(Radio Iowa) – Cancer patients and cancer survivors in Iowa are being asked to take a survey about their experiences in hopes of improving the difficult process for everyone. Jackie Cale, the Iowa grassroots manager of the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, says the “Survivor Views” survey should only take ten minutes to fill out online and it can be a tremendous outlet.

“Some of the questions vary, like have they had access to clinical trials? Have they ever felt that there was a barrier to their cancer care?” Cale says. “We go into some of the demographics, where do they live, race, ethnicity. We’re just trying to get an overall view.” An estimated 20-thousand Iowans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. To take part in the survey, organizers are looking for Iowa survivors who have been diagnosed or received treatment for their cancer within the last seven years.

Information taken from the confidential surveys will be used in meetings with Iowa legislators and other policymakers. “This round of survey is very focused on health equity, what that looks like in your community,” Cale says. “We really want to focus on the fact that where you live and your race and ethnicity, those really shouldn’t play a factor in your cancer care.”

The survey project was launched in 2019 and Cale says it’s provided invaluable insight on issues including the cost of prescription drugs, access to health coverage, surprise medical bills and the effect of the pandemic on access to cancer care. To take part, go to: www.fightcancer.org/SurvivorViews45

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has set a goal of getting 65 percent of Iowans vaccinated against Covid by the end of May and hitting the 75 percent mark in June. “Those are kind of some metrics, benchmarks that we’re putting in place,” Reynolds says, “and we’re going to continue to do everything we can to drive those numbers.” State officials are considering sending mobile vaccination clinics at baseball games, farmers markets and other events.

“My team actually reached out with the chambers and the businesses in some of the communities to offer incentives…The colleges have taken a look at different ways that they could incentivize the students to get the vaccine,” Reynolds says. “so we’ll always be looking at different ways that we can really tie in and encourage people to get that done.”

West Virginia’s governor plans to issue 100-dollar savings bonds to each West Virginia resident under the age of 36 who gets vaccinated. That’s NOT among the options Iowa’s governor is considering. Reynolds says mobile clinics that can go to where Iowans are gathering is at the top of her list.

“And they’ll be able to receive a vaccine, but it’s also an opportunity to be educated, get some information if they have any questions,” she says. “It’ll be an all-of-the-above resource.” Demand for the shots has dropped and the public health departments in 80 of Iowa’s 99 counties declined all or part of their weekly allotment.

About a million Iowans have had the single Johnson and Johnson vaccine or taken both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The governor says about 56 percent of Iowa’s adult population has had at least one dose of Covid vaccine and all but eight percent of Iowans above the age of 65 have been vaccinated.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Public Safety has revealed it is using 400-thousand dollars from its current budget to install a security fence around the governor’s mansion in Des Moines. Last Friday, the agency cited
repeated and alarming threats to Iowa officials, including the governor, in announcing that a fence would be installed around the perimeter of the property by this summer. Governor Kim Reynolds says many states took that step two decades ago, after the September 11th attacks.

“I respect the Department of Public Safety and their really encouragement to get that done and I think it’s probably the right thing to do,” Reynolds says. Reynolds and her husband, Kevin, are the current occupants of the third floor apartment in Terrace Hill. The Victorian-era mansion was restored in the 1970s and became the official residence of Iowa governors.

Nothing will change. It’s still the people’s house and we’ll continue to do tours and it will continue to be open,” Reynolds says. “But, you know, I’m not going to second guess their recommendation to have it done and obviously every other state but one or two have made that same decision.”

Public Safety officials cite the recently foiled attempt to kidnap Michigan’s governor as one of the reasons to enhance security at the governor’s mansion in Des Moines. A spokesman for the agency says the fence will be made of wrought iron, to match the architecture of Terrace Hill and construction will begin late this spring or early summer.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, Wednesday (today), arrested a woman following a traffic stop about three-miles south of Clarinda. Authorities say 49-year-old Frances Ann Baughman, of Braddyville, was arrested for Driving while license revoked. Baughman was transported to the Page County Jail where she is being held on $1,000 bond, pending future court proceeding

DES MOINES – Today (Wednesday), Governor Reynolds announced two Virtual Town Hall meetings to support and inform the Child Care Task Force. On March 10, Governor Reynolds signed Executive Order 8 launching a new Child Care Task Force to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the child care shortage and barriers to child care in Iowa.  As part of this effort, the Task Force wants to hear directly from parents and child care providers.

“No comprehensive strategy to address child care would be complete without direct input from parents and child care providers,” said Gov. Reynolds. “These Virtual Town Hall meetings will ensure the Task Force receives valuable insight into the current state of child care in Iowa and ways to improve it from those who know it best.”

The first Virtual Town Hall meeting will be held on May 6, 2021 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm for parents with children in child care.  The second Virtual Town Hall meeting will be held on June 1, 2021 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm for child care providers.

If you are interested in participating, please send an email to Ryan.Capps@governor.iowa.gov with your name, affiliation (if any), and which town hall you are requesting to participate in.  On the day of your respective town hall, you will receive a link to the meeting and sign in information.  Speaking slots are limited, and dependent on the number of requests, presenters will be limited to three to five minutes in order to accommodate as many presenters as possible.

For more information about the Child Care Task Force, visit:   https://www.futurereadyiowa.gov/childcare-taskforce

COUNCIL BLUFFS – The Iowa Department of Corrections, Wednesday, says 28-year-old Orlando Louis Williams, convicted of  Robbery 2nd Degree in Pottawattamie County, walked away from the Council Bluffs Residential Facility without permission overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning, and has not returned.

Orlando Williams

Williams is a black male, height 5’9″, and weighs 165 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on April 15, 2021.  Persons with information on Williams’ whereabouts should contact local police.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed into law a bipartisan plan for awarding grants to companies that expand broadband in Iowa. “This type of progress is what’s possible when regardless of party affiliation or which chamber legislators are elected to, leaders can come together to achieve common goals that are in the best interests of Iowans,” Reynolds says. The bill passed the House and Senate unanimously. Most of the companies getting these grants must provide broadband service that has upload and download speeds of 100 megabits per second, although companies planning to extend slower speed internet access to sparsely populated areas could qualify.

“Iowa will be empowered to take full advantage of 21st century technology while competing on a level playing field in a 21st century economy and Iowans shouldn’t settle for anything less,” Reynolds says, “and thanks to this bill, they won’t have to.” Legislators and the governor have agreed to set aside 100 million dollars in state money for the broadband grants. Reynolds expects to use at least 50 million dollars in federal pandemic relief money to reach her overall 150 million dollar goal. “Opening doors and opportunities for our communities large and small,” Reynolds said, “and resulting in one of the most significant broadband build-outs in the entire country.” Reynolds calls the plan a response to a glaring need.

“Iowa currently has the second slowest broadband speed in the country and a third of our counties are broadband deserts,” Reynolds says. “In the 21st century when access to high speed internet is growing increasingly necessary for everyday life — from work to entertainment to health care — we needed to act and I’m proud to tell Iowans we did just that.” Reynolds signed the bill in the Iowa Capitol rotunda in front of a large group of legislators. She plans to ask the legislature to provide another 150 million in state funds to the broadband grant program in each of the next two years. The program requires businesses that get the grants to make a matching investment in a broadband project.

(Greenfield) The Adair County Board of Superviors, Wednesday morning, approved updated wording in Engineer Nick Kaufmann’s contract, with regard to vacation time. The contract calls for 20-days of paid vacation per year, and he is allowed to carry-over vacation time. In his report to the Board, Nick Kauffman said much of the contract rock is done for now, with a project at Delta Avenue and 190th Street on-hold for the time being.

Kaufmann said also, work continues to progress on the N-22 Jackson and W-35 Jefferson bridges.

He said also his shared contract with Union County to serve as their interim Engineer has ended a little earlier than expected. Union County has elected to go with Clarke County for engineering services and sharing of equipment, especially some equipment Clarke County has the Union County does not. Kaufmann said he’s glad to be working strictly for Adair County, once again, for numerous reasons, including the difference in facilities.

In other business, the Adair County Supervisors approved a contract with Infomax for a complete IT Cloud Solution. The system will be installed sometime withing the next six-weeks and should be ready to use by July 1st.

(Radio Iowa) -The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is joining a nationwide campaign with 60 other health care providers to encourage more people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The campaign will specifically target groups who have higher hesitancy rates, like certain ethnic minority groups and those living in rural areas. Mike Brownlee, chief pharmacy officer with U-I-H-C, says they’re looking at new ways to reach out to patients about the vaccine. “One of the things we’re trying to do is incorporate vaccination into our clinic visits,” Brownlee says. “So when you come to have a checkup visit, ‘Hey, have you tried — have you thought about the vaccine, if you haven’t had it yet.’”

The campaign will use advertising and social media to encourage people to get vaccinated. Brownlee says hesitancy is increasing because the vaccine is now available to populations who are at low risk for getting seriously ill from the virus. “We’re trying to help them see the more broad view, how this can not just help them, their families, but everyone in the community,” he says, “and then the more vaccine that we have in the community, the more it slows the spread, it can help everyone.”

State health officials confirm the U-I-H-C did not accept more than 20-thousand doses of its federal allotment this week due to declining demand.

(reporting By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)