Community News

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, February 9 to address a full agenda of matters including the consideration of bridge replacement and bridge repair bids, discussion and consideration of opening the Secondary Roads Department Collective Bargaining Agreement and the consideration of updating the County Zoning Map. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tom Clark with Supervisors Dan Byrnes and Dennis Keatley present.

General admission seating and reserved tables available for annual showcase event

The Music Department in the Allamakee Community School District will be hosting its 17th annual Pops Concert Friday, February 27 at the Waukon Middle School gymnasium. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with concert time scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Pops Concert is an annual fundraising event sponsored by the Allamakee Music Boosters, and it features high energy musical numbers from the 1950s through today. Groups performing will include the high school and middle school choirs, high school and middle school jazz bands, drumline, featured soloists, song and dance skits, and emcees. The Pops Concert continues to feature new musical talents each year and has become a must-see event for the Waukon community.

Over 1250 pairs recently shared for global distribution from local donations

The World Health Organization estimates that 120 million people are visually impaired because of uncorrected refraction errors (far or near sightedness). Refractive errors can be easily diagnosed, measured, and corrected with eyeglasses. Yet, millions of people lack the access to these basic services.

Lions Clubs International has eight global causes it focuses on.  Those causes are Childhood Cancer, Diabetes, Disaster Relief, Environment, Humanitarian, Hunger, Vision, and Youth. The oldest cause Lions Clubs support is dedicated to improving the lives of the visually impaired and preventing avoidable blindness.  In 1925, Helen Keller called on the Lions to be “Knights of the Blind”. One of the programs to help improve impaired vision around the world is recycling used eyeglasses.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, February 2 to address a full agenda of matters including the review of a Board of Adjustment variance for Kwik Star, a City Hall structure update from the City Manager, and consideration of the Resolution relating to the sale and transfer of City-owned real property within the Allamakee County Fairgrounds. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with council members present including John Lydon, Tim Smedsrud, Cassie Handke, Nicholas Engrav and Steve Wiedner.

Before moving into Department Reports, Hatlan made a statement relating to Chapter 21 of the Iowa Code update which outlines Iowa’s Open Meetings Law. Hatlan advised that guidance provided by the Iowa League of Cities and the Municipal Leadership Academy will be used to provide additional structure for procedural aspects of council meetings.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, February 2 to address a full agenda of matters including an update from Veterans Memorial Hospital, discussion of signing a lease agreement between Allamakee County and the City of Waukon, and discussion of a structural snow fence agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tom Clark with Supervisors Dan Byrnes and Dennis Keatley present.

During Public Comment, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Coyle with Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) discussed the impact of Medicare Advantage plans upon Waukon and Allamakee County. Coyle made note of perceived initial cost savings for patients relating to Medicare Advantage with concerns later arising from prior authorization requirements and an 80-percent automatic denial rate causing delays in treatment and ultimately higher costs for patients.

For the third consecutive year, 1973 Kee High School graduate Ray Burroughs of Waukon created and sold an “Awesome Rides” classic car calendar to benefit all extracurricular activities in the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD). Pictured in the check presentation at right, former Eastern Allamakee Community School District Superintendent/Kee High School Principal Sarah Murray (left) and Eastern Allamakee Community School District PK-12 Principal Donna Thomas (right) display the $6,200 donation check to Eastern Allamakee Community School District between the Kee girls and boys varsity basketball home games played Friday, January 16 against MFL/MarMac. That donation amount brings the three-year donation total from the calendar program to $17,000.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors held two regular session meetings within a week’s time following the closure of the Allamakee County Courthouse Monday, January 19 for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance with board meetings taking place Tuesday, January 20 and Monday, January 26. The Standard’s coverage of both meetings is below.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20
The Tuesday, January 20 meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tom Clark with Supervisor Dennis Keatley present. Supervisor Dan Byrnes was unable to attend the meeting via Zoom web-conferencing as planned due to a temporary internet outage impacting the Waukon area that morning.

Robey Memorial Library in Waukon invites area adults to embark on a literary adventure with the 2026 Adult Reading Challenge, entitled “Plant a Seed, Read”. Underway as of January 1, and running through December 31, this year-long challenge encourages adults to explore new genres, themes, and authors while earning chances to win prizes.

Participants are encouraged to challenge themselves to read one book from each of the 12 categories selected for this year’s Challenge, which include the following:
• Agriculture-themed; 
• Book from your Childhood;
• Cross-Cultural;
• Family-themed;
• Foodie/Cookbook;
• Garden-themed;
• Health-themed;
• History;
• Humorous;
• Midwestern Author or Theme;
• Recommended;
• Set in Summer.

Participants receive a prize drawing entry for every category completed during the Challenge. Participants can finish all 12 categories and earn a bonus entry.

M3 Insurance recently announced eight new shareholders, including Jen Pino-Gallagher of the Madison, WI area, a 1991 graduate of Waukon High School. M3’s 67 shareholder partners are current employees who are actively involved in the business, and they must sell their shares prior to retirement. This ownership structure ensures engagement while aligning with M3’s commitment to remain privately held.

Jen Pino-Gallagher is the director of M3’s food and agribusiness practice, partnering with clients to identify the most effective and efficient ways to grow their business and remain competitive while reducing risk within their operations. She helps companies not only survive, but thrive, through advice and support around insurance and risk management solutions. She joined M3 in 2017.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, January 19 to address a short agenda of matters including the discussion and consideration of changes to the City Facade Improvement Grant Program, discussion on a sidewalk replacement program, among other routine matters. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with council members present including Steve Wiedner, Nicholas Engrav, Cassie Handke, Tim Smedsrud and John Lydon.

There was no comment during the first Public Comment portion of the meeting. The council moved into Department Reports with Police Chief Paul Wagner providing an overview of 2025 totals relating to department activities and responses, crime statistics, among other data for the calendar year. In response to a question from Wiedner, Wagner noted that the number of reported telephone scams has continued to increase with in-person scams and fraud increasing as well.