Top Stories

Steve Henning of Ossian, age 40, learned last August that he has stage 4 gastric cancer, a rare cancer ranking 14th among the most common cancers in the United States. Henning visited the doctor last June when he was experiencing difficulty swallowing, which resulted in rapid weight loss. After his initial visit to his doctor, Henning continued to work on the road, even though it required him to leave home early Monday morning and not return until late Friday evening.

The items below summarize the top news stories that appeared in The Standard during the first six months of 2011.

Registered Republican and Democrat voters across the state will participate in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses Tuesday, January 3. Those who chose to participate in the caucuses will not only to choose presidential candidates, but will make their voices heard as both political parties formulate their campaign platforms for the coming year. Nomination petitions for other state and national elected offices will also be considered by caucus goers.

During its regular meeting Monday, December 19, the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met with CPC Jan Heikes, who presented the Board with a contract with Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon for “crisis stabilization beds.” Heikes said the program, which has been in place since August, is designed to help patients with mental health issues by providing supervision while arrangements are made for further services with other providers (up to 23 hours).

A Lansing man sustained a gunshot wound to the head while deer hunting Friday in Allamakee County.
Michael R. Welch, 36, was hunting with 12 others Friday morning, December 16. While making a deer drive, Welch was struck in the back of the head by a shotgun slug, sending him falling 25 feet off the edge of a rocky hillside shortly before 10:30 a.m.
 Welch was airlifted to Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in Lacrosse, WI, where he underwent surgery.

During 2011 the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship celebrated 25 years of serving Iowans.  The Iowa legislature conducted government restructuring in 1986 and the outcome was the creation of the Department in its current form.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture was created in 1923 and the state soil conservation agency was created in 1939. The primary change made in 1986 was merging the Iowa Department of Agriculture with the Iowa Department of Soil Conservation.

by Lissa Blake

The public is invited to an open meeting at the Allamakee County Farm Bureau meeting room in Waukon Tuesday, December 20 at 7 p.m. to visit with Representative Bob Hager. The meeting will be an opportunity to meet with Representative Hager prior to the upcoming legislative session.

Dr. Thomas J. O’Regan was recently honored by Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, WI for his 33 years of service with the naming of a state-of-the-art multiple birth operating room after him. This high honor was bestowed on Dr. O’Regan because his patients had “experienced an exceptional level of care that was highlighted by his talent for innovative techniques and his empathic nature,” according to medical center officials.

All across Iowa, people are working hand-in-hand to ensure their communities thrive for generations to come. By partnering with local community foundations, they are building endowments to fund the charitable causes they care about most deeply.