryder-Blong of Waukon.

by Joe Moses
 
The Allamakee County Sheriff Department and the Allamakee County Emergency Management Office have begun an initiative to purchase an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), otherwise known as a drone, for emergency search and rescue use within Allamakee County and surrounding areas. It has been proven to local authorities that the use of a drone can save valuable time during emergency situations and may also provide safety for first responders and victims in certain situations.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, February 5 to address a full agenda of items, including the appointment of Medical Examiner, Deputy Medical Examiner and Medical Examiner Investigator, discussion of setting a date and time for the Fiscal-Year 2019 Allamakee County budget and discussion of a tax suspension policy in Allamakee County. Chairperson Pro-Tem Dennis Koenig called the meeting to order in the absence of Chairperson Larry Schellhammer.

There were no members of the public in attendance. During the Public Comment portion of the meeting, Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour discussed that the Secondary Roads Department was working to clear roads Sunday with additional snow forecasted this week.

Local law enforcement authorities want to remind people, especially since the tax season is in full swing, that they have received a lot of calls regarding scams. One very popular scam is from someone posing as an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent. The caller tells the victim that they owe the IRS money and that if they either hang up or don't pay, they will have the victim arrested. These individuals are usually very intimidating in their threats.

"I've seen call recipients nearly in tears after talking to one of these scammers," shared Waukon Assistant Police Chief Paul Wagner. "In my 13-year career, I have never been involved in the arrest of someone that either owes the IRS money or has hung up on an IRS agent. I suspect that if someone owes the IRS money, they already know it. Similar to the 'if it's too good to be true...' adage, if it's too bad to be true, it probably is."

Award nominations due by February 23; Princess applications due by March 1

The 2018 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet will be held Saturday, March 24 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 23 for the following awards:

The night of Tuesday, January 23 brought a great deal of change, impact and uncertainty to the local area, from the more personal perspective of an individual business owner to the broader reach of his customer base and the greater community that has supported his venture. A fire that evening destroyed the interior of Mulligan's Grill Pub, located at 610 Rossville Road in Waukon, a blaze that may not have left much exterior evidence but certainly took its toll on the interior of the restaurant and its attic space.

The Waukon and surrounding community was taken by surprise Thursday, January 25 to learn that long-time family physician Dr. David Schwartz is no longer providing services at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Waukon.

Mayo Clinic released the following statement through its Public Affairs Department: "David B. Schwartz, M.D., has resigned his position at the Waukon Clinic. At Mayo Clinic Health System, our top priority is our patients and we remain committed to meeting the needs of our patients and communities. Plans are in place to ensure a smooth transition of care for all patients of the Waukon Clinic."

Voter registration will be available at caucus sites that evening

Registered Republican and Democrat voters across the state of Iowa have the opportunity to participate in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses scheduled for Monday, February 5. To attend a caucus, voters must be registered as either Democrat or Republican, but registration will be allowed at each of the caucus sites. Local caucus locations for both political parties for the February 5 event are featured below and at right in the bordered boxes.

Allamakee County Republican Party
2018 Caucus Locations
Monday, February 5 at 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for registration

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announced the “Voter Ready” outreach initiative in early January to ensure Iowans are informed about recent election law changes, including the implementation of Voter ID. The “Voter Ready” educational effort breaks down the process into three simple action steps for voters: register to vote, bring  their ID, cast their ballot. Iowans who follow those three steps should have an easy time participating in the 2018 elections, according to Secretary Pate.

The Waukon and surrounding community was taken by surprise Thursday, January 25 to learn that long-time family physician Dr. David Schwartz is no longer providing services at the Mayo Clinic in Waukon. Mayo Clinic released the following statement through its Public Affairs Department: "David B. Schwartz, M.D., has resigned his position at the Waukon Clinic. At Mayo Clinic Health System, our top priority is our patients and we remain committed to meeting the needs of our patients and communities. Plans are in place to ensure a smooth transition of care for all patients of the Waukon Clinic." In response to the development, Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon also issued the following information through the office of hospital administrator Mike Myers: "Dr. Schwartz is no longer employed by the Mayo Health System. While he is no longer employed by Mayo, it is his intention, as well as that of Veterans Memorial Hospital, to have him remain involved with the care of our patients.