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www.driftlessjournal.com | news@driftlessjournal.com | 563-382-4221 | Tuesday, August 22, 2023 | Vol. 5 Issue 34
Wild parsnip a burden
Full line-up of fun at Ossian Fest
By Kate Klimesh At the July 31 Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors Meeting, resident Kandi Sheffield presented information to the Board of Supervisors regarding county-owned public access property, part of the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program, that was not being maintained. Sheffield relayed that approximately 80 percent of the almost 34-acre parcel directly across from her home on Clay Hill Road in Decorah was covered in wild parsnip, a toxic plant that can cause injury with direct contact. Sheffield requested the supervisors consider a maintenance plan to eradicate or minimize the wild parsnip to ensure the safety of the local and visiting people attempting to utilize the canoe access or simply access the public land on that property. “The native plantings are getting choked out by the wild parsnip. I see people going through the property, I can only imagine the pain from wild parsnip exposure they may not realize until too late,” Sheffield reported. “My daughter went in to help a neighbor and was hurt badly by the oils, with scarring from blisters.” Sheffield relayed photos of the quarter-sized blisters and subsequent scarring from
Wild parsnip
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Firemen took turns at Waterball during Ossian Fest, trying to get the central keg pushed down the wire with the firehose to win each round. The real winners were the folks on the sidelines who were misted by the cool water sprays on the beautifully warm summer day. Crowds enjoyed watching the competition, and the fire hoses are harder than a person may think to keep on task. Depending on where a person stood, they could get a sprinkle or a drenching, like Ella Holthaus, right.
Wild Parsnip can be a hazard for outdoor tourism if the delicate yellow flowers make direct contact with skin. While pretty from a distance, the flower exudes a substance which causes a reaction with sunlight to often cause painful blisters, which can lead to scarring and discolored skin for what can be more than six months. INSETFlower portion of the Wild Parsnip plant. TOP RIGHT- A leg with Wild Parsnip burns on day one of exposure. RIGHT- Same leg pictured on day 8 after Wild Parsnip exposure. (submitted)
Ossian Fest had great weather and a full line-up of summer fun Saturday, Aug. 12. The car show brought 30 entries, with winners coming away smiling: Stock Truck, Bob Reilly of Ossian with a 1948 Studebaker; Modified Truck, Mike Miller of Ossian with a 1964 Chevy C10; General Motors Car, Duane Taylor of Ossian with a 1966 Pontiac GTO; MoPar, Art Unhlenhake of Ossian with a 1989 Chrysler LeBaron; Ford Car and Nathan Moonen of Ossian with a 1970 Ford Torino.
Jacob Portz (left) and Justin Portz are accompanied by mini-firefighter Ellie Portz (daughter of Justin) through the Ossian Fest parade in the “float” created by Mike Meyer. Jacob and Justin are the grandsons of Mike and Janice Meyer of Ossian (Driftless Multimedia photos by Kate Klimesh and Becky Walz)
Education Savings Account (ESA) application process now underway 168 approved in Winneshiek County
By Roz Weis The Iowa Department of Education recently announced 18,627 Students First Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) have been approved as of Aug 4. Winneshiek County totals indicate 168 approved applications to date. According to the website of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, this year, ESAs will be funded with up to $7,635—the same amount appropriated by the state to support the education of each public-school student during the 2023-2024 academic year. The funds must first be used to pay
tuition and fees; with remaining balances are to be used to cover other “approved” educational expenses or held for subsequent school years. The new law called for a continued investment of $1,200 per student to the public school districts where students reside; however, Decorah Community School District Superintendent Tim Cronin said that allotment to the district begins next year, based on student counts taken in October 2023. Non-public schools The current 2023-24 Department of Education current
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listing of Winneshiek County non-public schools includes the following: St. Benedict Catholic School in Decorah; St. Teresa of Calcutta in Ossian and St. Teresa of Calcutta in Spillville. The Allamakee County non-public school is St. Patrick School in Waukon; and the Howard County non-public schools are Notre Dame Elementary School in Cresco and Trinity Catholic School in Protivin. The St. Benedict Elementary School website lists tuition at $2,950 for the 2023-24 academic year; and the tuition at the St. Teresa of Calcutta Schools of Ossian and Spillville is listed on the
school’s website as $3,800 per child for the 2023-24 school year. Eligibility for families of children currently enrolled in accredited private schools will be income-based over the first two years. During the 2023-2024 school year, private school students with household incomes at or below 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), currently $83,250 for a family of four, are eligible. This year’s application window closed June 30. ESA funds remain in the state’s possession until a student’s parent or guardian approves payment to the school.
Approved ESA accounts may be funded as soon as July 15. The first payment from an ESA must be used for tuition and fees to an Iowa accredited private school. The state is paying a New York-based company called Odyssey to operate the new ESA assistance program, including applications, financial transactions, compliance, fraud prevention and customer service. Four companies applied for the contract with the state. The company will be paid $4.3 million over the first six years, according to the terms of the contract with the state. Odyssey has similar programs in Arizona
and Idaho. Families in the Driftless region and across the state were encouraged to view a series of webinars on the Odyssey platform about the new program when the application process began earlier this summer. Over budget The Iowa Legislative Services Agency originally estimated 14,000 students would apply for the 2023-24 school year and planned to spend
ESA
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