Community News

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, September 28 to address a variety of matters including the purchase of laptop computers for the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department, the agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation for the Iowa River Drive (A26) construction project and the review of several plat requests.

During Public Comment, Executive Director Val Reinke of Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) discussed being part of an interview relating to travel and tourism within the county during the Midwest Travel Network’s Facebook live session, with footage from that interview currently on YouTube and soon to be added to ACED’s website. Reinke further discussed the focus of the interview as being about promoting travel and tourism in the county and the role travel writers and bloggers have in that process in attracting tourists to the county.

Allamakee County experienced another double-digit total of confirmed cases of COVID-19 this past week, although at a slower rate than the previous three weeks had seen. The past week, from Tuesday, September 22 through Monday, September 28, has seen 17 new local cases reported by the State of Iowa.

Those cases began with three new cases reported that Tuesday, September 22, with just one new case Wednesday, three more cases Thursday and two cases reported Friday, September 25. The weekend saw eight new cases reported by the State of Iowa for Saturday and Sunday combined, with no additional cases reported into Monday, September 28 to leave the Allamakee County total at 264 cases as of Monday.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds visited Allamakee County Friday, September 18 as part of her annual 99-county tour, making a couple stops in Waukon. Gov. Reynolds began her Waukon visit at the Iron Ridge Church, the site of a food distribution event that day through the USDA’s Farms to Families Program. Reynolds next visited the S&D Café in downtown Waukon to meet with and listen to concerns from members of the public, being pictured above talking with S&D Café owner Sandy Halverson. Reynolds said that her 99-county tour is focusing on meeting with business owners to hear the challenges facing them, including the impact of COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Reynolds discussed grants available to businesses through the Iowa Economic Development Authority, which have helped to finance or bridge the gap while being shutdown.

The Allamakee County 4-H Youth Development Committee is proud to recognize Dan and Jane Sivesind of Waukon as the 2020 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame inductees from Allamakee County. The 2020 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame inductees were inducted this year by a virtual ceremony that can be viewed online at the Iowa 4-H Foundations website at https://www.iowa4hfoundation.org.

The Sivesinds have been active supporters of the Allamakee County 4-H program for over 30 years. Their family has competed in numerous county fairs, regional shows, as well as state shows over the years. Instilling the value of 4-H in their children, they have continued the family tradition of giving back to the 4-H community.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon Police Station remodeling project is moving forward with extensive improvements and renovations taking place this fall at its current location in the 100 block of First Street NW, with project completion anticipated for mid-December this year. Initial interior demolition got underway this past week by the project contractor.

Waukon Police Chief Paul Wagner said that the first phase of this project essentially began with the replacement of the Waukon Police Station’s concrete driveway earlier this summer, which also improved some storm water drainage issues at the northeast corner of the building. Wagner also said that a pre-construction meeting took place just over a week ago with Dave’s Complete Construction, Inc. of Delhi, one of seven contractors to bid on this project and the contractor with the lowest bid for the project of $372,694.00 and an alternate bid of $14,923.00 for the inclusion of additional options.

Due to a remodeling project that has just gotten underway with the start of this week at its current First Street NW location, the Waukon Police Department has temporarily relocated its headquarters to its one-time former location on the lower level of Waukon City Hall. The temporary location is accessible through its First Avenue NE entrance on the west end of the building (white door pictured here at right). The Waukon Police Department’s mailing address remains the same, 104 First Street NW, and the department’s telephone numbers and email addresses are all unchanged as well. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
 

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Tuesday, September 8 following the observance of the Labor Day holiday and closure of City Hall on the council’s usual meeting day Monday, September 7. The council addressed a full agenda of items including a request for reimbursement from the Iowa COVID-19 Government Relief Fund, consideration of Waukon Wellness Center HVAC repairs and City Code amendments based on State Code changes.

Students from Waukon High School will join thousands of other youth and any others who may be interested on athletic fields across the nation Wednesday, October 7 to share their Christian faith with fellow students and the general public for this year’s Fields of Faith event. The local event is now in its ninth year and will start at 7 p.m. at the Waukon High School football field that Wednesday evening. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on.

by Joe Moses

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst continued her annual 99 County Tour with a planned stop Wednesday, September 2 at WW Homestead Dairy in Waukon.

Tom Weighner, a co-owner of the business, provided a tour of the production facility and retail store and discussed a variety of industry trends affecting WW Homestead Dairy and the dairy industry in general during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weighner said the recent purchase of a milk truck has made the company more self-sufficient relating to transportation by reducing dependence on outside trucking companies to distribute their products.

J Nails & Spa has opened its doors within the past month in the newly renovated building at 7 Spring Avenue in downtown Waukon. The building that most recently housed Spring Avenue Pub in Waukon has now been renovated both inside and outside and, as of August 5, is home to the new business owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Tommy Ta and Yen Thu Nguyen.

The couple originally came from California and has also lived in Illinois and Wisconsin. They have three children that include two boys and one girl.

The two say that building owner Dick Sullivan inspired them to open their business at its new Waukon location. They describe their new venture as an “upscale nail salon” and offer both manicures and pedicures within their line-up of services.