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Deadlines/Dates
August 31: Deadline to complete Non-Emergency Haying of CRP; Deadline to Review Base Allocation Summary
September 15: Deadline to Update Payment Eligibility for Entities 
September 30: Deadline to Complete FY26 Mid-Contract Management on CRP; Deadline to remove livestock from Non-Emergency Grazing of CRP; Deadline to apply for SDRP Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 1 Quality Loss; Office Fiscal Year Rollover
October 1: FY27 Mid-Contract Management on CRP Opens
December 31: Deadline to Apply for OCCSP

Waukon High School and the Allamakee Athletic Booster Club hosted the annual Community Appreciation Meal Membership Drive and Meet the Team Night at Waukon High School Tuesday, August 18. In addition to the meal and membership drive, the 2026 Waukon Indian fall sports teams were introduced and all in attendance were treated to a motivational message from Waukon High School alum Marcus Weymiller, who presented a challenge to local student-athletes of raising the standard in everything they take part in, while he also outlined a four-step process to help accomplish that feat - a process that helped him achieve some of his own lofty goals in life.

The 2026 Waukon football team will return nearly half of this season’s overall program numbers of 51 players, freshmen through seniors, as varsity letterwinners from a squad last fall that put together a 6-4 season record and made a ninth consecutive appearance in the Class 2A State Play-Offs. The grid Tribe of 2025 played to a 4-1 Class 2A District 3 mark that laid claim to a District Runner-Up result last fall that came behind an Osage team that was undefeated until the Class 2A State Semifinals last season, with 24 young men returning from that grid Tribe mix to help pave the way again this season.

Wilfred C. Ament of Waukon passed away Friday, August 14, 2026, after a lengthy illness. He was born April 26, 1938. A memorial to celebrate Will’s life will be held at the Empty Nest Winery Friday, October 16, 2026, to remember our friend who will be greatly missed. A full obituary along with details of the celebration will follow.
 

Mary Charlene “Charlie” Peiffer, 89, of Urbandale passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, Saturday, August 1, 2026, at MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center. A Mass of Christian Burial was held August 10 at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Urbandale.

Inurnment will take place at a later date at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Wexford, near Lansing. There will also be a Mass Intention in her honor Monday, August 31 at 8 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church, Wexford.
Memorial contributions may be directed to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the American Heart Association, or Immaculate Conception Church in Wexford. Cards and other correspondence may also be sent to Ben Peiffer, 2729 82nd Place #329, Urbandale, IA 50322.

Alice (Schwartzhoff) Brown died August 12, 2026. A celebration of life will be held Friday, September 4 at 1 p.m. at Holy Family Hall in Caledonia, MN with a visitation one hour before. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Dorchester.

Alice was born March 22, 1948 and raised in Dorchester. She went on to be an artist and will be remembered for her beautiful floral arrangements, wedding decorations, and her gentle kindness.

We cherish her memory, along with her parents Clarence and Winifred Schwartzhoff; her siblings Dale Schwartzhoff and Marie Ellestad (Don); her sisters-in-law Rita and Pat Schwartzhoff; her son Nathan Brown; her daughter-in-law Kristen Brown; and her beloved granddaughter Evie Brown.

Deadlines/Dates
August 2: Non-Emergency Haying/Grazing of CRP Signup Opens
August 31: Deadline to complete Non-Emergency Haying of CRP; Deadline to Review Base Allocation Summary
September 15: Deadline to Update Payment Eligibility for Entities 
September 30: Deadline to Complete FY26 Mid-Contract Management on CRP; Deadline to remove livestock from Non-Emergency Grazing of CRP; Office Fiscal Year Rollover
October 1: FY27 Mid-Contract Management on CRP Opens
December 31: Deadline to Apply for OCCSP

Fall CRP Tree Control  and Firebreak Preparation

submitted by Janet Bratland, Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist

Hannah Hagen, the 18-year-old daughter of Erik and Lisa Hagen of Waterville, was crowned the 73rd Iowa Dairy Princess during an evening ceremony at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines Wednesday, August 12. Hagen is the ninth Allamakee County young lady to wear the crown of Iowa Dairy Princess, and she will spend the next year serving as a goodwill ambassador for Iowa’s dairy farmers.

Throughout her year-long reign, she will make public appearances to connect with consumers and help them understand the dedication of dairy farm families to their cows, their land and the milk they produce. Representing Allamakee County in the contest, Hagen will be a freshman at Iowa State University in Ames this fall where she will study Animal Science.

The annual Waukon Corn Days celebration was held Friday and Saturday, August 14-15, having to make some adjustments Friday evening due to weather that moved the community meal and all the inflatables, pedal tractor pull, music and other activities from downtown Waukon to the Allamakee County Fairgrounds so the meal could be held inside the Fairgrounds Pavilion (as pictured above). This year’s event also featured the return of the Corn Days Parade (pictured below), which featured a red, white and blue theme that celebrated America’s 250th birthday Saturday. Additional photos from this past weekend’s Waukon Corn Days events appear on Page 12 inside this week’s (August 19) print edition and e-edition of The Standard, and can also be found at the Photos link on The Standard’s website.

Behind the scenes, a dedicated group of local leaders who have named their group “Waukon Forward” is starting to build a new funding source meant to support the Waukon community for generations to come. The goal of the group is to jumpstart local projects, initially ones that improve health and wellness, upgrade outdoor recreation, and add amenities for families throughout the town. The effort got a major boost when Waukon resident Lee Rothchild McGovern provided a generous $400,000 lead gift, officially setting the stage for an upcoming community challenge match. While the public roll-out is still a little ways off, team members are already starting to chat with neighbors and residents to share the vision and gather feedback. More details on the challenge match and how to get involved will be shared soon.