News Center newsletter

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, February 4 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held every month in Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

The LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa is seeking donors to ensure a safe and plentiful blood supply in Iowa. Because there is no substitute for human blood, the need for donors is continuous. Many Iowans are encouraged to make donating blood on a regular basis their New Year’s resolution this year.

The local Caregiver Support Group meets monthly at Veterans Memorial Hospital.  The meetings take place the third Monday of each month at 1:30 p.m. The next meeting will be held Monday, February 18 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the ICN Conference Room, located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.

This informal meeting is open to anyone who provides care and support for a family member or friend. Feel free to attend and bring a friend.  This new Caregiver Support Group meets the third Monday of each month at VMH.
 

Stella Burmester of New Albin will be celebrating her 90th birthday with an open house hosted by her children Saturday, February 2 at the New Albin Community Center from 1-4 p.m.

Cards and well wishes may be sent to 381 Terrace Drive, New Albin, IA 52160.

Dan and Shelby Iseli of Waukon announce the birth of their daughter, Paisley Kay Iseli, born January 17, 2019 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 8 lbs. 4 ozs. and measured 21 inches in length at the time of her birth.

Grandparents are Joel and Teresa Sommer and Arthur and Lori Iseli, all of Waukon. Great-grandparents are Jerry and Judy Sommer, Gene and Darlene Oesterle, Dale and Donna Bodensteiner and John and Mary Iseli.

Jolynn and John Chiu of Monona announce the birth of their daughter, Gracelynn Amari Chiu, born January 19, 2019 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. She weighed 6 lbs. 10 ozs. and measured 19 inches in length at the time of her birth. She joins siblings Savannah (11), Sophia (5) and Isaiah (3).

Grandparents are Tina and Arlyn Loper of Monona and James and Cynthia Whiteaker of DeForest, WI. Great-grandparents are Marvin and Evelyn Whiteaker of Patch Grove, WI and the late Aileen and Richard Hager of Elkader.

by Jeremy Leitz, Allamakee County Executive Director (563) 568-2148

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates

• Updated - February 14: Last day to apply for the Market Facilitation Program.
• May 1: Last day to provide production evidence for Market Facilitation Program.

FSA Office Now Open
Congress passed a three-week continuing resolution through February 15. Our office will be open these next three weeks for regular business. Hours are Monday -Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. We don’t know what will happen after February 15.

The 123rd annual meeting of Calhoun Coop Creamery, Lansing was held at the Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank Community Room in Waukon Tuesday, January 22. A noon meal was served to all by BE Catered of Waukon.

President Dave Bahr called the meeting to order. At the conclusion of the business meeting quality awards were handed out to the following producers (some of which are pictured in the surrounding submitted photos):

First-place low bacteria award went to Dave and Rhonda Bahr of Waukon. There was a tie for second place between Greg and Jenny Conway of Lansing and Tom and Janet Walleser of Lansing. There were 38 other producers receiving outstanding quality awards.

First-place low somatic cell award also went to Dave and Rhonda Bahr of Waukon. There were 20 other producers receiving outstanding somatic cell awards with averages under 175,000 for the year.

Practical Farmers of Iowa will continue its online learning series – called “farminars” – for the 10th winter season in a row. The webinar series features practical knowledge shared by farmers and experts on a wide range of topics for row crop, livestock and fruit and vegetable growers.

Held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. CST, each farminar focuses on a unique production or business management topic. All presentations are led by an experienced farmer or subject-matter expert, and attendees are able to ask questions in real time using a chat box while they listen and watch a slideshow. The presentations are free for anyone with an internet connection.

To participate, visit http://practicalfarmers.org. A schedule for all upcoming farminars – as well as the recordings for 159 past farminars – is also available at this link.

Award nominations due by February 8; Princess applications due by March 1

The 2019 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet will be held Saturday, March 16 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The meal will be served from 7-8:30 p.m., with the program starting at 8 p.m. The annual celebration recognizes the importance of the dairy industry in Allamakee County and the contributions dairy families make to the industry.

Every year, top producers from the county are recognized at the banquet. In addition, several other awards are presented that evening. The Allamakee Dairy Promotion Board and the Allamakee County Extension Office are accepting nominations through February 8 for the following awards:

Wednesday, January 23 at approximately 1:39 p.m. the Waukon Police Department received a report of an active burglary at 303 Fourth Avenue SW in Waukon. According to court documents, the female reporting the incident indicated that someone was in her garage, and upon arrival, officers did find 47-year-old Ricky Lynn Arentz of De Soto, WI inside the garage at the residence.

Arentz explained to the officers that he had knocked on the house door, with footprints in the snow indicating that someone had indeed approached the house door. After no one answered the door, Arentz said he entered the garage to look at an air compressor he was considering in lieu of money he claimed the male resident of the home owed him.