Iowa’s quest to become the healthiest state in the nation is getting a boost. The latest “Kids Count” survey, which ranks all 50 states for the well being of children, places Iowa near the very top. Laura Speer, a spokeswoman for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, says they look at 16 key criteria, including: education, health, economic well being, and family and community conditions. “Iowa was ranked 4th overall in terms of the well being of its children,” Speer says. “Where Iowa is really a shining star is in the area of health. The state is ranked #1 best in the country in terms of the physical health of children.” Minnesota ranked first overall on this year’s Kids Count report, followed by New Hampshire and Massachusetts, with Iowa a close fourth. Speer says Iowa is a clear leader of all states in several categories.

We looked at things like the percent of low birth-weight babies, the percent of children who lack health insurance, the child and teen death rates and the percent of teens who abuse alcohol or drugs,” Speer says. “In those four measures, Iowa is ranked the best in the country.” In last year’s report, Iowa ranked third in the nation overall, so the state’s fourth-place showing this year represents a slight drop. Iowa’s lost a little ground in one category in particular, according to Speer.

“One of the areas that is most disconcerting is the percent of children living in poverty in the state,” Speer says. “It’s about 16% of all children in Iowa who are living below the poverty line in 2013. That’s actually higher than in was in 2008 when it was 14%.” Iowa’s child poverty level is fairly low compared to many other states but Speer says it was still unfortunate to see that figure rise. The lowest-ranked states on the list are: Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi. See the full report at the Annie E. Casey Foundation website: www.aecf.org.

(Radio Iowa)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant has been shut down for repairs roughly a month after a planned outage for maintenance and refueling. The Omaha Public Power District shut down the nuclear plant Monday after a water leak was discovered in one of Fort Calhoun’s four reactor coolant pumps after a seal failed.

The utility says the coolant water that leaked was contained inside the plant and treated. A spokeswoman says Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors are monitoring the repairs. Fort Calhoun sits along the Missouri River about 20 miles north of Omaha.

OPPD says the length of this outage will be determined by the repairs. If needed, the utility will buy electricity from other sources to maintain service. OPPD has more than 360,000 customers in 13 counties in southeast Nebraska.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — President Barack Obama has nominated a U.S. magistrate to fill an opening on the federal bench in Iowa. Obama nominated U.S. Magistrate Leonard Strand, of Sioux City, to replace U.S. District Judge Mark Bennett for the Northern District of Iowa. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Grassley will consider the nomination of Strand before it goes before the full Senate for its approval. Strand graduated from the University of Iowa law school in 1990 and had a private practice before becoming a magistrate judge in 2012.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — One of the first Iowa turkey farms to get bird flu is getting nearing the time at which birds can be restocked but most of the 77 farms affected are still weeks away from introduction of new flocks. Iowa Department of Agriculture officials say all farms have been cleared of dead chickens and turkeys but disposal of manure, compost and other waste continued at 18 farms. All birds that died or were euthanized have been incinerated, buried or taken to landfills.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say an arrest warrant has been issued for a 21-year-old man suspected in a road rage incident in which a motorist shot another vehicle carrying a couple and their children. Police say a warrant has been issued charging Jamar Cortez Wooten, of Des Moines, with four counts of intimidation with a dangerous weapon. His location is unknown. The charges stem from an incident July 9.

Iowa’s governor has ordered that flags be lowered to half-staff at sites throughout the state in honor of the five servicemen killed last week in Tennessee. Gov. Terry Branstad called for the state-controlled flags to be lowered from Tuesday through Monday. President Barack Obama has ordered flags flown at federal buildings and grounds to be lowered to half-staff until sunset Saturday. The action honors the four Marines and one Navy sailor killed in a shooting last week in Chattanooga, Tennessee.