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by Susan Cantine-Maxson

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Although the month of April is designated as a time to be particularly aware of this issue, unfortunately, child abuse is a plague that happens all too often every day of the year.

The statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Prevent Child Abuse Iowa show that the number of children in abusive situations or those being neglected are staggering. In 2014, in Iowa there were 7,429 cases of child abuse. Daily in the United States, 1,900 children are abused. Four of those children die. Three-fourths of those abused or neglected are under the age of three.

The Northeast Iowa Drug Task Force, in cooperation with Helping Services of Northeast Iowa, is participating in National Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day. This year's event is being held Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. nationwide for the purpose of disposing of expired and/or unused medications and keeping them out of the hands of people who may misuse or abuse them, especially youth.

Three communities in Allamakee County will be hosting drop-off locations for local residents to dispose of prescription drugs during that event timeframe. The Waukon Police Department will host a drop-off location at the Waukon Police Station located at 104 First Street NW. The fire station in Lansing will be a host site at 51 North Front Street. The Postville Police Department will also host a drop-off site at its City Hall location at 147 North Lawler Street.

The 2016 Waukon High School Prom is scheduled for this Saturday, April 23 at the current Waukon Junior High School gymnasium. Doors will open at 7:15 p.m. to the public for the 8 p.m. Grand March, with seating available in the Waukon High School Auditorium. Following the Grand March, coronation of this year's Prom King and Queen is scheduled for 8:30 p.m., after which community members will be dismissed. The ensuing Prom dance will come to an end at 11:45 p.m., and the annual Post Prom event will be held from midnight to 4 a.m. at the Waukon High School gymnasium. Pictured at right are the senior class Queen and King candidates for the 2016 Waukon High School Prom. Left to right - Front row: Queen candidates Jade Diop, Annika Wahlberg, Nicole Behrend and Alyvia Jones. Back row: King candidates Joe Frieden, Gus Pladsen, Adam Drew and Mason McMillan. Photo courtesy of Waukon High School.
 

The 2016 Kee High School Prom is scheduled for this Saturday, April 23. The annual banquet will be held at TJ Hunter’s Banquet Hall on Main Street in Lansing, beginning at 6 p.m., with the Prom dance taking place from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. in the banquet hall as well. The public is invited to attend the Grand March, which is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., with a free-will donation being taken at the door. Following the Grand March, this year’s Prom King and Queen will be crowned. Kee’s Post Prom festivities will follow the dance until 4 a.m. at the former Lansing Middle School. Pictured above are the senior class Queen and King candidates for the 2016 Kee High School Prom. Left to right - Front row: Queen candidates Lily Winters, Sydney Stahl, Marissa Dodd, Aubreanna McQuade and Kristina Mooney. Back row: King candidates Logan Flack, Jacob Clauson, Cross Colsch, Josh Yeoman and Ethan Walleser. Photo courtesy of the Kee High School Yearbook.
 

Area first responders participated in a mock disaster drill in Harpers Ferry Saturday, April 9, giving law enforcement, fire and rescue, and emergency medical services personnel the opportunity to work together in a multi-faceted disaster experience that simulated a train derailment with motor vehicle involvement (as pictured above), including a school bus. A training device simulating a burning propane rail car (seen ablaze in the top left corner of the above photo) provided that additional risk to the drill, with fire crews working to extinguish that blaze and implement other hazardous materials training measures. Emergency medical services personnel also set up a triage area (pictured at left) to simulate multiple injuries of varying degrees, with many of the roles of the younger victims portrayed by area Scout troop members.

by Lissa Blake

It’s hard to prevent a natural disaster.

But, when it comes to flooding, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologists do everything they can to predict one.

During a recent presentation in Decorah, USGS Hydrologist Jon Nania of Iowa City and National Weather Service (NWS) Service Hydrologist Mike Welvaert of La Crosse, WI discussed how a number of river gauges located in northeast Iowa can help predict potential flooding disasters.

Nania said basic hydrologic collection is a major part of the USGS Iowa Water Science Center program, based in Iowa City with field offices in Council Bluffs and Fort Dodge. Regionally, USGS hydrologists, hydrologic technicians and other science professionals collect data and conduct studies to help federal, state and local cooperating agencies solve practical water problems.

Stream gauges throughout northeast Iowa provide stage and flow information online via satellite link in real time.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, April 18 to discuss a variety of items, one of those being consideration of a change in meeting location for the Board's Monday, April 25 regular meeting that will include a public hearing on the use of County roads within a proposed ATV/UTV trail system. The Board has heard several reports that upwards of 75 individuals could be in attendance at that meeting, many more than what the Board's current meeting area can accommodate. With several larger facilities considered throughout the county, it was decided to hold a portion of Monday's meeting, including that 10:15 a.m. public hearing, at the Ethel Robinson Meehan Community Center in Harpers Ferry. That change of location will also allow the Supervisors the opportunity to tour the Dolores Tillinghast Memorial Library in Harpers Ferry as part of their annual visits to the public libraries that receive funding from the County.

Sunday, April 17 at 11:40 a.m., the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a motorcycle accident that occurred at the intersection of State Highway 76 and Grandview Avenue in Allamakee County, south of Dorchester. A report issued by the Sheriff's Office indicates that Matthew John Benjegerdes, age 53, of West Union lost control of the motorcycle he was driving when one of its tires blew out, injuring both himself and his passenger, Connie Marie Benjegerdes, age 51, of West Union.

Both were transported to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon for treatment of injuries. Connie Benjegerdes was later transported to a La Crosse, WI hospital for further treatment. Her condition is unknown at this time. Assisting at the scene of the accident was the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office, Waukon Police Department, Waukon Fire Department and Veterans Memorial Ambulance Service.
 

The Luren Singers, along with local musicians Nicole Winke and Daryl Hansmeier, performed to an audience of nearly 200 people at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon Sunday, April 10 in honor of Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg, a long-time member of the group. A free-will offering was taken during the intermission of the performance which generated nearly $5,500 from those in attendance, including a donation from the Luren Singers themselves. The funds raised from the concert will be used toward the naming opportunity in honor of Msgr. Lechtenberg for the main viewing deck at the Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center being constructed just south of Lansing. The Luren Singers are the oldest Norwegian-American male chorus, currently in their 148th year of continuous existence in the United States. In addition to being a long-time member of the Luren Singers, Msgr.

According to a report from the Waukon Police Department, failure to set the parking brake resulted in this refrigerated truck rolling backward in the Hardee's parking lot in Waukon and into the adjacent creek area in the southwest corner of that lot Wednesday morning, April 6 just before 8 a.m. Along its journey, the truck, owned by Captain's Choice and operated by Ronald DeLong, age 59, of Buffalo Center, ran into a metal dumpster owned by Waste Management, pushing it into the creek and causing significant damage to the dumpster. The truck undercarriage eventually became hung up on the creek bank edge, preventing the vehicle from traveling further down into the creek. No charges were able to be filed since the incident happened on private property. Submitted photo.