We hear a lot about how many children are going hungry in this country, but a new campaign aims to raise awareness about low-income senior citizens who routinely skip meals or buy poor quality food to survive. Jo Ann Jenkins, president of the AARP Foundation, says Iowa is among the better states for an elderly person to live, according to a new study.

“Iowa ranks 41st out of 50 states who face the threat of senior hunger,” Jenkins says. “There are roughly four-percent of seniors in the state who face the threat of hunger every day.” Through the national effort called Drive to End Hunger, Jenkins says Iowans can help to tackle the problem.

Jenkins says, “We want to really engage people at all levels, whether you’re an individual who can make a donation to our DriveToEndHunger-dot-org website, or bring food or volunteer at a local food bank, or if you’re a corporation, we want you to join with us.” The study finds more than six-million Americans over the age of 60 are facing the threat of hunger daily. That number is expected to increase by 75-percent by 2025.

“These statistics are from the latest research from Meals on Wheels,” she says. “Meals on Wheels is one of the organizations who actually goes out and delivers a nutrutional hot meal to seniors across the country so we use their statistics for this information.” Whether you give five-dollars or five-thousand, or have five minutes or five hours to volunteer, she says every bit counts.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

The Iowa State Patrol says a Wisconsin man who was critically injured during a motorcycle crash Monday evening in Pottawattamie County, has died.  Officials report 52-year old Micheal S. Rismeyer, of Deloit, WI,  who was flown by helicopter from the scene of the crash, to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha died from his injuries today (Tuesday). The accident happened at around 5:45-p.m. Monday, near the Interstate 80/I-680 split in Pottawattamie County.

The Patrol says Rismeyer was traveling west on I-80 and entering a curve, when for reasons unknown, the 2000 Harley Davidson motorcycle he was driving went off the road to the right.  Rismeyer was tossed off the bike after he applied the brakes, which caused the cycle to flip over.

The man ended up in a ditch near the shoulder of the road, while his cycle came to rest in the ditch.

A woman from Oakland was killed and two Council Bluffs residents, including an on-duty police offcer, were injured during a crash late Monday night near the Horseshoe Casino, in Council Bluffs. The Iowa State Patrol says 88-year old Katherine Schmidt, of Oakland died at Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, from injuries she suffered in the crash.

Schmidt was a passenger in a 2001 Ford Taurus driven by 60-year old Jeanette Linnenburger, of Council Bluffs. Linnenburger, and the driver of the other vehicle, 34-year old Josh Horner, a police officer from Council Bluffs, were injured during the crash and also taken to Mercy Hospital.

Horner was part of the traffic detail for a fireworks show taking place at the casino.

Officials say Linnenburger and Schmidt were headed west on 23^rd Avenue at around 9:15-p.m. Monday, when the car they were in turned south into the Horseshoe Casino parking lot. Officer Horner was traveling east on 23^rd Avenue in his 2008 Ford Crown Victoria police cruiser, and tried to avoid colliding with the Taurus, but was unable to do so. His cruiser hit Linnenburger’s car on the right front side.

The accident remains under investigation by the State Patrol, and the Council Bluffs Police Department Traffic Unit.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Council Bluffs police say a 3-year-old girl was hospitalized after she fell out of a window while watching fireworks.

Investigators say Aliyah Polascik fell 9 feet out of a window on Sunday night. Police said she was apparently watching fireworks on the street from a porch window. The girl was standing on the sofa with her hands on the screen when it gave way.

Police said they believe the fall was an accident, but still have interviews to do. The girl was listed in stable condition.

Congressman Tom Latham says congress will conduct hearings to examine the way the Army Corps of Engineers has managed the Missouri River.  “Is it managed for flood control or is it managed to protect endangered species? Is it managed for recreational purposes upriver?” Latham says. “Those are questions that we’re going to have to investigate.” Critics say the Corps is too concerned with the recreation level of reservoirs upstream, and doesn’t give enough weight to the concerns of downstream residents.

“Certainly I think the master manual needs to be revised, so that once again flood control is the number one priority,” Latham says, “as was intended when these dams were built in the first place.” Latham, a Republican, currently lives in Ames — about 200 miles from the Missouri River. But Latham intends to move to Des Moines soon and plans to seek reelection in 2012 in the new congressional district that will include both Des Moines and Council Bluffs and the southwest stretch of Iowa that borders the Missouri River.

Last Wednesday Latham visited Glenwood and Sidney, cities that are in Iowa’s new third congressional district. Congressman Leonard Boswell, a Democrat from Des Moines, also intends to run in that new southwest Iowa district. Boswell visited Hamburg and Council Bluffs last Monday.

(O.Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

A company that helps businesses find employees is trying to recruit native Iowans, who moved away, back to the state. Manpower spokesperson Kathy Joblinske says the program is designed to specifically help companies that are having a hard time filling certain openings. “We created this Welcome Home to Iowa program, which really focuses on recruiting talent back to the state,” Joblinske said. “We’re letting people know there are amazing jobs here in Iowa at all different levels.” Iowa has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S. and more Baby Boomers will be retiring soon.

“That means there are fewer workers that are going to be in that working age…as a matter of fact, we have 18,000 people leaving the working age in the state of Iowa by 2013. That’s a very alarming number,” Joblinske said. Manpower launched the Welcome Home to Iowa program last November – recruiting former Iowans back to the state through a combination of social media and word of mouth. Joblinske says many Iowa natives are interested in moving back, but they don’t believe the job they’re looking for will be available.

“So, our job is to match them up with the employers that have those needs as well as provide support to that candidate in moving back,” Joblinske said. Manpower agencies across the state have partnered with chambers of commerce and businesses in the recruitment effort. Joblinske says engineers and skill trades people are in especially high demand in Iowa.

LINK: http://us.manpower.com/us/en/about-manpower/welcome-home-iowa.jsp

(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)

Mo. River flooding, Monona-Harrison Co. line

Federal, state and local officials this week will begin damage assessments of homes impacted by flooding along the Missouri River. Joyce Flinn, with the Iowa Emergency Management Division, says the inspection teams will include representatives from her office as well as FEMA and the Small Business Administration.

“This will actually be an aerial assessment at this time because many of those homes are inundated with water,” Flinn said. The assessments will begin Wednesday (July 6) in Monona, Harrison, Pottawattamie, Mills and Fremont Counties. Flinn says an assessment of homes in Woodbury County will be conducted later. The work will help state officials who are seeking federal funding to assist

“There are different degrees of damage, but if a home sits in a lot of water for several months – regardless if it’s eight feet of water or three feet of water – it’s probably going to be destroyed,” Flinn said. State officials currently estimate more than 500 homes, mostly in rural Iowa, have major damage or have been destroyed in the Missouri River flooding.

(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)

AMES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Transportation says it will delay the installation of a flood wall along parts of U.S. Highway 30. The work closure had been scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, west of Missouri Valley. Because of the delay, the road will remain open to travel on Tuesday.

The department says flood water is still filling the basin that extends north and south of the highway, but appears to be leveling. Water has stabilized south of the highway, and is only rising slightly to the north. Department officials say they will notify the public of any future flood work along the highway after the department further assesses the site conditions.