DES MOINES – Fall is a great time for one in four Iowans to take a few simple steps to protect their pocket books, their septic systems and Iowa’s waters.  The Iowa DNR is encouraging Iowans with septic systems to celebrate SepticSmart Week, Sept.16 to 24, a nationwide campaign sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Septic failures are most likely to occur when they’re neglected, and failures are costly. Routine inspections and maintenance may reduce those future costs. In addition to routine maintenance, Iowans can help by examining their own septic habits. Identifying harmful products before they go down the drain will lead to improved water quality, better health, and save homeowners money and a lot of heartache.

“Everything we put down the drain has an impact on our septic system’s health,” says Cory Frank, the Iowa DNR On-site Wastewater Coordinator. “Dishwasher pods, liquid drain cleaners, even the type of toilet paper you use can cause significant damage to your system and the environment, and potentially cost you thousands of dollars.”

Performing routine septic system maintenance and identifying harmful products before they go down the drain will lead to improved water quality, better health, and save homeowners money.

The EPA offers six simple tips to keep your system performing optimally:

• Don’t Strain your Drain—use water efficiently and stagger washing, dishwashing and other high water uses.
• Think at the Sink—avoid pouring fats, solids and harsh chemicals down the drain.
• Don’t Overload the Commode—flush only toilet paper, not tissues, wipes, paper towels, pet litter or any other trash.
• Shield your Field—no parking and no tree planting keeps septic fields functioning.
• Pump your Tank—follow your professional’s recommendations.
• Protect it and Inspect it—service the system every one to three years.

You can find additional information on septic system operations, maintenance, and water quality resources at iowadnr.gov/septic, and also on the SepticSmart website.

(Radio Iowa) -Heart disease is the #1 killer in Iowa, claiming more than 7,000 lives a year, and without some lifestyle changes, health officials say those numbers will only rise.

McKenna Schmidt, wellness education specialist at Gundersen Health System, says many Iowans face critical risks from heart disease based on factors they -can’t- control, like their age, race, gender or family history.

“There are some risk factors that we can control, and those include living a sedentary lifestyle, so lack of physical activity and exercise can contribute to cardiovascular disease,” Schmidt says. “Poor diet can also be a risk factor, and tobacco use can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease as well.”

McKenna Schmidt (Gundersen photo)

Seek out avenues that will help to reduce stress, and she says if you smoke, quit, that’s in addition to getting moving with exercise and eating right.

“The recommendation is to get about 150 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly,” Schmidt says. “Getting enough sleep, about seven to nine hours is the recommended amount of sleep that we should be getting each night. Eating a well-balanced diet, that includes a lot of fruits and vegetables, and eliminating or reducing processed foods is important.”

Some Iowans, even those with good health insurance, don’t bother to get annual physicals or they might not even have a doctor they see on a regular basis.

“It’s important to establish care with a primary care provider if you don’t have one, because if something does come up, you have easier access to be able to reach out to them with questions,” she says. “So it’s really important to establish care with a provider, and then, they can always refer you on to specialty areas if needed.”

A recent study predicted more than 60-percent of adults will have heart disease by 2050, and that over the next three decades, Americans are -unlikely- to make any lifestyle changes to prevent it.

Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

(Radio Iowa) – A wanted Ohio man was arrested in southeast Iowa this week while trying to escape a manhunt in a neighboring state. The Albia Police Department received reports of a suspicious man near Albia High School. The man, later identified as 46-year-old Victor Ferris, left the area and was later arrested by law enforcement in the Albia town square. Authorities discovered Ferris had an active arrest warrant in Peoria, Illinois, for allegedly stealing an SUV with a three-year-old boy still inside the vehicle on September 4th.

Albia Police Chief Jacob Miller says Ferris attempted to train hop to Des Moines to escape, but was spotted by a BNSF employee while the train was in Albia. Ferris jumped off the train and was later seen near the high school. Ferris is currently in the Monroe County Jail. He faces additional charges of trespassing, interference with official acts, and malicious prosecution for his alleged actions in Albia.

Illinois prosecutors say there are plans to extradite Ferris. The boy inside of the stolen vehicle was later found unharmed at a gas station and returned to his family.

ATLANTIC, IOWA — Officials with Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) say they recently welcomed Allie Strauss to serve in a newly created position as Building Permits Technician. According to the organization, the role of Building Permits Tech had become vital to SWIPCO, in order to continue to provide high quality service to the public and its member communities as more cities utilize SWIPCO for building permits, rental inspections, and code enforcement.

The overall goal of the position is to allow inspectors to spend more time in the field while providing administrative support to city hall staff who are typically stretched thin. Adopting and enforcing modern building codes is becoming more common in Iowa as some funding and grant programs require it and communities in general look to protect and maintain their building stock.

Allie Strauss (Swipco photo)

Strauss carries experience from her previous role as an insurance quote specialist supervisor. She said “I’ve always been kind of a jack-of-all trades and I enjoy home repair projects. I also really enjoy research, and I felt this role would allow me to bring those things together.” Strauss said she found out about the position through social media and the ability to work in a hybrid environment was something that interested her. She said she had worked exclusively from home for three years and thought this would be a good change.

Allie resides in Elliott with her husband Trinton and their two daughters Austyn and Ana. In her free time Allie enjoys golf, bowling, hunting, reading, and working on home projects.

SWIPCO is an equal opportunity employer, provider, and lender.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Shelby County, Tuesday (Sept. 17), voted to appoint Carmen Fielding as the County’s new Veterans Affairs Coordinator. Fielding succeeds Gene Cavenaugh, who retired, effective Sept 5th. Cavenaugh was recognized by the Board for his more than 50-years of service to Shelby County, beginning in 1972 when he was a Sheriff’s Deputy, and later on as Sheriff. Cavenaugh served as Veterans Affairs Director until September 5^th, 2024.

In other businesses, the Shelby County Supervisors approved adding a parcel in the county that’s expected to increase the valuation, due to construction due to the TIF tax collection governed by the Iowa Code. The additional funds will offset new construction and maintenance of the County’s secondary roads system.

The supervisors also voted to abate taxes for the EMS building in Harlan, small parcels in the City of Panama, and the removal of a house in Harlan.

And, Shelby County Engineer Chris Fredericksen reported the dry weather we’ve been having is speeding up the construction of the Elk Horn Bridge project.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday, Sept. 18th), received a report from Adair County Ag Extension’s Kerry Aistrope, with regard to the Rising Star Intern Program.

Aistrope said the program benefits counties and communities.

She said the interns work during the months of June and July, in areas like conservation, community/economic development; tourism promotion and other projects, that benefit citizens in the county. Aistrope said if the Supervisors have something in mind for their interns to work on, they should let her know. That might even include storm recovery efforts. The interns are paid $4,500 for their work. Aistrope said she would like their pay to be a collaborative endeavor between the County and Ag Extension. According to Aistrope, to her knowledge, the Rising Star Internship program has never been offered in Adair County.

The Board of Supervisors also heard from Rob and Tony Mensing, with regard to access to their cattle operation property at Lewis Avenue and 150^th Street, northeast of Canby, which has a low-water crossing. Rob Mensing said he wanted clarify comments he made during the Board’s meeting on Sept. 4^th, and other information.

He said they are investing in their project to benefit Adair County, and get as much as they can out of the land.

Supervisor John Twombly said he was still not in favor of changing the three-quarters of a mile road from Level B (Dirt) to Level A (gravel), due to the costs associated with its construction and maintenance. Twombly said in his 16-years on the Board, to his knowledge, they have never changed a road to a Level A. He said would support a culvert (which would typically cost around $200,000), though. Even then, it would be some 2-to 3-years before work on the project could begin. No decision on the road was made during the meeting. Discussions on a possible solution to the landowner’s issues will continue.

In other business, Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman reported on Secondary Roads Department activities and maintenance efforts.