Top Stories

by Bob Beach

The Allamakee County Democrats reconvened their County Convention July 8, and delegates nominated Dan Byrnes of Waukon as the Democratic candidate for Allamakee County Supervisor. Byrnes will be on the ballot for November’s General Election in which two County Supervisor seats will be up for election.
Byrnes was born and raised in Allamakee County.  His parents, Leo and Mary Ellen (Walsh) Byrnes, were farmers noted for their award-winning Angus herd. After graduating from Waukon High School in 1979, Byrnes attended the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and earned a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture. The youngest of seven children, he returned to Allamakee County, purchased his own farm, and eventually took over the Byrnes family farm, which is a Century Farm located five miles southeast of Waukon in Jefferson Township.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) has named Erica Nosbisch of Waukon to the position of Waukon Center director. Nosbisch begins her duties at the center July 21.
The former Erica Langland, Nosbisch is a 2003 Waukon High School graduate and earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Public Relations from Coe College in Cedar Rapids in 2007, graduating magna cum laude. At Coe, she played basketball for four years and was academic all-conference, a college adjustment peer, a member of student senate and multiple honor societies, and named to the dean’s list. After graduating from Coe, Nosbisch earned her master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Iowa in 2013 and graduated with distinction.
Prior to her role at NICC, Nosbisch worked as a grain merchandiser for Archer Daniels Midland and as a senior procurement specialist for ConAgra Foods.

This week, July 16-20, the 161st Allamakee County Fair will be held for all to enjoy at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. A wide variety of entertainment  - including some locally familiar and legendary worldwide talent - 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.

by Bob Beach

Absentee voting in Allamakee County for the August 5 Local Option Sales and Services Tax (LOSST) election is now available in the Auditor’s Office at the Allamakee County Courthouse, located at 110 Allamakee Street in Waukon. Voters can also get an absentee ballot request form by calling the Auditor’s office at 563-568-3522 or by going online to sos.iowa.gov, scrolling down and clicking on Request Absentee Ballot on the right side of the screen.
Polls will be open for the election August 5 from Noon until 8 p.m. Voters can vote absentee in the Auditor’s Office up until 11 a.m. the day of the election.
 

Five Allamakee County young ladies are vying for the title of 2014 Allamakee County Fair Queen. That crown and all the honors and responsibilities that accompany it will be bestowed upon one of those candidates Tuesday evening, July 15 during the Allamakee County Fair Queen Pageant being held at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion.
The pageant event will begin at 7 p.m. with a Youth Showcase, as members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter from Waukon High School will make presentations, as will top entrants from the 4-H Expressions Day held recently in Allamakee County.
This year's event will also feature an Allamakee County Royalty Showcase, featuring introductions of the 2014 Allamakee County Dairy and Beef Royalty.

A fire declared electrical in origin resulted in a pair of visits from the Waukon Fire Department to the upstairs apartment portion of the Howards Home Furnishings building located at 40 West Main Street in downtown Waukon during the middle of last week. An initial call was received just before 4 a.m. Wednesday, June 25 when an occupant of one of the apartments housed above the furniture store discovered smoke in her residence toward the rear of the building, with Waukon firefighters having to open both the ceiling below and roof above a hallway attic space near the back of the building to douse the flames. The Waterville Fire Department and the aerial truck from the Decorah Fire Department were also summoned for availability as precautionary measures.

A line of severe thunderstorms that plagued eastern Iowa Sunday evening, June 29 left behind some tell-tale destruction in Waukon and the surrounding area. The National Weather Service declared a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Allamakee County at around the 9 p.m. hour for the storm that produced brief torrential rain, reported quarter-size hail and high winds, including some straightline winds believed to be responsible for much of the damage left in the storm's wake. Much of that damage included downed trees, such as this series of trees pictured at right on the Makee Manor property north of Waukon along Highway 9 that also took down a power line pictured in the center of the photo. This photo and more can be viewed in the Photo Gallery.

by Bob Beach