A University of Iowa medical school graduate who’s now a national spokesman for the American Lung Association is urging Iowans to get an array of vaccinations this fall to protect themselves from the flu, R-S-V, and a resurgence of COVID-19. Pulmonologist Dr. Jamie Rutland says flu cases spiked in Iowa last year, compared to previous pandemic years, as most people were no longer masking or keeping six feet away from others. How severe will the flu season ahead be?

Flu vaccines are already available in Iowa, so he’s hoping people will get their shots now so their immune systems are ready. That goes double for people who are compromised by things like heart disease, lung disease or diabetes.

Rutland, who practices in his native southern California, says R-S-V is another big concern, especially as flu season approaches, and two R-S-V vaccines are now available, primarily for people 60 and over.

He says it’s especially important for people who are at least 60 years old to get vaccinated for R-S-V. The C-D-C says COVID cases are rising again nationwide and Rutland says for most people, a COVID booster is highly recommended this fall.

The C-D-C estimates there were as many as 54-million flu cases nationwide last year and between 19- and 58-thousand deaths due to the flu. Iowa health officials report 366 flu deaths statewide in 2021.

An executive with Summit Carbon Solutions says the proposed pipeline route the company has presented to state regulators is final — unless the Iowa Utilities Board orders more negotiations as a condition of granting a construction permit. James Powell, Summit’s chief operating officer, is in charge of design, construction and operation of the pipeline.

Powell says it’s too late to adjust the route through Charles City, for example.

Summit has changed the pipeline route around Bismarck in its new permit application after
North Dakota regulators rejected the company’s initial application.

Powell testified Tuesday during a hearing the Iowa Utilities Board convened in August to examine Summit’s pipeline permit application. Testimony in the past two weeks came from landowners who don’t want the pipeline on their property, some of whom suggested adjusting the route to provide access to farm fields or to keep their land enrolled in federal conservative programs.

A state health report shows Iowa’s syphilis rate continues to climb, with 877 cases of that sexually-transmitted infection last year. It marks the fourth straight year cases have risen, mirroring a national trend. State Medical Director Robert Kruse says the reason for the increase is unclear, but he says syphilis usually begins with a painless blister that goes away on its own, so it can be harder to detect in earlier stages.

Iowa’s rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea dropped last year. Kruse says doctors have seen syphilis cases increase for women, which led to a rise in congenital syphilis — where a woman passes the illness to her child during pregnancy. He says doctors should consider additional screenings for their pregnant patients who are at risk.

Kruse says it’s important that Iowans recognize signs and symptoms of S-T-Is and go in for testing if they think they may have been exposed.

A nine-year-old cat that lived his entire life at a northwest Iowa animal shelter has been adopted by a family from Missouri. Barney was adopted after becoming a social media sensation last month. Emmet County Animal Shelter Director Kristy Henning says Barney was featured in the shelter’s “Sunday Spotlight” on Facebook.

The post drew attention nationwide and in Canada and 15 applications were filled out to adopt Barney the cat. The shelter selected a family from Lee’s Summit, Missouri as Barney’s forever home.

The Sherer family is keeping the shelter — and the internet — updated on Barney’s progress.

Barney’s mother was pregnant when she was taken in at the Emmet County Shelter, so he had spent every day of his life at the facility until he was
adopted. Henning says there’s no carpeting at the shelter and Barney’s new family says he loves rolling around on the carpet at his new home in Missouri.