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January 21, 2009 |
On Saturday afternoon, a local outdoorsman and a DNR warden captured an impaired bald eagle near Prairie du Chien, and it is hoped that the eagle makes a full recovery.
Prairie du Chien hunter, fisherman and photographer Gary Howe was traveling along Highway 18 at about 2:30 p.m. with his wife Joan when they first noticed the eagle alongside the road near Old Highway 18 in Bridgeport Township.
When they drove back through the area at approximately 4 p.m., they noticed that the eagle was still there. They stopped and Gary began to take photographs of the large raptor.
It was then that Gary noticed that the eagle could only hop as it tried to leave the area. Suspecting that it was injured, he phoned Crawford County Conservation Warden Mike Cross.
A short time later Cross and Howe pursued the bird as it hopped and flapped through the snow and brush.
"With its full wingspan out it could only flap a foot or so off of the ground," said Howe. "Thank God, it hit a brushy area because with its wings spread the brush slowed it down."
Howe then was able to net the eagle with a large, long-handled fishing net. He then carefully got hold of the hissing and snapping bird. The eagle bit down on Howe’s thick glove, but did not break skin.
Howe and Cross put the eagle into a cage in the box of Cross’s pickup truck. They covered the cage with a canvass tarp and Cross transported the eagle to Laura Johnson at her residence north of Prairie du Chien on Highway 27.
"The bird responded pretty well in the day and a half that I had it," said Johnson, who has been a licensed raptor rehabilitator for 20 years.
"The eagle got stronger, more alert and ate quite well," said Johnson, who is also an associate veterinarian at Tender Care Animal Hospital of Prairie du Chien.
Johnson, who sees from 50-100 birds a year, including bald eagles, red tailed hawks, owls and other birds, said that she suspects that the eagle may have been struck by a car and also may have lead poisoning. She said that the eagle was bleeding from the mouth a little bit, which indicates that it may have been hit by a vehicle. It was also thinner than normal, which shows that it was stressed for food. The eagle also had head tremors, which is an indication of nervous system damage due to possible lead poisoning, she said.
"Lead poisoning is one of the most common conditions for injured eagles, unfortunately," said Johnson, who noted that it takes only a tiny amount of lead to poison an eagle. The eagle, which is believed to be a female, had no broken bones or other injuries.
Johnson said that in tough winter conditions when there are very few open holes in the river, eagles have a hard time getting fish. They therefore feed on deer carcasses or other animal carcasses which may have been shot by a hunter, thereby ingesting lead.
The eagle has been taken by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota, which has the special facilities and permits necessary to rehabilitate the birds.
Johnson said that she thinks that the eagle will survive, but she doesn’t know if it will get well enough to be released back into the wild. "It depends upon how much lead was ingested and how much damage it has done to the organs," she said.
Many birds die from lead poisoning. Others survive but do not make a full recovery. And, some fully recovery and can be released.
"The process is lengthy and expensive," said Johnson. She noted that part of the rehabilitation process involves administering medication, which in time helps the birds to eliminate the toxic lead. The birds are fed and conditioned and the whole recovery process can take several months.
If a person should come across an injured raptor, Johnson advised that they should not attempt to handle the bird themselves. The person could get injured by the beak or talons, or the bird could sustain more injuries from being handled improperly. Johnson said that the DNR or the Fish and Wildlife Service should be contacted.
"Even though bald eagles are no longer endangered, they touch people," said Johnson. "They are an incredible symbol of our country. We are more than happy to take care of any bald eagles that come in."
Arriving at a decision over a proposed jurisdictional transfer on portions of Marquette Road, extending financial support for the Hoffman Hall pool and determining who has the final say on day-to-day decisions were among the issues at Tuesday evening’s meeting of Prairie du Chien Common Council.
Department of Transportation (DOT) recommendation to the contrary, council approved a jurisdictional transfer of Wisconsin and Iowa Streets rather than segments of Marquette Road in preparation for building of the Highway 18 bypass in 2010.
Because the DOT will not fund two highways in close proximity which are considered parallel, the city had been asked to approve a jurisdictional transfer, transferring responsibility for maintenance from the state to the city, for either those portions of Marquette Road between La Pointe and Wisconsin or Iowa and Wisconsin Streets between Marquette Road and Main Street.
Although the city’s original plan had been to transfer Wisconsin and Iowa, making them local streets, the DOT was requesting that the city assume responsibility for Marquette Road between La Pointe and Wisconsin, and possibility further north, and that section of the road would no longer be designated as part of Highway 35. Failure to do so, they indicated, could work on Marquette Road and result in extra design expenses for the city.
Nevertheless, council approved the transfer of Iowa and Wisconsin for several reasons set forth in a prepared memo:
•The transfer of Marquette Road is at odds with the original planning.
•The proposed transfer shifts official designation of Highway 35 to the bypass, yet Highway 35 traffic may continue to use Marquette Road as a main route for through traffic,
•High traffic on Marquette Road could shorten the projected life of the roadway and reduce safety expectations while leaving the city with the entire cost of resurfacing and rebuilding the roadway in the future.
•The rerouting of Highway 35 traffic along the bypass and over Iowa and Wisconsin poses safety, design and neighborhood negative impacts along Iowa and Wisconsin.
A chart prepared by the DOT indicated that if the option were chosen, there could be delays and there would be an additional $211,562 in design costs to the city.
In approving the Finance Committee recommendation to extend the Hoffman Hall pool funding through May 15, council members praised the work of Park and Rec Director Mike Ulrich in expanding programs at Hoffman Hall, especially the pool. Said Joe Ruskey, "We’ve told Mike to find ways to save money and he has. He should be commended for it."
In reporting on the Finance Committee’s recommendation, Frank Pintz said the current increase in revenue for the pool was a major factor in their decision.
Following a discussion over who has the authority to make day to day decisions—the mayor or the city administrator—council voted to table a decision until further research has been conducted. The questions stems from a decision by the mayor to override a decision made by City Administrator Jim Gitz’s not to hire additional trucks and drivers for snow removal. Mayor Karl Steiner admits that, according to city ordinance, four people, one of whom is the city administrator, should have approved the expenditure, while he had the approval of only three people. However, Steiner says the original charter says the mayor has day-to-day authority. Other council members, believed that was changed when the city decided to hire a city administrator.
In other business, council:
•Approved resolutions transferring approximately $105,000 from TIF districts to fund the Downtown Enhancement Project.
•Designated MSA as the engineering firm for real estate acquisitions along Marquette Road should the road projects proceed as planned.
•Authorized hiring someone to fill a vacancy in the clerk-treasurer’s office at a salary not to exceed $31,000.
•Approved releasing $7,000 as budgeted to the Chamber of Commerce. These funds are appropriated on an annual basis to support the chamber’s economic and promotional activities.
•Approved City Attorney Tom Peterson’s request for family health care benefits through the city. Peterson will pay all premium expenses, including the city’s portion, and coverage will cease when he retires.
•Following a closed session, tabled action on the 2008-2009-2010 contract with the city police union.
January 19, 2009 |
There has been a bit more than the usual amount of talk about the weather lately, and rightfully so, with temperatures plunging well below zero. The frigid conditions and wind-chill factors forced school closings on Thursday and Friday and caused various other inconveniences for area residents.
Temperatures fell to lows of -20 on Thursday and -27 on Friday in Prairie du Chien.
While temperatures have been darn low as of late, residents may be interested to know what the record lows for Prairie du Chien have been.
The winter of 1996 certainly made its mark in Prairie du Chien and across the Midwest. According to data from the National Weather Service, a four-day period from Feb. 1-4 produced an extended cold snap. Arctic temperatures spread over the Upper Mississippi River Valley due to a frigid air mass which moved into the region in late January. With clear skies at night, temperatures plummeted into the -30s over much of the area. This blast of arctic air set all-time record low temperatures in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Elkader tied the Iowa record of -47 on Feb. 3.
In Prairie du Chien, on Feb. 1, 1996, the high was -1 and the low -17. On Feb. 2, the high was -8 and the low -29. On Feb. 3, the high was -11 and the low -36. On Feb. 4, the high was 0 and the low -31.
December of 1950 and January of 1951 were also mighty cold. According to historical climate data from the Wisconsin Department of Climatology, Dec. 27, 1950, had a low temperature of -26 in Prairie du Chien. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Prairie du Chien was -37 on Jan. 30, 1951. According to the National Weather Service, that record was tied on Jan. 15, 1963, when it also reached -37.
Jan. 30, 1951, set records in villages and cities across the state, but the lowest temperature in the United States that day was the -53 in Lone Rock, Wis. Lone Rock subsequently adopted the slogan, "We are the Coldest in the Nation...with the Warmest Heart." Lone Rock held the state record low for 45 years. Lone Rock’s record was broken on Feb. 2, 1996, when a temperature of -55 was recorded in Couderay in northern Wisconsin.
On Jan. 30, 1951, the low in Lone Rock was -53 and by Feb. 2, 1951 the low temperature had risen to a balmy -42. A massive ice storm with severe cold temperatures blanketed much of the United States, causing school closings, stalled vehicles, frozen water pipes, slippery conditions, various other hardships and dozens of deaths across the nation.
The January of 1912 had the lowest mean temperature in Prairie du Chien history. The mean temperature that month was -1.1 degrees. On Jan. 7, 1912, the low was -33. On Jan. 12 it was -34 and on Jan. 13 it was -34.
The January of 1936 also featured consecutive days of extreme cold in Prairie du Chien. On Jan. 24, 1936, the low was -34. On Jan. 25, it was -32.
The lowest recorded temperature at the Lynxville Dam was -43 on Jan. 30, 1951. The lowest springtime temperature was -34 on March 1, 1962. On Feb. 3, 1996, it was -34 at the Lynxville Dam.
Even though spring doesn’t officially arrive until March 21, what is listed as the lowest springtime temperature in Prairie du Chien is -33, which was recorded on March 1, 1962.
Since many people may be tired of hearing about cold weather and record lows, let’s talk a bit about record wintertime highs.
The record wintertime high in Prairie du Chien has reached 66 degrees on three separate occasions, Jan. 1, 1897, Dec. 6, 1901 and Feb. 26, 2000.
The all-time high in Prairie du Chien was 110 degrees on July 22, 1901. The springtime high is listed as 109 on May 31, 1934.
The difference between Prairie du Chien’s record low and all-time high is a whopping 147 degrees.
A Prairie du Chien man was killed in a crash involving two sport-utility vehicles at 7:45 p.m. Saturday night on N. Center Point Road about a mile south of Walker, Iowa.
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office reported Dr. Roger C. Rademacher, 66, of Prairie du Chien, was pronounced dead at the scene. Rademacher was the driver of one of the vehicles.
The other driver, Teresa M. Thibadeau, 45, of Manchester, Iowa was transported to St. Lukes Hospital in Cedar Rapids for treatment of what appeared to the non-life threatening injuries, the sheriff’s office said.
According to deputies, Rademacher was driving south on N. Center Point Road and then lost control of his vehicle, causing it to slide into the northbound lane where it was broadsided and struck by Thibadeau’s vehicle, which was traveling north.
The Rademacher vehicle came to rest in the east ditch. Thibadeau’s vehicle ended up on the east shoulder.
The incident remains under investigation by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Dr. Rademacher was a physician and surgeon at Prairie Medicine, Ltd. in Prairie du Chien. He also held clinics in Elkader, Iowa and Boscobel. He performed surgery at hospitals in those locations as well as in Guttenberg, Iowa.
Fire destroyed a Wauzeka business the afternoon of Friday, Jan. 16.
Firefighters responded to a fire report at Bassett Transportation Services, Inc. at 100 W. Guard St. about 1:40 p.m. The building was already engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene, and firemen battled the blaze until 4 p.m. During that time, traffic on State Highway 60 between Prairie du Chien and Boscobel was rerouted.
There were no injuries, but firemen were unable to save the building. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Wauzeka Fire Department was assisted by the Boscobel Fire Department, Wauzeka First Responders, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department, the Crawford County Highway Department and Crawford County Emergency Government.
Grace Nagle remembers watching Henry (Hank) Howe setting type by hand when she first started working for Howe Printing and the Courier Press in 1938. At that time, the printing business and the paper were located in the same building, at the corner of Wisconsin and Beaumont. As business increased and the building became too crowded, Howe Printing moved two blocks away on Blackhawk Ave.
Fresh out of high school, she was Grace Honzel back then, and could hardly have imagined that before she was through she would work for four generations of Howes, or that the lintotype would completely replace handset type and in turn be replaced by computers.
She worked for Henry and Sue Howe, Lyman G. or ‘Ly,’ who was the editor, and Eliese ‘Dick’ Howe. Co-workers in those years were Carrol ‘Skidoo’ Ray, Gordon ‘Buster’ Kieser, William ‘Scoop’ Garvey, Bill ‘The Baron’ Muenchow, and Niles ‘Buck’ Day. They published only one paper a week, and they were not yet doing a shopper and did not yet own the North Iowa Times. In later years, she worked for Bill and Jack Howe, then for Gary and John Howe.
Grace worked at Howe Printing for about two years, then married Richard T. Nagle (Richard passed away in 1998) and moved to Grant County.
They moved back to Prairie du Chien in 1972 to her childhood home on S. Marquette Road. It was the house her parents built around 1918, and in which she was born. She remembers as a child ‘belly-flopping" in the snow on Marquette Road—an activity that would be impossible today with the constant flow of traffic.
Although Grace moved to senior apartments in1998, the house is still in the family. Her daughter runs an antique store there, Ol’ York Antiques (the street was called York Street when Grace was growing up). Shortly after Grace and her family moved back to town, Eliese Howe asked Grace if she would like to return to work and help gather papers (a process of adding advertising inserts and preparing the papers for distribution), so she returned to help with that and other office work.
In 1982, she was 62 years old and decided to retire. An added incentive for quitting was that she was told she’d have to learn to use a computer, and, she said, "I felt I just didn’t want to learn something like that at my age."
That retirement, however, was short lived. "I got bored doing nothing so I came back to work after a few months," she explained. Luckily, nobody asked her to operate a computer, and she took over the proofreading, which she continued until she retired the end of December, 2008. Very few mistakes made it past her keen eyes. She credits her ability to spot errors with years of reading. "I’ve always been a reader," she explained, "I have hundreds of books and I can’t leave this earth until I get them read."
This time, Grace thinks she’ll stay retired. "I decided it was time," she said, "and when I knew it was going to be a bad winter, I decided I’d rather stay home." She noted that there is a part of her that misses going to work. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the days she normally worked, "I get kind of antsy and think I should be at work," she said. Although she never did learn to work with the computers, Grace approves of the changes technology brought to running a newspaper and an office. She still grimaces when thinking about the work it took to correct a typed mistake on a bill or letter, especially when it had one or more smeary carbon copies which also had to be corrected.
There are other changes, however, which she does not see as improvements: "Before TV, we used to visit the neighbors and play cards a lot. TV is good, but we just don’t visit the way we used to." One thing she misses is a convenient grocery store. "It’s a shame that Prairie du Chien does not have a grocery store," she said, and listed the many food stores that used to be located on or near Blackhawk Avenue: A&P, Kroger’s, IGA, LaPointe’s Market, Scherlin’s, Reed’s Meat Market, Prairie City Groceries, Kasparek’s, Herold’s ,Jim Bemish’s Jack Spratt Store and Al Bemish’s store. There was also Jim Konichek’s Fruit Store, where she used to work when she was in high school.
Now that she’s retired, she will have more time to spend with family members. Grace has three children, Larry (Martha) Nagle, Shirley (Charles) DuCharme and Duane (Sandy) Nagle. She has 10 grandchildren and, to date, 25 great-grandchildren.
She also plans to spend a lot more time reading, but has volunteered to return and help out if there’s a crisis. "The Howe family," she concluded, "are the best employers anyone can have. They have always been so good to me through all my years there."
