Snow flurries at times drifted through the air and wind chills dipped into the 20-degree range, but the streets of Waukon were still filled with the warmth of the Irish spirit that was on full display during the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade held Sunday, March 17 in Waukon. The nearly 150 parade entries that made their way along this year’s parade route took approximately 45 minutes to complete their circuit of Irish celebration. Additional photos taken by Standard Assistant Editor Joe Moses from this year’s parade can be found on Page 16 inside this same edition of The Standard. All of the parade photos found in this issue, along with many more from Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, are available for viewing/purchase by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on The Standard’s website at www.waukonstandard.com. A video of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade can also be found on The Standard Newspaper’s Facebook page.
The photo above shows the gap created in the Black Hawk Bridge following the removal of several spans of the bridge while repair work continues to replace the cement piers that had recently shifted, causing a portion of the bridge deck and railing on the east end of the bridge to do the same. The bridge was closed February 25 due to that shift, with those concrete piers currently being replaced by steel support structures that will allow for the displaced bridge spans (sitting at right in the photo) to be put back into place and the bridge to open again to traffic, with the repair project anticipated to continue at least through the end of April.
The 2024 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet is scheduled to be held this Saturday, March 23 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. Food service will start at 7 p.m. and the program will begin at 8 p.m. Banquet tickets can be purchased at the door.
The annual celebration recognizes the importance of the dairy industry in Allamakee County and the contributions dairy families make to this important industry. Every year, top producers from the county are recognized at the banquet. In addition, several other awards are presented that evening, some of which include the following:
• Outstanding Young Dairy Family Award
• Pioneer Dairyman
• Distinguished Dairy Family Award
• Service to Dairy Industry Award
• Golden Butter Knife Award.
A recent State of Iowa law change requires county auditors to mail a statement to their county taxpayers by March 20 with state-specified information related to proposed local government budgets and proposed property tax rates, according to Iowa Code 24.2A.
The information on the statements is for taxes payable in September 2024 and March 2025. Property owners should receive a statement if they expect to receive a property tax bill in September. Taxpayers owning more than one property may receive multiple letters if those properties are in different tax districts.
“I believe the HF718 legislation was passed to help improve transparency of the budget process for cities, schools and the county,” stated Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer.
The March session of “bridge talks” at Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library, held Thursday, March 14 was devoted to answering questions raised by the February 25 closure of the Black Hawk Bridge.
Held the second Thursday of every month from 5 to 6 p.m. at the library, the bridge talks feature opportunities for the community to engage in activities and dialogue with engineers working on the new bridge project. The monthly talks generally draw around 30 attendees; more than 50 people attended the March 14 session. Community members interested in developments with the bridge construction project are encouraged to attend the bridge talks.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the National Weather Service have designated March 25-29 as Severe Weather Awareness Week in the state of Iowa. Spring weather brings warmer temperatures and the threat of severe weather, including tornadoes.
The Allamakee County Emergency Management Agency wants to take this opportunity to notify the public of the intent to conduct a countywide Tornado Drill and test city emergency warning sirens Wednesday, March 27 at 10 a.m. during the Statewide Tornado Drill as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week activities.
Waukon High School welcomed the newest members into its local chapter of National Honor Society at an annual induction ceremony held Tuesday, March 12 at Waukon High School. Starting in January of their junior year, eligible students are invited to complete the application process to gain membership into National Honor Society. Membership is based on the four pillars that National Honor Society represents: Scholarship, Character, Leadership and Service. Pictured above are this year’s new inductees.
Doug Wolfe of Elkader announces he is seeking the Republican nomination for Iowa House of Representatives District 64 currently held by Anne Osmundson of Volga. District 64 encompasses all of Allamakee County and Clayton County, and a portion of Dubuque County which includes the town of Holy Cross.
Wolfe was born and raised in Cedar Rapids where he graduated from George Washington High School. He then attended Kirkwood Community College and later received a bachelor’s degree from Life Christian University.
Wolfe is a real estate broker/businessman and co-founder of Marriage Minded Ministries. Wolfe has been owner/operator of dental studios, cafes and sporting goods stores. In more recent years, Wolfe has served as a campaign advisor and manager for Arizona Congressional candidates focusing on the constitution and important issues for the people.
Free water taxi service between Lansing and Crawford County, WI was initiated Monday, March 18. According to the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), this service is expected to be in place until late April, when repairs to the existing bridge connecting the two states are anticipated to be complete.
The water taxi will travel between the Lansing Marina and Big Slough Landing on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River and will be available seven days a week during the following hours: 7 to 10 a.m.; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and 3 to 6 p.m. A one-way trip is estimated to take about 30 minutes. All riders will be required to get off the water taxi at each stop. The water taxi leaves the Iowa side on the hour, and leaves the Wisconsin side on the half hour during those time frames listed above.
Main Street Lansing will be hosting its Annual Meeting Tuesday, March 26 at 6 p.m. at Shep’s Riverside Bar and Grill in Lansing. All are invited to attend and hear about Main Street Lansing’s efforts over the past year and plans for the future. For a meeting agenda or any questions, email Main Street Lansing Executive Director Andrew Boddicker at director@lansingmatters.com.
