News Center newsletter

Self-care through managing stress is often a common New Year’s resolution. Stress relief is one of the first of many benefits associated with massage. Stress is a part of everyday living, but when stress levels become constant, it becomes distress. Distress can cause symptoms such as headaches, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, problems sleeping, anxiety, and muscle tension.

The benefits of massage therapy include decreasing anxiety, enhancing sleep, increasing energy, improving circulation, improving concentration and reducing fatigue, among others. When getting a massage the heart rate tends to lower, blood pressure can go down, muscles relax, and the level of endorphins (the body’s feel-good chemicals) increases.

Serotonin and dopamine are also released, which results in a feeling of calm, making acute and short-term stress periods easier to overcome.

Urgent Care has returned with availability each weekend at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH). Urgent Care services are again available every Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Patients may enter through the main entrance of the hospital and ask for Urgent Care.

Urgent Care is designed for treating injuries or illnesses requiring immediate care, but not serious enough to require an emergency department visit. A registered nurse will assess each patient and decide if Urgent Care or the Emergency Room (ER) is the level of care they need.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, January 19 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room on the lower level of the hospital.

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

Vaccination now can still provide protection for the remainder of the flu season, which can last as late as May. Flu Shots are still available at the Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Public Health Office. Flu shots are recommended for all those who have not yet received the vaccine, and will be effective throughout the rest of the flu season.

Flu shots are available with an appointment each Wednesday afternoon during the weekly immunization clinic in the Community and Home Care Department located on the upper level of Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Appointments can be made by calling 563-568-5660.

Five generations of the Lester and Betty Stahl family are pictured above, left to right: great-great-grandparents Lester and Betty Stahl of Waukon, mother Courtney Otting of Waukon holding Lyla Otting born April 13, 2022,  grandfather Chris Wilhelm of Decorah, and great-grandmother Brenda Stahl of Fayette. Submitted photo.
 

Glen and Kelsey Delaney of Lansing announce the birth of their daughter, Evelyn Brigid Delaney, born December 31, 2022 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 7 lbs. 15 ozs. and measured 19-1/2 inches in length at the time of her birth. She joins a sister, Kylar Delaney (9).

Grandparents are Dan and Mary Delaney of Lansing and Rod and Barb Smed of Harpers Ferry.

Samuel and Irene Gingerich of Racine, MN announce the birth of their son, Andy Gingerich, born January 2, 2023 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. He weighed 8 lbs. 9 ozs. and measured 20 inches in length at the time of his birth.

Grandparents are John and Arlene Gingerich of Spring Valley, MN and Andy and Susie Helmuth of Hopkinton. Great-grandparents are Amos Christner of Delhi, Dannie Gingerich of LaValle, WI, Neil Lambrights and Eli Helmuths.

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
January 16: Office Closed in Observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
March 15: ARCPLC Signup

Transitioning a farm to the next generation is one of the biggest challenges that farm owners and beginning farmers will face. The decisions made can affect families, finances and rural communities for decades into the future.

That’s why Iowa State University’s Farm Transitions Conference, slated for Feb. 9-10 in Ames, will bring together experts and experienced landowners from a wide range of backgrounds with the goal of improving the farm transition process.

Bankers, attorneys, tax professionals, mediators and family farmers will all be part of this year’s event, to be held at the Gateway Hotel. Attendees will hear from professionals who deal with all parts of farm transitions – those looking to exit farming, those looking to enter or expand, and those who simply want to review their existing succession plans to ensure they are current.

Webinars announced for the upcoming year to assist with dairy goat management

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team will continue its dairy goat webinar series in 2023 with all webinar dates and topics listed below. All webinars will be from noon to 1:15 p.m. and are free to attend.