News Center newsletter

March 19-25 is National Poison Prevention Week. Allamakee County Public Health shares the following Poison Prevention Tips compliments of the Iowa Poison Control Center, in observance of National Poison Prevention Week.

Amanda Romie and Tyler St. Mary of rural Lansing announce the birth of their daughter, Ava St. Mary, born March 8, 2023 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 7 lbs. 14 ozs. and measured 20-1/2 inches in length at the time of her birth. She joins siblings, Austin, Paxton, Sienna and Landon.

Grandparents are Jim and Karen Hitchins of Lansing, Tim and Diane Romie of Spring Grove, MN and Allan St. Mary of Spring Grove, MN.

Shmuel and Chaya Raices of Postville announce the birth of their daughter, Esther Raices, born March 9, 2023 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 5 lbs. 7 ozs. at the time of her birth.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Speech-Language Pathologist Steven Mazzafield is now offering a Stroke Support Group for individuals who have experienced a stroke, as well as caregivers and family members affected by stroke.

The stroke support group will be held downstairs in the ICN conference room at Veterans Memorial Hospital the first Thursday of each month at 2 p.m., beginning April 6.

The purpose of the stroke support group is to provide opportunities to share tips, tricks, or trials among participants, offer support for caregivers, and provide an opportunity for socialization.

While strokes can happen at any age, risk of stroke is greatest as we get older with the majority of strokes occurring after the age of 70. Risk factors for stroke include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, binge drinking, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will sponsor its next Babysitting Seminars Friday, April 7.  This class will be broken down into two different sessions with a morning session held from 9 a.m. to Noon and an afternoon session from 1-4 p.m.  The same information will be taught at both sessions, so students can sign-up for one session or the other. A total of 20 students will be taken in each session.

Both classes will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Intended participants are individuals 10 years of age and older who are responsible for their own care after school until their parents come home from work, and individuals who care for other children in or outside of their own home. Girls and boys are welcome and encouraged to attend. Topics covered include fire and personal safety, accident prevention and emergency actions, nutritious snacks and basic care of children.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) is offering Grandparenting Classes this spring. Corinne Cook, RN, Babysitting Class instructor, will teach the next Grandparenting Class Saturday, April 15 from 9:30 a.m. until Noon. The class will be held in the hospital’s Large Conference Room.

In these classes, new or soon-to-be grandparents will learn all the new protocols to use when caring for their new grandchild. To register, log on to www.veteransmemorialhospital.com or registration can be completed by calling the hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
June 2: ERP Phase 2
June 2: PARP

submitted by Matthew Welsh, Resource Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), USDA

Farming industry publications such as magazines and online content are full of advertising for seed corn, insurance, chemicals, implements and many other agricultural products. In the February 2023 issue of  Successful Farming a particular ad caught my attention. The add was a foldout page with a picture of tilled cornstalks with the caption “Your Ideal Soil Profile Starts Here”. When opening the fold out, it points to the start of an “ideal soil profile” as a tillage implement, specifically a multi tool vertical tillage implement from a well-known implement line. I think this advertisement begs two questions: What is an ideal soil profile? and what do vertical tillage machines do to the soil?

Applications will be accepted through June 1 of this year

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig encourages eligible Iowa farm owners to apply for the 2023 Century and Heritage Farm Program now through June 1 of this year.

The program was created by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation to recognize families who have owned their farms for 100 years and 150 years, respectively.

“Iowa’s multi-generational farm families are the backbone of our state and the Century and Heritage Farm Program recognizes their hard work, strength, resilience and perseverance,” said Secretary Naig. “Each year I look forward to recognizing these families, hearing their stories, and celebrating their legacies at the Iowa State Fair.”

To apply, download the application on the Department’s website at iowaagriculture.gov/century-and-heritage-farm-program. Please complete the application and return it to:

“Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.” (Ruth 1:22)

What a pathetic pair of sad-sacks they were that day – Ruth and Naomi – as they shuffle into Bethlehem looking like 40 miles of bad road.

People feel sorry for them, but Naomi wants nothing of their pity. What she really wants is for the gawkers to get as angry with God as she is. And so she tears into Almighty God with the fury of a woman scorned:

“Time was when my name meant ‘Pleasant,’ and I used to be a pretty pleasant person, too,” Naomi laments. “But that was before God messed with my life. Now just call me ‘Bitter,’ because that’s what I am, and it’s all God’s fault!  God is to blame for moving me from Pleasant to Bitter. So come on, folks: Let’s shake an angry fist at Almighty God!”

To the Editor:

The local option sales tax was approved by Allamakee County voters in 2008 and added 1% to the state sales tax of 6%, for a 7% sales tax rate. The 1% local option sales tax is distributed by the county where it is collected.

In the unincorporated areas of Allamakee County, the voters again approved the measure in 2014. Ballot language stipulated how the funds would be used. It is scheduled to be on the ballot again in 2024. This makes sense - collecting local money and distributing it locally where it is needed.
Senate Study Bill 1125, however, would eliminate the local option sales tax, and increase the state sales tax to 7%. Then the State would determine how to use the extra 1% sales tax.

In Allamakee County, the 1% sales tax receipts are almost $1 million and are distributed as follows: 40% to townships for services that include fire and ambulance, 30% for rural services including law enforcement, and 30% for secondary roads.