(Radio Iowa) — An apple a day may not keep the doctor away, but University of Iowa researchers are testing how massive doses of vitamin C could help fight three of the deadliest forms of cancer. Doctor Joe Cullen, a U-I professor of surgery, is helping head up the study. He says they’re launching a new round of clinical trials in cancer patients using I-Vs of vitamin C along with chemotherapy and radiation.

“Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant but we give very large doses and we give it intravenously and at those large doses, you get very, very high levels,” Dr. Cullen says. “So, we’ve increased the levels a hundred-fold and when you do that, it actually kills cancer cells.” If you take vitamin C tablets that you buy at the drug store by mouth, Cullen says they have a limited usefulness.

“If you take too much vitamin C orally, you don’t absorb as much and your kidneys just excrete it,” Cullen says. “We bypass all of those mechanisms when we give it intravenously. We give it at such a high dose that the kidneys can’t remove it that quickly and you get very high doses.” The U-I has already been conducting trials using vitamin C to treat pancreatic cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and an aggressive type of brain cancer known as G-B-M. So far, Cullen says the results are very encouraging, especially with a trial that just finished for locally-advanced pancreatic cancer.

“We increased the overall survival from 11 months to 21 months,” Cullen says. “We have two long-term survivals that are almost out four years, which is kind of unheard of for pancreatic cancer. In one of our earlier trials, looking at patients with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer where the survival is about six months, we increased the survival to about 16 months.”

Researchers at U-I’s Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center have just received a five-year, $9.7 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to continue the trials of high-dose vitamin C. Cullen says it promises to be a safe, simple, cost-effective approach to improving treatment for many kinds of cancer.

(Radio Iowa) — The Board of Regents gave approval Friday for Iowa State University to proceed with a 90-million dollar project that will dramatically change the north end of Jack Trick Stadium. Associate Athletic Director for Operations, Chris Jorgensen, says the Sports Performance Center will mean some big changes to the buildings that sit there now. But, he says one key feature he gets the most questions about is not going away.

)”Hillside seating that will remain…the plan would be to add a concourse similar to what we did on the south end of the stadium. A game day plaza would go in north of the Jacobsen Building replacing what currently resides there as the Olson building,” Jorgensen says. The plan also includes updates to the Bergstrom Football Complex to replace space lost in the Olsen building.

“The soccer, softball, tennis and golf programs all train out of that building when they are not in season at their other facilities. We also have some other sports that use the weight rooms and training facilities in that building, so that building would be removed,” Jorgensen says. The Sports Performance Center will be a four-story building attached to the football complex.

“The northeast corning of this building would be a shared nutrition center,” Jorgensen says. “One big change in college athletics in the last several years has been additional opportunities to feed student athletes. And it is actually one of the highest demands on out student athletes — is on the nutritional side.”

Other components of the building include conference rooms, the Life Skills Suite, offices and mechanical space. Level three would house a classroom, computer lab, 24 Tutor Rooms, and offices. And level four would have dining, the kitchen and two athletic suites. Levels three and four would provide views south to Jack Trice Stadium, east to the new North Entry Plaza and north to the Iowa State Center. Jorgensen says they are well on their way to raising the funds for the building.

“We have a 45-million-dollar fundraising goal, and as of today I think they are at 41 of that 45 million. And we plan at a later day,” according to Construction would start in June of next year and the project would take two years to complete.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A woman has filed an ethics complaint against Iowa legislator Nate Boulton, detailing allegations she initially made in May that led the lawmaker to drop his campaign for governor. The Des Moines Register reported Monday the woman filed the complaint Saturday with the Iowa Senate. The complaint alleges that one night at a bar in November 2015, Boulton repeatedly grabbed her buttocks.

The Register had previously reported the woman’s allegations as well as allegations from two other women regarding incidents more than a decade ago. After the stories were published, Boulton dropped his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor. Despite calls that he resign, Boulton opted to remain in the Senate.

Boulton couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. The chairman of the Senate ethics committee also wasn’t available.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A judge has sentenced a second man to life in prison for the 2016 killing of a gender-fluid Iowa teenager. The Des Moines Register reports a judge Monday sentenced 26-year-old Jaron Purham to life in prison, which was mandatory because of his October conviction of first-degree murder.

Another man, Jorge Sanders-Galvez, already is serving a life term for the March 2, 2016, fatal shooting of 16-year-old Kedarie Johnson of Burlington. Johnson’s relatives say he identified as both male and female.

Prosecutors said Sanders-Galvez and Purham saw Johnson at a store and followed him in their car before taking the teen to a Burlington home. Police say Johnson was sexually assaulted and tortured before being shot to death in an alley.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa farmers are nearing the end of this year’s harvest of corn and soybeans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday that 91 percent of the corn crop had been harvested by Sunday. That matches last year’s harvest but was three days behind the five-year average.

About 97 percent of the soybean crop had been harvested, which is just behind last year’s 98 percent and the five-year average of 99 percent. The harvest progress came despite wintry weather, including temperatures in eastern Iowa that were up to 12 degrees below normal. Some areas also saw rain and snow.

With the Thanksgiving Holiday approaching, city leaders in Atlantic have decided to hold the City Council meeting Tuesday evening, this week, instead of the normal, Wednesday. The Council will gather at City Hall for their meeting that begins at 5:30-p.m.

On their short agenda, is recognition by the Mayor and Council, of the Atlantic High School Girls Swim Team. The honor is an ongoing effort by the Mayor to bring attention to the positive achievements of young people in the community. For the fifth-year in a row, the Atlantic Girls Swim Team made it to the State Competition this year, and finished strong, ranking 12th out of 40 teams.

In other business, the Council will act on approving the Fiscal Year 2018 Urban Renewal Report. City Administrator John Lund says every year, cities in Iowa are required to submit the report to the Iowa Department of Management. The report, he says, details everything relating to the City’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts and projects. Approval of the report is routine, and a formality, and reflects the projects and numbers already approved by the Council, through the Urban Renewal Plans, Development Agreements and the Annual Budget.

(Radio Iowa) — The state’s three investor-owned utilities will spend half as much next year to help low-income Iowans weatherize their homes. San Wong is director of the Iowa Department of Human Rights, the state agency that oversees the program. “For this next year, we anticipate there will be about a 50 percent cut based on the plan submitted by utility companies,” Wong says. About 12-hundred Iowa homeowners got help last year to make their homes more energy efficient in the winter.

“Once they do that then, obviously, the savings they receive annually — I think the average savings is $262 — but they will realize that savings, obviously, through the life of the home,” Wong says. Last year the federal government provided about 13 million dollars and the state’s investor-owned utilities provided nearly six-and-a-half million for the weatherization program.

A new state law significantly lowered how much utilities may spend on energy efficiency programs. Critics argued electric customers were unaware how much of their bill was being spent on energy reduction efforts.

AMES, IA – Shelby County Extension Educator Mary Taggs was honored in October when she received the Iowa 4-H Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented to county staff members who have been in their positions between four and ten years and who have made a difference for the Iowa 4-H program.

The award ceremony was held October 30th in Ames, Iowa as a part of the annual YouthFest conference which brings together Iowa State University Extension and Outreach staff from all over the state to celebrate the work they are doing and participate in workshops and educational opportunities in the field of 4-H youth development.

“This event provides an opportunity for all of us to learn about significant impacts our
4-H staff are making in their local communities and to celebrate those accomplishments,” 4-H staff recognition committee chair Brenda Allen said.

Taggs was recognized in part for her work with the Maker Space program which helps 2nd -6th graders develop their problem-solving and cooperation skills.  Maker Space takes place on no school days in the Harlan school district.  Participants engage in challenges each day that encourage thought, design, creativity and a LOT of fun!  Taggs has been instrumental in acquiring grant funding to support the program.  The program began from a grant award from the STEM Scale-up Program sponsored by the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council.  The program continues due to the generous funding from Monogram Loves Kids.

“She encourages life-long learning as she provides youth opportunities to make their own decisions and be creative,” one nominator said.

To find out more about Taggs and the work she is doing for Iowa youth, contact the Shelby County ISU Extension and Outreach office by visiting the county webpage at www.extension.iastate.edu/shelby

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, reports an Adair County man was sentenced to three-years of supervised release for making a false statement in connection with federal crop insurance. A judge, Friday, also ordered 71-year old Carl Jeffrey Campbell, of Orient, to serve four months of home confinement, and pay a $5,000 fine, plus $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund, and $32,440 to the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) as restitution. Campbell was also ordered to serve 160 hours of community service.

Campbell pleaded guilty to the offense on July 6, 2018. In 2014, Campbell obtained crop insurance for two farms from an insurance company that was insured by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. The Federal Reinsured Crop Program is administered by the Risk Management Agency, which is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, which is a wholly-owned government corporation. The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation reimburses insurance companies for the indemnity payments made to policyholders under the Federal Reinsured Crop Program.

Crop shifting occurs when a farmer underreports production in a field in order to reach the percentage of loss required to receive an indemnity from their crop insurance policy. Campbell “shifted” production from one farm to another by reporting that several thousand bushels of grain were harvested from one farm when he knew that those bushels were in fact harvested from the other farm. By reporting the bushels of grain from the incorrect farm, or shifting the production, Campbell received insurance indemnities to which he was not entitled. He also “hid” production by not reporting to the USDA or Federal Crop Insurance Corporation several thousand bushels of corn sold in his son’s name.

By failing to report the bushels of grain sold in his son’s name, authorities say Campbell received insurance indemnities to which he was not entitled. The matter was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous recent arrests. On Friday, 50-year old Kenneth Lee Klindt, of Griswold, was arrested on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault 1st Offense. Klindt was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $1,000 bond. Also arrested Friday, was 36-year old Brandon Michael Crees, a homeless man, on a charge of Driving While Barred. Crees was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $2,000 bond.

Last Thursday, 45-year old Robert Joseph Dambra, of Atlantic, turned himself in at the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on a felony charge of Possession with Intent to Deliver/Meth. Dambra was booked at the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond. On November 14th, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 18-year old Devin Joel Hilliard, of Griswold, on charges of:felony Theft 2nd Degree – Motor Vehicle; Unauthorized Use of a Credit Card; and Theft 5th Degree. Additional charges of Conspiracy to Commit a Forcible Felony (a Class C Felony) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia were later added. Hilliard remains held at the Cass County Jail on $17,300 bond.

On November 6th, Deputies arrested 35-year old Matthew James Bruns, of Atlantic, on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Harassment 1st Degree. The following day, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office also charged Bruns with Possession of Marijuana 1st Offense, and Possession of Meth 1st Offense. Bruns was released the following day on $3,000 bond. On November 11th, Cass County Deputies arrested 38-year old Nicholas Gene Paulsen, of Atlantic, on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Sponsoring a Gathering where Controlled Substances are Used (a Class D Felony) and Prohibited Acts. Paulsen was taken to the Cass County Jail and released on November 14, 2018, on $7,000 bond.

(12:40-p.m. News)