(Radio Iowa) About one in ten Iowans has asthma, a rate that’s a little higher than in most other states. Dr. Michelle Freemer, director of the Asthma Program in the Division of Lung Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, says asthma is a chronic airway disease that’s characterized by occasional worsening of inflammation which makes it harder to breathe.

It’s important to learn about advances in preventing, understanding, treating and managing asthma, as Freemer notes, it’s one of the country’s most common and most expensive diseases.

Anyone at any age can develop asthma, but research has found that boys tend to have asthma more often than girls, while women are more likely to have asthma than men.

While there’s no cure for asthma, it is manageable. During the pandemic, asthma attacks dropped significantly in a large study group of children and teens. Researchers believe a better understanding of the factors that contributed to these improved outcomes could lead to better asthma control. For more information, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov/breathebetter.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce sent out a notice on Tuesday morning that counterfeit 100-dollar bills have been distributed around town. If your business receives one, please contact the Atlantic Police Department at 712-243-3512.

Shelby County Auditor and Election Commissioner Mark Maxwell announced that absentee ballot requests for the September 13th Harlan Community Schools Bond Measure are available starting today (July 5, 2022). There are a number of ways to obtain a request form. You may call 712-755-3831, Ext. 6., only one request per person per call is allowed. You can also obtain a request in the Auditor’s office which is open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. weekdays. You may also email mmaxwell@shco.org to receive a request form that may be printed at home. Producing copies of a blank absentee ballot request from is allowed.

Absentee voting will be available in person at the Auditor’s office beginning on August 29th and will run through September 12th. Absentee ballots will not be sent out after August 29th. Completed absentee ballots must be received in the Auditor’s office by 8:00 p.m. on September 13, 2022.

Auditor Maxwell suggests that voters that intend on voting absentee by mail to get their voted ballots to the Auditor’s office as soon as possible after receiving a ballot in the mail.  If you have changed residence since the last time you voted, get your new address updated now to make your voting process more efficient on election day.

The Creston Police Department released details on four different arrests or citations.

On July 1st Creston Police arrested 24-year-old Taylor Duane Giles of Creston at 8:30 p.m. at Elm and Montgomery Streets. Giles was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Giles was later released on promise to appear.

Also on July 1st Creston Police cited and released 21-year-old Miranda Fargo for an Animal at Large.

On July 3rd at 12:09 p.m. Officers arrested 36-year-old Jackie Lee Marler of Creston at 1103 W Adair Street. Marler was charged with a Union County Warrant for Violation of a No Contact Order. He was later released on his own recognizance.

On July 4th at 10:50 p.m. Officers arrested 58-year-old Ricky Lee Kimball of Creston at 405 S. Sumner Street in Creston. Kimball was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, cited and released from the scene.

Cass County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections, Sara Harris, has announced that the filing period for candidates for Nonparty political organization (NPPO) and Non-Affiliated persons for the upcoming General Election, held on November 8, 2022, has changed.

Anyone interested in running as an NPPO or Non-Affiliated candidate in the General Election may pick up Nomination Papers and Affidavits of Candidacy in the Auditor’s Office, located at 5 W 7th Street, in Atlantic, from 8:00 a.m. till 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/general/index.html

The first day for Non-Party candidates and Township Trustees to file for the General Election is Monday, August 8th, with a filing deadline of 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31st. As a reminder, the last day to file for Soil & Water Commissioners and Ag-Extension is also 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31st. If you have already filed papers to be on the General Election ballot, you do not need to refile.

County positions open are: Board Of Supervisors District 2 and District 3, County Treasurer, Recorder, Attorney, Auditor, Township Trustees, Soil & Water Commissioners (2), Hospital Board of Trustees (4) and Ag-Extension (5) candidates.

For more information and for the number of signatures required for each office, please contact the Auditor’s office at 712-243-4570.