We are just heading into fall and winter is still weeks away, but cases of the flu are already showing up in Iowa. Health Department Medical Director Patricia Quinlisk says they’ve seen a handful of cases and it’s a sign to begin preparing. “We’re starting to see people diagnosed with the flu and we’ve actually even had some hospitalizations due to the flu,” Quinlisk says. “So, it’s starting to pick up and we want to remind everybody that it’s time to go get your flu shot.”

Doctor Quinlisk says it takes up to two weeks after vaccination for the body to develop full protection against the flu virus — so it’s a good time to take the precaution before flu cases really get heavy. “It typically really doesn’t get going so that it’s really spreading in our communities usually until November and December — and then it really gets going in January and February,” according to Quinlisk. “But of course you never know when you are going to be exposed, so we want everybody to get their vaccine before they even have a chance of being exposed.”

Quinlisk says it’s too early to say how severe the flu season may be — but one indicator is the flu season in the southern hemisphere. “One of the things that we are seeing from places like Australia and New Zealand is that they had a really bad flu year. A lot of people got sick and a lot of people were hospitalized. And that often will predict that we will also have a bad flu year,” Quinlisk says. She says getting the flu shot is one way to lessen the impact of the flu.

Quinlisk says the flu vaccine is meant to prevent people from getting sick and dying — but it doesn’t stop every sniffle and sneeze. Quinlisk says the flu shot does keep the sniffles and sneezes from becoming more serious. “People can get the flu shot and still get the flu,” she says, “but the thing to remember is they probably would have gotten a lot sicker and perhaps even gotten hospitalized and died if they hadn’t been vaccinated. So, do get your flu shot, especially if you are in one of those high-risk groups.”

The high-risk groups include: pregnant women, children, adults aged 65 years and over, and people who have certain medical conditions like asthma, diabetes and chronic lung disease. Doctor Quinlisk says good hygiene also is important in preventing the flu. “People don’t realize that you can pick up these viruses on your hands and then you rub your eye or touch your nose and spread it to yourself. So keep your hands clean. Soap and water is good,” Quinlisk says. She says the flu vaccine is plentiful and you shouldn’t have any problem finding a place to get vaccinated.

(Radio Iowa)

CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst isn’t sure the GOP’s last-ditch effort to repeal Barack Obama’s health care law has the votes to pass in the Republican-led Senate. The GOP senator said after a public meeting in Iowa Thursday, “If it fails, it fails.”

Ernst says she is leaning toward supporting the bill, which would repeal much of the Affordable Care Act and limit funding for Medicaid. It also would end insurance subsidies, and distribute money to states.

Ernst says the bill is the only chance to control increasing premiums, and it protects people with existing medical problems, an aspect of the Obama law Ernst had said previously was worth keeping.

But insurers in some states may be able to charge people with pre-existing conditions more for their insurance.

Officials with the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System senior leadership said today (Thursday), a Veterans’ Town Hall meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at American Legion Post 473, 7400 Q Street, Ralston, NE. The town hall is to gain open and honest feedback from veterans, their family members and other beneficiaries.

Senior leadership and other subject-matter experts from the local VA health system will be present to improve communication with and hear directly from veterans and their families. The VA also welcomes input from congressional stakeholders, veteran service organizations, non-governmental organizations and other community partners at the meeting.

Following the town hall, representatives from various VA programs will be available to provide assistance to veterans who may not be enrolled in the health care system.

A Crawford County man was sentenced Tuesday to spend nearly six years in prison after being convicted on a drug charge. 31-year old Ivan Antonio Cervantes, of Denison, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Cervantes will also serve four years of supervised release following his imprisonment.

As part of his guilty plea, Cervantes admitted to possessing with the intent to distribute nearly 15 grams of pure methamphetamine when his vehicle was stopped south of Harlan in Shelby County, Iowa, in December of 2016. Cervantes further admitted three underage children were in the vehicle when he possessed the methamphetamine.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

A man who escaped from authorities in Nebraska was arrested early this (Thursday) afternoon in Pottawattamie County, southwest of Crescent. The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office say 37-year old Eric G. Scott was in possession of a service weapon that belonged to an eastern Nebraska sheriff’s deputy. The weapon was found in a backpack Scott was carrying when he was arrested by Pott. County Deputies.

His arrest followed a 911 call at around 11:55-a.m to the Pott. County Communications Center, with regard to a male subject walking in the area of Joslin Avenue and Borden Road.  The reporting party advised that they thought the subject was the male that had escaped from Nebraska authorities.

Investigators say Scott was being transferred by a Dodge County deputy Wednesday when Scott commandeered the car south of Wahoo, pushing the deputy out of the vehicle. The deputy suffered minor injuries. Scott was serving two to four years for fifth-offense drunken driving conviction when he escaped.

Scott was transported to Pottawattamie County Corrections where he was being held on out of state charges of escape and false imprisonment.

A traffic stop Sept. 13th in Cass County resulted in the arrest of two Central Iowa men. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office said today (Thursday), 20-year old Brandon Tomas Ruiz Quintana, of Windsor Heights, was arrested for a Drug Tax Stamp Violation, Possession with Intent to Deliver Alprazolam,  and Possession of Marijuana 3rd or Subsequent offense. 20-year old Steven Ray Floyd, Jr., of Des Moines, was arrested for OWI 1st Offense, Possession of Marijuana 1st Offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Both men were taken to the Cass County Jai, where  Ruiz-Quintana remains held on $9,000 bond, and Floyd remains held on $2,000 bond.

(12-p.m. News)

The Clarinda Police Department would like to remind the citizens of Clarinda that no parking is allowed on the following streets from 7:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 30, 2017 for the annual Band Day Jamboree Parade:

• The 100 through 800 block of W. Main Street
• The 100 block of E. Main Street
• The100 block of N. 15th St.
• The 100 block of E. Washington Street
• The 100 block through 300 block of W. Washington Street
• 24th Street (Cardinal Drive) from Garfield Street to State Street (*SCHOOL BUS PARKING*)

The police department appreciates the cooperation of all citizens in removing their vehicles from the parade route. Vehicles that are not removed from the parade route by 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 30, 2017 will be towed at the expense of the vehicle’s registered owner(s). If a citizen has any questions concerning this, please contact the Clarinda Police Department Office of the Chief of Police at 712-542-2194 extension 201.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports charges have been filed against three men following investigations into separate incidents. 30-year old Dustin Douglas Williams, of Audubon, was charged with Manufacturing marijuana within 1,000-feet of a school, and two-counts of Child Endangerment. The charges are the result of a search warrant executed today (Thursday) at Williams’ home at 530 Leroy Street. Williams was being held in the Audubon County Jail on a $30,000 bond. The incident remains under investigation. K-9 “Axel” and the Audubon Police Department assisted in the investigation.

On Wednesday, 28-year old Joseph Dean White, of Exira, was arrested for Domestic Abuse/3rd offense, False Imprisonment, and Obstructing Emergency Communications, following an incident that allegedly occurred at his home on Sept. 16th. White remains in the Audubon County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

And, 66-year old Robert Kirk Wiges, of Audubon, was charged with OWI/1st Offense, following an investigation into an accident that took place in Audubon on July 25th. Wiges appeared before the magistrate today (Thursday), and was released. His preliminary hearing was set for Oct. 9th.