(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry Branstad has ordered all flags in Iowa be flown at half-staff beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 3, 2011 until 8 a.m. on Monday, June 6, 2011 in honor of 28-year old Air Force Staff Sgt. Joseph J. Hamski, who is formerly of Ottumwa.

Staff Sgt. Hamski was killed by an improvised explosive device last week in Afghanistan.

The Governor’s directive applies to all U.S. and state flags under the control of the state.

Flags will be at half-staff on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays in the Capitol Complex, and upon all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

Staff Sgt. Hamski is survived by his wife, Air Force Staff Sgt. Maria Christina Hamski; mother Marry Ellen Winston; sisters Jennifer Hensley, Nickole Friedman; and his brother Thomas Hamski. He will be laid to rest Saturday, June 4th.

The U.S. flag flown over the state capitol on the day of the funeral will be presented to Staff Sgt. Hamski’s family at a later date, along with a proclamation honoring him.

With outdoor activity season underway, Iowans are reminded 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. 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.

* 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; 78 cases of Lyme disease were reported to IDPH in 2010. 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.

An Atlantic man was arrested Wednesday on two charges. According to Atlantic Police, 27-year old Daniel Fredericksen was arrested on charges of Public Intoxication and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Fredericksen was brought to the Cass County Jail and held, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

Rockwell City, Iowa (AP) – Rockwell City is challenging the 2010 census, which shows its population dropping by nearly 25 percent in the decade since the last count. According to the latest census, Rockwell City, which is located in northwestern Iowa’s Calhoun County, has 1,709 residents. The 2000 census showed 2,264 people. That’s a loss of 555 residents.

Rockwell City is home to a state prison, which houses about 500 inmates. City Clerk Kim Kelly said she would be sending in the necessary paperwork to challenge the results. The challenge will include the City’s assertion the inmates weren’t counted.

When the issue surfaced earlier this year, state officials said the inmates were to be counted as Rockwell City residents.

Western Iowa officials are sounding the alarm, urging people to stay out of the ever-expanding Missouri River. Jeremy McClure, a crime prevention officer in the Sioux City Police Department, says there’s an especially strong current in the river channel. “There’s a lot of pollutants in the water,” he says. “The tides are very dangerous with this river, especially in the Sioux City area.” Sioux City Police are asking the public to stay away from the riverfront.

“The only people we’re letting through at this time are people that are actually volunteering or actually have business to conduct. Otherwise we ask everyone to please stay off the riverfront and let volunteers and city and county crews have the space that they need to do their work,” McClure says. “There’s a lot of heavy machinery down here.

There’s a lot of movement down here and we don’t want to see anyone get hurt.” McClure warns scammers have begun targeting home owners who’re trying to protect their property from the floodwaters.

“The biggest thing is not to give out your credit card information or bank card information to anyone that calls you unsolicited,” McClure says. “Cell phone companies generally send a text message notifying you of problems with your account. We advise that instead of clicking on any links in emails or anything like that…Instead, go to the numbers that you know and trust…get ahold of the company through a method that you know is valid, online or via telephone.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is releasing water from six dams along the Missouri River to drain water from record rains in South Dakota and western states. Melting snow in the northern Rockies adds to the flood concerns. Officials expect the river to crest in Sioux City in mid-June. The city council in South Sioux City, Nebraska has approved spending a million dollars to build a flood wall to protect the town.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston construction office reports road construction will intermittently restrict Iowa 141 near Perry to one lane beginning Tuesday, June 7th, weather permitting.

When workers are present, traffic will be assisted through the work area by flaggers and a pilot car. When work is in progress, the open lane will have a 16-foot width restriction.

Normal traffic patterns will resume when workers are not present. The project is expected to be completed by June 21st.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A former Republican state senator says in launching a group to support same-sex marriage that government has no right to say whom he can marry.

At a news conference Wednesday in Des Moines, Jeff Angelo said the group is called Iowa Republicans for Freedom. He wants the group to encourage rank-and-file Republicans to support same-sex marriage as a principle of individual liberties.

However, Angelo also says he doesn’t believe support for same-sex marriage should be a key factor for choosing any Republican presidential candidate.

Angelo, of Ames (and formerly of Creston), represented southwest Iowa in the state Senate between 1997 and 2008. He didn’t seek re-election in 2008. His position is counter to that of many Republicans, who have sought to overturn the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage in 2009.

The state of Iowa collected 782-million dollars in taxes last month, a near-record level. But state officials offer some cautionary notes.

According to an analysis from the Legislative Services Agency, tax collections in May were slightly inflated when compared to the same month a year ago, based on the timing of deposits and when weekends fell. In addition, state income taxes were due April 30th and returns with payments were deposited later this year, providing a significant boost. According to the Legislative Services Agency, “all news was not positive for the month.”

There was a decline in the amount of individual income taxes withheld from May paychecks, indicating some Iowans may have been laid off while others saw their work hours reduced. Despite those negative notes, overall net state tax collections are running one-point-three percent ahead of what officials had expected.

There is only one other May on record that eclipses May of 2011 in terms of state tax collections. Nearly 792-million dollars in state taxes were paid in May of 2007, which is about 10 million dollars more than was collected last month.

(O.Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday passed five Resolutions, each, by a vote of six-to-one. The Council however, tabled a Resolution on approving the contract and bonds for a Hot Melt Asphalt Paving and Storm Sewer Improvement project, because the contractor, Carley Construction, of Avoca, had not yet returned its contract to the City.

Those projects which were approved Wednesday night include: a Portland Cement Concrete (P.C.C.) paving and storm sewer improvement project; the Sunnyside Park road resurfacing and parking improvements project; the Bull Creek Pathway resurfacing project, and City sidewalk repair project.

Councilman Kern Miller voted against the Bull Creek and City Park sidewalk repair projects, because he thought they should not have been paid for through the issuance of bonds. Miller said the council should have given the four-percent hotel-motel tax, which went into effect in January, a chance to build-up the funds to pay for the projects, since they are part of the City’s Park and Rec Program, which is funded in-part by proceeds from the tax. City Administrator Doug Harris said Henningsen Construction is expected to begin work on the Bull Creek Project June 18, and it should be completed by the 30th. Work on the Sunnyside project is underway, and should be finished within seven-to 10-days, depending on the weather.

In other business, the Council, by a vote of 6-to1, set June 15th as the date for a public hearing on a proposed internal advance and loan to fund a $125,000 incentive grant for Boulders Inn  and Suites. The  monies would come from the City’s Economic Development Fund.  Councilman Shaun Shouse, who is the Council’s liaison to the Finance Committee, said while a Development and Minimum Asssement agreement the City made with Boulders in May of 2010, has not officially been received…other than a faxed copy of the signed agreement, which is not binding…there is an understanding in place, and the contract is more or less, “in the mail.”

Shouse says the finance committee has met a couple of different times, most recently Tuesday evening, trying to fine-tune the agreement, and,  the attorney’s for both Boulders and the City of Atlantic have looked over the contract. The committee recommended the Council set a date for the hearing, based on the current status of the agreement.

Doug Harris says the latest proposal presented to Boulders’ developers, is for a $125,000 up-front grant from the City, and a total of $41,000 in tax rebates. The rebates would be spread out over the course of nine-years, rather than four, thereby allowing the City a better cash flow, and, he says, the ability to fund other, needed public improvements.

The developer would also realize  another $42,208 in tax avoidance savings. The incentives package would end up costing the City $247,464, or about $5,824 less than what the City offered last May.
In his report to the Council, Harris said work on the new wastewater treatment plant in Atlantic is progressing well, despite all the rain we’ve had recently. He said also, Roger Herring, the new Parks and Rec Director will be taking over for Travis Garrett, beginning Thursday. Garrett announced his resignation earlier this year.

Speaking of recreation, Doug Harris said the rates at the City pool, which opened Wednesday, are going up, but with the exception of the single-day passes, the rates have not been doubled, as some have said. He says the family seasonal rate was increased from $150 to $160, the single rate from $75 to $90, and the day pass, from two to four-dollars.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad is heading for western Iowa to check on flood readiness along the Missouri River.

Branstad will be joined by Derek Hill of Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management in Sioux City on Thursday.

They’ll check on sandbagging efforts and will hold a news conference with local officials on flood preparations and response.

The swollen river is rolling downstream from the Northern Plains, affecting cities and towns from North Dakota to Iowa and Nebraska. Near Sioux City, residents of the upscale community of Dakota Dunes in South Dakota have been told to move to higher ground.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is increasing releases from the six dams on the Missouri River to drain water from record rains in the past few weeks.