Community News

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, August 17 to address a full agenda of matters including the review of the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendations for residential zoning setbacks, a presentation by the Winneshiek Energy District relating to an energy efficiency program for commercial buildings, and the consideration of approving a pay application and change order for the 4th Avenue NW Addition Project.

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with council members present including Cassie Handke, Nicholas Engrav, Tim Smedsrud and Steve Wiedner. There was no Public Comment from individuals present or those joining the meeting via Zoom web-conferencing.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, August 17 at the Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library in Lansing as part of the board’s annual schedule of county library and off-site meeting locations.  The Supervisors addressed a full agenda of matters including the discussion and consideration of approving a new employee position of County Court Security Officer, the consideration of the Resolution designating voting representatives for the Iowa State Association of Counties, and the consideration of setting the date and time for the Fiscal-Year 2027 County Budget Amendment Public Hearing.

Waukon Corn Days is a celebration of agricultural heritage and community, and has a long-standing history in Waukon extending back to what some may remember as “Threshing Days”. The Waukon Chamber of Commerce looks forward to hosting the annual celebration again in 2026 with events starting Friday, August 14 and continuing into Saturday, August 15. This event also encourages local shopping with Waukon “Crazy Days” specials, discounts and deals available at local retailers (see Page 28 in this week’s edition of The Standard). West Street SW, between Main Street and First Avenue SW, will be closing at 12 Noon Friday, August 14 for preparation and hosting of the event.

The Allamakee County Veterans Museum will participate in Waukon Corn Days 2026, an event scheduled for this Friday, August 14 and this Saturday August 15.

The movie filmed in downtown Waukon in the 1940s by the Cote family for the Town Theatre (pictured at right) will be played. See what life in Waukon was like in the 1940s. Unfortunately, no video is available of past Corn Day events or parades.

The video will play continually from noon to 3 p.m. Friday, August 14 and also again from 9 a.m. to 12 Noon Saturday, August 15 in the meeting room of the Veterans Museum, located at 105 Allamakee Street in Waukon. The Veterans Museum will also be open for public tours during those timeframes.

The museum is air conditioned. There is no admission charge, and the museum is also accessible for wheelchairs and other assistance devices.
 

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, August 10 to address a full agenda of matters including the consideration of the use of the county credit card for a hotel reservation relating to a conference, the discussion of agenda management software options, and the discussion and consideration of options relating to the county’s solid waste contract.

The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tom Clark with Supervisors Dan Byrnes and Dennis Keatley present. During Public Comment, Byrnes made note of the 8K Walk/Run and 5K Walk/Run held Saturday, August 8 as part of the annual Fish Days celebration in Lansing. Byrnes noted that it was a record turn-out for the Walk/Run events held during Fish Days with Byrnes also noting that Allamakee County Zoning Administrator Stephanie Runkle was a first-place 5K female finisher in her age division.

Robey Memorial Library, in collaboration with the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation (OVLF), invites families to enjoy the August Main Street Story Walk. This month’s featured book is the children’s story “If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, DON’T!” by Elise Parsley. Families are encouraged to stroll through downtown Waukon as the story unfolds in the windows of six participating local businesses.

The Story Walk spans six businesses along Allamakee Street, East Main Street, and Spring Avenue in Waukon. Each stop features a portion of the story, guiding readers from one location to the next for an interactive reading adventure for all ages. Participating businesses are labeled and named in the above map and include 1) Upper Iowa Insurance; 2) Steel Cow; 3) Impro; 4) Driftless Edit; 5) Luna Salon; and 6) Paws Up Pet Supplies.

Waukon Corn Days is a celebration of agricultural heritage and community, and has a long-standing history in Waukon extending back to what some may remember as “Threshing Days”. The Waukon Chamber of Commerce looks forward to hosting the annual celebration again in 2026 with events starting Friday, August 14 and continuing into Saturday, August 15. This event also encourages local shopping with Waukon “Crazy Days” specials, discounts and deals available at local retailers (see Page 28 in this week’s edition of The Standard). West Street SW, between Main Street and First Avenue SW, will be closing at 12 Noon Friday, August 14 for preparation and hosting of the event.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, August 3 to address a full agenda of matters including the consideration of a Resolution to establish a 55-mph speed limit on Secondary Road Pavements, the discussion of bids for the County’s Solid Waste contract, and the discussion of CivicPlus agenda management software. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tom Clark with Supervisors Dennis Keatley and Dan Byrnes present.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, August 3 to address a full agenda of matters including the review of the Board of Adjustment variance approval at 702 5th Avenue SW, the Public Hearing on the proposed solar energy lease and easement agreement, and the Resolution approving the bid and contract for the Storm Siren Replacement Project.

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Arvid Hatlan with council members present including Cassie Handke, Steve Wiedner, John Lydon and Tim Smedsrud. As a reminder to the public, Hatlan made a statement to those in attendance relating to the Public Comment portion of council meetings. Hatlan advised that each individual is allowed up to three minutes of Public Comment time to address the mayor and council directly relating to new matters or items on the meeting agenda with no official action to take place during this time or comment from the council.

Senator Chuck Grassley met with participants of the American Legion Auxiliary Girls and Boys Nation in his Washington, D.C. office this past week. The group discussed nominations to America’s military academies and the Senator’s #cornwatch series on the X social media platform.

The group included students from Cedar Rapids, Johnston, Iowa City and Waukon, including Katie Regan, who will be a senior at Waukon High School this fall and is the daughter of Maury and Stacey Regan of Waukon. Pictured in the submitted photo above, left to right, are Alex Adair of Johnston High School, Aahana Gupta of Iowa City West High School, Senator Chuck Grassley, Katie Regan of Waukon High School, and Anthony O’Connell of Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School.