The Census has announced their intentions to move the final response date for the Census from October 31 to September 30.
A quick online search and you can find the 2020 Census Response Rate Map. The interactive map allows you to select a county or city and learn what the 2020 Census Response Rate is in the selected area. COVID-19 has decreased the outreach efforts associated with Census completion, but at Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation, we anticipate that the NEED for funding and resources directly affected by Census data will increase exponentially as a result of COVID-19.
The absolute and undisputable key factor for this upcoming school year is flexibility. Students, parents, staff and the entire Eastern Allamakee Community will need to exercise a degree of “flow” in all aspects of the return to school this August.
Black and white may be the preferred norm for many, but it cannot and will not work in this time. It is important to safely open schools this fall, and we have been preparing for that. The navigation of the school year during a pandemic means that we will need to be flexible and be able to change on a dime when necessary.
March 16, 2020, I visited Mom at a local nursing home. A couple days later, I stopped again and was not allowed in. The next time I was allowed in was 137 days later. The only way I got in was because Mom was on her deathbed. Approximately 27 hours later she passed. She was non-responsive for 98% of that time.
How would you feel if you were not allowed to enter your Mom’s room for 137 days and when you were finally allowed in, it was too late. During that 137 days, your Mom was not allowed to have anyone come in and visit her. Would you like to be forced to live like that?
How does the visitation go for you with your loved one at a nursing home or assisted living? Are you able to see them in-person or through a window (a clear wall) or by screen (computers, cellphones and tablets)? Is this the new ‘norm’ for loved ones in nursing homes and assisted living centers?
If saying this is the new ‘norm’ for today’s life, are we supposed to just accept or deal with it when companionship is part of life? This way of life is keeping children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends away from holding a hand or giving a hug to their loved one. These individuals worked, had a family, endured many of life’s struggles and joys, involved in our communities (some even building our communities), and/or so forth when they were young. And the reward is confinement, isolation, and distant viewings of loved ones that persists due to COVID-19.
New CEO at VMH ... Michael Coyle, the new CEO of Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, pictured in his office at the hospital. Coyle brings years of experience to the position and began his duties August 3 following the retirement of Mike Myers, who served Veterans Memorial Hospital in that CEO role for 22 years. Submitted photo.
Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon recently welcomed Michael Coyle as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital following the retirement of CEO Mike Myers after 22 years of service to the hospital. Myers retired July 31 of this year.
Coyle brings many years of CEO experience in Critical Access Hospitals to the position including Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital in Ely, MN, Coteau des Prairies Healthcare System in Sisseton, SD, and West Holt Medical Services in Atkinson, NE.
Coyle said he chose to further his career at Veterans Memorial Hospital because of the hospital’s reputation for quality, full spectrum of services, beautiful location and the opportunity to make a difference in a wonderful community.
Award winning art project ... Mallory Hanson, Regional Tourism and Economic Development Coordinator for Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), holds the Governor’s Art Award presented to Northeast Iowa RC&D for its “Byways of Iowa Public Art Initiative” created throughout the past five years. The Initiative involved 17 public art installations along Iowa’s Byways, including two in Allamakee County that are pictured in the surrounding photos: “Crossroads” (photo at center) placed in Waukon and “Hometown to the World” (bottom photo) placed in Postville.
At the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (IDCA) 2020 Virtual Iowa Arts Summit held August 7, Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) was honored with the Governor’s Arts Award for their “Byways of Iowa Public Art Initiative”.
The RC&D was one of three recipients selected by a panel of Iowa Arts and Culture professionals from around the state for this bi-annual award. The City of Malvern and Mary Ellen Kimball were also 2020 Iowa Arts Award recipients for their contributions to forward arts and culture in the State.
Each recipient was recognized for their efforts to enrich Iowa communities with creative projects. The RC&D was congratulated by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds who shared her thoughts via video on the importance of the arts, especially during the pandemic.
Nearly a month ago, the morning of July 20, a couple of contributing factors led to an unplanned discharge and fish kill in a tributary of Paint Creek south of Waukon. That morning, a spill of 76,000 pounds of yeast originating from Aveka Nutra Processing in Waukon followed by a lagoon pump failure at Waukon’s water treatment facility resulted in a discharge into that local stream causing a minor fish kill. In response, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued an advisory to not allow pets or livestock to drink from this creek for a three-day period or until that water cleared up.
Since that incident, officials for both Aveka Nutra Processing and the City of Waukon have been meeting and communicating in regard to trying to prevent and certainly lessen the impact of any such incidents in the future.
Allamakee County experienced its highest weekly confirmed case total of COVID-19 reported by the State of Iowa since early July this past week, as eight new cases were reported within the past week to raise the county total to 163 cases as of Monday, August 17. For the typical Tuesday-Monday timeframe reported each week in The Standard, those eight cases are second only to 10 cases reported for Allamakee County by the State of Iowa in the first full week in July in looking back over the past three months.
This past week’s eight cases include the first three-day stretch of reported multiple daily cases since the end of April, as three consecutive days this past week, Thursday-Saturday, August 13-15, each had two cases reported. A fourth consecutive day with a positive case, Sunday, August 16, saw one case reported, with the past week starting with another single case reported Tuesday, August 11.
Roxanne Hawkins and Chip Lamb held an ATV/UTV Road Rally Saturday, August 1. This ride covered about 70 miles of Allamakee County and included more than 50 machines. Proceeds from participation in the ride were equally divided between the Allamakee County ATV/UTV Club and a fire department from within Allamakee County that the participants voted on. The Lansing Fire Department was voted as the recipient of the proceeds from this ride, and the club and the Lansing Fire Department each received a check for $720. Pictured above, left to right, at the check presentation are Roxanne Hawkins of the Allamakee County ATV/UTV Club and Lansing Fire Department Chief Steve Darling. This road rally event was held at Green Valley Getaway and was supported by Green Valley Getaway, Kious Kountry, Allamakee County ATV/UTV Club, Cunningham Hardware, Empty Nest Winery and club members. Submitted photo.
The U.S. Census Mobile has been at Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library in Lansing every Tuesday in August answering questions about completing the Census and also assisting people in completing it. One final date will be available for this month, Tuesday, August 25 between the hours of 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
This operation, known as the Mobile Questionnaire Assistance (MQA) program, is a separate activity from census takers going door to door to count households that have not yet responded. The local census response representatives will help people complete the census on a 2020 Census tablet or on their own device, while practicing state and local social distancing protocols.
Lansing is currently at 49.5% response rate to the 2020 U.S. Census. Allamakee County is currently at a 55.8% response rate, the second lowest response rate in the entire state of Iowa, according to U.S. Census information.
