(Radio Iowa) – Many of us woof down an occasional hot dog, but a health care professional is urging Iowans not to make a steady diet of what are known as ultra-processed foods. Cindy Lueck, a registered dietician at Gundersen Health System, says there are whole aisles of ultra-processed foods in many supermarkets. Besides hot dogs, the list includes soft drinks, deli meats, packaged cookies, other packaged desserts and more.
Lueck wouldn’t go so far as to say these foods are dangerous, but she says they’re miles from being close to beneficial.
Cindy Leuck (Gundersen photo)
Having a packaged cookie or a soft drink now and then won’t likely do much harm, but Lueck says if you make a routine of eating this type of food, the bad habit will eventually catch up to you.
For most of us, it’s tough to completely avoid ultra-processed foods, but she says it can become a problem is someone makes a practice of eating that type of food all the time.
(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has unveiled a state website that lists child care openings.
A couple of years ago, the state created an online platform that licensed child care providers could use to track enrollment and manage payroll. The governor says the 35-hundred child care providers using that system are now part of this new website that shows child care openings and the range of services provided.
State officials believe Iowa is the first state to offer this kind of real-time data in one place online. The website is called Iowa Child Care Connect.
The price for child care is not included, but the site’s designed for smart phone use, so parents can click on a phone numbers and call a provider.
Gov. Reynolds talks about Iowa Child Care Connect (8/22/24 Radio Iowa photo)
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services director Kelly Garcia says the site gives parents a way to drill down into the types of child care available nearby.
Governor Reynolds says she and other policymakers will be able to use the website to pinpoint communities that are child care deserts.
For example, Reynolds says they may discover unmet demand for infant care.
(Radio Iowa) – A long-term recovery group has been formed to help with building materials, food, financial support, and mental health services for part of western Iowa. Jean Logan of the Community Action Agency of Siouxland says the assistance is mainly focused on Woodbury County but is also available for other areas just outside the Sioux City metro area.
Logan says recovering from a natural disaster takes time and money.
Logan says one of the biggest challenges is finding contractors to fix homes.
She says people can also get help with food, financial assistance, and mental health services. Logan hopes the group will continue expanding into other communities as more organizations offer assistance.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent arrests:
On Monday, August 19th, 31-year-old Ianangi Kosuo, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense. Kosuo was transported to the Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance.
And, on August 15th, 18-year-old Javen Jespersen, of Atlantic, was arrested for Possession of Marijuana/1st Offense. Jespersen was also later released on his own recognizance.
“All criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in the court of law.”
IOWA CITY, Iowa (August 22, 2024) — University of Iowa Moon Family Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz announced on Thursday that he and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr will not coach the Iowa vs. Illinois State game on Aug. 31 to address NCAA recruiting violations that occurred in late 2022. The issue involved communications with a player and his family prior to him entering the transfer portal.
Following a thorough review and discussion with NCAA officials, Coach Ferentz and Athletic Director Beth Goetz recommended a self-imposed one-game suspension and loss of one week of off-campus recruiting to begin addressing the matter.
“I frequently tell our players to abide by the rules, and in this instance, I did not.” said Ferentz. “In 26 years as a head coach at Iowa — and more than four decades as a coach — this is my first potential Level II NCAA infraction. I made a mistake and would like to apologize to our players, University leadership, and our Hawkeye football fans. I know Coach Budmayr echoes those sentiments.”
Under the NCAA process a program can self-impose penalties or wait until formal allegations are issued. The University has chosen to self-impose these penalties.
“Coach Ferentz and I made the decision to self-impose the penalties, allowing the program to move forward without distraction,” said Beth Goetz, Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair. “I appreciate
the accountability demonstrated and we will continue to fully cooperate with the NCAA through this process. I have confidence in Coach Ferentz and his leadership, and we look forward to turning our focus to the opening
game and exciting season that lies ahead.”
Until the University of Iowa receives formal notification from the NCAA that this matter has been closed, University officials will not be able to comment further. Coaches Ferentz and Budmayr will participate in all team activities in the days leading up to the game but will step away from all duties for 24 hours beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 31. Both coaches will return to normal duties on Sept. 1 at 12:01 a.m. Assistant Head Coach Seth Wallace will serve as the acting Head Coach for the game.
(Radio Iowa) – Most Iowans are familiar with the emerald ash borer and the insect’s threat to our foliage, but we’re also being asked to be on guard for another insect that’s equally as lethal to a much wider variety of trees. Rhonda Santos, a spokeswoman for the U-S-D-A, says August is “Tree Check Month” and Iowa homeowners should examine their trees for the Asian longhorned beetle and report any clues they find about the invasive pest.
Unlike the emerald ash borer, the Asian longhorned beetle likes to feed on a host of trees, including: ash, birch, elm, sycamore, maple, buckeye, poplar and willow. The bug has distinct markings and leaves behind a series of holes and other signs in trees that make it quick to identify.
The beetle is not native to the U-S and has few-to-no natural predators. Santos encourages Iowans to take five minutes and give your trees a close inspection for those round holes or sawdust.
The beetle was first spotted in the U.S. in New York in 1996 and spread quickly. It’s one of a group of invasive pests and plant diseases that costs the nation some 40-billion dollars each year in losses to trees, plants, and crops. For more information or to report the insect or tree damage, visit www.asianlonghornedbeetle.com.
(Radio Iowa) – The State Auditor’s Office is citing a small town in Guthrie County town for significant delays in developing and approving the city’s budget. Citizens in Bagley, a town of about 230 residents, asked the state auditor’s office to review the city’s finances. The auditor’s report shows city officials held a public hearing about the city’s budget plan more than a month after the 2024 fiscal year had started. Bagley’s budget was not finalized until six months of the 12-month fiscal year had already passed by.
The report also says auditors could not find invoices or receipts to support a few purchases made with the city’s credit card — specifically snacks and candy bought at a Dollar Tree and about 100 dollars worth of laundry-related items purchased at a Menards.
(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports a homeless man and woman were arrested Wednesday evening on charges of Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree/1st offense. Authorities say 38-year-old Timothy Wayne Trusty and Cheyenne Beth Murry were arrested near the intersection of Howard and Spruce Streets, and the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center, respectively. Both were being held without bond, with Trusty in the Union County Jail and Murry being held in the Adams County Jail. Additional details concerning their arrests was not available.
Creston Police report also, 50-year-old Regina Deanne Sanchez, of Creston, was arrested Wednesday afternoon at the Creston Walmart Store, for Theft in the 5th Degree. She was cited and released from the scene on a Promise to Appear in court.
Wednesday evening, 26-year-old Isaac Wayne Hayes, of Creston, was arrested at his residence for Assault – Fear of Immediate Contact. Hayes was taken to Union County Jail and held on a $300 bond.
In other news, the Creston P-D said officials with the Agriland Fast Stop reported Wednesday, that equipment was missing from their lot at 705 W. Ringgold St. The missing equipment was described as a black, single axle 2014 Finish utility trailer with a full fuel tank, and an orange, Ditch Witch RT24. The loss was estimated at $11,150 altogether
(Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa Capital Dispatch & Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Education announced Wednesday that some elementary schools will use an AI reading assistant to help with literacy tutoring programs. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, the department made a $3 million investment into Amira (EPS Learning) for the use of a program called EPS Reading Assistant, an online literacy tutor that uses artificial intelligence technology.
Iowa public and non-public elementary schools will be able to use the service at no cost through the summer of 2025, according to the department news release.
McKenzie Snow, the education department director said in a statement, “Reading unlocks a lifetime of potential, and the Department’s new investment in statewide personalized reading tutoring further advances our shared commitment to strengthening early literacy instruction. This work builds upon our comprehensive advancements in early literacy, spanning world-class state content standards, statewide educator professional learning, evidence-based summer reading programs, and Personalized Reading Plans for students in need of support.”
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The program uses voice recognition technology to follow along as a child reads out loud, providing corrective feedback and assessments when the student struggles through a digital avatar named Amira. According to the service’s website, the program is designed around the “Science of Reading” approach to literary education — a method that emphasizes the teaching of phonics and word comprehension when students are learning to read.
Gov. Kim Reynolds and state education experts, including staff with the Iowa Reading Research Center, have said that this teaching strategy will help improve the state’s child literacy rates, pointing to reading scores increasing in states like Mississippi following the implementation of “science of reading” methods.
In May, Reynolds signed a measure into law that set new early literacy standards for teachers, as well as adding requirements for how schools and families address when a student does not meet reading proficiency standards. These requirements include creating a personalized assistance plan for the child until they are able to reach grade-level reading proficiency and notifying parents and guardians of students in kindergarten through sixth grade that they can request their child repeats a grade if they are not meeting the literacy benchmarks.
Reynolds said the law was a “to make literacy a priority in every Iowa classroom and for every Iowa student.”
The AI-backed tutor program is being funded through the state education department’s portion from the federal American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, part of a COVID-era measure providing states with additional funding for pandemic recovery efforts. The federal fund allocated more than $774 million to Iowa in 2021.
In addition to the new AI-backed programming available, the fund money is also going toward Summer Reading Grants, awarded to 41 elementary schools in 29 districts for efforts to address summer learning loss and close achievement gaps. The elementary schools that won grants have all “affirmed their commitment to including the personalized reading tutor as part of their evidence-based programming,” according to the news release.
(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak reported the arrest on Wednesday, of 31-year-old Steven Austin Ripley. The Red Oak man was arrested for Public Intoxication and Harassment in the 3rd Degree. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $300.
The report also says auditors could not find invoices or receipts to support a few purchases made with the city’s credit card — specifically snacks and candy bought at a Dollar Tree and about 100 dollars worth of laundry-related items purchased at a Menards.
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