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by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, March 2 to address a short agenda of items including a plat request, Manure Management Plan updates and Department Head updates. There was no Public Comment.

Manure Management Plan updates for Gibbs Dairy, West Ridge Ag and EY 1 – Eric Weymiller were reviewed. Board Chairperson Larry Schellhammer indicated that no changes have been made with the plans being accepted and placed on file.

Allamakee County Zoning Administrator Tom Blake provided an overview of the Gerald J. and Judy Sommer plat request. Blake indicated that the Sommers are dividing a property along Silver Creek Road to allow the sale to a family member and that the Planning and Zoning Commission and Plat Review Board have both recommended approval of the request. The Supervisors approved the Gerald J. and Judy Sommer plat request.

Bill Moody of Harpers Ferry recently retired from the Allamakee County Conservation Board after serving on that board for more than 30 years, being the lone remaining member of the original board established in 1989. Pictured in the photo above at the February meeting of the Allamakee County Conservation Board, at which Moody was recognized for his retirement and for his 31 years of service to the board, are current and past members of the Allamakee County Conservation Board. Left to right- Front row: Past and original board member Tom Weighner, current board member Jesse Delaney, now retired and original board member Bill Moody, current board member Jeanie Carroll and Allamakee County Conservation Director Jim Janett; Back row: Newly appointed board member Steve Weymiller, past board member Dennis Blocker, past and original board member Randy Hesse and current board member Dennis Koenig. Not available for the photo is current board member Marilyn Clark.

In response to the discussion that took place during the Public Comment portion of the Monday, February 24 meeting of the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors reported in the February 26 edition of The Standard in regard to the speculated closure of the Alliant Energy generating station at Lansing, Alliant Energy has issued the following statement through spokesperson Mike Wagner:

“We regularly review our generation resources so that we can operate our facilities in the best interests of our customers. No decision has been made regarding the future of the Lansing Generating Station.”

Allie Bieber, daughter of Ed and Amy Bieber of Waukon and a junior at Waukon High School, was crowned Miss Iowa Angus for 2020 at the 2019 Iowa State Fair held in August of last year in Des Moines. Although crowned last August, Bieber’s reign as Miss Iowa Angus did not begin until year 2020 and her first event was the National Western Stock Show held in Denver, CO during the month of January, where she is pictured in the submitted photo at right with Miss American Angus Eva Hinrichsen, who represents the entire United States for the American Angus Association.

Local favorite The Caminos will open Saturday night’s music event

The grandstand at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds will be rockin’ and rollin’ Saturday, July 11 in Waukon, as this year’s grandstand musical act for the Allamakee County Fair will feature some new flair and some local air.

The Allamakee County Fair Board has announced that it will be bringing the next best thing to legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bon Jovi to the fair this year when Slippery When Wet - The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute hits the stage to headline this year’s musical entertainment for the fair. This four-man group is led by frontman Jason Morey on vocals, Adin Stickle on guitar, Jimmi Botsford on bass and John Martin on drums.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, February 24 to address a variety of agenda items including the Public Hearing for the County Fiscal-Year 2021 Maximum Levy/Tax Dollars, consideration of bridge and culvert plans and the purchase of a pavement pothole patching trailer.

With this 2020 election year, the State of Iowa has moved up the deadline for filing nomination papers for certain county level elected positions that would appear on election ballots for this year’s June primary and/or November general elections. Allamakee County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Denise Beyer advises that many of the filing deadlines that once were set in August for non-partisan elected positions have now been moved several months earlier to March.

by Brianne Eilers

When she volunteered to be an usher as an FFA member at the 2019 Iowa State Fair this past August, one of the last things that Waukon High School junior Diana Davison had in mind was competing for a spot in the Teen Division of the Miss United States Agriculture competition - much less how far that competition would actually take her.

While at the State Fair, Davison received a message from Holly Hatfield, the Midwest Regional Director of the Miss United States Agriculture organization, asking her if she would be interested in competing in the state of Iowa pageant that was taking place that same week at the Iowa State Fair. Davison had to think about it for a little bit and confer with her mom, Cindy Shogren of Waukon, about it.

Future of damaged buildings still being determined by appropriate agencies

Fire officials at both the local and state levels have classified the cause of the Monday, February 10 fire at Gus & Tony’s Pizza and Steakhouse in Waukon as “Undetermined,” according to information shared by Waukon Fire Chief Dave Martin. The fire destroyed the nearly four decade-strong restaurant business owned and operated by the Dave Bell family at 508 West Main Street, along with damaging two adjacent business buildings, as well as the residential living areas associated with each of the three buildings.

Spillville native will seek Senate seat being vacated by Michael Breitbach’s retirement

Spillville Mayor Mike Klimesh has announced that he will be seeking the open Iowa Senate District 28 seat currently held by retiring Senator Michael Breitbach. Breitbach, who is the Appropriation Committee chair, recently announced his retirement, effective at the end of this year, after serving two terms in the Iowa Senate.

“I am running for the Iowa Senate to implement common sense policies to lower the tax burden on Iowans, improve education, and ensure rural Iowa has a strong voice in Des Moines,” said Klimesh. “I look forward to meeting Iowans  throughout Winneshiek, Clayton, Allamakee and Fayette Counties, hearing their concerns, and representing their interests in Des Moines.”