2011 Year in Review Part II: July - December

The items below summarize the top news stories that appeared in The Standard during the second six months of 2011.

July
Senior Night for the Waukon varsity baseball team held special meaning Friday, July 1 at the Waukon High School baseball field. Not only was it the final home appearance for the nine Indian seniors who have been a major part of the Indian baseball program for the last three seasons, but the evening also featured the return home for one of those graduated seniors, Mark Hawes, who last left that field in an ambulance after a homeplate collision in a May 20 practice left him without feeling in, or use of, his arms or legs.
Immediately following the accident, Hawes was air-lifted to Mayo Health Systems in Rochester, MN, where he underwent several hours of surgery to repair a broken vertebra and stabilize his neck. The waiting game ensued, with his mother and father, Mary and Ed Hawes, and his siblings, Chad, Kristen and Nathan, often by his bedside throughout the process. A transition from healing to physical therapy slowly began to give Hawes use of his arms, but the prognosis of being paralyzed from his chest down and never regaining use of his legs slowly became more apparent during his therapy sessions and recovery. “That’s just something we’ve had to accept and Mark will always work to try and overcome,” Hawes’ mother, Mary, explained.

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Education gathered for its monthly meeting Monday night, July 18. The 5 p.m. meeting began promptly with a public hearing on holding a Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) vote along with the September 13 school board election. No public comments were made, so the hearing closed and the Board entered its regular session.

The Waukon and Kee baseball teams helped put Allamakee County on this season’s baseball map “double-time” with qualification for the 2011 Iowa High School State Baseball Tournament taking place at Principal Park in Des Moines. The dual qualification by the two area ball clubs marks the first time in history that both the Waukon and Kee baseball teams have been playing in the modern-day state tournament in the same season.

August
Allamakee Community School District’s junior high and high school students were issued laptop computers as the District’s 1:1 Initiative gets underway for the upcoming school year. Junior high students were each issued a Dell “netbook” computer and high school students were issued more powerful Dell laptop computers.
Waukon Junior High Principal Joe Griffith said that the computers would transform teaching and learning in the District, allowing kids to become “creators and producers.”
“Today we’re in experimental times,” said Waukon Senior High Principal Dan Diercks. “Schools are struggling to keep up in the digital age. How and what we teach has to change.” He added that while the computers are powerful tools, students will still need to learn and teachers will still need to teach.
Lansing’s Black Hawk Bridge “...will last a long time,” said Department of Transportation (DOT) District 2 Design Engineer, Mark Callahan. Except for the approximately 12-inch crack in a steel support beam and despite rumors to the contrary, Callahan said the bridge is in excellent shape. The flaw discovered during an inspection August 17 will be repaired by affixing steel reinforcement slabs on each side of the beam. The repair is not considered major and was expected be completed by the week at an estimated cost of approximately $25,000.
After the crack was discovered, the bridge was immediately closed, stranding several residents from Wisconsin and Iowa on the opposite side of the Mississippi River. Lansing Mayor Don Peters expressed concern for the businesses in Lansing who will be hurt financially while the bridge remains closed. A large percentage of the Lansing economy is supported by Wisconsin residents and tourists. The town was visibly quieter Friday night, with noticeably fewer than usual customers at restaurants, bars and gas stations.

President Barack Obama’s visit to Northeast Iowa Monday, August 15 is an event which won’t be soon forgotten by the fortunate 500 people who were able to attend. Since the town hall-style meeting at Seed Savers Exchange north of Decorah was an official White House event and not a campaign event, ticket distribution was handled locally through Luther College and Seed Savers Exchange.
Most who managed to get the coveted tickets were thrilled.

September
Voters in the Allamakee Community and Eastern Allamakee Community School Districts will be joining those statewide in going to the voting polls for the Tuesday, September 13 School Election. Area voters will not only be seeking to elect leadership to their respective School Boards, but also voting to continue their respective funding levies labeled Public Measure C on each particular ballot.
The funding measures include a Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) in the Allamakee Community School District that was first approved by voters nearly 10 years ago and is simply being asked for renewal for another 10 years.
Likewise, voters in the Eastern Allamakee Community School District will be asked to give their approval to allow continuation of an instructional support levy that has been in place for nearly two decades.

During its regular meeting Tuesday, September 6, the Waukon City Council revisited a hotel/motel tax which had been discussed earlier in the year but tabled for future discussion. Councilman Joe Cunningham explained that Waukon is one of very few communities within Iowa that does not take advantage of this funding opportunity and was leaning towards supporting a seven-percent tax proposal to bring to the voters in the November 2012 election. Dennis Murphy, who along with his wife, Carn, owns Kelly’s Place Bed and Bath in Waukon, spoke explaining that such an increase would be detrimental to their business.
Cunningham responded that he heard their concerns, but believed that the tax would be beneficial overall to the city and made the motion to approve a resolution for sending a seven-percent tax to the voters. However, the motion failed on a vote of 2-3, with Councilman John Ellingson being the only other “yes” vote.
Councilman Dave Sanderson then made a motion to approve a four-percent tax proposal, which passed, 3-2. If passed by voters, 75% of the funds raised are slated to be used for park and recreation expenses while the other 25% would go to the City’s general fund.

A large collection of area residents gathered at the Waukon City Park Sunday, September 11 for a Patriot Day celebration held to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people September 11, 2001. Following a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims of the attacks, several special flags were presented, including a New York City Fire Department flag to the Waukon Area Fire Protection District, a New York City Police flag to the Waukon Police Department, an American flag with the names of all 9/11 victims to the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department, and a commemorative 9/11 10th anniversary flag to Waukon City Park for display in the Indian Springs Memory Garden.
Plaques of appreciation were presented to more than 130 area veterans who have returned from service since the September 11 attacks took place.

Voters in both the Allamakee Community and Eastern Allamakee Community School Districts gave their approval to the continuation of existing funding measures listed as part of the ballots for the Tuesday, September 13 School Election. Listed as Public Measure C on each particular ballot, the funding measures include a Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) in the Allamakee Community School District and an Instructional Support Levy in the Eastern Allamakee Community School District. Both funding measures have been in place in the districts and were simply approved for continuation by voters for another 10 years.
In the Allamakee Community School District, 337 voters approved that PPEL continuation, with 83 casting “no” votes against the measure. The PPEL vote actually had both its largest amount of support (259 “yes” votes) and opposition (55 “no” votes) from Waukon area voters, with voters in the Dorchester area making up the only precinct to actually cast more “no” votes (9) than “yes” votes (6) on the issue.
Eastern Allamakee voters approved that district’s ISL continuation by a count of 85-45. Four absentee votes in that district were actually all against continuing the measure.

October
The secret sweeping northeast Iowa was finally revealed Sunday, October 2 when “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” traveled to the West Union area to surprise the family of Audrey Gibbs, a mother of six who lost her husband, Jon Gibbs, to cancer in August 2000 and continues to carry on despite considerable obstacles. Seven months following the loss of her husband, Gibbs suffered a brain aneurism that affected a quarter of her brain, has left her legally blind since May 2001, and has the potential to be fatal.

More than 480 motorcycles carrying nearly 650 people filled the parking areas around Waukon Power Sports and Waukon Harley-Davidson south of Waukon Saturday, October 8 before making their way to the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” new home construction site near West Union as part of the Helping Hands Ride conducted by Waukon Harley-Davidson to further benefit the Audrey Gibbs family. The proceeds from the ride registration fee and other donations resulted in $15,400 being added to the family’s benefit fund. The original thought of a benefit motorcycle ride began when Ann Schwartz of Larson Construction, the West Union site contractor, contacted Waukon Harley-Davidson because of the connection the Gibbs family has had with motorcycles over the years. Several members of the extended Gibbs family participated in Saturday’s ride, with some of the other riders coming from as far away as Des Moines to take part in the benefit event.

November
Guilty of second degree murder was the verdict delivered by the jury Friday morning, November 18 in the murder trial of Christopher Thompson of rural Monona held at the Allamakee County Courthouse last week. Thompson was standing trial for first degree murder in the October 2, 2010 shooting death of his live-in girlfriend, Angela Marie Gabel, with the difference between first and second degree murder - and the verdict - lying within intent.
Sentencing in the trial has been scheduled to take place January 18. The resulting difference in Thompson’s sentencing will be a maximum of 50 years in prison, with at least 70% (35 years) of that time being served as a minimum for the second degree murder conviction, as opposed to the mandatory life sentence without parole if the first degree murder verdict had been rendered.

December
Allamakee County has been selected by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) to participate in a $10.5 million federal grant to reduce binge drinking and underage drinking, and the problems associated with both.
The Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG) is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Allamakee County was among 23 counties identified by IDPH as “highest need” in regards to underage alcohol use and adult binge drinking.
Maxine Grotegut of Waukon has accepted the position as the Allamakee County SPF SIG Coordinator.