Community News

A Christmas gift received last year by 1973 Kee High School graduate Ray Burroughs of Waukon has inspired a similar project that he hopes will keep on giving.

After receiving a photo calendar created by his son, Jesse, as a Christmas gift this past December, Burroughs has taken that idea and is trying to make it into a gift of his own that will continue to give to the high school he graduated from 50 years ago. That idea has produced the first edition of “Awesome Rides,” a photo calendar now available for purchase that will not only benefit the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) but also features classic vehicles owned by residents within or individuals otherwise associated with the school district.

“There have been a lot of fundraisers that come and go over the year, but I was thinking this is something that you not only have for the calendar year, but the photos are something you can keep even longer,” Burroughs said.

Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative (ACEC) held its 85th annual meeting Monday, September 11 in a drive-through format with another great year of attendance. The board of directors and employees appreciate all members who voted for their board directors and attended the drive-through.

Each member had the opportunity to vote, receive a complimentary gift and take home a hot to-go meal. Cooperative members who voted by mail or during the annual meeting drive-through returned incumbents Michael Gibbs of Waterville and Cindy Heffern of Harpers Ferry to represent District A.

In District C, incumbent Greg Formanek of Farmersburg was also re-elected.

The board of directors will next elect board officers during its September 25 board meeting.
 

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in special session Monday, September 11 for discussion of nuisance abatement procedures, follow-through and public expectation. This two-hour meeting with approximately 15 residents participating in person or via Zoom web-conferencing covered a variety of nuisance abatement issues and related topics, serving as an information sharing session for the council and members of the general public.

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with City Clerk Sarah Snitker noting feedback received from a resident not available to attend the meeting. Snitker further noted that the person commented that they do not like parked vehicles on front yards and how that looks and that ordinances in place should be enforced throughout the community fairly.

FreedomBank recently announced the promotion of Barb Shull and Kate-Leigh Wilson to new positions within the organization. This move reflects the bank’s dedication to recognizing and nurturing the talents of its staff.

Barb Shull has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Executive Officer. She is the Waukon location’s “go-to” leader, representing both the markets team and customers within the Executive Officer group.

Kate-Leigh Wilson has been promoted to Assistant Vice President. As an ag lender in Waukon, she has a strong understanding of agriculture and is dedicated to helping FreedomBank’s loan clients achieve success.

Kathy Mueller, President and CEO of FreedomBank, expressed pride in the organization’s culture of success and development, promoting from within. Mueller stated, “We are grateful for Barb and Kate-Leigh’s contributions and look forward to their success in their new roles.”
 

Saturday, September 16 at 10 a.m. the Allamakee County Veterans Museum will present another program from its Veterans History Project at its museum located at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon. A video interview by Chuck Bloxham with U.S. Air Force veteran Lt. Col. Beth Shafer of Waukon will be played. Lt. Col. Shafer will also be present to share comments and answer questions.

Lt. Col. Beth Shafer served in the U.S. Air Force on both active and reserve duty for 22 years. She attended the United States Air Force Academy and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. following graduation. Lt. Col. Shafer then completed pilot training and was later assigned to flight crews on the C-130 Hercules transport plane (such as pictured with this article). After completing active duty, she was employed as a commercial airline pilot by United Air Lines.

The public is invited to attend the program. There is no admission or membership charge. The facility is handicapped accessible.
 

Midwest Veterans of America will be hosting a Veterans Day event Saturday, November 11 at AJ’s Steakhouse in Waukon, beginning at 12 noon. A full menu will be available to order from, and Midwest Veterans of America will be honoring 25 local veterans during the event, with those awards being distributed at 1:30 p.m.

Event organizers are seeking nominations of local veterans who will be honored at the event. To nominate a local veteran to be honored, call 563-568-5275.
 

Following a consensus reached by all community fire chiefs in Allamakee County just prior to the press deadline for this edition of The Standard, paperwork is being submitted to the State of Iowa Fire Marshal’s office to institute an open burning ban in Allamakee County, effective immediately and in place until further notice. Allamakee County will join 14 other northeast Iowa counties in instituting a burn ban during the current Extreme Drought conditions in the area. Specifics on burn ban limitations and allowances can be found on the Iowa Fire Marshal’s website at https://dps.iowa.gov/divisions/state-fire-marshal/burn-bans.

Allamakee County 4-H members exhibits were on display this past month in the Bruce L. Rastetter 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair, held August 10-20 in Des Moines. There were about 3,200 static exhibits and over 1,000 communication event performances. The exhibits displayed this year were showcasing excellence in project area learning by 4-H members across the state of Iowa.

Divisions young people may exhibit in include agriculture and natural resources, creative arts, family and consumer sciences, personal development, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The exhibits display at the Iowa State Fair is a celebration of the educational and personal accomplishments of Iowa 4-H members. It is a way for 4-H members to share what they’ve learned with the public.

by Joe Moses

Waukon City Manager Gary Boden provided an update to The Standard relating to the storm sewer replacement project taking place on 1st Street NW and 1st Avenue NW. This ongoing work is visible to the public just a block north of Main Street in downtown Waukon near McMillan Muffler, The Standard Newspaper, The Copy Shoppe, Side Street Cycles and Kurth Plumbing and Heating, among other area businesses.

Boden shared with The Standard that the storm sewer project is progressing, with some slow-down resulting as necessary excavation and planning adjustments are taking place. Boden noted some challenges relating to this project including some difficulty in locating a water main among other variables as 100-plus-year-old infrastructure is being replaced.

The Waukon City Council will be holding a special meeting Monday, September 11 at Waukon City Hall, beginning at 6 p.m. The meeting will focus on the City’s Nuisance Abatement Ordinance and will involve discussion of such matters as lawn mowing, weeds, sidewalk snow removal, junk cars and other issues.

Public feedback is welcome and encouraged in a civil manner involving open conversation with members of the Waukon City Council. Discussion will center around what the City ordinances state, how the City plans to address them moving forward, what the public can expect and/or if there are any changes that need to be implemented and what those changes may be.