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The 17th annual BVRMC AWARE 5K Walk/ Run and Kid’s Fun Run was held Saturday, Sept. 21. We had 390 participants and raised almost $20,000 for cancer awareness. These funds will help support patients receiving cancer treatment at BVRMC.
We want to thank BVRMC Maintenance/ Security and the Storm Lake Public Safety Department for helping with this important event.
A big thank you to the Storm Lake and Newell-Fonda High School cheerleaders, the Buena Vista University girls soccer team and BVRMC employees who volunteered their time.
We couldn’t have done it without the financial support of our sponsors: Buena Vista Regional Medical Center, Buena Vista General Surgery, BVRMC Pharmacy, Central Bank, The Citizens 1st National Bank, June E. Nylen Cancer Center, Northwest Iowa Bone, Joint and Sports Surgeons, Security Trust and Savings Bank, Tyson Foods, United Bank of Iowa, United Community Health Center and Brown’s Shoe Fit Co.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to helping patients fighting cancer at BVRMC. Your support helps them buy prosthetic supplies, recovery items, wigs, pay medical bills, and cover gas or groceries.
If you have any questions about receiving funds, please contact the BVRMC Oncology and Infusion Department at 712-213-8672.
We are grateful for all the support in making this year’s AWARE 5K a meaningful success. Make plans to join us for next year’s event on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025!
Elissa Doebel, Event organizer
Lisa Alesch, Amber Chrischilles, Lexanne Clapp, Deb Colshan, Evan Franzmeier, Coleen Imming, Danielle Schlenger, Katie Schwint
The year was 1990. My husband, Jeff, and I had an adorable little toddler girl and I was pregnant with our second child. We had just had our appointment and heard the heartbeat. Then on Saturday of Labor Day Weekend that year, I started bleeding. We called our medical provider and were told to take it easy and keep in contact with them. By Monday morning, I was miscarrying. We called our medical provider and were told to head to the ER and she would let the ER know that we were on our way. Our doctor “delivered” my fetus that had died inside me. After that, I needed an outpatient surgery called a D & C before we left the hospital.
It was one of the worst days of my life and my husband’s life. In fact, it was the only day that I’ve ever seen my husband panic as we were making that drive to the hospital. Never did it ever occur to me that I wouldn’t be taken care of at the hospital. Because of the medical care I received, we were able to have a healthy baby boy the following year.
As the stories of the deaths of women who could not obtain medical care for their miscarriages due to abortion bans in more than 20 states, I felt the need to share the story of my miscarriage. Prior to modern medicine, maternal death was fairly common. So many complications can and do occur in pregnancy. But prior to the Roe v. Wade Decision in 1973, complications from miscarriages and botched abortions were treated in hospitals with medical providers. These abortion bans have carved out an exception for hospitals and medical providers to NOT provide medical care for patients experiencing a pregnancy loss. Is there any law that prohibits hospitals and medical providers to not provide medical care to men and boys? No, the abortion ban only puts girls’ and women’s lives at risk. Accounts of women dying, due to not being treated when they are miscarrying, are now coming to light.
And according to Pregnancy Justice, there are now at least 210 women who had criminal complaints filed against them including accounts of women being arrested and spending time in jail following their miscarriage. To lose a pregnancy is a terrible, emotional journey. And now some women are going through that grieving process while sitting in a jail cell.
Our Iowa Republican governor and our supermajority Republican legislature passed a six week abortion ban that was voted on during a one day special session on July 11. We can expect that our very aggressive Republican Attorney General will be prosecuting Iowa women involving pregnancy loss. Iowa medical providers will not be able to help Iowa women and girls with pregnancy complications due to our Republican legislators having passed a law that will revoke their medical licenses and put them in jail if they help women when their pregnancies are in crisis. Our State Representative Megan Jones and our State Senator Lynn Evans both voted for the law. The Republican Plan called Project 2025 has a goal of passing a nationwide abortion ban should the Republican presidential candidate win in November.
There is a better choice. Democrats will return to girls, women and their medical providers the freedom that has been stripped away from them by the Republican Party. Choose freedom. Vote Democrat!
Marcia Brighton-Brebner, Newell
When a couple deeply desires and joyfully celebrates a pregnancy, what happens when the woman’s body rejects that pregnancy?
A woman who experiences an ectopic pregnancy or early term incomplete miscarriage has no choice. There is no baby to be saved. The only life to be saved is that of the woman whose body can’t sustain the pregnancy.
When this occurs in a state with an abortion ban, the unthinkable unfolds. Imagine that you or your loved one arrives at a clinic, emotionally distressed, bleeding and in severe pain. You’re told to leave and handle it on your own until you’re closer to death.
This inhumanity is happening because of ‘pro-life’ abortion bans. What is pro-life about withholding medical care and endangering the life of a woman who has lost a pregnancy? What is pro-life about delaying treatment and robbing that woman of the ability to conceive in the future?
Abortion bans go beyond choice. They torture women who lose a pregnancy through no choice of their own — approximately one million in the US annually.
Who would criminalize a patient who seeks and a physician who provides basic medical care? The people we elected mandated this brutality. Elections have consequences.
Bonnie Boothroy, Iowa City
Don’t take my word for it. Consider the assessment of Mr. Trump by those who have seen him up close.
“He will always put his own interests, and gratifying his own ego, ahead of everything else, including the country's interest,” Bill Barr, Attorney General.
“The depth of his dishonesty is just astounding to me... he is the most flawed person I have ever met in my life,” John Kelly, Secretary Homeland Security and White House Chief of Staff.
“His understanding of global events, his understanding of global history, his understanding of U.S. history was really limited,” Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State.
“Trump has this impression that foreign leaders, especially adversaries, hold him in high regard, that he’s got a good relationship with Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un. In fact, the exact opposite is true. I have been in those rooms with him when he’s met with those leaders. I believe they think he is a laughing fool,” John Bolton, National Security Advisor.
“Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States... President Trump demanded that I choose between him and the Constitution,” Mike Pence, Vice President.
“The President has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically or to be governed by uniform set of rules and practices,” Richard V. Spencer, Secretary of the Navy.
“He is more dangerous than anyone could ever imagine,” James Mattis, Secretary of Defense.
Character matters. Truth matters. Our Constitution matters. Your vote matters; consider it carefully and vote for Harris and Walz!
Christine Greene Louscher, Algona
Ryan Melton was recently endorsed by Republican Kevin Virgil who ran against Randy Feenstra. Why? Because Virgil reports that Melton is:
Ryan Melton is a man of good character who would work for all Iowans and listen and legislate in good faith.
Vote for Melton!
Scott Buchanan, Algona
The October issue of Atlantic magazine has a very provocative, striking picture on its cover. There is a dark foreboding stormy sky, a dead tree with skeletal arms reaching naked into the sky, danger lurking everywhere. Everything is dark except for the bright red coach hurtling recklessly toward our nation’s capitol.
Who are the passengers in that bright red coach? Who is the coachman, red hat perched on his head, wispy hair blowing wildly in the wind, lashing the horses mercilessly?
There is only one passenger, a very tired and defeated looking old elephant, chains holding him in place as he looks out of the bars. Clearly there is no escape for the poor old beast. And the coachman? Trump, diabolic, intent on regaining power, long black whip lashing and lashing the horses as he drives them on towards our nation's capitol.
And our capitol is waiting there, seemingly defenseless against the coming deluge. It should be obvious to everyone that the sad old elephant is totally under the control of the coachman and will do nothing to stop him as he tears down our democracy. After the insurrection on Jan. 6, there was some initial condemnation from elected Republican officials but eventually almost all of them kissed the ring, bowed down at his golden alter and utterly subjected and humiliated themselves and rejoined the MAGA cult.
Today they are all cheering him on, nominated him to be their candidate again, and are choosing to continue to ignore his hateful lies, racism, fascism and increasingly dangerous rhetoric. The Republicans who refused to subjugate themselves and are speaking out give me hope that once again there will be an honorable Republican party in America. But this is not that day.
So who will save our capitol, our democracy? I think we have learned there are no guard rails that have been successful in stopping Trump. The only thing that seems capable of holding him accountable, to stop him is us, our vote. I like to imagine that standing in front of our seemingly defenseless capitol there are millions and millions of ordinary Americans, ballots in hand, telling the mad coachman: “YOU SHALL NOT PASS.”
Barbara Paulding, Russell
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