Iowa State University is launching a study of physical activity of rural youth as part of a joint project with the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Dr. David Dzewaltowski, the principal investigator at U-N-M-C’s College of Public Health, says he’d like rural communities in both states to help promote physical activity. “This project is going to focus on helping communities decide what’s going on in their communities,” Dzewaltowski says, “and how they can create more options in their communities for kids.”

Since the 1970s, he says the obesity rate has quadrupled among youth and our social systems have to change to allow for more activity.”The primary thing that’s changed is, we live our lives differently,” he says. “The social context, or the people we interact with and the places we interact with throughout the day in our communities, really determine how we eat and how active we are as children and adults.” Dzewaltowiski says it’s vital that kids engage in regular physical activity at a young age and carry that to adulthood. “What we find is that kids aren’t very active throughout the day,” he says. “If we don’t get kids moving at a young age, then it’s less likely they’ll be active later and also at a young age, if they start to become obese, then they’re more likely to be obese later.”

Dzewaltowiski plans to use videos pared with pedometers to measure the phsycal activity while the program changes are made. He says moving is important not just for health but for educational outcomes. “Kids need to move to be healthy and they do better if they move in places with learning outcomes,” he says. “In addition to the importance of physical activity for health, physical activity is important for other outcomes the community may value, such as education.”  In partnering with county health departments, they’ll work to design ways physical activity opportunities can be integrated into schools, after-school programs, scouting and youth sports that are open to all children.

(Radio Iowa, w/thanks to Karla James)

A Pottawattamie County man wanted on a Page County warrant for Probation Violation, was arrested Tuesday afternoon. 37-year old Nicholas Ryan Pruett, of Council Bluffs, was arrested by Page County Deputies and transported to the Page County Jail, where he was being held on $1000 bond, pending further court proceedings.

Nicholas Pruett (Photo courtesy Page County S/O)

Deputies with the Page County Sheriff’s Office, early Tuesday afternoon, arrested a man wanted on a Page County warrant for Theft charges. 43-year old Michael Dean Kirsch, of Shenandoah, was arrested in Shenandoah, with the assistance of Shenandoah Police.

Michael D. Kirsch (Page County S/O booking photo)

His arrest was the results of an investigation requested by the Page County Attorney’s Office, involving complaints filed with them by the State of Iowa Insurance Fraud Investigation Bureau. The Page County Sheriff’s Office then conducted further investigation into the criminal allegations which concluded with the following charges against Kirsch:

• Ongoing Criminal Conduct – Influence Enterprise a Class B Felony
• 3 counts of Theft 1^st Degree Class C Felonies
• 7 counts of Theft 2^nd Degree Class D Felonies
• Theft 3^rd Degree Aggrevated Misdemeanor
• Theft 4^th Degree Serious Misdemeanor.

Bond on the charges was set at $50,0000 by Page County Magistrate Ivan Miller. Kirsch was transported to the Page County Jail where he was booked in. He later posted the bond and was released pending further court proceedings.

Police in Creston, Tuesday afternoon, arrested 28-year old Spencer Leitzel, of Creston, on an assault charge. Leitzel was taken into custody at his home at around 4:50-p.m. and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault by Strangulation. He was being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting a bond hearing.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

SABULA, Iowa (AP) — Officials say work is taking longer than expected on a new bridge that helps connect eastern Iowa with northwestern Illinois. The bridge at Sabula will provide access to a larger U.S. Highway 52/Illinois 64 bridge over the Mississippi River to Savanna, Illinois. The old Sabula bridge was closed in March, forcing motorists into a 36-mile detour. The construction was scheduled to be finished in late May. Now the Iowa Transportation Department says the bridge won’t be open until at least July because of problems with sandy soil.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A man has been charged with vehicular homicide in connection with the crash death of another driver in Des Moines. Authorities say 33-year-old Grant Uhe, of Des Moines, was arrested Tuesday. Polk County Jail records say he remained in custody Wednesday, pending $100,000 bail. Police say Uhe was driving more than 75 mph (121 kph) in a 30 mph (48 kph) zone on April 19 before his pickup truck crashed into a car driven by 19-year-old Tyler Wilcox. Police say Wilcox died later at a hospital.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst took her concerns about EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s handling of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to a Senate Ag Committee hearing Tuesday. She questioned Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue about the so-called “small refinery hardship waivers” Pruitt has been granting to oil refiners. “Some of these refiners are neither small nor facing hardships – and I’m very, very upset about this action that the administrator has taken that would destroy our demand for biofuels,” Ernst said.

U-S Ag Sec. Sonny Perdue

Perdue responded, saying all he has is “the power of persuasion” with Pruitt. Perdue said he told the EPA administrator the instructions he was given last fall for maintaining the renewable volume obligations (RVO) at 15 billion gallons has essentially been circumvented by the waivers. “We have no legal statutory authority to do anything other than that…letting (him) know that our farmers and biofuel producers are very concerned about that,” Perdue said.

Perdue said he is also pushing Pruitt to approve a waiver for E15, allowing year-round sales of the higher ethanol blend. “I have exhorted him to do the E15 waiver, as I have the President,” Perdue said. “I am encouraging the President to go ahead and make good on the commitment to do that.” Perdue also told Senate Ag Committee members that he’s encouraging President Trump to consider rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the 11-nation trade deal shortly after taking office.

(Radio Iowa)