U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley has closed the gap with Republican State Sen. Joni Ernst, leaving the Iowa U.S. Senate race a 47 – 47 percent dead heat, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today (Monday). Four percent remain undecided. That as compared to results of an October 29 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University, showing Sen. Ernst at 49 percent and Rep. Braley at 45 percent.

The latest results show independent voters divided 44 – 44 percent. Republicans back Ernst 95 – 2 percent. Democrats back Braley 94 – 5 percent. Men and women still are locked in a reverse gender gap as women back the Democratic man 51 – 42 percent, while men back the Republican woman 52 – 44 percent. Braley leads 56 – 36 percent among those who already have voted.

One day before Election Day, 95 percent of Iowa likely voters who name a Senate candidate say their mind is made up, while 5 percent say they might change their mind. Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Poll, says “Iowa’s U.S. Senate race is a dead heat. The candidate who best gets his or her folks to the polls is going to win.”

Iowa likely voters remain divided on their feelings about the candidates:
• Ernst gets a 47 – 45 percent favorability;
• Braley gets a 43 – 45 percent likability score.

In the Iowa Governor’s Race, State Sen. Jack Hatch, the Democratic challenger in the governor’s race, inches up on long-time Republican Gov. Terry Branstad and now trails 52 – 41 percent among likely voters. This compares to Gov. Branstad’s 56 – 37 percent likely voter lead in an October 29 Quinnipiac University poll.

Men, women, Republicans and independent voters all back the long-time governor, while Democrats back Hatch 82 – 12 percent. Hatch leads 52 – 37 percent among those who already have voted.
Only 5 percent of voters who name a candidate say they might change their mind by tomorrow, while 95 percent say their mind is made up, Branstad gets a 57 – 35 percent favorability rating, compared to Hatch’s 36 – 27 percent score, with 34 percent who still don’t know enough about him to form an opinion.

From October 28 – November 2, Quinnipiac University surveyed 778 likely voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points.

Two people were arrested recently on separate charges, in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Dept. says 31-year old Jason Michael Eppenbaugh, of Red Oak, was arrested Friday on a Warrant for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000. Eppenbaugh was taken into custody at around 8:15-p.m. near the intersection of Highways 34 and 59.

And at around 2-p.m. Sunday, 30-year old Robyn Leigh Salmons, of Independence, Mo., was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of  Burglary in the 3rd degree.

Police in Creston report the arrest on Sunday of 23-year old Joshua Lee Jones, of Creston. Jones was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on two warrants for Probation Violation and Failure to Appear. Jones was being held in the jail without bond, while awaiting an appearance before the magistrate.

And on Oct. 29th, the Creston P-D took a report about a theft. Jason Keller said someone entered his vehicle as it was parked in the 800 block of west Mills Street, and took a .357 Ruger, a ,380 gun, and a Bow Tech Destroyer bow. The theft occurred sometime between 3:25-p.m. Oct. 27th, and 3:30-p.m. Oct. 29th.

The loss was estimated at $1,100.

DES MOINES, Iowa – The arrival of November means it is American Diabetes Month. It comes as the prevalence of the disease continues to rise across the state and nation. The latest numbers show about 250,000 people in Iowa have diabetes, and for the U.S. as a whole, it’s 29 million.

The toll on their health can be great, says Daphne Haselhuhn, event coordinator of the Iowa chapter of the American Diabetes Association. “Your kidneys, eyesight, cardiovascular, gum disease,” she points out. “All those things are things that play into a role as far as living with diabetes or having those blood sugars that might be a little high and having pre-diabetes and not managing it.”

About 95 percent of those people who have diabetes have Type 2, which healthier lifestyle choices with nutrition and physical activity can help prevent. Haselhuhn notes that even some simple, small changes with healthy eating and regular exercise can greatly reduce the risk. “We recommend exercise at least 30 minutes a day and that can even be parking at the very end of the parking lot, instead of up close to your door, just simple things like that,” she stresses.

If the current trends don’t change, it’s estimated that by 2050, 30 percent of all Americans will have diabetes.

(Iowa News Service)