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Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will sponsor a Babysitting Seminar Saturday, October 23 for a total of 40 students. This year, the class will be broken down into two different sessions to allow for better spacing of the students. The morning session will be held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and the 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 allowed in each session. Both 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 are not the sole babysitters in this society. Boys are also welcome and encouraged to attend.

The Iowa Department of Public Health recently shared the following points to help explain the newly  approved COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and help individuals see if they meet the requirements.

A third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is explained as follows:

• Recommended for moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals at least 28 days after receiving the second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
• Meant for people who have not built strong enough immunity after completing the initial vaccine series.
• Individuals who have any of the following;
- Organ transplant.
- Immunosuppressive therapy.
- High dose corticosteroid use
- Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies.

A booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine is recommended for anyone six months after receiving  the two-dose  primary series of Pfizer to boost protection.  Individuals eligible for the Pfizer boost dose include:

Donald and Helen (Banse) Vonderohe of New Albin will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. The couple was united in marriage October 21, 1961 at Zion Lutheran Church in Eitzen, MN.  They have three sons: Nathan (Leighan), Keith (Laurie) and Daryl (Diane), along with six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

In honor of the occasion, cards and well wishes may be sent to P.O. Box 91, New Albin, IA 52160.

The St. George Class of 1965 held its 56-year reunion September 25 at Milty’s in Lansing. Due to  COVID-19 concerns, the 55-year reunion was not held last year. Those attending the reunion were:  John O’Neill, Mary (Conway) O’Neill, Pat Houlihan, Kathy (Burke) Houlihan, Rita (Williams) Mathis, Pat (Bulman) Moody, Kathy (Knight) Boardman, Rick Valley, Linda (Monroe) Valley, Mary (Anderson) Palmborg, Monica (Troendle) Monserud, Dennis Colsch, Sheryl (Moore) Gilbertson, Cyril Mohn and Ceil (Knopf) Gray.  Those sending their greetings but unable to attend due to distance and COVID-19 concerns were Jean Hurm, Jean Heiderscheit Carter, Cathy Aliesch, Trudy Smerud Infelise, Sandy Spinner McCurdy, Karen Cota Boardman, Betty Wopat Dennison, Jim Wolfe, Vic Daman, Ken Manning, Bob Wagner, Larry Whittle, Jim Foley and Gus Rethwisch.

Austin and Jennifer (Becker) Signor of Medina, MN announce the birth of their son, Boden Hank Signor, born April 11, 2021 in Minneapolis, MN. He weighed 7 lbs. 7 ozs. and measured 21 inches in length at the time of his birth. He joins a brother, Lochlan (2).

Grandparents are Cullen and Denise Becker of Lansing, Trish Signor of White Bear Lake, MN and Tom and Vicky Signor of Norwalk.

Jalen and Jackie Cooper of Lansing announce the birth of their daughter, Brixley Shaye Cooper, born September 9, 2021 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 5 lbs. 12 ozs. and measured 19-1/2 inches in length at the time of her birth. She joins a sister, Oakley (18 months).

Grandparents are Wayne and Tammy Cooper of Lansing and Darwin and Linda Jellings of Fayette.

For your meditation: Jeremiah 31:7-9; Hebrews: 6:1-6;  Mark 10:46-52

The theme of these scripture readings is “Homecoming.” No, I’m not talking about a football game. It’s literally about coming home. We have read in the scriptures that God is someone who loves us and is someone who heals us. In these readings, God is portrayed as someone who calls us to come home.

In thinking of the subject of home, Robert Frost has been quoted,  “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” That’s a little too cynical for me. I would rather call home “anyplace where you know for sure, you belong.”

Look at the opposite. Have you ever experienced being in a place where you feel you didn’t belong? It’s not a comfortable feeling. You feel, well, out of place. You are a stranger, an alien. You don’t feel at home.

To the Editor:

In her letter to the editor October 6, Ann Fields claims that the dastardly Republicans are going to start snooping into your medical records. I do not know where she derived this amazing information, and would really like to know the source.

She then goes on to explain how much she was horrified to learn, in her experience in the Ukraine in 1993, how dangerous it is to have the government spying on everything you do. Then she claimed that Democrats and their policies help everyday people.

Ms. Fields ignores the fact that due to Democrat policies it now costs $50 to fill the gas tank of your car, natural gas is around $6.00 per gallon, the highest in several years, and new government figures show that, due to inflation, it now costs the median income family $175.00 per month more for regular household expenses  than it did one year ago!  How is that helping everyday people?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
October 15: Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers

USDA Offers Disaster Assistance for Producers Facing Inclement Weather
Severe weather events create significant challenges and often result in catastrophic loss for agricultural producers. Despite every attempt to mitigate risk, your operation may suffer losses. USDA offers several programs to help with recovery.

Publication helps farmers understand how to check for soybean cyst nematode

Fall is always a good time for soil tests, and following the hot, dry summer of 2021, this is also a good time to test for soybean cyst nematode.

“Soybean cyst nematode, unfortunately, loves hot, dry soil so I am expecting higher than ever numbers from fall samples,” said Greg Tylka, professor in plant pathology and microbiology at Iowa State University.

SCN is a small, unsegmented plant-parasitic roundworm that attacks the roots of soybeans.

The nematode is the most economically significant pest of soybeans in Iowa and has been found in all 99 Iowa counties, according to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Infested soybean plants often show no symptoms other than reduced yield.