Top Stories

Helping decide who will square off in the November General Election later this year, Allamakee County voters joined others statewide in casting their decisions in the Tuesday, June 5 Primary Election. Allamakee County Commissioner of Elections Denise Beyer reports that just under 10.5% of Allamakee County’s 9,892 registered voters took part in this year’s Primary Election.

“The turn-out for the 2018 Primary was pretty similar to recent Primary elections,” Beyer explained. “In 2012 there was a 17% turn-out, 2014 had 9% and 2016 had 17% turnout for the Primary election.”

In Waukon...
The annual Memorial Day Observance held May 28 at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon included delivery of the featured presentation by Sean Liddiard (pictured at far left), who was a national finalist in the VFW and Auxiliary Voice of Democracy student essay contest this year and shared his award-winning essay with those in attendance. There was no parade as part of this year’s Memorial Day events, but a variety of traditional honorings - both more recent and some long established - remained as part of this year’s observance. Quilts of Valor were bestowed on local veterans (pictured at immediate right) during Monday's observance program. Pictured at center, Lisa Hagen and her two daughters, Katherine and Hannah Hagen, were recognized with Mrs. Poppy and Miss Poppy honors this year. Photos by Robin Johnson.

Tuesday, June 5 will be the Primary Election to determine which candidates will be representing their respective political parties in the 2018 General Election in November of this year. A sample ballot of the respective races in each of the Republican, Democratic and Libertarian parties was published on Page 2B in the May 23 print edition and e-edition of The Standard, listing races at the federal, state and county levels for voters to make their selections in.

A listing of polling sites for all 11 of the County's precincts was also published in that May 23 issue on Page 2B. Election polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.

The 2018 Memorial Day Observance Program being held at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon Monday, May 28 will begin at 10 a.m. this year. In the event of rain, the program will be held at the Waukon Banquet Center.

The program at the cemetery has typically followed the annual parade, but this year’s Memorial Day observance will not include a parade, according to local officials. A joint decision was made by the local American Legion and VFW organizations to not hold the parade this year, citing reasons of “lack of participation” and “too much commercialization taking away from the true meaning of what Memorial Day is supposed to be about.”

Volunteers will still be needed to help set up the Avenue of Flags Saturday, May 26, beginning at 7 a.m. Those efforts will begin at the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon.

Memorial Day Observance in Waukon

MONDAY, MAY 28

by Lissa Blake

Over the past 50 years, the world has repeatedly heard about the more than 58,000 Allied soldiers who died in Vietnam.

But on this Memorial Day, and every day, Waukon’s Gwen Brainard wants to remind everyone that each of those soldiers has a story.

“I want people to know what war is really like, and that I really feel my husband died in vain,” said Brainard of the death of her husband, Terry Miller.

HER STORY
Next year will mark 50 years since Terry Miller died in Vietnam. A young newlywed, almost finished with college and with a baby on the way, Miller was drafted because he wasn’t able to secure a student teaching assignment in the summer of 1968, which voided his education exemption.

A fallen Allamakee County soldier from the Korean War never had the proper burial or closure to his passing, but he was one of many honored at a ceremony held last fall in Waterloo at the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum.

Roy Martin Vickery, a native of Post Township of Allamakee County, was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW) during the Korean conflict and died in captivity. His remains, however, were never returned and he and 139 other Iowans are still listed as “Missing in Action” (MIA).

National POW/MIA Remembrance Day was observed September 15, 2017 with that ceremony held at the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum in Waterloo. The ceremony focused special attention on servicemen and women who were listed as missing from the Korean War era, noting that “As the frontlines rapidly changed in 1950 and 1951, many fallen heroes were unable to be recovered due to the hostility of the enemy.”

Waterville High School player returns to the court for Granny Basketball event this Saturday

by Brianne Eilers

Organized team basketball will be played one final time in the gymnasium at the Waterville Elementary School before the school is closed for good at the end of this current academic year, marking the end of an era but perhaps sparking some pondering reflections as well.

The defending two-time national Granny Basketball League champion Harpers Ferry Fireflies will be hosting the Eastern Division Granny Basketball games this Saturday, May 19 at the Waterville Elementary School gymnasium. Games start at 10 a.m., with several teams participating in these games.

Last week’s article focused on Step One in being “Voter Ready” in 2018: Register to Vote. This week’s article is about Step Two: Bring a valid form of ID to the polls.

Valid forms of ID include:

1. Iowa Driver’s License (not expired more than 90 days)
2. Iowa Non-Operator’s ID (not expired more than 90 days)
3. U.S. Passport (not expired)
4. U.S. Military ID or Veteran ID (not expired)
5. Iowa Voter ID PIN card (must be signed).

In December 2017, Iowa Voter ID PIN cards were sent, by the Secretary of State election office, to all registered voters without an Iowa Driver’s License or Iowa Non-Operator’s ID. If you feel you should have received a PIN card, and did not, or you have lost it or misplaced it, contact the Allamakee County Auditor’s office at 563-568-3522.

by Joe Moses

The Second Degree Murder case against 32-year-old John Michael Quanrude of Waukon involved a bit more court and document activity this past week, including review of a requested change and some necessary changes made upon further document review. Although separate matters not impacting one another, the end result was Quanrude remaining in the Allamakee County Jail but his trial date being moved up by more than two months.