Authorities in Clarinda report the escape this morning of an inmate from the Clarinda Correctional Facility Lodge. 38-year old Rodney Eugene Long got away sometime this (Friday) morning.

Rodney Eugene Long (photo #1)

Upon further review it was determined that Long escaped over the recreation yard fence sometime between 4:10 a.m. and 7 a.m. Long is a white male, five-feet nine-inches tall, about 144-pounds. He has  brown hair and brown eyes. He also  has tattoos on his right and left wrists. Long was last seen wearing blue jeans, gray tee-shirt, white tennis shoes. He may possibly be carrying a bag pack fashioned out of laundry.

Emergency procedures and notifications, including local, county and state law enforcement agencies were implemented once the escape was discovered. Clarinda Correctional Facility security personnel were assisting authorities with the area search. It is not known if Long is on foot or has been picked up by another party.

Long is serving a five-year sentence from Appanoose County for third-degree burglary. His sentence began March 15th following a probation revocation. Long was transferred to Clarinda on April 30th. If you see Rodney Eugene Long do not approach him, but call your nearest law enforcement agency immediately, 9-1-1, the Clarinda Police Department at (712) 542-2194, or Page County Sheriff’s Department at (712) 542-5193.

Rodney Long (2nd pic)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The medical director for the Iowa Department of Public Health is warning against the tapeworm diet.  In her weekly email to public health workers around Iowa, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk recounted a recent incident: A physician sought the department’s help for a patient who said she’d swallowed a tapeworm she’d bought over the Internet. The woman was hoping the parasite would help her lose weight.

Quinlisk says hucksters sold tapeworm eggs in pill form as a weight-loss aid a century ago. She says ingesting them “is extremely risky and can cause a wide range of undesirable side effects, including rare deaths.” Tapeworms can live for years in the intestines and grow to several feet long. They can be accidentally ingested in undercooked meat.  An anti-worm medication was advised for the woman.