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The annual Allamakee County Fair Queen Pageant was held Tuesday, July 16 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon, kicking off the 166th Allamakee County Fair. The three area young ladies pictured in the photo above were all vying for this year’s Fair Queen crown, which was bestowed upon Cayla Nolting (far right), daughter of Chad and Cheryl Nolting of Waukon. Diana Davison (far left), daughter of Cindy Shogren of Waukon, and Soraya Reyes (center), daughter of Lori Reyes of Waukon, joined Nolting in serving as the Allamakee County Fair Royalty Team throughout this year’s fair. Nolting will now advance on to represent Allamakee County in the 2019 Iowa State Fair Queen competition, with that coronation being held August 10 in Des Moines. Photo courtesy of ISU Extension and Outreach. Additional photos of the 2019 Allamakee County Fair will be published in future editions of The Standard.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, July 22 to address a full agenda of items. Those items included discussion relating to the County’s ATV Ordinance and opening Donahue Road and State Forest Road to such vehicles, an update on the County Attorney Office’s collections process and budget status, and consideration of the contract and bond for concrete paving patching.

The paving of a one-mile stretch of Makee Drive just north of Waukon has now been completed and the roadway has been opened to all traffic as of the middle of July. The primary contractor completing the paving was Wicks Construction, Inc. out of Decorah using a GOMACO paving machine, which is Iowa-made in Ida Grove and is world renowned for slip-form pavers (no forms required on pavement edges). Croell Redi-Mix from Waukon supplied the concrete mix, which was Portland cement concrete (PCC) with a depth of eight inches and width of 22 feet that required 16,000 square yards of pavement hauled in by 355 truckloads. The grading and culvert work on the project had been primarily done last fall by subcontractor Skyline Construction Inc. out of Decorah and allowed to settle during the winter. The mile-long pavement project began at Makee Drive’s intersection with Highway 9 (pictured above) east to its four-way intersection with Four Corners Road.

Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) has announced that it has recently released a video promoting Allamakee County and all it has to offer those visiting, happening to drive through or looking for a place to call home. The video was filmed by Jack Meggers, director of the recently released short film “The Burial” filmed in the Lansing area last year, with funding from the Iowa Tourism Office helping make the video possible.

To view the video, visit the Allamakee County Economic Development website, www.allamakeecounty.com, and click on the video arrow just below the title “You’re Invited! Live. Work. Play.” The video features supporting commentary from those living, working and leading in Allamakee County and its communities, along with video footage of some of the area’s landmark locations and outdoor appeal during all seasons.

Country music group Parmalee to headline Friday's grandstand; Midwest Rides to provide midway carnival rides

This week, July 17-21,  the 166th Allamakee County Fair will be held for all to enjoy at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. A wide variety of entertainment is in place to headline this year’s fair at the grandstand, along with a great deal of other activities for everyone to enjoy each and every day throughout the five-day event.

GRANDSTAND TO FEATURE STAR POWER AND HORSE POWER

Kicking off this year’s grandstand entertainment line-up Wednesday, July 17 at 7 p.m. will be a Truck and Tractor Pull featuring local trucks and tractors as well as some powered-up regional competitors in a variety of high-revving classes.

Replacement to begin by 2024; Public can comment to DOT by July 22
 

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) and Wisconsin DOT held a public informational meeting at Kee High School in Lansing July 9. Several DOT officials were available at the meeting to answer the public’s questions about the project. A series of display boards explained the processes that have been completed and the future plans, along with options still being considered for location and design elements.

July 16 coronation event kicks off 166th Allamakee County Fair

Three Allamakee County young ladies are vying for the title of 2019 Allamakee County Fair Queen. Those three candidates for this year's crown include Diana Davison, Cayla Nolting and Soraya Reyes, all three of them being students at Waukon High School this past school year.

The crown of Allamakee County Fair Queen and all the honors and responsibilities that accompany it will be bestowed upon one of those three candidates Tuesday evening, July 16 during the Allamakee County Fair Queen Coronation event being held at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon to kick off the 166th Allamakee County Fair.

by Kristin Kopperud-Stinn

Shopko Hometown store, located at 819 Eleventh Avenue SW in Waukon, closed its doors forever June 23, 2019 after its parent company Shopko Stores Operating Co., LLC declared Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in January of this year.

Laurie Brink and Von Collins were two of the longest working employees at Shopko’s Waukon location. Both Brink and Collins started working at the store when it was still a Pamida and was located on Rossville Road, where the Waukon Banquet Center sits today.

Even well prior to the June 23 closing of the Shopko location in Waukon, local efforts led by Waukon Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Director Ardie Kuhse to sustain the business were put in motion and have since transfered from preservation of the local business to occupancy of the now vacated property. Kuhse noted that contact was initially made with Shopko corporate leaders when the first announcement of store closings was made earlier this year - even though they did not include the Waukon location, reiterating the fact that Shopko was a vital part of the local business community and was  supported by the community and surrounding area by record sales.

“The sales did speak well for Waukon, and Waukon was spared the first and second round of store closings,” Kuhse said. “In the end, they could not restructure and no other corporate retail businesses stepped in to buy them out, thus the final closing of all stores and bankruptcy filing.”