DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Legislature has approved a deal to accept federal funding to provide health care coverage to low-income residents.  The deal was included in the $1.7 billion state Health and Human Services budget, which includes funding for the departments of Public Health and Human Services. House lawmakers approved the budget in an 80 to 17 vote Thursday morning. It was approved in the Senate Wednesday night.
 
The health agreement would cover an estimated 150,000 Iowans. Those with incomes up to 100 percent of the poverty line would go on a state-run health plan. People with incomes from 101 to 138 percent of poverty would get private health plans on the new health care exchanges. Those premiums would be paid for with the federal dollars. Any deal would need federal approval.

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After an unusually cold start to spring, warmer weather is drawing Iowans outdoors once again. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) encourages Iowans to take advantage of the many opportunities to become more active outdoors, and also reminds Iowans to protect themselves against tick bites. Ticks can carry the organisms that cause Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Ehrlichiosis.

“The best way to prevent tick bites is to avoid wooded and grassy areas where ticks are usually found,” said IDPH Public Health Veterinarian and Deputy State Epidemiologist, Dr. Ann Garvey. If you do spend time in these areas:

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long, light-colored pants tucked into socks or boots.
• Stay on trails when walking or hiking, and avoid high grass.
• Use insect repellants that contain DEET.  Read and follow the label directions for application.  DEET is not recommended for use on children under 2 months of age.  For more information on DEET, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/idph_universalhelp/main.aspx?system=IdphEpiManual&context=DEET_factsheet.
• Check yourself, your children and your pets for ticks. Ticks tend to prefer the back of the knee, armpit, scalp, groin, and back of the neck. 

If you discover a tick on your body, remove it right away. Folk remedies, such as burning the tick with a match or covering it with petroleum jelly or nail polish, are not effective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the following instructions for removing a tick:

• Carefully grasp the tick by using tweezers to grip the tick by its mouthparts which are close to the skin. Do not squeeze the tick’s body.
• Pull steadily directly away from your skin. Because removing the tick’s body is your main goal, don’t worry if its mouthparts break off in the process.
• Clean the wound and disinfect the site of the bite.

The most common tick-borne disease is Lyme disease; 163 cases of Lyme disease were reported to IDPH in 2012. Not everyone who gets Lyme disease will have the same symptoms, but the best and earliest sign of infection is a rash that may appear within a few days to a month, usually at the site of the tick bite. The rash will first look like a small, red bump, then expand until it begins to look like a bull’s eye, with a red center and a red ring surrounding a clear area. It is important to contact your healthcare provider immediately if you develop this type of rash.

For more information on Lyme disease, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/idph_universalhelp/main.aspx?

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Sheriff’s deputies responding to a report of a stranded motorist in Fremont County early this (Thursday) morning, ended-up arresting two people on drug charges. According to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, 21-year-old Sierra Adkins, of Clarinda, was arrested at around 2:50-a.m. about five-miles east of Riverton, for drug-related public intoxication. 

Upon further investigation, deputies located in the vehicle, about three grams of methamphetamine, baggies, a scale and numerous other items of drug paraphernalia. They also arrested 39-year-old Heath McClarnon, of Clarinda, for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver/methamphetamine, carrying a loaded firearm, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

McClarnon was being held in the Fremont County Jail on $50,000 bond, while Adkins’ bond was set at $300. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail.

Representatives of the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund have announced the Fund is now classified by the IRS as a public charity, making contributions to the Fund deductible. Melanie Petty, Fund Representative, says they “Incorporated as an Iowa non-profit in 2011, and have been working toward IRS 501(c)(3) designation since that time.” Petty says “It was a lot of paperwork,” but they were fortunate to work with a local attorney whose attention to detail made the process go smoothly.
 
The goal of the Fund is to give back to the community Trevor loved by supporting the projects and organizations that best represent his interests.

Picture: Melanie Petty, Jared Fulk, Noah Welter, and Laena Frederickson. Not present for picture: Liz Guttenfelder.

Recently, the Fund awarded three $750 scholarships to Atlantic High School seniors Liz Guttenfelder, Jared Fulk, and Noah Welter during Class Night. While typically two annual scholarships are awarded at the high school level, a third was added this year as representatives said they simply couldn’t narrow down the applicants any further.
 
In addition to the scholarships, each recipient’s charity of choice will be gifted $200 on their behalf in hopes of encouraging the students to continue to support the things that are meaningful to them. This year’s charities are: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals chosen by Guttenfelder, Remembering Our Fallen chosen by Fulk, and The Michael Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation chosen by Welter.

The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund hosts the annual T-Fred Memorial Golf Tournament and Silent Auction as their only fundraiser. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, August 10, at Nishna Hills Golf Club inAtlantic.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate adjourned the 2013 legislative session late last night, but the House is set to return today for more votes. Lawmakers seemed to be moving to conclusion yesterday after reaching deals to cut property taxes, revise education policy and provide health care for low-income residents.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate has approved a deal to accept federal funding to provide health care coverage to low-income residents. The deal was included in the $1.7 billion state Health and Human Services budget, which includes funding for the departments of Public Health and Human Services. Senate lawmakers voted 26-24 in favor of the budget last night. The health agreement would cover an estimated 150,000 Iowans.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate has approved a compromise plan to cut commercial property taxes in the state. The plan was approved in a 43-6 vote yesterday. The deal limits the amount that residential property assessments can grow. It also includes small income tax credits and raises the state earned income tax credit for low-income workers.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — As the state Legislature was nearing approval of significant changes to Iowa’s public school system, the Iowa Department of Education director accepted a job as superintendent of a Colorado school district. Eagle County School District in Colorado announced yesterday that Iowa Education Department Director Jason Glass accepted the job. He starts July 1st.

DESOTO, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 911 dispatcher used a cellphone signal to find a crash victim in central Iowa. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office says a man’s car went off a roadway Wednesday afternoon in DeSoto. The vehicle went into a ditch and hit a tree head-on. Television station KCCI-TV reports the man called 911 and told a dispatcher that he could see trees but he didn’t know where he was. So the dispatcher used the man’s cellphone signal to try to find the wreck.

Based on the general results, authorities headed toward the area and checked ditches before locating the man. The man has not been identified. His condition is not available.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Legislature has approved a bill that calls for nearly $6 billion in spending on a variety of programs and initiatives over the next two fiscal years. Lawmakers in both the House and Senate passed the bill Wednesday. It will next move to Gov. Terry Branstad. The bill spends $2.9 billion each fiscal year with $2.6 billion annually of that on basic school funding.

Other items include $29 million to help counties adapt to a regionalized mental health care system. It also establishes a new tax credit for farmers who donate excess produce to food banks. Along with budget items, the so-called standings legislation includes new policy items like more comprehensive background checks for school employees. Another provision requires hospitals to perform congenital heart disease screenings on newborns.

The Cass County Master Gardener’s group is inviting local gardeners to “Hop on the Bus” June 20th, for a tour of area businesses that grow and produce from their flowers, vineyards, and nurseries, a wide variety of products. Loess Hills Lavender Farm is the first stop on a bus trip to the Missouri Valley area. The trip is scheduled for June 20, 8 AM to 5:45 PM. It is sponsored by the Cass County Master Gardeners but is open to everyone. Numerous people have expressed their interest in visiting the lavender gardens and they should be at their peak in bloom. Lavender is used to make many healthful products and lavender cookies are on the snack list. Participants will be able to purchase live lavender to plant at home, dried lavender and other products.

A visit to Sawmill Hollow will include tasting samples of wine, jelly, barbeque sauce and many other gourmet aronia berry foods. Aronia berries are promoted as providing more health benefits than blueberries. They are native to this area and Sawmill Hollow was the first aronia farm in the United States. Lunch will be served here.

Other stops include nurseries. One sells homemade pies, jams and jellies made from their orchard produce. They also provide garden bedding plants. Another nursery will demonstrate landscape planning starting with layouts on the computer. A variety of plants are available in their greenhouse.  The final stop is at the Harrison County Historical Village and Iowa Welcome Center showing Iowa life, prairie and a celebration of the Lincoln Highway. Fresh locally grown produce will be available at the Farmers Market.

LaVon Eblen, President of Cass County Master Gardeners, encourages you to get your registrations made now to save your spot on the bus. The cost is $47.00 which includes transportation, entrance fees and a meal and snack. Contact LaVon for a registration form or find a copy on the Cass County Extension website, at www.exension.iastate.edu/cass. The form and payment are due by May 31st.