Nearly 400 Iowans took their own lives last year and all Iowans are being encouraged to take an active role in preventing further deaths. Pat McGovern, the suicide prevention coordinator for the Iowa Department of Public Health, says it starts with trying to reduce the stigma of mental illness and reaching out to those who may be in trouble.

“It is okay to ask someone, ‘Are you suicidal?,'” McGovern says. “A lot of times, that gives a sense of relief to the person who is. They may not have even called it suicide in their own mind, but it’s thinking of suicide as an option. It allows them to know that someone does care, that there is someone who notices me, who sees me for whom I am and is concerned enough to have that conversation or to ask.”

This is Suicide Prevention Week. Last year, 392 Iowans died by suicide, making it the 10th leading cause of death in the state. Since many people know someone who has taken their own life, McGovern says the tragedy is a public health issue. “One risk with suicide is something called contagion, where someone in your social circle or your near community dies by suicide, it puts others at more risk,” McGovern says. “For some reason, we see that, we know about it and it affects us all in different ways.”

Warning signs that someone might be considering suicide include: someone talking about dying, hopelessness or taking their own life, pill hoarding, buying firearms, and dramatic life changes like the loss of a job, a loved one or a move to a new community. Learn more at the website Your-Life-Iowa-dot-org or call toll-free 855-581-8111.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Creston report two arrests on Tuesday. 14-year old Georjiarain McKown, of Creston, was referred to Juvenile Authorities on a charge of Disorderly Conduct. The teen was released to the custody of Juvenile Authorities. And, 28-year old Amber Buchanen, of Creston, was arrested on a 4th degree Theft charge. She was later released from the Union County Jail on $1,000 bond.

Creston Police said also, a resident in the 1100 block of Hillcrest Drive reported a Stihl chainsaw was taken from a garage on his property sometime on Friday, Sept. 4th. The loss was estimated at $299.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in a pursuit early this (Wednesday) morning, in western Iowa. According to authorities in Cass County, the pursuit of a black Ford Escort began at around 2:30-a.m. in Pottawattamie County and made its way into Cass County on Boston Road.

Stop sticks were deployed at 560th and Boston Road in Cass County, but the suspect vehicle managed to make it back into Pottawattamie County. The chase ended between Marne and Walnut at around 2:47-a.m., near 530th and Westgate Road.

Information about the name of the suspect, why he was being pursued, and the charges filed against him, are currently not available. Deputies from Cass, Audubon, Shelby and Pottawattamie County were involved in the pursuit.

New rules has been proposed that may make it easier for more ’emotionally or physically fragile” Iowa students to enroll in an online school. The Clayton Ridge Community School District in northeast Iowa and the CAM Community School District in southwest Iowa are the two, for-profit, online academies available to Iowa’s public school students. Phil Wise of the Iowa Department of Education says under current rules, no Iowa school district has to allow more than one percent of its total student population to enroll in CAM or Clayton Ridge, but the new rule would change that.

“A district can, if it chooses to, exceed the one percent cap if the district determines that it’s in the best educational interest of an emotionally or physically fragile student,” Wise says. Wise says senior leadership in the Iowa Department of Education made the proposal. “Because we had heard, not many, but we had heard of instances where a school superintendent wanted to be able to grant open enrollment, but could not,” Wise says.

The other proposed change would force local school districts to let a sibling enroll in one of Iowa’s online schools if a sister or brother is already enrolled in one of these two virtual academies. “In that case and only in that case is there an entitlement to that open enrollment,” Wise says. There’s a limitation on the total number of students statewide who can enroll in these two online schools.

For the last school year, that limit was 865 students. Only 730 students were enrolled in the two online academies last year, however. A public hearing on the proposed enrollment changes will be held on September 22nd, from 9 to 10 .m., in the Grimes State Office Building in Des Moines. A legislative committee reviewed the proposed policy changes Tuesday morning.

(Radio Iowa)

A new report shows a lot of Iowa companies plan to boost their workforces before the end of the year. The fourth quarter Manpower Employment Outlook Survey found 27-percent of the companies questioned about their hiring plans expect to increase staff levels between October and December. Another seven-percent plan to lay off workers, while 64-percent expect to maintain current staff levels.

The figures are weaker compared to the hiring intentions in the third quarter survey, but leaders of Iowa companies are more optimistic about adding to their payrolls than they were one year ago. While 27-percent of the Iowa companies surveyed expect to add workers over the next three months, more than 11,000 employers were surveyed across the U.S. and 21-percent anticipate adding to their workforces.

(Radio Iowa)