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by Bob Beach

by Bob Beach

Leslie Sivesind, 17-year-old daughter of Dan and Jane Sivesind of Waukon, was named Alternate Iowa Dairy Princess at the 62nd Iowa Dairy Princess coronation event held Wednesday, August 12 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines during this year's Iowa State Fair. Sivesind represents the Iowa Guernsey Breeders Association and recently began her senior year at Waukon High School. Beginning September 1, she will assist 18-year-old Kate Stewart of Oelwein, who was crowned the 62nd Iowa Dairy Princess, in serving as goodwill ambassadors for Iowa's dairy farmers and promoting the dairy industry at public appearances. Each princess received a $1,000 scholarship from Midwest Dairy Association, which sponsors the Iowa Dairy Princess program on behalf of Iowa’s dairy farmers. Photo courtesy of Midwest Dairy Association.
 

A year-long construction effort of an air quality improvement project at Alliant Energy's Lansing Generating Station has now come to completion and is expected to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions at the facility by approximately 90 percent. Alliant Energy held a ribbon-cutting event at the Lansing plant Tuesday, August 18 to mark the end of construction and official start-up of a scrubber system that was added to Lansing Unit 4, with current and former Alliant energy employees, project contractors, labor leaders and community officials in attendance.
The scrubber system involves a post-combustion process that injects lime or lime slurry into the stream of gases leaving the generating facility boiler to remove sulfur dioxide and capture it in a solid or liquid waste by-product. A scrubber typically removes more than 90% of the sulfur dioxide emissions, according to company and project officials.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The Allamakee County Sheriff's Department received a report of a single-vehicle accident on State Highway 76 at around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, August 16. The Sheriff's Department reported that Mark Werden of Decorah, age 63, was traveling west on Highway 76 when his vehicle left the roadway, entered the ditch and then crossed the roadway to the opposite ditch before rolling over and coming to rest on its wheels. Werden, the only occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident remains under investigation.

by Bob Beach

Kateliegh Wilson (left), 17-year-old daughter of Paula Homp and Greg Schwartzhoff, and Allie Bieber (right), 12-year-old daughter of Ed and Amy Bieber, were crowned Miss Corn Days and Little Miss Corn Days respectively Friday, August 14 during the annual Corn Days Meal in Waukon. More photos of this year's Corn Days festivities can be seen in the Photo Galleries section.

Two stop signs and four sets of rumble strips were added to the intersection of Old Stage Road and Old Highway 9 west of Waukon Friday, August 7 to create a four-way stop at that intersection in an effort to make it safer than it has proven to be. The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday, July 20 to make the intersection a four-way stop after years of listening to citizen safety concerns about the intersection. Of particular concern was the lack of visibility to the west for northbound traffic on Old Stage Road due to trees on private property at the southwest corner of the intersection, as well as rolling landscape. While the additional stop signs don’t correct the visibility problem, the Board has expressed hope that the change will make drivers more aware and give everyone a fair chance of getting safely through the intersection.

by Bob Beach