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The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) investigated and continues to assess a fish kill in a tributary of Paint Creek south of Waukon which was found to be the result of a pair of incidents that took place in succession Monday, July 20, according to an initial media release from the DNR.

Shortly after 11 a.m. that Monday, operators at the City of Waukon Wastewater Treatment Plant on the southeast edge of Waukon reported to the DNR that Aveka Nutra Processing in north Waukon spilled approximately 76,000 pounds of yeast, which was running into the treatment plant through the City’s sanitary sewer system. Normally, the treatment plant routes such spills into a lagoon before being treated in the plant.

Following the first two weeks of July that combined for a double-digit increase in confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 - with 15 new cases reported from July 1-13, Allamakee County was originally reported by the State of Iowa as having just one new case confirmed during this past week, July 14-20, on the State’s daily website update at www.coronavirus.iowa.gov.

However, a late Monday, July 20 update from the Allamakee County Public Health Department reported notification of another new case being confirmed that day. Prior to that Monday, July 20 update by Allamakee County Public Health, the single new confirmed case for the previous week was reported Thursday, July 16 and was a midpoint blemish between four days prior and four days following where no new confirmed cases had been reported for Allamakee County.

“Canvas” for Iowa artist Bubba Sorenson arrives at Waukon City Park, painting to begin in August

After years of waiting, this year marks Allamakee County’s turn to get its Freedom Rock as part of an overall honoring and tourism idea formulated by Iowa artist Ray Sorenson.

Back in 1999, Ray Sorensen (better known as Bubba) painted his first Freedom Rock in Menlo, which is located in Adair County in Iowa. He was encouraged to continue with the project, which really took off after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Sorenson decided to paint 99 Freedom Rocks across the state of Iowa - one for each county. As he was traveling from county to county painting the rocks, he came up with the idea to work with the State of Iowa to create a tourism draw with the rocks by promoting the “Freedom Rock” Tour.

Thursday evening, July 16, leaders from the Waukon community and Allamakee County were invited by Hy-Vee and Dollar Fresh officials to a “sneak-peek” ribbon cutting event at the new Dollar Fresh store that held its grand opening for the public the very next morning, Friday, July 17 in the former Shopko store location in southwest Waukon. Pictured above at that ribbon cutting are a number of those community and county leaders standing with Dollar Fresh Waukon store manager Matt Kundert as he cuts the ribbon, along with Hy-Vee District Director Jeremy Low and members of the Waukon store’s management team.

As part of the Allamakee County Fair each year, area “royalty” is recognized along with the announcement of the Allamakee County Fair Royalty Team that serves in various capacities throughout the fair and throughout the next year. During the Thursday evening, July 9 performance of The Caminos at this year’s modified Allamakee County Fair due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the local young ladies pictured at right were recognized for the service they’ve provided to their various organizations as their 2020 royal representatives. Pictured above, left to right, are Allamakee County Beef Queen Soraya Reyes, Miss Iowa Angus Allie Bieber, Iowa Miss Teen United States Agriculture Diana Davison, Allamakee County Alternate Dairy Princess Kaylee Gibbs, event emcee Laurie Wild of WQPC Q94 Radio, Allamakee County Dairy Princess Faith Palmer, and 2020 Allamakee County Fair Royalty Team members Madelyn Moser and Shara Cota.

Allamakee County continued to follow the recent nationwide trend of increasing confirmed COVID-19 cases as summer activity has increased and restrictions that had been in place over the past several months have been lessened. After the Allamakee County Department of Public Health reported a total of eight new confirmed cases during the first week in July, Allamakee County’s new case numbers remained right within that same range this past week with seven new confirmed cases from Tuesday, July 7 through Monday, July 13.

by Kelli Boylen

Most people who live in northeast Iowa have overlooked the Mississippi River valley from the top of a bluff and looked up at the bluff tops from the river valley.

Few have rappelled down the cliffs, and it’s safe to say the number of people who have rappelled down the bluff sides to fetch baby peregrine falcons while the parent birds are dive bombing their efforts is very few. Members of the Raptor Resource Project (RRP) spend several days each spring doing just that.

Peregrine falcons are the fastest bird in the world, reaching speeds up to 200 miles per hour during hunting dives, and they are once again calling northeast Iowa home thanks to the Raptor Resource Project and the legacy of Bob Anderson.

Call first to determine qualification for testing

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon continues to follow Iowa Department of Public Health recommendations for testing of COVID-19. To qualify for a test, patients must meet one of the following criteria:

Shara Cota and Madelyn Moser to be introduced as Fair Royalty Team at Thursday night performance of The Caminos

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing significant adjustments to most all events planned for this summer, the 167th Allamakee County Fair has certainly been no exception. Although many county fairs have been canceled altogether or dwindled to a much smaller version of what they traditionally have been, the Allamakee County Fair Board has been striving to provide the best possible variety of events and entertainment within the limiting guidelines put in place as a result of the ongoing pandemic virus.

Village Creek Bible Camp, Expresso report case exposures; Public Health reminds people to follow mitigation measures

As summer activity has increased, it was expected that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 would also increase. Recent news stories through basically every media source confirm that expectation to a great degree across most of the nation, but that trend has now trickled down to a more local level as well this past week.

Eight new confirmed positive COVID-19 cases have been reported in Allamakee County within the past week’s time by the Allamakee County Public Health Department. Even more attention-grabbing is the fact that some of those cases have resulted in the temporary closure of a pair of local entities after case exposure was announced by each of them this past week.