Join the Allamakee County Conservation Board for a guided Mississippi River backwater paddling adventure August 17, starting at 6 p.m. and returning to the landing by sunset at the New Albin Army Road Boat Landing.
Participants are welcome to use their own canoe or kayak but must follow all rules and regulations in accordance with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A limited number of solo and tandem kayaks will be available to use from the Allamakee County Conservation Board (ACCB) provided with paddles and life jackets.
Advanced registration is required for this series of programs. To register or reserve a kayak, call 563-538-0403. Solo participants are encouraged to register, but may be paired with other paddlers in a tandem kayak if using Allamakee County Conservation Board equipment.
The Harpers Ferry Fireflies played in the National Granny Basketball Tournament held July 15-16 at Luther College in Decorah, winning five of their six games played to end up as the National Tournament Runner-Up for the second consecutive season and for the third time in the last four tournaments.
The Fireflies have finished either first or second in each of the last seven Granny Basketball National Tournaments, winning four National Championships in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021 and adding runner-up finishes in 2019 and last year in 2022 to this season’s second-place final result, with no tournament being able to be played in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than a dozen local young men and women of high school to heading off to college age have been serving local residents and visitors to the Waukon Family Aquatic Center again this summer in a capacity they never hope to use, but one in which they are more than prepared to do so, if necessary.
Pictured above are members of the lifeguard staff for Summer 2023 at the Waukon Family Aquatic Center. Left to right - Front row: Hayden Palmer, Ashlin O’Neill, Cameron Johnson, Maycie Curtin, Halea Corwin, Sarah Hennessy, Reagan Lubahn and Bailey Sherman; Back row: Waukon Family Aquatic Center Manager Julie Lenth, Draemon Berger, Avalea Burns, Ella Homewood, Keeran Barr, Olivia Bossom and Waukon Family Aquatic Center Assistant Manager CC Althoff. Not pictured: Ethan Baker and Caleb Perkins. Submitted photo.
The 2023 Firecracker 5K held Saturday, July 1 was the lead-off event for the Fourth of July holiday weekend in Harpers Ferry. The event is hosted by Harpers Ferry Boosters, Inc. and is the organization’s main annual fundraiser which helps the group offer financial support to many organizations and worthy causes benefiting Harpers Ferry and Allamakee County throughout the year.
The top overall female finisher was Addy Carlson, and the top male finisher was Michael Goodenbour, both of Cedar Falls. The top finishers in each age division each won a medal and are listed in the chart accompanying this article. Special thanks to Kaylee Bachman for singing the National Anthem prior to the start of the race.
The Waukon softball team played to a 16-15 season record that may seem to be about average on paper but was actually well above average in so many more aspects. That 16-15 result marks the first time in more than a decade that the diamond Tribe has recorded both a winning record and 15 wins in a season.
“I think our greatest accomplishment was how well these girls played together and never gave up in any game we played,” Waukon softball coach Melissa Ward shared. “It showed in how close of games we played and our ending record this season. Our 16-15 record is the first year since 2010 where the softball program has won more than 15 games and had a winning record. It’s hard to have teams that know each other as well as this squad did. The experience and leadership this team had was great. There will be a solid group of returners coming back next year, so being able to play the game the way we know how will be what we need to build on moving forward.”
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
September 1: Dairy Margin Coverage Premiums Due
November 1: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program
CRP Reminders
The primary nesting season ended August 1, so contract-holders can complete and maintenance on CRP without prior approval from their FSA office. Please remember that cosmetic mowing of your CRP acres is always prohibited, as are the establishment of trails through your acres.Temporary deer stands are only allowed during the hunting season and must be removed immediately once the season is over. Volunteer trees and woody vegetation must be controlled and removed from CRP acres. Failure to control undesirable vegetation on CRP can result in financial penalties.
For many years, Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon has not stocked the antivenom for rattlesnake bites for two reasons. One, rattlesnake bites are extremely rare and two, the cost of keeping the antivenom on hand was astronomical at nearly $30,000 for an initial course of treatment. Then, whenever the antivenom outdates, a new course would need to again be purchased at that cost. The hospital discontinued stocking the antivenom many years ago, as did many other Iowa hospitals, and made back-up plans to transfer any patients to larger facilities if the antivenom was needed.
Due to this summer’s dry conditions forcing more rattlesnakes to venture from their dens, there have been a few rattlesnake bites in the area. Because of this, Veterans Memorial Hospital pharmacist Brittney Snitker began searching for alternative resources to allow the hospital to stock the antivenom once again.
Katie Maker, Nurse Midwife at VMH ... This week is World Breastfeeding Week which is observed August 1-7 each year. Katy Maker, Nurse Midwife at Veterans Memorial Hospital and Clinics, pictured above with baby Tatum Schwartz, reviews the many benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby in the surrounding article. Submitted photo.
by Katy Maker, Nurse Midwife and Nurse Practitioner, Veterans Memorial Hospital and Medical Clinics
Choosing whether to breastfeed or formula feed your baby is only one of the many decisions expectant parents will make. It takes time to make such an important decision because it will not only affect your baby’s life but also the lives of the entire household. Breastfeeding is a commitment that both parents are involved in as it takes support from the partner to be successful.
“National Breastfeeding Week is an excellent time to think about lots of issues around how we feed our children,” states Katy Maker, Nurse Midwife at Veterans Memorial Hospital and Clinics. “The neat thing about breast milk is that it’s always ready, it’s made specifically for that one child, and there are many ways to involve the whole family.”
Veterans Memorial Hospital will be offering free Blood Sugar Testing and Blood Pressure checks with immediate results at the Waukon Corn Days celebration held downtown the evening of Friday, August 4. The tests will be performed by staff, in the Veterans Memorial Hospital first aid tent. Both of these checks take just a few seconds to perform and are free of charge.
The hospital typically offers these two tests at most all area events and often times catches individuals who unknowingly have high results. Jane Wedo of Castalia was one of those. She visited the Veterans Memorial Hospital fair booth in 2022 and had her blood pressure checked. After finding a very high result, she was directed to seek medical attention right away. She returned to the hospital fair booth this year, to thank them for saving her life.
The local Grief Support Group will be holding its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Tuesday, August 8 at 5 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief.
Feel free to attend and bring a friend. This grief support meets the second Tuesday of each month at the hospital.
