Top Stories

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, June 10 to address a full agenda of items including the annual review of the County’s ATV/UTV Ordinance, an update relating to the Iowa Partnerships for Success Grant and consideration of vehicle bids for the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department.

The paving of a one-mile stretch of Makee Drive just north of Waukon is in full swing, with tentative plans for completion of the project by the end of June (weather permitting, of course), according to Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour. The primary contractor completing the paving is Wicks Construction, Inc. out of Decorah with Croell Redi-Mix (one truck of which is seen driving out of the project area in the photo above taken by Standard Assistant Editor Joe Moses) from Waukon supplying the concrete mix. The grading and culvert work had been primarily done last fall by subcontractor Skyline Construction Inc. out of Decorah and allowed to settle during the winter.

The 2019 Allamakee County Dairy Days Parade traveled the streets of Lansing Monday, June 3, with a number of area businesses, families, individuals and organizations providing entries in the parade to pay tribute to the dairy industry. The annual celebration brings together those wanting to represent and celebrate the industry in whatever way they can and at a spectrum of ages and experience, such as the Allamakee County Dairy Ambassadors (pictured above in the photo courtesy of Main Street Lansing Executive Director Andy Kelleher), who represent the youngest generation of those involved in or promoting the dairy industry. On the more experienced end of that spectrum are those who have, perhaps, spent a lifetime being involved in the dairy industry, such as the display of proud heritage in the photo below courtesy of Robin Johnson of The Standard newspaper. View additional Dairy Days Parade photos by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this website.
 

In Waukon...

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Tuesday, May 28 following the Monday, May 27 closure of the Allamakee County Courthouse in observance of the Memorial Day holiday and met again in regular session within a week, Monday, June 3, at the New Albin Public Library as part of the Supervisors’ annual schedule of county library visits. Coverage of both meetings appears below.

MAY 28 SESSION
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Tuesday, May 28 following the Monday, May 27 closure of the Allamakee County Courthouse in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. The Supervisors addressed a short meeting agenda including a plat approval and discussion of a lot and surrounding roads in Rossville.

The Nation of Patriots, a volunteer organization with a mission to provide financial support to families of wounded military veterans who have made sacrifices in service to their country, brought its 2019 Patriot Tour through Waukon Sunday, May 19 as part of its annual three-month summer tour across the country. Tour participants display a United States flag which is transferred between riders at each designated stop along the tour that will travel the contiguous 48 United States before it will finally end up back at its original starting location in Beaver Dam, WI in early September.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

Tom Garrett of Lansing has put a lot of miles on Eastern Allamakee Community School District buses through the last 41 years. This year marks his retirement from that job.

More than 40 years ago, when he was in his mid-twenties, he heard that the school district transportation director, Vince Mullarkey, was looking for bus drivers. Mullarkey and Donny Johnson were in charge of the busing system and knew Garrett. Through those early years, Garrett was also a full-time deputy sheriff for Allamakee County, but he worked a majority of night shifts, so during the day he could drive school buses.

After he retired from the Sheriff’s department in 2004, he increased his bus load to include more activity buses in addition to his morning and evening routes.

The Allamakee County Dairy Promotion Board invites the public to its Annual Dairy Days Parade, which will be held in Lansing Monday, June 3, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The parade will start at Kee High School, travel through downtown on Main Street, south on Second Street and back west on John and Center Streets to end up at the school.

Those wishing to have an entry in this year’s parade should line up at Kee High School in Lansing between 7-7:15 p.m. For more information, call Jeremy Peake at 563-568-4120.

The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning at approximately 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 24 for the mostly central one-third of Allamakee County, a swath from west of Waukon angling slightly northeast to the Mississippi River equal distance to the north and south of Lansing. The National Weather Service out of La Crosse, WI reported that the warning was issued due to a storm cell located west of Waukon showing radar indication of rotation in its cloud formation, and the warning was issued until 9:15 p.m. with warning sirens sounding in both Waukon and Lansing.

The National Weather Service advised that no reports of a tornado touchdown or sightings of funnel clouds were received, and no damage was reported from the storm that did pass through that area. Those reports were confirmed by the Allamakee County Emergency Management Agency.