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Students from Waukon High School accepted the Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) Sportsmanship Award from students at Decorah High School during the Tuesday, September 5 volleyball match between the two schools played at Decorah. Waukon was named the award winner for the 2016-2017 school year, the first time the school has ever won the award, although it has placed second in each of the last three years to Decorah, which has won the award the last seven years in a row. "This is my proudest moment so far here as an AD," Waukon High School Activities Director Brian Hilsabeck said of the award. "It's a testament to how we do things here at Waukon High School." The award winner is determined by a scoring system that event officials turn into their respective State Athletic Associations - the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and the Iowa High School Athletic Association - for a school's fans, athletes and coaches.

Residents and visitors to downtown Waukon may have already noticed, either officially or otherwise, the new two-hour parking restriction in place on the main business block of West Main Street. In response to initial parking concerns expressed by downtown business owners and patrons, the ordinance establishing the two-hour parking limit on both sides of West Main Street from its intersection with Allamakee Street (stoplight intersection) to its intersection with First Street NW and SW was officially passed by the Waukon City Council in June of this year, but Waukon Police Chief Phil Young says enforcement of the new regulation wasn't really possible until after the RAGBRAI visit to Waukon in late July. As the sign in the adjacent photo indicates, the restriction is in place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day and has been met with mixed reaction from downtown business owners and patrons, resulting in a committee being formed to further assess the situation.

Students at Waukon High School received some first-hand experience with the effects of impaired and distracted driving when the world-renowned Save A Life Tour: Safe Driving Awareness Program visited Waukon Friday, September 8. Freshman through senior students first all attended an hour-long assembly that began at the start of the school day with a thought-provoking video followed by a live presentation in which Save A Life Tour presenters shared some of their own personal experiences with impaired or distracted driving, some of which included the loss of a family member or other far-reaching impact.

The Allamakee County Housing Needs Assessment Countywide Task Force will be holding a Kick-Off Meeting for an Allamakee County Housing Study to be conducted over the next nine months. With input needed from all areas, all residents of Allamakee County are invited to this initial meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 20 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Waukon Center, Room 113. Those attending are asked to RSVP to Allamakee County Economic Development Executive Director Val Reinke by emailing aced@mchsi.com or calling 563-568-2624.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in a pair of regular sessions within the past week due to the Labor Day holiday Monday, September 4. Coverage of both the Tuesday, September 5 and Monday, September 11 regular Board sessions appears below.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Tuesday, September 5, delayed a day due to the Labor Day holiday Monday, September 4. The Board met at the Waterville Public Library to address a full agenda of items, including the language for the Bid Notice for the rental of the County Farm cropland and pasture, the Liquor License approval for the Allamakee County Conservation Foundation and setting a date and time for a Public Hearing for the Social Host Ordinance LVIII.

Thursday afternoon, September 7, at approximately 2 p.m., the Allamakee County Sheriff's Dispatch Center received a 911 call for a farm accident at 2140 Mays Prairie Road just north of the Churchtown area off State Highway 9 between Waukon and Lansing. Two males were performing maintenance on a forage wagon in a farm field when they became entrapped in the equipment, one sustaining serious injuries and the other suffering fatal injuries.
According to a report from the Allamakee County Sheriff's Office, 55-year-old Richard Joseph Weber, Jr. of Lansing was pronounced deceased at the scene as a result of injuries sustained in the accident. Christopher Weber, age 52, of Lansing also became entrapped but was able to be freed by first responders. He was transported by MedLink Air ambulance from the scene to Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, WI for treatment of serious injuries sustained in the accident.

Residents of Allamakee County will be joining those throughout the state of Iowa in choosing individuals to lead their respective school district boards of education when the Tuesday, September 12 School Board Election takes place throughout the state. Voters in the Allamakee, Eastern Allamakee and Postville Community School Districts in Allamakee County will be able to cast their vote that Tuesday between 12 noon and 8 p.m. at their respective voting precincts listed below.

ALLAMAKEE
Voters in the Allamakee Community School District will have two board seats up for re-election this fall. Those two seats each have incumbent candidates vying for another term with no declared opposition. Allan Rissman will be seeking re-election to his Director-At-Large position, and Scott Melcher will be doing likewise for his District 1 Director seat.

Polling sites for voters in the Allamakee Community School District will be at the following locations:

The Allamakee County 4-H Youth Development Committee is proud to recognize Teresa Myers of Waukon as the 2017 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame inductee from Allamakee County. Myers has been a long-time supporter of the Allamakee County 4-H Program. Pictured at right during the 4-H Hall of Fame Award ceremony are, left to right, Teresa Myers, Iowa 4-H Foundation Executive Director Emily Saveraid and Iowa 4-H Volunteer Development Specialist Tillie Good.

by Joe Moses

Since his recent addition of general manager duties at the AVEKA Nutra Processing plant in Waukon, John Anderson has been working to address concerns expressed by the public and the Waukon City Council regarding the production facility's noise and odor levels and to develop and implement plans being made to address these concerns. Anderson has experience working at four plants that use spray dryers, saying that each plant produces some noise and odor. He is currently dividing his time between the Cresco and Waukon AVEKA facilities serving as general manager at both locations.

Fans in attendance at the Friday, August 25 season-opening game for the Waukon Indian 2017 football season perhaps either passed through or witnessed the dedication of the new entrance (pictured above) designating the Richard Hermeier Sports Complex located directly behind Waukon High School. Dr. Richard Hermeier (pictured below), a 1955 graduate of Waukon High School, was honored at halftime of the August 25 football game in front of his hometown's fans at the Waukon High School sports complex that he and his family helped created through generous donations valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout the past decade or so. In addition to Dr. Hermeier's name being forever commemorated in a metal arch above the pictured entrance, Dr.