(Radio Iowa) – Many Iowans will head out to a Christmas tree farm this weekend, and while finding the perfect tree may seem like the hard part, just getting it home safely can be the real challenge. Brian Ortner, at Triple-A-Iowa, says a tall tree can be just as challenging to transport as furniture or large appliances. Planning ahead for the job, he says, is a big plus. “Before you head out to buy a tree, make sure you have some strong rope or ratchet straps with you, an old blanket, some gloves, and of course, the right vehicle helps, too,” Ortner says. “One with a roof rack is ideal, but if you have a pickup truck or an SUV, van or minivan, it can work just as well for you for a lot of different reasons.”

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Ortner suggests using a large tarp or a big blanket to wrap the tree up before you try to secure it to the roof of your vehicle. “The reason to wrap it is loose branches are out there, and it just helps with the transport process,” Ortner says. “Loose branches can be secured with rope or twine to help protect the tree from damage, but also the blanket or the coverings help prevent scratches to your paint and protect the car from any other damage, and prevent those loose branches from maybe flying off in the road.” Given how the branches will catch the wind one way and not the other, he says to place the tree on the roof rack or in the bed of the truck with the trunk end facing forward, and make certain it’s secure.

“You want to tie down the tree at its bottom, its center and the top using strong rope or nylon ratchet straps. If you can, avoid the nylon offered by many tree lots, bring your own straps or securing devices with you,” Ortner says. “Use fixed vehicle tie down points. If your roof rack has those loops on it, take advantage of those.” Before starting for home, give the tree a “tug test” from various angles to make sure it’s not going to fly off and cause a crash. Ortner also suggests you drive slowly and take back roads if possible, as higher speeds can create significant airflow that can damage your tree or challenge even the best tie-down methods.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Board of Education has approved updated rules for school open enrollment to comply with changes made by the Iowa Legislature. Department of Education attorney Thomas Mayes says a fairly large change involves transportation limits.  “Prior to this last legislative session, there were limits about vehicles crossing into sending district and receiving districts sending vehicles for student transportation across boundaries unless the two boards agreed,” Mayes says. He says the change creates what he calls a “skip pattern” to allow the crossing into other districts.

“Small districts being able to send vehicles not more than two miles into contiguous districts if the receiving attendance center is closer than the child’s assigned attendance center in the resident district,” he says. The change allows districts with enrollments of two-thousand or more to send vehicles without a distance requirement if student’s residence district is less than two-thousand students and contiguous to the receiving district. It also outlines who pays for the transportation.

“The sending district shall not be responsible for paying transportation subsidies to a parent If the receiving district is providing the transportation,” Mayes says. Mayes says lawmakers reinstated the deadline for filing open enrollment requests to March for first graders and September, for incoming kindergartners. It also reinstates the exceptions for students that were previously in place if they missed the open enrollment deadline. Mayes says the open enrollment changes also align with the new law encouraging attendance.

“So if a child is truant in the receiving district that puts limitations on their ability to open enroll into a receiving district,” Mayes says. He says the rules also prevent a student who is in trouble from getting out of it by moving to another district. “If I’m suspended…by my resident district or expelled by my resident district. I cannot use open enrollment to avoid the consequences of my suspension or expulsion,” Mayes says.

Mayes presented the rules to the Board of Education during its meeting Thursday, and says their approval now triggers another public comment period before the rules will become final.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa  — Sioux City firefighters got a taste of irony while out on a call Thursday. KCAU-TV reports that a little before 5 p.m., Sioux City Fire Rescue responded to an oven fire at Firehouse Subs on Sergeant Road. When officials arrived, the fire had already been put out by an employee with a fire extinguisher, and officials stayed around airing out the building.

Officials say it’s not every day they get to respond to a fire at home base. Lt. Josh McClure told KCAU “There’s a lot of irony, and we do appreciate they they do a lot of support with some grants that they do for the fire department. So we definitely appreciate Firehouse Subs and the work they do in different communities. And yeah, it’s not very often we get to say we’re establishing firehouse command.”

The restaurant will be closed down until health inspection gives the okay. While no one was injured, McClure emphasized the importance of people knowing how to use a fire extinguisher.

(Radio Iowa) – Mental health experts say Iowa is facing a critical shortage of providers, especially during the stressful holiday season, though some patients are turning to telehealth for care. Tarrah Holliday, a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner, treats up to 30 patients daily at Zion Integrated Medical Services in Atlantic. Holliday says there are only about 300 psychiatry providers statewide. “There are lengthy wait lists,” Holliday says. “Some offices you can get in within three months. Some, it takes up to six months.” As a solution, Holliday says 75-percent of her clients are turning to telehealth, and some even live three hours away.

“Many patients really prefer and feel more comfortable in their own environment,” she says, “and that has been extremely beneficial for them.” The I-S-U Extension reports Iowa is 45th in the nation for mental health care providers per capita. “Oftentimes, especially this time of the year, my colleagues and I are working extra hours and overbooking ourselves to ensure that patients get in and are able to be seen and their needs met,” Holliday says, “because this is a difficult time of year for them.”

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 60-percent of Iowa communities experience a shortage of mental health care. To be considered a Health Professional Shortage Area the population-to-provider ratio must be at least 30,000-to-one.