Community News

Saturday, January 27 at 10 a.m., the Allamakee County Veterans Museum will present another program from its Veterans History Project at its museum located at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon.

A video interview by Chuck Bloxham with U.S. Army Veteran Lt. Col. Joe Emerson will be played. Emerson will also be present to share comments and answer questions.

Lt. Col. Joe Emerson enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1967, serving two tours in Vietnam and remaining in the Army until his retirement. In Vietnam he was a combat helicopter pilot, first flying a Huey and then a Chinook.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met twice within a week’s time following the closure of the Allamakee County Courthouse Monday, January 15 for the observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday with regular session meetings taking place both Tuesday, January 16 and Monday, January 22 this past week. Coverage of both meetings appears below.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16
The Tuesday, January 16 meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Dan Byrnes with Supervisors Mark Reiser and Dennis Keatley present. There was no Public Comment during the time allotted for that agenda item.

Helping Services for Youth & Families’ Domestic Abuse Resource Center (DARC) is recognizing National Stalking Awareness Month in January to recognize and respond to this criminal, traumatic, and dangerous victimization.

Stalking impacts nearly one in three women and one in six men in the United States but too often goes unrecognized and unaddressed. It takes everyone - advocacy and support services, legal systems, and victims/survivors and their friends and family - to better recognize and respond to stalking.

This month, Helping Services invites everyone to join the organization’s efforts to spread awareness about stalking through the theme “KNOW IT, NAME IT, STOP IT.”

The Decorah Genealogy Association will present a showing of the film “Decoding the Driftless: A Film of Science Exploration and Adventure” at 2 p.m. this Saturday, January 27, at the Decorah Senior Center, located at 806 River Street in Decorah. Enjoy popcorn and hot apple cider during the film.
Emmy-winning filmmakers have woven footage of the Driftless Region into a compelling story of the region’s ancient bluffs and rivers and underground secrets. The hour-long film helps audiences understand the importance of the landscape in which generations of families have built their lives. The program is free of charge, and donations are welcome. Submitted image.
 

The Thursday Night Book Club at Robey Memorial Library in Waukon, a monthly gathering for book enthusiasts, announces its line-up of literary explorations for 2024. Meeting every third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m., the club invites members and newcomers alike to delve into a range of captivating themes and authors, offering both in-person and virtual participation options to accommodate everyone’s preferences.

The 2024 schedule promises an eclectic array of reading experiences, each carefully curated to inspire, challenge, and engage participants, library staff noted. That 2024 schedule includes the following:

Saturday, January 27 at 10 a.m., the Allamakee County Veterans Museum will present another program from its Veterans History Project at its museum located at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon.

A video interview by Chuck Bloxham with U.S. Army Veteran Lt. Col. Joe Emerson will be played. Emerson will also be present to share comments and answer questions.

Lt. Col. Joe Emerson enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1967, serving two tours in Vietnam and remaining in the Army until his retirement. In Vietnam he was a combat helicopter pilot, first flying a Huey and then a Chinook.

The public is invited to attend. There is no admission or membership charge. The facility is handicapped accessible.
 

Dylan Bieber of Waukon has earned the National Junior Angus Association’s (NJAA) Bronze Award, according to Caitlyn Brandt, events and junior activities director of the American Angus Association® in Saint Joseph, MO. Bieber is the 13-year-old son of Ed and Amy Bieber of Waukon and attends Allamakee Community Schools. He is a member of the NJAA and the Iowa Junior Angus Association.

Bieber has participated in local, state and national shows. At the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), Bieber participated in the Skill-A-Thon contest and the 2020-2022 mentoring program.

The Tuesday, January 2 home game for the Waukon girls and boys basketball teams against Kee allowed the crowd to witness more than just basketball at the Waukon High School gymnasium, as youth ranging from three years old on up through eighth grade performed as a continuation of the Lil’ Indian Cheerleading Camp that took place earlier that day, a scheduled day off in the Allamakee Community School District.

Under the guidance of Waukon High School cheerleading coaches Amy Bieber and Lexi Brink, along with past and present members of the Waukon High School Cheerleading Squad, a combination of more than 140 young providers of the pep took what they learned from that camp and put it into action, with three-year-olds through second grade participants performing prior to the varsity girls game and third through eighth graders performing at halftime of that same varsity game.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met twice within a week’s time, Tuesday, January 2 and Monday, January 8, following the closure of the County Courthouse Monday, January 1 in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday. Coverage of both meetings appears below.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 2
The Board of Supervisors’ organizational meeting was called to order by Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer. The appointments of Dan Byrnes as Board of Supervisors Chairperson and Mark Reiser as Chairperson Pro-Tem were approved. Procedurally, Byrnes then assumed leadership of the meeting with the Supervisors approving their weekly 2024 meeting schedule for 9:30 a.m. Mondays with 10 minutes of public comment time from 9:30-9:40 a.m.

Having completed its 19th year, Holiday Lights continues to be a community event that also serves as Helping Services for Youth & Families’ most important fundraiser. Helping Services for Youth & Families is a nonprofit organization with programs that promote healthier and safer families and youth in northeast Iowa.

This year, Holiday Lights brought 4,445 cars through Pulpit Rock Campground in Decorah, hosted 3,148 visitors for the opening night walk-through event, and enlisted the help of over 425 volunteers throughout the season. Holiday Lights raised over $150,000 in free-will donations and sponsorships to support Helping Services’ programs. Those who are interested in ways to support Holiday Lights and Helping Services for Youth & Families are encouraged to contact info@helpingservices.org or 563-387-1720.