Top Stories

Pork Tornadoes to headline Friday's grandstand entertainment; Variety of activities and events planned

This week, July 17-21,  the 171st Allamakee County Fair will be held for all to enjoy at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. A wide variety of entertainment is in place to headline this year’s Fair at the grandstand, along with a great deal of other activities for everyone to enjoy each and every day throughout the five-day event.

GRANDSTAND STAR POWER AND HORSE POWER

Kicking off this year’s grandstand entertainment line-up Wednesday, July 17 at 7 p.m. will be a Truck and Tractor Pull featuring local trucks and tractors as well as some powered-up regional competitors in a variety of high-revving classes. Free admission is being granted to all local military veterans for that truck and tractor pull event, and there will also be a Pie Auction for pies contributed by this year’s Allamakee County Fair Royalty.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, July 15 to address a full agenda of matters including the consideration of the Resolution for the Destruction of Noxious Weeds, consideration of the appointment of a Harpers Ferry Library Board rural representative, and an update relating to the Lansing Police Department and New Albin law enforcement coverage.

The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Pro-Tem Mark Reiser with Supervisor Dennis Keatley present. Chairperson Dan Byrnes was not present due to a scheduled absence. There was no comment during the time allotted for Public Comment.

July 17 coronation event for both groups will help kick off the 171st Allamakee County Fair

The pageantry of the Allamakee County Fair will add another level this year, as the traditional Allamakee County Fair Queen Contest will be complemented by the inaugural celebration of the Allamakee County Fair Little Miss Contest for younger ages. The coronation event for both of those competitions, featuring a total of 11 Allamakee County young ladies, will take place Wednesday, July 17 at 5 p.m. at the Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon to help kick off the 171st Allamakee County Fair, running July 17-21.

Waukon native Robert Barhite among attending filmmakers; Katie O’Regan’s premiere of “Give ‘Em Hell Honey” features scenes filmed at local venues

by Julie Berg-Raymond

The second annual PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) Awareness Walk was held in Waukon Saturday, June 29, as nearly three dozen individuals made the trek from an initial gathering location of the Allamakee County Freedom Rock in Waukon City Park (photo above) down through Waukon via Rossville Road (photo at center) to the lawn of the Allamakee County Courthouse (lower photo) and the Allamakee County Veterans Museum, where information and resources were available for individuals, or their family and friends, whose lives have been impacted by PTSD. The event was part of the Veterans Administration’s National Center for PTSD program observing June as PTSD Awareness Month, with June 27 being designated as National PTSD Awareness Day.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

The last month or so has been something of a whirlwind in the Rosendahl household.

Conrad Rosendahl, Lansing Chief of Police since 2016, recently resigned his position and accepted a job as chief of police in New Hampton. Starting a new job in a new city can be stressful - especially for a couple who own a home and have two small children. It’s hard not to conclude that someone is looking out for Conrad and Kristin Rosendahl and their two youngest children (Izaac, 8 and Ariella, 5), though.

The setting of a new trial date has been put on hold in the First Degree Murder case of Brandon Kasemeier, the 40-year-old man from Waukon charged in the January 21 death of his estranged wife, Jami Kasemeier. That delay came as a result of action taken during a Monday, July 1 review hearing in Allamakee County District Court.

A review hearing scheduled for Monday, July 1 in Allamakee County District Court for a third attempt at setting a third trial date in the arson case against Mindy Jo Jones ended up not being formally needed, as legal counsel on each side of the case agreed to a trial date through phone conversations prior to Monday’s scheduled hearing time. That trial date has now been scheduled for Wednesday, February 26, 2025 with a pretrial conference having also been set for Monday, February 10, 2025, according to court documents.

Saturday evening, June 22 at 6:03 p.m., the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center received a report of a mud slide at 2204 State Highway 26, just north of Lansing. A large amount of rocks, mud and tree debris (pictured in the photo above) had come down the hillside due to heavy rain in the area reported at approximately four inches in less than an hour. In the path of the land slide, a large liquid propane (LP) tank was overturned.

June is PTSD Awareness Month

The Allamakee County Veterans Affairs Office and the Allamakee County Veterans Museum are sponsoring a PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Awareness Walk this Saturday, June 29 beginning at 9 a.m. from the Freedom Rock in the Waukon City Park to the Allamakee County Courthouse front lawn. There will be an optional extra loop around the park prior to the main walk for those who want to walk longer.

Following the walk, informative presentations will be provided by Veterans Administration PTSD Specialists and others at a tent on the Allamakee Courthouse lawn,  Videos on PTSD symptoms and treatment will be available at the Veterans Museum, located at 105 Allamakee Street, across the street from the courthouse. Beverages, refreshments, and restrooms will also be available in the Veterans Museum. This event is part of the Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD program celebrating June as PTSD Awareness Month.