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The Allamakee County Emergency Management Agency and the AgriStar meat processing facility in Postville released a joint statement last week regarding selective COVID-19 testing completed at the AgriStar facility Tuesday, May 5. That May 5 testing was conducted at AgriStar in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Public Health and other State of Iowa agencies.

According to the release, AgriStar had requested the testing in April but was unable to have testing done until early May due to testing being conducted in other facilities across the state of Iowa with much larger employee populations and a considerable number of initial positive cases being reported at those facilities. The May 5 testing was requested as an additional step in the plant’s efforts to protect its employees and ensure its ability to continue operations, and the testing is not part of the Test Iowa Initiative.

by David M. Johnson

For the last several weeks the nation has been turned upside down due to the onslaught of the COVID-19 affliction. Businesses have been shut down, the medical community has been overwhelmed, people have been shuttered in their homes, and a number of citizens have either become gravely ill or have succumbed to the dark side of this illness.

A number of states have completely shut down all activity except those deemed essential to the security and well-being of the state. Iowa has resisted the siren song to join others and completely shut her doors until this shadow of this zoonotic scourge has impacted all lives.

Mark Reiser, a resident of rural Allamakee County living between Waukon and Lansing, has announced his candidacy for the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors. One seat on the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors will be up for election in November of this year and both the Democrat and Republican ballots will each have two candidates squaring off in this year’s June 2 primary for the nomination of their respective party to then square off in that November election.

Reiser was born and raised in Allamakee County. He and his wife, Nancy, have raised four daughters on their family dairy farm that they operated for 31 years, currently working a beef and crop farming operation. “We make it a priority to keep our business local, “Reiser said. “It is important, especially in these times.”

Community members, organizations and businesses challenged to help meet $3500 grant match by ACCF

The Allamakee County Community Foundation (ACCF) and Allamakee County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are partnering to help reduce COVID-19 community spread. Those agencies are looking for help from the communities they serve in order to make that possible.

The Community Foundation has announced it will match up to $3,500 in donations from individuals, organizations and local businesses toward the purchase of ultraviolet (UV) lights for six ambulances throughout Allamakee County and a larger UV light for use at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. These UV lights (an example of which is pictured in the accompanying photo) can be used for efficient, safe room sanitation in as little as 10 minutes, and can be remotely activated. This greatly shortens sanitation time and allows medical spaces to be occupied much more quickly following patient use.

Reported as of Monday, May 4 by Allamakee County and Iowa Public Health

Total confirmed cases to date: 99
Cases requiring hospitalization: 7 total, 4 currently
Deaths due to COVID-19: 3
Cases recovered/off isolation: 63
Cases currently recovering in self-isolation: 29
Number of tests sent to State Hygienic Lab (SHL)**: 122
Number of negative tests processed at SHL: 85
Number of tests pending at SHL: 2

Public Health officials warn that community spread continues, mitigation measures need to be followed

The number of confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 infection in Allamakee County for the past week’s timeframe showed a bit of a decrease from the same timeframe a week prior, down to 27 new cases reported from Tuesday, April 28 through Monday, May 4 following a high of 32 cases reported the week prior. That decrease comes in spite of the county reporting its highest single-day total of new positive cases since the pandemic began, that single-day high of 14 new cases in Allamakee County being reported Tuesday, April 28 but ultimately being the product of some correcting of reported numbers in the northeast Iowa area from the week prior.

Community members, organizations and businesses challenged to help meet $3500 grant match by ACCF

The Allamakee County Community Foundation (ACCF) and Allamakee County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are partnering to help reduce COVID-19 community spread. Those agencies are looking for help from the communities they serve in order to make that possible.

The Community Foundation has announced it will match up to $3,500 in donations from individuals, organizations and local businesses toward the purchase of ultraviolet (UV) lights for six ambulances throughout Allamakee County and a larger UV light for use at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. These UV lights (an example of which is pictured in the accompanying photo) can be used for efficient, safe room sanitation in as little as 10 minutes, and can be remotely activated. This greatly shortens sanitation time and allows medical spaces to be occupied much more quickly following patient use.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

Traveling over 7,000 miles to a foreign land is an adventure not many pursue. Yet, Deepanshu Dabas from Delhi, the capital of India, did just that.

His school in Delhi had hosted many exchange students and he had developed friendships with several of the students, particularly one from Japan. He decided to explore the possibility for himself.

Jack Knight, a resident of Allamakee County living between Waukon and Luana, has announced his candidacy for the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors. One seat on the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors will be up for election in November of this year and both the Democrat and Republican ballots will each have two candidates squaring off in this year’s June 2 primary for the nomination of their respective party to then square off in that November election.

“I consider county government to be non-partisan,” Knight said. “I am running to continue good county government and I am running to fill Dennis Koenig’s representation of the Postville area at that level of government. My primary motivation is to continue my record of public service to Allamakee County.”

Single lane stretches for most of project; Closure with detour from Waukon to Iron Mine Drive begins May 11

A project to resurface and add asphalt shoulders to Iowa Highway 9 between 10th Avenue NW (entrance to Northgate Addition) in Waukon and South Road in Lansing is now underway as of Monday, May 4 and will require lane closures with traffic being directed by a pilot car and flaggers, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s (DOT) New Hampton construction office.