The World Health Organization has identified the omicron subvariant E-G-5 as a COVID variant of interest. Nancy Wilde, the manager of infection prevention at UnityPoint Health, says however, the variant doesn’t appear to cause more severe illness.

Wilde says you will still want to take precautions to avoid getting sick.

She says you should check with your doctor for advice and to make sure you are up to date on your COVID vaccinations.

Classes for the fall semester started this (Monday) morning at Iowa’s three public universities, and it’s hard to be an incoming first-year student and avoid hearing about the dreaded “Freshman 15.” Women’s health internist Dr. Denise Millstine (MILL-stine) says weight gain is often caused by a change in activity levels and a change in eating habits when teens transition from high school to college.

Millstine offers a few tips to stay in shape, starting with making sure you’re eating right and getting plenty of rest.

Millstine says college freshman typically gain around seven or eight pounds their first year, not the dreaded 15.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says the Biden Administration has finally called for arbitrators to settle a dispute with Mexico over U-S corn imports. Ernst says she’s been pushing the U-S Trade Representative to take this step since last November.

In 2024, Mexico plans to ban the use of genetically modified corn in products like flour and tortillas that are made for human consumption. According to the U-S-D-A, about 90 percent of U-S corn is grown from genetically engineered seeds and Ernst says 16 million tons of Iowa-grown corn is exported to Mexico each year.

U-S officials say Mexico’s ban on genetically modified corn is not based on science and is a violation of the U-S-Mexico-Canada Agreement that took effect three years ago. Canada’s Trade Ministry is siding with the U-S in this corn dispute.

An investigation into three fights in Storm Lake in July has led to a total of 13 juveniles between the ages of 15 and 17 being charged.

Storm Lake Police says, all three fights occurred on the evening of July 11th. The two fights later that evening were retaliation from the initial fight, which resulted in a 15-year-old receiving a serious stab wound. The two later fights involved some suspects that weren’t involved in the first incident.

The juveniles, 12 males and a female all from Storm Lake, received various charges including participating in a riot and criminal mischief.

Governor Kim Reynolds has traveled to southwest Texas for a border security tour led by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Reynolds says the aerial tour showed her how challenging the terrain is around Eagle Pass, Texas. In July, Texas Governor Abbott ordered a floating barrier of large orange buoys be placed in the middle of the Rio Grande River.

Reynolds deployed 109 Iowa National Guard soldiers to Texas this month to assist state authorities in operations at the border. Reynolds says drug-related deaths have increased by 35 percent in Iowa this year and according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the drugs are primarily coming from Mexico.

This was the governor’s second trip to the southern border. Reynolds, along with the governors of South Dakota, Nebraska and Oklahoma spoke at a news conference organized by the governor of Texas. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen (PILL-en) opposes the Biden Administration’s lawsuit seeking removal of the line of floating buoys in the Rio Grande.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (NOHM, rhymes with “home”) says the Mexican cartels are setting up in her state and driving up crime.

The 109 National Guard soldiers from IOWA are due to return at the end of August. Governor Reynolds plans to send a group of State Patrol Troopers to Texas in September.

With parts of Iowa expecting high temperatures in triple-digits today (Tuesday) along with heat indices as high as 115, hospitals across the state are bracing to handle an influx of heat-related cases. Emergency medicine specialist Dr. Luke Wood says the risks of heat exhaustion and heat stroke rise with the forecast highs.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include headache, dizziness, and profuse sweating, while symptoms of the more serious heat stroke include confusion or altered mental status and clammy skin, plus, you might stop sweating.

Young children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The heat index is a calculation based on temperatures and humidity levels, what some call the misery index. Wood says says high humidity can cause heat-related health issues, too, especially if you’re not drinking enough water.

If symptoms develop, get the person out of the sun. Find shade. Get them to drink cool water, and seek medical help if you suspect heat stroke.

Numbers released from the Iowa State Fair show this year had the second best attendance ever.

This year finished with nearly one million-134-thousand people going through the gates as there was good weather right up until the heat wave hit in the last couple of days.  The attendance record of one-million-170-thousand was set in 2019.  The first Sunday of this year’s Fair on August 13th set an attendance record for that day of nearly 115-thousand.

Country star Eric Church’s performance at the grandstand that Sunday night helped out –with near concert record of more than 17-thousand people.

The Iowa Utilities Board is holding the first public hearing today (Tuesday) for one of the three proposed carbon dioxide pipelines that would run through the state.

Summit Carbon Solutions is seeking a permit to operate and maintain 687 miles of pipeline through 29 Iowa counties.  The I-U-B says Summit Carbon is requesting the right to use eminent domain for approximately 973 parcels on the proposed pipeline route.  The hearing begins at 10 a-m at the Cardiff Event Center in Fort Dodge.  The I-U-B is livestreaming the hearing, which is expected to last for several days.  The hearing is part of all the information that is being presented to the Board as it makes its decision.

Now that the Iowa State Fair has ended, what happens to all the left over food?  Sixteen Iowa State Fair vendors have donated 12,113 pounds of unused food to Food Bank of Iowa at the close of this year’s fair. That’s nearly 5,000 pounds more than last year!

Among the food collected by FBOI staff and volunteers on Aug. 21, some was delivered immediately to partners including Hope Ministries’ Bethel Mission, YMCA Supportive Housing Campus, Creative Visions and Central Iowa Shelter & Services. Other food will go on inventory for distribution across the 55 counties Food Bank of Iowa serves. Food items donated included:  Fresh produce including cucumbers, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes and onions, hard-boiled eggs, ice cream, strawberry shortcake rolls, coleslaw, milk, cheese slices and hoagie buns.

Among the vendors who donated:  Bud Tent, Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters, Centrum Valley Farms, The Depot, Iowa Egg Council, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Sheep Industry Association, Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation, Grater Taters, Jalapeno Pete’s, Midwest Dairy Association, Saigonais LLC, Smith Concessions, Stockman’s Inn, Veggie Table and West Des Moines United Methodist Church.

The USDA estimates up to 40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted every year. According to Feeding America, that equates to more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year.

The Iowa DNR Atlantic Field Office was notified Monday morning, August 21st, of discolored water in an unnamed tributary of the North Raccoon River, approximately two miles east of the City of Cooper in Greene County.  According to the caller, the discolored water was first observed on the evening of Friday, August 18, 2023.

Black, pooled water has been observed in several areas behind beaver dams. The stream has low flow, and no dead fish were observed in the area.  DNR field tests showed elevated ammonia levels.

Water samples have been collected and sent to the State Hygienic Laboratory for further analysis. The investigation is ongoing. Swimming and recreating in the area is not recommended until additional information is gathered.

Anyone who might have information on the incident is asked to contact the DNR Field Office 4 in Atlantic at (712) 243-1934.