Water taxi helps keep hope afloat ... Maiden Voyage Tours’ 49-passenger tour boat is pictured at Big Slough Landing, on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River. Providing a water taxi service for those wanting to cross the river during the repair of the Black Hawk Bridge, that service is free and runs seven days a week from the Lansing Marina to Big Slough Landing. The Iowa Department of Transportation bought the temporary dock pictured and had it installed at Big Slough Landing so the water taxi has a safe place to load and unload passengers. The dock will be removed when the bridge re-opens and the water taxi ceases operation. Photo by Julie Berg-Raymond.
by Julie Berg-Raymond
It was a chilly 24 degrees under overcast skies at 7 a.m. Monday, March 18, when the first water taxi left the Lansing Marina for Big Slough Landing in Crawford County, WI.
It wasn’t an ideal morning for a boat ride; but, while the boat provides blankets for passengers, comfortable recreation isn’t the point of this service. The point, instead, is to provide free transportation for people who need to cross the river without having to drive north to La Crescent/La Crosse or south to Marquette/Prairie du Chien while the Black Hawk Bridge is being repaired and made safe again for traffic.
Paul Wagner of Waukon has announced that he is running for Allamakee County Sheriff as a Republican candidate. Wagner has been a life-long resident of Allamakee County, having grown up on a dairy and beef farm between Lansing and Harpers Ferry. He is the son of Ray and Bonnie Wagner, and is a 2003 graduate of Kee High School in Lansing.
He and his wife, Jessica, live in Waukon along with their four children, Kylie, Zach, Brias, and Vienna. They own Aztec Parlor in Waukon, which they opened in 2021.
Wagner has worked for the Waukon Police Department since 2007 after starting his law enforcement career in 2004 at the New Albin Police Department. He has nearly 20 years of full-time law enforcement experience, and he was also a part-time police officer for the Lansing Police Department and Postville Police Department during his career. Wagner graduated from Upper Iowa University in Fayette December 22, 2013, with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.
The scheduling of an arson trial for Mindy Jo Jones stemming from the February 13, 2022 fire that destroyed her Tin, Rust and Harmony business located at 9 Allamakee Street in Waukon will have to wait at least another month, following discussion at a Monday, April 1 review hearing of the case held by teleconference in Allamakee County District Court.
Monday’s review hearing had originally been scheduled to try and determine a jury trial date for Jones in that February 22 arson case. However, following the sentencing of Jones the previous Friday, March 29 in Fillmore County, MN to a 27-month incarceration after her conviction on several counts of felony theft in that state, the legal representation involved on both sides of the arson case agreed to delay any trial date decisions until details of her incarceration in Minnesota are further clarified, according to Allamakee County Anthony Gericke.
Three Allamakee County leadership positions up for election this year each have a differing degree of candidate options following the March 22 deadline to file candidacy paperwork to be on this year’s June 4 Primary Election ballot. One Allamakee County Board of Supervisors seat, along with the offices of Auditor and Sheriff, are all up for election this year, with the General Election scheduled for November 5. No candidacy paperwork has been filed by anyone from the Democrat party for any of the three positions.
Incumbent Republican Denise Beyer of Waukon is the lone candidate to file paperwork for the office of Allamakee County Auditor. She will be seeking her fourth four-year term in that office, after first being elected in 2012.
A total of 27 area military veterans from the Vietnam War era were honored during an event hosted Saturday, March 30 at AJ Bar & Grill in Waukon. The event was hosted by Midwest Veterans of America and included each of those veterans receiving a plaque and small American flag, in addition to rounds of applause and gratitude from the many in attendance for their years of service to their country. Many of those honored veterans are pictured in the photo at right, standing on the staircase at AJ Bar & Grill for a group photo, and many of their family members, friends and acquaintances were also in attendance to witness and share in their honoring. The event was emceed by retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant Kevin Herman, a 1984 graduate of Waukon High School, who is pictured standing among the honored veterans in the middle of the top row of the photo. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
Ahlstrom family ... Left to right: Isaiah, Ashley, Justin and Vera Ahlstrom. Submitted photo.
The 12th Rusty Rides Run scheduled for this Saturday, April 6 will benefit Vera Ahlstrom, five-year-old daughter of Justin and Ashley Ahlstrom of Waukon. In June of 2018, at the age of six months old, Vera was diagnosed with Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC), a rare, life-threatening neurological disease affecting approximately one in one million people.
AHC impacts Vera in a number of ways, with the most common episode being paralysis (hemiplegia) to her left or right side and her most severe episodes involving bouts of full body paralysis and severe dystonia, which is a movement disorder that causes the muscles to contract involuntarily. When working through episodes of this type, she is unable to eat or drink anything other than a small syringe of water at a time. Anything more and she could aspirate as her esophagus, larynx and trachea do not function correctly.
Tuesday, March 12, Cub Scout Pack 64 in Waukon went “Scouting for Food” around Waukon. In just an hour and a half, the Scouts collected 724 pounds of food and $28 in donations (such as pictured above), resulting in a record amount of food the Scouts have donated to the Allamakee County Food Shelf. “The Waukon community came out to help like always and made it a successful food drive for the Scouts!” local Scout leaders shared. “Some even dropped food off at the Allamakee Farm Bureau office to make sure the Scouts got their donation!” Submitted photos.
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met Wednesday, March 27 for the required Public Hearing for the County’s Proposed Property Tax Levy for Fiscal-Year 2025 (FY25).
The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Dennis Keatley and Mark Reiser present. Members of the public in attendance included Tom Clark, John Sweeney and Executive Director Val Reinke of Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED).
The Public Hearing was opened with County Auditor Denise Beyer providing an overview of the letter that taxpayers received prior to the date of this meeting and hearing relating to the County’s proposed FY25 (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025) property tax levy. Beyer advised that this public hearing is a new requirement relating to Iowa House File 718 (HF718), legislation relating to local government property taxes, financial authority and budgets, among other matters.
Kee High School’s Drama Department will be presenting “Robin Hood” by Tim Kelly this Saturday, April 6 at 7 p.m. and this Sunday, April 7 at 2 p.m. at the Kee High School gymnasium. Admission will be payable at the door. Pictured at right is a scene from a recent dress rehearsal for the production.
Members of the cast and crew for this production include the following:
The Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors conducted business as usual at its business meeting in March, but after the district’s business meetings were concluded, the board informally discussed the plans moving forward as EACSD Superintendent Dr. Sarah Murray continues to recover from her recent accident. Superintendent Murray sustained severe injuries in a fall at home Friday, March 15. She remains hospitalized in La Crosse, WI but eventually will be moved to Chicago, IL for further rehabilitation, according to recent updates.
