Competitors from more than 30 states are expected to take part in the annual “Marathon-to-Marathon” on June 12th. The course begins in Storm Lake and the finish line is in the town of Marathon. Spokeswoman Lois Lind says there are several other races that are part of the event. There’s a five person relay that runs the same course as the marathon. There’s also a 5-K race for runners and walkers. The Marathon-to-Marathon” can be used as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon. Lind says people run for all sorts of reasons. Last year, a runner showed up from Germany who wanted to run his 50th marathon before the age of 50.Lind says this event has become a big part of the community as it takes up to 300 volunteers to put on the event.
Lynnville-Sully’s Van Maanen wins high jump
May 31, 2004 By
After a pair of disappointments, Lynnville-Sully’s Jaron Van Maanen closed out the boys state track meet with a title and a record. Van Maanen opened the meet by false-starting in the 110-hurdles and finishing second in the long jump, events he won last year, but Van Maanen came back to win the high jump with a leap of six feet 10 inches. Van Maanen says it feels really good to get a record he’s been trying to get for three years. “Ive been shooting for that since I was a freshman…It kind of evaded me last year and the year before,” he said. Van Maanen says it’s a nice way to end his high school career. “This is my baby. This is the one that matters to me.”
Propane gas prices soar
May 31, 2004 By
The propane for that gas grill is another one of the power sources that will cost you more this summer. Jennifer Moehlman, a fuel-price analyst with the Department of Natural Resources. says the DNR’s most recent survey, done in mid-May, found the price of propane up ten-percent from last year at this time, $1.02 a gallon compared with last year’s 93-cents, because of the higher price of both crude oil and natural gas. The price of propane probably won’t quench any cookouts this summer. Moehlman says the canister you get for the gas grill is not a big part of the propane market. Here in Iowa, propane’s used more for heating than for cooking, vehicle propulsion or anything else — and about eight to 10-percent of Iowans use propane for home heating, which means prices will be most volatile in winter. Propane’s linked equally to prices of crude-oil and natural gas, since it can be refined from either of those, so Moehlman says when crude oil’s high, propane is high…and when the price of natural gas is high, propane also is higher in cost. She says it “sort of gets a double whammy,” and in winter when it’s used for home heating the same supply-and-demand complex affecting crude oil, natural gas and gasoline also affects the price of propane as well. On world markets, analysts say the dollar’s weakness right now is one reason for the high price of crude oil, which lately has exceeded the target price OPEC producers set.
Preventing macular degeneration key to preserving eyesight
May 31, 2004 By
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in Iowa and nationwide. Opthalmologist Dr. Del Correy says it affects some 13-million Americans, many of them senior citizens. There is no cure for the most common form of macular degeneration, so Dr. Correy says prevention is key. He recommends Iowans get annual eye exams, wearing U-V ray-blocking sunglasses and perhaps, taking antioxidants to help prevent or slow the progression of the disease. Dr. Correy says “The macula is basically what we do everything with: we see each other, we drive, we read. And if they lose that it really takes away a person’s independence.” Correy says the disease brings vision loss but not total blindness. He says a person with both maculas affected, sitting directly across from another person, would not be able to see that person’s face, but they could see everything around the person. Correy says the macula enables us to read, watch television, drive…anything that requires straight-ahead vision. Symptoms include distorted vision, an inability to see objects clearly and a dark area appearing at the center of your vision.
"Distractions" cause one-third of wrecks
May 31, 2004 By
The administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration visited Iowa recently. In an interview with Radio Iowa, Jeffrey Runge said there are a lot of things drivers could do to avoid accidents — like cut down distractions. He says they estimate that distraction in some form may be responsible for as many as one-third of traffic crashes. He says there are 10-million traffic crashes each year in this country. Cellphones have been blamed as one distraction, but Runge isn’t ready to give them all the blame. He was they don’t know to what extent cellphones are any more dangerous than other forms of distraction. He says a conversation on a cellphone is a distraction, but he says they don’t have the data to know if drivers compensate for that distraction, and he says they’re working on that data. Runger says the vehicle you’re in is a lot better than years ago. He says cars have never been safer,but he says people still need to buckle their safety belts to let the technology and the car work with them. Drunk drivers who commit the crime again and again are a problem on the highways. Runge says combating the problem has to include everyone from law officers, to judges to prosecutors. He says there needs to be an effective prosectorial system in which there’s one district attorney assigned just to drunk driving cases, as he says they go up against defense lawyers who specialize in trying to beat the system. He says courts set up to handle only drunk driving cases have also proven to be effective. Runge himself is a doctor, and he says putting people in jail isn’t always the best way to handle drunk drivers. He says sometimes “supervised sobriety” and keeping people out of jail on the condition of sobriety has been shown to be effective. He says doctors also need to proactively screen patients for alcohol problems and get them where they need to go. Runge recently visited Des Moines to kick off an effort to increase Iowa’s seatbelt usage.
Memorial Day a "healing practice"
May 31, 2004 By
About 300 people gathered at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines at mid-day to honor the nation’s war dead, and those who have served or are serving in the military. Iowa Veterans Affairs administrator Patrick Palmersheim says the sacrifices of the men and women in the military — and their families — are the foundation of freedom. Palmersheim says the debt owed to America’s military is immeasurable, and he says Americans must never stop observing Memorial Day as a “healing practice” of paying tribute to fallen heroes. Governor Tom Vilsack has asked Iowans to observe a moment of silence in honor of those who have served in the military, and those who have died during their service to country. Vilsack says great societies recognize the importance of spending a moment in honor of those who served bravely and nobly. With this weekend’s dedication of a national memorial to World War II veterans, Vilsack singled out that so-called “greatest generation.” Vilsack says that generation came back from a terrible war and made the decision to build a strong and powerful country that would stand for peace and democracy throughout the world. Vilsack says they were first in war, and as a newspaper columnist has suggested, World War II veterans were first in peace. Iowa was the first state in the country to commit money for the World War II memorial in Washington. Vilsack says that one-hundred-thousand dollar committment spurred other states to send money as well. Congressman Leonard Boswell, a decorated Vietnam veteran, used his part of his time at the microphone to talk about faith, which he said was very important to him when he was in Vietnam. Boswell says it occured to him many times that he didn’t want to be taken as a prisoner of war, nor did he want to die in a fiery helicopter crash. Boswell says his faith saw him through, as did the faith of his wife and family that he would come home. For a benediction at today’s memorial service, a retired Army chaplain read the names of the 14 Iowans who have died serving in iraq.
Cell number portability reaches Iowa
May 31, 2004 By
In the past week, cellular telephone users across Iowa and nationwide were granted the ability to keep their current cell phone number even if they change service providers. Jay Ellison, a spokesman for U-S Cellular in Mason City, says only customers in larger markets have been able to keep their numbers until now. Ellison says this is the second phase of the Wireless Number Portability Act; the first phase began on November 1st of last year in the 100 largest markets in the country. Ellison says he’s not sure how many Iowans may change their providers and keep their current numbers. He says there was a major anticipation in the 100 largest markets that lots of people would take advantage of the chance to take their current number with them, but those high expectations were never realized. Ellison says you’ll have to wait a couple of hours before using your cell phone again if you switch carriers but keep your number. Ellison says the time it takes for your number to be transferred to another provider and activated will vary and depends on what carrier you choose as your new provider.
