News Center newsletter

The Crawford County, WI Sheriff's Office announced around 4 p.m. Friday, May 3 that Wisconsin State Highway 82 linking Iowa to Wisconsin via the Black Bridge at Lansing is now open to traffic once again. However, the highway is restricted to one lane near the site of the testing conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) throughout this past week. That single lane will be governed by a stop light system at the Winneshiek Slough bridge, and there is also a restriction of no oversized loads allowed on that stretch of Highway 82 until further notice.

When a person is diagnosed with a chronic illness, a lot of focus and attention is put on how to keep that person as independent and as healthy as possible. When a person loses some of their abilities to care for themselves, the burden of care is often assumed by the spouse, a child (or children), or sometimes friends and neighbors. While everyone who becomes a caregiver handles the added responsibility with different skill sets, attitudes, and understanding levels, there is no question that there is a very real strain associated with care giving.

Recent studies have estimated that the stress caused just by becoming the caregiver of an adult with a chronic illness or disability will take seven years off of a persons’ life. With more and more Iowans aging, this is a real concern in the local community.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in cooperation with the American Heart Association is offering a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation for lay people (those not working in healthcare), which includes child care providers, Wednesday, May 15 from 5-8 p.m.

The CPR class, which will cover adult, child and infant CPR, will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital. The cost of the class, for certification or recertification, is the same. The card received with the course does certify attendants in CPR for two years.

CPR is administered when someone’s breathing, pulse, or both, stop. When both of them stop, the victim has suffered sudden death, which can be caused by poisoning, drowning, choking, suffocation, electrocution, smoke inhalation, or the most common cause, heart attack.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, May 16. Men and women are welcome to attend, even if they are not an Auxiliary member. The Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center.

The Auxiliary’s Euchre Marathons begin at 11:30 a.m. with dinner, if chosen. Call Northland Agency on Aging at 877-838-8077 if choosing to eat dinner. Card playing will follow at 12:30 p.m. until approximately 2:30 p.m. Anyone wishing to stay and play cards following the Senior Citizens meal is more than welcome to do so. All proceeds go towards the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Prizes will be awarded.

Anyone interested in attending, but preferring to play Bridge is also welcome to join in. It is asked that they come with their own table of four players, however.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Ruth Hanson by Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Susan Loken, Leah Welsh, Melissa Kelly, John and Beth Papp, Dr. Bill and Libby Withers,  John and Laurie Rethwisch, Brian and Denise Wullner, Jim and Jill Kiesau, Jane Dietrich, Jean Huffey, Ken and Rose Beardmore, Carol Krumme, Russ and Mary Jo Meyer, Bill and Beth Shafer, John Hausman, Orrin and Nan Grangaard, Sue Kratz, Rick and Cathy Larson, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Bill and Linda Halvorson, Lillian Larson, Charles and Kim Deering, Marlys Leiran, Elsa Hager, Sandra Williams, Ron and Loretta Roese, Hall and Denise Everman, Ray and Mary Ann Burke, Ernie and Donnalee Osland, Dave and Laurie Martin, Marian Smedsrud, Will and Mary Ament, Pat and Kathy McMillan and family and friends of Ruth Hanson.

The next LifeServe Blood Center Blood Drive will be held Thursday, May 2 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held once per month in Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

The LifeServe Blood Center is seeking donors to ensure a safe and plentiful blood supply in Iowa. Because there is no substitute for human blood, the need for donors is continuous.

Over half of the United States population is eligible to donate blood, yet less than four percent donate on a regular basis. A single donation of blood can be used to save up to three lives and help in treatment of cancer patients, accident victims, hemophiliacs and surgery patients.  The LifeServe Blood Center is committed to serving the needs of Iowans by saving lives through volunteer blood donation.

The local Grief Support Group will hold its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Tuesday, May 14 at 5 p.m. in the Education Conference Room.

This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief.

Feel free to attend and bring a friend. This grief support group meets the second Tuesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
 

Larry and Cindy Schellhammer of Waukon announce the engagement of their daughter, Leah Schellhammer, to Tony Runyan of Cedar Falls. The couple will exchange vows May 18, 2019 in Cedar Falls.

The bride-elect is a 2005 graduate of Waukon Senior High School and is a 2010 graduate of University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in Cedar Falls with a degree in social work. Since 2011, she has been employed with Scheels in Cedar Falls working with display, merchandising and the store’s social media.

The groom-elect is the son of Sam Runyan and Sandra Runyan of Cedar Falls and is a 1998 graduate of Cedar Falls High School. He is co-owner of Runyan Brothers Construction and is a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker/Trapp Realty in Cedar Falls.
 

Lennie and Sherry Mellick of New Albin will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house Saturday, May 4 from 4-9 p.m. The celebration will be held at the New Albin Community Center, 137 Railroad Avenue SW in New Albin.

The Waukon High School Class of 1959 will hold its 60-year reunion Saturday, September 14 at the Empty Nest Winery at 1352 Apple Road,Waukon.

The social hour will begin at 4 p.m. with dinner at 5 p.m. Invitations will be sent. For further information or questions, contact Rev Lonning at 563-568-6176.