News Center newsletter

The number of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in this area has dwindled over the years as licensed EMTs have retired. Allamakee and northern Clayton Counties are fortunate to have many emergency response services, but nearly all of them are in need of more EMTs on their service to share the call time, ensuring local emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) will be offering a face-to-face EMT Class in Waukon beginning in January. This class is not offered locally each year, so the fact it will be held in Waukon is a convenience for those wishing to take the course with little travel time. This is a 138-hour course which will conclude in May. Registration for the class must be completed prior to the orientation night January 13.

Veterans Memorial Hospital offers gift certificates for a full wellness package blood test at a low, up-front cost, which can make a very fitting gift for the holidays. Gift certificates are available for purchase at the main entrance to the hospital.

The following blood tests are included in this gift certificate: Cholesterol, Blood Sugar/Diabetes, Thyroid, Kidney Function, Uric Acid, Hemoglobin, Calcium, Liver Function, Vitamin D, Prostate Health, Potassium and Sodium.

The hospital offers this wellness testing to help accommodate individuals that may forgo these important tests due to the cost of high health insurance premiums and deductibles.  Gift certificates are available all year long, and not just during the holiday season, to give as a thoughtful, healthy gift.

January is Blood Donor Month. Blood donations are needed everywhere, even right here in Iowa. The following are interesting blood facts on blood from LifeServe Blood Center, who supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) with its blood products:
• Every three seconds someone needs blood.
• Blood makes up about eight percent of a person’s body weight.
• Blood is needed every minute of every day; summer, winter, spring and fall.
• Scheduled surgeries are often canceled around the country due to a lack of blood.
• Donating blood includes a health check for the donor (checking blood pressure, pulse, temperature and hemoglobin) prior to donating.
• There is absolutely no way to contract any disease from giving blood.
• Blood can be split into different components (red cells, platelets, plasma, and cryoprecipitate) and used to help different types of patients.

Ernie Lubahn of Waukon will be celebrating his 95th birthday December 27.

In honor of this milestone birthday, cards and well wishes may be sent to him at 208 5th Avenue NW, Waukon, IA 52172.

Brier and Kylie Bartels of Luana announce the birth of their daughter, Brexleigh Jo Bartels, born December 12, 2024 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 8 lbs. and measured 20 inches in length at the time of her birth. She joins a sister, Marryn (2).

Grandparents are Doug and Kelly Moose and Mike and Pam Bartels.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
December 25: Office closed in observance of Christmas Day
January 1: Office closed in observance of New Years Day
January 2: Deadline to report number of honeybee colonies for NAP and ELAP programs
January 9: FSA County Committee Meeting
January 20: Office closed in observance of Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr
January 31: Deadline to request 2024 MALs and LDPs for all eligible wool, mohair and unshorn pelts

Pastor Buck here from Lansing UMC with another Wandering thoughts of a Wayward Follower of Jesus… We are in the season where giving seems to be the theme. Giving has always been part of a religious life.  In Old Testament times it was the giving of offerings (i.e. the first fruits of the harvest) or animals for sacrifices. It was and is our way of giving back to God a small portion of what He gives us daily.

The Kee boys basketball team was only able to play one game prior to the early print deadline for this week’s edition of The Standard due to the Christmas holiday. That single game proved to be the continuation of an early-season roll the Hawks have been putting together against fellow Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) squads thus far this season, as they erupted to another double-digit headstart on the way to a fourth consecutive UIC victory by at least 30 points, this one being a 74-36 home triumph over Clayton Ridge.

The Waukon girls wrestling team was able to fit in just one competition this past week prior to the early print deadline for this week’s edition of The Standard due to the Christmas holiday. The Lady Indians hosted both Decorah and Riceville in a double-dual Tuesday, December 17, falling to the Class 1A top-rated Vikings by a 60-15 end result before recording a dual win over the visiting Wildcats by a 54-15 final count. Decorah also took care of Riceville by a 66-9 tally in the other dual contested on the mat that night.

The Waukon boys wrestling team made its season debut in front of its hometown fans and came away with a split result in its double-dual event featuring Decorah and Riceville Tuesday, December 17. The Indians first surrendered a 57-21 defeat to the visiting Vikings before wrestling Riceville to a 45-28 victory in the nightcap dual. Decorah handed Riceville a 63-18 defeat in the other dual wrestled at the event by those two squads.