Iowa has dropped a few spots in an annual ranking of the states on the health of adults aged 65 and older. The United Health Foundation’s report places Iowa 13th in the nation for senior health, down from 7th last year. Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) medical director Dr. Patricia Quinlisk says there’s plenty of positive news in the report, such as Iowa’s best-in-the-nation influenza vaccination rate among seniors.

“This means we do a pretty good job at protecting our seniors against one of the top 10 causes of death and that’s influenza and pneumonia,” Quinlisk says. The report shows just over 70-percent of Iowans 65-and-older got the flu vaccine last year. Nearly 30-percent of Iowa seniors are listed as being obese, placing the state as one of the worst in the nation in that category.

“This is an issue, obviously, because obesity can lead to other issues like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and other things that can very significantly impact our seniors and their health,” Quinlisk says. She notes the IDPH has several programs in place that are designed to improve older Iowans’ health. “We have quite a few programs that are trying to encourage people to get out there and move,” Quinlisk says. “Movement is basically anything that gets you up and off the couch, so you’re moving. It could be anything from walking around the block to gardening. It doesn’t necessarily mean going to the gym, wearing workout clothes, and things like that.”

Volunteerism among Iowa seniors ranks 6th in the nation, according to the America’s Health Rankings Senior Report. You can view the report in its entirety at www.americashealthrankings.org/senior

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

FOREST CITY, Iowa (AP) — Dozens of workers are readying a field in Forest City for a weekend country music festival featuring Brad Paisley and Toby Keith. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports the TreeTown Music Festival is set to begin Friday evening and continue through Sunday. Crews plan to set up the 106-foot-wide main stage today.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A former Dubuque school board member has been given two years of probation for getting into an argument with a bus driver in a country club parking lot. The Telegraph Herald reports Dubuque District Court Senior Judge Lawrence Fautsch sentenced 51-year-old George Davis yesterday to probation with a deferred judgment. Davis was accused in October 2012 of pounding on the hood of a bus at the Dubuque Golf and Country Club. He later apologized for the confrontation.

CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Charles City man faces federal weapons charges in connection to a high-speed chase in April. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports 21-year-old Franklin Foster faces multiple state charges in connection to the April 12th chase that cut through the city of Waverly. They include assault on a peace officer and trafficking stolen weapons.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A task force established by the Environmental Protection Agency to curtail farmland pollution that flows into the Mississippi River has reached an agreement with 12 universities, including Iowa State. The EPA says the agreement announced Wednesday brings additional expertise to develop farm runoff reduction strategies.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has granted a temporary injunction to two Christian colleges in Iowa and Michigan that halts a federal mandate requiring them to provide insurance coverage for certain contraceptives.

U.S. District Judge Mark W. Bennett’s ruling Wednesday is in response to a lawsuit filed in October by Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, and Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The schools argue the mandate violates their religious freedoms.

Gregory S. Baylor is an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian law group representing the schools. He says in a statement that Christian colleges should “remain free to operate according to their defining beliefs.”

The Justice Department has said the lawsuit is meritless and an attempt to prevent female employees from obtaining coverage.

In addition to approving a $2.2-million budget amendment during their special meeting Wednesday evening, the Atlantic School Board approved recommendations for new personnel, and resignations. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said High School Principal Heather McKay recommended the hiring of Marcus Upchurch to fill one of the existing openings in the English Department.

McKay also recommended CCEOC/Special Ed teacher Karen Vogl for the eight-day Summer Program working with the CCEOC (Cass County Educational Opportunity Center) students, which allows them to earn credit. She also recommended Lori Parrott to facilitate the ALEKS Math Program (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces). The program is used extensively at the EOC, and will serve as a “Math Recovery” program for the summer.

District Technology Coordinator Roger Warne requested the Board approve Kyle Beemer as an assistant to fill vacancies created by an employee who is scheduled to have knee surgery, while another is on vacation. Kyle has worked with the district in the past in a similar position.

Maintenance Director Russell Peck, recommended recommend the hiring of Craig Lukehart for a summer groundskeepers/maintenance position. Washington Principal Stacey Hornung recommend the Board approve Marsha Vonseggern. She would be utilized in a junior Kindergarten position.

Resignations approved by the Board include Schuler Para-Educator Linda Shafer, and Kathleen Blake, Central Office Secretary to the Business Manager. High School Social Studies Teacher Trace Petersen is resigning from the Assistant Varsity Basketball Coaching position. Daniel Vargesen is resigning as Assistant Freshman Football Coach. Maria Oltmans, High School English Instructor is resigning to take a position in a school district closer to her family. There were also staffing changes in the Food Service Department.

Administrators in the district noted there are still some teaching and/or coaching positions left to fill in the coming weeks.

The Atlantic School Board held a special meeting Wednesday evening at the high school and after much discussion, voted to approve a $2.2-million budget amendment for the 2013-2014 school year. The action came after the Board held a public hearing, during which there were no comments. Business Manager Mary Beth Fast explained there are four areas where a budget could be exceeded that would require a budget amendment. They include Construction, Support Services, Non-instructional programs and Total “Other” expenditures.

Atlantic School Board acts on Budget Amendment. (Ric Hanson/photo)

She said if a district exceeds expenses in any one of those areas, the budget should be amended. Fast said nearly 50-percent of Iowa’s school districts amend their budget at some point in time, some more than once. It is especially common she said, when a construction project is underway or was recently completed. The bulk of the Atlantic School District’s budget amendment comes in the area of Support Services.

Mary Beth said the biggest expenses came as the result of the installation wireless system at the Middle School, the Access Control System, Auditorium repairs/lights and sound, and the purchase of two new buses. Those items total around $303-thousand.

Board member Rod Hartwig was concerned about the 42-percent adjustment in the budget and wanted to know where the other $1.9-million is coming from. Fast says she’s “Hoping that’ll more than cover” what the district will need, but she “Would rather err on the side of certifying too much or amending too much, than to cut it close and have that area be exceeded.”  She went on to describe other expenses, much of which were computer-related.

The $2.2-million she said, would cover any additional expenses (bills) that arrive before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1st. Board President Kristy Pellett said she too, was concerned with the large amendment. She said if they failed to sufficiently plan for it 18-months ago, they need to make sure the plan for what they can spend, in the future.

Districts have until May 31st to amend their budget and submit it to their county auditor, or as late as June 30th, but if there was a protest from members of the community, there wouldn’t be enough time for the Iowa State Appeals Board to review render a decision, therefore the amendment would be void. Mary Beth Fast answered the question of “Why do you wait so long to amend your budget?,” by saying  districts are sometimes faced with unexpected expenditures, such as when the purchase of a bus is billed in one fiscal year instead of another, the timing of construction project and payments, curriculum materials being delivered before the end of the current budget year, and damages caused by severe weather that are not immediately reimbursed by insurance.