Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health will be offering another walk-in clinic for the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Friday, December 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the ICN Conference Room located on the southeast side of the hospital. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available. Park along the orange cones along the golf course for easy access to the vaccine location.
A booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccination is now available for anyone who wishes to receive it, age five and up. It must also be at least six months from their last dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. These clinics are walk-in clinics. Those attending do not have to call ahead to make an appointment. Everyone should wear a mask and bring their vaccination card with them for updating.
Veterans Memorial Hospital’s Urgent Care is held every Monday-Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and also on holidays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Urgent Care will not be available Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. This holiday season, Urgent Care will be offered at the following times and days:
• December 24, Christmas Eve: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• December 25, Christmas Day: Closed - No Urgent Care
• December 31, New Years Eve: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• January 1, New Years Day: Closed - No Urgent Care.
Urgent Care is designed for treating injuries or illnesses requiring immediate care, but not serious enough to require an emergency department visit.
At my congregation in Lansing, we’re busy preparing for our annual Sunday school Christmas pageant. The children and youth of Our Savior’s Lutheran have performed in a Christmas pageant for as long as anyone can remember. The same could probably be said of your church.
Every year, the script has a slightly different twist but the story never changes: it proclaims the humble birth of Jesus Christ all those years ago in Bethlehem. It shines brightly with the hope of a new world this baby has come to bring.
Invariably, something goes wrong like the Baby Jesus fusses or a cow forgets his line (even though it’s just “Moo!”) or a little angel toddles around the sanctuary instead of staying in her place. Regardless of these mishaps, the congregation laughs and sings and bursts with enthusiasm. Everyone loves a Christmas pageant!
Sometimes the work at the U.S. Capitol seems far removed from everyday Iowans. However, the Infrastructure Bill will impact everyday Iowans and Iowa farmers who rely on good roads to get their crops to market, good communication to make economic decisions, and will improve clean water distribution.
According to KCCI.com, the Infrastructure Bill will help Iowans in three basic areas:
Allamakee County Republicans invite all Independents and Democrats in Iowa and the rest of the nation to join us in putting an end to the Build Back Better (BBB) agenda of President Joe Biden and the out-of-touch Democrats. The Build Back Better is right out of the Karl Marx playbook, requiring destruction of the system that is already working, so it can be replaced by a “Marxist” program that means more big government, less individual freedom and diminishing the power of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
Dec. 15: Fall Seeded Crop Certification Deadline
Jan. 7: Organic and Transition Education Certification Program (FY20, FY21)
March 15: ARCPLC Program Deadline
Reversing Alarming Trends with Soil Health by LuAnn Rolling, NRCS District Conservationist
In the book Nature’s History Matters by Allen Williams, Ph. D., he says it helps to understand what a land once was to know its current potential. With the significant weather challenges we are experiencing, we need to know what can be possible if we alter our landscape management.
Rolinda Acres is a 2021 Iowa Venture Award winner ... Rolinda Acres, a family farming operation owned by Pat and Tara Reisinger of rural Waterville, was one of eight winners of the Iowa Venture Award presented by the Iowa Area Development Group this year, after being nominated by Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative. Pictured above in the new robotic milking facility at Rolinda Acres are, left to right, Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative General Manager Hollee McCormick, Dairyland Power Cooperative President & CEO Brent Ridge, Pat Reisinger of Rolinda Acres, and Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative Board of Directors President Jeff Bradley. Submitted photo.
The Iowa Area Development Group (IADG), on behalf of Iowa’s rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities and independent telecommunications companies, honored eight distinguished Iowa companies and leaders with the Iowa Venture Award at a luncheon held in conjunction with the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives’ annual meeting. Among this year’s award recipients is Rolinda Acres of rural Waterville, a family farming operation nominated by Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative.
Rolinda Acres, owned by Tara and Pat Reisinger, is located near the northeast Iowa town of Waterville. The Reisingers have five hog buildings, farm 1,500 acres, milk 785 cows and operate a dog breeding business. In 2001, the Reisingers milked 150 cows. They plan to double the current number of 785 cows in 2023.
Veterans Memorial Hospital begins limiting visitors again
The positive tests for COVID-19 reported by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) in its weekly update hit levels not seen for nearly a year in Allamakee County for the first week in this month of December. Albeit a week ago now, the most recent update provided by the IDPH Tuesday, December 7 reported a total of 70 new positive tests for Allamakee County for the timeframe of December 1-7.
The Waukon Police Department was made aware of a general threat that was said to have been made by a student while at the Waukon High School Tuesday evening, December 7. Although the threat was general in nature, it was taken seriously by the Allamakee Community School District and local law enforcement.
Through a collaborative initial investigation, the student who made the threat was found to be no threat to the safety of the school, students or the community. The student, pending completion of the investigation, was not attending school following the initial claims made.
In a post on the Waukon Police Department Facebook page that also included the above information, Waukon Police Chief Paul Wagner further noted, “I want to assure the public that if there was a threat to the safety of students at our schools, my children would not be in attendance at school, nor would any other children.”
The Allamakee County Veterans Museum will observe Iowa Statehood Day and the 175th Anniversary of Iowa Statehood December 28 by offering a program to the public in the Program Room of its new museum in the former Vet’s Club building in Waukon.
Tuesday, December 28 at 6:30 p.m. a video documentary entitled “Iowa - An American Portrait” will be presented. The video was produced by Iowa Public Television in 1996 for the 150th Anniversary of Iowa Statehood and is narrated by NBC broadcaster Tom Brokaw. Credits for the program include contributions from Larsh Bristol Photography and Jim Janett of Allamakee County Conservation. Northeast Iowa area scenes are featured.
Iowa celebrates “Statehood Day” December 28 of each year, because that is the date in 1846 when Iowa was officially granted statehood status. The year 2021 marks the 175th anniversary of Iowa’s statehood.
