News Center newsletter

Nancy J. Huffey, 66, of Boscobel, WI, formerly of Waterville, died Tuesday, February 22, 2022 under the loving care of her sister and niece along with Hospice home care in Viroqua, WI. Memorial services were held Saturday, February 26 at Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon. Burial will be held at a later date in Old East Paint Creek Cemetery, rural Waterville. Donations will be forwarded in Nancy’s name to the Gundersen Medical Foundation for the education of colorectal cancer screening.

Nancy Jean Huffey was born August 31, 1955 in Waukon, the daughter of George and Jean (Boess) Huffey. She was baptized and confirmed at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waterville.

Nancy graduated from Waukon High School in 1973, where she played on the first girls softball and basketball teams and set records on the track team. She also attended NIACC in Mason City, where she played softball and basketball, and later attended Western Technical College in La Crosse, WI.

Chest pain is a common complaint presented in any emergency room, including the emergency room at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH). There is always the possibility of heart disease in every complaint of chest pain or upper abdominal pain, and it must be taken very seriously.

The common signs and symptoms of an acute myocardial infarction, commonly called a heart attack, are:

1. Chest pain (crushing, squeezing or heaviness).
2. Sudden onset of weakness, nausea, fainting and sweating without an obvious cause.
3. Pain that radiates to the shoulders, neck or arms.

These symptoms occur when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked, often by a blood clot. This happens because coronary arteries that supply the heart with blood slowly become clogged from a build-up of cells, fat and cholesterol called plaque.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon recently hired a new massage therapist who is working full-time hours at the hospital, allowing for massage times to be expanded and more readily available.

Shannon Bernatz, Licensed Massage Therapist, has joined the rehabilitation team at the hospital, working with Vicki Klepper, Licensed Massage Therapist and Reflexologist. Now massage therapy and reflexology services are again available five days a week at the hospital, including evening hours.

“I am so happy and honored to join the team here because of our patient-centered culture and reputation for excellence,” states massage therapist Bernatz. “We have such a wide reaching and important impact on our community and I am excited to bring my massage therapy skills to the community we serve.”

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions will be offering an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course in Waukon beginning the end of March. This 138-hour course will conclude the end of July.

This will be an in-person class held right here locally in Waukon, which is a huge advantage to students attending. Another huge advantage is that NICC has received a grant to cover 70% of the tuition for this course so generous tuition assistance is available, keeping the class costs under $400.

Areas of study include an introduction to emergency medical services systems, roles and responsibilities of EMTs, anatomy and physiology, medical emergencies, trauma, special considerations for working in the pre-hospital setting, and providing patient transportation.

You can make a difference by making a life-saving blood donation at the next Waukon Community Blood Drive. The next blood drive will take place Thursday, March 3 from Noon to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

The Waukon blood drives have been very successful the last couple of years with new first-time donors each time. The February blood drive saw 53 donors giving blood, saving 144 lives.

Donating blood is safe, simple and it saves lives. Blood donors have a unique opportunity to contribute to their community by making a life-saving blood donation. Everyone who registers to donate blood goes through four simple steps during the donation process:  registration, donor history and mini-physical, blood donation and snacks.

New blood donors who are not familiar with the blood donation process are encouraged to ask questions before, during and after their blood donation. Below are several tips for ensuring a successful donation:

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Robert “Bob” Anderson by Bill and Sue Blagsvedt, Wendy Bucheit, Dennis and Julie Herman, Don and Linda Herman, John and Lorna Kerndt and George Pickett.

Memorials were also received in memory of Judy Landt by Betty Decker, in memory of Bob Dotseth by Dave and Laurie Martin, in memory of Shirley Heimer by Bev Krambeer and Jim and Linda Ryan, in memory of Rose Snitker by Linda Flatland and Lillian Larson, and in memory of Ione Rema by Dennis and Julie Herman, Lillian Larson and Betty Troendle.

Gordon Tangen, formerly of Dorchester, will be celebrating his 90th birthday March 3. His wife Sandra and family would like to honor him with a card shower. In honor of the occasion, cards and well wishes may be sent to 1900 Stoney Point Rd. SW #216, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404.

Strength in Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

How can I be strong, if I am weak? Isn’t this an oxymoron? What in the world is Paul talking about? How can my weakness be a strength? How can the troubles I am going through possibly be good?

To the Editor:

In the January 26 edition of the newspaper you had an item about the book, The Worry Knot, by Mary Evanson Bleckwehl. I read that book and I was so engrossed that I feel like everyone in middle school needs to read it. It is an exceptionally well  written book about kids with differences. We had a special needs child and put a lot of responsibility on our other children also. Sometimes I wonder if all we did was enough but then in the end it all has turned out the way it should. Our daughter lives independently in her own apartment. We had to rely on several agencies to help us and as the book indicates there are many differences in all of us.

To the Editor:

Iowa’s governor and most of the state legislators whose political party controls all three branches of Iowa’s government are advocating to take tax dollars from public schools and give them to private schools, including for-profit schools (Senate Study Bill 3080).  They cloak this legislation as school choice, vouchers and scholarships.

Don’t be fooled. Iowa already has school choice through open enrollment. This is about giving a blank check to private schools without requiring any oversight, accountability or financial disclosure. Taking money away from public schools is wrong, bad for our children, bad for public education, and bad for our communities.