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Thu
25
Aug

Allamakee County residents urged to report flood damage

The following is a notice to all residents of Allamakee County concerning the recent heavy rains and flooding from the evening of Tuesday, August 23 through Wednesday, August 24. The Allamakee County Emergency Management Department is asking members of the public who experienced damage to their business or home from this event to contact the Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator no later than Friday, September 16 to report their flood damage.
Residents are asked to understand that currently there is no funding available for damage repair or reimbursement as this preliminary damage assessment is being conducted within the county to report to the State of Iowa for potential further action. Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker can be reached by telephone at 563-568-4233 or by e-mail at csnitker@co.allamakee.ia.us.

Wed
24
Aug

Travel advisory in Allamakee County

The Allamakee County Sheriffs Office is advising anyone traveling in Allamakee County to please use caution when driving. Heavy rains overnight have resulted in mudslides, trees down and roads washed out. The Allamakee County Highway Department and Iowa Department of Transportation are out and working on and closing roads. There will may be numerous closures where water has gone over the roadways and has washed them out. Do not attempt to drive through standing water.

Wed
24
Aug

Waukon Corn Days crowns 2016 royalty ...

Waukon Corn Days crowns 2016 royalty ...
Waukon Corn Days crowns 2016 royalty ...

The eight young ladies pictured above were vying for three separate Miss Corn Days crowns in their respective age categories during the annual Waukon Corn Days event held Friday through Sunday, August 19-21 in Waukon. Pictured above, left to right, are Madelyn Marti, Grace Solberg, Gabrielle Marti, Junior Miss Corn Days 2016 Marin Marti, Miss Corn Days 2016 Mariah Hancock, Little Miss Corn Days 2016 Olivia Marti, Elizabeth McQuade and Taylor Wohlfeil. Despite rainy weather forcing cancellation of the parade and relocation of many of this year's Corn Days activities inside to the Allamakee County Fairground Pavilion Friday and Waukon Wellness Center Saturday from downtown Waukon and the Waukon City Park, a good crowd was still in attendance to take part in the wide variety of activities offered during the annual celebration. See more photos from this year's event on Page 13A of the print edition of The Standard, as well as in the Photo Gallery on this website.

Wed
24
Aug

Senator Joni Ernst gets the scoop on WW Homestead Dairy ...

Senator Joni Ernst gets the scoop on WW Homestead Dairy ...
Senator Joni Ernst gets the scoop on WW Homestead Dairy ...

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst talks with (left to right) Tom Weighner, Tom Walleser and Paul Weighner during her tour of WW Homestead Dairy in Waukon Wednesday, August 17. Ernst visited the locally owned and operated dairy as part of the annual 99-county tour she is conducting during her time in office to hear concerns and ideas from Iowans across the state and relay that feedback to her legislative colleagues in Washington, D.C. During the tour, Senator Ernst discussed industry regulations and economic development, commenting that this tour was very timely when thinking of the recent Field Hearing she was part of with Chairman Ron Johnson of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. This committee is involved in the oversight of several agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and others.

Wed
24
Aug

Early indications point to new detention basin in northwest Waukon serving its purpose


View from the west in the above photo shows the expanse of the Northwest Detention Basin in Waukon. The view is from atop a drainage outlet that allows rainwater run-off from the Waukon High School campus and surrounding ag fields and business and residential lots on the west side of Ninth Street NW/State Highway 76 to drain underneath that roadway and directly into the basin. That rainwater, along with other run-off from the remainder of the 137-acre area that drains into that location is all directed toward the basin drain area located in the far distance nearly dead center toward the top of the above photo. The silt fence still surrounding that drain area for temporary stabilization is barely visible in the distance as the short, narrow black strip just below the trees and top of the east side of the basin dike in the top center of the photo. Standard photo by Joe Moses.

by Joe Moses

Area residents or passers-by may have noticed heavy machinery and activity within the northwest corner of the Waukon city limits over the past couple months of summer. With that machinery and activity now gone, what remains is what may look to many like the makings of a pond, and following a heavy rainfall takes on an even greater resemblance to such a body of water.

Fri
19
Aug

Saturday's children's Corn Days activities at City Park moved to Wellness Center

The Waukon Corn Days activities planned for children at the Waukon City Park Saturday, August 20 have been moved to the Waukon Wellness Center. There will be no Frisbee Golf Tournament due to the wet conditions.

Fri
19
Aug

Corn Days events location being moved due to weather

Due to inclement weather moving into the Waukon area, the Waukon Chamber of Commerce has been forced to relocate some of the Corn Days activities for this evening, Friday, August 19.

Moving to the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon will be: Meet & Greet- Paw Patrol, Waukon Chamber Sweet Corn Meal, Kids Activities (Balloon Animals, Face Painting, Caricature Drawings, Popcorn & Cotton Candy), Crowning of Royalty and the Corn Eating Contest.

An announcement on the Corn Days Parade will be made at 5 p.m. tonight.

The Street Dance will be moved into Good Fellas.

Events that are canceled for Friday evening include: Waukon Celebrity Dunk Tank and the Toilet Bowl Races.

ALL EVENT TIMES WILL REMAIN THE SAME

Wed
17
Aug

The end of an era: Girl Scout Council votes to sell Camp Tahigwa

by Lissa Blake

After half a century of programming for young girls, Camp Tahigwa is now going to be put up for sale.

Thursday afternoon, August 11, the Board of Directors of Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois (GSEIWI) voted unanimously to sell the 315-acre camp, located in the rolling hills of Dorchester in rural Allamakee County.

The vote included the stipulation the land be permanently maintained as a natural space for public use. The Board has assigned a task force to send an exploratory letter to county conservation groups, as well as the Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.

DISAPPOINTED
Decorah native Brecka Putnam, representing Friends of Camp Tahigwa, an organization which rallied to save the camp, said she is disappointed by the outcome.

Wed
17
Aug

Lansing Fish Days 2016 experiences successful weekend ...


Lansing Fish Days 2016 experiences successful weekend ...

A nearly ideal combination of weather conditions, local support and a variety of activities made for another successful Lansing Fish Days celebration this past weekend. The Fish Days grounds and other activity venues proved to be bustling with activity throughout every day of the annual event. See more photos from this year's event on Page 10A of this issue, as well as in the Photo Gallery at www.waukonstandard.com. Photo by Susan Cantine-Maxson.
 

Wed
17
Aug

Improvements to flood-ravaged Valley Trail move trail system another step forward in Waukon City Park


Improvements on the Valley Trail in the Waukon City Park have come to completion this summer. After damage from flooding in 2013 and torrential rains continuing to be a problem with the pathway, the trail route was redirected a bit to higher ground in certain areas, wing dams (visible in the grassy area to the right of the trail in the background of the above photo) have been installed, as well as pavement with blacktop and reinforced cement being used on the trail to help mitigate damage that could occur from rushing water.

The 5 Bridges Trail in the Waukon City Park is 0.45 miles long and follows along Paint Creek on the south edge of Waukon. The graveled trail meanders through trees and wildflowers and, as its name indicates, crosses five different bridges along its route. The bench pictured above is located by one of the five bridges that the trail crosses, and the sign behind the bench marks the location of Fox Spring. Photo by Brianne Eilers.

by Brianne Eilers

Anyone who has visited the Waukon City Park this summer may have noticed some work being done on the Valley Trail located near the Indian Springs Pond. Waukon Park, Recreation and Wellness Director Jeremy Strub explained that the trail is being improved using funds that the City of Waukon received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after the devastating flooding that hit Waukon in June of 2013.

“The trails have been here for a while, and just as they were starting to get more use, they got washed out and ruined in the flood,” Strub explained.

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