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The Allamakee County Fair Board has announced this year’s grandstand musical entertainment for the 2026 Allamakee County Fair scheduled for July 15-19. Multi-Platinum country music recording artist Tracy Byrd will headline this year’s musical event scheduled for Friday, July 17, with Iowa-based Tyler Richton and the High Bank Boys performing as the opening act to kick off that night of entertainment.

Tracy Byrd became a household name on the country music scene in 1993 when his third single, called “Holdin’ Heaven”, off of his self-titled debut album, hit #1 on the Billboard Country Charts. That debut album went on to be certified Gold, an award signifying sales in excess of 500,000 copies.

The Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation (DOT) will take the next step in the Mississippi River bridge project at Lansing with a planned implosion and removal of the main section of the existing Black Hawk Bridge Thursday, December 18. The demolition was deemed necessary to allow construction of the new crossing to proceed safely after engineers detected movement in the Black Hawk Bridge structure beyond safety allowances while completing work on the adjacent new bridge. The new bridge has a planned opening date in 2027.

The Allamakee Ecumenical Choir will present its 49th Annual Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols this Sunday, December 14 at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon. This long-standing community tradition - uniting churches, clergy, musicians, and families across northeast Iowa - continues to be one of the region’s most cherished Christmas events.

This year’s service is directed by James H. Bieber, with assistance from his daughter, Sarah J. Sweeney, and will once again feature a blend of scripture, candlelight, and sacred choral and handbell music. As attendees gather in the warm glow of the church sanctuary, they will experience the timeless telling of the Christmas story through readings offered by clergy from multiple denominations, interwoven with congregational carols accompanied by organ.

The annual Lighted Holiday Parade held in Waukon Saturday evening, December 6 brightened up the beginning of the holiday season in more ways than one as approximately 30 entries made their way through the city streets, starting down Allamakee Street from the Allamakee County Fairgrounds to Main Street and then traveling up West Main Street to the First Presbyterian Church. Temperatures hovering in the low 20s and the threat of a Winter Weather Advisory snowstorm didn’t influence the large crowd into “ducking out” on flocking to the parade route or prevent numerous individuals from walking the route or riding comfortably on this year’s entries, as evident in the photo above taken at the stoplight intersection by Standard Assistant Editor Joe Moses. A video of the complete parade can be found on The Standard’s Facebook page at The Standard Newspaper, Waukon.
 

New ownership business model, end of long-term lease factor into transition decision

For the first time since the first newspaper was established in Waukon nearly 170 years ago, there will not be an actual physical newspaper office location for the community publication as of January 1, 2026. As of that New Year date, employees of The Standard newspaper will be transitioned to working remotely from home and the long-standing newspaper office location at 15 First Street NW in Waukon will no longer be open for newspaper business operations.

The Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Holiday Train made its way through northeast Iowa Monday afternoon/evening, November 24, making stops in both New Albin and Lansing to distribute holiday spirit and some generosity, as depicted in the two photos above of check presentations for $4,000 to local food distribution centers as part of CPKC’s annual mission to help raise money, food and awareness for local food banks along its railway network. In total, the two stops produced nearly 1,000 pounds of donated food and other dry goods, in addition to more than $2,000 in additional funds raised locally to help further that CPKC mission. Pictured in the photo at left above, Brian Hatlan (center of photo) of The Way Station in New Albin accepts a $4,000 check from CPKC representatives during the train’s stop in New Albin.

The Tuesday, November 11 Veterans Day Observance Program at Waukon High School provided a bit of reversal of fortune during a brief break in the event. Although a vast majority of the program was geared toward what Veterans Day is rightfully meant to be - honoring those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, a moment was also taken to honor an individual who had not officially served but who has done a great deal to make sure those who have served get the recognition and honoring they deserve.

Giving all they can on the mat is an expectation for the Waukon High School boys and girls wrestling teams each season. But during each of the last two seasons, the giving for those two clubs has gone well beyond the mat to benefit many who are much less fortunate across the world, with this year’s giving going even further after pursuit of some additional assistance.

Second-year Waukon boys wrestling head coach Caleb Ferring has had his team take part in the Operation Christmas Child initiative conducted each year by Samaritan’s Purse, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. The initiative sends gift-filled shoeboxes created by volunteers to children in need around the world.

Food and monetary donations help area food pantries feed those less fortunate during current high demand

After traveling a different route last year, The Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (CPKC) Holiday Train is scheduled to make its return to the Lansing and New Albin areas again this year as part of its 2025 trek to help raise money, food and awareness for local food banks in communities along the CPKC network. The festive railway celebration is scheduled to make its way through northeast Iowa Monday, November 24, traveling southward this year instead of northward as in year’s past and making Allamakee County stops in New Albin and Lansing that afternoon, before continuing south to Marquette, Guttenberg and Dubuque that same Monday.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care - Allamakee Public Health has a new location at 12 East Main Street in downtown Waukon as of early November. Area residents and clients of the agency should note that its phone number will remain the same, 563-568-5660. This move allows Home Care/Public Health staff to continue providing care in a space that better meets the needs of its numerous clients and staff.

Community and Home Care/Public Health had been housed on the third floor of Veterans Memorial Hospital prior to the recent move, and VMH CEO Michael Coyle previously noted that there will be more space, easier parking and the move will allow the agency to be able to grow services and offer better patient comfort. The vacated space on the third floor of VMH will become offices for Senior Life Solutions, which will offer counseling for senior citizens, with more information about that agency to be released in coming months.