News Center newsletter

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that I watched most of the funeral for the late Barbara Bush, not because I was a fan, but because of her position as wife of one president and mother of another.

She was unique in that respect, even though the same was true of Abigail Adams. But it is my understanding that Barbara was alone in being alive for both, because Abigail died before her son took office.

There were several reasons why I stayed with the program.

For one, I was captivated by the huge, highly ornate Episcopalian church where the funeral was held.

I am not familiar with the Episcopal religion. So I was unprepared for how “at home” this life-long Roman Catholic seemed to feel while “attending” the funeral. Many of the prayers were the same and came at the same time of the ceremony familiar to me.

To the Editor:

Folks in rural Iowa are well aware of the enormous opportunity the Farm Bill represents for economic growth. Renewal of this traditionally bipartisan bill is a chance to make adjustments that can directly make or break Iowa’s family farms and, in turn, their communities. But the bill does more than that - it also reauthorizes SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps 1,406 Iowans in Allamakee County put food on their families’ tables.

Last week the U.S. House Agriculture Committee passed a partisan version of the Farm Bill, which is expected to reach the House floor in early May. It includes harsh cuts and other changes that would hurt the 360,000 Iowans who rely on SNAP to help make ends meet, including families with children, people with disabilities, older workers and people who are working or in between jobs.

To the Editor:

I’m writing this letter because I’m highly concerned about our farmers; the markets are below or almost below break-even, and if this Chinese tariff thing causes corn, bean, beef and pork prices to drop more, that would be a disaster.

If the farmer is hurt too long, we all will suffer. When the farmers do well, we all do well.

We are competing in manufacturing worldwide, and the Chinese are the true competitors. The Chinese came to the USA and were famous for doing laundry - their charge per shirt was two cents and they lived well with their family.

The unions took over our labor force and they did some good regarding working conditions, but they became totally corrupt, demanding higher wages that they did not earn, making it hard for our companies to compete.

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• Through June 1: Margin Protection Program Signup
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season. No Mid-Contract Management Activities on CRP Acres
• May 31: Marketing Assistance Loans for Prior Year Harvested Corn and Soybeans
• July 15: 2018 Crop Reports
• August 1: ARC/PLC Sign-up

Soil Health Meeting for Women Landownders
A fun and informative day is planned for local women landowners Wednesday, May 9, at the Winneshiek Wildberry Winery located at 1966 337th St, Decorah. Women Food and Agriculture Network is working with the Winneshiek Soil and Water Conservation District and local NRCS offices to host this meeting to facilitate the visit about soil health. All women landowners are invited.

Farmers preparing for spring planting would do well to renew their commitment to managing soybean cyst nematodes, according to an Iowa State University plant pathologist.

“I’m doing everything I can to convince farmers that we are on a slow-moving train heading towards a cliff,” Greg Tylka said of the push to revive a program called the SCN Coalition (https://www.thescncoalition.com).

The SCN Coalition started in the 1990s to raise awareness and provide information about the yield-robbing pest of soybeans. The program was successful in getting farmers to test for soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) and take steps to manage them if they were found to be a problem.

Women who own or manage farmland near Decorah are invited to participate in a free conservation discussion focused on soil health Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at the Winneshiek Wildberry Winery located at 1966 337th St, Decorah, IA. The program, sponsored by Women, Food and Agriculture Network, the Allamakee and Winneshiek Soil and Water Conservation Districts and USDA offices is called Women Caring for the LandSM.

Registration and resource sharing start at 8:30 a.m. with the meeting beginning promptly at 9 a.m. Lunch will be served, and during an afternoon field tour, participants will travel via bus to a nearby farm to see conservation practices and watch a demonstration of soil testing. The tests will measure for soil structure, stability and infiltration.

Participants will walk a short distance into a field, so please wear or bring appropriate clothing and footwear. The meeting will end with dessert and wrap-up at the winery by 3 p.m.

by Tami Gebel, OTR/L at Veterans Memorial Hospital

Lymphedema is the chronic or persistent swelling of a body part due to an obstruction of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system lies underneath the skin and works closely with the blood circulation system as it transports fluids throughout the body to lymph nodes. While in the lymph nodes, the fluid is “cleaned” of bacteria, viruses, and other unwanted materials. The “clean” fluid is then sent to the blood and re-circulated throughout the body.

Lymphedema occurs when the lymphatic system is damaged and unable to move the fluid, therefore the fluid collects in the body part and swelling develops. Damage to the lymphatic systems occurs when there is surgery, mastectomy, lymph node removal, radiation, or injury to skin tissue, such as a burn.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, May 17 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call  Angie Mettille, RN at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, May 17. Men and women are welcome to attend, even if not an Auxiliary member. The Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center.

The Auxiliary’s Euchre Marathons begin at 11:30 a.m. with dinner, if chosen.  Call Northland Agency on Aging at 877-838-8077 if choosing to eat dinner. Card playing will follow at 12:30 p.m. until approximately 2:30 p.m.  Anyone wishing to stay and play cards following the Senior Citizens meal is more than welcome to do so.

Anyone interested in attending, but preferring to play Bridge is also welcome to join in.  It is asked that they come with their own table of four players, however.

For more information, call Auxiliary President Nona Sawyer, at 563-568-3105.
 

How much blood is needed by certain patients? Here are some facts from the LifeServe Blood Center:

· Cancer patients can use up to eight units of blood a month.
· Bone Marrow Transplant patients can use up to two units a day.
· Cardiovascular Surgery patients can use between two and 25 units.
· Liver Transplant patients can use up to 100 units.
· Auto/Trauma Accident patients can use from five to 100 units.
· Premature infants can use from one to four units.
· Burn victims can use up to 20 units of platelets.
· Heart surgery patients can use up from three to eight units of red cells and one to 10 units of platelets.
· Organ transplant patients can use 10-30 units of blood.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, May 3 from 12:30-5 p.m. The blood drive will be held at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.