News Center newsletter

To the Editor:

Inappropriate adult behaviors at high school athletic events across the country have reached epidemic proportion.

When more than 2,000 high school athletic directors were asked in a recent national survey what they like least about their job, 62.3 percent said it was, “dealing with aggressive parents and adult fans.”

And the men and women who referee or umpire those contests agree. In fact, almost 60% of new officials registered in Iowa in 2016-2017 did not return to officiate in 2017-2018, and unruly parents are often cited as a major reason why. As a result, there is a growing shortage of high school officials here in Iowa, and in baseball, football, track and field, and wrestling, the IHSAA is seeing record lows. No officials means no games.

If you are a parent attending a high school athletic event this fall, you can help by following these six guidelines:

To the Editor:

How about some good news? Here’s some! At our own local hospital, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH), anyone can go to the Wellness Clinic, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., for very inexpensive and comprehensive lab tests. It took me 15 minutes last week for a complete package of lab tests. Call 563-568-3411 for more information.

What a great way to help support our small, hometown hospital, instead of “big box” clinics which charge over $1,000 for fewer tests! Of course, Medicare helps pay for us seniors, but isn’t this part of the reason we hear Medicare is having trouble?

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

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
September 20: Dairy Margin Coverage Program Sign-Up
December 6: Market Facilitation Program

Managed Haying Requests
For those who have stopped in to request managed haying on your CRP ground, make sure the bales are off as soon as possible to avoid killing of the seeding underneath, but no later than September 30. Any seeding destroyed due to the bales needs to be reseeded. 

Elections for the 2019 County Committee
The election of responsible agricultural producers to FSA county committees is important to ALL farmers and ranchers with large or small operations. It is crucial that every eligible producer take part in this election because county committees are a direct link between the farm community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Three certifications were offered to Iowa manure applicators in 2019, in compliance with state law
 
Now in its 21st year, the Iowa manure applicator certification program continues to train and certify the state’s manure applicators on the best ways of handling, hauling and applying livestock manure.

Three programs were offered this year, in partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Nearly 1,300 confinement site applicators attended the Confinement Site Manure Applicator Certification trainings, required for producers who have more than 500 animals in confinement. Currently, there are more than 1,960 certified confinement applicators in Iowa.

Some 2,218 commercial applicators attended the Commercial Manure Applicator Certification workshops. There are currently 605 certified commercial manure applicator businesses in Iowa, compared to 562 last year.

The Allamakee County Engineer’s Office has announced that a portion of County Road A16/Dorchester Drive, the paved roadway exiting Dorchester to the south and climbing the hill to the west, will be closing as of 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, September 4 for approximately two months in order to complete culvert repairs along the roadway. The closed road portion of A16/Dorchester Drive (highlighted in orange in the above map) is between Steinbach Road and Waterloo Creek Drive, with a detour (highlighted in red in the above map) being signed in those areas directing traffic to instead travel Highway 76 just to the east of Dorchester south to its intersection with the paved Bear Creek Drive, then head west to W60/Balsam Road, taking the graveled portion of that roadway north to reconnect with Dorchester Drive approximately four miles west of Dorchester. Image courtesy of Allamakee County Engineer’s Office.
 

Waukon native Dr. Michael Osterholm says goal is to provide comprehensive resource of relevant, useful information

The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota has announced that it has launched a new online CIDRAP CWD Resource Center dedicated to educating the public, particularly hunters, the medical and public health communities, wildlife scientists and managers, and public policymakers and elected officials about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).

CWD is a prion-related transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of cervids, including deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose. CWD has been confirmed in at least 26 U.S. states, three Canadian provinces, South Korea, Finland, Norway and Sweden, with a notable increase in the past five years.

The Allamakee County 4-H Youth Development Committee is proud to recognize Brad and Mary Kerndt of rural Lansing as the 2019 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame inductees from Allamakee County. Brad and Mary are both Allamakee County 4-H alumni. In their 4-H days Brad exhibited Holsteins and Mary exhibited Guernseys while also participating in dairy judging and static exhibits. Pictured in the submitted photo above at this year’s 4-H Hall of Fame event are, left to right, Iowa 4-H Foundation Executive Director Emily Saveraid, Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame award recipients from Allamakee County Brad and Mary Kerndt, and Iowa 4-H Volunteer Development Specialist Tillie Good.

Final week to make nominations

Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) is seeking nominations for the 2019 “Cloy Kuhse Positive Impact Award”.

To be eligible, the recipient must be a business located in Allamakee County.  ACED will accept nominations until Tuesday, September 10. Award winner announcement and ceremony will be at the ACED Annual Banquet October 10. The Award Recipient will receive a plaque and will be added to the Award Plaque that is displayed at the ACED office.

Growing Bear Daycare in Waukon was the 2018 Cloy Kuhse Positive Impact Award winner, and ACED looks forward to announcing another business that is making a positive impact at its annual meeting this October.

Students from Waukon High School will join thousands of other youth and any others who may be interested on athletic fields across the nation Wednesday, October 9 to share their Christian faith with fellow students and the general public. The local event is now in its eighth year and will start at 7 p.m. at the Waukon High School football field that Wednesday evening. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held inside the Waukon High School gymnasium.

Tuesday, August 27 at 7:15 p.m., the Allamakee County Sheriff’s 911 Dispatch Center received a report of a vehicle fire on Iron Mine Drive just north of Waukon. Upon arrival, Sheriff’s Deputies observed a 1999 Toyota Tacoma pick-up truck on fire and fully engulfed, according to a report issued by the Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle was unoccupied and the owner of the vehicle, Ryan Daniel Peters (formerly known as Ryan Troendle prior to a recent marriage and name change), age 34, of Waukon was not located at the scene. The vehicle fire was extinguished by the Waukon Fire Department.