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Ralph G. Welch, 84, of Waukon passed away peacefully with his family by his side Tuesday, March 28, 2017 at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, WI. Funeral services were held Saturday, April 1 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. Mark Osterhaus officiating. Burial was at St. Mary's Lycurgus Cemetery, rural Waukon.

Memorials are preferred and may be made to St. Patrick Catholic School, Alcoholic Anonymous, or REACH suicide prevention organization.

Ralph Gordon Welch was born September 20, 1932 in rural Waukon to James L. and Mary (Sweeney) Welch. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary’s Lycurgus Catholic Church in rural Waukon. Ralph graduated from St. Patrick's High School in 1950. He worked in Cedar Rapids at a grocery store before coming back to Waukon. He worked for Dorf Halverson and did some farming on the side.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates
• August 1 - ARC/PLC Sign-up
• May 31 - Marketing Assistance Loans for Prior Year Harvested Corn and soybeans:
• May 15 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season.  No Mid-Contract Management Activities on CRP acres   

CRP Mid-Contract Management
We would like to remind CRP producers who have Mid-Contract Management (MCM) scheduled for 2017 that the activity must be completed by May 14, 2017. Upon completion of the MCM activities, you will need to notify the FSA office that MCM has been completed by signing the FSA-848B form and providing acceptable evidence of the practice completion to determine proper cost share payment. Cost share for MCM is 50% Not to Exceed the per acre rate established for each MCM activity.

Farm owners can apply for the 2017 Century and Heritage Farm Program. Applications are available at www.IowaAgriculture.gov by clicking on the Century Farm or Heritage Farm link under “Hot Topics.” Applications may also be requested from Coordinator Becky Lorenz via phone at 515-281-3645, email at Becky.Lorenz@IowaAgriculture.gov no later than June 1, 2017.
 

The Allamakee SWCD will be hosting a Cover Crop and Manure Field Day on Thursday, April 6 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.  We will meet at the Scott Ness Farm, 1509 Family Lane, Waterville, IA and then drive to at least 2 additional sites in the county.  We will show cover crops that were established by broadcasting or drilling in the fall.  Manure was injected or broadcast before or after cover crop planting, depending on the site.  You’ll be able to see that cover crops and manure can work well together and learn from the local NRCS agronomist, SWCD project coordinator, and other producers.  No RSVP is required.  In the event of inclement weather, an announcement will be made on KNEI as well as the Allamakee SWCD website at allamakeeswcd.org.  If you have questions, please email Sara Berges at sara.berges@ia.nacdnet.net or call 563-568-2246 ext. 3. 
 

Nearly 200 graduating seniors from Postville, Kee, MFL/MarMac and Waukon schools attended “Reality 101” at the Waukon High School Wednesday, March 22. Over 80 individuals and businesses volunteered their time to create a real life financial scenario for these students preparing for graduation.

Each student chose a career and researched monthly income based on average northeast Iowa wages in the classroom setting prior to the activity. The day of Reality 101, the students were provided with a life scenario which may include a spouse, children and possibly even child support situations, including the information they provided on their chosen career and college plans. The students were then required to visit each of the 30 stations to open a bank account, pay their taxes, purchase an automobile and insurance, pay for daycare, groceries, household supplies, vet expenses, health and life insurance, etc.

By Jill Fleming, Registered Dietician at VMH

Homemade granola can be a healthy and delicious treat, but most store-bought granola is high in sugar, contains unhealthy fats and is packed full of fillers and unnecessary ingredients. Making your own granola at home is easy and allows you to control the amount of sweetness and quality of ingredients.

Whole oats are full of good-for-you soluble fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals (folate, iron and magnesium). You can find your 100% rolled oats in the cereal aisle of your local grocery store. Be sure you are buying 100% whole rolled oats, not “instant” or “quick cooking.”

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, in cooperation with the American Heart Association, is offering a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation for lay people (those not working in healthcare), which includes child care providers, Monday, April 10 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

The CPR class, which will cover adult, child and infant CPR, will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital. The cost of the class, for certification or recertification, is the same. The card received with the course does certify attendants in CPR for two years.

CPR is administered when someone’s breathing, pulse, or both, stop. Some five million individuals each year receive CPR training by instructors certified by the American Heart Association. The timely application of CPR has been credited with saving thousands of lives each year in the United States.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Robert Axmear by Dave and Rita Newton, Dave and Laurie Martin, JC and Natalie Kelly, Carolyn Heying, Jeff and Amy Sommer, Darrel and Rosanne Wicks, Marilyn and Lyle Larson, Mavis Berns, Craig and Barb Lensing, Chuck and Lois Votsmier, Kenny and Shirley O’Hara, Fred and Geralyn Smith, Rick and Cathy Larson, Jeff Mitchell, Brad and Becky Benzing, Bob and Joyce Schorg, Orrin and Nan Grangaard, Bernard and Eileen Berns, Dan and Mary Anne Otting, Scott and Cheryl Livingston, Jerry and Linda Siegrist and Brad and Erin Berns.

Memorials are greatly appreciated by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. The Foundation is a 501C3 organization. All donations to the Foundation are tax deductible. Memorials and donations can be sent to Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation, 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA  52172.
 

Four-year-old Ellsy Koenig of Waukon and her aunt, 20-year-old Thea Meyer of Waukon, each recently donated eight inches of their hair to the Children With Hair Loss non-profit organization, which provides human hair replacements at no cost to children and young adults facing medically-related hair loss with a mission of “Covering young heads to heal young hearts.” More information about the organization can be found online at www.childrenwithhairloss.us. This is Thea’s second such donation to the organization, and she had her hair cut by Kristen Fuelling at Signature Styles by Kristen in Monona. Inspired by her aunt’s generosity, Ellsy made her first donation and had her hair cut by Julie Snitker at Classic Designs in Waukon. Submitted photo.
 

Clint Zezulka and Darrian Szajna of Decorah announce the birth of their daughter, Aubrey Zezulka, born March 9, 2017 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 7 lbs. 7 ozs. and measured 19 inches in length at the time of her birth.

Grandparents are Danny and Jamie Isaacson of Cresco and Arnold and Shirley Zezulka of Dorchester. Great-grandparents are Ron and Terri Edman of Oconomowoc, WI.