SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s bishops have asked Catholics to fast as a way to demonstrate their concerns over mandates in the federal health care law. Sioux City television station KTIV reports parishioners have been asked to fast on March 30 to highlight what the bishops call “ongoing religious liberty concerns.”  The bishops say in a letter that the law will force religious people and groups to violate their “most deeply held convictions.”  The federal policy requires nearly all employers to provide insurance coverage that includes free birth control for workers. Houses of worship are exempt; religiously affiliated charities, hospitals and schools are not.  Bishops and others consider the religious exemption too narrow. President Barack Obama has said insurance companies would pay for the coverage instead of religious employers.

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Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Business is good at the Atlantic Municipal Airport. Airport General Manager Barry Reid said at Wednesday night’s City Council meeting, that fuel sales over the past year amounted to 49,600 gallons, which is 17,300 gallons more than 2010, but not as much as in 2009, during which 63,000 gallons were sold. The City realized a profit from the sale of aviation fuel over the past year, amounting to $13,000. He says that’s because crop dusters were able to get out more often and spray the fields.

Reid said also that all of the hangars at the airport are full, and there is a waiting list of at aircraft owners and operators hoping to shelter their planes. He says 28 planes are based out of the Atlantic Airport. Of those 28 planes, 18 are owned by 15 separate businesses. If the City decides to erect additional hangars, he says  it could apply for a grant from the State, which would pay 80-percent of the cost. The City would have to pick up the remaining 20-percent. And, pending a Federal grant approval, it’s hoped work can begin soon on the taxiway grading.

Reid said this will be a busy year out at the airport, for public events. There is the annual “Flight Breakfast” this summer, the “Fly Iowa” Aviation Promotion Group will be in Atlantic September 15th – details will be available as the event draws near on the group’s website www.flyiowa.org – but, Reid says there will be a 90-minute airshow, sky divers and stunt pilots.  And, just like last year, there will be a circus held on the airport grounds. Additional details on those events are forthcoming.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council Wednesday: Approved amendments to the Fiscal Year 2012 Budget; Passed a resolution authorizing bids for improvements to the Street Maintenance Building; Approved the purchase of an asphalt paving machine from Puckett Equipment, Incorporated for $44,365; and, approved resolutions establishing fund balance policies that protect the Volunteer Fire Department’s funds, and amended a section of the City’s Personnel Policy pertaining to its health insurance plan.

The recent warm weather and official beginning of Spring have property owners in Atlantic chomping at the bit to spruce up their land by removing tree branches and other yard debris. That point was driven home during Wednesday night’s City Council meeting, by Mayor Dave Jones. Jones says property owners need to get back in the habit of trimming their trees and mowing their lawns.

The City is making it easier to get rid of lawn clippings and and other such debris, by opening the Yard Waste Site earlier this year. During the Winter, the site was only open on Saturdays, but the days and hours were officially changed on Monday, which means property owners or tenants have more hours to take advantage of the Yard Waste disposal site.

Effective immediately, the days and hours are as follows:
Tuesday-12:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Thursday-12:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Saturday-9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday-1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

The City of Atlantic reminds citizens that only trees, branches, grass, garden waste, and leaves are accepted at the Yard Waste site.

A Clarinda woman was killed this (Wednesday) morning during a head-on crash in northern Iowa’s Webster County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 68-year old Katheryn Anne Duley died and the driver of the other vehicle, 17-year old Patrick William Oberg, Jr., of Otho, was critically injured, when their vehicles collided on County Road P-59, about one-half mile north of Highway 20, near Coalville. The accident happened just before 8-a.m.

Officials say Duley was southbound on P-59 in a 2005 Saturn Ion, when Oberg’s northbound 1999 GMC Sierra pickup crossed the center of the road. After the vehicles collided, Duley’s car came to rest on its roof in a ditch, trapping her inside. Oberg’s vehicle came to rest on its side, on the traveled portion of the road. Both drivers were taken to Trinity Regional Medical Center in Ft. Dodge, where Duley died from her injuries.

The calendar may say Spring arrived this week, but Iowans who suffer from allergies have been keeping tissues handy for weeks. Sneezing, runny noses and watery eyes are all too common for some of us, according to allergist Dr. Linda Ford, of Omaha/Council Bluffs. Dr. Ford says the warm winter is to blame for the latest burst of pollen. “If you’re having problems with your allergies and you think, ‘Oh, it’s much worse this year,’ it’s because there wasn’t a gradual increase in pollen. All the trees just started exploding.” Dr. Ford says the trees across much of Iowa usually release pollen much more gradually, but not this year.

“Starting at the end of February, we have been consistently counting pollen and as the weather got warmer, those trees just blossomed out and just exploded their pollen.” Ford says there are many good over-the-counter medications that can help stave off allergy symptoms.  “If that takes care of it, that’s fine and dandy, you don’t have to do anything else,” she says, “but if you have more severe allergies, a trip to your doctor is important because there are other things that can be done by prescription, such as the inhaled steroid nasal sprays.” Ford says rinsing out your nose with an over-the-counter or even a homemade saline solution can decrease the amount of pollen in the nose. Pollen can also cling to clothing so changing clothes after being outdoors can help.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

The US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri says a Clarinda man was among 30 people who were indicted and charged by a federal grand jury, in connection with the distribution of methamphetamine in Northwest Missouri, Northeast Kansas, Southeast Missouri and Southern Iowa. 34-year-old Joshua Duane Dockweiler, of Clarinda, is among the suspects.

Dockweiler, and the 29 other people, most of whom were from St. Joseph, MO, allegedly trafficked more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine, with a street value of more than $1 million dollars from January 1st, 2009, to March 14th of this year.  All of the suspects face charges of conspiracy to distribute and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Some of the defendants also face additional charges that included firearms possession and possession and delivery of methamphetamine. In addition, each the suspects allegedly participated in a money-laundering conspiracy over the same time frame, by conducting financial transactions that involved the unlawful proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.