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Man bites another man’s ear in bar fight

April 6, 2009 By

One man may have hearing trouble after a bar fight in Le Mars early Sunday. LeMars police report a Sioux City man bit off a piece of another man’s ear when the customer of the Hi-Lite Bar was assisting a bartender in removing the man.

The victim, who’s name was not released, was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Forty-one-year-old Kenneth Rader of Sioux City was charged with felony serious assault and probation violation. Police also charged 43-year-old Deborah Berg of Sioux City with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence.

In written information, police reported Berg and Rader were trying to leave in a vehicle when police arrived to investigate the downtown disturbance about 2:15 Sunday morning. Berg and Rader are free on bond.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Health Department launches STD awareness campaign

April 6, 2009 By

The state health department is launching a campaign to raise awareness about sexually-transmitted diseases, especially among young people. Karen Thompson, the S-T-D program manager for the Iowa Department of Public Health, says the campaign is called G-Y-T or Get Yourself Tested.

She says they’re targeting young people through media like the Internet and TV to start having open, honest conversations with their parents or other role models about sexual health, ask questions, to know what it means to be at risk and where to get tested if they are at risk.

Thompson says studies find about 19-million S-T-D infections are reported every year in the U.S. and almost half are diagnosed in young people between the ages of 15 and 24.

"A person should start to get tested for sexually-transmitted diseases when they become sexually active, especially if they’re at risk in terms of not using some type of contraception that would protect against sexually-transmitted diseases, or if they have more than one partner," she says. "Even those that do have one partner might not know whether that partner has had previous partners and that could put them at risk."

Thompson says recent studies have been very sobering, finding 34 S-T-D infections for every thousand Iowans between of 15 and 24. In the last ten years, Iowa’s seen a 70%t increase in chlamydia cases with 75% of them in Iowans 15 to 24. With gonorrhea, there’s been a 26% increase in the last decade and 62% of them are also in Iowans 15 to 24.

Syphilis bucked that trend, as there’s been an 83-percent increase in syphilis cases in Iowa over the past decade, but most of those are in adults ages 25 to 54. Thompson says many people don’t openly discuss sexual health with young people — and they should.

"Just like with any other prevention message we’re trying to send," Thompson says, "Safe driving, you talk about seat belts. Safe habits with alcohol, you talk about alcohol and tobacco and what kids should know and should and shouldn’t do and what your expectations of them are."

The same types of communication should occur with sexual health, she says, and April is S-T-D Awareness Month. The website for Get Yourself Tested is or to learn about STDs and to find testing locations, there’s www.findSTDtest.org . 

Filed Under: Health & Medicine

Corn growers say recession not a major concern

April 6, 2009 By

Three farmers from across the state who’re preparing to enter the fields for planting in a few weeks say the down economic times haven’t hit them as hard as it has other areas of the state or nation’s economy. Gary Edwards of Anamosa is the president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association.

Edwards says the recession hasn’t given him a great concern as he says agriculture is normally out of cycle with the rest of the economy and runs on its own cycle. Edwards says one thing he has done in response is to restructure all of his debt so it is all long-term at a fixed rate. He says a fixed rate allows him to stay locked in at low interest rates as he expects the rates to move back up, just like they did in the 1980′s.

Julius Schaaf, farms near Randolph in south-west Iowa. Schaaf agrees with Edward’s assessment and says he has tried to lock in prices on whatever he can to get the best deals. "We’re part of the economy that’s been pretty much moving forward through all this, but I just wanna make sure if this thing, you know, would happen to take a turn for the worse this summer, that I wouldn’t miss out on some of the prices that are being offered now," Schaff says.

Bruce Rohwer of Paulina says the view from northwest Iowa is much the same. Rohwer says the recession at the local level isn’t "severe by any means." He says, "I think that is more a product of the C-NBC news cycle, that people just from hearing so much negative tend to get down, but as far as actually being in trouble, I don’t think we have too much among the farming community yet."

Rohwer says the economy outside of Iowa is something he is watching. "Probably the concern is, what will happen in terms of our foreign purchasers, is it going to affect exports down the line? Because we need to get rid of whatever excess we produce, and the foreign market has served us well in that," Rohwer says. He says that also raises concerns about the dollar and the impact that will have, but as a farmer he doesn’t have the answer for that.

All three made their comments in a conference call with the media set up by the Iowa Corn Growers Association .

 

Filed Under: Agriculture, Business Tagged With:

Search on for missing Oelwein man

April 6, 2009 By

Authorities in northeast Iowa are looking for a missing Oelwein man. At about 9:30 Saturday night, the Fayette County Sheriff received a report of a vehicle left in the middle of the road on G Avenue, near Aurora. A responding deputy found no one in the vehicle.

The driver, identified as 44-year-old Trent Allen Smith of Oelwein, could not be located. Authorities have contacted friends and relatives, along with the Buchanan County Sheriff. Smith is described as white, 5’11", 180 pounds. At this time, the Fayette County Sheriff, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa State Patrol airplane, Aurora, Oelwein and Stanley Fire Departments and the Buchanan County Sheriff are conducting an extensive search.

Anyone with information on Smith’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Fayette County Sheriff’s office.

 

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

UNI looking to young players to fill spots in defense

April 6, 2009 By

How a young secondary performs will be a big factor in just how successful the 2009 season will be for the UNI football team. Both corners and both safties from last year’s squad are graduating and coach Mark Farley says some incoming freshman may get a chance to earn some playing time when pre-season practice begins.

Farley says they are three deep in the secondary and will work hard to find the top two. He says some of the younger players may play corner as that is an easier position to learn at the start. Farley says the spring practices may look hit and miss, but things will change as they add the freshmen to the team.

Farley says the secondary will be talented but un-tested. He says this spring is the first time in a long time that they have so much youth on defense, and the spring is critical in developing them.

UNI’s spring game is April 25th.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

ISU coach says offense is ahead of defense at this point

April 6, 2009 By

Iowa State football coach Paul Rhoads says the Cyclone offense has made strides during spring practice. Rhoads and his staff are installing a new spread offense and the coach says past experience with a no-huddle offense has been a plus.

Rhoads says he thinks the offense is actually ahead of the defense, which he says is probably not common. He says that’s evidence that the offense has used the no-huddle and there are schemes that they understand, even though they are called different things in this system.

Rhoads says the players are excited about the potential of the new offense. He says there’s an excitement with the whole football team over the opportunities that the offense will create, and they can take advantage of.

Rhoads says the goal of the new offense is to throw and run the ball with consistency. Rhoads says the number one thing he stresses is that they are going to be a physical team. He says some games might be 70% throwing the ball, but then turn around and run most of the time. Rhoads says even if they throw the ball they are still going to get off at the snap and "knock people in the mouth."

ISU’s first scrimmage of the spring was on Saturday. The Cyclones’ spring game is April 18th.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Record number of Iowans get food assistance

April 6, 2009 By

Since last May, Iowa has lost about 23,000 jobs. That’s led to a record number of Iowans receiving Food Stamps. Roger Munns, spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Human Services , says around 289,000 Iowans are getting the financial help.

"The average household benefit (in Iowa) has been $235 a month, or about $108 per recipient per month," Munns said. "That’s a little more than one dollar a meal, if you figure three meals a day." The average benefit recently increased under the federal stimulus package.

Munns says the increase amounts to 13.6% or rougly $32 per month. The increase in Food Stamp applicants and recipients comes at a time when the D.H.S. and other state agencies are trying to trim their budgets. That means there are fewer D.H.S. employees in the local field offices to handle the growing work load.

"So, if you’re applying or seeking assistance from our offices, we’re asking you have just a little patience," Munns said. "We’re under stress too." The number of Iowans receiving Food Stamps has increased 15% in the last year. 

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With:
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