While Georgia peaches have been an absolute hit over the last few years in the Southeast Iowa community, Youth for Christ organization will not be selling them this summer. Due to a late spring frost in Georgia, around 90% of the peach crop was ruined, leaving farmers devastated.

While those in this region may not be able to get their hands on any Georgia peaches, Youth for Christ will be once again selling peaches from Colorado. Preorders will begin in July with peaches being sold in August and September. You can find delicious Colorado peaches sold from the organization at Midwest Old Threshers, which is running August 31^st-September 4^th at the Old Threshers grounds in Mount Pleasant. The sale of peaches helps directly to impact the kids that Youth for Christ works with, and they are so appreciative of the support of the community.

“On Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at 6PM Bob Bartles of World Relief will be at First Presbyterian Church of Mount Pleasant to discuss ways to assist Ukrainian refugee resettlement in SE Iowa.

Families from Ukraine have a special refugee status called humanitarian parole. Once the family acquires a sponsor and has been vetted by the government, they can come to the US and seek employment immediately.

This meeting will inform those interested in supporting these very deserving families how to get involved—including the option of sponsorship.

Find out more about how you can help on Wednesday, June 21st, at 6PM at First Presbyterian Church of Mount Pleasant (902 S Walnut St).”

Over 20 million Ukrainian Refugees have fled their homeland and searched for shelter in other countries since February 24^th, 2022. It was on this day that Russia invaded and occupied parts of Ukraine, a move that saw the Russo-Ukraine (2014) war escalate. This, in turn, has caused Europe to face its’ largest refugee crisis since World War II. While 8 million have fled to neighboring countries, an estimated 5-6 million Ukrainians are currently internally displaced.

Although Iowa is relatively small, the state could play a large role in this crisis. Potential sponsors need to prove that they can financially support them during their stay.

“The first step in the Uniting for Ukraine process is for the U.S.-based supporter to file a I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, with USCIS. The U.S. government will then vet the supporter to ensure that they are able to financially support the individual whom they agree to support.

For more information on Uniting for Ukraine, see the DHS webpage.”

According to multiple sources, over 200,000 Ukrainian refugees have come to the United States since February 2022. Most refugees are granted a two-year period of shelter through humanitarian parole before needing to renew.

Through the World Relief organization, Bob Bartles, along with his wife, became sponsors of a Ukrainian family. You now have the chance to meet Bob, who is the leader of the refugee resettlement agency (World Relief) and learn more about this program on June 21^st, 6pm, at the First Presbyterian Church of Mount pleasant.

https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/fact_sheet_uniting_for_ukraine.pdf

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/biden-administration-allows-ukrainians-who-fled-war-to-stay-in-u-s

https://hhs.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/BRS_Uniting_For_Ukraine_web.pdf

Washington County 4-H has had both state and national level success in the livestock judging project area.  All 4-H’ers are invited to be a part of this project for one or all of the practice sessions this summer.

This project allows livestock exhibitors to learn more about each of the large animal species or to become more of an expert in the species they show.   It is a great place for beginning showman to meet others who show.  It is a great project for 4-Hers who live in town and aren’t able to show livestock but want to work with them and learn more about how livestock is evaluated for market.

Participants gain many life skills through judging.  They learn to understand livestock body structure, be an articulate and confident speaker, work with a team, make decisions, and defend decisions with reasons.

Livestock judging workouts have been set on the following dates, at the following locations.  All 4-H and FFA members interested in livestock judging are encouraged to attend.  No prior experience is needed.  This is open to all 4-H members.  Workouts begin traditionally at 6:00 p.m.  Youth and parents are welcome to attend all, but not required.  4-H Livestock Judging coaches are Dustin Ford, Ted Greiner and Chad Younge.

These workouts are also very valuable to showman as well.  Youth can learn more about what the judge expects out of each species in the show ring.

• June 19 sheep · Ted Greiner,  25517 330^th Ave, Keota
• June 25 heifer & steers · Lyle & Steph Sexton, 1752 Willow Ave, Ainsworth
• July 10 swine · Shane Brinning, 2264 Ginkgo Ave, Keota
• July 17· Livestock Judging Contest, 12:30 p.m. at the Washington County Fair. Check in at main show ring.

For more information, please contact the Washington County Extension Office, 319-653-4811.

DMC Highway 99, immediately north of Golf Course Road intersection) will be closed starting Monday, June 19^th, for bridge replacement. 90^th Avenue intersection will be closed, but 125^th Street intersection will remain open as part of the detour route.

Weather permitting, this project is anticipated to take 3-4 months to complete.

The Mount Pleasant Historic Preservation Commission is excited to announce that they recently received a Certified Local Government (CLG) grant to research and survey the historic buildings in downtown Mount Pleasant.  Any resident interested in learning more about this project is invited to a meeting on Thursday June 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room on the third story of Union Block (105 W. Monroe St).  Project consultant Rebecca Lawin McCarley of SPARK Consulting, Cedar Rapids, will present information on the survey project and the National Register of Historic Places.

The survey area for the project encompasses the buildings around the square, as well as additional historic commercial buildings extending out from the square along Jefferson St, Main St, Monroe St, Washington St, and adjacent blocks.  It is estimated that around 130 properties within this area have buildings that were constructed by 1980 and will be included in this historical and architectural survey project.  The resources in downtown Mount Pleasant are primarily commercial, with some additional public, religious, and residential buildings as well.

The goal of the historical and architectural survey is to research and evaluate the significance of the individual buildings in downtown Mount Pleasant as well as assess the possibility of a historic district eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.  This survey will position the commission and community to undertake future projects, including nomination of historic properties or a historic district to the National Register of Historic Places.  However, this initial survey will only focus on researching and evaluating these properties.  The project is anticipated to take about a year to complete.

The survey project for downtown Mount Pleasant is led by the Mount Pleasant Historic Preservation Commission.  Main Street Mount Pleasant and Henry County Heritage Trust are partners with the commission on this project, supporting their efforts to recognize the significant history and architecture found in downtown Mount Pleasant.  Members of the Mount Pleasant Historic Preservation Commission are appointed by the City of Mount Pleasant.  The commission is a Certified Local Government, recognized by the State Historic Preservation Office as meeting national standards for historic preservation commissions.

The public meeting on Thursday June 22 at 6:30 p.m. will be followed by training for any resident interested in volunteering to assist with the project.  Volunteers are needed to complete research, type research summaries, and take photographs.  No previous experience is needed – interested volunteers of all backgrounds can make positive contributions to this project.

On June 12^th, 2023, at approximately 10:10 a.m., the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a driving complaint.  The caller stated a silver Pontiac Grand Prix was swerving between both lanes on west bound Highway 34 near Racine Avenue.  As law enforcement was responding the caller stated the vehicle almost wrecked and pulled over near the intersection of Penn Avenue and Highway 34.

The Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle and stopped to check the welfare of the driver.  Based on the complaint and observations of the driver, an investigation into Operating While Under the Influence was initiated.

As a result of the investigation, the driver Damen Lorentzen, 34 of Keokuk, was arrested and charged with Operating Under the Influence, 1^st Offense, a serious misdemeanor.

“The Washington County Extension Office, Washington County Fair Association and members of the Washington County Ambulance were able to provide CPR Training at the Washington County Fair Grounds, for the first time.  Because of this class, 37 people are now trained in how to give correct CPR, basic first aid and how to use an AED.  One participant stated that she hopes to never have to use her new skill but after tonight feels comfortable preforming CPR if there was an emergency.  That’s 37 people in our community, that can make a difference.  Not all people are comfortable doing CPR on a patient, but if you understand the process there are many other ways you can help in the event of an emergency.  Thank you to the local supporter who gave the donation to allow us to have the class.  Thank you for all that attended and thank you to all that helped out.”

Of course, CPR, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is important for several reasons. The American Heart Association says that immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest. In fact, 350,000 people in the United States die each year due to cardiac arrest. It is important to note that heart attacks and cardiac arrests are NOT the same thing. Heart attacks are a blood circulation issue, while cardiac arrest is an electrical issue in the body. For a heart attack, the person should be taken to the hospital. For a person in cardiac arrest, high-quality CPR should be administered immediately after calling 911.

For the typical adult, 30 chest compressions should be followed by two “rescue breaths” for a ration 0f 30:2, and 100-120 per minute. The common beat is to the catchy 1977 tune “Stayin Alive” by the Bee Gees. The depth of compression should be around 2 inches. An AED should be used if available. These are very simple to use as they give directions to the user as to what to do.

Of course, different people require different treatment, so be sure to look on the American Heart Association or the Red Cross website for a full list of duties.

Below is a list of seven steps to perform high-quality CPR for an adult, found and provided by the Red Cross.

1 CHECK the scene for safety, form an initial impression and use personal protective equipment (PPE)

2 If the person appears unresponsive, CHECK for responsiveness, breathing, life-threatening bleeding or other life-threatening conditions using shout-tap-shout

3 If the person does not respond and is not breathing or only gasping, CALL 9-1-1 and get equipment, or tell someone to do so

4 Kneel beside the person. Place the person on their back on a firm, flat surface

5 Give 30 chest compressions

• Hand position: Two hands centered on the chest
• Body position: Shoulders directly over hands; elbows locked
• Depth: At least 2 inches
• Rate: 100 to 120 per minute
• Allow chest to return to normal position after each compression

6 Give 2 breaths

• Open the airway to a past-neutral position using the head-tilt/chin-lift technique
• Pinch the nose shut, take a normal breath, and make complete seal over the person’s mouth with your mouth.
• Ensure each breath lasts about 1 second and makes the chest rise; allow air to exit before giving the next breath

Note: If the 1st breath does not cause the chest to rise, retilt the head and ensure a proper seal before giving the 2nd breath If the 2nd breath does not make the chest rise, an object may be blocking the airway

7 Continue giving sets of 30 chest compressions and 2 breaths. Use an AED as soon as one is available! Minimize interruptions to chest compressions to less than 10 seconds.

https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/what-is-cpr

https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/cpr-steps