Community News

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Tuesday, February 21 as a result of the President's Day holiday falling on its usual meeting night of Monday. The Council discussed a full agenda of items, including the repair or replacement of City Hall windows, the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI®) and the review of Town & Country Sanitation's new contract options.

A Public Hearing was opened for an Amendment to the TIF District, which City Attorney Jim Garrett clarified as being an amendment to the Urban Renewal Plan to include the proposed Waukon Police Station facility, not to exceed $500,000. There were no written or verbal comments from the public and the hearing was closed.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach-Allamakee County received a $2,000 Working Here Fund grant for a new 4-H food stand proposed for construction at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. The grant is provided through Farm Credit Services of America’s (FCSAmerica) Working Here Fund. The food stand will offer meal options for fair attendees and will give the 4-H youth an opportunity to communicate with the community and raise funds to support 4-H programs. Pictured above at the grant presentation are Allamakee 4-H County Council Co-President Erika Johnson, ISU Extension and Outreach Allamakee County Youth Coordinator Morgan Bjerke, Farm Credit Service Representative and Allamakee County native Janet Adam, and Allamakee 4-H County Council Co-President Miranda Reinhardt.

The Waukon Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its Annual Banquet this Friday, February 24 at the Waukon Banquet Center. The Chamber will be awarding nominees from the community for Business of the Year and Person of the Year honors. Awards will also be distributed to honor businesses and organizations for their Years of Service to the community for those celebrating a five-year increment anniversary.

The doors will open for the event at 5:30 p.m., with awards being distributed at 6:30 p.m. and the meal to follow. This year’s banquet will be catered by Schulte's BBQ & Catering and they will be serving charcoal cooked beef and pork loin, along with all the sides.
Anyone with further questions about the event should contact Waukon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stephanie Dugan at 563-568-4110 or by email at waukoncc@mchsi.com.
 

At the February 6, 2017 Waukon City Council meeting, representatives from Alliant Energy were present to answer questions and address concerns relating to the installation of green utility/transformer boxes  in the boulevard in front of customers' homes or in yards, as necessary. Alliant Energy's representatives indicated that this would be done at no charge to customers and would improve service reliability.

Justin Foss, Senior Marketing and Communications Partner with Alliant Energy, recently provided additional information and clarification on this project. Foss indicated that Alliant Energy repairs and replaces a portion of its power grid on a yearly basis and advised that sections of Waukon have been targeted for that transition this year due to the amount of trees within the city.

Southcrest Manor II in Waukon is managed by Allamakee Housing. Health services are provided by Northgate Care Center, who recognized all the tenants of the facility who are 90 years of age and older at a Valentine’s Day celebration at Southcrest Manor II. Pictured above are: Front row - Left to right: Julie Peters, Jean O’Hare and Esther Ward. Back row: Marjorie Held and Betty Christensen. Submitted photo.
 

The company known as ITC Midwest (International Transmission Company), with over 7,000 miles of transmission lines in the Midwest states of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, plays a major role in the economy of northeast Iowa. Thursday, January 26, ITC made a substantial donation to the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center being constructed in Lansing. Pictured above, left to right, Allamakee County Conservation Foundation campaign co-chair John Verdon, Allamakee County Conservation Assistant Director Jarrod Olson and Allamakee County Conservation Director Jim Janett accept a $3,000 donation check for the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center from ITC regional representatives Lori Broghammer and Dan Hagen.

The Waukon Police Department responded to a call of vandalism (pictured in a submitted photo) that took place during the overnight hours of Saturday, February 4 into Sunday, February 5 and left the front of the Krambeer Barber Shop building and its sidewalk on Main Street in downtown Waukon covered in an oily substance believed to be motor oil, according to the report issued by Waukon Police. The Waukon Police Department is continuing to investigate the incident, and a reward (see advertisement below) is being offered for information leading to the conviction of the person(s) involved in the incident.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, February 13. Among the agenda items addressed were an insurance quote presentation by Kerndt Brothers Insurance, an unemployment presentation by Iowa Workforce Development and discussion of the Luster Heights facility closure.

The Waukon Police Department has received a report of some recent mailings that are being received that claim to be endorsed by the Waukon Police Department. Although these campaigns sending the mailings may be legitimate organizations, local police officials say the Waukon Police Department is not connected with these organizations and has not endorsed them.

It is further advised that the only fundraising campaign the Waukon Police Department has been in connection with is the National Child Safety Council (coincidentally, that association was recently honored for its 30-year anniversary, as evident in the picture located above on this same page). Police department officials recommend that if anyone wishes to make donations to any type of organization, they should make them to an organization that they are familiar with.
 

The Waukon Police Department was recently honored for reaching a 30-year milestone in its partnership with the National Child Safety Council, implementing a child safety and drug prevention education program for local children and their parents. The police department has implemented and supported these programs through the distribution and use of educational literature and other materials, many of them featuring Safety Pup, and activities, such as a bicycle safety course, all designed by the National Child Safety Council, a nonprofit organization. Pictured above is Waukon Police Chief Phil Young (at left) receiving the plaque honoring that 30-year milestone from John Hauschild (at right), Safety Coordinator with the National Child Safety Council.