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Wed
21
Feb

Icy weather grips tri-state area ...

The overnight weather radar pictured above from Monday, February 19 into Tuesday, February 20 was pretty to look at in its color schemes but did not leave a very pretty result as it left behind anywhere from one-tenth to two-tenths of an inch of icy slush on area roadways in the tri-state area. The threat of that icy weather and its eventual realization forced a number of cancellations and schedule changes in the area, as well as throughout much of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, including school cancellations and delays both Monday and Tuesday, as well as the postponement of the Kee girls basketball regional championship game from Monday to Tuesday and the Allamakee Community School District Board meeting from Monday to Wednesday.

Wed
21
Feb

National Park Service releases Environmental Assessment for Effigy Mounds septic system

Existing system has failed and must be replaced; Public open house set for February 28 at Effigy Mounds Visitor Center

The National Park Service has released an Environmental Assessment for installing a new septic system in the park headquarters area at Effigy Mounds National Monument. The park’s current septic system, constructed in 1959, has failed and needs to be replaced, according to information shared by Effigy Mounds National Monument Superintendent Jim Nepstad. The Environmental Assessment assesses the impacts associated with either keeping things as they are, or installing a new system in the area between the facility's main parking lot and State Highway 76.

Wed
21
Feb

Nominations sought for Allamakee County Dairy Banquet set for March 24

Award nominations due by this Friday; Princess applications due by March 1

The 2018 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet will be held Saturday, March 24 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The meal will be served from 7-8:30 p.m., with the program starting at 8 p.m. The annual celebration recognizes the importance of the dairy industry in Allamakee County and the contributions dairy families make to the industry.

Every year, top producers from the county are recognized at the banquet. In addition, several other awards are presented that evening. The Allamakee Dairy Promotion Board and the Allamakee County Extension Office are accepting nominations through February 23 for the following awards:

Thu
15
Feb

UPDATE: Hansmeier loses by fall in semifinal match, will wrestle again Saturday in consolation semifinals

Waukon wrestling 170-pound senior Tristan Hansmeier (42-5) had his championship hopes at the 2018 Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament brought to a close by top-ranked senior Kolton Bartow (44-3) of Dubuque Wahlert, falling to Bartow by fall in 4:39. Bartow will now advance to the Class 2A 170-pound championship match and Hansmeier will next wrestle again in the Class 2A consolation semifinals Saturday morning, beginning at 10 a.m. Hansmeier's consolation semifinals opponent will actually be his first-round opponent, New Hampton senior Noah Glaser, who Hansmeier beat, 8-6, in that Thursday morning opening-round match. The winner of that consolation semifinal match will then wrestle for third or fourth place later during that same Saturday session, with the loser of that semifinal match then wrestling for fifth and sixth place later that same Saturday as well.

 

FIRST UPDATE:

Wed
14
Feb

WHS junior Sean Liddiard is National Finalist in VFW/Auxiliary Voice of Democracy essay contest


Liddiard selected as State of Iowa Voice of Democracy essay contest winner; Will now compete at national level... Waukon High School junior Sean Liddiard had his audio essay selected as the State of Iowa winner in the annual Voice of Democracy essay contest sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and its Auxiliary. Pictured above following the selection of Liddiard's essay as the State of Iowa contest winner at an event held in Des Moines January 20 are, left to right, Department (State of Iowa) VFW Auxiliary Scholarship Chairperson Susan Reiter, VFW Department (State of Iowa) Voice of Democracy Chairman Travis Holden, District Senior Vice Commander Virgil Thorstenson, Sean Liddiard, 9th District Auxiliary President Linda Klintinger, Waukon VFW Post 4117 Commander John Regan, Jr., 9th District Voice of Democracy Auxiliary Chairperson Darlene Vine and 9th District Voice of Democracy Chairman Bernard Meiers. Liddiard will now travel to Washington, D.C. March 3-7 to have his essay compete against 52 other state-level winners from across the nation. His essay appears below. Submitted photo.

Waukon High School junior Sean Liddiard will be among the high school youth from across this nation representing the future of the nation by looking at its past when he travels to Washington, D.C. in early March to compete at the national level of the Voice of Democracy Patriotic Audio Essay Competition sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and its Auxiliary. Liddiard, the son of Dan and Kelly Liddiard of Waterville, had his Voice of Democracy essay emerge through the ranks of local, district and state levels of competition to be one of 53 entries nationwide selected as national finalists in the essay contest.

Wed
14
Feb

Ice harvest yields ice cream ...

The historic ice harvest that was once a mainstay of the Lansing area returned again this year as a joint effort of the Allamakee County Conservation Board and Gary and Karen Galema of Lansing Saturday, February 10. The ice harvest took place at the Village Creek State Boat Landing on the south side of Lansing, with those attending being even further treated to making their own ice cream at the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center following the ice harvest. Additional photos and information about the event can be found on Page 3A in the print edition and e-edition of The Standard and the River Valley section of this website.

Wed
14
Feb

Resources offered to help community cope with recent series of tragedies

In response to the series of recent tragedies that have enveloped the northeast Iowa area, Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon has offered a variety of resources to help community members cope with loss and suffering. The links below have been offered by the hospital’s Employee Assistance Center company at Mayo Health System in La Crosse, WI.

Even though these links below are centered around suicide prevention in name, some of the websites and information they are linked to also have information on coping with any type of loss or tragedy:

Wed
14
Feb

February 5 accident in Kentucky claims two sisters from Waukon

Monday, February 5, at approximately 9:50 a.m., Kentucky State Police responded to a nine-vehicle, double fatality collision located on Interstate 24 at the 80-mile marker near Hopkinsville, KY in Christian County along the southwestern edge of Kentucky and northwest of Nashville, TN. One of those nine vehicles involved in the accident contained a local trio of sisters, two of whom lost their lives from the injuries they sustained in the accident.

The three sisters, 55-year-old Mary Engrav of Waukon, 58-year-old Joan Lyons of Waukon and 61-year-old Barb Winters-Kelly of Waterville, were traveling to Nashville, TN to attend the funeral of a family friend, according to family members. They are the daughters of Janette Ryder-Blong of Waukon.

Wed
07
Feb

Early donations fuel Allamakee County Sheriff Department's pursuit of drone purchase to aid in local emergency situations Additional donations welcome


Donations bring drone purchase closer to reality ... A pair of local organizations recently presented donations to the Allamakee County Sheriff and Emergency Management Departments to aid in the purchase of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), more commonly known as a drone, for use in emergency situations throughout the county. Pictured above during the presentation of a $1,000 donation from the Rivers & Bluffs Classic Tractor Club are, left to right, Lyle Mohwinkle of the Rivers & Bluffs Classic Tractor Club, Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick and Greg Mohwinkle of the Rivers & Bluffs Classic Tractor Club. Pictured below during the presentation of a $500 donation from the Waukon Lions Club are, left to right, Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker, Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick and Tom Phipps and Jeff Moe of the Waukon Lions Club. Standard photos by Joe Moses.

The Inspire 1 v2.0 ... Pictured above is the Inspire 1 v2.0 drone the Allamakee County Sheriff Department is looking to purchase for use in emergency situations. Photo courtesy DSLR Pros.

Thermal imaging ... One of the features of the drone being sought by the Allamakee County Sheriff Department is a thermal imaging camera that can be used in searches for missing individuals or to detect hot spots in fire attacks or anything else emitting heat. The photo above is an aerial view that captured images of persons on the ground below, which are depicted by the red areas in the photo that indicate a heat source; in this case, body heat, which would be more readily viewable by the thermal imaging camera in situations such as night searches or in areas of heavier vegetation. Photo courtesy of Decorah Fire Department.

by Joe Moses
 
The Allamakee County Sheriff Department and the Allamakee County Emergency Management Office have begun an initiative to purchase an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), otherwise known as a drone, for emergency search and rescue use within Allamakee County and surrounding areas. It has been proven to local authorities that the use of a drone can save valuable time during emergency situations and may also provide safety for first responders and victims in certain situations.

Wed
07
Feb

Supervisors discuss application policy for property tax suspension, among other items

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, February 5 to address a full agenda of items, including the appointment of Medical Examiner, Deputy Medical Examiner and Medical Examiner Investigator, discussion of setting a date and time for the Fiscal-Year 2019 Allamakee County budget and discussion of a tax suspension policy in Allamakee County. Chairperson Pro-Tem Dennis Koenig called the meeting to order in the absence of Chairperson Larry Schellhammer.

There were no members of the public in attendance. During the Public Comment portion of the meeting, Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour discussed that the Secondary Roads Department was working to clear roads Sunday with additional snow forecasted this week.

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