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Wed
23
Oct

City of New Albin holds grand opening for new Algaewheel® wastewater treatment facility that is first of its kind for a municipality in state of Iowa


New Albin wastewater treatment facility first of its kind in Iowa ... The floating wheels in both tanks at the new wastewater treatment plant - celebrated with a grand opening in New Albin Thursday, October 17 - rotate due to the bubbles created by the submerged blowers that drive the paddles on the wheels. As the sun shines through the greenhouse and strikes the algae that forms on each wheel, photosynthesis occurs. In a symbiotic chemical reaction with bacteria present in the wastewater, the algae convert ammonia to nitrates that can then be safely released into the Mississippi River. Each wheel is three feet in diameter by one and a half feet wide. With five wheels side-by-side on a shaft and 15 shafts per tank, each large tank holds 75 wheels. Both tanks together at the facility total 150 wheels that are enclosed in a greenhouse. Photo by Julie Berg-Raymond.

Full control ... State-of-the-art computer controls integrate the whole operating system of the new wastewater treatment facility in New Albin. City worker Price Barnes is pictured above with the panel that controls the blowers in the greenhouse. Photo by Julie Berg-Raymond.

Instrumental in making it happen ... Pictured above during the grand opening tour of the new wastewater treatment facility in New Albin are, left to right, Lucas Elsbernd, senior project engineer with Fehr Graham Engineering; George Blair, New Albin City Council member who many give credit to for being the “guiding force” behind the new treatment facility; and Dan Johnson, chief technology officer at OneWater. Elsbernd described New Albin as a “perfect fit, as a city, for this technology.” Photo by Julie Berg-Raymond.

The planning and development meetings for New Albin’s new wastewater treatment facility (the exterior of which is pictured above during the facility’s October 17 grand opening tour) began over eight years ago. What began as a $4.5 million project became - through loan forgiveness ($1 million by the Iowa State Revolving Fund) and two grants administered by Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) - the city ended up with a 30-year, low-interest loan of $3,506,660 after administration costs. Photo by Julie Berg-Raymond.

Pointing out the many positives ... Pictured above at the grand opening of the new wastewater treatment facility in New Albin are, left to right, New Albin Mayor Tom Feurhelm; OneWater Director Paul Kesterton, who flew in from London, England for the grand opening; and Eric Lawrence, sales engineer with Vessco, Inc. In addition to the Algaewheel® system implemented in the new treatment facility, some of New Albin’s original wastewater structures were also retained, retrofitted and integrated with a Vessco, Inc. screening system and aerobic digesters. Photo by Julie Berg-Raymond.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

It has been more than eight years in the making; and it involved a team effort by city officials, designers, engineers, construction groups, and the developers of a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment technology which is being implemented for the first time in a municipality in the state of Iowa.

Paul Kesterton is a director at OneWater Group, Ltd., the Hong Kong-based company that developed the wastewater treatment technology called Algaewheel®; he flew in from London for the grand opening of that new innovative New Albin wastewater treatment facility celebrated Thursday, October 17.

With this new facility, Kesterton said, “(New Albin) is on the vanguard.”

According to people who saw this project come to fruition, it would not have been possible without the efforts - and sheer perseverance - of New Albin City Council member George Blair, widely considered the “guiding force” behind the project.

Wed
23
Oct

Election Essentials Election Security - Part 2

Election Essentials is a weekly series of articles offering a variety of information regarding elections in Iowa and Allamakee County prior to this year’s November 5 General Election. The information is being provided courtesy of Allamakee County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Denise Beyer.

Last week’s article explained steps taken by all counties in the state of Iowa during both pre-election preparation and testing and the Election Day process to ensure an accurate, safe and secure election. This week’s article will explain the process after the polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Night, how results are verified when the Auditor reports to the Iowa Secretary of State and the required Post-Election Audit.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE POLLS CLOSE AT 8:00 P.M.?
If there is a line at 8:00 p.m. at any polling place, any voter in line is allowed to check in and vote. Anyone arriving after 8:00 p.m. cannot be allowed to vote.

Wed
16
Oct

Candidates in contested races share views as absentee voting begins prior to November 5 General Election


Veterans Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees

Allamakee County Agricultural Extension Council

District 32 Iowa Senate - Bruening vs. Klimesh

U.S. House of Representatives - Iowa District 2: Corkery/Hinson/Puffett

District 64 Iowa House of Representatives - Gearhart vs. Zahren

With the November 5 General Election just over a couple weeks away and absentee voting getting underway Wednesday, October 16 for that election, The Standard newspaper issued questionnaires to candidates in the contested races on this year’s General Election ballot where there are more candidates than seats being pursued, in an effort to further inform voters before they cast their ballot. The questions asked, and the replies from each candidate, are printed throughout this week’s edition of The Standard, beginning on this week’s Front Page and also initially featured on Pages 15 and 16.

Wed
09
Oct

Trial date for Mindy Jones arson case moved a third and fourth time, and now scheduled for November 12 this year

Mindy Jones ...
Mindy Jones ... Photo by the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

The jury trial date for the arson case involving Mindy Jo Jones was recently changed for a third and fourth time since the original trial date in the case was first set for just over one year ago. According to court documents filed in Allamakee County District Court by both legal representative sides of the case, those third and fourth changes came within just the past several weeks, first moving that trial date up but then pushing the date back a bit further - ultimately settling on a Tuesday, November 12 date for this year.

Wed
09
Oct

University of Minnesota announces establishment of the Michael T. Osterholm Endowed Chair in Infectious Disease Research/Policy

Dr. Michael Osterholm ...
Dr. Michael Osterholm ...

Waukon High School 1971 graduate Dr. Michael Osterholm, one of the world’s leading infectious disease epidemiologists, with expertise in pandemic preparedness, disease outbreak investigations and public health practice, will have an endowed chair in his name at the University of Minnesota (UMN) School of Public Health (SPH), where he has served on the faculty for the past 48 years. The Michael T. Osterholm Endowed Chair in Infectious Disease Research and Policy was made possible with generous funding from philanthropist Christy Walton and the Alumbra Innovations Foundation, as well as more than 1,000 individual donors who have supported the chair’s endowment.

Wed
09
Oct

Election Essentials Absentee Voting

Election Essentials is a weekly series of articles offering a variety of information regarding elections in Iowa and Allamakee County prior to this year’s November 5 General Election. The information is being provided courtesy of Allamakee County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Denise Beyer.

With the General Election in less than one month, Tuesday, November 5, 2024, voters may be considering whether they will vote at the polls, or vote absentee, prior to Election Day. There are two options for voting absentee in Iowa: In person at the auditor’s office, or by mail. In Iowa the term “absentee” refers to voting prior to Election Day, regardless of the method.

Wed
02
Oct

Lansing’s Sarah and Steve Murray talk about Sarah’s experience with the spinal cord injury she suffered this past spring


A welcome home ... Sarah Murray of Lansing is pictured above the day she returned home from Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, located in Chicago, IL, following her spinal cord injury she suffered in mid-March of this year. The flowers she is holding in the photo are from Laurie Van Brocklin and Julie Welsh, who worked with Sarah at Kee High School in Lansing. Submitted photo.

Foundation in family ... Steve and Sarah Murray of Lansing renewed their wedding vows on their 10th anniversary a couple years ago, with their family in attendance, as pictured above. The celebration was held at their home in Lansing, where this photo was taken. Pictured, left to right, are Steve and Sarah with their three children, Westen, Jenna and Cade, who have each provided their own source of foundational support since Sarah suffered a spinal cord injury in March this year. Submitted photo.

Rehab at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab ... Sarah Murray of Lansing is pictured here at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, in Chicago, IL, where she was transfered to in late April for physical therapy and rehabilitation after the spinal cord injury she suffered in mid-March of this year. After six weeks of rehabilitation at the AbilityLab - described as “the global leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation for adults and children with the most severe, complex conditions”, Sarah was able to return home to Lansing, where she continues her recovery with the support of her family, friends and the greater communities of where she and her family live, and beyond. Submitted photo.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

On a recent afternoon in late September, Sarah and Steve Murray, of Lansing, sat down and talked about Sarah’s recent experience with spinal cord injury (SCI), and about her ongoing recovery and rehabilitation - being undertaken with the help of professionals in the field, and with the loving support of family, friends and the wider community.

The conversation took place at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon, where Sarah would soon bring to completion more than six weeks of treatment for pressure wounds - a fairly common complication among persons with SCI (it is variously estimated that between 50 and 80 percent of persons with SCI develop a pressure wound at least once in their lives). The conversation took place outside; it was a beautiful day, and Sarah and Steve wanted to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

Wed
02
Oct

Fields of Faith 2024 in Waukon October 9 to feature former Iowa State football/track & field athlete, FCA member

RJ Sumrall ...
RJ Sumrall ...

Everyone is invited to join area youth on athletic fields across the nation Wednesday, October 9 in sharing their Christian faith with other students and the general public for this year’s Fields of Faith event. The local event is now in its 13th year and will open to the public at 6:30 p.m., with the event scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Waukon High School football field Wednesday, October 9, or in the Waukon High School gym in the event of bad weather.

Wed
02
Oct

Election Essentials New County Election Facebook page launched

Election Essentials is a weekly series of articles offering a variety of information regarding elections in Iowa and Allamakee County prior to this year’s November 5 General Election. The information is being provided courtesy of Allamakee County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Denise Beyer.

In an effort to increase voter education and engagement and also provide another avenue for voters to obtain essential information about upcoming elections, the Allamakee County Auditor’s office has launched a new Facebook page: Allamakee County Elections. One goal of the Auditor’s office is voter education and with almost every voter having constant access to the internet via their cell phone or home computer, creating an elections Facebook page seemed like an easy way to educate and inform voters. Voters can stay informed about all aspects of the 2024 General Election right from their Facebook feed.

Wed
25
Sep

Waukon High School Homecoming Royalty ...

Waukon High School seniors Olivia Dougherty and Jaxon Brinkman were crowned Waukon High School's 2024 Homecoming Queen and King at the "Burning of the W" pep rally held Thursday evening, September 19 at Waukon High School. Unfortunately, the traditional “Burning of the W” was not allowed to take place at the end of the pep rally due to weather conditions. Additional photos of Waukon High School's Homecoming events are featured on Page 32 in this week's issue, as well as coverage of the Waukon football team's Homecoming game with North Fayette Valley featured on Page 18. Even more photos from this year’s Homecoming festivities can also be found at the Photo Galleries link on The Standard’s website, www.waukonstandard.com.
 

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