The Irish Hollow Creek Bridge pictured above along Iowa River Drive (County Road A26) and located approximately 3.5 miles southwest of New Albin adjacent to the Upper Iowa River is scheduled to be closed to all traffic beginning Monday, March 25 for a replacement project of the entire structure which was first constructed in 1946. The closing was originally scheduled to begin March 18 but the recent thawing combined with rain made the gravel roads being used as a detour around the bridge project difficult to navigate.
Faith Palmer (right in photo at right), daughter of John and Meghan Palmer of Waukon, was crowned the 2019 Allamakee County Dairy Princess at the annual Allamakee County Dairy Banquet held Saturday, March 16 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. Also selected at Saturday’s annual banquet as the 2019 Alternate Dairy Princess was Kaylee Gibbs (left in photo at right), daughter of Chris and Kerri Gibbs of Waterville. Additional photos of award winners and other events from the 2019 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet will appear in a future issue of The Standard. Photo by Paula Enyart.
The streets of Waukon were lined with Irish spirit for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sunday, March 17 in Waukon. Under a bit chilly conditions with overcast skies and temperatures hovering just below the 40-degree mark, the event took approximately an hour to display the wide variety of nearly 150 entries. Additional photos from this year’s event can be found on Page 14A of this week’s print edition and e-edition of The Standard. All of the parade photos found in this issue, along with many more from Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, are available for viewing/purchase by clicking on the Photo Gallery link on this website.
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The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, March 18 to address a full agenda of items, including the consideration of a contingency plan for the 2019 Memorial Day Program, coverage of Township Officials on County insurance and bids received for the Dorchester Drive (A16) culvert extensions.
During Public Comment, Jerry Halverson of Waukon discussed the condition of McCabe Drive and secondary roads in general within Allamakee County, which have been softened by weather conditions. Halverson also expressed concerns about the width of the North Fork Hollow Bridge near his home. Chairperson Larry Schellhammer and Supervisors Dan Byrnes and Dennis Koenig provided feedback concerning weather-related road conditions and that State pavements have been impacted as well with potholes being an issue.
In a statement released Monday, March 18, Shopko Stores, Inc. has announced that it will liquidate its assets and close all of its remaining locations by June of this year, according to a document filed March 18 in U.S. bankruptcy court. The company stated that it was unable to find a buyer for the retail business and will begin winding down its operations beginning this week.
January 16 of this year, Shopko announced that it, along with its subsidiaries, had filed voluntary petitions for a court-supervised financial restructuring under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The company had then announced in February plans to close 250 stores, or about 70 percent of its locations.
The Monday, March 18 announcement indicates closure of all stores will be completed by June 16. Further details of anything relating to the closing of the Shopko location in Waukon will be published as they become available.
The Allamakee County Department of Environmental Health warns area residents that recent flooding caused by the rapid melting of snow and seasonal rains may cause concerns with well water contamination. Allamakee County Environmental Health Director/Sanitarian Laurie Moody offers the following information regarding well water contaminated by flooding:
• Do not drink or wash with flood-contaminated well water. People who drink, wash with, or prepare food with water from a water supply influenced by flood water can get very sick.
• Do not attempt to work on the well, the well pump, or the water system. There is a real danger of electrical shock, personal injury or death plus well, well pump, and water system damage.
Waukon City Manager Dean Hilgerson and Field Services Coordinator Pete Hjelmstad with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) recently provided an update to The Standard regarding the tree removal process currently taking place in Waukon in preparation for the 2019 DOT Street and Sidewalk Project that will improve State Highways 9 and 76 entering, through and exiting Waukon.
Late Sunday afternoon, March 17, the Waukon Police Department responded to 46 Jean Road in the Park View Trailer Court in south Waukon for a report of the male complainant at that residence having a pistol pointed at him. As a result of the ensuing investigation, 25-year-old Dustin James Ward of Waukon was arrested and charged with assault while displaying a dangerous weapon (aggravated misdemeanor) and going armed with intent (class D felony).
Sunday evening, March 10, a Waukon Police Department Officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle that had a brake light out and failed to completely stop at the intersection of West Main Street and Fifth Street SW in Waukon when the vehicle sped up. During a short pursuit that followed, items were thrown from the vehicle which were later located by officers and included a glass pipe with burned residue and a clear plastic baggy filled with a white powder that field tested positive for methamphetamine, according to court documents.
The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, March 18 to address a full agenda of items including the Audit Report for Fiscal-Year Ending June 30, 2018, discussion of the Storm Sewer Inflow and Infiltration Investigation Report and an update from the Walk-On Waukon group.
At the 7 p.m. posted start time for the meeting, the council meeting could not be officially called to order with only council member Gayle Decker in attendance, along with Mayor Pat Stone, City Clerk Lana Snitker, City Attorney Jim Garrett and City Manager Dean Hilgerson also in attendance. While waiting for a quorum of council members - the necessary number of members required to conduct the official business of the council - Stone opened Public Comment.
