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Area first responders participated in a mock disaster drill in Harpers Ferry Saturday, April 9, giving law enforcement, fire and rescue, and emergency medical services personnel the opportunity to work together in a multi-faceted disaster experience that simulated a train derailment with motor vehicle involvement (as pictured above), including a school bus. A training device simulating a burning propane rail car (seen ablaze in the top left corner of the above photo) provided that additional risk to the drill, with fire crews working to extinguish that blaze and implement other hazardous materials training measures. Emergency medical services personnel also set up a triage area (pictured at left) to simulate multiple injuries of varying degrees, with many of the roles of the younger victims portrayed by area Scout troop members.

by Lissa Blake

It’s hard to prevent a natural disaster.

But, when it comes to flooding, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologists do everything they can to predict one.

During a recent presentation in Decorah, USGS Hydrologist Jon Nania of Iowa City and National Weather Service (NWS) Service Hydrologist Mike Welvaert of La Crosse, WI discussed how a number of river gauges located in northeast Iowa can help predict potential flooding disasters.

Nania said basic hydrologic collection is a major part of the USGS Iowa Water Science Center program, based in Iowa City with field offices in Council Bluffs and Fort Dodge. Regionally, USGS hydrologists, hydrologic technicians and other science professionals collect data and conduct studies to help federal, state and local cooperating agencies solve practical water problems.

Stream gauges throughout northeast Iowa provide stage and flow information online via satellite link in real time.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, April 18 to discuss a variety of items, one of those being consideration of a change in meeting location for the Board's Monday, April 25 regular meeting that will include a public hearing on the use of County roads within a proposed ATV/UTV trail system. The Board has heard several reports that upwards of 75 individuals could be in attendance at that meeting, many more than what the Board's current meeting area can accommodate. With several larger facilities considered throughout the county, it was decided to hold a portion of Monday's meeting, including that 10:15 a.m. public hearing, at the Ethel Robinson Meehan Community Center in Harpers Ferry. That change of location will also allow the Supervisors the opportunity to tour the Dolores Tillinghast Memorial Library in Harpers Ferry as part of their annual visits to the public libraries that receive funding from the County.

Sunday, April 17 at 11:40 a.m., the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a motorcycle accident that occurred at the intersection of State Highway 76 and Grandview Avenue in Allamakee County, south of Dorchester. A report issued by the Sheriff's Office indicates that Matthew John Benjegerdes, age 53, of West Union lost control of the motorcycle he was driving when one of its tires blew out, injuring both himself and his passenger, Connie Marie Benjegerdes, age 51, of West Union.

Both were transported to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon for treatment of injuries. Connie Benjegerdes was later transported to a La Crosse, WI hospital for further treatment. Her condition is unknown at this time. Assisting at the scene of the accident was the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office, Waukon Police Department, Waukon Fire Department and Veterans Memorial Ambulance Service.
 

The Luren Singers, along with local musicians Nicole Winke and Daryl Hansmeier, performed to an audience of nearly 200 people at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon Sunday, April 10 in honor of Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg, a long-time member of the group. A free-will offering was taken during the intermission of the performance which generated nearly $5,500 from those in attendance, including a donation from the Luren Singers themselves. The funds raised from the concert will be used toward the naming opportunity in honor of Msgr. Lechtenberg for the main viewing deck at the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center being constructed just south of Lansing. The Luren Singers are the oldest Norwegian-American male chorus, currently in their 148th year of continuous existence in the United States. In addition to being a long-time member of the Luren Singers, Msgr.

According to a report from the Waukon Police Department, failure to set the parking brake resulted in this refrigerated truck rolling backward in the Hardee's parking lot in Waukon and into the adjacent creek area in the southwest corner of that lot Wednesday morning, April 6 just before 8 a.m. Along its journey, the truck, owned by Captain's Choice and operated by Ronald DeLong, age 59, of Buffalo Center, ran into a metal dumpster owned by Waste Management, pushing it into the creek and causing significant damage to the dumpster. The truck undercarriage eventually became hung up on the creek bank edge, preventing the vehicle from traveling further down into the creek. No charges were able to be filed since the incident happened on private property. Submitted photo.
 

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

Feel like a good run to help a good cause? Then join Ryan Wade as he runs through Iowa from north to south on a journey of 250 miles to earn funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS).

Wade's goal is to raise $175,000 on his seven-day run through Iowa, called “One Step at a Time.” These monies will help to fund blood cancer research.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors was greeted by a capacity crowd in its board room for its Monday, April 11 regular session, most of those awaiting the meeting's final agenda item dealing with the County's Five-Year Plan for Secondary Roads, most specifically the inclusion of funding for the paving of Columbus Road that would access the new Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center being constructed south of Lansing. Much like those in attendance, the Board ended up being divided on the decision to include funding for Columbus Road, ultimately voting on a two-to-one split decision not to fund that paving project in the County's Five-Year Road Plan and, instead, moving that nearly $159,000 in proposed funding to the one-mile paving project of Makee Drive just north of Waukon that was recently approved for inclusion in the Five-Year Plan via a public hearing at last week's Board meeting.

The general public is invited to a formal groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site of the new Allamakee County Public Safety Center Tuesday, April 19 at 7 p.m. Local officials and those involved with the Public Safety Center project will formally break ground at the construction site, located at the former Makee Manor property at 877 State Highway 9, north of Waukon.

For the second consecutive year, the Waukon High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter reigned supreme over the annual State Leadership Conference (SLC) held March 31-April 2 in Coralville, defending its state of Iowa championship won at last year’s SLC in record-setting fashion to repeat as the Lloyd V. Douglas Chapter of the Year. Being the first chapter ever to eclipse the 300-point mark in the history of the State Leadership Conference while winning last year’s title, the Waukon chapter recorded 16 first-place event finishes in its total of 92 placewinnings enroute to scoring 331 points this year, nearly 140 points more than this year’s second-place team.

"I am very proud to be associated with this group of high school students,” Waukon High School FBLA Advisor Joan Schwartz said. “Many of these students began working on their projects months ago and all their hard work and studying paid off.”