Volunteers with treatment-resistant high blood pressure are needed for a medical trial that’s being done at a hospital in central Iowa, one of only seven medical centers in the country chosen for the study. Dr. Magdi Ghali, of the Iowa Heart Center at Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines, says a small metal device is implanted in the carotid artery in the neck, a key place where the body regulates blood pressure.

Dr. Ghali says, “This device sits there and increases the sensitivity of the nerve endings to the pressure that’s happening inside the artery, allowing the brain to receive the correct signal and then lower the blood pressure.” Despite advances, Ghali says a growing number of patients in Iowa with high blood pressure suffer from drug resistance and they have few options once they’ve failed multiple medications. The trial is designed only for patients with treatment-resistant high blood pressure, also known as resistant hypertension.

“The patients who qualify are people who are on three blood pressure medications and their blood pressure is remaining higher than 160/90,” Ghali says. “If that’s the case, we would evaluate the patient to make sure there’s not a secondary cause and then they would have a couple of weeks of keeping a diary of the blood pressure to make sure they’re exactly the right patient for the study.” Hypertension can significantly increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure, so controlling it is vitally important, he says. For more information about the trial, call (515) 633-3845.

(Radio Iowa)

Republican Congressman Steve King is trying to get the U.S. House to pass a resolution that says States “may refuse” to recognize or license same-sex marriages, although such non-binding resolutions do not have the force of law. King’s resolution is his latest response to last month’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

“We’re in a place where the Supreme Court has put themselves above the law, above the Constitution and above the will of the people,” King says. Most Republicans in congress have publicly expressed opposition to the court’s ruling, so the resolution would likely pass, although House leaders have not indicated it’s a priority for debate. King’s House Resolution embraces what he calls the “traditional definition of marriage” as a “union between one man and one woman.”

“The domestic life of America has been dramatically transformed by the order of the Supreme Court,” King says. King calls the court’s same-sex marriage opinion a “blatant act of judicial activism” that has “perverted” the word marriage. “And they will impose it on the rest of the country because they’re the ‘enlightened five’ of nine in black robes,” King says. “Well, the Supreme Court has had a terrible record on dealing with large domestic issues.”

King cites the court’s 1857 Dred Scott decision which ruled African Americans weren’t citizens and the federal government had no authority to restrict or regulate slavery and the 1962 decision that ruled mandatory prayer in public schools is unconstitutional. Earlier this year, before the court’s ruling on same-sex marriage last month, King tried to get congress to pass legislation that would forbid the federal courts from deciding such cases, but that legislation stalled.

(Radio Iowa)

Some Iowa lakes are having issues with blue-green algae blooms. Mary Skopec oversees the D-N-R’s water monitoring program for state park beaches. “We advise people to use caution if they enter a lake that has a blue-green scum,” Skopec says. “Sometimes the looks like someone spilled paint on it, and there are thick mats of algae. If you see that, you should really avoid going into that water or letting your pets drink that water.” Skopec says the algae releases dangerous toxins.

“The toxins can affect the liver as well as the nervous system. In the most extreme they can cause respiratory distress. Often times we see issues with nausea or diarrhea, headache, that kind of thing,” according to Skopec. “So, it can make people quite ill — and it has in isolated cases caused pet deaths deaths, dog deaths around the state.” She says avoid drinking the water in those areas or putting your head under the water in those areas.

The D-N-R says a “substantial” fish kill on Crystal Lake seven miles west of Forest City in Hancock County is linked to an algae bloom over the Fourth of July weekend. Three lakes — Black Hawk, Pine Lake, Twin Lake — have advisory signs posted after D-N-R testing showed issues with blue-green algae.

In addition, testing showed relatively high levels of toxin for clear water on Lake Geode, Lake of Three Fires (near Bedford), and Green Valley Lake (Near Creston) — though those lakes didn’t have signs of algae blooms. Some Iowa beaches also have signs posted for high-levels of bacteria this week: Backbone Lake, Denison Beach on Black Hawk Lake, Lake Geode, Lake Macbride, Pine Lake, and Union Grove Lake. While Iowa waters have issues with bacteria and algae blooms, a 14-year-old boy died this week after being infected by an amoeba after swimming in a Minnesota lake. Skopec says the amoeba is not a major concern here.

“At this point I wouldn’t be too worried about it, because it’s a very isolated condition,” Skopec says. She says the amoeba that causes the problem likes specific water conditions. “The amoeba is really related to water temperature. And if the water temperatures are high enough, it is possible for them to end up in water in Iowa. The fact that it was found further north of us does present some challenges in terms of whether we might see that or not,” Skopec says.

“Normally it likes those warmer temperatures and so I think we are learning more about where they might occur. But at this point I would say it is a very isolated incident in Minnesota, and people should avoid waters that are extremely warm,” she says. “A lot of times they occur where there is a warm spring, or extremely hot stagnant water. So, if they avoid that hot stagnant water, they should be okay.” The amoeba enters the brain through the nose. Skopec says again, if you avoid drinking water with any of these issues and don’t put your head under the water, you should be okay. You can find out more about the beach water monitoring program at: www.iowadnr.gov.

(Radio Iowa)

A couple from Kingsley were injured during a single-vehicle accident Friday evening in northwestern Iowa’s Monona County. The Iowa State Patrol said a 2005 Chevy Silverado pickup driven by 77-year old Josephine McConnell, was traveling north on Interstate 29 at around 6:45-p.m., when the woman fell asleep at the wheel.

When the pickup went off the road onto the east shoulder, McConnell woke up, and over-corrected, causing the vehicle to go out of control. The pickup went onto the west shoulder and rolled over, coming to rest upright in the west ditch.

Josephine McConnell, and her passenger husband, 79-year old Max McConnell, also of Kinsgley, both of whome were wearing their seat belts, were injured. Josephine was flown by Life Flight helicopter to Mercy Hospital – Sioux City. Her husband was transported to the same facility by Burgess Ambulance.

Assisting the State Patrol at the scene were deputies with the Monona County Sheriff’s Office, Sloan and Whiting Rescue personnel and others.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Friday of two Lincoln, Nebraska residents for vehicle theft after a traffic stop.  At approximately 8:00pm Deputies stopped a black 2006 Chevy Cobalt on southbound Interstate 29 near the 21 mile marker.  During the traffic stop it wast discovered the vehicle was just reported stolen from a car dealership in Lincoln, Nebraska after the occupants failed to return after a test-drive.

Officers then arrested 33-year-old Kimberly J. Coffman and 32-year-old Timothy S. White both of Lincoln, NE.  They were charged with 2nd Degree Theft, a Class D Felony.  Charges are pending in Nebraska and both individuals are being held on $5,000 bond.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office wants the public to be aware of a phone scam that was reported to the office today (Friday). Officials say someone called an individual in the county, claiming to be from the office that administrates their pension fund. The scammer claimed the reporting party had been overpaid from the pension fund and owed money back, but declined to allow caller to stop at the pension office.

The Sheriff’s Office advises that if you receive a call that sounds as though it could be valid, do your homework! Ask for information by mail, and, if you are able, find a number on your own for the place that is allegedly contacting you to verify the validity of the call.

The field representative for the company charged with rebuilding Highway 6/7th Street in Atlantic reports work continues on the project, and more activities are planned for the week of July 13th through the 17th.

Among the scheduled portions of the project is: Finishing the installation of a modified base and paving steel, from Pine to Cherry Streets (The base is what forms the foundation for the laying of forms and PCC paving; The laying of Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) Pavement from Pine to Cherry on the north, 25-feet in width- which is expected to begin next Wednesday or Thursday; Subgrade Preparation and Installation of a Subdrain; The placement of a modified base from Cherry Street to EPA Zone (Near Plum Street); PCC pouring at Spruce Street north intersection and PCC taper from Olive to Spruce.

Among the work that’s been accomplished this past week: Subgrade Prep / Installation of Subdrain completed between Pine & Cherry; and installation of most of the modified base from Pine to Mulberry.

SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) – A northwest Iowa community has designated a “safe exchange zone” where strangers can meet to complete Internet purchases and sales. Sioux City television station KTIV reports that the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office says the zone is at the Public Safety Center in Sibley and it has 24-hour video surveillance.

Chief Deputy Kevin Wollmuth says that if people have any questions or apprehensions about the strangers they’ll be meeting, “then by all means we welcome you to come here.” The zone also may be used as a safe meeting place for online dating or child custody exchanges.

Can you recite your parents’ phone number? If you can’t, you’re not alone. A survey shows 45-percent of those asked couldn’t recall phone numbers of family members because they’re stored in their smart phones. More people are using their phones as an external memory port, leading to what’s called “digital amnesia.” Dr. Aura Nasir, a pediatrician in Omaha-Council Bluffs, says she’s not too worried.

“Our brains are really very adaptive and we will remember what we need to remember,” Dr. Nasir says. “The numbers are not only stored on the phone but also dialed for us and this is one of the reasons we don’t remember them, because one of the ways we remember things is by repetition.” This digital amnesia, or relying on technology instead of memory, is just one way modern advances are altering our way of life.

“I don’t think we fully understand the impact of the digital technology,” Nasir says. “What we know is that digital technology is a tool that is going to affect the way we do business, just like cars changed the way we travel and medicine is practiced in a different way now than it used to be in the past.” Our brains are very efficient in the way memories are stored and if they don’t need to be taking up space, they won’t be there long.

“If it is not an advantage to us to remember or keep those numbers in our brains, our brains are not going to keep them there just because we have sometime in the past and that was in the past advantageous to us, but now it isn’t anymore,” according to Nasir, a pediatrician at University of Nebraska Medical Center. While about half of the people surveyed couldn’t remember their parents’ phone number, about 70-percent knew their spouse’s number by heart. Many of those who report having digital amnesia are 18 years old — and younger — and grew up with pocket technology.

(Radio Iowa)

Republican Congressman Steve King says he regrets the “tragic, evil and brutal” murders of nine African Americans in a South Carolina church, but he opposes efforts to ban the Confederate flag from Civil War cemeteries run by the National Park Service. “I have been listening to this debate over the last week or so and it troubles me greatly over symbolism that has been redefined by a lot of members of the opposite party,” King says.

The chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa this past week made clear he does not want the party of Lincoln associated with the Confederate battle flag after the driver of a Marion County parade float last weekend displayed three Confederate flags on his truck. King, however, says he sees the situation differently. “I grew up in the north. The Confederate flag always was a symbol of the pride of the south from where I grew up,” King says. “My family, my predecessors, my ancestors were abolitionists. They went to war to put an end to slavery.”

One of King’s five-times-great uncles served in the Civil War and his grandfather from five generations ago was killed fighting for the Grand Army of the Republic. “This country has put this behind us,” King says. “We’ve been through this brutal and bloody battle. We’ve gone back together for the Reconstruction and we’ve healed this country together and I regret deeply that we’re watching this country be divided again over a symbol.” King says in a free country, “we have to tolerate” speech and symbols that some find offensive, so that people not only have the right to burn “Old Glory”, they have the right to fly the Confederate flag.

“When I go to Germany and they’ve outlawed the swastika, I look at them and I think: ‘We have a First Amendment. That can’t happen here in the United States because we’re open enough,'” King says. According to King, the country cannot “erase” history, but should “keep it in front of us” so it can be evaluated by each new generation. King considers to the Confederate battle flag to be “part of the country’s heritage.”

“Everything about America’s history is not glorious. Everything about our history is not right in our judgment, looking back in hindsight, but none of us know what it was like for the people to live in that time and that era,” King says. “We can accept our history, we be proud of our history, we can unify our country, we can grieve for those who were murdered and we can preserve our First Amendment rights.”

King made two speeches on the topic yesterday (Thursday) on the floor of the U.S. House. After objections from Democrats, House Republican leaders tabled a vote on a budget bill that would have allowed the limited display of Confederate flags in cemeteries that are adjacent to Civil War battlefields and maintained by the National Park Service. The Republican speaker of the House says he wants to have a bipartisan review of the issue and that will include whether the Confederate flag and its image may continue to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

The State of Mississippi’s flag is there, for example, and it bears the image of the battle flag of the Confederate Army. As this debate was raging in Washington, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley approved legislation to remove the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse grounds in Columbia.

(Radio Iowa)