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Students from Waukon High School will join thousands of other youth and any others who may be interested on athletic fields across the nation Wednesday, October 9 to share their Christian faith with fellow students and the general public. The local event is now in its eighth year and will start at 7 p.m. at the Waukon High School football field that Wednesday evening. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held inside the Waukon High School gymnasium.

Featured speaker for this year’s event will be Michael De Jong, a resident of Iowa who is a husband and father to five children. He will share his message of how Jesus rescued and saved him during the darkest moments of his life.

The Friends of Yellow River State Forest are working to establish the fire tower at Yellow River State Forest (pictured above) on the National Register of Historic Places. Any assistance with any historic documents pertaining to the fire tower would be much appreciated. The group is looking for newspaper articles, documents and/or pictures anyone may have of the tower, or even anecdotal stories of their fondness for the tower. With the historic aspect in mind, the further back the materials go (even 50 years), the better. Email documents, stories, etc. to dvpeters@goacentek.net. Mailed documents or letters can be sent to: Friends of Yellow River State Forest, P.O. Box 171, Harpers Ferry, IA 52146. Submitted photo.
 

Although the storm that swept through northeast Iowa Thursday, September 12 was forecasted to possibly produce strong winds and hail, it was heavy rain - reported to have dumped as much as six inches in some areas of southeast Allamakee County that evening - that caused the most concern and left behind the most visible scars. The severity of the rain has ultimately resulted in several closed rural gravel roads, along with camping sites in the Yellow River State Forest.

BUSY EVENING FOR FIRE DEPARTMENTS
All Allamakee County fire departments were called upon for storm spotting shortly after 4 p.m., but for those in the southeast portion of the county their call to duty didn’t end there. The evening’s heavy rains quickly raised creeks and filled otherwise dry-run areas with rolling water along Great River Road, in Yellow River State Forest and in other areas in southeast Allamakee County, northeast Clayton County and over into southwest Wisconsin.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital, together with Elliott Jewelers of Waukon, will be hosting its 15th annual Women’s Health Day wellness event and luncheon Tuesday, September 24 at the Waukon Reception and Banquet Center. All ages are invited to attend this educational event, beginning at 11 a.m. with a wellness fair offering a variety of free health tests and information, and a salad luncheon and program held from Noon to 1 p.m.

Tickets are available at Veterans Memorial Hospital and Elliott Jewelers in Waukon. Tickets will also be available at the door, until the event is sold out. The proceeds from this event will be used to purchase a new fetal heart monitor and baby bassinet for the Maternity Services Department.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session at the Waterville Community Center Monday, September 16 to address a full agenda of items including the discussion and acknowledgment of the Fiscal-Year 2019 Official Report of the County Engineer, discussion and consideration of changes to the Allamakee County ATV/UTV Ordinance proposed by the Allamakee County ATV/UTV Club and updates for the Waterville Public Library and City of Waterville.

During Public Comment, Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer provided a reminder for those wanting to run for city council, mayor or school board that candidate paperwork is due by 5 p.m. this Thursday, September 19 in the Auditor’s office at the Allamakee County Courthouse. Beyer advised that the combined city and school elections is new for this year in the state of Iowa.

The counties of Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek in northeast Iowa, including all communities within, are designated as Regional Planning Affiliation 1 (RPA-1) by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT). Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) is the state-designated administrator for RPA-1, providing multimodal transportation planning services, program administration and technical assistance to all communities in the five-county region.

by Captain Ted Peck

The irreversible and profound impact of the Mississippi River flood of 2019 became evident just prior to the Labor Day weekend. The “Immortal River” is a never-ending source of subtle nuances and clues which can translate into amazing fishing results for those who can decipher what the river is whispering as it eases through the Driftless Area towards perpetual mingling with the Gulf of Mexico.

Work as a full-time fishing guide on Pool 9 for the past 18 years and nearly a half-century before that on Pool 13 nearly 190 miles downriver standing on the shoulders of four prior generations of “River Rats” has created an enigmatic relationship only the river’s soul could understand.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

Brennan Dolan, Cultural Resources Manager and Archaeologist for the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), has become a familiar face at the Meehan Memorial Public Library in Lansing. Thursday, August 29, the Iowa DOT, represented by Dolan, and several others, met with interested area residents about the findings of the archaeological studies recently conducted in conjunction with the Black Hawk Bridge project.

Dolan has presented at informational meetings several times over the past few months in regard to the bridge project, keeping the public informed and gathering comments and information to share with Iowa DOT officials. A special guest at this meeting was Leah Rogers, whose archaeological firm, Tallgrass Archeology (Iowa City), along with Two Rivers Archaeology (Anamosa), had completed the archaeological excavations at the newly recorded sites for the proposed bridge replacement.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session twice within a week, including Tuesday, September 3 following the closure of the Allamakee County Courthouse Monday, September 2 in observance of the Labor Day holiday and again Monday, September 9.

SEPTEMBER 3 REGULAR SESSION
During Public Comment, Waukon City Council member John Ellingson discussed concerns relating to a stockpile of asphalt millings along Green Valley Road that are within the County’s right of way, potential drainage issues involving a water retention basin and some damage to 16th Avenue NW. Executive Director Val Reinke with Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) provided a six-page schedule of events taking place in September within the county and provided an overview of several specific events.

Monday, September 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the Kerndt Brothers Community Center in Lansing, Main Street Lansing will host a public meeting to review the results of the Lansing market study survey. A total of 488 consumers responded to the survey, which was well past the goal needed to reach an accurate sample size of the community. In addition, 51 local businesses responded to a specialized survey created to dive deeper into business needs in Lansing.

For anyone who took the survey and may be interested in the various opinions expressed, this meeting will provide that opportunity. Additionally, attendees will be able to provide feedback and thoughts about the market study process moving forward.

After this September meeting, the Market Study Committee will have a work session in October to work on a plan of strategies to help the Lansing market. The final document should be completed by November.