The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, May 22 to address a full agenda of items, including a Public Hearing for the Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI®) Ordinance, consideration of bids for paving a portion of Breezy Corners Road and the consideration of language for the updated ATV ordinance. Chairperson Larry Schellhammer called the meeting to order with the current agenda and the meeting minutes of May 15 being approved.
During Public Comments, Executive Director Val Reinke with Allamakee County Economic Development advised that CBS 2/Fox 48 will be doing a "Road Trippin'" television segment on Allamakee County that will include Yellow River Forest, Effigy Mounds, Lansing, WW Homestead Dairy and other locations.
The Iowa Court of Appeals has overturned a March 26, 2015 ruling regarding a suit filed against the City of Lansing by former Lansing City Councilman Bill Burke. The suit centered around a 2012 incident regarding an open meetings law violation and a suit filed against the City of Lansing and its Council members by Allamakee County Attorney Jill Kistler.
Burke was removed from the Council in 2013 for "willful misconduct and maladministration in office" and a trial contesting that dismissal was held in December of 2014. District Court Judge Richard Stochl ruled against Burke and ordered him to pay court costs of $240.80. At the time, Lansing's mayor was Mike Verdon and the Council members, in addition to Burke, included Deb Volker, Jeff Bechtel, Rebecca Conway and Ross Kolsrud.
District Director Jayne Armstrong of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Iowa District Office is reminding Iowa small businesses of the June 6 deadline to apply for an SBA federal disaster loan for economic injury caused by severe weather and flash flooding in Winneshiek County that occurred August 23-24, 2016.
According to Armstrong, small non-farm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. “Economic Injury Disaster Loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster’s impact. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the applicant suffered any property damage,” Armstrong said.
Traditionally beginning and ending in Wisconsin, the Patriot Tour consists of one American Flag being carried through 48 continental states, escorted by tens of thousands of motorcycle riders for 110 days straight all in honor of America's Armed Forces members.
The annual Tour typically travels through Waukon in September near the end of the Tour, but this year will be reversing its course in making Waukon its first visit on the Tour this weekend.
The Patriot Tour is a vehicle through which the Nation of Patriots organization strives to unite Americans beneath the colors of this nation's flag and behind the men and women who stand up to defend them. The Patriot Tour works to raise financial support and awareness for the families of wounded veterans.
The identity of the men pictured above in this photo that previously ran in the April 5, 2017 edition of The Standard in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the United States' entry into World War I has since been solved. The photo, simply labeled "WWI Veterans," hangs in the Vet's Club in Waukon, with no further details or names being listed with the photo. After publishing the photo earlier this year near the April 6 100th anniversary of the United States joining World War I by declaring war on Germany on that date in 1917, Jim Normann of Waukon recalled seeing such a photo in his family's collection of such items and came across the newspaper clipping of the same photo, along with the following photo caption:
Allamakee Community School District Superintendent Dave Herold was the featured speaker at the May 11 meeting of the Allamakee Democrats. Herold spoke on school funding and the impact of recent legislation on collective bargaining in addition to answering other questions from those in attendance. Submitted photo.
Dave Herold, Superintendent of the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD), was the guest speaker at the Allamakee Democrats’ monthly meeting held Thursday, May 11. He gave a presentation on school funding and how the restrictions and changes to Chapter 20 (Collective Bargaining) affect the local school district.
In light of the Republican-controlled State House and State Senate recently passing a school funding bill with a 1.1% increase, which is the third lowest in Iowa’s history, and the cost of living index being listed at four percent, the result is a substantial budget shortfall for schools in Allamakee County. To address this shortfall, Herold outlined three options: cut staff, cut programs, or increase the property tax levy.
The group pictured above from First Baptist Church in Waukon will be making a mission trip to the Amazon Jungle in Brazil in June of this year. Left to right - Front row: Brenna Smith, Jacob Smith, Aislinn Goettel. Second row: Morgan Van Ruler, Sidney McQuade, Claire Beyer, Kari Roney. Back row: Michael Smith, Nathan Smith, Cristina Smith, Pastor Duane Smith, and Deb and Steve Kiley. Photo submitted with permission from Elisha Marti.
submitted by Cristina Smith
First Baptist Church in Waukon is planning a third mission trip to Brazil, South America June 2-18 of this year. Every four years, First Baptist Church, under the direction of Rev. Duane and Cristina Smith, plans an overseas missions trip open to the youth group and church family.
This upcoming trip is unique because the team of 13 people will be going to the Amazon Jungle of northern Brazil. The past mission trips, in 2009 and 2013, respectively, were to East-Central Brazil. The June 2017 mission trip will be a different and adventurous trip, taking the team to the Amazon Rainforest of northern Brazil.
One final flight at Drake Stadium ... Waukon girls track senior Erika Johnson flies through the air one final time during her third consecutive State Meet qualification in the long jump. Johnson recorded a preliminary-best jump of 16’1.5” to miss out on making the finals and place 10th overall in the Class 2A 24-jumper field. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this website.
The 2017 State Track Meet held at Drake Stadium in Des Moines Thursday through Saturday, May 18-20 marked the end of the 2017 Iowa high school track season, and the end of some decorated careers of three Waukon girls track seniors who competed in the season grand finale. Although neither of the two events the Lady Indians qualified for this year’s State Meet came away with any medal-winning hardware, the three Indian seniors who competed among this season’s five qualified competitors were able to end their careers where all Iowa high school athletes would have loved to, and where each of them have finished at least their last three seasons.
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Career best in final run ... Waukon boys track senior Tyler O’Neill leads this pack in the Class 2A 3200 meter run Thursday, May 18 at the State Track Meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. In his final high school distance running event and his second consecutive State Meet appearance in the 3200 meter event, O’Neill finished 13th in the 24-runner field in a career-best time of 10:04.99. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this website.
The 2017 State Track Meet held Thursday through Saturday, May 18-20 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines brought to a close the Iowa high school track season, and an end to the high school track careers for half the Waukon boys track team members competing in the season grand finale. Seniors Tyler O’Neill, Blain Swenson, Brandon Regan and Hunter Jensen all made their final go-rounds on a high school track with completion of this season’s State Meet, but it was junior Mitchell Snitker who produced the track Tribe’s greatest highlight with his medal-winning finish in the 400 meter hurdles.
Second consecutive 3000 meter medal ... Kee girls track sophomore Katie Brennan leads some of her fellow Class 1A 3000 meter runners in the Thursday, May 18 event at the State Track Meet hosted by Drake Stadium in Des Moines. In her second consecutive season of qualifying for that season grand finale event, Brennan brought home her second consecutive medal, finishing sixth in a school record time of 10:59.50. She also teamed up with fellow sophomore Makayla Walleser and the junior pair of Nicki Wood and Kendra Cooper for a 21st-place finish in the 4x400 relay in a time of 4:24.01 and for a ninth-place effort just one place shy of a medal in the distance medley with another school record time of 4:26.74. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this website.
The 2017 State Track Meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines Thursday through Saturday, May 18-20 put the icing on another historic cake for the core group of girls who seem to be involved in nearly every historic aspect of Kee girls athletics in recent times. That icing, however, may not have always tasted as sweet as those Kee track girls may have wanted.
The Lady Hawks were able to bring home a couple medals from their nine State Meet qualifications, but were also within a spot or two of doing so in many more, as the Kee tracksters were able to garner finishes within the top half of their respective event fields in all but two of their nine event efforts. A sixth-place medal won by sophomore Katie Brennan in the 3000 meter run and an eighth-place medal won by senior Courtney Cooper in the shot put were among the greatest highlights for the Hawks in this season’s final go-round.
