There has been a great deal of back and forth in the last year-and-a-half regarding construction of communication towers in Allamakee County, with one proposed tower near New Albin being the center of some debate.
We’d like to set the record straight and make sure that residents in Allamakee County fully understand what’s at stake. The cell site near New Albin is part of a nationwide federal initiative called FirstNet. FirstNet is a mobile communications network being built specifically to prioritize Emergency Services/First Responders communications in emergency situations. My company, NEIT (Northeast Iowa Telephone Company) is a rural network partner for AT&T, and thereby FirstNet, and is responsible for managing construction.
This week Senator Michael Breitbach has surpassed his House constituents in trying to take power away from local people and agencies by championing SF548. March 4, hundreds of citizens traveled to Des Moines to speak against a similar house bill, HF542. The size of the crowd made the front page news in The Gazette. The proposal was for the State to take all control over land for public land development… parks, trails, recreation areas, basically taking power away from local people and giving it to the State, only to the State.
Senator Breitbach thinks regular people do not know what is best for them. I work at an area campground and hear every day about what is best. The bike trails, the trout fishing, the parks, the river. Kids and campers at the campground help pick up sticks when we get a big wind. People donate trees and plants and benches so others can enjoy the green and being out in beautiful northeast Iowa.
by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148
Mid-Contract Management (MCM) on CRP Acres
As we start to see warmer temps and melting snow, please start thinking about your MCM, if you are scheduled for this year. Those that are scheduled for this year would have received a packet from our office this past fall detailing what needs to be done. You do have until May 14, 2019 to complete the work, but now is a good time to start lining up contractors if you haven’t already done so, buy seed if needed, and get equipment ready. If you have technical questions, need a seeding plan, or contractor list contact the NRCS office. Any other questions can be directed to FSA.
Once you complete your MCM, notify the FSA office, sign the FSA-848B form, and provide acceptable evidence of practice completion to determine proper cost share payment.
The Irish Hollow Creek Bridge pictured above along Iowa River Drive (County Road A26) and located approximately 3.5 miles southwest of New Albin adjacent to the Upper Iowa River is scheduled to be closed to all traffic beginning Monday, March 25 for a replacement project of the entire structure which was first constructed in 1946. The closing was originally scheduled to begin March 18 but the recent thawing combined with rain made the gravel roads being used as a detour around the bridge project difficult to navigate.
Faith Palmer (right in photo at right), daughter of John and Meghan Palmer of Waukon, was crowned the 2019 Allamakee County Dairy Princess at the annual Allamakee County Dairy Banquet held Saturday, March 16 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. Also selected at Saturday’s annual banquet as the 2019 Alternate Dairy Princess was Kaylee Gibbs (left in photo at right), daughter of Chris and Kerri Gibbs of Waterville. Additional photos of award winners and other events from the 2019 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet will appear in a future issue of The Standard. Photo by Paula Enyart.
The streets of Waukon were lined with Irish spirit for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sunday, March 17 in Waukon. Under a bit chilly conditions with overcast skies and temperatures hovering just below the 40-degree mark, the event took approximately an hour to display the wide variety of nearly 150 entries. Additional photos from this year’s event can be found on Page 14A of this week’s print edition and e-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 Gallery link on this website.
Pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, March 18 to address a full agenda of items, including the consideration of a contingency plan for the 2019 Memorial Day Program, coverage of Township Officials on County insurance and bids received for the Dorchester Drive (A16) culvert extensions.
During Public Comment, Jerry Halverson of Waukon discussed the condition of McCabe Drive and secondary roads in general within Allamakee County, which have been softened by weather conditions. Halverson also expressed concerns about the width of the North Fork Hollow Bridge near his home. Chairperson Larry Schellhammer and Supervisors Dan Byrnes and Dennis Koenig provided feedback concerning weather-related road conditions and that State pavements have been impacted as well with potholes being an issue.
In a statement released Monday, March 18, Shopko Stores, Inc. has announced that it will liquidate its assets and close all of its remaining locations by June of this year, according to a document filed March 18 in U.S. bankruptcy court. The company stated that it was unable to find a buyer for the retail business and will begin winding down its operations beginning this week.
January 16 of this year, Shopko announced that it, along with its subsidiaries, had filed voluntary petitions for a court-supervised financial restructuring under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The company had then announced in February plans to close 250 stores, or about 70 percent of its locations.
The Monday, March 18 announcement indicates closure of all stores will be completed by June 16. Further details of anything relating to the closing of the Shopko location in Waukon will be published as they become available.
The Allamakee County Department of Environmental Health warns area residents that recent flooding caused by the rapid melting of snow and seasonal rains may cause concerns with well water contamination. Allamakee County Environmental Health Director/Sanitarian Laurie Moody offers the following information regarding well water contaminated by flooding:
• Do not drink or wash with flood-contaminated well water. People who drink, wash with, or prepare food with water from a water supply influenced by flood water can get very sick.
• Do not attempt to work on the well, the well pump, or the water system. There is a real danger of electrical shock, personal injury or death plus well, well pump, and water system damage.
Waukon City Manager Dean Hilgerson and Field Services Coordinator Pete Hjelmstad with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) recently provided an update to The Standard regarding the tree removal process currently taking place in Waukon in preparation for the 2019 DOT Street and Sidewalk Project that will improve State Highways 9 and 76 entering, through and exiting Waukon.
