The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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We’re six days into the new year. Are you keeping your resolution to get fit? Thousands of Iowans work desk jobs and live sedentary lifestyles that aren’t doing enough to counteract the effects of obesity and heart disease. Doctor Jeremiah Gums, an internist at Boys Town National Research Hospital in Omaha, says if you stare at a computer screen all day, make a change at work, if possible.

“That’s always a great option, to request a standing work station,” Dr. Gums says, “but if you don’t have that option, just getting up every hour for a few minutes to move around, to go for a short walk, to use the restroom, to get a drink of water, anything really. Any sort of movement is beneficial.”

Almost one in every three Iowans is obese, according to the latest health rankings. He says the only way to prevent our health from taking a direct hit is to make a conscious effort each day to get some exercise. “Any kind of movement really helps,” Gums says. “When we just lay around on the couch especially, that really is more detrimental than what we would think to our overall health. Our bodies aren’t meant to be lying around. Any sort of activity every hour is good, but the more, the better.”

He suggests setting an alarm on your computer or smartphone every hour as a reminder to get up. “If you’re actually trying to lose weight, improve your BMI, we recommend getting 50 minutes of some sort of moderate-to-intense physical activity most days of the week,” Gums says. “I think 10 minutes of light activity every hour is good for people who have a busy lifestyle and have a hard time finding exercise elsewhere.”

He says it’s worth the extra effort as health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle include obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health complications, muscle and bone degeneration and an overall higher rate of mortality.

(Radio Iowa)

A slick, snow-covered road surface was said to be the cause of a single-vehicle, non-injury accident Thursday morning, in Montgomery County. Sheriff’s officials say Deputies and crews from Villisca Fire and Rescue responded at around 8:20-a.m., to a report of a car in the ditch on 260th Street, just west of Willow Avenue. The 1998 Toyota Camry owned by Niko Hensley, of Villisca, was driven by Bailey Hensley, also of Villisca.

The vehicle was found in the north ditch, next to a sheared-off power pole owned by MidAmerican Energy. Hensley told authorities she was traveling east on 260th when the car skidded off the road due to slick conditions caused by snow on the road surface. The car entered the ditch and struck the power pole, causing $1,800 damage to the Toyota and $1,200 damage to the pole.

There were no citations issued.

Several of Iowa’s labor unions staged a statehouse news conference late Thursday to send a message to Republican lawmakers considering changes to Iowa’s collective bargaining law. Kindergarten teacher Katie McMahon, of Cedar Rapids, is a member of the Iowa State Education Association. “Politicians who make our unions and our professions targets for political attacks and want to cut budgets on our backs…do so at the peril of the safety and well-being of our citizens of the state.”

Adam Choat, of Altoona, is a policeman and a member of the Teamsters Union. He worries lawmakers will no longer allow contract negotiations to cover things like whether the city or the policeman pays for on-going training safety equipment like bullet-proof vests. “Eroding our voices on the job and cutting the profession will have a drain for the Iowa police officers,” Choat said, “just like it has in other states around us that chose to cut the voice that the police officers have in their profession.”

Sean Passick — a member of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union — works for the D-O-T and he drives a snow plow this time of year. “Before doing this job, I took for granted how the roads I traveled every day got cleared in the harsh Iowa winters and how transportation infrastructure remains safe for me and my family,” Passick said. “As we head into the legislative session next week, please remember who the AFSCME members are who work on your behalf to make Iowa happen.”

Governor Branstad has proposed taking health care off the list of topics covered in negotiations with the unions that represent state workers. Branstad suggests it would be cheaper to have one massive agreement on health care coverage for all bargaining units in Iowa. That means it would cover city, county and school districts as well as state government.

Iowa’s current law outlining union rights for public sector workers was approved in 1974 by Republican Governor Robert Ray. It set up the system for contract negotiations and, in return, union workers at all levels of government — including teachers, do not go on strike.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa will require voters to show identification at the polls under a bill announced Thursday by the state’s top election official, and Republicans in the new GOP-controlled Legislature have indicated a willingness to pass it. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate told reporters Thursday that a voter ID bill was needed to ensure integrity to Iowa’s election system. There is little evidence of fraudulent voting in Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld the illegal gun possession conviction of a Des Moines man that was largely based on selfie he posted on Facebook showing him with a gun in his waistband. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday agreed with prosecutors that the photo of Christopher Payne-Owens and his Facebook posts about being involved with guns and gangs was sufficient enough evidence to convict him. Payne-Owens argued that the gun in the photo was fake.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A sheriff says the death of an inmate from Iowa in a Wisconsin prison cell appears to have been self-inflicted. Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt says his office is investigating the death of 26-year-old Justin Kestner at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin. But he says “there’s no foul play involved” by any other inmates and the death “seems that it was self-inflicted.”

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Crews have begun work on flood protections in an area of Cedar Rapids that has seen devastating flooding along the Cedar River. KCRG-TV reports that the work is the first large-scale project connected with a permanent flood protection system of flood walls, berms and levees to begin on the west side of the Cedar River. In a few years, the Czech Village Levee will protect that area before the entire system is finished on both sides of the Cedar River.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s top election official has announced a bill that would require voters to show identification at the polls, and Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature have indicated a willingness to pass it into law.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate told reporters Thursday that a voter ID bill was needed to ensure integrity in Iowa’s election system. The assertion comes after Pate released a statement in October calling Iowa “one of the best states in the nation for both voter participation and voter integrity.”

Pate says the system is clean but needs to be kept that way. There is little evidence of fraudulent voting in Iowa. Sen. Jeff Danielson, a Cedar Falls Democrat, says the changes would disenfranchise voters. Pate didn’t provide a copy of the proposed bill but confirmed it wouldn’t allow use of student IDs as valid identification to vote.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has chosen West Des Moines-based Hy-Vee to participate in a program that will let food stamp recipients shop for groceries online. Hy-Vee is one of seven retailers that will participate in the two-year pilot program, which will begin this summer.

The USDA says it hopes to expand access to healthy food for people who receive food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). People won’t be able to use their food stamp benefits to pay service or delivery charges.

It wasn’t clear whether the program would be offered only in Iowa or if Hy-Vee customers in other states could participate.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports a Union County man faces multiple felony charges associated with a November 2016 crash in Adair County that claimed two lives and resulted in two other people being seriously hurt. Following an investigation by the Iowa State Patrol into the two vehicle, head-on collision, which occurred Nov. 2nd south of Orient in Adair County, an arrest warrant was issued for 31-year old Derek Eugene Ueligger, of Creston.  Wednesday night, Ueligger walked into the Adair County Public Safety Center and was taken into custody.

He faces two counts of Homicide by vehicle while operating under the influence, two counts of Serious Injury by Vehicle, and a single count of OWI/1st offense. Ueligger is awaiting his initial appearance before a Magistrate in the Adair County Jail and is currently being held without bond.

Court records show Ueligger was driving a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue southbound on Highway 25 at around 9:30-p.m., when his car crossed the center line of the road and collided head-on with a 2012 Chevy Impala driven by Betty Schultz. The investigation determined Schultz had tried to avoid the collision, the severity of which resulted in the immediate death of 88-year old Dawn Christensen and soon thereafter, 85-year old Norma Caltrider, both of Adair. 89-year old Marilyn Ersham and 82-year old Betty Schultz, both of Greenfield, suffered serious injuries in the crash.

Toxicology tests showed Ueligger was under the influence of Meth at the time of the accident.

The Harlan Police Department says no injuries were reported, but two vehicles sustained a total of $6,000 in damage, following a collision at a car wash. The accident happened on Dec. 27th, while a vehicle driven by Richard Ranney, of Harlan, was in the Ultra No Touch Car Wash. The driver of a vehicle in line behind Ranney, Milton Barry, of Harlan, accidentally stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake. His 2016 Buick ran into the rear of Ranney’s 2014 Chevy, pushing the Chevy through the car wash.

And, there were no injuries on January 3rd, when a 1998 Lexus driven by Kristine Gross, of Harlan, backed out of a driveway in the 1400 block of 12th Street, and struck a 2006 Pontiac that was traveling south on 12th Street. The driver of the other vehicle was identified as Dakoda Ball, of Harlan. Damage from the mishap amounted to $1,500 altogether.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department have released a report on their most recent arrests. Authorities said that on Dec. 28th, 40-year old Phillip Pool, of Harlan, was arrested after police were called to a disturbance in the 1000 block of Dye Street.  Pool was taken to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with assault, for allegedly assaulting Ryan Holm, of Harlan.

Last Saturday, Harlan Police arrested 32-year old Joseph Smith-Kidd and 29-year old Kimberly Kidd, both of Harlan, for Violation of a valid No Contact Order after they were seen together.

And, on Wednesday, 20-year old Gage Johnston, of Harlan, was taken into custody following a traffic stop.  Johnston was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with Driving Under Suspension.  He was also cited for failure to prove security against liability.