Community News

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, July 6 to address matters including the Quarterly Report for Planning and Zoning, the Liquor License Renewal for the Allamakee County Conservation Foundation, and the consideration of bids for full-depth concrete pavement patching. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tom Clark with Supervisors Dennis Keatley and Dan Byrnes present.

During the Public Comment portion of the meeting, Byrnes made note of the Firecracker 5K event hosted in Harpers Ferry Saturday, July 4 which he advised had 256 participants as part of the Fourth of July weekend festivities in the community. He also recognized the efforts of the Harpers Ferry Booster Club which organizes the annual event.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, July 6 to address a full agenda of matters including a City Hall building structural evaluation update, the review and consideration of the First Reading of the Ordinance amending Chapter 76 Bicycles and Skateboards, and the Second Reading of the Ordinance amending Chapter 105 “Solid Waste Control”. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with council members present including Cassie Handke, Nic Engrav, Tim Smedsrud and Steve Wiedner.

Public input sought to help determine community needs and direction for growth

by Joe Moses

Waukon City Manager Grayson Rowlet and Senior Regional Planner Michelle Barness of Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) recently met with The Standard relating to the City of Waukon’s Comprehensive Plan update. Through public engagement opportunities including meetings and surveys seeking input, this planning process will allow Waukon residents to help determine needs and direction for growth relating to housing, economic development, infrastructure and facilities, agricultural and natural resources, recreation and land use, among other aspects impacting the daily lives of community residents.

West Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waukon will be the site for “Music in the Country” Sunday, July 12, a musical event featuring Alan & Roxy Fauque, a saxophone and piano duo, from the Madison, WI area. Beginning at 2 p.m. and hosted by the West Paint Creek Synod Cemetery Association (WPCSCA), ice cream, bars, and coffee will be served in the church’s newly remodeled fellowship/dining area, located at 1351 Elon Drive.

Alan and Roxy Fauque moved to Wisconsin from Bozeman, MT. They perform together at social events and as contemporary worship musicians, displaying their considerable musical background in many other avenues.

Roxy once prepared 126 sixth graders to perform a premier composition at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She also was honored with a Yale Distinguished Music Educator award. Upon arriving in Mount Horeb, WI, she taught music in the schools there for four years.

Kerndt Brothers Savings Bank has announced the promotion of Erik Helgerson to President. Helgerson will assume his new responsibilities immediately while James Kerndt continues to serve as Chief Executive Officer until his planned retirement in the coming years.

Helgerson brings 30 years of banking experience and leadership to the position. He began his banking career as a Credit Analyst with Firstar Bank before serving as a Commercial Loan Officer with U.S. Bank and a Loan Officer with Waukon State Bank. Prior to joining Kerndt Brothers, Helgerson served as Senior Loan Officer for FreedomBank, where he was responsible for credit administration, risk management, and strategic lending initiatives.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, June 29 to address a full agenda of matters including the consideration of bids received for bulk highway de-icing salt, the Public Hearing for the Allamakee County Fiscal-Year 2026 (FY26) Budget Amendment, and discussion and consideration of the annual designation of location for posting public notices.

The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tom Clark with Supervisors Dan Byrnes and Dennis Keatley present. There was no Public Comment during the time allotted for that matter.

FreedomBank of Elkader, Monona, Postville, and Waukon has promoted James Moritz to President.  Moritz, who has 35 years of banking experience with FreedomBank, has been involved in credit, ALCO, trust, and executive leadership. He has been Market President of the Monona location for the past six years and a member of the board of directors since 2019.

Moritz succeeds Kathy Mueller, a 45-year banker who served as President from 2020-2026. Mueller will retain her role as CEO of FreedomBank and President of the bank’s holding company, FreedomBank Shares, Inc.

Pladsen Chevrolet automotive technicians Drew Adam and Brian Wullner (left to right in the submitted photo at right) were recently honored with Mark of Excellence Awards for ranking among the Top 20 Performing General Motors (GM) Service Technicians in the Midwest Region. The General Motors Mark of Excellence Service Technician Award recognizes the top 20 performing service technicians within each General Motors zone. It honors the industry’s highest achievers in fixed-right-first-time (FIRTFT) metrics, product knowledge, and continued General Motors certification. Technicians are evaluated on their annual diagnostic skills, productivity, Gold/Master Level training certifications, and customer satisfaction (CSI) scores.

Saturday, July 4, the Allamakee County Veterans Museum at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is no admission charge. The public is welcome to visit for tours, and the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary will be providing cookies and beverages for the Fourth of July event.

The Veterans Museum honors the service and sacrifice of Allamakee County veterans who have served the United States in uniform throughout the years.

Guided tours will be given of exhibits from the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and all post 9-11 conflicts. Patriotic music from all eras will be played.

All local veteran videos in the museum library will be available for presentation on request. Donations of additional pictures to the Veteran Honor Walls will be welcome.
 

Midwest Veterans of America will be hosting an America 250 event Saturday, July 4 at the Waukon City Park to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. All area Veterans and their family and friends are invited to a cookout at the Sweeney Shelter near the Freedom Rock in the Waukon City Park, beginning at 11 a.m.

Those attending are asked to bring a salad or a dessert to pass, all other items for the cookout event will be provided. There will also be a live auction with proceeds from that auction being donated to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. The musical anthem for each branch of the U.S. military will be played as all Veterans will be honored for their service.

At 1 p.m., group photos of all Veterans in attendance will be taken, including photos grouped by branch of military service. These photos will then be hung in the Allamakee County Veterans Museum on Allamakee Street in Waukon.