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The annual Lighted Holiday Parade held in Waukon Saturday evening, December 6 brightened up the beginning of the holiday season in more ways than one as approximately 30 entries made their way through the city streets, starting down Allamakee Street from the Allamakee County Fairgrounds to Main Street and then traveling up West Main Street to the First Presbyterian Church. Temperatures hovering in the low 20s and the threat of a Winter Weather Advisory snowstorm didn’t influence the large crowd into “ducking out” on flocking to the parade route or prevent numerous individuals from walking the route or riding comfortably on this year’s entries, as evident in the photo above taken at the stoplight intersection by Standard Assistant Editor Joe Moses. A video of the complete parade can be found on The Standard’s Facebook page at The Standard Newspaper, Waukon.
 

New ownership business model, end of long-term lease factor into transition decision

For the first time since the first newspaper was established in Waukon nearly 170 years ago, there will not be an actual physical newspaper office location for the community publication as of January 1, 2026. As of that New Year date, employees of The Standard newspaper will be transitioned to working remotely from home and the long-standing newspaper office location at 15 First Street NW in Waukon will no longer be open for newspaper business operations.

The Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Holiday Train made its way through northeast Iowa Monday afternoon/evening, November 24, making stops in both New Albin and Lansing to distribute holiday spirit and some generosity, as depicted in the two photos above of check presentations for $4,000 to local food distribution centers as part of CPKC’s annual mission to help raise money, food and awareness for local food banks along its railway network. In total, the two stops produced nearly 1,000 pounds of donated food and other dry goods, in addition to more than $2,000 in additional funds raised locally to help further that CPKC mission. Pictured in the photo at left above, Brian Hatlan (center of photo) of The Way Station in New Albin accepts a $4,000 check from CPKC representatives during the train’s stop in New Albin.

The Tuesday, November 11 Veterans Day Observance Program at Waukon High School provided a bit of reversal of fortune during a brief break in the event. Although a vast majority of the program was geared toward what Veterans Day is rightfully meant to be - honoring those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, a moment was also taken to honor an individual who had not officially served but who has done a great deal to make sure those who have served get the recognition and honoring they deserve.

Giving all they can on the mat is an expectation for the Waukon High School boys and girls wrestling teams each season. But during each of the last two seasons, the giving for those two clubs has gone well beyond the mat to benefit many who are much less fortunate across the world, with this year’s giving going even further after pursuit of some additional assistance.

Second-year Waukon boys wrestling head coach Caleb Ferring has had his team take part in the Operation Christmas Child initiative conducted each year by Samaritan’s Purse, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. The initiative sends gift-filled shoeboxes created by volunteers to children in need around the world.

Food and monetary donations help area food pantries feed those less fortunate during current high demand

After traveling a different route last year, The Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (CPKC) Holiday Train is scheduled to make its return to the Lansing and New Albin areas again this year as part of its 2025 trek to help raise money, food and awareness for local food banks in communities along the CPKC network. The festive railway celebration is scheduled to make its way through northeast Iowa Monday, November 24, traveling southward this year instead of northward as in year’s past and making Allamakee County stops in New Albin and Lansing that afternoon, before continuing south to Marquette, Guttenberg and Dubuque that same Monday.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care - Allamakee Public Health has a new location at 12 East Main Street in downtown Waukon as of early November. Area residents and clients of the agency should note that its phone number will remain the same, 563-568-5660. This move allows Home Care/Public Health staff to continue providing care in a space that better meets the needs of its numerous clients and staff.

Community and Home Care/Public Health had been housed on the third floor of Veterans Memorial Hospital prior to the recent move, and VMH CEO Michael Coyle previously noted that there will be more space, easier parking and the move will allow the agency to be able to grow services and offer better patient comfort. The vacated space on the third floor of VMH will become offices for Senior Life Solutions, which will offer counseling for senior citizens, with more information about that agency to be released in coming months.

Construction crews have been working on removing the steel grate deck from the Black Hawk Bridge since its permanent closure October 20. As evident in the photo above, sparks fly as a cutting torch and steel-cutting saw are used to cut out pieces of the grated deck that are supported by the long arm of the telehandler machine also pictured in that photo and then lifted up off the deck once cut free and taken away for disposal. Left behind are the gaping holes pictured in the bridge deck in the photo below between the supporting beams and remaining steel structure of the Black Hawk Bridge. Also evident is the removal of the steel railing that ran along each side of the bridge but has been removed in areas where the bridge deck has already been cut away.

The 7 Rivers Alliance, an economic development organization for the tri-state area of the Upper Mississippi Region, held its 10th Annual Rising Stars Under 40 Reception October 20 at the La Crescent Event Center in La Crescent, MN. The Rising Stars Under 40 recognition honors emerging young leaders across the region who are making a difference in their communities - and beyond.

Among this year’s nearly two dozen honorees were four ladies from northeast Iowa who have each had their own impact within their local community and perhaps further beyond by themselves, but may also have collaborated within some of their work for even greater and farther reaching impact.

Those four ladies include Jenny Cole of Learning Tree Child Center in Lansing, Jackie Cooper of Main Street Lansing, Kristy Turner of Postville Childcare Center, and Ashley Christensen of Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC).

With very few contested races and no public measures to decide upon, the Tuesday, November 4 City/School Election to determine which candidates would be elected by voters to leadership positions at the most local levels of government and guidance yielded just over a 10% voter turnout in Allamakee County. Out of the six locally-governed communities and three school districts within Allamakee County, there were just five contested races on this year’s ballots, and the four of those five races that had incumbent candidates seeking re-election ended up returning all of those incumbents to their seats, according to unofficial results released by the Allamakee County Commissioner of Elections office shortly after polls closed the night of the election.