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Area residents gathered around tables at the Farm Bureau Building in Waukon Saturday, March 21 for a legislative forum discussion with State Representatives Patti Ruff and Darrel Branhagen and State Senator Michael Breitbach. Much of the discussion focused on the ongoing debate over school funding. Ruff called a recent House debate over collective bargaining for teachers and school employees a "distraction" from the real issue, saying that school district employees and school districts have a good history of working together. Breitbach said that the system for determining school funding needs to be changed so that it doesn't have to be debated every year. Other issues discussed at less length included the shortage of mental health beds, a bill to allow the use of "suppressors" on firearms (not silencers), ATV trails, and the recent increase in the fuel tax. Photo and report by Bob Beach.
 

by Bob Beach

Katie Kerndt is the 18-year-old daughter of Brad and Mary Kerndt of rural Waukon. She will be graduating in the spring of 2015 from Waukon High School.
Katie currently works at Kerndt Farms, owned by her grandmother, milking 60 head of registered Holsteins. Her main responsibilities on the farm include milking in a stanchion barn, doing miscellaneous chores around the farm, helping with field work, and, on occasion, feeding the calves. Although Katie has kept busy around the farm, she also managed to serve as a Junior Dairy Ambassador in Allamakee County for several years. Aside from working on the farm, Katie babysits, loads chickens for Welsh Organics and helps her local cow tester.

The Allamakee County Sheriff's Department and the Iowa State Patrol responded to a report of a shooting at 783 Yellow River Drive in rural Postville Sunday, March 15 at around 11 a.m.
The Sheriff's Department reported that Jacob Edwin Abrams, age 24, of Waukon was found outside the residence at that address with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was transported by ambulance to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon for treatment, where he is currently listed in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries.
Austin Nicholas Roney of Waukon, age 25, was detained at the scene and transported to the Allamakee County Sheriff's Office for questioning in the incident. Kristy Roney, wife of Austin Roney, was also questioned regarding the incident. No charges have been filed in the incident as of press time Tuesday morning, March 17.

The Allamakee County Sheriff's Department received a report of an overturned vehicle Friday, March 13 at 7:10 p.m. The vehicle was located beneath a bridge on State Highway 51 three miles north of Postville. The lone occupant of the vehicle, 26-year-old Salvador Maldonado of Luana, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Sheriff's Department reported that the vehicle was apparently traveling north on Highway 51 when it left the roadway and struck a guardrail before entering the ditch and rolling into the Yellow River, where it was partially submerged. The date and time the accident occurred is currently under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol and the Allamakee County Sheriff's Department.
Assisting at the scene of the accident were the Iowa State Patrol, Postville Police Department, Postville Fire Department, Postville Ambulance Service and Veterans Memorial Hospital staff.
 

Much like the variety of clouds and sunshine that mixed with warmer temperatures but a chilly breeze, a wide array of Irish heritage was also on display during the annual St. Patrick's Parade held Sunday, March 15 in Waukon. With nearly 150 entries making up this year's parade, those celebrating the event lined the parade route to enjoy the nearly hour-long display and have a "barrel of fun," much like the Blake family parade entry pictured. Additional photos from this year's annual event can be found on Page 12A of this week's print edition of The Standard. All of the parade photos found in this issue, along with many more from Sunday's St. Patrick's Parade, are available for viewing/purchase by clicking on the Photo Gallery link.
 

The initial efforts of the "Building for a Buck" program sponsored by Waukon Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) recently came to a successful conclusion as area real estate developer Dick Sullivan fulfilled the terms of a development agreement for what was formerly known as the Ulring Building at the corner of Rossville Road and Main Street in Waukon. The building, now dubbed the Cornerstone Building, has been completely renovated, businesses occupy all of the commercial spaces available and all of the apartments on the upper floors have been rented.

by Bob Beach

The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Waukon is taking place this Sunday, March 15. The event will begin at 1 p.m. with many of the same festivities taking place as in years past throughout the community.
The parade route will be the same as in past years, beginning from the southeast edge of town and heading up Rossville Road and Spring Avenue to the stoplight intersection with Main Street. Turning left on to West Main Street, the parade will venture up to Second Street SW, where the entries will turn left at the Post Office intersection, travel one block south to First Avenue SW, and then east back to Spring Avenue, turning right at Kwik Star to head back south to its point of origin.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports that test results from the first weekend of collecting samples from deer in Allamakee County found no positives for chronic wasting disease among the 26 samples submitted. The DNR submits samples to the National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames for testing and the test takes about two weeks to complete.