Top Stories

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.

Nonprofit organizations and governmental bodies eligible to apply for funds

The Allamakee County Community Foundation (ACCF) is now accepting 2020 grant applications. The application is available online at www.dbqfoundation.org/accf. Applications are due by midnight January 31, 2020.

Nonprofit organizations can apply for grants from the ACCF for projects or programs that address significant community issues and benefit a broad spectrum of the community. Projects must be in Allamakee County.

The ACCF awards grants in the areas of Health and Human Services; Education; Neighborhoods and Community Development; Environment; Children, Youth and Families; and Arts and Culture, including historic preservation.

Preference is given to projects that:

Members of the Waukon football team bring their Class 2A State Runner-Up banner and trophy toward their fans after falling to OABCIG (Odebolt-Arthur-Battle Creek-Ida Grove), 37-12, in the Class 2A State Championship game played in the UNI-Dome at Cedar Falls Friday, November 22. The Indians and Falcons both entered the game undefeated, but turnovers, penalties and injuries limited the Indians in finishing their pursuit of a perfect season. Full game coverage, complete with photos, can be found on Pages 6A-7A inside the print edition and e-edition of The Standard. A full photo gallery featuring this and many other game photos can be found on The Standard’s website.

Pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.

Colton Steiber to compete in Saddle Bronc Riding championship in Las Vegas

by David M. Johnson

Daydreams are oftentimes the spark that fuels life’s successes. Playing in major college or professional sports, appearing in television dramas or movies, being chosen to play in the symphony orchestra, or being a major player in business or industry are some things attained by the most gifted or hardest-working handful.

For one local student in Waukon Middle School, qualifying for world finals competition on a major stage in saddle bronc riding is one of those life success moments.

A recount of votes cast in the November 5 combined city/school election confirmed that challenger Tony Becker has been elected to the District 2 seat on the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors, edging out incumbent candidate Bruce Palmborg by a final confirmed and canvassed 203-201 vote margin. The recount was conducted Tuesday, November 19 after Palmborg made an official request following the initial unofficial and then canvassed vote totals resulted in just a 201-200 vote margin by Becker. He was scheduled to be sworn into that EACSD District 2 seat at the Monday, November 25 board meeting following announcement of the vote recount results.

Wisconsin DNR Conservation Warden Shawna (Kerndt) Stringham brings illegal hunting contingency to justice

Editor’s Note: The following news item was shared by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Conservation Warden Shawna (Kerndt) Stringham is a 1991 graduate of Waukon High School.

The Vernon County Circuit Court in Wisconsin ordered two local men who led a 2018 illegal shining and shooting operation of deer to pay thousands of dollars in fines and banned them from hunting, fishing and trapping for 15 years nationwide, concluding a case investigated by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Conservation Warden Shawna Stringham and her team of wardens, citizens and court officials.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Each November communities across the nation observe National Diabetes Month to bring attention to diabetes. Families living with diabetes help their loved ones manage their diabetes and support them every day, including in some very special ways sometimes.
Sixth grader Breelyn Dahlstrom of New Albin has gained a new passion advocating for Type 1 Diabetes. Her younger brother, Caleb, was diagnosed at the age of four with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes in October 2018. Breelyn has since learned how to help him manage his diabetes.

Breelyn and Caleb are the children of Nick and Lana Dahlstrom of New Albin. They also have a sister, Tegan, who is in between Breelyn and Caleb in the family’s age hierarchy.

by David M. Johnson

The majority of Americans have never served in their nation’s military and may have difficulty relating to the sacrifice made by those who have served. They may not be able to fully understand the trials by the few who have experienced combat and cannot fathom why anyone would put on the uniform that represents their flag and give up a portion of their lives for that commitment to serve.

In 2005, a group of individuals decided that veterans of the American Armed Services should be given an opportunity to be rewarded for their sacrifice by providing them a flight to Washington D.C. to visit the many memorials of this nation’s historical military battles; that journey is appropriately called the Honor Flight.

Stone, Ellingson retain Waukon seats; Walleser is new Lansing Mayor; EACSD District 2 decided by just one vote

The first-ever combined city/school election was held throughout the state of Iowa Tuesday, November 5 as a means to try and improve voter turnout for such elections. Those efforts appeared to have served their purpose, as proven in some of the numbers locally in ballots cast by Allamakee County voters, with those numbers ultimately resulting in the return of all but possibly one incumbent candidate by local voters to their respective seats at the head of city government and/or local school boards, as described in detail throughout this article.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s Christmas Fantasy 2019 will be held this Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 15, 16, 17 and 18, at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The theme will be “Through the Eyes of A Child.”

“TINGLE ‘N MINGLE” HAPPY HOUR
The “Tingle ‘N Mingle” Happy Hour is a special opportunity to meet socially with friends and co-workers.  Over a dozen tables of hearty hors d’oeuvres, desserts, candies, breads and spirits will be served among the trees from 5-8 p.m. Friday night.  The event is sponsored by Four County Crop Services of Postville. Tickets are available at Veterans Memorial Hospital and local banks, as well as at the door.