The Riverside Middle School in Carson will host its Second Annual Health and Wellness Fair this Thursday, March 15th, from 8:30-a.m. to 3:15-p.m.  The event, which is open to the public,  begins with a keynote address at 8:30-a.m. by Charity Campbell, Iowa’s Teacher of the Year, who serves at the Norwalk Middle School. Campbell was named Iowa’s Teacher of the Year in September, by Governor Terry Branstad.

The Health Fair portion of the days’ activities runs from 9-am until 2-pm. Sessions will cover: Health Insurance; Shaken Baby Syndrome; Muscle fatigue, endurance and strength; fitness activities, and more. In addition display tables will be available for viewing from: the Pottawattamie County Tobacco Prevention Coalition; Council Bluffs Convention and Visitors Bureau; East Pott. 4-H and ISU Extension; Riverside Youth Sports; Pott. Co. EMA and the Carson Fire Department, to name a few.

Health and Wellness checks will be offered during the Health and Wellness Fair, and include: Dental Screening; BMI (Body Mass Index); Blood pressure; Massage Therapy and Vision screeing. The day concludes with a “Think First” Assembly from 2:15-3:15pm, which is designed to educate young people about making good decisions.

The Riverside Middle School is located at 330 Pleasant Street, in Carson.

Over 73-thousand employees in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities could become state-licensed “direct care workers” if a bill that’s cleared the Iowa Senate becomes law. Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, says a task force worked for the past five years on the idea. “This bill is truly a step in the right direction to ensure that those who take care of the most vulnerable of Iowans have the training and qualifications to do so,” Jochum says. 

A-A-R-P lobbied for the legislation, arguing that if barbers, plumbers and massage therapists have to be licensed, then direct care workers who provide basic care to elderly, ill and disabled Iowans should, too. The bill would create a state board that would establish how many hours of education or training would be required to earn a direct care worker license. The board would also take complaints and keep a list of direct care workers who’ve been the subject of complaints. Jochum says by making the job a profession, that may address the “radical” turn-over of direct care workers. “We have anywhere from 60 to 67 percent turn-over annually that’s costing our taxpayers and employers about $189 million a year from the turn-over itself as we have to retrain and get everybody back up to speed,” Jochum says.

Iowa would become the first state to license direct care workers if the bill becomes law. The legislation faces a deadline as it must clear a committee in the Iowa House by the end of this week to remain eligible for consideration.

(O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

Local elected officials, area citizens, Local Emergency Planning (LEPC) Committee members, Emergency Management Coordinators and others, are invited to attend an April LEPC workshop to be held at the Cass County Community Center, in Atlantic. The workshop runs from 8:30-a.m. until 4:30-p.m. April 12th, and will feature speakers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), EMA officials from around Iowa, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), DNR, the Iowa Department of Homeland Security/Emergency Management, and more.

A $15 workshop fee covers all the materials you will receive, breaks, and a luncheon. Each workshop attendee will receive a notebook with copies of all the workshop presentations, and a CD-ROM packed full of information. The workshop is limited to 50 participants, and reservations are required.

Send your check or money order payable to: 2012 LEPC Workshop, Iowa DNR, 502 E. 9th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319. You also need to include your name, organization you are affiliated with (if any), your address (including City, State & Zip code), a daytime phone number, and your e-mail address. For questions, call 515-725-0302.

A downloadable program schedule and registration form is available here:

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/epcra/lepc_flyer2012.pdf

A former West Harrison School District High School & Middle School Principal has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of Simple Assault, in connection with an alleged incident involving a female student in January. According to the Omaha World-Herald, Mike Loftin was arrested after he turned himself in to authorities. Loftin later posted a $300 bond and was ordered to appear in court April 27^th. If convicted, Loftin could be fined up to $625 and face up to 30-days in jail. He’s accused of pulling down the warm-up pants of a 15-year old girl on January 20^th, when the teen came out of a locker room, just before the teen and other students were to board a bus for a basketball game. Loftin was fired from his job at the end of January.