Community News

Sharing in the excitement and joy of big events, along with a little bit of familiarity, have brought Waukon native Trystan Riley to ownership of the long-established Waukon Banquet Center. The location of many celebrated events over the years, Riley took over ownership of the facility June 2 of this year from previous owners, Mike and Audrey Peterson, and is looking forward to making his own mark with it.

“I’ve bartended for years, and I like the idea of owning my own place,” Riley said of his new venture. “I had worked at Waukon Banquet Center previously for a few years, and I really enjoyed it. I like the events, and the environment, and I’ve always liked living in this area.”

With its long-established legacy of being a place where big events are celebrated, Riley feels the sky is the limit with what can be done at the facility. His willingness to work with anyone wishing to use the facility may also be as wide open as its floor plan.

Robey Memorial Library in Waukon will be hosting Main Street Story Walk in August featuring the children’s story “The Bad Seed” by Jory John. During the month of August families are encouraged to read this story at selected businesses as they stroll the downtown area. When joining in the fun, participants are reminded to be careful crossing the downtown streets for the safety of all. Seven selected businesses have a portion of the story posted in the front window of their establishment for viewing from the sidewalk. Each stop along the story walk will direct participants to the next location. Selected businesses are located on West Main Street and 1st Street NW in downtown Waukon and are labeled and numbered on the above map at the following locations: 1. Blake Electric;  2. Epic Wear; 3. S&D Cafe; 4. Rockweiler’s Appliance; 5. Hartig Drug; 6. Cunningham Hardware; 7. The Copy Shoppe. Submitted image.
 

Riders from RAGBRAI XLIX will be making their way into Allamakee County for the final day of this summer’s annual ride this Saturday, July 30. The map images above for Waukon (map image above) and Lansing (map image below) show the various routes and locations of information and interest for riders and anyone in the area that day. Riders will enter Allamakee County near Postville via Highway 18 and will then make their way from Postville to Waukon via Cherry Valley Drive, Forest Mills Road and State Highway 76, entering Waukon from the south via the combined Hwy. 9 and 76/Rossville Road route, past the Waukon City Park.

City taking advantage of State funding to address flash flooding, storm run-off issues

by Joe Moses

Waukon City Manager Gary Boden and Engineer Paige Pierce of Fehr Graham Engineering provided a recent update relating to several components of the Storm Water Quality Improvement Project currently taking place near the Pladsen Subdivision and within and near the Waukon City Park. The current project most evident just north of the City Park along 2nd Street SW is the excavation taking place to create a wetland area to assist with storm run-off while being able to address water quality downstream.

Dr. Tom Oelberg, member of the 1975 graduating class of Waukon Senior High School, recently received Diamond V’s Innovation Award for his work in developing the TMR (total mixed ration) Audit®. A total mixed ration involves all of the feed ingredients fed to cattle being mixed together in a mixer wagon - sort of like mixing peas, mashed potatoes and hamburger all together so that they can all three be eaten in the same bite, Oelberg describes. Diamond V manufactures natural immune-support postbiotic feed additives to support improved animal health, animal performance, and pre-harvest food safety worldwide.

Friday, July 22 at 8:56 p.m., the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a two-vehicle accident on Rossville Road approximately one-half mile south of Waukon, just south of the entrance driveway to the Village Farm & Home.

A motorcycle driven by Matthew Joseph Sweeney, age 41 of Waukon, was traveling northbound toward Waukon on Rossville Road/State Highways 9 and 76 and struck the rear end of a passenger car that was also traveling northbound. Sweeney was thrown from the motorcycle by the impact, and he was pronounced dead at the scene as a result of injuries he suffered in the accident. The driver of the passenger car that was struck in the accident was uninjured.

A service notice for Matthew Joseph Sweeney can be found on Page 28 in the July 27, 2022 e-edition and print edition of The Standard.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, July 18 with Mayor Pat Stone calling the meeting to order. There was no Public Comment and the meeting moved into Department Reports.

Water and Sewer Superintendent Jim Cooper provided an update on the Wastewater Treatment Plant. He discussed a planned open house for the public to view the new Wastewater Treatment Plant scheduled for Saturday, August 13 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Cooper also discussed a repair of two sections of sanitary sewer on 4th Street NW. He noted that 10 manholes have been refurbished recently with a similar process to take place throughout the community each summer moving forward, and he advised that sewer jetting is taking place on the southwest side of town.

by Corey Snitker, Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator

As most residents of Allamakee County know, the Des Moines Register’s 2022 RAGBRAI XLIX bike ride is coming to the county Saturday, July 30. As one can imagine, with some 10,000-plus bike riders coming to the county along with the support vehicles that follow along, there will be some travel and safety impacts on the roads they will be using and within the towns they will be passing through.

Therefore, I wanted to address the routes the bikes and support vehicles will be using while in Allamakee County as they leave West Union to travel to Lansing, including passing through Postville and Waukon.

The Allamakee County Conservation Foundation (ACCF) has announced that Jesse Troendle of Kee High School in Lansing and Shelby Mielke of MFL/MarMac High School in Monona are winners of the 2022 ACCF Scholarship. After high school, Troendle plans to attend Winona State University in Winona, MN to major in Biology. Mielke plans to attend the University of Montana in Missoula, MT to major in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Management.

Each year the ACCF awards up to three scholarships to graduating seniors from the high schools within Allamakee County who plan to enroll in a college or university and study a natural resource-related field. Students who would like to apply for the 2023 scholarship are encouraged to visit www.allamakeecountyconservation.org, the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center, or their school’s guidance counselor for an application.

The Allamakee County 4-H Council is sponsoring a school supply drive to benefit the Allamakee County Relief Office at the 2022 Allamakee County Fair. The council encourages all 4-H clubs and community members to participate by purchasing school supplies and donating them to this drive.

There will be a special community service booth in the 4-H exhibit building to display the donations during the Fair. Donations can be made anytime throughout the Fair, which is scheduled for July 20-24.

For further information about the Allamakee County 4-H Program, contact Marissa Foels, Allamakee County Youth Coordinator at the Allamakee County Extension and Outreach office in Waukon at 563-568-6345.