Community News

The Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department’s Thompson submachine gun has been relocated from the Old Courthouse Museum and is now displayed in the Allamakee County Veterans Museum in Waukon. One could say that the Tommy gun has “come home,” as the Veterans Museum includes the 1882 two-story red brick building (pictured far below at right) which was once the site of the Allamakee County Sheriff’s official residence and the County Jail, beginning in 1882.

The “new” (and current) courthouse that also included a jail was built in 1939 on the opposite side of Allamakee Street and the former Sheriff’s residence and jail premises fell into disuse until after WWII when county veterans established the Vet’s Club.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, August 11 to address a full agenda of matters including the discussion and consideration of steam trap bids for the County Courthouse heating system repair, the discussion and consideration of the reinstatement of a pasture lease contract, and the discussion and consideration of signing opioid litigation settlement agreements.

Prior to the 9 a.m. regular session, the Supervisors held a work session with discussion taking place relating to body-worn cameras, in-vehicle cameras and computers and related subscriptions for this equipment for the County Sheriff’s Department. In addition, discussion took place relating to steam trap bids received for the County Courthouse heating system repairs and options available.

by Brianne Grimstad

The month of June marked the fifth consecutive month at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon with a Gross Patient Revenue over $5,000,000, according to numbers presented at the July monthly meeting of the VMH Board of Trustees. Gross Patient Revenue for the month came in at $5,040,234.

However, after deducting contractuals, Charity Care and Bad Debt, the Total Operating Revenue came in at $2,958,415. Expenses for the month totaled $3,510,477, and after adding in Non-Operating Income, the hospital ended the month showing a loss of $430,135.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, pictured at left in the photo above, addressed attendees at the Sunday, June 27 Picnic at the Park event open to Republicans from Allamakee County. Due to weather related concerns, the event was moved to an indoor location, First Baptist Church in south Waukon, and included a potluck dinner for the large group present for the event (as evident in the photo above). Allamakee County Republican Central Committee Co-Chairperson Duane Smith, pictured at right in the photo above, provided opening comments and an introduction for Governor Reynolds. Other speakers at the event included some current government and legislative leaders, as well as some Republican candidates for various offices.

The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) and Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) announced Thursday, July 31 the newly designated 2026 Iowa Thriving Communities. Those communities included the City of Waukon, along with Clear Lake, Ottumwa, Sioux Center and Urbandale.

“Housing is the foundation of upward economic opportunity, and when all Iowans have access to affordable homes, families, communities and businesses can truly thrive,” said IEDA | IFA Director Debi Durham. “These communities have stepped up as leaders in creating housing opportunities for all income levels.”

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, August 4 to address a full agenda of matters including discussion relating to the installation of solar panels at the Waukon Wellness Center, the consideration of the contract for the Robey Memorial Library siding project, and discussion of the City Hall ceiling. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with council members present including Steve Wiedner, Nicholas Engrav, Dave Blocker, Tim Smedsrud and John Lydon.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, July 28 to address a full agenda of matters including the Public Hearing for three amendments to Zoning Ordinance L, the discussion and consideration of the purchase of a patrol vehicle for the Allamakee County Sheriff’s office, and the opening and consideration of bids for the Volney Bridge repair project. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Dennis Keatley and Tom Clark present.

Waukon Corn Days is a celebration of agricultural heritage and community, and has a long-standing history in Waukon extending back to what some may remember as “Threshing Days”. The Waukon Chamber of Commerce looks forward to hosting the annual celebration again in 2025 with events starting Friday, August 1. This event, hosted in conjunction with Iowa’s Sales Tax Free Weekend, also encourages local shopping with Waukon “Crazy Days” specials, discounts and deals available at local retailers.

The Allamakee County Veterans Museum will participate in Waukon Corn Days 2025 Friday, August 1 and Saturday, August 2 with a film presentation both days. The movie filmed in downtown Waukon in the 1940s by the Cote family, owners of the Town Theatre pictured above, will be played. See what Waukon was like in the 1940s, along with other photos and memorabilia from past Corn Days celebrations. No video is available of the Corn Days parades, such as is pictured in the photo below labeled as being from 1928.

Videos will play continually from noon to 4 p.m. this Friday and also from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday in the meeting room of the Allamakee County Veterans Museum, which is located at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon. The Veterans Museum will also be open for tours during those same time frames. The museum is air conditioned, there is no admission charge, and the facility is wheelchair accessible. Submitted photos.
 

In his return from a several-year absence, Finney, a tagged wooden fish, did not stay hidden for long in the community of Lansing, as the sibling trio (pictured left to right above) of Nora, Josey and Macklin Wood, children of Brice and Kathy Wood of Lansing, found the elusive fish in this year’s hiding spot, underneath one of the raised community garden beds near the Lansing Fitness Center. The kids say it was a concentrated team effort of talking about the clues, thinking of a location that might fit those clues, and then conducting the search effort together as a family.

For their efforts, the siblings now get to share a bounty of prizes from local supporters of the Find Finney contest conducted as a way to try and help kick off the annual Lansing Fish Days celebration in the Lansing community. Those prizes, some of which are pictured above with the finders of Finney, include a $25 gift certificate to