Posted By Mary Zielinski The Washington County Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 8 opened with the submission of an approximate 250-signature petition from Washington County nursing facilities asking the board to institute a county mask mandate immediately. Presented during the public comment segment, the package given to the board contained the petitions as well as letters from the facilities’ administrators, including from Kalona’s Pleasantview Home, asking for help to protect the most vulnerable populations in the county. The letters outline all precautions taken that include no outside visitors, keeping residents in their rooms, no communal dining, no group gatherings and no family visitors. Even with all precautions observed, there have been deaths at the facilities, the board was told.