50TH ANNIVERSAY OKTOBERFEST TODAY IN REMSEN
Remsen’s 50th anniversary celebration of Octoberfest takes place Saturday. Curtis Kroger, on KLEM’s What Now program, says the event began as a way to make community improvements.
One of the highlights of Octoberfest is a Bavarian Feast served today from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at Remsen St. Mary’s High School. Kroger says two menus are featured.
Octoberfest starts today with an arts and crafts retail event. There are costume and dance contests for the kids. This is open to anyone in the area, not just Remsen residents. Two polka bands will entertain throughout the afternoon and evening. To find out more, look up remseniowa.org, or on X.
NATIONAL DRUG TAKE BACK DAY
Today is the second National Drug Take Back Day of this year. The head of the Iowa Office of Drug Control Policy, Suzie Sher, says there are two national take back days every spring and fall. More than five-thousand (5,077) pounds of unneeded medicine was turned in at the first event in April. Sher says if you miss the event this Saturday, there are other ways to properly dispose of the medication.
Sher says the permanent sites offer a good option year-round. In Plymouth County, these sites include the Le Mars Police Department, Floyd Valley Healthcare, and the HyVee Pharmacy. Saturday’s National Prescription Drug Take Back events will operate from 10:00 a-m until 2:00 p-m at designated sites across Iowa. You can also get rid of vaping devices and e-cigarettes as long as the batteries are removed from the devices. For more information or to find a site near you, visit: https://www.dea.gov/takebackday
NCC PRESIDENT TO JOIN ASPEN INSTITUTE COHORT
Dr. John Hartog III, the president of NCC in Sheldon, will participate in teh second Aspen President’s Fellowship, sponsored by JP Morgan Chase. Dr. Hartog is one of 25 Community college leaders from throughout the country to participate in this fellowship. This is a year-long program, where these leaders will analyze their college’s outcomes and development plans. They will compare their best practices with those of other successful colleges. The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program aims to strengthen higher education leadership and practice. to improve student outcomes.
STUDY LEAVES IOWA OUT OF TOP 10 FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN’S HEALTH
A report ranks Iowa 13th in the nation for the health of women and children. The report, America’s Health Rankings by the United Healthcare Foundation, analyzed more than 100 indicators of women’s and children’s health. It shows Iowa women have one of the lowest rates of unemployment and among the highest rates of high school graduation. Lisa Saul, chief medical officer of women’s health for United Healthcare, says Iowa’s alcohol use was high among adolescents and showed excessive drinking among women ages 18 to 44. Saul says Iowa had a good showing in categories like jobless women, as well as the low housing cost burden among households with children. The report also found Iowa women rank low in terms of exercise habits and for eating fruits and vegetables.
