Top Stories

Business of the Year - Reel Core ...
Reel Core of Waukon was named 2018 Business of the Year at the Waukon Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet held Friday, February 23 at the Waukon Banquet Center. Nomination information for Reel Core in its selection as this year's recipient of the award focused on the fact that this past year saw Reel Core add 40,000 square feet to its working space facility, which allowed the business to expand its workforce from 70 employees to 85 and also gives the business the ability to "expand into new markets that will add to the continued growth and stability of the company and Waukon's economic base." In its more than two decades of existence in Waukon, Reel Core has grown from an original 10,000 square foot facility with just 10 employees to its current 125,000 square foot facility employing 85 individuals.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, February 26 to address a full agenda of items, including a Public Hearing for the E-Cigarette Ordinance, the consideration of motor grader quotes and discussion of the Allamakee County Housing Study. Chairperson Larry Schellhammer called the meeting to order with approval of the current agenda and meeting minutes of February 19. There was no public comment.

The Supervisors moved into the Public Hearing for the E-Cigarette Ordinance, which prohibits the use of electronic smoking devices in public places. The hearing was opened and closed without any written or verbal comment. The first reading of the ordinance was approved with the second and third readings to be added to the March 5 Supervisors meeting agenda.

A presentation on "Crisis in EMS" is scheduled to be held Tuesday, March 6 from 6:30-8 p.m. at Keystone Area Education Agency (AEA) Building D, located at 1400 North Second Street in Elkader. Entitled “Where you live should not determine IF you live in a medical emergency," the presentation will be facilitated by Bremer County Emergency Management Coordinator and EMT Kip Ladage and Bremer County EMS Association President Jim Schutte with a focus on the crisis in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) that is occurring all over Iowa.

State Representative Kristi Hager (R-Waukon) has announced that she will not seek re-election to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2018. First elected in 2016, she represents House District 56, which includes Allamakee County and most of Clayton County. She plans, instead, to run for Allamakee County Supervisor after serving out the remainder of her existing legislative term, which ends January 2019.

Aaron Thomas, son of slain legendary Iowa high school football coach Ed Thomas of Aplington-Parkersburg High School, will speak to Waukon Middle School and High School students Tuesday, March 13 at 2 p.m. and to the community members of the school district later that same evening, at 7 p.m. Both presentations will be held in the Waukon High School gymnasium.

Thomas has a passion for impacting lives and public speaking is one avenue he utilizes. His father was a beloved high school football coach who not only trained generations of players on the importance of hard work, dedication, excellence and commitment but personally put these values into action when he was the community leader who inspired his town to rebuild in the wake of a deadly EF 5 tornado.  Not long after the community withstood the disaster of the storm, the small town of Parkersburg endured a far worse tragedy: the fatal shooting of Ed Thomas by a former player with mental health issues.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, February 19 to address a full agenda of items, including the Public Hearing for the Flood Plain Ordinance XXXIX amendment, discussion of a County Sheriff's Department employee resignation and discussion of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drone purchase. Chairperson Larry Schellhammer called the meeting to order.

The overnight weather radar pictured above from Monday, February 19 into Tuesday, February 20 was pretty to look at in its color schemes but did not leave a very pretty result as it left behind anywhere from one-tenth to two-tenths of an inch of icy slush on area roadways in the tri-state area. The threat of that icy weather and its eventual realization forced a number of cancellations and schedule changes in the area, as well as throughout much of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, including school cancellations and delays both Monday and Tuesday, as well as the postponement of the Kee girls basketball regional championship game from Monday to Tuesday and the Allamakee Community School District Board meeting from Monday to Wednesday.

Existing system has failed and must be replaced; Public open house set for February 28 at Effigy Mounds Visitor Center

The National Park Service has released an Environmental Assessment for installing a new septic system in the park headquarters area at Effigy Mounds National Monument. The park’s current septic system, constructed in 1959, has failed and needs to be replaced, according to information shared by Effigy Mounds National Monument Superintendent Jim Nepstad. The Environmental Assessment assesses the impacts associated with either keeping things as they are, or installing a new system in the area between the facility's main parking lot and State Highway 76.

Award nominations due by this Friday; Princess applications due by March 1

The 2018 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet will be held Saturday, March 24 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The meal will be served from 7-8:30 p.m., with the program starting at 8 p.m. The annual celebration recognizes the importance of the dairy industry in Allamakee County and the contributions dairy families make to the industry.

Every year, top producers from the county are recognized at the banquet. In addition, several other awards are presented that evening. The Allamakee Dairy Promotion Board and the Allamakee County Extension Office are accepting nominations through February 23 for the following awards:

Waukon wrestling 170-pound senior Tristan Hansmeier (42-5) had his championship hopes at the 2018 Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament brought to a close by top-ranked senior Kolton Bartow (44-3) of Dubuque Wahlert, falling to Bartow by fall in 4:39. Bartow will now advance to the Class 2A 170-pound championship match and Hansmeier will next wrestle again in the Class 2A consolation semifinals Saturday morning, beginning at 10 a.m. Hansmeier's consolation semifinals opponent will actually be his first-round opponent, New Hampton senior Noah Glaser, who Hansmeier beat, 8-6, in that Thursday morning opening-round match. The winner of that consolation semifinal match will then wrestle for third or fourth place later during that same Saturday session, with the loser of that semifinal match then wrestling for fifth and sixth place later that same Saturday as well.

FIRST UPDATE: