The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a Des Moines firefighter has been injured battling a blaze at a tire shop. Des Moines television station KCCI reports the fire was reported around 10 a.m. Monday. Authorities say the fire started while workers were attending to a vehicle on a lift inside Don’s Tire and Auto.

The employees escaped without injury. The injured firefighter was taken to Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines with non-life-threatening injuries.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is pressing state officials to create a new grant program to help elderly and disabled Iowans renovate their homes. Dan Endreson is a public policy manager for the organization’s upper Midwest chapter. “That goal is that by creating homes that are safe, they can either delay or forego the need to move into long-term care,” he says.

Endreson and others met privately with Governor Branstad in August to discuss the concept. Endreson made the case in public last week at a budget hearing, asking Branstad to set aside 600-thousand dollars in state money for a Home Modification Assistance Program. “The purpose is to provide grants to Iowans who are elderly or living with the disability to modify their homes, to increase accessibility and safety,” Endreson says.

Endreson argues the investment ultimately would save the state money, keeping more Iowans living independently at home rather than moving into costly long-term care facilities. Traditional health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid typically do not cover modifications like grab bars in the shower that make a home more accessible and safe for an elderly or disabled resident. Several other states offer mortgage assistance or grant programs to help finance those kind of upgrades.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:23 a.m. CST

CASCADE, Iowa (AP) — A 61-year-old man has died in an eastern Iowa rollover crash. The Dubuque County sheriff’s office says the man was traveling south on U.S. Highway 151 shortly before 7 a.m. Monday when he lost control and rolled his Chevy Tracker into the median. The crash happened near Cascade. Authorities say the man was not wearing a seat belt, and was ejected from the sports utility vehicle.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities charged a former Iowa judge with insurance fraud days after she appeared in court to challenge her two-year-old firing over the same allegation. Former Administrative Law Judge Susan Ackerman joined her union Dec. 16 in asking a judge to throw out an arbitration decision that upheld her termination. Days later, Ackerman was charged with a felony for allegedly falsely certifying that her daughter was single so that she could qualify for state insurance.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A preliminary hearing has been scheduled Jan. 6 for a Bettendorf woman accused of stealing more than $434,000 from her employer. Court records say Joan Maureen Smith is charged with felony theft. Her attorney didn’t immediately return a call Monday from The Associated Press. Smith is accused of stealing from Chest and Vascular Surgery in Davenport.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Utilities have restored power to most of their Iowa and Nebraska customers following the high winds and heavy rains on Christmas. The National Weather Service says 70 mph gusts were recorded Sunday at Nebraska airports in Norfolk and Wayne. Gusts topping 60 mph knocked out power to more than 4,300 customers in the Sioux City, Iowa, area. MidAmerican Energy says fewer than 200 Iowa customers were still without power.

Advocates in the “Y” movement are asking state officials to extend a program that’s financing improvements to Y-M-C-A facilities in some Iowa cities. There are currently 26 “Y-M-C-A” organizations in Iowa, operating buildings at 54 different sites. Craig Hanken is director of the Iowa Alliance of Y-M-C-As.

“In Iowa communities, YMCA facilities serve many important roles. We are the the community center, the day care, the camp, the health care facility, the youth development center and, yes, a fitness facility,” Hanken says. “Iowa YMCAs have been well-loved and well-used and many are in need of support to maintain their aging facilities.”

In 2015, the Rural Y-M-C-A Facility Improvement program was launched. Lawmakers set aside half a million dollars in state tax money for the program. The “Y” getting the money comes up with at least half as much in matching funds. “These funds were designated to assist YMCAs in the renovation or the maintenance of facilities in Iowa’s small communities, so populations of 28,000 or fewer folks,” Hanken says. “This allocation of $500,000, plus $250,000 of match money from YMCAs across the state, brings the total investment in Iowa YMCA facilities to three-quarters-of-a-million dollars.”

Another 600-thousand dollars was handed out a few weeks ago. “Rural YMCA Facility Improvement Grants have assisted and continue to assist YMCAs in meeting critical community needs by creating a safe environment with updated boilers, leak-free roofs, parking access, renovated gyms, classrooms and more and recently we’ve begun to address energy efficiency improvements, just to name a few of the projects that are underway.”

Hanken says the state grants have made a “small, but welcome dent” in necessary facility improvements, but he says there’s another 30 million dollars worth of projects yet to go. Hanken spoke at last week’s budget hearing in the governor’s office. He asked Governor Branstad to include more money for the Y-M-C-As in the state budget plan Branstad will present lawmakers next month. The very first Young Men’s Christian Association was formed in London — in 1844. There have been Y-M-C-As in Iowa for more than a century.

(Radio Iowa)

About one in three Iowans is obese and it’s no coincidence more of our pets are also getting hefty. A new report says the number of dogs with diabetes has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Veterinarian Courtney Campbell says with pets, just like with people, there are two primary keys to avoid the ailment. “One of the principles of managing diabetes is good food and good exercise,” Doctor Campbell says. “As long as we’re not overfeeding our pets and we’re making sure they’re well exercised and keeping them slim and trim, we can definitely lower the risk factors for seeing this increased incidence of diabetes diagnosis.”

He says there are a few important symptoms of diabetes in our pets for which owners should be watchful. “Is your pet drinking more water than usual? I’m talking about how you can’t even keep the water bowl full,” Campbell says. “He’s just constantly drinking and drinking and sometimes drinking out of odd places, like the toilet bowl or even a glass of water that you’re holding, or something like that.”

Other symptoms include frequent urination as well as a huge appetite but no weight gain. If you notice these symptoms, make an appointment with your veterinarian. If your pet is found to be diabetic, it may require regular treatment. “Insulin by far is the most common mainstay of therapy, but diet and exercise can go a long way,” Courtney says. “In dogs, we can actually see a decrease in the amount of insulin they need if we get them slim and trim, lose some weight and have a good diet and exercise.”

Some cats that lose weight and become healthier may go into diabetic remission, where no insulin is needed at all. In the past ten years, diabetes diagnosis in dogs is up 80-percent and 20-percent in cats.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa has a higher percentage of older residents than most states and a new study finds older drivers may be at a higher risk for car crashes if they have a history of falls. Nick Jarmusz (JAR-mus) with Triple-A-Iowa, says the agency’s research points to a correlation. Jarmusz says, “Our study found a link between falls and crashes, specifically, that older drivers who have a history of falls are 40% more likely to be involved in crashes than their peers who have not had a history of falls.”

Once someone’s had a bad fall and been hurt, it’s unfortunate, but Jarmusz says it can be something of a domino effect. “The injuries themselves that are caused by the falls can lead to a diminished capacity,” he says.

The study found the factors that may lead to a fall are the same sorts of things that may lead to issues behind the wheel. He says Iowans may need to have a conversation with a loved one. Jarmusz says, “If your parent or older relative has a history of falls, it may be a good idea to talk about how that may be impacting their driving or whether it’s still safe for them to drive or to drive in certain conditions.”

The study was conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

(Radio Iowa)

A report out of Nebraska say two people from Atlantic were injured during a collision at around mid-day Sunday on Interstate 80. According to the Nebraska State Patrol, the accident happened near the Waverly exit when an eastbound semi crossed the median and struck a westbound SUV occupied by 78-year old Robert Harlan and his 78-year old wife Joan, both of whom are from Atlantic.

The driver of the semi was also injured. He was identified as 45-year old Princewill Dabrinze, from Texas. All three were transported to a local hospital. The accident remained under investigation.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Utility companies have restored power to most of their Iowa and Nebraska customers following the high winds and heavy rains on Christmas. The National Weather Service says wind gusts of 70 mph were recorded Sunday night at the Norfolk and Wayne airports in Nebraska, and gusts exceeding 60 mph knocked out power to more than 4,300 customers in the Sioux City, Iowa, area.

MidAmerican Energy in Des Moines said Monday morning that fewer than 200 customers were still without power. Nebraska Public Power District says only a dozen or so of its customers haven’t gotten back their electricity.

In Nebraska, nearly an inch of rain was recorded in Fremont and Lincoln over the past 24 hours. In Iowa, more than eight-tenths of an inch was reported in Council Bluffs.

Newly released national data shows children born in rural Iowa may be more at risk to drug exposure than kids in the state’s larger cities. Health officials say a higher percentage of newborns in rural areas are affected by prescription pain killers and heroin than in urban areas. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is offering an explanation.  “The challenge is rural areas is that sometimes you look for help and it’s not there because the facilities and the personnel aren’t there,” Vilsack says.

The statistics from 2013 show that five out of every 1,000 births in urban areas were affected by drugs compared to eight out of every 1,000 in rural areas. Vilsack, who served as Iowa’s governor from 1999 to 2007, says more people know each other in rural areas, so those who are struggling with drug addiction may be more reluctant to seek help out of fear their neighbors will find out. He says it’s important to recognize addiction is an illness, not a flaw. “It just makes it a little bit easier for people to come forward,” Vilsack says.

President Obama recently signed a bill designed to provide more education, prevention and treatment programs to rural areas.

(Radio Iowa)