(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) is reporting the first human case of avian influenza A(H5) in the state. The individual was exposed to infected poultry while working with a commercial flock in northwest Iowa. The individual reported mild symptoms, has received appropriate treatment and is recovering. The case was identified through testing at the State Hygienic Laboratory and confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of December 20, 2024, the CDC has reported 64 confirmed human cases of H5 HPAI across nine states. The majority of the exposures are linked to infected poultry or dairy cows. There is no evidence that human-to-human transmission of influenza A(H5) is occurring in the U.S.

Although human infections are rare, the virus is spread through prolonged exposure around infected flocks and herds, through the eyes, nose or mouth. Any individuals with direct contact who develop flu-like symptoms or an eye infection should contact their doctor. To reduce the risk of infection or spread, people in direct contact with exposed animals should wear proper PPE and avoid direct contact with sick or dead animals, including birds.

“Iowa has monitored the spread of avian influenza closely since it was first detected in poultry in the state in 2022, and our state is prepared with the established knowledge, strong partnerships, and effective tools to mitigate its impact on our community,” said Iowa HHS State Medical Director Dr. Robert Kruse.

There is no concern about the safety of eggs and poultry products or pasteurized milk and dairy products. As a reminder, consumers should always properly handle and cook eggs and poultry products, including cooking to an internal temperature of 165˚F. Pasteurization has continually proven to successfully inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) today (Friday) sent a letter to the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives requesting his pay be withheld in the case of a government shutdown beginning at 12:00 a.m. on December 21, 2024, until the government is funded.

“Members of Congress have a responsibility to the American people to work together to resolve our differences, responsibly cut wasteful spending, and protect the critical programs that Americans rely on,” said Rep. Nunn. “Congress’s failure to do so will directly subject many Americans to painful decisions about their budget.  Members of Congress must not live by a different set of rules than the people they are sworn to serve. As such, I will not receive pay during a shut down.”

Rep. Nunn’s letter can be found here.

BACKGROUND 

To ensure that Congress isn’t profiting while the American people suffer, Rep. Nunn has introduced two bills:

• The bipartisan No Work, No Pay Act would impose a fine on Representatives and Senators equal to one day’s pay for each day the government is shut down. The full text of the No Work, No Pay Act—which is co-lead by U.S. Representatives Marie Glusenkamp-Perez (WA-03), Chris Pappas (NH-01), and Andrew Garbarino (NY-02)—can be found here.
• The People Before Politics Act would prohibit Members in both the House and Senate from directing or personally engaging in fundraising for their political campaign during a government shutdown. The full text of the People Before Politics Act can be found here.

Additionally, Rep. Nunn is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Pay Our Troops Act, led by U.S. Representative Jen Kiggans (VA-02), which would ensure members of the military are paid in the event of a government shutdown.

December 20, 2024 (DES MOINES, IA) – Today (Friday), the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board approved awards for two companies, which will assist in the creation of 223 jobs and result in $20 million in new capital investment for the state. These projects are located in Rock Valley and West Des Moines. The board also approved Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grants in Cedar Rapids, Grundy County, Maquoketa and Pella.

Kooima Company to expand into larger Rock Valley facility
Kooima Company LLC specializes in tube laser cutting, flat laser cutting, machining, welding, robotic forming and tube bending. The company plans to lease an 82,500-square-foot facility in Rock Valley and install automated systems and equipment. The board awarded the $11.6 million capital investment project tax benefits through the High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program. The project is expected to create 11 jobs at a qualifying wage of $25.97 per hour.

HMA Group Holdings to lease space in West Des Moines
The incorporated entity for Holmes Murphy, HMA Group Holdings, LLC, is an independent insurance brokerage that partners with businesses across the country in every industry and of almost every size for their risk management and benefits consulting needs. The company plans to expand beyond their Waukee building and lease and build out space in West Des Moines. The project represents a capital investment of $8.4 million and is expected to create 212 jobs at a qualifying wage of $36.80 per hour. The board awarded the company tax benefits through the HQJ program.

CAT grants awarded to four communities
The National Czech and Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids was awarded $42,500 to renovate and improve their Orloj Clocktower, modeled after the famous Prague Orloj. The project will add unique features that highlight Czech composers, incorporate repairs and finishes, and redevelop the plaza around the clocktower. Total project cost is $685,000.

The Grundy County Conservation Board was awarded $214,000 to pave the remaining 1.3 miles of trail that will complete the seven-mile stretch of the Pioneer Trail between Reinbeck and Grundy Center. The 12-mile trail will interlink four communities and several recreational trails along the route. Total project cost is nearly $1.1 million.

The Prairie Recreation Area project led by City of Maquoketa and Jackson County was awarded $400,000 to make large scale improvements. The project includes streambank restoration for fishing, viewing and camping; construction of shelters, restrooms, trailheads and bridges; a trail connection from the recreation area to the city limits; and the addition of an 18-hole championship caliber disc golf course. Total project cost is nearly $2 million.

The City of Pella was awarded $500,000 for the Pella Recreation Center to be located within the Pella Sports Park. The project will construct a two-story building to house sports amenities like a competition swimming pool, indoor turf field, track and more, which is projected to attract approximately 18,000 players, coaches and family members per year. Total project cost is nearly $33 million.

The CAT program provides financial assistance to communities for the construction of recreational, cultural, educational or entertainment facilities that enhance the quality of life in Iowa. Award recommendations for these funds are made by the CAT Review Committee to the IEDA Board for approval.

(Radio Iowa) – Can poinsettias kill you? There’s a long-standing rumor about the red-and-green flowers traditionally associated with Christmas being deadly if eaten. Janna Day, a nurse and the education and outreach manager at the Iowa Poison Control Center, says that’s simply an urban legend that is not true. “Unfortunately, poinsettias have really gotten a bad reputation over the years, and a lot of folks think that they are poisonous and that they could hurt you or even kill you,” Day says, “but what we have found is that really they’re not as toxic as maybe we once thought.” One study found that a child would have to eat as many as 500 poinsettia leaves to become poisoned. Aside from that, Day says the leaves taste terrible so no one would likely ever eat a lethal dose of them. They’re a lovely plant, she says, and they shouldn’t concern you.

“Swallowing some of the leaves could cause some mild stomach upset and make you not feel great, but you would have to ingest a lot of the leaves to really get quite ill,” Day says. “We feel like it’s okay to have those poinsettias in your home, and give them to your family members who are in the nursing homes, and those types of things. They are really quite low risk.” Sometimes dogs, cats and other pets will nibble the leaves of houseplants, or even chew them down to the stem, so are these decorative flowers a risk to Fido and Fluffy?

“Were not as concerned with the poinsettias and poinsettia leaves with pets,” Day says. “They could cause some upset stomach, but it would take quite a lot of the leaves to make that pet ill.” Other plants that may appear in your house during the year-end holidays could pose a more significant threat. Day says to take care with holly berries and mistletoe as they -can- be poisonous. If you have a question or concern, call the Sioux City-based Iowa Poison Control Center anytime at 1-800-222-1222.
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The poinsettia is native to Mexico and dates back centuries to when the Aztecs cultivated them to be more like trees that grew to be ten feet high. Seventeenth-century Franciscan priests in Mexico used poinsettias in nativity processions, the first recorded use for a Christmas celebration, though they weren’t called poinsettias then. That didn’t come until Joel Robert Poinsette introduced the plant to the U.S. in 1825 while he was the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. The plants were later named to honor him.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State University researchers say the recent outbreaks at several poultry operations in northwest Iowa are connected to a virus circulating in wild birds. I-S-U veterinarian Yuko Sato says the version that has hit twelve poultry operations is different from the strain that infected 13 dairies and three poultry operations in late May and June.

“And one of the first ways we know what kind of virus is out there to figure out that link is to find dead wild birds in the area,” she says. The Iowa D-N-R says there’s been a spike in sick and dead waterfowl from avian influenza since early December. The D-N-R’s state wildlife veterinarian Rachel Ruden asks everyone to be on the lookout for diseased birds and report them to a conservation officer.

“If you see sick birds in your yard or at the park or whatever, you know, keep your pets away from direct contact. And, you know, don’t handle those birds, but we still want to hear about them.” Ruden says the D-N-R is tracking detections of the virus in wild birds to understand the scope of the current outbreak and will remove infected carcasses where possible to prevent the spread of the virus.

(Radio Iowa) – The remains of an Iowa soldier who died in a Japanese prison camp during World War Two have been identified. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified the remains as 22-year-old U-S Army Air Force Tech-4 Lloyd Bruntmyer of Des Moines. Bruntmyer was serving in the Phillippine Islands when the Japanese invaded in December of 1941.

Lloyd Bruntmyer. (photo courtesy of the Defense POWMIA Accounting Agency. )

Bruntmyer was among those reported captured when U-S forces surrendered, and the Japanese forced them on the 65-mile Bataan Death March to a prison camp. Records show Bruntmyer died November 1st, 1942, and was buried in the prison camp cemetery. His remains were later moved to Manilla and advanced techniques allowed for their identification.

Brentmyer’s remains will be buried in San Diego, California, in November of 2025.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Association of Realtors reports says there were some positive numbers in November.  The Association’s November report says the number of new homes on the market across the state grew by nearly nine percent compared to November 2023.

The overall number of listings is up nearly 19 percent compared to last year. Single-family home sales increased by six percent in November compared to last year. The median sales price increased by eight-and-a-half percent compared to last November as sat at 230-thousand dollars.

DES MOINES – State Treasurer Roby Smith is celebrating the holiday season by encouraging all Rudolphs, Santas and Frostys to search for their unclaimed property. “There might not be any Scrooges or Grinches listed, but we have hundreds of Iowans with other holiday-themed names in Great Iowa Treasure Hunt,” said Smith. “We put together a short list of examples, and found one with over $1,900 to claim. Take a look, and visit GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov to start your search today.”

1. Barbara Rudolph, Ankeny
2. Frosty Treats, Crescent
3. Santa Rodriguez, Des Moines
4. Candy Cane Softball Diamond, Dyersville
5. Mr Frosty Hermanstorf, Mt Pleasant
6. Denis Santa, Muscatine
7. The Frosty Udder, Oskaloosa
8. Arnold Winter, Sheldon
9. Blitzen Express, Sioux City
10. Kathelynn Rudolph, Wilton

Great Iowa Treasure Hunt is the State’s only legitimate unclaimed property program in Iowa. Each year, money and other assets are turned over to the State Treasurer’s Office after they are unclaimed for a specific period of time. The Office then holds the funds indefinitely in Great Iowa Treasure Hunt until the owner or heir comes forward to claim.

Examples of unclaimed property include funds from inactive checking and savings accounts, uncashed checks, lost stocks and bonds, utility security refunds and insurance benefits. There are even valuables from abandoned safe deposit boxes.

For more information, visit GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov or connect with the Treasurer on Facebook, Instagram and X.

• Abbe Center for Community Mental Health, Cedar Rapids
• Area Substance Abuse Council, Inc., Dubuque
• Higley Partners, LLC, Cedar Rapids
• Jackson Recovery Centers, Inc., Sioux City
• Prairie Ridge Integrated Behavioral Healthcare, Mason City
• River Hills Community Health Center, Oskaloosa

(Radio Iowa) – The chairman of the Iowa Senate Commerce Committee is proposing creation of an Iowa “business court” — hoping it will prompt big businesses to declare Iowa as home base. For more than a century, many corporate executives have chosen Delaware to be the legal home for their companies due to Delaware’s courts — and two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in Delaware. Senator Mike Bousselot of Ankeny says recent court rulings in Delaware — including a verdict against Elon Musk — are creating an opening for other states.

“We’ve seen Elon Musk pulling businesses out of Delaware, moving them to Texas where they’ve started a business court so that they can have those disputes resolved,” Bousselot says. “We’ll look at that in Iowa and making sure that we have an environment that’s friendly for incorporating a business, so it’s easier to move your business to Iowa, easier to do business here.” Bousselot says in addition to the idea of a full-time business court, he’s reviewing changes to state laws that allow businesses to incorporate here.

“I’m working with the Iowa State Bar Association as well as the justices on the Iowa Supreme Court to talk about what does the incorporation code look like, making it easier for (businesses) to incorporate here and to have disputes resolved,” Bousselot says. In September, a business court in Texas began hearing cases about corporate governance and other claims. Oklahoma plans to open two business courts in 2026. The Iowa Supreme Court created an Iowa Business Specialty Court eight years ago. Nine district court judges are assigned to preside over complex businesses cases, however they do that work on top of their regular caseload.