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The Iowa State Patrol reports that a Wednesday evening, December 7 accident on Highway 9 west of Waukon claimed the life of a man from Le Claire and injured a Decorah woman. The initial report indicates that 43-year-old Christopher Sean Hoff of Le Claire was driving eastbound on Highway 9 in his 2011 Ford F150 pick-up truck when he crossed the center line about seven miles west of Waukon and struck a 2012 Buick Enclave head-on driven by 44-year-old Amy Robinson of Decorah just west of Highway 9's intersection with Pole Line Road. The report further indicates that Hoff was transported to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon by ambulance, but the injuries he sustained in the accident were severe enough to claim his life. The report indicates Hoff was not wearing a seat belt. Robinson was reported as wearing a seat belt, and she was also transported to Veterans Memorial Hospital but was treated for only minor injuries.

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train made its first-ever stop in New Albin Sunday, December 4, where Canadian Pacific Railroad presented a $1,000 donation check to The Way Station. Monetary donations totaling another $545 and considerable food donations were also made to The Way Station by those in the fairly large crowd that attended the first-time event.

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train also made its biannual stop in Lansing (pictured below right) Sunday, December 4, where Canadian Pacific presented a $4,000 donation check to the Allamakee County Food Shelf, and those in attendance donated $896 and 1,064 pounds of food to the Food Shelf as well. "We'd really like to thank all the people who came out and showed their love and support by donating in the spirit of the holiday season," expressed Wayne Burk and Ann Roed, Directors of the Allamakee County Food Shelf. "Their generosity makes it possible for us to continue to serve those most in need during the holiday season."

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors took a tour of the northern portion of the county Monday, November 28 with Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour, stopping at various project areas impacted by the flooding that took place in Allamakee County during this past summer. Those project areas included some already completed, such as clean-up and streambank stabilization along the Upper Iowa River depicted by the lighter soil areas along the banks in the top photo at right. Other projects were in progress but have since been completed, such as the cleaning out of the culvert area pictured in the middle photo at right at the intersection of Iowa River Drive (County Road A26) and Wheatland Road by Brennan Construction of Lansing.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, December 5 at Robey Memorial Library in Waukon in the Supervisors' continued effort to hold a meeting at every library receiving County funding within the communities of Allamakee County. Among the topics on the meeting agenda were a request from Eastern Iowa Tourism, a temporary construction easement for Clear Creek Park and discussion of funding options for an Emergency Management vehicle replacement.

Residents and visitors of Allamakee County will get twice as many chances to see the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train this year, as the holiday spectacle on rails will make its way up the western edge of the Mississippi River Sunday, December 4 to make a pair of stops within the Allamakee County borders. The Holiday Train will be stopping in Lansing this Sunday evening, at approximately 4:50 p.m., and again in New Albin a little over an hour later, at approximately 6:15 p.m.

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is adorned with hundreds of thousands of lights and serves as a stage for live musical performances. Both stops are scheduled to include performances by country music singer Kelly Prescott and/or veteran blues singer Colin James. Santa Claus will also be making an appearance in conjunction with the train stops.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, along with Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) Director Paul Trombino, recently announced the designation of three new Iowa Byways and the modification of three existing byways in the state, including the extension of the Driftless Area Scenic Byway (DASB) in northeast Iowa and a slight modification to that same route to replace a graveled portion between Lansing and Harpers Ferry with a paved roadway along the route.

Independently ranked as the “most scenic byway in Iowa” the 100-mile Driftless Area Scenic Byway currently weaves through Allamakee County. The slight modification in the far eastern portion of the county will change the route from an original graveled portion along the County Highway A52/Sweet Ridge Drive gravel road between Lansing Harpers Road and Great River Road a bit further to the north to, instead, utilize the paved Lafayette Ridge Drive connecting those two roadways.

The family of the late Daniel E. Regan has arranged for a small fragment of the USS ARIZONA (BB-39), destroyed at Pearl Harbor, to be presented to the City of Waukon and area Veterans' organizations at a ceremony Tuesday, December 6 at 7 p.m. at the Robey Memorial Library in Waukon, the eve of the 75th anniversary of the commencement of World War II. No part of the ship has been re-used or salvaged since it exploded that fateful day, December 7, 1941, killing 1,177 men, including Waukon native Ens. Lawrence Anderson. A few years ago Congress gave the Navy League of the United States 400 small pieces of the superstructure to be used for memorials.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, November 28 to address a variety of topics, including the 2017 holiday schedule for County offices, a personnel matter in the County Sheriff's Office and plat approvals for two properties. Board Chairman Larry Schellhammer called the meeting to order. The current meeting agenda and previous meeting minutes from November 21 were approved.

The annual Lighted Holiday Parade held in Waukon Monday evening, November 21 brightened up the beginning of the holiday season in more ways than one as nearly two dozen entries made their way through the city streets. Seasonal temperatures hovered right around the freezing mark at parade time, allowing a fair-sized crowd to line the parade route to enjoy the festive kick-off to the holidays. Parade entries celebrated the holiday season in a variety of ways, including this entry pictured above honoring the sweetest reason for the season. View and find out how to purchase this photo and more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this website.
 

Midwest Construction Consultants updated the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors at its Monday, November 14 meeting on the current status of the Allamakee County Public Safety Center currently being constructed on the former Makee Manor property north of Waukon along Highway 9. The contractors advised that the construction project is about halfway to its completion point, with much of the focus now on the interior of the facility, and it continues to be on schedule for completion in March of 2017. Pictured above at left is the exterior and south driveway of the sally port area which will serve as the secure location and controlled entryway where prisoners will be transported to and from the Center. Pictured above at right is the maximum security jail cells, which will remain as the cement block walls pictured above and will have metal doors added in the shown existing door frames.