Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller says his office has reached a price reduction agreement with a leading manufacturer of naloxone, a lifesaving opioid antidote. Miller, at a news conference Wednesday morning at a Des Moines fire station, said the deal involves California-based drug maker Amphastar. “They have agreed to provide, to all public entities, a six dollar rebate for any doses in the state of Iowa,” Miller said.

The two-year agreement took affect this week. A typical dose of naloxone can cost between $23 and $48. “In the kind of volume we’re thinking about, a $6 rebate will make some significance,” Miller said.

There are more than 900 EMS providers in Iowa. Police officers often administer doses of naloxone too, as they often encounter Iowans who’ve overdosed on heroin or prescription painkillers. Dale Woolery is with the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy. “For instance, I’ve been told in Dubuque, so far this year, the law enforcement officers there alone…they’ve had one save a month,” Woolery said. “So, about 10 saves so far this year – those are lives.”

Prices for various brands of naloxone have risen dramatically in recent years along with the increase in heroin and opioid abuse. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports 180 people died in the state last year from opioid-related causes.

(Radio Iowa)

A musical act that defies genre will make its first-ever stop in Iowa next week, bringing an Iowa native home with his high-energy acoustic band. Jared Hall is the keyboardist for Velvet Caravan, a five-member act that was assembled in Savannah, Georgia, from a wide array of musicians — hailing from as far away as Boston, Austin, Venezuela and Slovenia. “We started just kind of molding all of our sounds together playing in this little restaurant in Savannah,” Hall says, “and it’s amazing how it all just started to work.”

The 40-year-old Hall, a native of Atlantic, says it’s the diversity in their backgrounds that makes their sound so strong and unusual. Their influences include: southern rock, classical, jazz, gypsy, Latin and honkytonk. “We began composing and writing our own material and next thing you know, we had what I like to describe as just this gumbo of great sounds,” Hall says, laughing. “To be funny, we kind of describe it as European Redneck Music.”

The quintet features the musicians on: guitar, violin, standup bass, percussion and keyboards. The eclectic sound often draws a very unusual collection of people in the audience, he says, from grey-haired seniors tapping their feet to break-dancing high schoolers. “We see a lot of young people who are really into that kind of music,” Hall says. “There’s a big resurgence right now for gypsy-jazz, gypsy-swing kind of stuff. We see that all the way from someone who might appreciate jazz music, we see jazz fans out there, we see classical music fans out there. We even have quite a little hipster following going on.” (Here’s a snippet of their sound):

Velvet Caravan’s first Iowa show is scheduled for October 12th at the Temple Theater in Des Moines.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 1:55 a.m. CDT

SUTHERLAND, Iowa (AP) — A northwestern Iowa woman was killed in the Las Vegas concert shooting. Carly Kreibaum of Sutherland was among the 59 people who died from injuries sustained Sunday during the deadliest shooting in U.S. history. She was 33. The Sioux City Journal reports that Kreibaum attended the outdoor music festival with two friends who say they got separated from Kreibaum but saw her get shot.

CRESTON, Iowa (AP) — A southern Iowa candy factory is closing its doors, taking more than 250 jobs from the area. The Des Moines Register reports Ferrara Candy Company announced Wednesday it would close its unionized Creston plant sometime in December. The company makes well-known candy brands, including Brachs, RedHots, Jujyfruits, Lemonheads and Trolli Gummi candies. The plant has operated in Creston for more than 30 years.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former Des Moines hospital pharmacy worker accused of stealing painkillers from hundreds of patients has been arraigned on federal charges. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Des Moines says Victor Van Cleave was in court Wednesday, charged with to face two criminal counts: tampering with consumer products and obtaining fentanyl by misrepresentation, fraud, deception and subterfuge.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Whether high-capacity ammunition magazines should be banned is a question getting renewed attention after the attack in Las Vegas, where a gunman rapid-fired bullets into a crowed of concertgoers. Eight states have passed restrictions limiting magazines to 10 or 15 bullets. Gun-rights advocates say the Second Amendment protects their right to own high-capacity magazines, which they prize for sport shooting and self-defense.

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones and Councilman Dana Halder presented gifts during Wednesday night’s City Council meeting, to Linn Headlee, President of the Atlantic Public Library’s Board of Directors. Mayor Jones was the first to speak.

Mayor Dave Jones presents an award to Linn Headlee.

He thanked her for her years of service and presented her with an award. Jones said “Thank you for your years of service at the public library as an officer and President of the Library Board of Trustees. Your dedication and service to the Library is greatly appreciated.” Jones says people serving on boards often times don’t get the recognition they deserve, and Headlee “Was going above and beyond” in terms of her service.

Councilman Halder, who serves as the Council’s liaison to the Library Board, presented Linn Headlee with a ceramic vase with flowers. He said he promised if she stayed on as Library Board President, he would bring her chocolates and flowers. In addition to the flowers, Halder presented Headlee with “Some premium chocolate clusters…I shopped local.”

In her report to the Council, Headlee said the Library Board continues its efforts to find a new Library Director to succeed Natalie Struecker, who resigned a couple of months ago. Their staff, she said, continue with school outreach programs, story-time, and other educational programs. She added that representatives Iowa Works come to the library once a month, to help out of work persons in their job search, resume preparation and Iowa Workforce website for employment opportunities. They began doing so on Oct. 2nd, but haven’t had much turnout for the hours they are available. Therefore, Headlee said they are requesting that persons who want to use their service, please call ahead and reserve your time slot. For more information, you can call the Library.

Councilman Halder presents the flowers and chocolates.