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Although weather did have an impact on overall attendance, the annual "Thunder in the Park" event continues to grow and has plans to continue to do so, according to local coordinator Al Lyon of Waukon. The third annual event held Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, June 12-14 at the Waukon City Park offered a variety of new presentations this year, some of which included the medical tent and the blacksmithing demonstration  to complement the traditional Civil War battle reenactments and other trips back through the history of this nation. Lyon said Thursday's heavy rain prior to the weekend event forced some of this year's anticipated reenactor participants to change their plans, leaving the battle scenes to feature "about 30 rifles and seven cannons on the grounds".

by Bob Beach

Jeremy Wicks, age 21, of Waukon was injured Wednesday afternoon, June 10 when the jet ski he was operating on the main channel of the Mississippi River collided with another jet ski near Lansing. According to an Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) report, the jet ski operated by Wicks collided with a jet ski being operated by Paul Wagner, age 30, of Waukon. Neither Wagner nor the passenger on his jet ski, 24-year-old Alyssa Petersburg of Waukon, were injured. Wicks was thrown into the water by the force of the collision, but remained conscious. He was pulled from the water by Wagner and Petersburg. All three are officers on the Waukon Police Department but were not on duty at the time of the accident. Wicks was transported by ambulance to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon then airlifted to Gundersen Medical Center in La Crosse, WI, where he was being treated for what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries to his head and neck.

"Thunder in the Park,” a Civil War battle re-enactment, returns to Allamakee County for its third year after a successful debut in 2013, providing an opportunity to enjoy a fun and entertaining family weekend while experiencing a bit of American history. The event is being held in the Waukon City Park Friday evening through Sunday, June 12-14.
Saturday and Sunday admission is free to the public, and all are welcome to attend. Freewill donations will be accepted and applied to expenses of future events. This event is sponsored by many Waukon and Allamakee County businesses and non-profit organizations.
The “Thunder in the Park” event will actually kick off Friday night, June 12 with a performance of “In The Lincoln Parlor” written by Jessica Michna and performed by Lance Mack as President Abraham Lincoln and Jessica Michna as Mary Todd Lincoln. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the north pavilion shelter of Waukon City Park.

The annual New Albin Days celebration is scheduled to take place in the community of New Albin this weekend, Friday and Saturday, June 12 and 13. A wide variety of activity is being planned, with a schedule of events available on Page 2A of this week's issue of The Standard.
This year's New Albin Days button (pictured with this article) required for admission is available for purchase at most New Albin businesses and will be available on the festgrounds at this year's event.
New this year will be the crowning of both a Little Miss New Albin and Little Mr. New Albin. Entry forms are available at New Albin Savings Bank for boys and girls ages 8-13 living within the 52160 zip code. Along with the registration form, each entry is required to write a "Why I Love New Albin" essay and a judge will determine the winner of each crown.

by Bob Beach

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reporting that the final set of test results for deer collected during Iowa's 2014 hunting season did not reveal any additional positives for chronic wasting disease. The recent receipt of those final results closes the book on the 2014 deer season that included three positive samples from hunter-harvested deer in Allamakee County out of nearly 4,500 samples collected from across the state of Iowa.
Iowa has tested more than 55,000 wild deer from across the state since 2002. The three cases confirmed last December were within five miles of each other, all in southeast Allamakee County; and not far from where the first positive sample from a wild deer was found in December 2013.

The 2015 Allamakee County Dairy Parade traversed the streets of Waukon Monday, June 1, with a number of area businesses, families and organizations providing entries to pay tribute to the dairy industry. Among those parade entries were two of "relatively royal" status, as cousins Katie Kerndt (in left photo), daughter of Brad and Mary Kerndt of rural Waukon who wears the crown of the 2015 Allamakee County Dairy Princess, and Leslie Sivesind (right photo), daughter of Dan and Jane Sivesind of rural Waukon who wears the crown of the 2015 Iowa Guernsey Princess, were both representing their industry. The princess pair are granddaughters of long-time dairy producers Frank and Carol Sivesind of rural Waukon. View and find out how purchase these photos and more in the Photo Gallery.
 

In Waukon...
Rainshowers may have dampened the parade plans for the Memorial Day observance in Waukon Monday, May 25 but certainly not the spirit of honoring and remembering that goes hand-in-hand with the day's events. This year's featured speaker, Staff Sergeant Peter Bieber of the 1133rd Transportation Company of the Iowa Army National Guard, spoke of the history of the National Guard and his deployment experiences in Iraq, the first of which was cut short by injuries suffered in a mortar attack. Quilts of Valor honorings once again recognized the efforts and sacrifices of area veterans, and a weekend visit from the U.S.S. Wainwright mobile museum also gave area residents a unique first-hand look at life aboard a U.S. Navy ship experienced by local veterans Virgil Thorstenson and Dean Bechtel.

The Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department recently concluded its investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by a Waukon couple that had occurred over time in rural Allamakee County.
Hans William Christianson of Waukon, age 33, has been charged with two counts of Third Degree Sexual Abuse (a class C felony), four counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor - Cause to Engage in Act (a class C felony) and ten counts of Second Degree Sexual Abuse (a class B felony). His wife, Sarah Paige Christianson, age 24, has been charged with ten counts of Third Degree Sexual Abuse. After their arrests, bond was set at $50,000 for Sarah Christianson and $150,000 for Hans Christianson. Both were later released after posting ten percent of their bond amounts.