friday takeout

The Iowa Association of Professional Fire Chiefs has awarded the 2022 Waldorf University/Iowa Association of Professional Fire Chiefs Lt. Eric Hosette Memorial Scholarship to our own Jesse Coulson! In addition to his role as an Emergency Services Program Director at the College, Jesse also serves as a Lieutenant in the Dubuque Fire Department. Coulson was chosen from applicants from across the state in winning this year’s scholarship.

“I am honored to accept the Iowa Association of Professional Fire Chiefs Lt. Eric Hosette Memorial Scholarship and am very grateful for being selected. I will use this privilege to continue my personal growth and to help advance the fire service into the future!” Jesse said.

The scholarship named in honor of Clinton Firefighter, Lt. Eric Hosette, who was killed in the line of duty in Jan. 5, 2019, during a fire in a grain bin. Lt. Hosette was also Chief of the Charlotte Fire Department in Iowa. The scholarship was presented to Jesse on April 5 at the spring conference of Iowa Association of Professional Fire Chiefs. The full-ride scholarship provides funding for the online bachelor’s degree program at Waldorf University and is intended to promote higher education for Iowa’s fire service members.

Have you ever heard of a Walking School Bus? According to Safe Routes to School, "A walking school bus is a group of children walking to school with one or more adults. That may sound simple, and that is part of the appeal. It can be as informal as two families taking turns walking their children to school or as structured as a planned route with meeting points, a timetable and a schedule of trained volunteers." It's also a healthy way for kids and their families to get to school while also being healthy for the earth. The typical passenger vehicle in the U.S. emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. If you're like me and have a hard time visualizing this, picture this: one metric ton is equivalent to 9 Lebron Jameses, 16 full beer kegs, 220 house cats or 5,155 iPhone 11s. During Earth Week, in partnership with Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission’s Safe Routes to School program, we will be leading a Walking School Bus at Riceville Community School to encourage a more Earth-friendly way to get to school.

Have you thought about what you're going to do during Earth Week? If you haven't taken our NICC Pledge for the Planet, commuting to school/work in a less carbon-intensive way is a great choice! Let us know what you decide to do!