(Radio Iowa) – An emergency physician is urging Iowa parents and anyone else buying gifts for children this holiday season to closely follow the labeling and to only purchase toys, crafts and sporting goods that are age appropriate. Dr. Benjamin Orozco, with Emplify Health by Gundersen, says pay close attention to the packaging for age recommendations, but he stresses, that shouldn’t be the only deciding factor. “When you’re shopping for a toy, you need to consider all the kids in the house, not just the recipient of that toy,” Orozco says. “Disasters are rare, but there are about a dozen kids a year in the United States that die from a toy, and maybe 250,000 kids who get injured in some way by toys.” It’s crucial to use common sense when buying gifts for children, he says, especially if there are younger siblings in the house.

“We know that the most vulnerable for the catastrophic injuries from choking and ingestion are kids four and under, especially that toddler range where they’re going to be putting things into their mouth,” Orozco says, “and that accounts, unfortunately, for a few deaths every year from choking on a small piece or wrapping or a piece of a toy.” The hazards are different for older children and teenagers, and a full complement of safety gear is a must for many purchases. “Scooters account for most significant injuries. Think of your broken wrists, your bumps, bruises, but also sometimes significant head injuries,” Orozco says. “My advice is to put the safety equipment right with the toy. When you buy a scooter, it should come with a helmet and any other safety equipment that you want used with that item.”

He says agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission do a great job of keeping dangerous toys off the shelves, but occasionally, something will slip through. “There were some very powerful magnets that came out, they’re fun, teenagers can use them. They would stick together and if a small child ingested two of them, they could stick together and pin pieces of the intestine together, and their intestines would actually burst as a result of that,” Orozco says. “It’s really rare that something like that makes it onto the market before the dangers are recognized, but it does happen.” Some new toys are still coated with hazardous lead-based paint, typically items being imported from other countries, so beware. Orozco encourages the purchasing of games, balls, and other activity-related toys that get kids outside to play, to stimulate their minds and their bodies.

Emplify Health by Gundersen has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

(Radio Iowa) – The first of two Iowa gun seasons for deer opens Saturday. D-N-R state deer biologist Jace Elliott says harvest numbers started out down for the early youth, archery and muzzleloader seasons due to warm weather. “Luckily, things cooled down in the second-half of October. Conditions across the state stayed really nice for deer harvest throughout November, and we ended up catching up as a statewide harvest to exactly where we were at this point last year,” Elliott says. Elliott says the deer population in some areas is still recovering from a couple of bad years for disease. “Much of central, western and southern Iowa counties have experienced severe hemorrhagic disease in 2023 and 2024,” Elliott says. “Fortunately, we got a a break from it across the state this year. But we are still hearing from a lot of folks in those counties, the numbers are still quite a bit lower than they were prior to those outbreaks.”

Elliott says the colder weather can be a benefit for hunters as it keeps the meat cold and ensures that deer are active. “There seems to be a certain point at which it also increases your movement. Especially when we have some snow on the ground that’s going to keep deer on their feet longer during daylight hours, they still have the same calorie requirements to fulfill, and so they’re going to have to be a lot more active to meet those energy needs in order to to survive,” he says. “Cold weather and snow is good for deer movement. It’s good for observing deer. It’s good for tracking wounded deer. So hunters should definitely be excited about the conditions we have coming up over the next week or two,” he says.

Elliott says the first gun season had been the most popular for many years, but there’s been a shift. “Everybody wanted to get that first crack. Over the years, we’ve seen a lot more of a shift into gun two, and over the last few years we have almost an even split,” he says. “And it really comes down to the weather during gun one. I think a lot of people make last minute calls on whether they’re going to buy a gun one or gun two tag, and over the last few years it’s been very even.”

Elliott says there are no regulation changes this year, but there are still some restrictions for western Iowa. “For hunters in Western Iowa, make sure that you’re aware whether or not your county has buck only requirement for gun one. Most of the far Western counties along the Missouri River would be included all the way up to Lyon County there in the northwest,” he says. “So just read the regulations and make sure that you understand what you can and cannot harvest during gun one, even if your tag says any deer.”

The first gun season runs through December 10th and the second gun season starts December 13th and runs through the 21st. Hunters are expected to harvest between 55 to 60-thousand deer during the two guns seasons

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa small business owner says changing or eliminating some federal mandates would make employer-sponsored insurance premiums more affordable. Marcia Strouse — a partner and consultant at Capitol Benefits Group in Des Moines — is one of eight employees at the firm. She testified yesterday (Thursday) before a U-S Senate Committee.

“Premiums have risen more than 120% since the early 2000s, while the number of insurers offering small group plans has sharply declined,” Strouse said. “It’s no wonder that 98% of small business owners fear they will no longer be able to afford coverage in the coming years.” Strouse says several mandates in the 2009 Affordable Care Act should be repealed.

“They have unintentionally contributed to rising costs, fueled industry consolidation and reduced flexibility,” Strouse said. Strouse says prohibiting insurance companies from varying premium within a geographic area based on factors like age or gender inflates premiums for younger workers and she says the Affordable Care Act has required companies to pay for coverage or services their employees may never use.

Strouse is also a critic of the ban on yearly or lifetime insurance coverage limits for essential health care services like hospital stays, pregnancy and newborn care or prescription drugs to be repealed. “Removal of the lifetime limits has contributed to uncontrolled cost growth across the system,” Strouse said. “Eliminating or at a minimum right sizing these mandates would help bring premiums back in line with what small employers and families can afford.”

Strouse told the Senate Committee any group of small businesses should be able to ban together and offer “Association Health Plans.” Under current regulations, small businesses must be in the same industry in order to purchase coverage as a group.

(Council Bluffs, IA) — A district court judge has ruled that former Pottawattamie County Supervisor’s Board Member Scott Belt CANNOT return to his seat on the Board. Judge Roger Sailer issued his ruling Thursday afternoon, after he heard nearly two days worth of arguments and testimony presented by Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber.

A legal petition filed by Wilber against Belt last month, citied Belt’s actions at a town hall meeting in Carson on November 5th and several other incidents of alleged drunken conduct by Belt.

In his ruling, Sailer concluded the evidence was enough to take the “extraordinary measure” of removing Belt from an elected office, whose term runs through the end of 2026.

According to reports, arguments made during the trial centered around whether Belt was intoxicated while performing his official duties, with the defense arguing the town hall, which is not mandated by a state statute, did not qualify as an official part of a supervisor’s job and that Belt was there voluntarily.

Under rules set forth by the Code of Iowa, an appointment to fill the vacancy is expected to be made by a three-person committee, including the county auditor, treasurer, and recorder, who have 40 days from the creation of the vacancy to do so.

In a statement, county officials say that deadline would be December 24th, since Belt was temporarily removed from office after Wilber filed his petition. Officials added they had opted against filling the vacancy immediately to allow Belt to “have his case heard by the judge.”

Belt has held public office for nearly 30 years, with time on the board of supervisors and the Council Bluffs city council. He was also the top vote-getter in the 2022 general election for county supervisor.

(Radio Iowa) – The Court of Appeals is calling for more review of a case that falls under a law that gives farm owners immunity for accidents with animals. Janey Shafer was taking video for Frank Santana as he used a horse-drawn sickle mower on his Madison County farm in 2021. Santana then asked Shafer to hold the horses while he raised the sickle. The sickle bar fell, startling the horses who took off and Shafer was run over by one of the mower wheels and left paralyzed.

Shaffer sued, but the district court said Santana has immunity under Iowa’s law that shields animal operations from liability.

The Appeals Court agreed the Domestic Animal Activities Act applies, but says there is a lingering question as to whether the injury was caused by Santana’s recklessness. It ordered the case back to the district court to review that issue.

(Radio Iowa) – It may sound silly and look ridiculous, but experts say Iowans should consider walking like penguins when it’s this cold and icy to prevent falls. That means taking short strides with deliberate steps, keeping your center of gravity over your feet and your arms out from your sides to maintain balance. Edison Weig, a physical therapist with Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City, says they see a lot of injuries from falls during the winter months.

“It’s a multitude of things, but I would say probably the most that we see are those hip fractures, especially in the hospital setting that’s related to that increase in fall risk, especially the outdoor environments,” Weig says. “It’s easy to take one wrong step.” Other injuries may range from broken arms and legs to back injuries and concussions, and one in every five falls results in a serious injury. Weig says one segment of the Iowa population is most at risk.

“As you age, you tend to lose some strength, so definitely in the older population, like people 65 years and older,” Weig says. “One out of four older people every year fall, but less than 50% of that population reports that fall to their doctor.”

He says more than 75-thousand Iowans were treated in emergency rooms last year for fall-related injuries.

(Atlantic, IA) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three people were arrested on separate warrants, recently.

On December 1st, Cass County Deputies arrested 22-year-old Adia Mae Hebron, of Cumberland, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Hebron was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released on her own recognizance.

On December 3rd, 34-year-old Mikel Ann Erickson, of Omaha, was arrested  on a warrant for Theft 1st Degree>$10,000. Erickson was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released on bond; And, 28-year-old Christina Marie Stevens, of Anita, was arrested on four warrants for Failure to Appear. Stevens was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says she expects a bipartisan solution to emerge to resolve the debate over the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies — but she says any deal must include new income restrictions.  “My biggest concern is ending the fraud and abuse here,” Hinson said, “because we have some incredibly wealthy folks who have been able to take advantage of a system that really should be used for working class and vulnerable Americans.” In 2021, Americans with incomes 400 percent ABOVE the poverty line became eligible for the tax credits for insurance policies purchased through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. That set of credits expire December 31st.

Republican Congressman Zach Nunn is the only member of Iowa’s congressional delegation to co-sponsor a bipartisan plan that calls for a two-year extension of the credits, giving congress time to come up with Affordable Care Act changes. Hinson says she prefers direct federal payments into Health Savings Accounts that consumers could use to buy insurance.”Those kind of proposals, in my mind, are the way we should be going here because they send the subsidies directly to the consumer and so that protects consumer choice,” Hinson says, “and it also makes sure we’re not subsidizing wealthy families or big health insurance companies.” The top Republican in the Senate has promised senators will have an Affordable Care Act vote next week. Senate Democrats plan to propose a three-year extension of the insurance subsidies. Hinson expects a different plan to emerge.

“I’m looking at details of all these proposals, but I’m not commit to supporting any of them until I see them number one cross the finish line in the other chamber and make it over as a serious proposal,” Hinson said, “but number two it has to be a something again that meets those requirements of protecting taxpayers and lowering costs at the same time.” Hinson currently represents Iowa’s second congressional district and is running for the U.S. Senate in 2026.

Other Republicans in the House have cited a recent report from the Government Accountability Office. The agency was able to use fictitious Social Security numbers to buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace for about two dozen people who did not exist.

(Red Oak, IA) – Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies responded at around 7:55-a.m. today (Thursday), to a collision in Villisca. The Sheriff’s report says the accident happened at the intersection of W. 4th Street and U Avenue, as a 2011 Ford F-150 pickup driven by Axel Eugene McCuen, of Villisca, was traveling westbound on W. 4th Street. When the vehicle approached the intersection with U Avenue, McCuen applied the brakes, but was unable to come to a stop, due to the weight of the trailer attached to the pickup, and the snow/ice covered roadway.

The pickup truck slid through the intersection and struck a 2019 Dodge RAM 1500 pickup belonging to Douglas Dewey Scott, of Villisca. No injuries were reported. Damage from the accident amounted to a total of $8,000. McCuen was cited for having no insurance – accident related.