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Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer’s staff is holding regular office hours at different locations throughout the district so that her office can more conveniently serve constituents. Members of her staff can assist Iowans who are experiencing difficulties with federal agencies, including backlogged veterans’ benefits, problems with Social Security and Medicare, and stalled passport application renewals. There is no need to call ahead or RSVP.

A member of Congresswoman Finkenauer’s staff will be in Waukon this Thursday, June 20 at Waukon City Hall, located at 101 Allamakee Street. Members of the public can stop by that location from 11 a.m.-12 noon to present any questions or seek help with matters such as described above.

In addition to these “mobile” office hours, Congresswoman Finkenauer’s staff is available to serve constituents at her permanent offices located in Cedar Rapids, Dubuque and Waterloo.
 

A gathering for the formation of an energy district in Allamakee County will take place Thursday, June 20 at 3 p.m. in the downstairs community room at Robey Library in Waukon. Anne and Dave Blocker of Waukon hosted an initial meeting in which three take-aways were defined:

• Allamakee County is different than Winneshiek, Clayton, Howard and Dubuque (the first four energy districts already formed), with its own unique challenges and opportunities.
• Those unique opportunities are very real, and include programming partnerships with existing districts and matching seed funds available from the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque.
• A core team of champions is already forming to lead the effort, with the first three to four potential board members stepping forward and many others ready to play support roles.

A dream for Iowa native filmmaker Jack Meggers will come to full reality at the very location where its creation began - Lansing, IA.

A Mason City native and 2017-2018 Iowa Arts Council Artist Fellow, Meggers will be hosting the premiere screening of his short film, “The Burial”, at TJ Hunter’s Banquet Hall in Lansing Thursday, June 20. The 7 p.m. screening will also be hosted by Allamakee County Economic Development and Tourism and will begin with a “red carpet” event, with the screening to begin at 7:30 p.m. and a Q&A session at approximately 8 p.m.

Meggers said there will be a red carpet and a banner set up for movie premiere-style photo opportunities. Popcorn and candy will be available, and the screening of the film is free of any admission charge. Parents of young children are cautioned that  there is some adult language in the film.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, June 10 to address a full agenda of items including the annual review of the County’s ATV/UTV Ordinance, an update relating to the Iowa Partnerships for Success Grant and consideration of vehicle bids for the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department.

The paving of a one-mile stretch of Makee Drive just north of Waukon is in full swing, with tentative plans for completion of the project by the end of June (weather permitting, of course), according to Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour. The primary contractor completing the paving is Wicks Construction, Inc. out of Decorah with Croell Redi-Mix (one truck of which is seen driving out of the project area in the photo above taken by Standard Assistant Editor Joe Moses) from Waukon supplying the concrete mix. The grading and culvert work had been primarily done last fall by subcontractor Skyline Construction Inc. out of Decorah and allowed to settle during the winter.

The 2019 Allamakee County Dairy Days Parade traveled the streets of Lansing Monday, June 3, with a number of area businesses, families, individuals and organizations providing entries in the parade to pay tribute to the dairy industry. The annual celebration brings together those wanting to represent and celebrate the industry in whatever way they can and at a spectrum of ages and experience, such as the Allamakee County Dairy Ambassadors (pictured above in the photo courtesy of Main Street Lansing Executive Director Andy Kelleher), who represent the youngest generation of those involved in or promoting the dairy industry. On the more experienced end of that spectrum are those who have, perhaps, spent a lifetime being involved in the dairy industry, such as the display of proud heritage in the photo below courtesy of Robin Johnson of The Standard newspaper. View additional Dairy Days Parade photos by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this website.
 

In Waukon...

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Tuesday, May 28 following the Monday, May 27 closure of the Allamakee County Courthouse in observance of the Memorial Day holiday and met again in regular session within a week, Monday, June 3, at the New Albin Public Library as part of the Supervisors’ annual schedule of county library visits. Coverage of both meetings appears below.

MAY 28 SESSION
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Tuesday, May 28 following the Monday, May 27 closure of the Allamakee County Courthouse in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. The Supervisors addressed a short meeting agenda including a plat approval and discussion of a lot and surrounding roads in Rossville.

The Nation of Patriots, a volunteer organization with a mission to provide financial support to families of wounded military veterans who have made sacrifices in service to their country, brought its 2019 Patriot Tour through Waukon Sunday, May 19 as part of its annual three-month summer tour across the country. Tour participants display a United States flag which is transferred between riders at each designated stop along the tour that will travel the contiguous 48 United States before it will finally end up back at its original starting location in Beaver Dam, WI in early September.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

Tom Garrett of Lansing has put a lot of miles on Eastern Allamakee Community School District buses through the last 41 years. This year marks his retirement from that job.

More than 40 years ago, when he was in his mid-twenties, he heard that the school district transportation director, Vince Mullarkey, was looking for bus drivers. Mullarkey and Donny Johnson were in charge of the busing system and knew Garrett. Through those early years, Garrett was also a full-time deputy sheriff for Allamakee County, but he worked a majority of night shifts, so during the day he could drive school buses.

After he retired from the Sheriff’s department in 2004, he increased his bus load to include more activity buses in addition to his morning and evening routes.