United Group Insurance

Report estimates 73,000 Iowans will have Alzheimer’s Disease by 2025

News

March 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A new report shows 62-thousand (62,000) Iowans have Alzheimer’s Disease and that number is expected to grow to 73,000 in just over a decade. Carol Sipfle, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Iowa, says the annual report has more disturbing facts about the disease’s impact in the state. “We have the third highest death rate from Alzheimer’s Disease in the country. I think that’s pretty startling,” Sipfle says. “In Iowa, it’s the fifth leading cause of death, while nationally it’s the sixth leading cause of death.”

Iowa has one of highest percentages of residents 65 and older in the country, but Sipfle is quick to point out that Alzheimer’s isn’t just a disease that strikes the elderly. Sipfle says the disease remains widely misunderstood, as many people mistakenly believe it’s simply about memory loss. “It’s so much more than just memory loss, it’s something that kills people,” Sipfle says. “As the brain deteriorates from Alzheimer’s Disease, yes, people do lose their memory, but it impacts their personality, their ability to think, it has a physical impact, and ultimately people will die either from Alzheimer’s Disease or with Alzheimer’s Disease.”

The report from the Alzheimer’s Association (2014 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures) features information about how the disease impacts primarily women. Sipfle is calling on the federal government to invest in Alzheimer’s research as heavily as it does breast cancer. “You know, women are afraid of breast cancer, and rightly so, but what this report tells us is that by the time women are in their 60s, they’re almost twice as likely to get Alzheimer’s as they are to get breast cancer,” Sipfle said.

The report states a woman’s estimated lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s at age 65 is 1 in 6, compared with nearly 1 in 11 for a man. For more information:  www.alz.org/greateriowa.

(Radio Iowa)

NWS Forecast for Cass & area Counties: 3/20/2014

Weather

March 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

3:59 AM CDT THU MAR 20 2014

EARLY THIS MORNING…MOSTLY CLEAR. SOUTHWEST WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

TODAY…SUNNY…WARMER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S. SOUTHEAST WIND NEAR 5 MPH INCREASING TO SOUTH 10 TO 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE UPPER 30S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

FRIDAY…SUNNY…BREEZY. HIGH IN THE MID 50S. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH INCREASING TO 15 TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY…COLDER. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTHWEST WIND 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTH 10 TO 15 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

SATURDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. COLDER. HIGH IN THE UPPER 30S. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOW AROUND 20.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 30S.

Investigation refutes Bluffs’ ranking as one of 100 most dangerous cities in the U-S

News

March 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

An investigation by The Daily NonPareil indicates a website’s ranking of Council Bluffs as one of the 100 most dangerous cities in the country, is misleading. The paper cites a number of errors in the NeighborhoodScout.com report, that ranked Council Bluffs 56th in the nation in the “100 most dangerous places to live in the U.S.” list. The report used information from the 2012 FBI Uniform Crime Report released in November of 2013 to make its assessment.

Retired Council Bluffs Police Chief Ralph O’Donnell and Capt. Terry LeMaster pointed out the report’s errors to the paper while discussing the ranking. LeMaster said in 2012 the department switched software for tracking crimes and also switched how the information was recorded. In the past, members of the department’s records division took field reports and entered them into the system, but with the new software, created by the Iowa Department of Transportation, officers in the field began entering the information. There was a glitch that caused the program to list incidents such as a Simple Assault, as an Aggravated Assault (a more serious crime) in the field called “Uniform Crime Report.”

Another example cited by O’Donnell, was a single incident being reported as more than one crime. For instance, if during a vehicle burglary a window was broken, the shattered window went down as criminal mischief on top of the burglary.

The year in which the error was occurring, 2012, showed 590 aggravated assaults, compared to 416 in 2013 – after the fix – and 486 in 2011, before the process change occurred. The department fixed the problem and returned to its old method, having records personnel input reports. The report may also be misleading based on how other cities disclose their crime.

The FBI, for its part, warns against using the report for rankings or comparison, for caveats that include the fact that not everybody reports, and some agencies may leave out information or report extra information to garner more of those federal funds. The Bureau warns that using the crime report to create rankings is a simplistic route to examining the data that provides “no insight into the many variables that mold the crime in a particular region,” including demographics and geography, according to the report’s website. Furthermore, it says the rankings “Lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that often create misleading perceptions.”

Woodbury County to detour drivers on Highway 20

News

March 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Woodbury County in western Iowa has approved repair plans for part of a two-lane highway that will eventually be widened. The county board agreed Tuesday to grade part of U.S. Highway 20 in 2016. The paving process will close the road west of Correctionville, and is part of a bigger plan to widen a 12-mile section of the two-lane roadway.

The Sioux City Journal reports the plans will require a detour onto eight miles of County Road D22, also known as Old Highway 20. That county road will be widened and repaired in 2015 in preparation for the extra traffic. The state Department of Transportation says the current widening project, between two miles east of Moville through Correctionville, is scheduled to be completed in 2017.

Iowa early News Headlines: Thu., March 20th 2014

News

March 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press …

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A plan to extend a tax break provided last year to the Iowa Speedway at Newton has moved forward in the Iowa House. The proposal received preliminary approval yesterday from a House Ways and Means subcommittee. It will now be subject to committee-level review. The racetrack in Newton receives a state sales tax rebate under current law, but the rebate is limited to sales occurring before January 1st, 2016.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Woodbury County in western Iowa has approved repair plans for part of a two-lane highway that will eventually be widened. The county board agreed Tuesday to grade part of U.S. Highway 20 in 2016. The Sioux City Journal reports the paving process will close the road west of Correctionville, and is part of a bigger plan to widen a 12-mile section of the two-lane roadway.

ROCKFORD, Iowa (AP) — The old Rockford dam on the Shell Rock River has been removed. The Mason City Globe Gazette says the project had started at the end of January. Officials had discussed removing the dam for more than a decade.

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Jarnell Stokes dominated inside as Tennessee rallied for a 78-65 victory over Iowa on Wednesday night in the NCAA’s First Four. Iowa managed only one free throw during overtime in Ohio, ending a stressful day for coach Fran McCaffery. The coach started the day in Iowa with his teenage son Patrick, who had surgery to remove a thyroid tumor.

Martinez, Gibson sharp in starts; Cards beat Twins 3-1

Sports

March 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — St. Louis’ Carlos Martinez and Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson each enhanced their chances of earning a spot in their team’s rotation with solid outings, and the Cardinals beat the Twins 3-1 on Wednesday. Martinez cruised into the fifth, holding the Twins to one hit, but Jason Bartlett had an RBI single to right-center in the sixth that ended the right-hander’s scoreless string at 14 innings.

For Bartlett, the hit was his first of the spring in 27 at-bats. Making his fourth appearance — second start — Gibson limited the Cardinals to Matt Adams’ second homer of spring training in 4 1-3 innings. Gibson allowed four hits.

Peter Bourjos doubled and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by Samuel Deduno in the eighth inning.

JERRY BICE, 52, of Des Moines (Svcs. at a later date)

Obituaries

March 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

JERRY BICE, 52, of Des Moines, died Tue., March 18th, at his home in Des Moines. Memorial services for JERRY BICE will be held at a later date. Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold has the arrangements.

JERRY BICE is survived by:

His parents – Walter Leroy and Delores Bice of Griswold.

His sisters – Debra Bradburn of Rialto, CA, Carla Peirson of Sioux City, IA, and Lana Thompson of Lake Ozark, MO.

His brother – Keith Bice of Columbus, NE.

Vols rally to beat Iowa 78-65 in OT at First Four

Sports

March 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Jarnell Stokes dominated inside as Tennessee finally caught up in the closing minutes of regulation, and then opened overtime with a three-point play that got the Volunteers headed to a 78-65 victory over Iowa on Wednesday night in the NCAA’s First Four. The Volunteers’ late comeback sent them Raleigh, N.C., where they’ll play sixth-seeded Massachusetts on Friday in the Midwest Regional.

Tennessee (22-12) didn’t lead until Antonio Barton’s 3-pointer put the Vols up 59-57 with 3:05 left regulation. There were five lead changes before the Vols’ Jordan McRae missed a jumper missed at the buzzer, leaving it tied at 64. Stokes’ three-point play was the key moment in his 18-point, 13-rebound performance. Iowa (21-13) managed only one free throw in overtime, ending a hectic and stressful day for coach Fran McCaffery.

McCaffery started the day in Iowa with his teenage son Patrick, who had surgery to remove a thyroid tumor.

5 area residents charged with Minor in Possession

News

March 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Five people from Audubon and Cass Counties were charged with Minor In Possession (MIP) of Alcohol, following a traffic stop Tuesday in Cass County. The Sheriff’s Office reports the driver of the vehicle, 19-year old Kelsey Ann Muhr, of Exira, was arrested on charges of OWI/1st offense, MIP and Reckless Driving. She was brought to the Cass County Jail and released Wednesday, on her own recognizance.

Four passengers in her car: 20-year old Dillon Gene Linn, and Madeline Joanne Binter, both of Atlantic; 19-year old Gary Allen Carter, of Exira, and 18-year old Abigail Louise Bintner, of Brayton, were each charged with Minor In Possession.

Massena man arrested Wed. on assault & other charges

News

March 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office report the arrest on Wednesday of a Massena man on a trio of charges. 24-year old Michael Russell Robinson, was taken into custodty on charges of Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree, Domestic Abuse Assault 2nd Offense, and Violation of No Contact Order. Robinson was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $7300 bond.

And on Monday, Cass County deputies arrested 21-year old Jorge Ariel Perez Adams, of Muscatine, on a charge of Driving While Barred. Adams was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on $2000 bond.