News Center newsletter

Helen Marie McCormick, age 76, of Cole, OK died Friday, August 12, 2022 in Norman, OK. A funeral mass was held Friday, August 26 at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Chickasha, OK. Arrangements were under the direction of Eisenhour Funeral Home of Blanchard, OK.

The daughter of Arland Dean and Veda (Farris) Martin, Helen was born June 26, 1946 in Oklahoma City, OK. Helen married Earl James McCormick July 3, 1968 in Wichita Falls, TX. She worked many years as a Registered Nurse and was a member of the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Chickasha, OK. In her spare time, Helen enjoyed reading mystery novels, attending her grandkids’ and great-grandkids’ sporting events, shopping for antiques, buying items on sale, and going to auctions.

Veterans Memorial Hospital welcomes Katy Maker, Nurse Midwife and Nurse Practitioner, to its health care team serving clinic patients in both the Waukon and Postville Clinic locations, as well as assisting in births in the hospital’s birthing center.

Maker has over 30 years of experience as a nurse midwife and has assisted in nearly 2,000 deliveries.  She will continue to add to that number, assisting moms with their baby’s birth in the Veterans Memorial Hospital Birthing Center. Maker is also proficient in water births.

“I am happy to be bringing my experience here, to work at Veterans Memorial Hospital and back in rural Iowa,” says Maker.  “I have always preferred the rural practice where families have access to quality care and do not have to travel to have their babies.  We are the only hospital in the region that offers water birth and I enjoy those very much.”

In less than one month, Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) and Veterans Memorial Hospital will team up to provide a day for sixth-eighth grade students to explore the many health care careers that are available to them. The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital Wednesday, September 14, which is a teacher in-service day with no school.

All attending will be visiting numerous health care departments around the hospital and hearing from staff in those roles. Many of the departments visited will include Nursing, Emergency Room (ER), Ambulance, Laboratory, X-ray, Nutrition and Diabetes Education, Health Information/Medical Records, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Home Health Care, etc.

The local professionals in those departments will share their educational requirements and discuss what a typical day in their work life is, all in an effort to introduce more youth to career opportunities in health care.

Ken and Debbie Kimball of Waterville will be celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary. They were married September 5, 1992.

Kale and Kenzie McCormick of Asbury announce the birth of their son, Garrett James McCormick, born July 8, 2022 at Finley Hospital in Dubuque. He weighed 8 lbs. 7 ozs. and measured 21 inches in length at the time of his birth. He joins a sister, Shaylee.

Grandparents are Tom and Beth McCormick of Harpers Ferry, and Hank and Dea Dea Murray of Bettendorf.
 

TJ and Tatum Iverson of Waukon announce the birth of their son, Ethan Lane Iverson, born August 10, 2022 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. He weighed 6 lbs. 14 ozs. and measured 20 inches in length at the time of his birth. He joins siblings, Evan (8), Levi (6) and Ellis (4).

Grandparents are Phil and Wendy Norton of Waukon, and Steve and Cindy Iverson of Waukon. Mary Ann Burke of Waukon is a great-grandmother.
 

A reunion picnic was held recently at the Waukon City Park for the families of Lynn and Virginia (Winter) Halverson. Those attending included Jeane Dertinger; Jim and Julie Halverson; Sherry Bechtel; Jerry Halverson; Bonnie Iseli; Kim and Kevin Honn; Wende, Shane and Macy Taylor; Jeff, Karen and Bryan Beisker; Jackie Halverson and Randy Nesbit; Breanna, Justin, Jerrison and Janessa Sommer; Jodie, Glenn, Sabrina and Whitney Manning; Jon, Elizabeth, Hayden, Hailey and Harper Halverson; Michael, Melissa and Maddy Bechtel; Alex Bechtel and Matt Lamos; Nicky, Kurt and Ariel Denner; Angie and Larry Plaht; Michael Frieden and MaKayla; Dan, Sandy and Dekota Bechtel; Hailey Bechtel and Eston Klingeman; Jessica Meyer; Kersten Meyer; Brett and Kiersten Meyer; Jaden Meyer; Braxton Johnson; Amy, Keith, Kale and Kennedy McCormick; Mitch and Archer Halverson; Cody and Wyatt Honn; and Jolene, Kennedy, Khloe and Kaaden Grant.
 

To the Editor:

COVID and high food prices have finally done us in. It’s with regrets that I am announcing that Waukon Community Meals is ending. Our final meal will be Monday, August 29 from 5-7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church.

There is no way that I can adequately thank everyone who made this possible. The initial committee members, the Allamakee Ministerial Association, the Lions Club, the First Presbyterian Church and others bought into my idea of creating community meals in 2014. The Allamakee County Dairymen faithfully provided milk and ice cream monthly.

Once we had our plan in place, businesses, banks, organizations, medical and dental groups and individuals all opened their wallets to get us off to a great start.  Others committed to monthly giving.

To the Editor:

In response to the August 10 letter regarding “the handicapped” sidewalks:

The Iowa Department of Transportation designed and funded the project, since the sidewalks are located in the State right of way. The plans also required numerous trees to be removed and none are allowed to be replanted in the boulevards.

Allen Lyon
Waukon
 

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
September 1: Dairy Margin Coverage Premiums Due
October 31: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program

The Cost of Erosion
by LuAnn Rolling, District Conservationist
Soil out of place is dirt! If it is so critical to our existence, why do we just accept it when we see wind or water erosion? It is not the wind or rain’s fault when erosion occurs. Soil erosion is a direct result of poor land management choices!

Does erosion have a cost?  All we have to do is measure the value of our topsoil.  According to Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist, the value can be calculated in terms of lost nutrients.  His calculations show the value of 1 inch of topsoil across 1 acre is $2,967.  His results were posted in Soil Health in May of 2022.