Iowa’s number of flu cases is now considered widespread, and officials say the seasonal outbreak could get even worse now that children are back in school. Shelby County Public Health nurse Rachel Birks said that there have been many cases of flu seen by Myrtue Medical Center providers in December and so far in January.  There have been at least two cases that needed hospitalization—a small child and an elderly person.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) says at least 151 people were hospitalized state-wide for flu complications in Iowa during the last week of December.  IDPH Medical Director Patricia Quinlisk said that she doubts the surge of illnesses will slow down soon. Dr. Quinlisk has said “We have “all the hallmarks of a relatively bad and prolonged flu season.”   .

Experts say the viruses are affecting more people than usual across much of the nation.  Government health experts say 18 children have died from complications of the flu, and 2,257 people were hospitalized with flu symptoms through the end of December. No child deaths have been reported in Iowa, though the state has had deaths of children in previous years.

Birks urges nearly everyone to get a vaccination now, if they have not gotten one already last fall.  The vaccine (shot or nasal mist) is recommended for everyone 6 months and older every year.   Call Myrtue Medical Center at 755-5130 or the Public Health Department at 755-4422 to make an appointment for your immunization.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Cass County Conservation Department Director Micah Lee provided the Board of Supervisors with a quarterly report on his department’s activities, during the Supervisor’s meeting Wednesday morning, in Atlantic. Lee said he’s checking prices and trying to obtain additional information, with regard to the installation of a pit-style toilet facility at the Outdoor Classroom site southeast of Massena. If they don’t prove to be too costly, the latrine would be similar to what can be found at Lake Anita.

Lee reported also County Environmental Education/Naturalist Lora Kanning saw 2,152 people last quarter, and worked to acquire a Resource Enhancement and Protection-Conservation Education Program (or, REAP/CEP) grant from the Iowa Department of Education. The $6,000 grant will allow the conservation department to purchase bird watching equipment, such as spotting scopes and binoculars, for the Outdoor Classroom. There will also be another “Trunk” with trail and tracking information added to the classroom building for students and teachers to look at the utilize.

Lee said progress has been made also on signage used to identify the southernmost trailhead for the T-Bone Trail in Cass County. He said new ID signs have been installed along Olive Street to point people in the direction of the south trail head location along Dunbar Road. Additional signs are being ordered to further mark the parking site for the south trail head, which is kind of obscured by brush and trees.

And, Micah says they’re working with the Iowa DNR to provide another campground entrance for Cold Springs State Park near Lewis, to alleviate congestion with campers trying to maneuver in the area. The entrance would be from the south, off of Park Road. He says there wouldn’t be any major changes to the park to accommodate the entrance, other than modifying an old gate.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa has reached an agreement with a New York City-based online music retailer to refund a total of $40,000 in subscription fees to people who most likely didn’t know they’d enrolled.  The Des Moines Register reports that eMusic agreed to make its enrollment procedures more transparent and will pay the state $3,000 for consumer fraud enforcement

Attorney General Tom Miller says in a news release that some Iowans had been paying monthly fees for several years, including one person whose fees amounted to $1,600.  The agreement doesn’t indicate exactly how eMusic customers may have inadvertently signed up for the service.

There’s a big fuss being made over four tiny, fuzzy critters at one of the region’s largest tourist attractions.

Lions cubs at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha.

Four lion cubs are being seen by the public for the first time at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha. Zoo director Dennis Pate says a total of five lion cubs were born there late last month. “It’s exciting for us because it’s been 18 years since we’ve had (newborn) lions, 1994,” Pate says. “It’s been a long, long time and a lot of work on the part of the animal department to get the right male in, bring two females in. The females came from Idaho. Not sure where the male came from — Mr. Big — he’s a really big African lion.”

Four of the cubs are on display in the zoo’s Cat Complex with their mother. One female cub was smaller and is receiving extra care. So far, she’s thriving in the zoo’s hospital and will be introduced back with her mother and siblings once she is strong enough. Pate says the litter of five cubs — three females and two males — were born on December 29th.  “They’ll be here for quite a while,” Pate says. “As they grow, I imagine we’ll move them over so they have the outside yard, a lot of room to run and play. They should be a lot of fun to watch as they grow up. By the time they’re 16 weeks old, they’re going to be moving around a lot. Come spring, summer, it ought to be the joy of Omaha to come down and watch these cubs play.”

The four cubs that are on public view now are very healthy, Pate says, as is the new mother. The zoo also has four African lion adults, one male and three females. African lions are listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. More information is available on-line at www.omahazoo.com

(Radio Iowa)

The City of Atlantic’s Planning and Zoning Commission discussed Tuesday, a proposal pertaining to a housing development, “Southern Heights II,” between 22^nd and 19^th Streets, west of Redwood.The discussion included the future of Plum Street, versus Southern Heights Drive, along with storm water runoff and drainage issues.

City Councilman Shaun Shouse is the Council’s liaison. He reported to the Council Wednesday evening there was ample information about why the developer thought the project was needed, and representatives from the Cass-Atlantic Development Corporation (CADCO) were on-hand to offer their support.

Shouse said some residents in the area also offered their input, which included their support for the project, and concerns about traffic flow from 19^th to 22^nd.   He said also, that John Lund, Assistant to City Administrator Doug Harris, reported to the P-and-Z Commission at the meeting, that he would look into other options to alleviate some of the traffic issues, and report back on those options during the next meeting. And, the developer indicated their intention to request the area be re-zoned in order to accommodate multifamily housing. If that is approved, additional details will be released concerning the site plan at a future date.

Authorities in Montgomery County are investigating numerous incidents of the theft. Officials with the Red Oak Police Department say a little more than half a dozen complaints have been received from residents of the community, with regard to vehicles being broken into, and items stolen from inside those vehicles.

One of the residents reported on Wednesday, that two  of her vehicles had been broken into. While that incident was under investigation, six other residents filed complaints about vehicle thefts. Authorities say they later received a call from a resident near Griswold who observed a black and gray plastic box on the Nishnabotna Bridge north of Red Oak on Highway 48.  Several items in the box were found to have been taken from one of the burglarized vehicles in Red Oak. Those items are being examined to see if they can reveal any evidence of who may have committed the crime.

Anyone with information into these thefts is urged to call Red Oak Police at 712-623-6500 or The Montgomery County Crimestoppers at 800-432-1001.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press