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All photos on this page, along with many others from this year’s Memorial Day events in the local area, can be found by clicking on the Photos link on the Standard's website.

Pick up the Wednesday, June 3, 2026 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.

by Jennifer Bissell

The small community of Waterville won in a big way this spring.
In a “March Madness” style bracket competition, the community of 109 people won The 29th State competition, hosted by Dave Baker, owner and creator of The 29th State, a mainly online presence that celebrates and revisits the history of communities within the state of Iowa, the 29th state added the United States of America.
Now, Baker will bring his resources and talents to the community for a history presentation, planned for later this year.

Tuesday, June 2 will be the Primary Election to determine which candidates will be representing their respective political parties in the 2026 General Election in November. An election notice listing the respective races in each of the Republican and Democratic parties was published in last week’s (May 20) edition of this newspaper (Page 24), listing races at the federal, state and county levels of government for voters to make their selections in, along with additional ballot and election information.
In-person absentee voting for this year’s Primary Election began Wednesday, May 13 and lasts through Monday, June 1 in the Auditor’s Office at the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday each week. Polling locations for the June 2 Primary Election Day will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. and are listed as follows:
Precinct 1 - Waterloo and Hanover Townships - St. Mary’s Church, 490 Waterloo Creek Drive, Dorchester

Friday, May 22 at approximately 5:45 p.m., the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a single off-road vehicle accident. A report issued by the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office indicates that a Can Am off-road vehicle was traveling southbound on Scott Hollow Road in rural Allamakee County, to the northeast of Monona, when the driver lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle rolled onto the driver’s side, pinning the male driver under the vehicle.

The driver of the vehicle was the only occupant at the time of the accident. The driver, Isaac Matthew Hanson, age 25 of Luana, was pronounced deceased at the scene as a result of injuries received in the accident.

A variety of Memorial Day activities are being planned for the upcoming holiday weekend, including all the traditional Memorial Day observances this year scheduled for Monday, May 25 in area communities within Allamakee County. Those traditions of parades, full cemetery programs and wreath laying are being planned in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in serving their country, with details of some of those celebrations being outlined on this page in their respective frames.

Tuesday, June 2 will be the Primary Election to determine which candidates will be representing their respective political parties in the 2026 General Election in November. An election notice listing the respective races in each of the Republican and Democratic parties will be published in an upcoming edition of this newspaper, listing races at the Federal, State and County levels of government for voters to make their selections in, along with additional ballot and election information.

In-person absentee voting for this year’s Primary Election begins Wednesday, May 13 and lasts through Monday, June 1 in the Auditor’s Office at the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday each week.

The deadline for voters to request an absentee ballot be mailed to them for this year’s Primary Election is this coming Monday, May 18. A mailed absentee ballot may be requested from the Auditor’s Office by calling 563-568-3522.

by Joe Moses

Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) coordinated a tour Wednesday, April 29 showcasing a variety of recent and ongoing projects relating to housing, business, conservation and utilities in Waukon. This tour was open to representatives and professionals from various entities including state and local government, economic development, education and the business community. Approximately 30 individuals along with ACED Executive Director Val Reinke traveled by bus between the eight locations visited in the Waukon area with several other individuals following and joining the tour via their own transportation.

After receiving approval from the Iowa Utilities Commission and permits from the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors, Alliant Energy began construction earlier this spring on a large battery energy storage system (BESS) in Lansing. The new battery facility will sit on the site of Alliant’s former Lansing Generating Station south of Lansing, which the company retired in 2023 after operating for more than 70 years. Alliant Energy selected the site to support reliable energy for customers and the community.

Craig Petersen, a 1980 graduate of Waukon High School, recently completed a long and rewarding career with the United States Coast Guard. He is the son of Anita and the late Marvin Petersen of Waukon.

“Forty-five years, seven months, 12 days, or so says the computer totaling my enlisted, officer, and now civilian time,” said Petersen at his second retirement ceremony at Diamond Head Lighthouse in Honolulu, HI. “Seventy-percent of my life, and all of my adult life since graduating high school has been in service to the nation and the U.S. Coast Guard. That represents 19% of the Coast Guard’s time since its beginnings as the Revenue Cutter Service in 1790.”

by Denise Beyer
Allamakee County Auditor, Commissioner of Elections

Any eligible voter can vote in the Primary Election in Iowa, however both the Republican and Democratic parties have a “closed” Primary, meaning voters must be registered with the political party whose Primary they wish to vote in. Voters in Iowa have the right to change their party affiliation on the day of the Primary Election to vote that party’s ballot.