Youth ages 10-15 will have the opportunity to take to the sky Saturday, Sept.8th,  and learn about aviation and get a free orientation flight at the Fly Iowa Aviation Youth Rally. According to committee chair Brenda Nelson, the Young Eagles program exposes youth to the field of aviation. Sessions will be given on careers, airplanes, aerodynamics, airports and navigation.

Nelson says “The program is meant to get kids excited about aviation.” And, with the air show the Saturday after the program, she says they “Hope all the kids will attend both and really get a feel for what’s out there for opportunities for them in their future.”

Nelson said the seats are limited to 45, and registration is required on a first come, first served basis. The event is free and includes the workshop, flight, pizza luncheon and t-shirt. Students will also be invited to attend the Atlantic Fly Iowa Air Show Sept. 15th to get a certificate of completion for the Young Eagles Youth Rally.

“The Fly Iowa event is such an awesome opportunity to bring some out of this world experiences into the community,” according to Nelson. She says “It would be a shame to miss it and we want the kids especially to take advantage through the youth rally and air show event.”

For more information contact the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712.243.3017 or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

At least six Iowans are among more than a hundred people who are sick in a salmonella outbreak that’s spread across 20 other states. Two deaths are reported from the outbreak in Kentucky. Iowa’s chief epidemiologist, Dr. Patty Quinlisk, says the illnesses were first thought to be linked to cantaloupes grown in Indiana, but that may not be the case. Dr. Quinlisk says, “We link people who’ve gotten sick with the exact same bacteria, so we have six people, maybe seven, with the exact same bacteria but as far as we can tell right now, only two of them even ate cantaloupe and we don’t know where that cantaloupe came from yet.”

The cases in Iowa are not from a particular metro area and Quinlisk says they’re scattered across the state. She says all of the Iowans are recovering and none were in life-threatening condition. Nationwide, more than 30 people have been hospitalized. While health officials in Kentucky and Indiana believed they’d traced the exact cause of the outbreak to those cantaloupes, Quinlisk says that’s still a mystery. “Sometimes these bacteria are not that uncommon and there can be multiple places that people can get it from, especially with these more common strains,” Quinlisk says. “That’s what we’re investigating. I don’t know yet quite what’s going on. Sometimes people just don’t remember eating a certain food, but sometimes it’s that they actually didn’t eat that food and they got exposed to that bacteria someplace else.”

Cantaloupes, watermelons and other types of melons lay on the ground as they grow and they’re susceptible to this sort of issue, so Quinlisk says Iowans should follow a strict procedure when preparing them. “The safest way of handling any of these melons is to wash off the surface before you cut it,” she says. “Once you cut it, either eat it immediately or put the part you’re not eating in the refrigerator. You don’t want these sitting out on your counter. The inside of a melon is the perfect place for these bacteria to grow.”

The outbreak comes just a week after a North Carolina-based farm recalled 189-thousand cantaloupes and honeydew melons in ten states due to fears of listeria. A listeria outbreak blamed on cantaloupes grown in Colorado last fall killed at least 34 people. To learn more, call 888-SAFE FOOD or visit the website: “fda.gov”

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s officials in Fremont County say a Thurman man was arrested last week on drug charges. 18-year old Zane Christian Carter was taken into custody Thursday, on Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charges. He was also cited for Violation of his restricted driver’s license, and for driving on the wrong side of the road. Carter posted a $100 bond that same day, and was released from custody.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green is once again issuing a reminder to citizens about an old phone scam that’s going around. Green says some residents of the community have received phone calls from people claiming to be a relative who has been taken to jail, and needs money to be released. KJAN has warned you about this scam numerous times in the past couple of years.

The supposed “relative” says they need you to send the money in a certain amount of time, in order to not allow verification the person is actually in jail. And, the caller will usually want you to send a money order for payment. The Chief says jail DO NOT accept money order, so that should be your first “Red Flag.” They also might ask you to send money to another country.

Green says if you receive a similar call, you should first verify the person is actually in jail, by attempting to call the relative who said they’re in trouble, other family members, or by simply calling the jail itself. Green says the only way to get someone out of jail, is for you to appear in-person and pay the bond, or through a reputable bonding company. If you use a bondsman, you will most likely have to meet their representative at the jail to make the payment.

Chief Green says the best thing you can do if you feel like someone is trying to scam you, is to call the police department, and allow THEM to verify the information.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Stanton Community School District Board of Education has selected a new Superintendent for the District. During a special meeting this (Monday) morning, the Board voted unanimously to hire Terry Christie for the top position in the District for the 2012-2013 school year. Christie is a retired Superintendent with 11 years of experience at three different schools. He’s expected to begin his duties in an official capacity, on Tuesday. Christie succeeds retired Superintendent Judd Ashley.

Officials with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach say they want to hear from Iowans about how Iowa State in partnership with counties can best serve citizens. Five town hall meetings have been scheduled across the state, including a meeting in Atlantic on September 10th. The session takes place at the Cass County ISU Extension and Outreach Office, located at 805 West 10th Street, beginning at 10:30-a.m. Other meetings will take place in Ames, Storm Lake, Oskaloosa and Waterloo.

Cathann Kress, ISU Extension and Outreach vice president, and Terry Maloy, Iowa Association of County Extension Councils executive director, will participate in the conversations with Iowans. Kress says they are committed to listening to Iowans as ISU Extension carries out its mission. She says they want to gather feedback about what they’re doing well, where they need to improve, and what needs to be addressed.  Kress says  “All Iowans – citizens, community leaders, decision makers, partners, staff and extension council members – are welcome” to attend the meetings.

For more information about the town hall meetings or specific locations, please contact the Guthrie County Extension and Outreach Office at 641-747-2276.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Baby Boomers should call their doctor now and arrange to be tested for Hepatitis C. The Centers for Disease Control is making that recommendation after seeing a doubling of hepatitis c deaths since the late 1990′s. Dr. Mark Mailliard is a University of Nebraska gastroenterologist and says one in 30 Baby Boomers have been infected and that population is five times more likely than others to be infected with this virus. He says around half the population doesn’t know they have the condition, or about 2-million people.

Hepatitis C can cause one-out-of five patients to develop scarring of the liver, and one in 50 to 100 patients will develop liver cancer. Dr.  Mailliard says treatment for Hep-C is available if detected early. If it’s not detected, the consequences could prove fatal. He says 15,000 people will die from it annually after 2020. He says since treatment is effective, they’re trying to identify the patients, now.

Mailliard says most patients who acquired it when they were in their 20′s have no symptoms until their 50′s. Anyone born from 1945 to 1965 is recommended to get the one-time blood test. Hep-C is spread blood-to-blood. Mailliard says it’s thought that Baby Boomers have had more “risky behavior” overall than other age groups, that have resulted in their infections. He says up to this point, just doing the testing based upon identification of risk factors, have missed millions of people who have it. That’s why officials recommend persons born between 1945 and 1965, get tested.

Of more than 3-million Americans thought to be infected, two-thirds are in the Baby Boomer age group.

(Radio Iowa)

The Griswold Community School District’s Board of Education will meet this (Monday) evening. During their 5:30-p.m. session in the Central Office Board Room, the Board will receive updates on various, ongoing or completed projects as well as the Jahnke Scholarship. They’ll also discuss various Board Policies.

New business during their meeting includes action on: A funding agreement with Cass Incorporated; Adult lunch prices; An agreement with Griswold Rescue with regard to football games; City agreements; the APR (Annual Progress Report); Sidewalks for the Baseball, Softball and Football/Track facilities, and a salary matter. The Board is also slated to receive information with regard to 500- and 700- series Board Polices.