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“Easy Ways to Boost Kids’ Brain Power” is the title of a workshop being presented by Iowa State University Extension. All childcare providers, teachers of young children, and interested parents can participate in a workshop being held Thursday, April 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Allamakee County Extension office, 21 Allamakee Street in Waukon, Phone 563-568-6345.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting a public meeting to discuss a number of new proposed regulations covering deer hunting, fall wild turkey hunting, and waterfowl seasons. The meeting will be conducted over the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) Tuesday, April 19, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Among the most local ICN locations for this area is the one housed in the Northeast Iowa Community College Dairy Education Center, Room 114, which is located at 1527 Hwy. 150 South, Calmar.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is now accepting pre-applications for Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) funding, a program designed specifically for organizations helping to make home repairs for very low and low-income homeowners, as well as rental property owners.

“By focusing assistance on very low and low-income residents, the Housing Preservation Grant program truly embodies the mission of Rural Development which is to ensure the best quality of life for all rural Americans,” says Doug Moss, Area Director in the Waverly area office.

by Joan Leschensky Grosshuesch

Waukon Nursery School has announced plans to offer an all-day preschool program for children preparing to enter kindergarten in 2006. The all-day program will supplement, not replace, the school's half-day programs for 3-4 year old students and 4-5 year old students.

A benefit fundraiser is being planned for Saturday, May 7, in New Albin by friends and family of 20-year-old Zach Halverson, a 2002 graduate of Kee High School. Zach is one of the 4,330 men diagnosed with Adult Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last year.

The dry and breezy weather last week continued to result in responses to grass fire calls for the Waukon Fire Department, as four of the five calls answered by the local volunteer crew this past week were to extinguish field and ditch fires. All of the calls took place later in the week within a four-day period.

Thursday, April 7 the local department was called to 1128 Sandhill Road for a grass fire. The following day, April 8, another grass fire was reported at 1312 Old Stage Road.

Franciscan Skemp Healthcare is again offering its second annual Summer Shadowing Program in Nursing for high school students who are currently sophomores, and are beginning to make career plans for their future. The program will run from June 15 through August 17 this year.

Thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, fires, and toxic spills occur in the Midwest every year, and about 175 disasters occur everyday throughout the country. The American Red Cross suggests families and individuals have water, food, a first aid kit, tools, supplies, clothing and bedding on hand in preparation for such a disaster.

The following is a list of items for a home disaster kit.