Top Stories

The grandstand at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon will be rockin’ like it never has before Friday, July 22, as this year’s grandstand musical act for the Allamakee County Fair will feature one of the most popular arena rock and roll experiences around as its headline performer. The Allamakee County Fair Board has announced that Hairball, the widely sought-after national touring act that brings the glory of ‘80s rock and roll to life, will bring its multi-faceted act to that grandstand stage, returning to Waukon after filling the town’s downtown stoplight intersection with fans during an overnight RAGBRAI stop in 2017.

A trio of local men were among four honored by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for their actions during the February 2020 fire at Gus & Tony’s Pizza and Steakhouse in Waukon. Dan Mathis, Dan Liddiard and Barry Nobles, all of Waukon, were among those in attendance at the combined 2020 and 2021 Governor’s Lifesaving Awards ceremony held Thursday, December 16 in the State of Iowa Capitol Rotunda in Des Moines. Archie Jorgenson of Harmony, MN was also involved in the February 10, 2020 event but did not attend the ceremony. A total of 35 individuals from communities across the state of Iowa were recognized for their courageous responses during the December 16 event that combined awards from the years 2020 and 2021 due to the 2020 ceremony not being held during the COVID-19 pandemic.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

According to a report from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the world, accounting for one in every 100 deaths. “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the risk factors associated with suicidal behaviors and calls for prioritizing its prevention,” PAHO reports.

Allie Klein, born in Waukon and living now in Prairie du Chien, WI, founded the Driftless Foundation in 2020 to provide “outreach to our local Driftless Area communities in the area of mental health awareness and suicide prevention” (thedriftlessfoundation.org).

“I have struggled with mental health issues and suicidal thoughts, myself; and I have lost many friends to this illness,” Klein says. “Knowing how hard 2020 was on my mental health, I knew we needed to do something to help others who could be struggling in our rural communities.”

Physicians and staff at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon have announced that Alaina Lucille Larkin is the first baby of the year 2022 born at the hospital, earning the hospital’s annual honor of First Baby of the Year. The newborn is the daughter of Samantha and Sean Larkin of Harpers Ferry and she joins two siblings, Jonah and Charlotte, at home.

Alaina was born January 1, 2022 at 1:40 a.m., just one hour and 40 minutes into the new year. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 19 inches long at the time of her birth. Dr. Nicole Barbee assisted with the delivery.

To read the the full article, Year in Review - Part II: Top local news stories from July - December 2021, pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.

Below is a portion of that article, July through September, summarizing the top news stories that appeared in The Standard.

JULY
The Eastern Allamakee School District (EACSD) is one of six districts in the state of Iowa to win a competitive grant to establish a therapeutic classroom in the district. The EACSD, the smallest school district to receive the grant, will receive $216,000 to support the programming this year.

by Brianne Eilers

The holiday season is here and for many, that means finding themselves with more empty cans and bottles after hosting parties and get-togethers with family and friends. However, with fewer places willing or able to take cans and bottles, and redemption centers closing or struggling to keep up, many people are finding it hard to get rid of their empties.

Iowa is one of ten states in which consumers pay a bottle deposit on cans and bottles containing carbonated beverages and alcoholic beverages. Iowa’s “Bottle Bill” was enacted April 1, 1978, and implemented July 1, 1979, as a way to prevent littering. The program is under the jurisdiction of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

To read the the full article, Year in Review - Part 1: Top local news stories from January-June 2021, pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.

Below is a portion of that article, January through March, summarizing the top news stories that appeared in The Standard.

JANUARY
The New Albin City Council met in a special session Monday, December 29 to discuss a change in the office of Mayor of New Albin. Current mayor Josh Dreps has recently moved outside of the city limits of the City of New Albin, and therefore can no longer serve as Mayor of New Albin.

by Joe Moses

Allamakee County is moving forward with plans to utilize solar energy at the County’s Public Safety Center north of Waukon. That location will soon be home to a completed solar array, a collection of multiple solar panels that will generate electricity as a system. This renewable energy option will provide electricity not only for the Public Safety Center, but also for storage buildings associated with that facility in addition to the Allamakee County Waste and Recycling facility located just south of the Public Safety Center grounds.

Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick and Vice President John Nielsen of Perry Novak Electric in Decorah recently provided an update to The Standard relating to this project. Mellick discussed how the solar array project came to be, with the County being approached earlier this year by a contractor and an investor expressing interest in developing a solar array.

A rare December severe thunderstorm roared through Allamakee County and the surrounding area Wednesday evening, December 15, not necessarily causing a significant amount of visible damage but certainly having an impact on local electrical utilities. That impact was both immediate for most of that same night of the storm and then forced to return later the next day in an effort to remedy lingering effects.

Weather forecasters had been advising the Upper Midwest of a weather rarity for that mid-December day that would elevate temperatures into the 60s and ultimately bring strong winds and even stronger wind gusts. Those winds began to pick up throughout Wednesday and ultimately reached peak reports of 60 to 70 miles per hour at various locations in northeast Iowa.

City of Waukon officials have just received word that power will be shut down in the City of Waukon for Alliant Energy customers at 10:30 AM today (Thursday), and will be shut down for approximately 2 hours. This is being done in an effort to assist with repairs of electrical lines in the area. Please take necessary precautions!