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R.W. Pladsen, Inc. in Waukon culminated its "March Mania-Fill the Cruze" promotion with the donation of non-perishable food items pictured above to the Allamakee County Relief Office. From March 1-10, R.W. Pladsen invited the general public to donate a non-perishable food item in return for a chance to enter a random drawing to win a 50" television. The food donations were placed inside a Chevrolet Cruze in an effort to "Fill the Cruze," resulting in the above pictured donation. Following completion of the promotion, the random drawing from all the entries who donated food items revealed Jody Peterson of Waukon as the winner of the 50" television. Pictured above at the donation to the Allamakee County Relief Office are, left to right, television drawing winner Jody Peterson, Allamakee County Relief Office Director Rebecca Hawes and R.W. Pladsen, Inc. Finance Manager Carli Quandahl. Standard photo by Sara Aleckson-Melcher.
 

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, March 19 to address a full agenda of items, including a presentation and discussion on the Upper Iowa Drainage District Alternative Levee System Modifications, a presentation and discussion of the Sidewalk Improvement Project and consideration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the Sheriff's Department and County Road Crew.

Chairperson Larry Schellhammer called the meeting to order with approval of the current agenda and meeting minutes of March 12. The current agenda was amended with the removal of two items involving subdivision plats, which will be added to next week's agenda for review.

by Joe Moses

Senator Mike Breitbach of Iowa's 28th District, Representative Michael Bergan of Iowa House District 55 and Representative Kristi Hager of Iowa House District 56 hosted a legislative forum Saturday, March 17 at the Allamakee County Farm Bureau office in Waukon. The event was an opportunity for the public to have discussion with State of Iowa legislators representing their area.

Sunday, March 11, John Norris, Democratic candidate for the Iowa Governor's office, stopped by the Waterville Fire Station, where volunteers were serving up pancakes and sausage. Dennis Nebendahl of rural Waterville welcomed Norris to the firehouse and exclaimed, “This is the first time we’ve ever had a candidate for governor visit Waterville!”

Norris’s next stop was Milty’s in Lansing, where he met with a group of area residents. This is the candidate's second visit to Allamakee County.

During his visit, Norris talked about rebuilding the economies of rural Iowa as key to helping the state prosper, noting a goal of an agricultural economy made up of diverse family farm operations. He’d like to see farm programs which help beginning farmers succeed, which in turn helps rural communities succeed.

The 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has gotten off to an historic start, with some head-scratching and eye-popping results that have left the tournament about as “up for grabs” as it ever has been. Likewise, the 180 entries in The Standard’s 2018 Basketball Bracket Challenge are likely feeling that same upheaval after a pair of both number-one (Virginia and Xavier) and number-two (Cincinnati and defending tournament championship North Carolina) seeds in the tournament have already been eliminated after just the first two rounds.

The 2018 Waukon boys track team will benefit from the experience of nine varsity letterwinners returning from last season, with nearly half of those returning with the ultimate experience every high school track and field athlete would like to have from qualifying for the State Meet. Those nine veterans include seven seniors, one junior and one sophomore who will all be looked to for leadership of this season’s squad made up of 56 total members.

A large returning class of 18 varsity veterans will help lead the way for the 2018 Waukon girls track season now getting underway. That returning list of experience for this season’s track Tribe will feature just three seniors and near equal totals of eight juniors and seven sophomores to headline an overall crew of 37 track and field athletes.

Those varsity veterans include just a pair of competitors with the ultimate experience of State Meet qualification, as senior Lauren Elliott and sophomore Alyssa Nesseim return from their first-time competitions at the season grand finale as members of the Indians’ distance medley relay crew that qualified to compete among the Class 2A elite last spring. Seniors Alexz Grampovnik and Laurel Keenan join Elliott as the senior trio leading that returning veteran crew, with this season’s only other senior competitor being foreign exchange student Lia Maffini.

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that those who write about old age as the Golden Years either have been very lucky health-wise or have not reached old age.

As if I needed one, I encountered another health problem in which age and life style might be involved.

After a fruitless three day effort to secure medical help from my customary source, I was forced to look elsewhere, and a new physician prescribed a med that took care of the problem in a day!

The problem was serious because it denied this right-handed person the use of his right hand! I could not even open a pill bottle or lift a coffee cup without pain, and trying to shave with the left hand resulted in several scrapes that bled. There were a couple other more embarrassing chores which were difficult, but I shan’t go into those!

But even with that new health problem solved, the instructions about how to deal with it raised more questions. About diet.

Why Good Friday and Easter?

Why Good Friday and Easter? It all goes back to one moment in time, a moment that corrupted the human race. Moses tells us about that moment in the Book of Genesis: “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it” (Genesis 3:6).

The Fall into sin is not only the reason for Christianity but also all other religions.

All religions hearken back to the Fall and propose a remedy for it. And it is either God or man that provides the remedy.

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Submit Loan Requests for Financing Early
The Farm Loan team in Allamakee and Winneshiek Counties are already working on operating loans for spring 2018 so it is important that potential borrowers submit their requests early so they can be timely processed. The farm loan team can help determine which loan programs are best for applicants. 

FSA offers a wide range of low-interest loans that can meet the financial needs of any farm operation for just about any purpose.  The traditional farm operating and farm ownership loans can help large and small farm operations take advantage of early purchasing discounts for spring inputs as well expenses throughout the year.