Community News

A husband and wife pair of Waukon High School graduates who left their mark at their alma mater as multi-sport stand-out athletes are now looking to provide to others in their hometown community a foundation for that same opportunity for success with the opening of their new fitness facility in Waukon, 222 Trained.

Newly opened at 801 West Main Street in Waukon following a grand opening event held this past Friday, May 3, owners Shawn and Jordan (Snitker) Cunningham describe their new 222 Trained facility as “a community-focused gym, where we’re dedicated to realizing the potential of our members.”

For the second year, Bandmates, Brothers and Friends (BBF) will reunite in Waukon for another night of musical entertainment to benefit the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. This year will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Toe Tappers as part of the musical line-up, all held Friday evening, May 10, from 6-11 p.m. The event will be held at the Allamakee Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. Cash food and beverages sales will be offered throughout the event.

Many of the returning BBF musicians are from Waukon including brothers Bill Withers, Jim Withers and John Withers, who have spearheaded this project the last two years. Oldest brother, Bill, is the event coordinator. Bandmates Gary Hesla, Bob Bechtel, Dave Dougherty, Brad Prestemon, Todd Pickett, Joel Anderson, Keel Clemmens and Jamey Lideen will reunite with them again this year.

The annual “Family Wellness Fair” will be held Wednesday, May 8 from 3:30-6 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon. Health and wellness testing, exhibits, activities and refreshments will all be providing a complete evening of entertainment and education for families of all ages. The fair exhibits will be a large number, with all visitors welcome to enter the fair through the Veterans Memorial Hospital main entrance, the hospital clinic entrance or the Gundersen Clinic entrance, allowing for more parking options.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, April 29 to address a full agenda of matters including the discussion and consideration of the hourly pay rate for township officials, consideration of approving the detour route for the Allamakee County Dairy Days Parade, and consideration of adopting the North Iowa Juvenile Detention Services 28E Agreement. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Mark Reiser and Dennis Keatley present.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, April 22 to address a full agenda of matters including the Public Hearing for the proposed Fiscal-Year 2025 Allamakee County Budget, the consideration of Adopting the Resolution approving Fiscal-Year 2025 compensation increases for elected officials and the discussion and consideration of a potential solar project at the County Farm. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Mark Reiser and Dennis Keatley present.

As evident in the surrounding photos on this page, the Black Hawk Bridge at Lansing was opened to traffic by Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) officials Saturday, April 20 at approximately 11 a.m., bringing to an end a nearly two-month closure that involved an extensive repair process and rigorous safety testing and inspection. The bridge had been closed since February 25 of this year after discovery of an unexpected buckling of the bridge that was then determined to be the result of two of the bridge piers shifting on the eastern end of the structure.

“Our contracting partner, Kraemer North America, worked diligently to replace the piers,” Iowa DOT officials said. “The new piers are supported by steel pipe pilings reaching more than 100 feet into bedrock compared to the previous pilings that were placed more than 90 years ago and reached approximately 40 feet deep.”

The Toe Tappers will be celebrating their 50th anniversary at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon Friday, May 10, beginning at 6 p.m. They will join Bandmates, Brothers and Friends, members of several former local bands who are reuniting for their second consecutive year to benefit the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. This year the event will be held at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon to allow for more room for dancing, additional seating, food (cash sales), and beverages.

The Toe Tappers have been entertaining the tri-state area for over 50 years, but due to COVID never had the opportunity to celebrate that milestone, until this event. They will take the stage first, at 6 p.m., followed by two different sets of the 11 musicians who are once again reuniting for the night, forming Bandmates, Brothers and Friends (BBF).

The year 2024 is a year of firsts for the Waukon Chamber of Commerce. It is the first full year for Executive Director Mandy Halverson, the first time the organization secured an Iowa Tourism Grant, and it also marks the launch of the Chamber’s new Ambassador program. The Waukon Chamber of Commerce is nearing its 70th year of incorporation, and it’s safe to say that the organization has been a labor of love for the Waukon business owners, employees and residents who have been a part of the Chamber over the years.

In this year of new beginnings for the Waukon Chamber of Commerce, the current Chamber staff and board of directors identified increased visibility and enhanced member interactions as organizational goals. Specifically, the group wanted to improve the celebration of member milestones through more scheduled ribbon cuttings as a way to draw attention to Waukon businesses and community growth in general.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

Repair of the Black Hawk Bridge is moving along right on schedule, according to a statement posted on social media Monday, April 15, by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT).

Most encouraging is the fact that all the spans are back in place on the existing bridge. While contractors still have to install approximately 400 bolts, and a thorough inspection needs to be undertaken to make sure the bridge is safe, the DOT statement concludes, “we are on pace to meet our goal of having the bridge back open by the end of (April).”

During the sixth monthly “Bridge Talk,” held Thursday, April 11 at the Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library, spirits were higher among attendees than they had been in recent weeks, since the unexpected closing of the Black Hawk Bridge Sunday, February 25 because of safety concerns after reports were confirmed that the bridge had moved.

April 9 was a beautiful night for the Waukon Cub Scout Pack 64 to hold its monthly Pack meeting. This month, the Scouts had the privilege of having Val Miller from Steel Cow help them paint. Val showed the Scouts how she starts her paintings with the background and layers on as she paints. There were many different colors and themes in the paintings by the Scouts, including beautiful blue skies and green rolling hills, and even an ocean and pond made their appearance. The Scouts enjoyed their art lesson in the Waukon City Park and look forward to using their painting skills on the projects they do for Scouts as they progress. Submitted photo.