(Radio Iowa) – With e-cigarette use in Iowa high schools considered at epidemic levels, the American Lung Association is launching a new effort designed to reduce vaping by teens — and even younger. Alyssa DePhillips, health promotions manager for the Lung Association in Iowa, says protecting lung health is vital. “We’re excited about this public awareness campaign called ‘Get Your Head Out of the Cloud!’” DePhillips says. “It’s really designed to give parents the facts about e-cigarettes and support conversations before the kids are starting to vape, or before they’re offered vapes from their friends.”

The campaign is focused on kids between the ages of 10 and 14. “We think that’s pretty young, parents might think that’s pretty young, but I think parents would be surprised that youth are being offered these devices at younger ages,” DePhillips says. “Sometimes parents don’t really know what to look for with these devices or they don’t know what signs to look for if a youth is using.”

The Centers for Disease Control Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2019 found that 20-percent of Iowa high school students used e-cigarettes. The goal is to reduce youth vaping levels by 10% by 2025. While many Iowa students attended classes virtually earlier this year — and many are still learning online — DePhillips says the coronavirus pandemic is bringing a mixed bag of news about the popularity of vaping.

“Less youths may be experimentally trying the products but the youth that are addicted are still very much addicted to these products,” she says, “and they may be using them more frequently because they have more free time and more time on their hands.” The campaign includes free educational resources and guides, conversation starters, and facts about e-cigarettes at TalkAboutVaping.org.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Former staffers from Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign want to harness strong support for the Vermont senator among Hispanics to bolster Joe Biden in two battleground states. Nuestro PAC is launching a 30-second spot that will begin airing Thursday for two weeks in heavily Hispanic Nevada and Iowa, which could prove critical in November’s election. Backed by a six-figure ad buy, the spot features Hispanic staffers from Sanders’ campaign saying they worked hard for him during the Democratic primary but are now for Biden because Sanders has endorsed the former vice president.

The ads target states where Sanders dominated the Latino vote.

(Radio Iowa) – Terry Branstad returns to Iowa on October 5th after resigning as U.S. Ambassador to China. Branstad’s oldest son, Eric — a senior advisor for President Trump’s Iowa campaign — says the former Iowa governor will immediately hit the campaign trail. “He wants to be everywhere doing everything to support certainly our local legislative candidates, our congressional candidates, Senator Ernst and certainly the president,” Eric Branstad said.

Eric Branstad says his father will campaign in other states as well.  “We’ll have him scheduled fully for 28 days and there’s only one level of work that he does and that’s turbo,” Eric Branstad says, “and he’s ready to put in that turbo kind of effort.”

The former governor is 73 years old. He’ll turn 74 after the election, on November 17th. He was Iowa’s youngest governor ever when first elected in 1982. He was elected to a sixth term as governor in 2014 and was confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to China in 2017.

(Des Moines) – The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is making a change on quarantine recommendations for people that have been exposed to a positive case of COVID-19. The changes apply to non-healthcare, non-residential settings only. This includes businesses, education and child care settings.

• Close contacts of COVID-positive cases will no longer need to quarantine for 14 days if a face covering was worn consistently and correctly by the positive case and close contacts. The positive case must isolate. The close contacts should self-monitor.
• Self-monitoring entails close monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms over the subsequent 14 days, staying home if any symptoms develop, and speaking with a healthcare provider about COVID-19 testing in the case of any illness.
• If people who are self-monitoring become ill but do not get tested, they should remain home until 10 days after symptom onset.
• People currently in quarantine may be released from quarantine if a face covering was worn consistently and correctly by the positive case and close contacts during exposure.
• If the positive case wore a face covering, but close contacts did not, those close contacts must be quarantined.
• If the positive case did not wear a face covering, close contacts must quarantine whether or not they wore a face covering.
• Quarantine of close contacts will still be necessary in residential and healthcare settings.

Find an infographic depicting the new IDPH recommendations at https://idph.iowa.gov/Portals/1/userfiles/61/covid19/resources/WhenToQuarantine.pdf

The IDPH says “Masks are proven to be effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Increased mask use will reduce the number of individuals that need to quarantine. Along with wearing a face covering, we ask that everyone continue all recommended public health strategies:

• Stay home when sick.
• Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet whenever possible.
• Wash hands frequently.

This approach is based on data and focused feedback from community and school leaders over the past month indicating that transmission is not frequently occurring when both parties are wearing face coverings consistently and correctly. Additionally, we are aware of other jurisdictions, including Nebraska and Wyoming, that have made similar changes based on experiences in their states. The IDPH will continue to make recommendations based on best available information and adjust when needed.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors have approved – by a vote of 4-to-1, a 2.1% annual increase in compensation, effective Oct. 1st, for County Engineer Trent Wolken. Board Member Frank Waters was the lone “Nay” vote, based on the fact none of the other employees were given a mid-term raise.

However, in a Memorandum of Understanding with Trent Wolken prior to his being hired, it was stated he must complete his 90-day probationary period plus three months before he would receive a raise commensurate to what other County Employees received on July 1^st, so this is a special situation, according to the Board. During their meeting last week, the Board and Wolken conducted a closed-session six-month review of his performance. None of the Board members had anything negative to say about Wolken’s performance.

In other business, the Supervisors passed a Resolution assigning a county-held tax sale certificate to the City of Atlantic, for a property at 3^rd and Maple Streets, and the entering into an agreement to abate taxes, if Atlantic acquires ownership of the parcel. They also approved entering into an agreement to compromise tax and abate interest, penalty and cost and assign tax sale certificates to private citizen on County Held Tax Sale Certificates for a parcel in Cumberland.

Board passed a Resolution placing a Stop sign at the intersection of 595th Street and Lansing Road. It was previously noted the site had become a dangerous corner due to increased traffic associated with the opening of a new rock quarry.

And, the Board of Supervisors discussed the closing of a County Roadway at 570th Street and the I-80 underpass. The Iowa DOT plans to make I-80 a six-lane highway, which requires the closure of some underpasses. As an incentive, they are offering the County about $1.5-million dollars to close the road.

Supervisor Steve Green said he had spoken farmers in the area who would like to keep the road open.

Green said he’d like more time to research the records from when the land was originally turned over or sold to the State, at the time the Interstate was being designed and built in the 1950’s.

Engineer Wolken said he would try to get a DOT official to attend a Supervisors meeting either in person or via Zoom, to discuss the matter further, especially with families/landowners who have an interest in keeping the road open. Supervisor Board Chair Steve Baier was one of those who was in favor of setting up the meeting.

It’s not clear when that meeting will take place.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Fire officials are blaming a gas leak for an explosion that destroyed one Dubuque home and damaged several others. KCRG reports that Chief Rick Steines with the Dubuque Fire Department said a machine struck a gas main Monday while working in the area. He said firefighters evacuated the closest house while they waited for the gas company to arrive. He said the gas company was in the process of shutting down the gas when it ignited and caused the explosion.

One house was destroyed and others had windows blown out. A firefighter also was taken to a hospital for a cut.

DAVENPORT, Iowa—United States District Court Chief Judge, Friday, sentenced 39-year old Norris Davison, of Burlington, to 188 months (15.6-years) in prison for trafficking methamphetamine. Following his prison term, Davison will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Davison admitted to conspiring to distribute four kilograms of ice methamphetamine in the Burlington area. Davison’s criminal history included convictions for a felony drug offense, and
three felony convictions for unlawfully possessing weapons.

His case was investigated by the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, and the Burlington Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.