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Physical health is as important as mental health, but stigmas remain

News

July 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A recent poll found nearly half of Iowans or those close to them experienced a serious mental health issue at least once in recent years. The Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll also showed 57-percent of those surveyed say it’s difficult to access competent mental health treatment. Christie Harris, a wellness education specialist at Gundersen Health, says mental and physical health are both vital to our lives, but they often aren’t perceived of as equals.

“Like if we had a broken arm, we would share that story with somebody and we would talk about why we went to the doctor and this is what they did,” Harris says, “but when we have mental health, we just don’t seem to be as open about that. Sometimes, that can be the barrier between somebody feeling like they truly are supported.” While there are improvements and strides being made, Harris says stigmas about mental health still exist, and some people hesitate to talk about it freely.

“Mental health is mental health. Physical health is physical health. They both affect each other and they’re both really important,” Harris says. “It would be really healthy for just about everybody to see someone regarding their mental health even if it was just for a little tune up and I think that’s where we’re lagging a bit.” Courage is needed to take the next step and seek mental health treatment, Harris says, and it’s a tremendous help if those we’re close to are open and supportive.

“As human beings and friends and family members, we could maybe be more comfortable and confident in having conversations with people that we love and that we care about, to check in on them more frequently,” Harris says. “I think that is definitely getting better, but we still have a ways to go with that.” While it’s normal to be a little nervous if you’ve never had mental health treatment, she says there has to be a leap of faith to try it in order to begin the healing process.

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

Combined High School Baseball and Softball Scores

Sports

July 3rd, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Baseball Scores

Denison-Schleswig 7, Spirit Lake 6
Denison-Schleswig 5, Okoboji 1
East Sac County 6, Glidden-Ralston 5
#3 Underwood 7, Kingsley-Pierson 0
Boyer Valley 11, Westwood 10

Softball Scores

Glenwood 8, #14 Treynor 6

Red Oak man arrested on a Pott. County warrant Tuesday evening

News

July 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man from Red Oak was arrested Tuesday evening on a Pottawattamie County warrant. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 21-year-old Braden Alan Gray was arrested at around 8-p.m. in the 1800 block of E. Summit Street, in Red Oak. He was wanted on a Pott. County warrant for Violation of Probation. Gray was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

Former treasurer of Ankeny Professional Firefighters union charged with theft for embezzling funds

News

July 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

An Ankeny firefighter faces first-degree theft charges for allegedly embezzling more than $72,000 from the Ankeny Professional Firefighters Local 4814 union. According to court documents, Zach Farrell was the union’s treasurer from 2020 to May 2024. A month later, in June, an investigation began.

The City of Ankeny says Farrell is a member of the Ankeny Fire Department and he is currently on administrative leave. The investigation started mid-June when union leaders reported a theft.

According to court records, union leaders say Farrell began acting “weird” a few months ago, when they were considering moving the union’s bank accounts from one bank to another. A search warrant shows the leaders realized Farrell was the only person with access to the accounts and despite calling him to gain access, those calls were not returned.

However, court records show the union leaders did eventually gain access to the accounts, looked through bank statements from the last five years, and saw transactions that were not related to the union: payments to personal credit cards, MidAmerican Energy bills, and cash withdrawals in Farrell’s name.

According to a criminal complaint, Farrell did admit to investigators that he used union funds to make “personal expenditures” not related to the union.

8-year-old dies after being backed over by a truck

News

July 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(UPDATE: Officials with the Ottumwa Community School District identified the 8-year-old boy who died Tuesday after being hit by a truck. Jaxxon Cain had just finished second grade at Douma Elementary School in Ottumwa, the school district posted on Facebook.)

(Ottumwa, Iowa) — An accident Tuesday afternoon in southeast Iowa claimed the life of a child from Ottumwa. The Iowa State Patrol says the 8-year-old died after being accidentally backed over by a pickup truck.  The incident happened shortly before 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, in the east alley of the 200 block of North Hancock and Dewey Street in Ottumwa.

The unidentified child was riding a bicycle in an alley, and was in the pickup truck driver’s blind spot, when the accident occurred.

No charges have been filed and the incident remains under investigation by the Ottumwa Police Department and Iowa State Patrol.

1 teen dead, 2 others injured in a crash Tue. night in Fort Dodge

News

July 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Fort Dodge, Iowa) – A crash late Tuesday night in Fort Dodge resulted in the death of one teenager and injuries to two others. The Iowa State Patrol reports the crash happened at around 11-p.m. in Loomis Park. A car driven by 16-year-old Leah Claire Lynch, of Ft. Dodge, was traveling through the park when the vehicle went out of control and struck a tree. Despite having worn her seat belt, Leah Lynch died at the scene.

Her passengers, 16-year-old Amyrra Marie Lumsden and 16-year-old Jessie Bibi Leyja, both of Ft. Dodge, were injured in the crash. Lumsden was flown by Life Flight to Mercy One in Des Moines. Leyja was treated at the scene and released. Both teens were wearing their seat belts.

The crash remains under investigation. The Patrol was assisted at the crash site by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police and EMS.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Wed., July 3rd, 2024

Weather

July 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Areas of fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning.

Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 3 to 8 mph.

Independence Day: Mostly cloudy w/a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 80. Light and variable wind becoming southwest at 5-10 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday Night: Mo. Cldy w/a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Low around 60. W/NW winds 10-20 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny & breezy, with a high near 76.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 82.

Tuesday’s High temperature in Atlantic was 82. Our Low this morning was 57. We received .33-inches of rain yesterday (for a 2-day total of 2.28-inches). Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 88, and the Low was 62. The All-time Record High in Atlantic on July 3rd was 107 in 1936. The Record Low was 43 in 1967 & 1968. Sunrise today: 5:50-a.m. Sunset is at 8:57-p.m.

Iowa State Fair’s bird flu precautions

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio  Iowa) – Iowa State Fair C-E-O Jeremy Parsons says there will be a dairy cattle show at next month’s fair, but other activities involving dairy cattle may be changed or cancelled to protect the animals from the spread of bird flu.  “Our job is to showcase all of Iowa agriculture at its peak,” Parsons says, “and so we want to make sure we’re keeping those livestock safe.”

An Iowa Department of Agriculture order that went into effect Monday requires that dairy cattle be tested for bird flu within seven days of moving the cattle from the farm to a fair for a dairy show. Parsons says state fair officials are consulting with the state ag department about what’s best when it comes to how the dairy industry is showcased outside of the show ring.

“There will still be a dairy show at this year’s Iowa State Fair,” Parsons says. “Some of the other features, however, like the milking parlor and the Boulevard of Breeds might look a little bit different.” There are traditionally 70 different breeds of livestock featured in the State Fair’s Avenue of Breeds, including dairy cattle. There’s also a milking parlor on the fairgrounds that showcases the kind of mechanical equipment used in modern dairy operations, along with tutoring sessions for kids, who get to milk a cow themselves if they wish.

Keeping dairy cattle on the fairgrounds for the 11-day run of the State Fair could be an issue, however, during this year’s outbreak of avian influenza in some dairy herds. “We at the State Fair are evaluating our programming right now and we’ll soon be making some announcements,” Parsons says. The Iowa State Fair starts Thursday, August 8th and runs through the Sunday the 18th.

Parsons made his comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program that will air Friday night on Iowa P-B-S.

Temporary power swap to be permanent for Estherville, local REC

News

July 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The power went out in most of Estherville on Saturday and City Administrator Penny Clayton says a temporary fix to get electricity flowing again is now permanent. “We worked with Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative to install an emergency tie in…so that we could backfeed power into our system from theirs,” Clayton says. “That will stay in place and will be available when we need an emergency tie in with them or they need one with us.”

The Iowa Lakes Electric Coop has 13-thousand customers, while the Electric Department for the City of Estherville serves 32-hundred accounts. Saturday’s power outage in Estherville was unrelated to flooding in northwest Iowa. Estherville’s city administrator says officials are evaluating how city-owned infrastructure withstood the floodwaters.

“As we transition from the response phase into the recovery phase, we’re looking at any and all things that we can do to protect city infrastructure,” she says, “so that in the event that we have these type of floodwaters again, we can respond better or just have more safeguards in place.” A long period of heavy rainfall pushed the crest of the West Fork of the Des Moines River in Estherville past 18 feet on Sunday, June 23rd. That’s well over flood stage. Clayton says although the river level is falling, the city will keep its flood protection measures in place.

“If we were to receive torrential amounts of rain, the river could come up fairly quickly again,” Clayton says, “so we’re keeping it in place until we feel we’re out of the woods.”

On Monday, “disaster survivor assistance teams” from FEMA began going door to door in Estherville to ensure flood victims are registered with the agency.

MARK ROBERT GARDNER, 86, of Council Bluffs (Graveside Svcs. 7/5/24)

Obituaries

July 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

MARK ROBERT GARDNER, 86, of Council Bluffs, died June 29, 2024 at the Council Bluffs Country House. A graveside service for MARK GARDNER will be held 10-a.m. Friday, July 5, 2024, at the Oaklawn Cemetery in Oakland.  Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland is assisting the family.

Visitation with the family will be held at the funeral home, on Friday, July 5, 2024, from 8:00 AM until 9:30 AM.

He is survived by the next generation of Gardner brothers: Jacob Mark Gardner of Omaha, NE, James Tyler (Gina) Gardner of Buffalo, WY, John Weston Gardner and Jeff Harry Wyatt Gardner of Sheridan, WY; his sister-in-law LuAnn Gardner of Sheridan, WY; his daughter Joeth Zucco; his step daughters, Gina (Les) Smith of Tucson, AZ, and Jana Woods of Scottsdale, AZ; numerous grandchildren; special friend Ann Miller of Council Bluffs, IA; friend and confidant Roger Bentley of Oakland, IA; and friend Jen Brown of Council Bluffs, IA. He is also survived by many other relatives and friends.