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by Joe Moses

Waukon City Manager Gary Boden and Executive Director Val Reinke of Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) recently provided an update to The Standard relating to the development of new housing options within Waukon, following a recent announcement made by the State of Iowa.
Boden and Reinke began the discussion by noting the recent announcement by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) relating to the Workforce Housing Tax Credit Program, a competitive grant program separated between large and small cities.

by Brianne Grimstad

In late July into early August a group of 42 travelers, comprised of Waukon Middle School students, parents and chaperones, journeyed east to experience the “Grand 8 Day Tour of America’s Heritage.” The tour was taken through Legacy Student Travel.
Bright and early at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, July 27, the travelers boarded a Hawkeye Stages motor coach to begin their journey into the history of the United States of America. During the trip, the group visited downtown Chicago, IL, Gettysburg, PA, Charlottesville, VA, Mount Vernon, VA and Washington, D.C.

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer - the three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. With a record number of deaths by suicide in the United States in 2022 (the last year data is available) and a disproportionate number of deaths by suicide in rural states, this skill is more important now than ever.

Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Each year thousands of Americans are saying “yes” to saving the life of a friend, colleague, family member, or neighbor by participating in this training.

Allamakee County voters will be asked to fill all seven seats on the Veterans Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees in upcoming November General Election

Allamakee County voters will have a unique opportunity in the coming November 5 General Election.

After voter approval in November 2022, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) was transferred from City of Waukon ownership to ownership by Allamakee County. Per Iowa Code 347, a new board of trustees is required to be voted in and all trustee seats are up for election. The VMH Board of Trustees consists of seven members. Membership is open to any eligible resident of Allamakee County.

A brief administrative hearing was held via video conference in Allamakee County District Court Monday, August 19 for the sole purpose of setting a jury trial date in the First Degree Murder case of Brandon Kasemeier, the 40-year-old man from Waukon charged in the January 21 death of his estranged wife, Jami Kasemeier. After about a 10-minute hearing held via Zoom web-conferencing software, that trial date has now been scheduled for January 29, 2025.

by Lissa Blake

Citizens have the right to demand clean water.

And a newly formed non-profit organization is helping rally the state’s population around that cause.

About 30 interested citizens attended a Monday, August 5 presentation at Robey Memorial Library in Waukon, hosted by the Driftless Water Defenders (DWD), Iowa’s newest clean water advocacy organization.

The northeast Iowa-based membership organization began just six months ago and has already grown to more than 100 members. Its focus is teaching Iowa communities about the sources of water pollution, adverse health effects of drinking polluted water and how Iowa communities can advocate for cleaner water.

Minor to moderate structure damage but no injuries reported from county’s first-ever August tornado

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado did indeed blow through Allamakee County later in the evening of Monday, August 5. Reports from the National Weather Service indicate that an EF1 tornado (characterized by wind speeds between 86-110 mph on the Enhanced Fujita [EF] Scale) made its way through the Patterson Creek area in west central Allamakee County and across State Highway 76 just south of St. Mary’s Church at Hanover, about five miles north of Waukon.

Family, friends and co-workers of fallen Allamakee County Sheriff’s Deputy John Grampovnik (inset photo at right below) surround his photo displayed on the End of Watch: Ride to Remember mobile memorial that made a stop at the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office north of Waukon Friday, August 9 as part of the memorial’s 73-day tour across the United States this summer. The memorial display was created by Beyond the Call of Duty, an organization out of Spokane, WA whose purpose is to “ensure that no officer is forgotten; that their families know their loved one has not been forgotten; and that there is recognition, support and understanding to help them heal.” The group also supports department safety and training to help lower the number of fallen officers experienced each year. Deputy Grampovnik experienced his End of Watch January 27, 2022 when he passed away due to complications of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.

Donations can be made in support of Brogan Gavin to benefit Ronald McDonald House

The annual Governor’s Charity Steer Show held as part of the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines each year will have some local flair to it this year, as the 42nd annual event takes place at the Livestock Pavilion on the Iowa State Fairgrounds this Saturday, August 10.
Brogan Gavin, 11-year-old son of Tom and Alana Gavin of rural Lansing, and his Angus steer, Johnny, have been selected to participate in this year’s show. They will be one of 24 exhibitor/steer pairs on display during this year’s event, each circling the show ring accompanied by a “celebrity” showperson.

The “Feed the Kids” program in Waukon completed its second July of feeding lunches and grab-and-go breakfasts to children 18 years of age and younger this past week. The program grew by over 40% from its inaugural effort last year, serving 1,974 lunches and 2,367 breakfasts over the course of 18 days during the month of July, up from its nearly 1,400 meals served during last year’s first-time effort.

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) provides breakfasts and lunches during June and August to local children as part of its Summer Feeding Program. However, to fill the July feeding gap (when the school does not provide those meals), members of four local churches in Waukon, including St. Patrick Catholic Church, St. John’s Lutheran Church, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and Zion United Church of Christ, started to meet in May of last year to come up with an initial plan for last summer’s inaugural effort, and did so again to plan for this year.