News Center newsletter

Paul F. Meier, 58, of Waukon died Saturday, February 20, 2021 at Caledonia Rehab and Retirement in Caledonia, MN. Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 6 at the First Baptist Church in Waukon with Rev. Duane Smith officiating. Memorials may be made to the family for later designation.

Paul Frederick, son of James and Alaine (Herman) Meier, was born September 1, 1962 in Waukon. He was baptized and confirmed in the Baptist Faith. Paul received his education in the Waukon Schools and would later receive his G.E.D. while serving in the United States Army Reserves.

Paul served in the United States Army Reserves, where he was trained in operating heavy equipment. He was a member of the IUOE 234 working as a heavy equipment operator for many years until his health no longer permitted.

Leland Reeder, 88, of Acampo, CA passed away peacefully in his sleep February 10, 2021. The family will have a private burial service at Cherokee Memorial Cemetery in Lodi, CA Friday, March 5 where Leland will be laid to rest with his wife, Audrey Reeder.

There will be a Memorial Service held Saturday, March 6 at Galt Bible Church, located at 1801 Church Street in Galt, CA at 11:30 a.m., where the public is invited to attend. That service will also be live streamed on the Galt Bible Church Facebook page for all to view.

Leland Duaine Reeder was born in Preston, MN December 19, 1932 to George and Vesta Reeder. He graduated from Waukon High School and enlisted in the Army immediately following his graduation. After being honorably discharged from the Army, he met and married Audrey Johnson of Waukon, where they remained together for 58 years.

Caleb Leiran and Katy Heldt of Waukon announce the birth of their son, Rory Simon Leiran, born February 12, 2021 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. He weighed 7 lbs. 11 ozs. and measured 21 inches in length at the time of his birth. He joins siblings, Stella (6), Colton (5), Charlee (2) and Maverick (1).

Grandparents are Larre and Brenda Leiran of Waukon and Debbie Heldt of Sumner.
 

Ryan and Samantha Collins of Harpers Ferry announce the birth of their daughter, Vivian Lynn Collins, born February 17, 2021 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 9 lbs. 1 oz. and measured 20.5 inches in length at the time of her birth. She joins siblings, Dalen (5), Rayna (4) and Leo (2).

Grandparents are Mark and Nancy Reiser of Lansing and Mike and Teri Collins of Harpers Ferry. Great-grandparents are Dale and Elaine Reiser of Dorchester.
 

The staff of Veterans Memorial Hospital pledged over $14,000 this last year to the VMH Health Care Foundation’s annual appeal campaign. The total raised in personal staff contributions was used to purchase equipment and furnishings identified by the staff that is needed in the hospital. This fund drive is held each fall for all staff at Veterans Memorial Hospital and consistently raises over $12,000 each year.

This past year, many items were purchased through generous monetary donations from hospital staff including medication trays for all Community and Home Care patients, a Kubota loader for the tractor used on campus by the Maintenance Department, a microwave for use by patients’ family members which is located in the Chapel/Meditation Room, rechargeable flashlights for the ambulances and a CO2 gas monitor for the ambulance jump kits.

Chest pain is a common presenting complaint in any emergency room, including the emergency room at Veterans Memorial Hospital. There is always the possibility of heart disease in every complaint of chest pain or upper abdominal pain, and it must be taken very seriously.

The common signs and symptoms of an acute myocardial infarction, commonly called a heart attack, are;

1. Chest pain (crushing, squeezing or heaviness).
2. Sudden onset of weakness, nausea, fainting and sweating without an obvious cause.
3. Pain that radiates to the shoulders, neck or arms.

These symptoms occur when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked, often by a blood clot. This happens because coronary arteries that supply the heart with blood slowly become clogged from a buildup of cells, fat and cholesterol called plaque.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, March 4 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with blood and blood products. Many Iowans are encouraged to make donating blood on a regular basis their New Year’s resolution.

The need for blood has not stopped during COVID-19 and is in even higher demand, so the local blood drives continue to be held. LifeServe team members only report to work if they are healthy and only healthy donors are eligible to give blood. Blood drives are essential medical services and not considered mass gatherings. The number of donors is limited to ensure donor separation, and staff has strict cleaning and disinfection schedules. Other measures are also in place to ensure the safety of the blood supply so these lifesaving donations can continue during COVID-19.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Orin Grangaard by Barb and Mark Howe, Jim and Jennifer Withers, the Thursday Club, Carolyn Thomson and Gene Maurer, Jon and Cathy Buhl, and Norb and Nola Palmer.

Memorials were also received in memory of Dan Buege by George and Helen Beardmore, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Gordon and Darlene Kaeser, Randy and Patty Nordheim, Patsy Kerndt and Kerndt Brothers Bank.

Memorials were also given in memory of Dale Kiesau by Dave and Laurie Martin and Chuck and Lois Votsmier; in memory of Ron Goeke by Patsy Kerndt and in memory of Russ Roe by Jan Ellingson.

In addition, a donation was received from Robin Sawyer in honor of Wayne and Nona Sawyer.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
February 26: CFAP 1 & 2 Updates
March 5: WHIP Quality Loss Adjustment
March 15: 2021 ARCPLC Signup

Grazing Cover Crops Increases Profits

by Jacob Hawes, Soil Conservationist

Farmers are good at producing a variety of crops, but one thing many farmers have been struggling to produce the last several years is a profit. The five-year average cost to produce a bushel of corn has exceeded the average price of a bushel of corn by five cents according to analysis from the Iowa Farm Bureau, leaving many Iowa farmers in the red or just breaking even. A recent climb in corn and bean prices should provide some relief for farmers, but even so farmers should be looking for alternatives to increase the profitability of their cropland acres and cover crops and cattle may be the answer.

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team will continue its quarterly dairy goat webinar focusing on “Strategic Kid Management” March 3 from noon to 1:15 p.m.

This webinar will focus on situating the next generation of replacement does for a successful future. Multiple contagious diseases are transmitted to young goats right around kidding.

During this webinar, Roselle Busch, assistant specialist in Cooperative Extension at UC-Davis, will discuss why recommended management practices help to control and minimize the spread of disease in your herd. “I will cover the basics for healthy kids in the first month, going over colostrum management, use of automated feeders, and then get into the role that different kid rearing strategies play in mitigating disease transmission,” Busch noted.