Health Fair Offers 50+ Exhibitors
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Convention Center will be converted to a health fair later today as
the Floyd Valley Hospital and Wells Enterprises present the annual “Well Aware Community Health Fair”. The health fair has free admission and more than 50 exhibitors will be on hand for the event. Health Fair Coordinator, Kari Daale says this year’s health fair will feature some new exhibitors.
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Daale says the health fair will feature several specific health-related topics.
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Flu shots will also be available for $25 for those people wanting an annual flu vaccine. The Health fair will begin at 2:00 p.m. and continue through 6:30 p.m.
The Mercy Air Care helicopter, from Sioux City, will be on display, weather permitting, during the “Well Aware” health fair.
In addition, Le Mars Police Department and D.A.R.E. will sponsor the “Project Safe Meds” program. Jay King of the Le Mars Police Department and D.A.R.E. officer explains “project
safe meds”.
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Police will be accepting expired prescription drugs and medications, and those items should be left in the packages they were dispensed. King says only medications will be accepted for proper disposal.
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Parents will also have an opportunity to have their child’s car seat checked from 2-5 p.m., courtesy of Mercy Medical Center Safe Kids, during the health fair.
Fairgoers can also obtain a wide variety of educational information on nutrition, cancer, blood and organ donation, exercise, radon detection, mental health and more.
Light refreshment and door prizes will be available at Wednesday’s “Well Aware” .
Fewer Students Return To Community College
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Statistics show fewer students return for a second year at Iowa’s community colleges than in other Midwestern states.
Iowa’s retention rate of 49.9 percent also is lower than the national average. Federal data from 2010 shows Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin have higher rates.
Iowa’s 15 community colleges have implemented new programs in recent years to boost retention. Those results have been mixed.
Data from Iowa Workforce Development shows only a third of the state’s adults qualify
for the growing number of jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree.
Robert Denson, president of Des Moines Area Community College, says students who
complete the two-year degrees have more ability to command a higher wage.
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Mason City Woman Appeals Bullying Lawsuit To Supreme Court
MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) – A woman has appealed her bullying lawsuit against the Mason City school district to the Iowa Supreme Court.
The Mason City Globe Gazette says (https://bit.ly/19zc0zx) the lawsuit filed by Heather Conti on behalf of her teenage daughter was dismissed by a Cerro Gordo County District Court
judge last month. The lawsuit filed in June 2012 says that during the previous school year,
Angelina Conti suffered harassment that was “detrimental to her physical and mental health
and substantially interfered with her academic performance.”
The lawsuit says that when Heather Conti complained to school officials, they took no action to protect the teenager.
The girl later open-enrolled in a neighboring district.
The Mason City district has declined to comment on the case but has said the district enforces strict anti-bullying policies.
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Polk County Allowing “Video Visits” For Jail Inmates
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities in Polk County are allowing people to communicate with inmates via video without ever stepping into the jail.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office unveiled the video feature Wednesday. It allows family and friends of inmates to talk to them from their homes, offices or other remote locations.
Inmates will be given two 20-minute video visits per week.
Officials say the video will reduce lines at the jail, expand visiting hours, and limit children’s exposure to the jail environment.
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Arbitrator Orders Trooper To Be Re-hired
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An arbitrator is ordering the reinstatement of an Iowa trooper who was responsible for hazing a fellow recruit during basic training in 2008.
Arbitrator Harvey Nathan says in the ruling that Joshua Guhl engaged in misconduct when he grabbed his bunkmate, handcuffed him, pulled down his pants and put powder on his buttocks.
He says Guhl plotted with other recruits in an attempt to humiliate the man and get him to quit.
But Nathan wrote that academy leaders failed to “be on top of misbehavior in the barracks.” He says the academy should’ve uncovered and investigated the issue earlier and disciplined all the recruits who were involved.
Guhl said Wednesday that he’s relieved by the ruling.
DOT To Disable Laptop Computers
ANKENY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa officials are deploying new software to prevent law enforcement officers from using state-issued laptops while driving.
The state Department of Transportation says the laptop in every law enforcement vehicle helps officers do their jobs, but it can also be a distraction that leads to traffic problems and accidents.
The agency says the new software disables the laptop when the car speed reaches or exceeds 15 mph. The software automatically disables or locks the laptop and its key board, mouse, and touch screen.
Officials say critical applications will continue to run. The officer’s physical location is still available to other colleagues, and an officer can use one keystroke to call for help.
The new system will be in use by Nov. 1.
