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Allamakee County voters will be asked to fill all seven seats on the Veterans Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees in upcoming November General Election

Allamakee County voters will have a unique opportunity in the coming November 5 General Election.

After voter approval in November 2022, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) was transferred from City of Waukon ownership to ownership by Allamakee County. Per Iowa Code 347, a new board of trustees is required to be voted in and all trustee seats are up for election. The VMH Board of Trustees consists of seven members. Membership is open to any eligible resident of Allamakee County.

A brief administrative hearing was held via video conference in Allamakee County District Court Monday, August 19 for the sole purpose of setting a jury trial date in the First Degree Murder case of Brandon Kasemeier, the 40-year-old man from Waukon charged in the January 21 death of his estranged wife, Jami Kasemeier. After about a 10-minute hearing held via Zoom web-conferencing software, that trial date has now been scheduled for January 29, 2025.

by Lissa Blake

Citizens have the right to demand clean water.

And a newly formed non-profit organization is helping rally the state’s population around that cause.

About 30 interested citizens attended a Monday, August 5 presentation at Robey Memorial Library in Waukon, hosted by the Driftless Water Defenders (DWD), Iowa’s newest clean water advocacy organization.

The northeast Iowa-based membership organization began just six months ago and has already grown to more than 100 members. Its focus is teaching Iowa communities about the sources of water pollution, adverse health effects of drinking polluted water and how Iowa communities can advocate for cleaner water.

Minor to moderate structure damage but no injuries reported from county’s first-ever August tornado

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado did indeed blow through Allamakee County later in the evening of Monday, August 5. Reports from the National Weather Service indicate that an EF1 tornado (characterized by wind speeds between 86-110 mph on the Enhanced Fujita [EF] Scale) made its way through the Patterson Creek area in west central Allamakee County and across State Highway 76 just south of St. Mary’s Church at Hanover, about five miles north of Waukon.

Family, friends and co-workers of fallen Allamakee County Sheriff’s Deputy John Grampovnik (inset photo at right below) surround his photo displayed on the End of Watch: Ride to Remember mobile memorial that made a stop at the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office north of Waukon Friday, August 9 as part of the memorial’s 73-day tour across the United States this summer. The memorial display was created by Beyond the Call of Duty, an organization out of Spokane, WA whose purpose is to “ensure that no officer is forgotten; that their families know their loved one has not been forgotten; and that there is recognition, support and understanding to help them heal.” The group also supports department safety and training to help lower the number of fallen officers experienced each year. Deputy Grampovnik experienced his End of Watch January 27, 2022 when he passed away due to complications of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.

Donations can be made in support of Brogan Gavin to benefit Ronald McDonald House

The annual Governor’s Charity Steer Show held as part of the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines each year will have some local flair to it this year, as the 42nd annual event takes place at the Livestock Pavilion on the Iowa State Fairgrounds this Saturday, August 10.
Brogan Gavin, 11-year-old son of Tom and Alana Gavin of rural Lansing, and his Angus steer, Johnny, have been selected to participate in this year’s show. They will be one of 24 exhibitor/steer pairs on display during this year’s event, each circling the show ring accompanied by a “celebrity” showperson.

The “Feed the Kids” program in Waukon completed its second July of feeding lunches and grab-and-go breakfasts to children 18 years of age and younger this past week. The program grew by over 40% from its inaugural effort last year, serving 1,974 lunches and 2,367 breakfasts over the course of 18 days during the month of July, up from its nearly 1,400 meals served during last year’s first-time effort.

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) provides breakfasts and lunches during June and August to local children as part of its Summer Feeding Program. However, to fill the July feeding gap (when the school does not provide those meals), members of four local churches in Waukon, including St. Patrick Catholic Church, St. John’s Lutheran Church, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and Zion United Church of Christ, started to meet in May of last year to come up with an initial plan for last summer’s inaugural effort, and did so again to plan for this year.

Those who drive on Iowa 76 north of Waukon will need to be aware of construction work that was scheduled to begin Monday, August 5 and will last until late August, weather permitting. Construction crews will intermittently close lanes from Waukon to the Minnesota state line so micro-surfacing work can be done to the pavement, which involves the application of a thin protective coating. Drivers will travel through the work zone with the assistance of flaggers and a pilot car.

The latest traveler information is available anytime through the Iowa DOT 511 system. Visit 511ia.org; call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide); stay connected with 511 on Facebook or X (find links at https://iowadot.gov/511/511-social-media-sites); or download the free app to any mobile device.
 

Local Corner of Hope effort among U.S. growing projects that have helped raise $47 million to support ag development programs worldwide; Events this weekend in local area include Summer Celebration Saturday at Zion UCC in Waukon

U.S. farmers and their communities are serving locally and making a global impact in partnership with Growing Hope Globally. The year 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the organization. To date, growing projects have raised over $47 million to support agricultural development programs around the world helping those struggling with hunger to help themselves through farming. These programs have served over 2.3 million people across the globe, with the Allamakee County-based Corner of Hope being part of that mission since the beginning of that local effort in 2005.

by Julie Berg-Raymond

Woodcarver Dan Campbell, of Waukon Junction, had been carving for almost 40 years when a friend talked him into entering his first competition - and it was a big one: The 56th annual International Woodcarvers Congress, held from June 10-15 at the Jackson County Fairgrounds in Maquoketa.

According to information provided at the organization’s website, “The International Woodcarvers Congress is, to the best of our knowledge, the longest running, competitively judged, woodcarving art show in the United States. It is truly the most prestigious show of its kind.” Offering over 95 separate categories in a judged competition, the annual event includes not only the competition, but also seminars, a banquet and judges’ critique sessions (woodcarverscongress.org).

“I took seven carvings to the show, and they all won a ribbon,” Campbell says. Recalling the event, he says, “It was kind of surreal.”