Top Stories

This year, Allamakee County is celebrating 100 years of organized county extension work. This long-established partnership with Iowa State University (ISU) provides local citizens with access to education and university research, building partnerships for a strong Iowa and a strong Allamakee County. ISU Extension and Outreach Allamakee County will be receiving its 100-year certificate during the Allamakee County Fair.

A hundred years ago, the people of Allamakee County joined the extension movement and hired their first local extension agent. Today, ISU Extension and Outreach serves as a 99-county campus, connecting the needs of Iowans with Iowa State University research and resources.

The Allamakee County Emergency Management Agency, along with local emergency response authorities, want residents of Waukon to be aware that emergency warning sirens in Waukon will be tested the first Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. This Thursday, April 5 will be the next of those scheduled test days, and Waukon residents can expect to hear the local emergency warning sirens activated at approximately 10 a.m.

Dan Byrnes of rural Waukon is announcing his candidacy for Allamakee County Supervisor and will seek another four-year term during this year’s election. He was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2014 and is nearing completion of that initial term in office.

“As a supervisor, I’ve gained valuable knowledge, experience and an understanding of county government which will help me serve the people of Allamakee well during the next four years,” said Byrnes. He underscored his commitment to listening to all viewpoints by saying, “the people of Allamakee County deserve to have their voices heard and respected.”

One of country music’s female mainstays with her music will be the headlining the grandstand musical acts at the 165th Allamakee County Fair scheduled for July 18-22 in Waukon. Terri Clark, known for her chart-topping hits such as “Better Things To Do” and “Girls Lie Too,” will grace the grandstand stage Friday, July 20 following an opening set from country music newcomer Nick Hickman, all beginning at 7 p.m.

TERRI CLARK
Hailing from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, Terri Clark will be returning to Allamakee County this summer after making stops in both Lansing and New Albin this past winter as a featured performer aboard the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train. Her performance at the Allamakee County Fair will be part of a tour with her own band, and she has also recently been making a touring circuit with fellow female country music artists Pam Tillis and Suzy Bogguss on their “Chicks With Hits” Tour.

by Lissa Blake

A group of local residents is taking steps to make Waukon a more inviting place to walk. Walk-On Waukon is a non-profit organization which recently was formed to address the fact that many areas within the city do not have sidewalks.

Group co-organizer Brooke Troendle said, “Jayne McCormick and I were walking and discussing how there are a lot of areas in Waukon that do not have sidewalks. We also talked about how generations before us worked really hard to make sure we had a nice city park, swimming pool and Wellness Center.”

Troendle said when she and McCormick approached the Waukon City Council to discuss the matter, they realized the City already had a lot of infrastructure projects and improvements that were needed in Waukon.

“They were not against the idea of improving the sidewalks, but they suggested we look into funding options like grants,” she said.

Grace Howe (left in above photo), daughter of Shelly and the late Matt Howe of Waukon, was crowned the 2018 Allamakee County Dairy Princess at the annual Allamakee County Dairy Banquet held Saturday, March 24 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. Also selected at Saturday’s annual banquet as the 2018 Alternate Dairy Princess was Cayla Nolting (right in above photo), daughter of Chad and Cheryl Nolting of Waukon. The two are pictured above with 2017 Allamakee County Alternate Dairy Princess Carmen Wille (center in above photo). Additional photos of award winners and other events from the 2018 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet will appear in a future issue of The Standard. Photo courtesy of Paula Enyart.
 

Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa is observed March 26-30 and includes the State of Iowa Tornado Drill Day taking place Wednesday, March 28, with Allamakee County authorities and communities planning to take part in this exercise. The drill should consist of the National Weather Service station out of La Crosse, WI issuing a mock tornado watch at around 10 a.m. that Wednesday followed by a tornado warning at 10:30 a.m., at which time the intent would be to activate community warning sirens.

Residents and businesses should use this as an opportunity to think about their plans for seeking shelter during an actual event. As part of his next monthly emergency management article, Allamakee County Emergency Management Director Corey Snitker plans to discuss the topic of severe weather awareness and readiness as weather patterns move into the spring and summer storm seasons.

Allamakee County Treasurer Lori Hesse would like to remind property owners the second installment of property taxes is due by the end of this month (March 2018). Being the end of March falls on a weekend, property owners will have until Monday, April 2 to pay their taxes without penalty. It should also be noted that the Allamakee County Courthouse will be closed Friday, March 30 this year in observance of Good Friday.

Property owners may pay their taxes at the Allamakee County Treasurer’s office in the Allamakee County Courthouse located at 110 Allamakee Street in Waukon, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Those paying taxes are reminded to bring their tax stubs with their payment to insure proper credit. To avoid penalty on the second installment, payment must be received in the Treasurer’s Office by Monday, April 2. Penalty begins Tuesday, April 3.

The Waukon City Council has scheduled a special session for Wednesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Among the agenda items listed to be addressed during the meeting are sewer rate increases, clarification of City duties, and the resignation of a city council member.

As one can tell by the photo above, the streets of Waukon were lined with Irish spirit for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sunday, March 18 in Waukon. Under nearly ideal conditions with bright sunshine and temperatures hovering around the 50-degree mark, the event took approximately an hour to display the wide variety of nearly 150 entries. Additional photos from this year's event can be found on Page 14A of this week's print edition of The Standard. All of the parade photos found in this issue, along with many more from Sunday's St. Patrick’s Day Parade, are available for viewing/purchase by clicking on the Photo Gallery link on this website.