This May, Veterans Memorial Hospital’s Senior Life Solutions (SLS) Program is proud to recognize Mental Health Awareness Month by embracing this year’s theme, “More Good Days, Together.” Mental health matters at every stage of life, and this team is committed to supporting older adults and caregivers in the rural communities with compassionate, meaningful care.
Veterans Memorial Hospital Waukon Clinic providers exceed goal orignally set for number of patients ... The Veterans Memorial Hospital Medical Clinic-Waukon opened five years ago and has tripled its original goal, providing care to three times more patients per month than originally projected. Pictured above, from left to right, is the team that makes the Waukon Clinic providers including Angela Taylor, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner; Katy Maker, Nurse Midwife and Nurse Practitioner; Hannah Kelly, Nurse Practitioner; Dr. Dave Schwartz; Minji Ransom, Nurse Practitioner; Dr. John Swords; Sue McMillan, Nurse Practitioner; Alex Berns, Nurse Practitioner; Mason Kerian, Nurse Practitioner; Tara Fink, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner; and Janet Hunter; Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Maker, Kelly, Ransom, Berns, Kerian, Fink and Taylor all provide services at the Postville Clinic as well. Submitted photo.
The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Medical Clinic-Waukon opened five years ago, May 3, 2021, joining the Emplify Gundersen Waukon Clinic in providing accessible family health care to the area communities. Not only have thousands been cared for, but the numbers of patients served continues to increase nearly every month. The Waukon Clinic just hit a new record number of appointments in March, totaling 1,544 provider visits which is three times what the goal was when the clinic initially opened.
Following the opening of the Waukon Clinic, one year later, Veterans Memorial Hospital opened the Postville Medical Clinic, offering behavioral health services in that clinic as well. Construction is going on now building the new Postville Medical Clinic which is scheduled to open fall of 2026.
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 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital.
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, Certified Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
The local Grief Support Group will again be holding their monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Thursday, May 7, from 5-6 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. Nancy Haberichter will be facilitating the meeting.
This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief. Feel free to attend and bring a friend. This grief support will continue meeting the first Thursday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter is offering a free virtual education series throughout the first six months of 2026 to help families facing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. The programs help families better understand what to expect so they can be prepared to meet the changes ahead, including changes in communication and behaviors, discussing dementia as a family and planning ahead for future financial and legal considerations.
The schedule of remaining programs includes: May 21 - Ten Warning Signs. Learn how to recognize common signs of the disease; how to approach someone about memory concerns; the importance of early detection and benefits of a diagnosis; and possible tests and assessments for the diagnostic process. June 18 - Managing Money: A Caregiver’s Guide to Finances.
Foundational work for battery storage site ... Photo above shows the combination of the removal of coal ash-impacted soil and replacement of that soil with a gravel foundation that will support the new large battery energy storage system at the former Alliant Energy Lansing Generating Station site south of Lansing. Crews have been removing affected soil for hauling to a permitted coal ash landfill site owned and operated by Alliant Energy, in addition to hauling in gravel from quarries located near Lansing in preparation for installation of the battery storage system scheduled to be operational in the Spring of 2027, according to Alliant Energy officials. Photo courtesy of Alliant Energy.
A similar project in southeast Iowa ... The aerial view above shows the battery energy storage system location in the small town of Wever in Lee County in southeast Iowa that Alliant Energy put into operation in February of this year. Preparation work is currently being conducted for a similar large battery energy storage system at the former Alliant Energy Lansing Generating Station site south of Lansing. Photo courtesy of Alliant Energy.
After receiving approval from the Iowa Utilities Commission and permits from the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors, Alliant Energy began construction earlier this spring on a large battery energy storage system (BESS) in Lansing. The new battery facility will sit on the site of Alliant’s former Lansing Generating Station south of Lansing, which the company retired in 2023 after operating for more than 70 years. Alliant Energy selected the site to support reliable energy for customers and the community.
Completes 45-year career with U.S. Coast Guard ... Craig Petersen (center in above photo), a 1980 graduate of Waukon High School, recently completed a 45-year career with the U.S. Coast Guard. Pictured above at his recent retirement ceremony are, left to right, Rear Admiral McClelland, former Commanding Officer of the POLAR SEA and Commander Fourteenth Coast Guard District; Petersen’s wife Meilin Petersen; Craig Petersen; Admiral Paul Zukunft, 25th Commandant of the Coast Guard and presiding official; and Rear Admiral Sean Regan, Commander Oceania District. Submitted photo.
Craig Petersen, a 1980 graduate of Waukon High School, recently completed a long and rewarding career with the United States Coast Guard. He is the son of Anita and the late Marvin Petersen of Waukon.
“Forty-five years, seven months, 12 days, or so says the computer totaling my enlisted, officer, and now civilian time,” said Petersen at his second retirement ceremony at Diamond Head Lighthouse in Honolulu, HI. “Seventy-percent of my life, and all of my adult life since graduating high school has been in service to the nation and the U.S. Coast Guard. That represents 19% of the Coast Guard’s time since its beginnings as the Revenue Cutter Service in 1790.”
QR Code for the Allamakee County Elections website ...
by Denise Beyer
Allamakee County Auditor, Commissioner of Elections
Any eligible voter can vote in the Primary Election in Iowa, however both the Republican and Democratic parties have a “closed” Primary, meaning voters must be registered with the political party whose Primary they wish to vote in. Voters in Iowa have the right to change their party affiliation on the day of the Primary Election to vote that party’s ballot.
Allamakee County Sheriff’s Deputy Karson Hennings (pictured above) and Waukon Police Officer Patrick Downey (pictured below) both graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in a ceremony held at Rising Sun Church of Christ in Pleasant Hill Friday, April 24. Deputy Hennings and Officer Downey were part of the ILEA’s 325th graduating class and completed the academy’s rigorous 16-week training program that consisted of coursework in policing communications, criminal law, physical fitness, and emergency response. They also received training in patrol procedures, investigations, and tactical and administrative skills. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird (pictured at right in both photos) welcomed the graduates on stage as they were presented with their diplomas by ILEA Director Brady Carney (pictured at left in both photos).
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met in regular session Monday, May 4 to address a full agenda of matters including discussion of county roads and signage relating to turtles, consideration of the annual Solutions software and IT contract, and consideration of the speed limit Resolution for North Rhomberg Avenue (X52), Harpers Ferry. The meeting was called to order by Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tom Clark with Supervisors Dan Byrnes and Dennis Keatley present.
There was no Public Comment during the time allotted for that agenda item. There was also no action relating to the next agenda item which was allotted 20 minutes on the meeting’s timed agenda, as a scheduling conflict did not allow for Veterans Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to provide an update.
