Kitchen Fires The Focus For Fire Prevention Week
(Le Mars) — Next week is fire prevention week with the focus on kitchen fires. Le Mars Fire Chief Dave Schipper says kitchen fires are fairly common.
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Schipper says kitchen cooking oil grease fires happen too often, and many people, out of instinct, want to throw water on it, which according to the fire chief is the wrong course of action.
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On Sunday, the local fire and rescue department will be serving pancakes and sausage from Fire Station #1. Schipper says it serves as a nice social event, and it is a good way to check out the equipment used by the fire fighters.
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Donlin Meets With County Supervisors
(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Hospital Administrator Mike Donlin appeared before the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to offer an update on the current hospital expansion project, and to plant the idea of possible funding for the future.
Donlin says he spoke for nearly a half hour explaining both the fundraising efforts, as well as the construction project.
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Donlin informed the county supervisors how the hospital has a greater reach than just the city of Le Mars.
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Although no action was taken, Donlin did have the sense, from the county governing board, that some financial assistance from the county may be provided to the hospital.
He reminded the supervisors that twice before, the county has helped with projects by contributing funding.
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The hospital administrator knows even if the supervisors would want the county to contribute funds, they are facing some complex budgets.
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Mercy Medical Center Reports West Nile Virus
(Sioux City) – A Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City official says it’s treating four people for neuroinvasive disease stemming from a West Nile virus infection.
The virus is carried by mosquitoes and infects the brain and spinal cord. It can cause brain damage, paralysis and death.
Bertha Ayi is medical director of Global Infectious Disease Services at Mercy, and she says that Mercy has seen six patients from Sioux City between the ages of 40 and 80 test positive for the virus this year. One patient died.
The Iowa Public Health Department says 26 human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in Iowa so far this year.
Ayi is urging the people to protect themselves by wearing insect repellent outdoors and avoiding mosquito-infested areas though November.
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Emerald Ash Borer Found In Cedar County
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says an emerald ash borer has been found in a fourth Iowa location.
The insect showed up in a tree at a Mechanicsville residence in eastern Iowa’s Cedar County. The first three confirmed sightings were in Allamakee, Des Moines and Jefferson counties.
Officials are considering a regional quarantine to slow the accidental transport of the insects. Officials say most infestations have been started by people moving infested firewood, nursery plants or sawmill logs.
The beetles are native to Asia and were first detected in Michigan in 2002. Since then the insects have stripped entire neighborhoods of ash trees, killing more than 50 million of the trees.
There are an estimated 3.1 million ash trees in Iowa cities.
