News Center newsletter

Three sisters, all teachers, gardeners and forward-thinkers, are leaving their shared legacy in the form of an endowment fund with the Allamakee County Community Foundation to provide community support for services and opportunities that enrich quality of life in rural communities near their homes.

The sisters, Valeria Herold, Anastasia Kriener and Rosemary Kriener, grew up on a family farm in rural Fort Atkinson. The Herold and Kriener Family Legacy Fund supports community service organizations, educational scholarships, faith-based centers and land stewardship.

“The fund has already impacted the small communities where we live in that we can designate yearly gifts, including to the South Winn First Responders and three local fire departments,” says Rosemary’s daughter, Anne Blocker of Waukon. “With so many teachers in the family, educational scholarships and libraries will also be among our benefactors.”

Northgate Care Center in Waukon, owned and operated by ABCM Corporation, is honoring Administrator Lou Ann Wikan for 50 years of serving Waukon and surrounding Communities. Wikan started her career at Northgate Care Center January 5, 1972.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions on health care facilities, Northgate Care Center is unable to hold an in-person reception for Wikan on her actual 50th anniversary date. Thus, on or by January 5, the facility is asking everyone to join in the recognition of Wikan’s 50 years of service by showering her with cards.

Cards recognizing her service can be sent through the ABCM website at www.abcmcorp.com > choose the “Waukon” location > choose the “Greeting Card” function. Cards and any other items can also be mailed directly to Northgate Care Center, c/o Lou Ann Wikan, at 960 4th Street NW, Waukon, IA 52172.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation Thursday, December 16, 2021 for Allamakee, Bremer, Chickasaw, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek Counties in northeast Iowa in response to severe weather beginning December 15, 2021. The governor’s proclamation activated the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program (IIAGP) and the Iowa Disaster Case Management (IDCM) program to assist Iowans.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program (IIAGP) may provide up to $5,000 of assistance, reimbursement and/or vendor voucher, for covered items to households with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Individuals may be eligible for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and repair or replacement of personal items damaged by the storm.

VFW Auxiliary Gustave F. Kerndt #5981 has announced the kick-off of the VFW Auxiliary’s annual Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. Local students in grades 9-12 have the opportunity to compete for $33,000 in national scholarships.

Students must submit an original two- or three-dimensional piece of artwork.  Digital art, photography and jewelry are not accepted.  The entry must have been completed during the current 2021-2022 school year and the application must include a teacher or supervising adult’s signature.

The first-place winner from each Auxiliary will advance to District competition with District winners advancing to the State competition.  State first-place winners compete for national awards.

VFW Auxiliary Gustave F. Kerndt #5981 announces the kick-off of the VFW Auxiliary’s National Anthem Singing Contest, “Get Excited for the Red, White and Blue!” Contestants must submit a video of their solo vocal performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” recorded between July 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022.

Contest entries must be submitted to VFW Auxiliary Gustave F. Kerndt #5981 by March 31, 2022 via DVD or flash drive, or an online video platform. Interested youth, parents/guardians and teachers should email vfwauxiliarylansing@gmail.com for information.

New Albin Elementary School has been blessed by the generosity of the family of Sara Thomas, a former teacher in the Eastern Allamakee Community School District for many years who passed away this past October. Her family knew that she would have wanted memorials in her honor to go to a place where she gave so much of herself. The family donated $1,960 to be used on books and other necessities, some of which are pictured above. New Albin Elementary School appreciates the generosity of the family of Sara Thomas. Submitted image.

Graham crackers, frosting and Clover Kids made the perfect combination to make gingerbread houses at the December Clover Kids session. Youth were able to use their imagination to design their own creation (such as those pictured in the photos above). They learned it took patience, lots of frosting and some re-designing to make the houses stand by themselves. Candy was supplied to decorate with, which added another challenge if the candy was too heavy for their structure. Clover Kids also had the opportunity to make clay gingerbread men for their house. After completion, most gingerbread houses ended up as a snack. For more information about 4-H and upcoming activities, contact the Allamakee County Extension and Outreach Office at 563-568-6345 or http://www.extension.iastate.edu/allamakee/. Submitted photos.
 

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) has received a new source of funding that will allow students to train for in-demand healthcare careers with no tuition cost.

The new funding through the State of Iowa Governors Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER II) is creating no-cost tuition training opportunities for students and helping the College and its partners to develop a healthcare employee pipeline in the community. Funding through Opportunity Dubuque is also available to support the training.

The GEER II funding, among other funding sources, will provide financial assistance to students who enroll in one of three short-term certificate programs at NICC; Phlebotomy Technician, Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) and Pharmacy Technician. Graduates of the programs will help backfill a wave of retirements in the healthcare sector.

The Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Board of Trustees approved the President Search Committee’s recommendation of four finalist candidates for the position of college president at its meeting December 20. Finalists selected include the following:

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
Dec. 31: Office closed in observance of New Year’s Day holiday
Jan. 7: Organic and Transition Education Certification Program (FY20, FY21)
Feb. 18: Dairy Margin Coverage Program
Feb. 25: Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program
Mar. 15: ARCPLC Program deadline

Some Waterhemp has Developed Dicamba Resistance

by LuAnn Rolling, NRCS District Conservationist

According to a recent article in Successful Farming University of Illinois (U of I) weed scientists have confirmed resistance to the herbicide dicamba in a Champaign County (east-central Illinois) waterhemp population.

The population had never been sprayed with dicamba or its relative 2,4-D (both Group 4 synthetic auxin herbicides), to which it is also resistant.  According to the researchers waterhemp in the study population resists herbicides in five other site of action groups.