Iowans who use laundry detergent “pods” are being warned to use extra caution with the products if there are kids in the house. Curious children might squeeze the packets and get squirted in the face. Registered nurse Joan McVoy says if that blue goo hits them in the eye, you need to act quickly. “What’s different about these laundry packets as opposed to liquid detergents is these are much more alkaline in nature and they really have a potential to cause a serious burn to the eye,” McVoy says. “The most important thing parents can do if this happens is to irrigate the eye and then they’re going to need to go to an emergency room.”

Poison center hotlines in Iowa and elsewhere have been receiving a lot of traffic because of the laundry pods. “Already in January, poison centers across the country have gotten close to 800 calls on laundry packets, last year, close to 12,000,” McVoy says. “These are things people have in their homes and if they have small children, they need to know exactly what to do if kids get into it.”

The packets had been subject of warnings months ago as a child, mistaking the packets for candy, might pop them in their mouth. The new advisories are specifically about the packets being a threat to young eyes.  “They’re super-concentrated detergents and since they are more alkaline, they have a chance to penetrate quickly and they cause a lot of pain when children get it in their eyes,” McVoy says. “If the irrigation isn’t done immediately, they can cause a pretty bad chemical burn to the eye.”

For questions, call the Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s Deputies in Guthrie County, along with Panora Police, Panora Fire and EMS and the Iowa State Patrol, assisted Dallas County Deputies over the weekend, following a chase that began in Dallas County Saturday night, and resulted in the arrest of a Pottawattamie County man.

According to reports, 23-year old Zachari Tyler Smith, of Council Bluffs, faces charges that include eluding, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of prescription drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia. Smith, who had numerous convictions for assault and burglary in Pottawattamie County over the past few years, was being held in the Dallas County Jail on $2,000 bond.

He was apprehended at around 11-p.m. in a wooded area near Panora, following a foot pursuit near the Raccoon Valley Trail, after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase from Dallas into Guthrie County. The incident began when a Dallas County Deputy tried to stop a car for a defective taillight on Highway 44, at around 10:15-p.m., Saturday. Smith had ditched the vehicle before fleeing on foot.

Officials with the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund report applications are now being accepted for the 8th Annual Trevor Frederickson Memorial Scholarship.  Trevor’s mom and fund spokesperson Melanie Petty, says applications may be obtained from the Atlantic High School guidance office at 1201 E. 14th Street or the Atlantic High School website: www.atlanticiaschools.org.

Up to two $750 scholarships are available to those graduating from Atlantic High School in the spring of 2017.  Applicants must plan to attend a college or vocational school, show involvement in school and/or community activities, supply a copy of their college acceptance letter, provide two letters of reference along with their 7 semester transcripts, and maintain academic achievement of 2.5 or better.  The scholarships will be awarded at the Atlantic High School Class Night held in May.

Trevor Frederickson

Trevor Frederickson graduated from Atlantic High School in 2006.  He went on to further his education at Southwestern Community College in Creston where he studied automotive mechanics and played baseball for the Southwestern Spartans.  Two additional $750 scholarships will be available for Southwestern Community College students this fall.

Melanie Petty says Trevor, who passed away in 2009, had plans of pursuing a career in law enforcement and returning to his hometown of Atlantic.  “Anyone who knew Trevor, knew he valued family, life and community.  Trevor continues to live on in our hearts and minds.  To this day, Trevor is still giving back to the community he loved to be a part of.”

Funds for the scholarships are raised at an annual golf tournament.  Plans are already in the works for the 9th Annual TFred Memorial Golf Tournament to be held on Saturday, August12th, 2017.  Organizers look forward to another successful tournament so they can continue to grant scholarships for many years to come.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Obstacles have arisen in the path of a proposed recreation trail between Le Mars and Sioux City. The Sioux City Journal reports that the Plymouth County Conservation Board has declined ownership and maintenance responsibilities. Also, the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors has told the PlyWood Trail Advisory Board that the county favors the project but only if no county property tax dollars will be sought for construction and maintenance.

PlyWood Trail leaders say that if Plymouth County officials don’t reverse their decisions, the trail leaders will approach the city councils in Le Mars and Sioux City about each city taking possession of segments of the trail closest to their respective boundaries.

The PlyWood name is derived from the first few letters of the neighboring counties of Plymouth and Woodbury.