Community News

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, September 19 at the Meehan Memorial Public Library in Lansing per its arrangement to try and meet at all the public library locations within the county throughout the year. Discussion took place on a variety of issues, including property insurance endorsements relating to the new Public Safety Center, hiring temporary election personnel and consideration of liquid propane (LP) bids.

Sister Mary Anne McCormick, formerly of Waukon, will celebrate 50 years of religious life at a Mass and dinner with Presentation sisters, family and other invited guests to be held Saturday, September 24 at Sisters of the Presentation Mount Loretto, Dubuque. Also celebrating is Sister Marjorie Loughren of Cottage Grove, MN.

The life and spirit of 18th century Presentation Irish foundress Venerable Nano Nagle has inspired the personal faith journeys of Sisters Anne and Marjorie, who chose special scriptures with the theme “Blessed by God’s gift, strengthened by grace, received with gratitude” for their celebration.

Entering the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary September 8, 1966, Sister Mary Anne professed final vows in 1974 and Sister Marjorie in 1975. Sister Mary Anne McCormick, daughter of the late Leslie and Bernice (Ryan) McCormick of Waukon graduated from St. Patrick High School in Waukon and Clarke University in Dubuque.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Tuesday, September 6 due to the Labor Day holiday delaying its regular meeting a day. A full agenda included a discussion of the August 23-24 storm and the City's storm sewer and detention basin, the WW Homestead Dairy waste water agreement and the appointment of a new Planning & Zoning Board member.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in a pair of regular sessions within the past week due to the Labor Day holiday moving its first regular session in September to a Tuesday. Coverage of both the Tuesday, September 6 and Monday, September 12 regular sessions appears below.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in a delayed regular session Tuesday, September 6 due to the Labor Day holiday on its usual meeting day, Monday, September 5. The meeting agenda included the Public Hearing for the Columbus Road Paving Project, the Resolution creating a Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee and consideration of extending the lease agreement with Jane Regan for the Makee Manor records.

A dozen members represented the Eitzen Lions Club at the Sixth Annual Puppy Days held at the Ft. Dodge Correctional Facility in Fort Dodge Sunday, August 28. The Eitzen Lions Club members joined members of several other clubs in taking a charter bus to the facility. The Eitzen Lions Club's Legacy Award was to sponsor a Leader Dog involved in the program, and that dog was named in honor of Lion Elmer Thies. Pictured above, left to right, are: Front row - Ron Vonderohe, Spencer Yohe, Dale Meiners with leader dog Elmer T, Joann Meiners, Barb Feil and Judy Fruechte. Back row - Marveen Feil, Leon Feil, Daren Feil, Lawrence Fruechte, Greg Mohwinkle, Cathy Mohwinkle and Puppy Trainer James Schultz. Submitted photo.
 

Residents affected by the August 23-24 storms and resulting flooding may be eligible to apply for the Iowa Individual Assistance Program to cover losses experienced due to that flooding. To qualify, households must be located within the disaster declaration area of Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties and must meet income guidelines listed below. Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC) administers the program in these affected counties.

The program provides up to a maximum of $5,000 per household to cover repairs, debris removal, furnace or water heater work, replacement of lost or spoiled food, and other household losses. Households must have an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guideline as shown below:

In the early morning hours of Monday, September 12, the Waukon Police Department conducted a search warrant at 4 Lyle Drive in Waukon. The search was in response to recent break-ins and thefts from vending machines in Waukon. The suspect was caught by a Waukon police officer while breaking into a pop machine Sunday, September 11.
During the search, items related to the investigation were located along with drug paraphernalia. As a result of the incidents and search, 29-year-old Mitchell Halverson of Waukon was arrested and charged with Third Degree Criminal Mischief (aggravated misdemeanor), Fifth Degree Theft (simple misdemeanor), Interference with Official Acts, Possession of Burglar Tools (aggravated misdemeanor), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
The breaking and entering incidents remain under investigation and further charges are pending. The Allamakee County Sheriff's Office and the Fayette County Sheriff's Office K-9 assisted at the scene.

Recognition for an Outstanding Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Exhibit has been given to an Allamakee County 4-H'er. Teddy Holthaus, son of Kyle and Mari Holthaus from Waukon and a member of the Bear Creek Kids 4-H club, received recognition for his outstanding contribution to Soil and Water Conservation in Iowa from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.  His exhibit of Trees of Iowa was also recognized for the 4-H Ag & Natural Resources Iowa Tree Farm Award, for which he received a certificate and a $25 gift certificate to Cabela’s. The project was exhibited in the 4-H Exhibit Building at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines along with over 300 other entries.

Residents and property owners in northeast Iowa impacted by recent flood damage should be wary of consumer scams and shady contractors who tend to solicit victims of natural disasters, says Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. Consumers should be watchful for clean-up, home repair and construction contractors, especially those who seek business door-to-door and ask for advance payment.

State regulations make price gouging illegal for those counties where a disaster declaration is in effect. Price gouging is defined in the Attorney General's Administrative Rule as raising prices unreasonably above the price at which the merchandise or service was sold in the usual course of business immediately prior to the onset of the emergency. The rule, which applies during the emergency declaration and "subsequent recovery period" up to six months, recognizes that prices may be higher because sellers also often incur increased costs.

An "After Action Review" report released by the National Park Service earlier this year was being anticipated as a means to begin to bring closure to a series of issues more recently brought to light at Effigy Mounds National Monument in Allamakee County. However, groups such as Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and Friends of Effigy Mounds say they find very little in the report that provides hope for change and even less hope for any remedies to previous actions.

The purpose of the "After Action Review" document, as stated within the document itself, was to "determine root causes of the incidents that took place at Effigy Mounds National Monument (monument) between 1999 and 2010 that led to impacts to cultural resources and strained relations with American Indians, and to recommend positive actions to improve National Park Service (NPS) practices going forward."