Community News

Waukon High School welcomed the newest members into its local chapter of the National Honor Society at an annual induction ceremony held Monday, March 13 at Waukon High School. Pictured above are this year's new inductees, left to right - Front row: Rylea Nagel, Emily Brown, Autumn Johnson, Morgan Van Ruler, Makayla Manning, Katelyn Leiran, Leah Enyart, Atlanta McKithen. Second row: Emy Dehli, Danielle Stock, Audry Fahey, Lauren Elliott, Gabrielle Marti, Laurel Keenan, Austin Day, Whitney Cota, Brittani Benzing, Carley Sweeney, Mackenzie Johanningmeier. Back row: Caryssa Hermanson, Kyle Gordon, Devin Bieber, Abraham Schwartz, Nathaniel Smith, Lukas Larson, Jared Campbell, Mitchell Snitker, Kaia Johanningmeier, Bailey Mathis. Photo courtesy of Waukon High School.
 

The Lawrence D. Anderson VFW Auxiliary #4117 of Waukon recently made a donation to the Terry and Sue Grotegut family of Waukon to assist with recovery from the fire that consumed the family's home in early February. Pictured above, left to right, at the donation presentation are VFW Auxiliary member Marlene Klocke, Terry Grotegut, and VFW Auxiliary members Bonnie Hager and Julie Rotach. Submitted photo.

It may only be March but the Allamakee County Fair is right around the corner and there are plenty of activities for Clover Kids to participate in. At the Saturday, March 18 Allamakee County 4-H Clover Kids session, Clover Kids Willa Troendle and Owen Grimstad shared their past experiences at the fair and what they exhibited in order to get other Clover Kids excited about what they could do for the fair. Then each youth spent the morning making their own fair project. Using ceramic plates and cups, the Clover Kids designed their own unique bird feeder (as evident in the photos above and below). Designs ranged from cows to WWE to ISU and beyond. Local residents are encouraged to come to the Allamakee County Fair July 19-23 to check out the completed projects and see many more.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, March 20 to address several matters, including an update on the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), estimates for removal of structures on the former Herman property and a Water Department vacancy.

U.S. Senator Charles Grassley visited Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon Friday afternoon, March 17. Following a brief tour of the facility, Grassley took part in a question and answer session with hospital employees (as pictured above). More detailed coverage of Grassley's visit will appear in a future issue of The Standard.
 

A benefit is being planned for the Eric Palmer family for Saturday, April 8 starting at 5 p.m. at the Waukon Banquet Center and including a free will donation meal and silent and live auction. Supplemental funds will be provided by Thrivent Financial.

For anyone interested in making a donation, tax-deductible donations can be mailed to: The Thrive Project, Attn: Eric Palmer Benefit, 1639 Green Valley Rd NW, Waukon, IA 52172 or non-deductible donations can be mailed to: Waukon State Bank, Attn: Eric Palmer Benefit, P.O. Box 246, Waukon, IA 52172. Non-monetary donations can be dropped off at the Allamakee Extension Office located at 218 Seventh Avenue SE in Waukon.

For more information about the event or donations, contact Amanda Peterson at 563-568-8764 or Amy (Menne) Ihde at 563-380-9673.
 

by Kelli Boylen
freelance writer

Eric Palmer of Waukon has always been the type of person to just keep pushing through when he didn’t feel well. In the last 25 years, he says he has only been sick enough to go to the doctor a handful of times.

But when he started having headaches every day during a week in late of last fall he knew something wasn’t right.  The headaches were severe enough that he would get nauseous and sick while doing farm chores.

Monday, November 21, he went to the clinic in Waukon to get checked out. His appointment was at 1:30 p.m., and by 2 p.m. he had a CAT scan that showed a possible tumor. By 3 p.m. an MRI was completed, which showed a mass in the right temporal area of his brain.

“We are so thankful Waukon has the medical facilities with good care like they do,” Eric said. “That is something we certainly don’t take for granted anymore.”

U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Aubree Peterman was recently awarded the 2016 NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) of the Year for the Eighth Air Force. She is the daughter of Bob and Kristi Hager of Waukon and is currently stationed at Anderson Air Force base in Guam, along with her husband, Staff Sergeant Christopher Peterman, and their two children, Kaden (age 9) and Kinley (nearly two years old).

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in a special session Monday, March 13 to address several matters, including a review of water rates, discussion of the proposed City Manager position and the review of Street Department applications. Mayor Duane DeWalle called the meeting to order.

The Council began discussion of the 11 applications received for the Street Department vacancy. For confidentiality, the applications were numbered 1 through 11 and referred to only by number and not name. Street Superintendent Keith Burrett provided his recommendations and Councilman Dwight Jones led the discussion and evaluation of the candidates, with the Council agreeing upon contacting four of those applicants for interviews.

by Lissa Blake

If current legislation will not protect the people, then people have the right to create new law.

Paul Cienfuegos of Portland, OR recently visited Waukon and Decorah to talk with locals about the Community Rights Movement. Cienfuegos has 40 years of experience in social justice. He is the founder of Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County in California and has held dozens of “First Steps in Dismantling Corporate Rule” workshops across the country. In September 2013, he helped launch the Oregon Community Rights Network (OR-CRN), the seventh state CRN to be launched so far in the United States.

Approximately 15 people attended a community rights meeting at Fiesta Vallarta in Waukon Tuesday, March 7. Cienfuegos also participated in a panel discussion at Luther College in Decorah Sunday afternoon, March 12.