Governor Branstad will sign a proclamation this Friday, March 4th, marking March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month. While gambling is harmless entertainment for most Iowans, gambling can lead to personal and financial problems for others. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), 294,000 adult Iowans experienced a problem related to their gambling in the past year.

During Problem Gambling Awareness Month, Iowans are encouraged to have the conversation about gambling with those they care about. “We know the majority of Iowans who gamble do so because it’s fun and they don’t have any problems as a result of it,” said Eric Preuss of the of the IDPH Office of Problem Gambling Treatment and Prevention. “But for those with a gambling problem, many suffer in silence because they don’t know why they developed a problem, what gambling addiction is, or where to get help.”

Have a conversation about how gambling affects your life if you or someone you know shows symptoms of problem gambling, including:

• Thinking a lot about gambling, such as past gambling experiences, future gambling ventures, or ways of getting money for gambling
• Needing to gamble with larger amounts of money or with larger bets in order to get the same feeling of excitement
• Repeatedly trying to cut down or stop your gambling without success
• Feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut down or stop gambling
• Gambling to run away from problems or to get relief from feeling depressed, anxious, or bad about yourself
• After losing money gambling, often returning another day in order to win back your losses
• Lying to family members, friends, or others in order to hide your gambling from them
• Losing or almost losing a significant relationship, job, or an educational or career opportunity because of gambling
• Relying on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling

The Office of Problem Gambling Treatment and Prevention works to reduce the harm caused by problem gambling by funding a range of services for Iowans. These services include outpatient counseling for problem gamblers, concerned persons and family; recovery support services; financial counseling, including budgeting and debt reduction plans; and state-wide information and referral services through 1-800-BETS OFF and www.1800betsoff.org. In addition, the program funds targeted prevention and education services for schools, community groups, casino employees, and other at-risk groups.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-BETS OFF or go to www.1800BETSOFF.org.

A report in the Daily NonPareil says a Treynor man employed by REM Iowa Community Services in Council Bluffs faces charges of sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist, an aggravated misdemeanor. 54-year old Michael E. Krauth was arrested late Friday morning on a warrant, at REM Iowa’s Council Bluffs office.

A Red Oak man was arrested Monday night for allegedly possessing stolen property. Red Oak Police say 41-year old Troy Alan Myers was taken into custody at around 10-p.m., after officers recovered stolen property from his residence during the execution of a search warrant. Myers was being held on $1,000 bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

The Iowa State Patrol says two people were injured during a single-vehicle rollover accident that happened at around 9:45-p.m. Monday, in Pottawattamie County. Officials say a 2000 Buick Regal driven by 20-year old Brandon S. Angus, of Des Moines, was traveling east on Interstate 680 when the car left the road and entered the south ditch near the Neola exit.

The car slid sideways and rolled over before hitting a guard rail and coming to rest upright on an embankment. Angus, and a front seat female passenger in the car, 20-year old Mariquita Ulrich, of Des Moines, were injured and transported by Minden Rescue to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs. An infant child was in a car safety seat in the back seat, and was not injured.