(Radio Iowa) – With high temperatures flirting with triple digits this week, practically everyone in Iowa is struggling to stay cool, but the heat wave can be particularly challenging for Iowans who are living with dementia. Lauren Livingston, spokeswoman for the Iowa chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, says the extreme heat can be just as dangerous as a wintertime blizzard for people with memory issues. “Sometimes if they’re living on their own, they may not understand what’s going on, they may not know how to prepare themselves with the right type of clothing when they go outside or how to keep themselves cool,” Livingston says. “They may not realize that they are experiencing heat exhaustion or dehydration as much as someone without dementia.”

Family and friends should make plans to regularly check in on a person living with dementia during extreme heat and special arrangement may be needed for sleeping.  “Often people with dementia experience trouble sleeping at night,” Livingston says. “They may try to wander out of the house which can be very dangerous if it’s too hot. Just make sure they have a cool, comfortable place, keep an eye on them if you can be there with them, if you’re not already overnight.”

During the winter, we’ll occasionally hear about so-called Silver Alerts when a person with Alzheimer’s has wandered from home during the bitter cold. Livingston says the risks during the heat of summer are just as great. “They can experience dehydration and heat exhaustion but it can still cause them to have an emergency situation where they may need to go to the hospital, but if they wander out and they’re on their own, they may not have brought their phone or even remember how to call for help or that they need help,” Livingston says, “so it’s just as dangerous.”

More than six-million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 66,000 Iowans.

On the web at alz.org/iowa

(Ames, Iowa) — Ames police have confirmed the death of a Marshalltown High School staff member. KCCI reports that in a Monday news release, Ames police said 47-year-old William Terry, of Ames, was found dead at a home on Columbine Circle Thursday. Marshalltown police were conducting a sexual exploitation allegation investigation at the time and heard a gunshot inside the home. “Based on the initial investigation, it appears the male died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot,” Ames police said.

Terry was an Associate Principal at Marshalltown High School. Marshalltown police said they received allegations on July 6 of inappropriate sexual contact between a former employee with the Marshalltown Community School District and a former student.

Marshalltown Police Chief Michael Tupper said in a statement, “There was an ongoing pattern of conduct by Mr. Terry involving the student where he had some inappropriate communication, and ultimately had inappropriate physical contact with our victim, and that’s what led to the investigation and ultimately, the filing of the criminal charges.” Tupper said the investigation remains active despite Terry’s death.

Terry’s was the third Marshalltown School District employee to face accusations in the last month. Tupper said the cases are not related and that he does not believe there are systematic issues in the Marshalltown Community School District. The district issued the following statement:

“The Marshalltown Community School District is aware of the death of a former staff member announced today by the Marshalltown Police Department. The former staff member was being investigated by police in relation to allegations involving a former student. Student safety is the number one priority for the Marshalltown CSD, and any accusation of a crime which may impact student safety is taken very seriously. This is an active investigation, and any questions should be directed toward the (Marshalltown Police Department).”

Marshalltown’s superintendent said the district plans to better protect students by revisiting social media rules, requiring licensed staff to take training and looking at other districts’ employee-student communication policies.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Democrats are using a lack of members on the Iowa Board of Health to criticize Republican Governor Kim Reynold’s handling of the pandemic. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Ross Wilburn told reporters the Board of Health does not have enough members for a quorum and had to cancel its July 14th meeting. “We need real leadership to help us reverse the course that we are on — and I am calling on Governor Reynolds to do her job and appoint individuals to the state Board of Health so we can continue to have that advice. To have that public input, to have the professionals on the State Board of Health to give that support and that advice as we continue to recover from the pandemic,” Wilburn says.

Seven of the 11 seats on the board are currently open. Democrat State Senator Liz Mathis of Hiawatha, is on the Human Resources Committee which oversees the Board of Health. “Governor Reynolds needs to get to this, she needs to fill these positions so that the state Board of Health is able to function through this pandemic, during this pandemic, and after this pandemic quite frankly– because there is a lot of planning that needs to go into effect,” Mathis says. Mathis says there are other positions on boards that have not been filled they talked to a liaison in the governor’s office.

“We really pushed it, we pressed it. He got back to us with an answer and the answer was that there was someone absent or missing from the decision-making process,” according to Mathis. “This should have been done by now. This is mismanagement and it is going to slow any kind of potential solutions on what will go on with the pandemic and overall public health.”

Mathis says they believe there were enough people interested in serving on the Board of Health. The governor’s office has not responded with a comment on the issue.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa is the latest state to dedicate Highway 20 as the nation’s “Medal of Honor” highway. Ceremonies this weekend in Sergeant Bluff at American Legion Post 662 marked the occasion with new signs. Local attorney Rene LaPierre led the push to get it done. “I thought Iowa needed to get on board. What that sign represents is truly the uncommon valor of individuals who gave their life for many of them,” LaPierre says. “So, I decided I was going to do more than sit and talk about it and took an active role get this legislation passed, get it signed.”

Lapierre talked with state lawmakers to drum up support and got the bill to the Governor’s desk and she signed it about one month ago. “Truly pleased by seeing this and it is a joint effort,” he says.

Highway 20 stretches more than three-thousand miles from Newport, Oregon to Boston, Massachusetts.