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Allamakee County shares largest percent decrease in land values at 2.2% since 2018

It’s been a difficult year for farmers - the planting season saw an overabundance of rain and delayed planting, the United States’ trade war with China persisted, skewing both commodity prices and demand, and farm bankruptcies rose to the highest level since 2011. However, favorable interest rates, strong yields, and limited land supply combined to help drive Iowa’s farmland values up for only the second time in six years.

The statewide value of an acre of farmland is now estimated to be $7,432, which represents an increase of 2.3 percent, or $168, since 2018. The $7,432 per acre estimate, and 2.3 percent increase in value, represents a statewide average of low-, medium-, and high-quality farmland.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, December 16 to address a full agenda of items including discussion of the Vet’s Club in Waukon, County funding for EMT (Emergency Medical Technican (EMT) training and updating the authorized driver list for County vehicles. Chairperson Pro-Tem Dennis Koenig called the meeting to order with Chairperson Larry Schellhammer not in attendance due to a scheduled absence.

Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) is developing a new county comprehensive plan in partnership with Allamakee County. The plan is called All In Allamakee, or the "All-In Plan" for short. The planning process so far has featured a community survey and community visioning workshops in Lansing, Postville, and Waukon.
The next phase of public input for the planning process will feature a round-robin-style open house meeting where community members can review and discuss information on specific topics and provide feedback to help identify solutions and strategies for the future.
The meeting will be on Tuesday, December 17th at the Waukon Wellness Center’s Senior Center (1220 3rd Avenue NW) from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The open-house format allows people to come and go as they please whenever works for them during the four hours. Light refreshments will be provided.

EMT Class offered beginning in January at NICC Waukon Center

by Lissa Blake

(Editor’s Note: This feature on the Lansing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program is the second in a multi-part series addressing the need for additional Emergency Medical Services personnel in Allamakee County. Additional area communities will be featured in subsequent articles.)

When Steph Hill was a child, her mother would always tell her to look for the helpers.

“I would see scary things in the news and my mother would say to me, ‘Just look for the helpers… You will always find people who are helping’,” said Hill, assistant director of Lansing Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

However, unless something changes in the near future, Hill said she fears her mother’s words will no longer be true.

“If Lansing EMS does not get more volunteers, there will not always be helpers. We are trying our best with limited people available,” she said.

The Allamakee Ecumenical Choir will present its 43rd annual Candlelight Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols service this Sunday, December 15 at 7 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church, located at 8 Fifth Street SW in Waukon. Area clergy will read the lessons, and carols will be sung by the choirs and congregation while accompanied by organ, trumpets and handbells.

Choral numbers will be presented by the Ecumenical Choir, Ecumenical Men’s Choir, Ecumenical Women’s Choir and Ecumenical Children’s Choir. Musical selections will also be presented by the St. John’s Lutheran Church Youth and Senior Handbell Choirs and the Bixby String Quartet. The program is prepared and directed by James Bieber, Organist and Director of Music at St. John’s Lutheran Church, and he is assisted by his daughter, Waukon Middle and High School Choral Director Sarah Palmer, and also by Lindsey Lund.

Large crowds greeted the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train at both its stops in Lansing and New Albin Sunday afternoon and evening, December 8, as depicted in the surrounding photos. Those attending were treated to musical entertainment by country music artist Meghan Patrick, soul singer Tanika Charles and singer/songwriter Kelly Prescott, along with other holiday activities put on by community members, businesses and organizations.

EMT Class to be offered beginning in January at NICC Waukon Center

by Lissa Blake

(Editor’s Note: This feature on the Waukon EMS program is the first in a multi-part series addressing the need for additional Emergency Medical Services personnel in Allamakee County. Additional area communities will be featured in subsequent articles.)

Many people take for granted that during a medical emergency, help is just a phone call away. But what if that weren’t always true?

A group of local emergency personnel recently came together to try and make sure someone will always be there to answer those calls. Formed in August of this year, the new Waukon EMS Association, a local nonprofit, hopes to find a way to help keep local emergency personnel at the ready.

The annual Lighted Holiday Parade held in Waukon Monday evening, December 2 brightened up the beginning of the holiday season in more ways than one as nearly two dozen entries made their way through the city streets. Temperatures in the upper 20s made for some chilly viewing conditions, but that didn’t seem to bother the many parade-goers lining the parade route, as evident in the above photo taken by Standard Newspaper Assistant Editor Joe Moses. View and find out how to purchase this photo and more from the holiday parade by clicking on the Photo Galleries link at www.waukonstandard.com.

A video presentation of the Lighted Holiday Parade, also created by Joe Moses, can be found on The Standard’s Facebook page at The Standard Newspaper, Waukon.
 

The Waukon High School Choir, under the direction of Sarah Bieber, will be sharing its music with the area church community during its 25th Annual Tour of Churches this Sunday morning, December 8, according to the following schedule:

St. John's Lutheran 8:30-8:45 a.m.
Old West Lutheran 9:05-9:20 a.m.
First Presbyterian 9:35-9:50 a.m.
St. Patrick Catholic 10:00-10:15 a.m.
First Baptist 10:25-10:40 a.m.
Zion United Church of Christ 10:50-11:05 a.m.
St. Paul’s United Methodist 11:15-11:30 a.m.

The annual tour allows choir members to serve the community by singing several pieces of music at various church services. At each stop, the choir takes a freewill offering to be donated to the Allamakee County Relief Office, the Allamakee County Food Shelf, the Backpack Program in the Allamakee Community School District and the Waukon Community Meal program.

Residents and visitors of Allamakee County will have two opportunities to see the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train again this year, as the holiday spectacle on rails will make its way to northeast Iowa Sunday, December 8 to make a pair of stops within the Allamakee County borders. The Holiday Train will be stopping in Lansing that December 8 afternoon, at approximately 4:50 p.m., and again in New Albin a little over an hour later, at approximately 6:15 p.m.

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is adorned with hundreds of thousands of lights and serves as a stage for live musical performances. Both stops are scheduled to include performances by Meghan Patrick, a two-year Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Female Artist of the Year; Tanika Charles, internationally known soul singer and recording artist; and Kelly Prescott, a third-generation singer/songwriter that recently made her Grand Ole Opry debut with her family as a guest of Terri Clark.