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Tue
19
Dec

ACSD Board of Directors votes unanimously to close Waterville Elementary

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met on a couple occasions this past week, including a work session Tuesday, December 12 and the board’s regular monthly meeting Monday, December 18. A majority of the larger than normal crowd at the board’s December 18 regular session was there for the board’s first agenda item under New Business, making a decision on the future of Waterville Elementary School. Without further discussion or presentation, the roll-call vote on the matter was unanimous that Waterville Elementary will be closing at the end of the 2017-2018 school year. ACSD Superintendent Dave Herold said the next step in the process for closure of the school will be for the administration, staff and school board to begin planning for the transition and that it would be important to keep everyone up to date and involved in the process.

Wed
13
Dec

Pat Stone elected new mayor of Waukon in December 5 run-off vote

Voters in the city of Waukon elected a new mayor in the Tuesday, December 5 run-off election.

According to now canvassed results released by the Allamakee County Auditor's Office, those voters elected city government newcomer Pat Stone to the Waukon Mayor's office by a 395-236 final vote count over current Waukon City Council member and one-time multi-term Waukon mayor Dwight Jones.

Stone's margin of victory included an absentee vote spread of 83-49 and an election night tally of 312-187.

The run-off election was necessary after the November 7 City Election did not yield a true winner in an initial five-candidate race for Waukon's mayorship. None of those five candidates in that initial mayor's race received the necessary 50%+1 vote majority, pushing the top two vote-getters, Jones and Stone, into the run-off election.

Wed
13
Dec

ACSD Board discusses concerns of parents and community members at special session held at Waterville Elementary

by Brianne Eilers

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met for a nearly two-hour work session in Waterville Thursday evening, December 7 in the Waterville Elementary School library. The main purpose of the work session was to establish a dialogue with parents of Waterville Elementary students and Waterville community members regarding the board's upcoming decision on whether or not the district will keep Waterville Elementary open at the end of this school year. That decision is scheduled to be made at the board's next regular meeting, scheduled for this Monday, December 18 at 5:30 p.m. at the Waukon High School Library.

Wed
13
Dec

Body discovered Sunday morning in Fish Farms Mounds Wildlife Area; Link to October missing person case being investigated

Sunday, December 10 at approximately 8:27 a.m., the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a body located in a wooded area in the Fish Farm Mounds Wildlife Area south of New Albin along State Highway 26. Two hikers reported that they had found a body while hiking the area.

Officers from the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department and a physician did respond to the location and determined that the remains found were those of a male individual and that the individual had been deceased for some time. The body was transported to the State of Iowa Medical Examiners’ Office in Ankeny for an autopsy and identification, which Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick said may take up to two weeks to complete. No foul play is suspected in the matter, according to the initial report from the Sheriff's Office.

Wed
13
Dec

Holiday Train draws large crowds in Lansing and New Albin on cold night ...

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train returned to both Lansing and New Albin this year, with this year's musical performers playing full shows at both locations Thursday evening, December 7. As evident in the surrounding photos, attendance at both events was strong, despite the cold temperatures that gripped the area that evening. This year's musical performers included country music artists Terri Clark (pictured above), Dallas Smith (in check presentation photo) and Kelly Prescott, and Santa Claus also made an appearance. Monetary and non-perishable food donations from attendees in Lansing benefited the Allamakee County Food Shelf, with a total of 1,073 pounds of food and $736 being donated, in addition to the $4,000 donation made to the Allamakee County Food Shelf by Canadian Pacific.

Wed
06
Dec

Allamakee Ecumenical Choir to present 41st annual “Festival of Lessons and Carols” this Sunday at St. John's Lutheran Church

The Allamakee Ecumenical Choir will present its 41st annual "Festival of Lessons and Carols" service this Sunday, December 10 at 7 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church, located at 8 Fifth Street SW in Waukon. Area clergy will read the lessons, and carols will be sung by the choirs and congregation. Choral numbers will be presented by the Ecumenical Choir, Ecumenical Men’s Choir, Ecumenical Women's Choir and Ecumenical Children’s Choir. Musical selections will also be presented by a Brass Ensemble and the St. John’s Lutheran Church Youth and Senior Handbell Choirs.

The Bixby Children String Quintet will also perform and accompany some of the choral selections. They are the grandchildren of James Bieber, who first organized and continues to prepare and direct the Allamakee Ecumenical Choir for this annual community celebration of Christmas that is open to the public. He will once again be assisted by his daughter, Sarah Palmer, this year.
 

Wed
06
Dec

Honoring of their brother at the Vietnam Veterans Wall Memorial turns out to hold much more meaning for pair of area sisters


Sisters share opportunity to honor their brother ... Pictured above, left to right, sisters Margaret Walter of Decorah and Chris Bolson of Lansing had their recent trip to Washington, D.C. to honor their fallen brother, PFC Lloyd C. Wohlford, Jr., at the Vietnam Veterans Wall Memorial end up being much more meaningful when they had the honor of actually reading their brother's name from a list of fallen soldiers on the memorial. The two both wore buttons of their brother's photo (inset at bottom right). PFC Wohlford lost his life during the Vietnam War in 1967 at the age of 20. The Army Reserve Center recently closed in Decorah due to the occupying unit moving operations to Nevada was named in his honor. Submitted photo.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

Longtime Lansing resident Chris Bolson and her sister, Margaret Walter from Decorah, recently returned from Washington D.C. where they took part in  the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Wall Memorial. Their brother, PFC Lloyd C. Wohlford, was killed in the Vietnam War in 1967 at the age of 20.
Every five years, a ceremony is held where the  58,318   names of the individuals who died in the Vietnam War are read. When Bolson and Walter learned of the ceremony this year, they decided it was a memorial they wanted to be a part of for their brother and they quickly made travel arrangements.
Volunteers read the names over a period of 19 hours from 5:00 a.m. until midnight over a period of four days. They  knew  the approximate time that their brother’s name would be read was at  12:32 p.m. and they wanted to be there to hear it.

Wed
06
Dec

Annual holiday parade in Waukon brightens the beginning of the season ...

The annual Lighted Holiday Parade held in Waukon Monday evening, December 4 brightened up the beginning of the holiday season in more ways than one as nearly two dozen entries made their way through the city streets. Unseasonable temperatures hovering in the lower 50s made for comfortable viewing conditions for parade-goers, and a rare December rainstorm had made its way out of the area just in time to not be a bother for the event. Among the many displays and messages featured by this year's parade entries was the one displayed by First Presbyterian Church in its parade entry pictured above reminding all parade viewers of the foundational message of "Peace on Earth" that will likely be heard throughout many holiday services and events this season but should be a year-round consideration. Standard photo by Joe Moses. View and find out how to purchase this photo and more from the holiday parade and additional area events by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this website.

Tue
05
Dec

Pat Stone elected as Mayor of Waukon in December 5 run-off election

Voters in the city of Waukon elected a new mayor in the Tuesday, December 5 run-off election. That run-off election was necessary after the November 7 City Election did not yield a true winner based on none of the five candidates in that initial mayor's race receiving the necessary 50%+1 vote majority, pushing the top two vote-getters, Dwight Jones and Pat Stone, into the run-off election.
According to initial unofficial results released by the Allamakee County Auditor's Office December 5, those voters elected city government newcomer Pat Stone to the Waukon Mayor's office by a 395-236 final vote count. Stone's margin included an absentee vote margin of 83-49 and an election night tally of 312-187.
Stone will now assume the office of mayor, replacing outgoing mayor Duane DeWalle, who did not seek re-election to the mayor's seat this year. Stone will assume the office in January 2018.

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