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State Representative Patti Ruff of McGregor has organized a listening post for Iowans and health care providers who have concerns about Medicaid privatization. The listening post will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, August 3 at the Robey Memorial Library Community Room, located at 401 First Avenue NW in Waukon.

“I’ve heard from several Iowa families and health care providers who have issues with Medicaid privatization,” said Ruff. “Our goal is to gather more information from local citizens and provide more information and answers to those who are affected.”

Rep. Ruff will be joined by State Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City, who is Vice Chair of the Senate Human Resources Committee. In addition to lawmakers, representatives from the Iowa Department of Human Services and the three managed care organizations have been invited to participate in the event.

by Lissa Blake

A local group is hoping there is still time to save Camp Tahigwa in rural Allamakee County.

Camp Tahigwa, located near Dorchester, has been a working Girl Scout Camp for almost 50 years. Decorah native Brecka Putnam wants to see that work continue.
Putnam, a member of Friends of Camp Tahigwa, helped organize a meeting last week in response to recent property recommendations from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois’ (GSEIWI) property committee. Around six years ago, the GSEIWI started cutting back its programming at Tahigwa, an action they say was based on dwindling attendance figures at the camp.

GSEIWI reports losing approximately $92,000 in each of the past two years at the camp. The GSEIWI property committee recently recommended the Board sell the property on the condition that it be maintained for public use.

In partnership with Allamakee County 4-H, Waukon VFW Auxiliary #4117 distributed Citizenship Awards to 4-H members at the 2016 Allamakee County Fair Youth Showcase Tuesday, July 19. County Fair entries that honored veterans were eligible for recognition by the VFW Auxiliary. First place was awarded to Diana Davison (far right in above photo) for her participation in Quilts of Valor that are presented to Allamakee County veterans. Second place was given to Bailee Darnell (center in above photo) for her garden table recognizing America’s farming heritage and national spirit. Third place went to Emma Johnson (far left in above photo) for her red star wreath with the U.S. flag and red, white and blue decorations. Certificates and ribbons were presented to the winning entries along with a cash award. Submitted photo.
 

The John Deere Foundation, through Waukon Implement, recently made a $2,500 donation to the Corner of Hope Foods Resource Bank (FRB) Growing Project that has taken place in Allamakee County throughout the past 12 years. The donated funding is an incentive to continue improving the project, which the Corner of Hope committee and project participants have done each year by involving new members, individuals, businesses and organizations. The money will be used to help defray project expenses and maximize the local project's contribution to the Foods Resource Bank. Pictured above, left to right, at the donation presentation are Corner of Hope member Ron Snitker, Waukon Implement representative Trent Jacobs, and Corner of Hope members Dennis Byrnes, John Prestemon and Walter Halvorson. Photo courtesy of Lisa E. Moose of Moose Photography-Waukon.
 

Platinum country music group Lonestar to headline grandstand musical entertainment with Jared Blake this Friday

This week, July 20-24,  the 163rd Allamakee County Fair will be held for all to enjoy at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. A wide variety of entertainment is in place to headline this year’s fair at the grandstand, along with a great deal of other activities for everyone to enjoy each and every day throughout the five-day event.

GRANDSTAND TO FEATURE STAR POWER AND HORSE POWER

Kicking off this year’s grandstand entertainment line-up Wednesday, July 20 at 7 p.m. will be a Truck and Tractor Pull featuring local trucks and tractors as well as some powered-up regional competitors in a variety of high-revving classes.

The cause of a raging blaze that was reported Tuesday, July 12 just before midnight and consumed a dairy goat facility on the Richard and Elisha Marti farm about six miles southeast of Waukon on Jefferson Road remains under investigation nearly a week after the blaze took place, according to a report from the Waukon Area Fire Protection District. The Allamakee County Sheriff Dispatch Center received a call about the fire at approximately 11:55 p.m. Tuesday, and by that time the second floor of the two-story barn was already fully involved, according to the fire district report. The first floor of the barn was currently being used as a goat milking facility, with the milking parlor located on the south end of the building and a nursery and holding pens making up the rest of the barn's first floor.

Although the National Weather Service hasn't confirmed it, Jerry and Machelle Bulman of rural Dorchester are fairly confident that it was a tornado that woke them in the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 12 and ripped a portion of the roof off their log cabin-style home along Iowa River Drive.

“I've never heard anything like that before," Machelle said of the noise that woke her and her husband around 1:15 that morning. "I told Jerry, 'we've got to get to the basement'. I've never had to do that before, but this was just instinct. We knew we had to get there."

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, July 18 with a full agenda of items including the hiring of two Dispatcher/Corrections Officers, a stop sign resolution and the discussion and consideration of private monetary donations towards paving projects. There were no comments during the Public Comments portion of the meeting.
Several routine reports were presented to the Supervisors. The Treasurer's Semi-Annual and Annual Reports, the Recorder's Quarterly Report, the Environmental Health Quarterly Report and the Relief Office Quarterly Report were all accepted and placed on file.

The Office of U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) has announced upcoming traveling office hours in all 99 counties across Iowa for the month of July. Representatives from Senator Ernst’s office will be available in counties throughout the state to assist Iowans with problems or questions about eligibility involving issues such as Social Security, veterans benefits, military affairs, passports, immigration issues, and other federal programs. Senator Ernst will not be in attendance at the traveling office hours.

The representative from Senator Ernst's office will be at the Dolores Tillinghast Memorial Library Community Room, located at 234 North Fourth Street in Harpers Ferry, Monday, July 25 from 10-11 a.m. Anyone unable to attend the traveling office hours but seeking assistance with federal agencies is asked to visit online at Ernst.Senate.Gov to contact one of Senator Ernst's offices or submit a casework request.
 

Coronation event kicks off 163rd Allamakee County Fair Tuesday, July 19

Seven Allamakee County young ladies are vying for the title of 2016 Allamakee County Fair Queen. Those seven candidates for this year's crown include Lizzie Blake, Erika Johnson, MaKayla Manning, Kaylonna McKee, Miranda Reinhardt, Leah Riese and Bethany Stock.

The crown of Allamakee County Fair Queen and all the honors and responsibilities that accompany it will be bestowed upon one of those seven candidates Tuesday evening, July 19 during the Allamakee County Fair Queen Coronation being held at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon to help kick off the 163rd Allamakee County Fair.