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Members of the public are invited to the next meeting of the Allamakee County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee set for Wednesday, October 26 in Lansing.  The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Kerndt Brothers Community Center, located at 370 Main Street in downtown Lansing.

At the meeting, planners will outline the goals of the hazard risk assessment process, and then provide a brief overview of hazards identified by the State of Iowa Hazard Mitigation Plan and those that the Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator has identified as impacting Allamakee County in recent years. Meeting attendees will then break into small groups to discuss hazards impacting the county itself and communities throughout the county. The committee will come together at the end of the meeting to come to a consensus on which identified hazards should be profiled in more detail within the updated hazard mitigation plan.

New pedestrian crosswalk signage (such as pictured at right) has recently been placed in the middle of streets in four different locations in Waukon, but in addition to creating awareness of safety for pedestrians and motorists has also created some confusion for each as well. Waukon Police Chief Phil Young advises that the new crosswalk signs have been placed to help raise more awareness of a State of Iowa law that has been in place but has not necessarily been adhered to. Section 321.327 of the Iowa Code, entitled "Pedestrians' Right-Of-Way," states, "Where traffic-control signals are not in place or in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection."

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, October 17 to address a variety of topics, including the consideration of appointing a new member to the Planning and Zoning Commission, credit card policy recommendation and consideration of bids for a culvert replacement on Oak Hill Road.

During the Public Comments portion of the meeting, Jack Knight provided an update on the results of serving on an ad hoc committee in Clayton County that provided recommendations for the rezoning of land to be used as a mine by Pattison Sand Company. Knight indicated that he was glad to do the work and provide recommendations even though Clayton County did not utilize the recommendations provided. Knight said the ad hoc committee had recommended requiring blasting notifications and other requirements to help prevent neighbors from being adversely affected by the mine activities.

Concrete Foundations, Inc. of New Hampton is currently working on multiple locations of street repair within Waukon as part of the 2016 PCC Street Program that was approved by the Waukon City Council earlier this year. PCC refers to the Portland Cement Concrete process that involves replacement of the top layer of cement that traffic makes contact with. Several intersections and thoroughfares are currently closed with roadblocks and orange safety fencing as work continues, including the 400 block of Eighth Avenue NW (pictured above) near the former sale barn location and the intersection of Third Avenue NE and First Street NE (pictured below). Concrete Foundations was the qualified low bidder for this project at $318,000. These street repairs have a projected completion date of October 31 with weather being a consideration that may extend the completion timeline. Standard photos by Joe Moses.
 

Members of the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors traveled to multiple locations with Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour Thursday, October 6 to inspect flood damage and ongoing pavement projects, mainly in the southern and eastern portions of the county. An additional tour is planned for later this month of the more northern areas of the county. The group made stops that included the paving projects on Cherry Valley Drive near Postville and at the Wexford Bridge north of Harpers Ferry, and also looked at damage from August and September heavy rains and flooding that still needs to be addressed as County road crews continue to work on repairing damage experienced during the last two months. Pictured at right is a landslide along Village Creek Drive that eroded a bit of the roadway and washed a good portion of the bank into Village Creek below.

Area law enforcement authorities report they are aware of the recent "clown" incidents that have reportedly taken place in certain locations throughout the nation and have been reported to a somewhat lesser degree on the local level. Although the local level reports are considered to most likely be copycat prank versions of what has been viewed on the national scene, these acts have resulted in a number of calls and reports from Allamakee County residents expressing concern and fear.

Area law enforcement authorities would like to assure local residents that this situation is being taken very seriously, and encourage everyone to consider the safety and health repercussions of such acts not only on innocent or intended victims but also potential negative reactionary results in response to fear or shock. Authorities remind individuals that those caught participating in these or similar acts will be charged and prosecuted accordingly.

Friday, October 7 at approximately 1:15 p.m., the Waukon Fire Department responded to a stove fire in the upstairs apartment of this duplex located at 208 Second Avenue SW in Waukon. Flames were reportedly confined to the stove and immediate kitchen area, with the residence suffering smoke damage. All occupants of the residence were evacuated and no injuries were reported from the incident. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
 

Sunday, October 9 at approximately 4:05 p.m., the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office received a report of this one-vehicle semi-tractor trailer rollover accident on State Highway 51 approximately one mile north of Postville. A report issued by the Allamakee County Sheriff's Office indicates that Michael Jay Duffield, Jr., age 38, of Postville was driving the semi northbound on State Highway 51 when he crossed the centerline and entered the west ditch. The semi then struck a private driveway and rolled over. As a result of the accident, State Highway 51 was closed to traffic between Postville and its intersection with Frankville Road for approximately four hours

Area law enforcement authorities report they are aware of the recent "clown" incidents that have reportedly taken place in certain locations throughout the nation and have been reported to a somewhat lesser degree on the local level. Although the local level reports are considered to most likely be copycat prank versions of what has been viewed on the national scene, these acts have resulted in a number of calls and reports from Allamakee County residents expressing concern and fear. Area law enforcement authorities would like to assure local residents that this situation is being taken very seriously, and encourages everyone to consider the safety and health repercussions of such acts not only on innocent or intended victims but also potential negative reactionary results in response to fear or shock. Authorities remind individuals that those caught participating in these or similar acts will be charged and prosecuted accordingly.

Several organizations including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Friends of Pool 9 and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) met with Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker and other area officials Friday, September 30 to discuss options related to the clean-up of the Big Slough area (pictured more closely above and in a much broader view below) just south of where the Upper Iowa River empties into the Mississippi River southeast of New Albin and west of Black Hawk Park.