The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) today (Friday) announced testing by the State Hygienic Lab (SHL) has confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus in Iowa this year. The case is an adult female (18 to 40 years of age) from Ringgold County, who is recovering. IDPH Medical Director, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk says “This West Nile case should serve as notice that the virus is out there and Iowans should take precautions.”

West Nile virus is transmitted through mosquitoes. The best way to prevent the virus is to eliminate mosquito breeding areas and to use insect repellent when outdoors. Iowans should take the following steps to reduce the risk of exposure to West Nile virus:

Use insect repellent with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Always read the repellent label and consult with a health care provider if you have questions when using these types of products for children. For example, DEET should not be used on infants less than 2 months old and oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under 3 years old.

Avoid outdoor activities at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, shoes, and socks whenever possible outdoors.
Eliminate standing water around the home because that’s where mosquitoes lay eggs. Empty water from buckets, cans, pool covers and pet water dishes. Change water in bird baths every three to four days.

Quinlisk notes that using an insect repellant containing DEET provides protection against both mosquitoes, which can carry West Nile virus and ticks, which can carry Lyme disease. So far this year, there have been 111 cases of Lyme disease in Iowa.

Approximately 20 percent of people infected with West Nile virus will have mild to moderate symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches and vomiting. Less than one percent of people infected become seriously ill and rarely someone dies. Since West Nile first appeared in Iowa in 2002, it has been found in every county in Iowa, either in humans, horses, or birds. In 2014, there were 15 human cases of West Nile virus and zero deaths.

For more information about West Nile virus, visit http://bit.ly/1iTO2Vc. To learn about Lyme disease, go to http://bit.ly/1MSWe4G.

The 2015 Governor’s Charity Steer Show will take place 4-p.m. Sat., Aug. 15th, at the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion at the Iowa State Fair. It’s the 33rd consecutive year the beef industry has raised funds to help families who utilize the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa.

Celebrities will lead 25 steers around the ring, vying for the championship designation, as well as appealing to the crowd for a showmanship award. Among the steer being shown are those owned by….

• Hayden Van Meter, of Red Oak – shown by Mike Pearson, from IPTV’s Market-to-Market.
• Nick Pedersen, of Underwood – shown by Chris Edgington, President, Iowa Corn Promotion Board
• Sadie Graham, of Stanton – shown by Jim Miller, Wartburg Wrestling Coach Emeritus
• Mitch Holcomb, of Winterset – shown by Des Moines radio personalities
• Reagen Miller, of Charter Oak – shown by Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Immediately following the competition the steers will be sold at auction with proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. Both the show ring event and the auction are open to the general public.

Since the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association began the Governor’s Charity Steer Show in 1983, the effort has raised more than $2.5 million for the Des Moines, Iowa City and Sioux City Ronald McDonald House Charities. The houses provide a “home away from home” for families of seriously ill children being treated in area hospitals.

Youth participating in the 2015 Governor’s Charity Steer Show will also be learning additional information about the beef industry on Thursday and volunteer some time at the Ronald McDonald House Charities in Des Moines on Friday, Aug. 14th .Any individual or business interested in participating in future shows, can contact Doug Bear at IBIC, 515 296-2305.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Police in Creston say a Decatur County man was arrested Thursday morning on charges that include Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree and Burglary in the 3rd degree. 37-year old Jared Johnson, of Garden Grove, was arrested at around 4:50-a.m. at 208 Maple Street, in Creston. Johnson was being held in the Union County Jail on $5,000 bond.

And a Creston woman reported to police on Thursday, that her red, 2003 Ford F-150 pickup, had been stolen from the parking lot at R Realty (114 N. Elm St.), in Creston. The theft happened sometime between 10-p.m. Wednesday and the morning hours on Thursday. The loss was estimated at $11,000.

The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Two men were arrested on separate drug and incident exposure charges, Thursday night, in Red Oak. Authorities say 27-year old Jacob Nathaniel Forward, of Red Oak, was arrested in the 600 block of Broad Street at around 8:45-p.m., on a Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, charge. Forward was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.

And, 61-year old James Donald Uhlmann, Sr., of Red Oak, was arrested for Indecent Exposure Thursday, after allegedly exposing himself to his neighbor ladies in the area of E. Grimes Street. Uhlmann was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.

The State Board of Education unanimously adopted new state standards Thursday for what Iowa school kids in kindergarten through high school should know and be able to do in science. The Education Department’s Bureau Chief for Standards and Curriculum, Erika Cook, says the new guidelines are the result of months of work from a state review team.

“We are hoping with the performance expectations that classrooms teach kids to think like a scientist when that is appropriate, and also have also integrated engineering concepts that will be integrated throughout the classrooms,” Cook says. She says the goal was to refocus the way science is taught. “We are hoping the classrooms continue to come alive for out students and they can learn to behave like scientists,” Cook says. “And the most important thing is so they can become excited about science and engineering and can continue learning and studying about that throughout their lives.”

Cook says each individual district will determine how the new guidelines are implemented. She says the Department of Education will put together guidance for districts and put together opportunities to help teachers learn about the new standards. Cook says they got a lot of input majority of public comments on the Next Generation Science Standards were favorable. She says it is important to review standards.

“Because times do change and we want our students of Iowa to be up on the strongest standards in each of the core content areas. And we want to be leaders in education,” Cook says. The core content she talked about also includes statewide academic standards in social studies, English-language arts, math and the 21st century skills of civic literacy, employability, financial literacy, health literacy, and technology literacy.

(Radio Iowa)

A vehicle went off the road at the T-intersection of Highways 173 and 83 early this (Friday) morning, northwest of Atlantic. The vehicle ended-up in the ditch, just south of the intersection. The accident, which was reported at around 12:15-a.m. resulted in no injuries. Atlantic Fire and Rescue, Medivac and Marne Rescue were initially dispatched to the scene. Additional information is currently not available.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says two beaches at Saylorville Lake are closed due to a blue-green algae bloom that could be harmful to people and pets. Routine water quality monitoring performed at the lake identified high levels of a compound produced by blue-green algae under certain environmental conditions that can cause illness through direct skin contact, by ingesting the water or by breathing airborne water droplets. The compound called microcystin can cause skin reactions, gastrointestinal pain, breathing problems or liver damage.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A female race car driver severely hurt while competing at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids has died from her injuries. An employee of Merdoch Funeral Home in Marion says a celebration of life service for INEX Legends race car driver Joan Feller is set for Saturday. Feller, a long-time supporter of Legends racing, was in her first season as a driver. She died Wednesday at an Iowa City hospital from injuries sustained in a crash when her car struck another stalled on the track during a July 31 race. She was 53.

FAIRFIELD, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa judge says he made a mistake in ordering an ex-felon to pay $254 in court costs in a voter fraud case that was dismissed. District Judge Randy DeGeest told The Associated Press on Thursday that he would amend the order against Cheri Rupe to assess those costs to the state.

WHITTEMORE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating the shooting of a crop-dusting plane in northern Iowa. The Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office says the plane owned by Steier AG Aviation was hit in a wing flap while spraying a field in Fairfield Township last Friday morning. The pilot returned to Steier’s landing strip in Whittemore.

The Iowa DNR reports beginning Aug. 10th, small Iowa communities (those with populations of 5,000 or less) can apply for funding to perform asbestos inspections on neglected buildings in a special round of funding from the DNR’s Derelict Building Grant Program. One area of focus for the Derelict Building Grant Program is asbestos inspection and removal. If a building collapses and the presence of asbestos is unknown, it can increase the economic burden on the community. This round of funding may be used by eligible communities to investigate the amount of asbestos present in a building.

The Derelict Building Grant Program provides small communities and rural counties financial assistance for abandoned commercial and public structures to improve the appearance of their streets, revitalize local economies and alleviate the environmental concerns these buildings can pose. This is a one-time opportunity; projects selected may apply for funding in 2016 for additional program-related tasks.

For more information and application details, go to www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/LandStewardship/WasteManagement/BusinessIndustry/DerelictBuildingProgram.aspx or contact Scott Flagg at 515-725-8318 or Scott.Flagg@dnr.iowa.gov.

No applications will be accepted after 4 p.m. on Aug. 21st.