Community News

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, March 12 to address a full agenda of items, including a Public Hearing for the Fiscal-Year 2019 Allamakee County Budget, the third reading of the E-Cigarette Ordinance LIX and a discussion and presentation regarding medical and mental health services for the Allamakee County Jail.

Chairperson Pro-Tem Dennis Koenig called the meeting to order with Chairperson Larry Schellhammer to join the meeting later. There was no public comment.

The Public Hearing for the proposed Fiscal-Year 2019 Allamakee County Budget was opened with Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer indicating that no written or verbal comments have been received. The Public Hearing was closed.

Youth Mentoring at Helping Services for Youth & Families is hosting its annual bowl-a-thon fundraiser Saturday, March 24 at Arrowhead  Lanes in Waukon. This event aims to raise $5,000 to connect youth in Allamakee, Howard and Winneshiek counties with a mentor.

Currently, 111 people are involved in Youth Mentoring at Helping Services. Proceeds support those already in mentoring relationships and will also help connect even more youth with a positive role model. Interested parties can be involved in two important ways: register to bowl and/or donate to the cause.

“This fundraiser is a great opportunity for community members to gather with their co-workers, friends and neighbors by raising money for a worthy cause and have fun bowling together,” states Kathy Schwartzhoff, Mentoring Coordinator.

by Joe Moses

As part of their Unleashing Opportunity Tour, an opportunity to hear directly from Iowans on how to build a better Iowa and how to increase opportunities throughout the state, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg hosted a capacity crowd at the S&D Café in Waukon Friday morning, March 2. The visit had not been well publicized, a question posed to Governor Reynolds' media relations office but not yet having an answer provided as of press time Tuesday morning, March 6.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, March 5 to address a full agenda of items. Mayor Pat Stone called the meeting to order and advised that the meeting agenda will need to be amended due to absences from weather-related road conditions. Stone indicated that the City Manager’s Report would need to be removed from the agenda with City Manager Dean Hilgerson not being in attendance, and that the Public Art Project design and contractual agreement would need to be tabled. The Council approved the amended agenda.

The Public Hearing for the Fiscal-Year 2019 Budget was opened and closed with City Clerk Al Lyon indicating that no written or verbal comments have been received on the matter. There was also no Public Comment during that portion of the meeting.

Black Hills Energy has received customer reports of late bill payment scams with customers being told that they are past due on their account, and without immediate payment, their service will be disconnected.

“Individuals claiming ties to the utility may threaten to disconnect service if they are not paid immediately or may say you’ve overpaid and must provide personal bank account or credit card information for a refund,” said Tracy Peterson, Vice President of Iowa Gas at Black Hills Energy. “If your account is at risk of service disconnection or you’re due a refund, we will issue advance written notices by mail. Beware, as perpetrators are becoming more sophisticated, manipulating caller ID or leaving a call-back number with a recording that mimics a utility’s phone system message and options.”

by Brianne Eilers

The month of January ended on a positive financial note at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon with a profit of $49,136. VMH Administrator Mike Myers noted that looking at year-to-date statistics, the hospital is financially "about break-even."

He noted that they are still under budget by approximately $10,000 to $15,000. "Considering what we ended at last year, I feel pretty good about that," Myers said.

Acute patient days were up and skilled patient days were also up over last January. Deliveries were the same as last January. Total surgeries were also up, as was overall radiology department patient volume. Myers did note that Emergency Room visits were down some over last January, further explaining that outpatient revenue was 6.9% above budget.

World Day of Prayer is an ecumenical celebration of informed prayer and prayerful action. Area residents are invited to join in the prayer service written by the women of Suriname, which invites the exploration of Genesis 1, the story of Creation, with the theme “All God’s Creation is Very Good!” Concepts of climate change, natural disasters, pollution, and human abuse of the environment will be explored. Those interested are invited to take part in a provided lunch and prayer at St. John’s Lutheran Church, located at 8 Fifth Street SW in Waukon, Friday, March 2 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. All people of all faiths are welcome to attend. For more information, call 563-568-3623. Submitted image.
 

Saturday, February 10, approximately 50 area youth, ages four to 18, received free dental care as Waukon Dental and Family Dentistry Associates of Monona hosted their 28th annual Have A Heart Day event, and Dental Associates of Prairie du Chien, P.C. celebrated hosting its 24th year of the event. While the event provides an opportunity for kids who have not recently seen a dentist for whatever reason to receive free dental care, this day also brings satisfaction to the doctors and staff.

Waukon Dental, Family Dentistry Associates of Monona and Dental Associates of Prairie du Chien, P.C. provided a variety of dental services including check-ups, x-rays, treatment for toothaches, extractions, fillings, sealants and dental hygiene cleanings at no cost. The extent of services provided to patients this year totaled a little more than $22,500. Pictured above in the submitted photo is Dental Hygienist Heather Moore with six-year-old Gabriel.

Guest speaker McKayla Stock, a nurse and former Allamakee County 4-H member, shared with the Clover Kids after school program that half of their plate at meal time should be made up of fruits and vegetables, and the more colorful the contents of their plate, the more yummy it looks and the more nutrients are involved. To demonstrate the variety of color, everyone was able to make their own fruit kabobs with a Peeps® treat (pictured in the top photo at left). The students learned that treats can be fun when eaten in moderation.

The Upper Iowa River Alliance (UIRA) has announced the development and recent publication of a new paddler’s guide for the Upper Iowa River. The pocket-sized guide provides a detailed map of the “floatable” portions of the Upper Iowa River from Chester to the Mississippi River and provides an in-depth look at five segments of the river on larger-scale maps.

This publication was the first major project completed by the Upper Iowa River Alliance, a non-profit formed to “promote, protect and enhance the Upper Iowa River.” The diverse group of stakeholders belonging to the Upper Iowa River Alliance gathered and provided input to ensure both experienced and novice river users would find the guide convenient and informative. In addition to the maps, it highlights the locations of all publicly owned river accesses, local amenities, safety information, canoe and kayak rental options, distance between accesses, native wildlife, and rules and regulations.