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New guidelines for dealing with athletes and concussions

August 25, 2009 By

While schools are on the lookout for the H-1-N-1 virus as kids come back to classes, doctors have already been advised to take more precautions with possible sports injuries. The Iowa Medical Society’s sports medicine committee recently sent new voluntary guidelines on concussions to doctors statewide who treat young athletes.

Doctor Peter Buck is the chair of the committee and says recent research suggests that even relatively minor symptoms could mean a serious concussion. “If a person gets you know just a little blow to the head and is confused that could be just as significant of a concussion as someone who was knocked out for several minutes,” Buck says. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sports

Sash makes big impact early for Hawkeyes

August 25, 2009 By

It did not take Tyler Sash long to become a factor for the Iowa football program. After redshirting in 2007 the Oskaloosa native worked his way into a starting safety spot in 2008 and finished the season with five interceptions. He has earned some pre-season All Big Ten recognition heading into this season.

Sash says you have to come in with the right attitude and work hard, as he says it might sound like a cliche, but if you work hard, the sky’s the limit. Sash says despite having success as a freshman he has taken nothing for granted during pre-season practice. He says he comes into work every day wanting to prove himself, as he says once you’re out there, that doesn’t mean it is your job to keep.

Sash had two interceptions in Iowa’s victory over South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. He says that’s his job, to be around the ball and if that turns into interceptions, good.

Sash says there are plenty of areas in which he needs to improve. He says he’d watch films and was embarrassed to see some of the things he was doing. Sash says he hit the weights and watched a lot of film and was motivated by shoulder surgery.

Iowa opens at home against UNI on September fifth.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Urbandale is knocked out of Little League World Series

August 25, 2009 By

The Iowa team from Urbandale was eliminated from the Little League World Series on Monday night after falling 8-3 to Staten Island, New York.

The Mid Atlantic representatives broke open a close game with two runs in the fifth and four more in the top of the sixth to take an 8-0 lead.

The Iowans scored all their runs in the bottom of the sixth on a solo homer by Trae Cropp and a two-run single by Spencer Sturgis. New York advances as the number two seed in the pool. Urbandale closed out their first World Series appearance with a record of 1-2.

Filed Under: Sports

Dentist suggest ways to take sugar out of school lunch

August 25, 2009 By

candy-barA study finds the typical American eats 147 pounds of sugar every year. Iowa parents who are packing their kids’ lunches may not realize how much sugar they’re including in the brown bag. Dr. Ed Schooley, dental director for Delta Dental of Iowa, says a typical kids’ packed lunch contains almost as much sugar as four candy bars. He suggests some alternatives:

Schooley says to use natural peanut butter with no added sugar, jelly with no sugar added, whole wheat bread versus white bread, and skipping the raisins as they’re very high in sugar and stick to the grooves of our back teeth. He suggests swapping the raisins for mini-carrots or some other vegetable or fruit. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health & Medicine

Wood boilers provide energy alternative, some controversy

August 25, 2009 By

Outdoor boiler units that burn wood and heat homes and hot water have become more popular in recent years and are also generating some controversy. Linn County is looking at an ordinance putting stricter regulations on the units over environmental and neighborhood concerns about their smoke.

Glen Tiedeman of Swisher sells the burners that he says can be fitted to work with about any current heating system. He says they can tell by the interest in the boilers whether fuel prices are up, and he says some people are just tired of the fluctuation in heating costs and buy a boiler as an alternative.

Tiedeman says his units have been selling for 25 years and it wasn’t until just recently that people started expressing concerns.Tiedeman says his units have a secondary burner that tumble the exhaust and burns it over and over until it is light enough to get out of the chimney. He says they were below E.P.A. standards, but now it seems like “in the middle of the game, the rules are getting changed.”

Tiedeman says the boilers should not be a problem if people burn dry wood as directed. Tiedeman says if people are burning things they shouldn’t be burning like shingles, tires or carpet and other garbage, then they should be fined. But he says people who’re burning what they should be burning should be left alone. Tiedeman says people should be sure their chimneys are high enough to not cause problems with the neighbors, and should work to get along.

He says it has not been a problem for years, but if you have a couple of neighbors who didn’t get along in the first place, and then a wood-burning boiler is involved, then it becomes an issue and everyone gets mixed up in it.

Tiedeman says the outdoor units sell from $6,000 to over $20,000, depending on how they will be used. The Linn County Supervisors will have the first reading of the proposed ordinance on Wednesday (August 26th).

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation

Seatbelt use goes up in latest survey

August 25, 2009 By

More Iowans are buckling up when they get into a vehicle. Iowa State Patrol Colonel Patrick Hoye says a new statewide survey found 93.1% of motorists were in compliance with the seat belt law, improving on the 2008 figure of 92.9%. The increase, while only two-tenths of a percent, translates to about 5,000 additional Iowans wearing safety belts.

Hoye, who became the leader of the state patrol in November 2007, has made seatbelt compliance a top priority during his tenure. For instance, state troopers issued 51% more seatbelt citations in June of 2009 compared to those written in June 2008.

“In 2008, Iowa ranked 8th in the nation for seatbelt compliance. The 2009 stats aren’t out yet, but since we did see a climb, we’re confident we’ll at least be in the top ten again this year,” Hoye said.

Iowa recorded 411 traffic fatalities in 2008. That’s the third lowest fatality total in the state since World War Two. Hoye believes there’s plenty of room for improvement.

“Although our seatbelt compliance rate is very good and we’re very proud of it, if you look at the fatality rates, way too many people that are involved in the fatalities are the ones that aren’t buckled up,” Hoye said.

The seatbelt survey was administered by the Iowa Department of Transportation and involved nearly 100 sites around the state and included more than 11,000 observations of drivers and front seat passengers.

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters Tagged With:

Carter Lake man dies in I-80 crash

August 25, 2009 By

A Carter Lake man died Monday after a two-car crash on Interstate 80 in western Iowa’s Pottawattamie County. According to Council Bluffs Police, 53-year-old Adam Burk died following the crash that happened at around 5:30 P.M.

Authorities say Burk was driving a 1998 Chevrolet Malibu in the left lane of I-80 westbound, when his car was hit from behind by a 2004 Pontiac GTO being driven by 19-year-old Christopher G. Kopelciw. The impact pushed Burk’s car into the guardrail.

Burk died at Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs shortly after the crash. The driver and two other people in GTO were treated at Mercy Hospital, and released. The accident happened near the southbound I-29 split. The crash shut down traffic on westbound I-80 until about 10 p.m. Monday while Council Bluffs police investigated the scene. The cause of the crash had not been determined.

Story contributed by Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters
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