New CEO at VMH ... Michael Coyle, the new CEO of Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, pictured in his office at the hospital. Coyle brings years of experience to the position and began his duties August 3 following the retirement of Mike Myers, who served Veterans Memorial Hospital in that CEO role for 22 years. Submitted photo.
To read the the full article, Year in Review - Part 2: Top local news stories from July-December 2020, pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.
Below is a portion of that article, July through August, summarizing the top news stories that appeared in The Standard.
The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, January 4 to address a full agenda of items. In contrast to previous years, organizational matters addressed at the beginning of the year were approved as part of the consent agenda rather than being individually approved as regular agenda items. These organizational decisions include keeping meetings scheduled for the first and third Mondays of the month at 7 p.m., approving depositories of City funds, declaring The Standard as the official City newspaper, among other matters.
The former Mayo Clinic building in Waukon. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
by Brianne Eilers
The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Board of Trustees met in December for it monthly meeting as well as its yearly joint meeting with the medical staff. The month of November ended on a positive financial note at Veterans Memorial Hospital, with a profit of $5,183. While it may not be a huge profit, VMH Administrator Michael Coyle pointed out that it is significantly better than the loss in November 2019 of $31,483 for the month.
Year-to-date, the hospital is showing a positive bottom line of $35,633. At this time in November 2019, VMH was looking at a loss of $427,730. “That’s a nice little turn around,” Coyle said, adding that the difference between where they were at, year-to-date, from November 2019 compared to November 2020, is a positive $463,363. Coyle also noted that they had budgeted a profit margin of $22,800 for the year and currently they are $12,833 positive to budget.
Pre-K and Under ... Pictured above, left to right, Brooklyn Garbes and Blakely Wadsworth
Kindergarten-1st ... Pictured above, left to right, Mya Deeney and Theo Rausch
2nd-3rd Grades ... Pictured above, left to right, Isabella Hogan and Adelyn Zezulka
The Waukon Park and Recreation Department held its first annual Christmas Coloring Contest through the Waukon Wellness Center, beginning December 1 with entries due by December 16. Open to youth in third grade and under from throughout the local area, the contest ended up with 145 total entries in its first year, with two winners being selected in each of three age categories for the contest: Pre-Kindergarten and Under, Kindergarten and First Grade, and Second and Third Grade. The selected winning entries from each age group are pictured and identified in the surrounding photos, with each winner getting to select from prize choices of a punch card to attend the Waukon Wellness Center or a punch card to attend the Waukon Family Aquatic Center. Submitted photo.
The Lansing FFA Chapter at Kee High School partnered with Carquest/Lansing Auto Parts and owner Dave Moritz to win the first-ever Adopt-a-Pot holiday competition in Lansing. The Adopt-a-Pot program, sponsored by Main Street Lansing, involved local businesses partnering with community organizations to decorate a total of 18 flower pots along Main Street with holiday decorations. Main Street Lansing provided each participant a four-foot pine tree and solar-powered holiday lights, and each group let their imaginations design the rest of the tree’s decorated theme.
The New Albin City Council met in a special session Monday, December 29 to discuss a change in the office of Mayor of New Albin. Current mayor Josh Dreps has recently moved outside of the city limits of the City of New Albin, and therefore can no longer serve as Mayor of New Albin.
Dreps submitted his resignation to the New Albin City Council at that Monday evening meeting, effective immediately. The council unanimously accepted the resignation, and following that acceptance, Mayor-Pro Tem George Blair assumed leadership of the meeting.
Lansing’s VFW Auxiliary #5981 is continuing to seek entries for its scholarship contest for local art students in ninth through 12th grades. Patriotic students in ninth through 12th grades with a passion for art are encouraged to enter the 2020-2021 VFW Auxiliary Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest.
Students will compete with other student artists from across the nation for a chance to win one of 10 national scholarships. The first-place winner receives a $15,000 scholarship.
COVID-19 vaccine has been received by Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Allamakee Public Health, which has since been busy vaccinating the Tier 1A group of health care workers who have been approved to receive this first round of vaccine. Veterans Memorial Hospital staff has responded well this last week in getting the vaccine. Pictured above is Sheryl Darling-Mooney, RN, Public Health Supervisor of Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care receiving her vaccine, being administered by Summer Garin, RN. The Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Public Health office will keep the public informed as changes are made in the tier groups and they can expand those who qualify to receive the vaccine.
The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, January 7 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with blood and blood products. Many Iowans are encouraged to make donating blood on a regular basis their New Year’s resolution this year.
The need for blood has not stopped during COVID-19 and is in even higher demand, so the local blood drives continue to be held. LifeServe team members only report to work if they are healthy, and only healthy donors are eligible to give blood. Blood drives are essential medical services and not considered mass gatherings. The number of donors is limited to ensure donor separation, and staff has strict cleaning and disinfection schedules. Other measures are also in place to ensure the safety of the blood supply so these lifesaving donations can continue during COVID-19.
The Caregiver Support Group meetings that were held monthly at Veterans Memorial Hospital continue to be held through conference calls during COVID-19. Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging (NEI3A) is offering weekly Caregiver Support Group conference calls every Monday from 10-11 a.m.
To join a call, just dial 1-800-264-8432. Then enter the participant code 961847# to be connected to the support group conference call, joining other caregivers.
