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The number of confirmed new cases of COVID-19 for Allamakee County was reported at its lowest total in five months within this past week’s reporting timeframe of Tuesday, January 26 through Monday, February 1. This week’s 18 new confirmed cases marks the lowest weekly total for Allamakee County since 11 new cases were reported by the State of Iowa as September transitioned into October this past fall, with right around 100 test results being reported for each of those timeframes as well.

Iowa is currently vaccinating individuals with the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 1-A, which includes health care personnel and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. With the vaccination of Phase 1-A moving closer to completion, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) says it is time to focus attention on Phase 1-B.

The IDPH has updated the Phase 1-B priority group to include Iowans age 65 and over, broadened from an original age range of 75 years and older. However, vaccine remains in short supply, especially in the state of Iowa, where Governor Kim Reynolds revealed in her Thursday, January 21 press conference that Iowa ranks 46th out of 50 states in vaccine received from federal allotments. This means not everyone in Phase 1-B will be able to get the vaccine right away once that phase begins.

Good Samaritan Society-Waukon welcomed a new Senior Director as of January 11. Steven Bargar assumed that administrative role at Good Samaritan Society-Waukon, filling that role previously held by Cathy (Smikle) Taylor, LNHA, who left the organization in order to move closer to her family..

“I am charged with providing operational, regulatory and spiritual leadership for our facility in Waukon and support to the administrators in West Union and Postville,” Bargar said in describing the duties of his new position.

Although new to his leadership position within Good Samaritan Society, Bargar is certainly not new to administrative leadership roles in healthcare. Within his new position he will be building upon a career in healthcare that spans more than two dozen years.

Application deadline for grant funding is this upcoming Monday, February 1

The Allamakee County Community Foundation (ACCF) is now accepting 2021 grant applications. The application form is available online at dbqfoundation.org/accf and applications are due this coming Monday, February 1.

Nonprofits can apply for grants from the Community Foundation for projects or programs that address significant community issues and benefit a broad spectrum of the community or a chronically underserved segment of the population. Projects must be in Allamakee County.

The Community Foundation awards grants in the areas of health and human services; education; neighborhood and community development; environment; children, youth and families; and arts and culture, including historic preservation.

Preference is given to projects that:

Allamakee County Public Health is asking for the public’s help in refraining from calling their office about COVID-19 vaccine shots. There is NO sign-up list to add your name to. The Iowa Department of Public Health has issued an updated Phase 1B statement and tier categories that will include people aged 65 years and older (See the Front Page of this week's Standard). However, vaccine remains in short supply. This means not everyone in Phase 1B will be able to get vaccine right away. Vaccine distribution will be prioritized due to vaccine shortage and not being able to vaccinate everyone at once. Planning is ongoing on how to best distribute the vaccine to our community following the phases and tiers. Please continue to be patient as ACPH is still waiting to learn the amount of vaccine that is allocated to our county and will then finalize vaccination clinic schedules and locations.

Iowa is currently vaccinating individuals in Phase 1A, which includes health care personnel and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. With the vaccination of Phase 1A moving closer to completion, it is time to focus attention on Phase 1B.
Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has updated the Phase 1B priority group to include Iowans age 65 and over; however, vaccine remains in short supply. This means not everyone in Phase 1B will be able to get vaccine right away.
To help balance vaccine supply with the Phase 1B demands, IDPH has implemented a tiered prioritization, outlined in the diagram accompanying this article. IDPH remains in close contact with its federal partners to communicate Iowa’s need for additional vaccines.

Wartburg College Ioponics was one of 12 programs recently selected to participate in the Iowa STEM Scale-Up Program Grant for the 2021-2022 academic year. This grant provides Iowa classrooms with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) educational opportunities including classroom lessons, complete system equipment, professional development, and living plants/animals.

Waukon natives Dr. Michael Bechtel and Michaela Dehli are excited to be a part of this journey for classrooms across the state. Dr. Bechtel is a 1989 graduate of Waukon High School and is an Associate Professor of Science Education in the Biology Department at Wartburg College in Waverly. Dehli is a 2019 graduate of Waukon High School and is currently in her sophomore year at Wartburg College as an Elementary Education major with Math, Science and Reading endorsements.

Three Allamakee County officials were sworn into office by District Judge Alan Heavens Monday morning, January 4, all three of them being elected or re-elected to their respective offices in the general election this past November. Pictured above, left to right, in the photo are Judge Alan Heavens, newly-elected Allamakee County Board of Supervisors member Mark Reiser, re-elected Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer and re-elected Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick. Standard photo by Joe Moses.

by Joe Moses

The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, January 11 to address a full agenda of items including Fiscal-Year 2022 funding requests for organizations, the consideration of changes to the Allamakee County employee handbook and a recommendation from the Allamakee County Compensation Board.

During Public Comment, Waukon City Manager Gary Boden discussed attending a recent meeting relating to funding options for a new ambulance. Boden said that there is a need for planning for this purchase and the purchase of a new fire truck as part of a capital equipment project with budgeting for 10 and 15 years into the future being necessary. Chairperson Larry Schellhammer and Supervisor Dan Byrnes advised of upcoming meetings with township trustees that will include discussion of the ambulance purchase among other matters.

Veterans Memorial Hospital physicians and staff have announced that the First Baby of the Year born at the hospital was Alyxzandr Mikkel Runice, son of Chanda Halvorson and Cody Runice of Waukon.    He joins siblings Addysen, Karsyn, Kaydahlynn, Karvyr and Amiiyah at home.

Alyxzandr was born January 3, 2021 at 11:01 p.m., weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces and measuring 19-3/4 inches long. Dr. Dave Schwartz and Dr. Nicole Barbee assisted with the delivery.

This fortunate child and his family received the following generous gifts compliments of these area merchants: