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Winters qualifies in individual hurdle events for fourth consecutive season, third time in long jump, and shuttle hurdle relay earns return while senior Lillian Kolsrud and junior Grace Hornseth earn first shot put qualifications

The Kee girls track and field team came away from its Class 1A State Qualifying Meet hosted by Edgewood-Colesburg Thursday, May 14 knowing that at least three events would be moving on to every team’s ultimate destination with event championship victories at the event that lasted well into the late night hours due to an extensive weather delay. Within the next 12 hours following the meet, the Lady Hawks learned that their number of qualifications for this year’s Class 1A State Meet more than doubled with four at-large qualifications earned by performances that ranked within the top-14 non-championship performances at the 10 Class 1A State Qualifying Meets across the state of Iowa that same Thursday evening.

The Waukon boys track and field team came away from its Class 2A State Qualifying Meet at North Fayette Valley High School Thursday, May 14 knowing its members had earned two automatic qualifications for this year’s State Track Meet in Des Moines with either a first- or second-place finish in those events at a meet that took longer than eight hours to complete due to extensive lightning delays.

by Beth Shafer, Growth and Development Coordinator, Veterans Memorial Hospital

This is National Hospital Week. October 1, 1950, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) opened its doors to fill a great need in the area communities, to finally have a local hospital. That great need is still being met today, 75 years later, thanks to the strong commitment of Veterans Memorial Hospital staff and the local community support.

In rural communities, local health care is more than convenience - it is a lifeline. For families in Waukon and across Allamakee County, Veterans Memorial Hospital represents access, stability, and peace of mind close to home.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Tara Fink, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, joined the Veterans Memorial Hospital Clinic staff nearly four years ago to offer behavioral health care to help meet the great need for mental health care in Northeast Iowa, which she has successfully done. Now with the addition of two more psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, Janet Hunter and Angela Tayer, Tara has been promoted to the Medical Director of Behavioral Health Services at Veterans Memorial Hospital and Clinics  in Waukon and Postville.

Stress and worry are common, especially when life changes start stacking up. Health concerns, caregiving, retirement, grief, financial pressure, or feeling isolated can all impact how we feel day to day. During Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to share a few practical tools to use in the moment when things feel heavy.

Try one of these quick resets: 
1. The 60-second breath: Inhale for 4, exhale for 6. Repeat 5 times. 
2. Name five things: Look around and name five things you see, four you feel, three you hear, two you smell, one you taste. 
3. “One thing I can do today”: Pick one manageable step, like making a call, taking a short walk, or starting a load of laundry. 
4. Worry time (yes, really): Set a 10-minute timer to write worries down, then stop when the timer ends. 

The Veterans Memorial Hospital’s (VMH) “Family Wellness Fair” welcomed a crowd of over 300 visitors this year during their 75th anniversary celebration of the hospital. Visitors toured the VMH Medical Clinic, Hospital and Emplify by Gundersen Clinic in their route to the record number of 52 exhibitor’s educational displays, demonstrations, activities, and give-aways provided by the numerous agencies who service Allamakee and northern Clayton counties.

Spring planting is underway.  Driving in rural Iowa comes with a few extra things to watch for - including Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblems. When there is a tractor or other farm equipment ahead with flashing lights and an orange triangular SMV symbol, it means the vehicle is traveling 25 mph or less. Slow down, increase the following distance and be prepared for limited visibility or sudden turns into fields or driveways.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, May 21 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of the hospital.

This month’s topic will focus on gardening. Sue Cahoon from the Master Gardeners will talk about some gardening basics and container gardens. She will highlight the money saving aspects of growing vegetables as well as some nutrition benefits of the produce. She will also discuss the Master Gardener group as an option for getting involved in the community.

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, Diabetes Educator, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

Deadlines/Dates
May 14 - August 2: Primary Nesting Season
June 1: The final day to apply for a Marketing Assistance Loan (MAL) for Corn or Soybeans
June 19: Office closed in observance of Juneteenth 
July 3: Office closed in observance of Independence Day
July 15: Deadline to Report Acres
August 12: Deadline to submit an SDRP application

State Cover Crop Sign-up Open Now
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) is opening the Fiscal-Year 2027 (FY27) sign up period for farmers interested in implementing conservation practices through the Water Quality Initiative (WQI). This includes cost share opportunities for cover crops planted this fall. Soil and Water Conservation Districts can begin taking applications now, and the program guidance this year remains largely the same as last year, with only a few highlighted updates.

Tuesday, June 2 will be the Primary Election to determine which candidates will be representing their respective political parties in the 2026 General Election in November. An election notice listing the respective races in each of the Republican and Democratic parties will be published in an upcoming edition of this newspaper, listing races at the Federal, State and County levels of government for voters to make their selections in, along with additional ballot and election information.

In-person absentee voting for this year’s Primary Election begins Wednesday, May 13 and lasts through Monday, June 1 in the Auditor’s Office at the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday each week.

The deadline for voters to request an absentee ballot be mailed to them for this year’s Primary Election is this coming Monday, May 18. A mailed absentee ballot may be requested from the Auditor’s Office by calling 563-568-3522.