Community News

Sunday, November 10 at approximately 6 p.m. the Waukon Police Department received a report of a vehicle burglary which occurred on Rossville Road in Waukon. The reporting party advised that they followed the defendant to the location where officers were called to. The defendant had used a bicycle as his means of transportation but was also given a ride to a family member’s home in Waukon.

As a result of the investigation, 22-year old Joshua Paul Tischer of La Crosse, WI was arrested and charged with third-degree burglary (aggravated misdemeanor) and possession of burglary tools (aggravated misdemeanor). A criminal charge is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
 

Family and friends of Lorelei Brink of Waterville will be hosting a benefit event for her this Saturday, November 23 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The benefit event is geared toward raising funds to help pay for medical bills and other life adjustments that may develop for the 10-month-old daughter of JayR and Jerrica (Milton) Brink of Waterville.

February 28 of this year, Lorelei went into cardiac arrest from Influenza A on her way to the Emergency Room in La Crosse, WI. The medical team was able to stabilize her and she was airlifted to Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, MN, where she was  put on ECMO, respiratory life support and dialysis. Her heart and lungs have made miraculous recoveries and her kidneys continue to heal.

by Lissa Blake

The best way to save money on energy is not to spend it.

That’s why the newly formed Allamakee Energy District (AED) wants to help educate the public on some of the simple things the public can do to conserve energy.

October 22, the AED hosted a half-day bus tour of some of the sustainable energy innovations happening in the area. Around 20 people boarded the bus to tour a variety of locations throughout Allamakee County.

Attendees included representatives from the Allamakee Energy District, the Clayton County Energy District, the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors, Allamakee County Economic Development, Waukon Economic Development Corporation, Waukon City Council, mayors of Waukon and Postville, State Representative Anne Osmundson, Green Iowa AmeriCorps representatives from the Winneshiek Energy District and more.

The City of Waukon Streets Department would like to remind residents and visitors that parking on city streets is prohibited between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. starting November 15 and lasting through April 1, as posted on signage (pictured above) at all highway entrances to the city. This restriction is for the purpose of best facilitating snow removal on city streets, which has actually gotten a bit of an earlier start this year than what’s posted for parking restrictions. City of Waukon officials also remind residents and property owners that snow needs to be removed from sidewalks within 24 hours of the end of a snowfall, otherwise City of Waukon staff will remove the snow and charge the property owner as much as $200 each time snow has to be removed from sidewalks. Residents and property owners are also reminded by City officials to shovel out water meter locations and fire hydrants on their property to help provide easier access to those items. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
 

A desire to balance work and home life, in addition to wanting to provide her customers a welcoming and comfortable shopping experience, have resulted in the opening of Driftless Arrow Boutique for owner McKayla Dahlstrom. The boutique is located in Dahlstrom’s home at 21 Fifth Avenue SE in Waukon.

“After being a stay-at-home mom for three years, I was ready to get back to work, except I wasn’t ready to put my kids in daycare,” the former McKayla O’Hare now married to Bryce Dahlstrom, also a Waukon native, said. “I needed to created my own job that worked with our family schedule.”

Opened in January of this year, Driftless Arrow Boutique offers a variety of apparel, jewelry and other accessories in a setting Dahlstrom finds inviting to her customers. “The fact that my boutique is run out of my home makes it a very casual and cozy shopping experience,” she shared.

Help keep the community warm this winter by participating in Gundersen Health System’s annual Wrapping the Community in Warmth Blanket Drive. Between November 18 and December 13, area residents are encouraged to drop off new blankets, either store bought or handmade, at the Gundersen Clinics in Waukon or Lansing during regular business hours. The donated blankets will be given locally to the Allamakee County Relief Office and the Lansing Iowa Food Trust (LIFT). Submitted photo.

R.W. Pladsen, Inc. recently completed its Fill-A-Truck promotion held throughout the month of October to benefit the Allamakee County Relief Office in its efforts to help those less fortunate. Individuals could donate a non-perishable food item to help “fill a truck” and also have their name entered into a weekly Friday drawing during the month of October for prizes that included gift certificates, t-shirts and other items donated through the generosity of Allamakee County businesses much appreciated by R.W. Pladsen, Inc. and all those benefiting from the promotion. Pictured above at the presentation of the donated food items to the Allamakee County Relief Office are, left to right, R.W. Pladsen, Inc. staff members Steve Pladsen, Bob Kubitz, Karina Opperman, Carli Quandahl and Greg Halverson, and Allamakee County Relief Office Director Rebecca Hawes. Standard photo by Sara Aleckson-Melcher.
 

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, November 4 to address a full agenda of items including the removal of dead trees from private property, the contract for the computer system network project and appointments to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

During Public Comment, Maintenance Supervisor Matt Pladsen with Aveka Nutra Processing provided an update relating to the company’s Waukon facility including a product for Anheuser-Busch and the placement of a new silo, among other matters.

Under Department Reports, Police Chief Paul Wagner advised that Assistant Police Chief Luke Inglett is participating in a field officer training program which will be beneficial in training new officers. Street Superintendent Keith Burrett provided an update on winter preparations involving various equipment including plows and sanders.

Wednesday, October 30, 30-year old Jesse Paul Blake of Waukon was arrested on a warrant which was issued as a result of a search warrant that was executed at his home at 18 Second Avenue NW in Waukon three days earlier, Sunday, October 27.

Blake was not present during the search warrant execution but through the search, along with months of investigation, he was charged with a controlled substance violation (cocaine), which is a class C felony; gathering where controlled substances are used (cocaine), which is a class D felony; and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond for Blake was set at $5,100.

The Waukon Police Department was assisted by the Postville Police Department, which is also a member of the Northeast Iowa Drug Task Force. A criminal charge is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
 

The City of Waukon has set its official Trick-or-Treat time for Halloween for Thursday, October 31 from 4-8 p.m. Area residents are asked to leave porch lights on to welcome trick-or-treaters,  and the youngsters are reminded to keep safety in mind while making their rounds from house to house.

St. Paul's UMC "All Hallows Eve"
Again this year St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Waukon will be hosting a trick-or-treat event Thursday, October 31, handing out fun from 4-7 p.m. Entrance is at the front of the church at 27 Second Avenue NW to wander through a warm, dry, non-scary wonderland of decorations, treats, and to get a free book before exiting onto First Street NW on the side of the church. The event takes place rain or shine. Call 563-568-3678 with any questions.