(Radio Iowa) – Creighton University Economist Ernie Goss says stores shouldn’t have the trouble with stocking merchandise this year they’ve had with the supply chain in past years. “We’ve seen that improve significantly and inventory levels are pretty good. And that’s going to provide a lot of a lot of goods out there for individuals to purchase,” Goss says. The supply of retail employees could be a problem. “The problem is the retailers are having issues finding and hiring those qualified workers. So you may find a product that you may have to stand in line a little bit longer to check it out,” Goss says.

Goss says the global economy is slowing down with China in a recession, and that could impact some holiday buying. “And what that mean means is the U-S dollar is up significantly. And that means for the U-S consume, is that dollar is going to go a longer way in purchasing imported goods. So you’ll find more bargains, imported goods this year than you did last year,” he says. Goss says you can help your area merchants by shopping at their stores. “If your local merchant is price competitive, service competitive, it helps us all to buy locally. That has a significant impact on the local economy, whereas buying from merchants such as Amazon has a less of an impact on the local economy,” Goss says.

Goss says holiday sales are likely to be up this year — but he says most of that is in inflation — and retailers are not going to make much once inflation is taken out.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak have arrested a man for Domestic Abuse Assault. 40-year-old Matthew Wayne Echternach, of Red Oak, was taken into custody in the 100 block of E. Elm Street in Red Oak, at around 1:15-a.m. today (Thursday). He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The parent company of Facebook and Instagram is being sued under the premise social media platforms are addictive and harmful to kids’ mental health, and a childhood family therapist at Gundersen Health System says Iowa parents should watch for warning signs. Jeff Reiland says there’s no proven link between screentime and a child’s depression and anxiety, but he sees an alarming trend with social media that’s on a par with video games.

“In the case of children and teenagers, is it getting in the way of them going to school, getting their homework done, participating in sports, doing the things at home they do as part of the family?” Reiland asks. “Are they becoming more isolated? Do they tend to obsess about the game or activity? Do they become irritated when they don’t have exposure to those things?” While addiction to social media isn’t formally recognized as a diagnosis, Reiland believes social media does have an addictive component to it and that it can be harmful.

Reiland says, “Those same things that we see in adults or teenagers who have substance problems are the same kinds of behaviors or responses we see in children and teenagers when they are more involved with social media than they should be.” If a parent suspects their child is spending an unhealthy amount of time at their screen, he suggests having a talk with them and not simply banning them from their phones, tablets and computers.

“Try to survey and find out if the teenager thinks that maybe that’s something they could work on cutting back,” Reiland says. “I think it helps for parents and teens to have a conversation about that, rather than parents just — in an authoritarian way — just going out and taking it out. Ultimately, parents have that responsibility to make those hard decisions.” Reiland recommends that parents with young children hold off on giving them access to social media until they are much older and more mature.

“One of the codes that I hear kids say is, ‘I’m bored. The only thing that’s not boring is my screen, when I’m plugged into my social media, when I’m plugged into my video gaming, I’m not bored.’ That’s a red flag,” Reiland says, “because life is way more exciting in real time than virtually. It’s just not as predictable and that’s the problem.”

The Gundersen Health System includes a hospital in West Union, and clinics in Fayette, Decorah, Waukon, Lansing, Postville and Calmar.

(Sac City, Iowa) – Officials with the Sac County Sheriff’s Office (in northwest Iowa), issued a statement late Wednesday night, asking for the public’s help in locating a missing man. Authorities say that on the afternoon of Nov. 21st, the Sheriff’s Office and Lake View Police Department began an investigation into the whereabouts of 53-year-old David Schultz, from Wall Lake. A further search was conducted Nov. 22nd by several law enforcement agencies, local fire departments and volunteers.

David Schultz

David Schultz

“At this time,” officials say, they are “Asking Sac County property owners in the northeastern portion of Sac County to check their own properties and outbuildings for anything out of the ordinary. If anything out of the ordinary is observed, please do not disturb the immediate vicinity and let items remain in place before contacting the Sac County Communications Center at 712-662-7127.” They ask that those property owners search their own property, and not those of other owners.

Law Enforcement will continue to expand the search area in the days to come.