Goal to have plans in place as water quality funding increases significantly over the next few years
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that applications are now being accepted for water quality planning and development projects. Selected projects will help inform, prioritize and coordinate implementation of conservation practices focused on improving water quality.
“This is an opportunity to bring in new partners to work with farmers and landowners to scale up construction of infrastructure based conservation practices. With long-term water quality funding now joining existing conservation programs, we are able to look several years ahead and make sure we are able to use the additional funding in a targeted, cost-efficient manner to improve water quality” Naig said.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today requested an additional $250,000 to support foreign animal disease response preparations as part of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget request. Naig also emphasized the importance of continued funding for the Iowa Water Quality Initiative and Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program. “Iowa’s $13.45 billion animal industry continues to see significant growth and is a key economic driver for our state. Avian influenza, African swine fever and other foreign animal diseases continue to represent a significant threat to our livestock farms and emphasize the need for us to expand efforts to prevent, prepare and potentially respond to an animal disease emergency,” Naig said. “It is important we continue to invest in priority areas such as animal health, water quality and renewable fuels to support our state’s farmers and help strengthen our rural economy.”
The Allamakee Ecumenical Choir will present its 42nd annual Candlelight Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols service this Sunday, December 9 at 7 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church, located at 8 Fifth Street SW in Waukon. Area clergy will read the lessons, and carols will be sung by the choirs and congregation while accompanied by organ, trumpets and handbells.
Choral numbers will be presented by the Ecumenical Choir, Ecumenical Men’s Choir and Ecumenical Children’s Choir. Musical selections will also be presented by the St. John’s Lutheran Church Youth and Senior Handbell Choirs and the Bixby String Quintet. The program is prepared and directed by James Bieber, Organist and Director of Music at St. John’s Lutheran Church, and he is assisted by his daughter, Sarah Palmer, Waukon Middle and High School Choral Director.
This Friday, December 7, the Waukon High School gymnasium will be dedicated in honor and in the name of a man who likely spent more time and touched more lives in that same gym and during his coaching and teaching career than anyone else. During this Friday’s home game series against Oelwein for the Waukon girls basketball team, a ceremony will be held between the junior varsity and varsity contests to unveil what will be the newly dedicated Dave Schoeberlein Gymnasium at Waukon High School.
The annual Lighted Holiday Parade held in Waukon Monday evening, December 3 brightened up the beginning of the holiday season in more ways than one as nearly two dozen entries made their way through the city streets. Temperatures in the upper 20s made for some chilly viewing conditions for parade-goers, with some weekend snow adding a further holiday feel to the event, but neither of those weather considerations prevented people from lining the parade route, as evident in the above photo. Standard photo by Joe Moses. View and find out how to purchase this photo and more from the holiday parade by clicking on the Photo Galleries link at www.waukonstandard.com.
Residents and visitors of Allamakee County will have two opportunities to see the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train Wednesday, December 5. The Holiday Train will be stopping in Lansing that afternoon, at approximately 4:50 p.m., and again in New Albin a little over an hour later, at approximately 6:15 p.m.
The lighted holiday train will be stopping across from the Sports Complex in Lansing located on South Front Street, between North Second Street and Dodge Street. The performances and presentations during the train’s stop in Lansing are scheduled to take place from 5-5:30 p.m. Following the Holiday
Train’s departure, Santa Claus will be at the Community Center on Main Street from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Allamakee County Economic Development Director Val Reinke (right in photo at right) was recently presented with a financial contribution from Northeast Iowa Realtors Association Representative Stacie Cooper (left) for the completion of the Allamakee Countywide Housing Assessment. This assessment was a $20,000-plus project. Allamakee County Economic Development is extremely grateful for all of the financial partners who assisted in making the assessment possible, including Northeast Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund, Alliant Energy, Black Hills Energy, Allamakee Clayton Electric/Dairyland Power, the cities and Allamakee County, as well as the Northeast Iowa Realtors Association. The final assessment has been shared throughout the county with city councils, the board of supervisors, school boards, organizations and more.
Monday, November 12, a Veterans Day program at Waukon High School was hosted by the school’s National Honor Society chapter. Quilts of Valor were awarded as part of the program to area veterans. Two Quilts of Valor were also presented at the St. Patrick School Veterans Day program and then also recognized at the Waukon High School program. A special Gold Star Quilt of Valor was presented to Jamie Riley in honor of his father, James F. Riley, who lost his life while serving in Vietnam. Lunch for the recipients, their families and guests was provided by the Allamakee Community School District lunch program following the Veterans Day presentation. Pictured above following the Quilts of Valor presentation are: Left to right - Front row: Tom Leiran, Ron Roese, Gary Ward, Jim Fossum, Tom Houdina, Donald Aldrich, Lloyd Schultz, Darrell Mitchell, Elliott Wolfson, Roger Martin, Lee McGovern. Back row: Dr.
The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, December 3 to discuss a full agenda of items including the Walk-On Waukon sidewalk project, a Water/Sewer Department hiring and revisions to city code involving delinquent utility accounts. There was no Public Comment and the council moved into Departmental Reports.
Police Chief Phil Young indicated that it was a busy weekend and discussed the response to a fire in the trailer court. Street Superintendent Keith Burrett discussed a recent snow maintenance class that he attended in Dubuque and that Blake’s Excavating had completed creek dredging work.
