News Center newsletter

To the Editor:

With the advent of Mother’s Day, I’m reminded of and grateful for the many experiences and lessons learned from my own mother.  Among the most impactful, are those things she modeled by example. As a lifelong Girl Scout and leader, she imparted the number one rule for girls on a field trip or a night at camp, that being, “always leave a place better than you found it”.

As a mother (and hopefully, someday a grandmother), I am reminded of my duty to carry on this responsibility and help leave the world better than I found it. It’s been a challenge to understand what I, as one person, can contribute to that end beyond recycling, composting and turning down the thermostat. I am fearful of the rapidly compounding effects of climate change, and the conditions in which future generations will find themselves.

To the Editor:

I was totally dumbfounded when I read in the Cedar Rapids paper’s March 24 issue that a Republican Representative, Andy McKean, switched to the Democrats, especially when so many Democrats, the good ones, are leaving their party. He’s joining a party that is anti-Christ, anti-military, anti-law enforcement, anti-gun rights, anti-marriage, anti-border control and wants to eliminate your right to work, supports Planned Parenthood and the abortion of babies, and wants very bad criminals to vote.

They have no program, period, just anti-Trump, one of the best presidents ever. People are happy and working; that’s all people, women, colored people, Spanish people. Give Trump four more years and we probably will be a great country again.

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
May 17: Updated - Last day to report production for the Market Facilitation Program
May 14: Deadline to complete mid-contract management (MCM) activities on CRP
May 15 - August 1: Primary Nesting Season.  No MCM activities on CRP acres.
May 27: Office closed in observance of Memorial Day
July 15: Last day to certify crop acres

May 2019 CCC and FSFL Interest Rates
New rates were issued for the month of May and are as follows:
• 2.250% for 3 years
• 2.250% for 5 years
• 2.375% for 7 years
• 2.500% for 10 years
• 2.500% for 12 years
• 2.625% for 15 years

New research suggests that water quality challenges in Iowa and nationally would be even greater if it weren’t for a little appreciated feature of the landscape: road ditches.

“Road ditches are human-made, hydrologic pathways we take for granted,” said Keith Schilling, state geologist and director of the Iowa Geological Survey at the University of Iowa, who led the study funded by the Iowa Nutrient Research Center at ISU. “They are everywhere, criss-crossing our state. Our research shows they are already working to help filter our water and raises the question: How can we better realize their potential?”

Following several consecutive days of subsurface testing during a weeklong closing, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) re-opened Highway 82 connecting Iowa and Wisconsin via the Black Hawk Bridge in Lansing to vehicle traffic Friday, May 3 around 4 p.m. That re-opening, however, has been limited to a single lane of traffic controlled by a stoplight for a nearly 100-yard portion of the highway near the smaller slough bridge closest to the highway entrance to the Winneshiek Slough Landing boat ramp.

Allamakee County Secondary Road crews were kept busy late Thursday and early Friday, May 2 and 3 with a pair of landslides that left some large rocks and other dirt and debris on County roadways. Pictured above is a large rock formation that slid off the hillside and rolled on to Columbus Road near the Driftless Area Visitor and Education Center south of Lansing Friday morning, May 3. Road crews were also called to another larger slide that covered both lanes of County Road X52 near Waukon Junction south of Harpers Ferry Thursday afternoon, May 2, closing that highway for a bit and leaving another large rock formation along the side of that road that was slated to be cleaned up early this week. Saturated soils from this spring’s unpredictable weather could lead to more such instances, with more rain forecasted, so drivers should be aware. Photo courtesy of the Allamakee County Engineer’s Office.
 

As part of Allamakee County’s ongoing strategy of improving readiness, Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker wants to remind residents that there will be several emergency response training exercises taking place this Saturday, May 11 throughout the county. Those training exercises were originally planned for April 27, but had to be rescheduled due to winter weather that hit the area that day. These emergency response training locations include:

• the town of New Albin, where a hazardous material spill exercise will take place;
• a decontamination exercise of patients arriving at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon;
• and also a shelter-in-place exercise at each of the long-term care facilities within the county due to a hazardous material spill.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, May 6 to address a full agenda of items including discussion relating to marijuana dispensary zoning, review of manure management plan updates and consideration of a letter to the USDA requesting Federal assistance for Emergency Watershed Protection funding for flood damage for Secondary Roads.

The Allamakee County Historical Society hosted an All-County Rural School Reunion Sunday, April 28 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon with a good crowd in attendance (evidenced by the photo far below). Event co-organizer Marcia Rush said more than 150 individuals who actually attended a rural school in Allamakee County signed in at the event’s guest book, with many of them bringing at least one or more family members or friends leading to an estimate around 300 people in attendance. That guest book included attendees from as far away as Iowa City, Wyoming and Marshalltown in Iowa, Eau Claire, WI and Rochester and Fountain in Minnesota, as well as two dozen other closer communities in the tri-state area. Others also took advantage of the opportunity to tour the Little Red School House at the Fairgrounds during the reunion, but opted not to attend the reunion itself.

The annual “Keep Waukon Beautiful Day” has been scheduled for Saturday, May 18 in the Waukon area, and volunteers can mark their calendars to help take part in the event in an effort to clean up and maintain the appearance of the community. Interested participants are asked to meet at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 18 at the front entrance of Waukon City Park.

Those participating are asked to bring with them garbage bags and work gloves. Those unable to attend are encouraged to take a little time that weekend do something positive for the environment, such as picking up trash or helping a neighbor with yard work, to show how they value the planet.