Volunteers are needed for lunch and dinner and are as follows:

Tuesday, June 24th 10AM-12PM and/or 1PM-6PM  **There will be a special celebration tonight starting at 5PM.  The celebration has been organized by volunteers to  help raise the spirits of those working to restore Soldiers Grove and Gays Mills.  All are welcome!

Wednesday, June 25th 10AM-12PM and/or 1PM-6PM

There are meals to be prepped, meals to be served, dishes to be washed...please help out if you are able!  Your efforts will be very much appreciated!

If you would like additional information please contact David Burden at (608) 790~4914.

Right now the Valley Stewardship Network has several people in need (others offering help in the Gays Mills/Liberty Pole area) and a call out for those in the Viola area who can help elderly get groceries.  Call Jessica at 637-3615 for the latest.

VIROQUA, Wis. -- Vernon County Emergency Management officials are advising all residents who live below the following dams to evacuate immediately:

Runge Hollow and Duck Egg Dams, township of Jefferson

Yttri/Primmer, Seas Branch, Hidden Valley and Raaum Dams, township of Viroqua

Jacobson Dam, township of Webster

Ostrem Dam, township of Clinton

Thompson Dam, township of Franklin

Eagles Park and Sidie Hollow Dams, township of Sterling

Melby and Jersey Valley Dams, township of Christiana

Residents are being evacuated due to concerns over the dams' potential to fail, said Linda Nederlo, Vernon County Emergency Management public information officer. Residents should evacuate immediately, she said.

The Red Cross is opening a shelter at the Viroqua High School Commons Area.

Travel through Chaseburg was stopped all of Sunday due to flooding of the Coon Creek. Road washouts, mudslides and falling rocks from steep hillsides were widely reported. Nederlo said a mudslide was reported south of Genoa near the Dairyland Power Cooperative Electric Plant.

Nederlo said the Vernon County Emergency Operations Center was prepared to remain open this evening to help coordinate efforts to prevent injuries during the flooding.

Flood stage of the Kickapoo, on a real time basis and projected (in green), is available at NOAA. The projected for Gays Mills is not looking good when it casts out to Tuesday.

image from Southwestern_U

From an AP Story via CapTimes:

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan -- Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated today in a suicide bombing that also killed at least 20 others at a campaign rally, a party aide and a military official said.

"At 6:16 p.m. she expired," said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of Bhutto's party who was at Rawalpindi General Hospital where she was taken after the attack.

A senior military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment, confirmed that Bhutto had died.

Her supporters at the hospital began chanting "Dog, Musharraf, dog," referring to Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf. Some of them smashed the glass door at the main entrance of the emergency unit, others burst into tears.

The Red Cross has a food and supplies distribution center up and running at the Living Faith Church (852 N. Main Street - behind the Midway Motel and Main Street Kitchen) in Viroqua.  They have all of the volunteers they can handle but are having extreme difficulty spreading the word to those in need.  The distribution center has fresh milk, water, non-perishable food and clean-up kits all available for those in need...now we need to spread the word.

The Red Cross and VSN volunteers who have dedicated time to staffing the distribution center are concerned that those in need are not receiving available food, water and cleaning supplies.  The distribution center is open Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Please spread the word.  Reach out to those areas hard hit and let them know food and supplies are available to them.  If those in need are unable to travel to the distribution center consider distributing supplies, food and water to those requesting help.