(Des Moines, Iowa) – The number of deaths by suicide in Iowa decreased in 2023 for the first time, significantly, in almost 10 years, according to updated data from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which also showed an increase in teen suicide rates. The data, as part of the Iowa Public Health Tracking Portal, also showed immunization rates, statistics around births and deaths in the state, rates of sexually transmitted infections and the top baby names for 2023. The Iowa Capital Dispatch says the portal is a centralized hub for public health data throughout the state. The majority of statistics monitored are Nationally Consistent Data Measures, which are set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and make it possible to compare data from state to state. The data visualizations are regularly updated with new figures as the department processes the information.

Below are some of the updates to the portal from fall 2024:

Immunization records

The percentage of the population who received a flu vaccination has declined since 2020 for Iowans under 65. However, 64% of Iowans over the age of 65 received a flu vaccine in the 2023-2024 flu season, up significantly from the 2021-2022 year when just 41% of that age group received a flu shot.

The Iowa Public Health Tracking Portal has updated data visualizations on flu immunization rates in the state and by county. (Graphic courtesy of Iowa Department of Health and Human Services)

Nearly 34% of all Iowans, regardless of age, received a flu vaccine in the 2023-2024 flu season. Less than 16% of Iowans received a COVID-19 vaccine in the 2023-2024 flu season, with the majority of immunized Iowans residing in urban areas like Polk or Johnson counties.

Vital records

Maternal and paternal ages have increased steadily since 2006, with the average age for Iowa mothers, or parent A, at 29, and fathers, or parent B, at 31 in 2023. Nearly 100 more males than females were born in Iowa in 2023. Live birth and death rates have remained stable over the past 20 years in Iowa.

The percent of premature births remained the same from 2022 to 2023, but has increased 1.6% since 2000. And overall, there were 36,505 babies born in Iowa in 2023, about 1,000 fewer babies than were born in 2019, according to the department.

Heart disease was the number one cause of death in Iowa, followed by cancer in 2023. Cancer as a cause of death has decreased slightly from 2013, while the rate of death from diseases of the heart has stayed around the same, at about 18 per 10,000 people.

Other leading causes of death for 2023, and over the past 20 years, include cerebrovascular diseases (including stroke), chronic lower respiratory diseases and unintentional injuries, including transportation accidents and natural disasters. The 2023 data also show men were reported dying from most of these causes at higher rates than women.

Death by suicide went down in Iowa in 2023, to fewer than 500, for the first time since 2018. The number peaked in 2022, with nearly 600 reported deaths by suicide in Iowa. The teenage suicide rate for the state, however, increased from 3.1% in 2022 to 5.2% in 2023. County specific data is also available on the state data portal, which shows teens die by suicide at higher rates in Polk County than the state as a whole.

Sexually transmitted infections: The fall data update also included 2023 cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis in the state. Chlamydia is the most common out of the three, though cases declined from 2022 by about 1,000. Gonorrhea cases have similarly declined, but cases of syphilis in the state have drastically increased from fewer than 300 cases in 2018 to nearly 950 cases in 2023.

This is not unique to Iowa, however, syphilis cases have been on the rise nationally, and according to NPR is linked to increased substance abuse, decreased condom use and a lack of testing, or access to testing, for sexually transmitted diseases.

(Radio Iowa) – We still have about six weeks of fall left, but today (Thursday) is Winter Weather Awareness Day in Iowa. Meteorologist Chad Hahn, at the National Weather Service, says it’s important for Iowans to be aware and prepared for whatever may be around the corner, including ice, snow and bitter cold. “It’s a good time for us to begin to transition out of what we traditionally think as our warm season hazards, thunderstorms, hail, winds, tornadoes, and some of the extreme heat that we have during the warm months, into what we know is going to be coming our way,” Hahn says. “Obviously, the cold season is already here. In certain parts of the state, we’ve already seen some snow.”

Parts of northwest and north-central Iowa got a surprise blanket of flakes on Halloween morning. The weather service announced several weeks ago that it planned to eliminate some terms in the winter ahead that Iowans have gotten used to hearing. “Listeners are probably familiar with wind chill warnings, wind chill watches and wind chill advisories. Those are all going to be sunset,” Hahn says. “They’re going away for this season, and they’re going to be replaced by the new verbiage, which is extreme cold.” The switch makes more sense, he says, as things like wind chill warnings didn’t tell the full story.  “We’ll issue extreme cold warnings, extreme cold watches and cold weather advisories,” Hahn says, “and the main reason that we did that is really to emphasize that cold is cold, whether it is associated with wind or not.”

Radio Iowa file photo

The long-range forecast shows above-normal temperatures in Iowa for the next few weeks, also with above-normal rainfall likely, but no snow indicated. The first day of winter is December 21st.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Two people were arrested on separate charges Wednesday, in Red Oak. According to the Red Oak Police Department, 50-year-old Shannon Ray Porter, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 11:15-a.m., for 5th Degree Theft. Porter was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

And, at around 1:10-p.m., Red Oak Police officers arrested 56-year-old Peggy Jean Bradway, of Red Oak, for Assault on persons in certain occupations – bodily injury, 1st Degree Harassment, Interference with Official Acts, Disorderly Conduct, and False reporting to Emergency Communications. Bradway was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa State Patrol says a trooper in Polk County recently pulled a driver over going 105 miles per hour on Highway 5. Troopers say the driver was a 16-year-old. In a social media post, the Patrol said “Imagine the disbelief on CMVU (Commercial Motor Vehicle Unit) Trooper Daniels’ face as a 16-year-old driver zipped past him on Hwy 5 (Polk County)! A great reminder…If you’re out late, remember to drive carefully on your way home—your parents will appreciate knowing you made it back safely!”

The speed limit on the highway is 70 miles per hour.

Iowa State Patrol photo

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks says there are very few uncounted ballots in the first congressional district race and she is comfortable with the current margin of votes that put her ahead of Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan. At the end of Election Night, Miller-Meeks led by 413 votes. Her lead grew yesterday (Wednesday) after a county that had had problems with ballot tabulators completed its count.

“Washington County results are fully in,” she said. “Again those results showed what we expected they would show and what had we predicted they would show, which would be that I would win in Washington County and we did with 58% of the vote. That almost doubled our vote total, our margin of victory of 799 votes.”

Bohannan posted a statement on social media yesterday (Wednesday), saying the race was still too close to call and her campaign expects more ballots to come in over the coming days. Iowa candidates may request recounts in races when the winning margin is less than one percent of all votes cast — but county boards of supervisors have to meet, review the tallies of ballots and vote to make the results official first. Candidates then have three days to file for recounts.

(Radio Iowa) – It will be Kum and Go no more. A trade publication called C-Store Dive reports the Utah company that bought the Iowa-based convenience store chain in 2023 will rebrand all Kum and Go locations as Maverik stores in 2025. Sekar — chair of the department of marketing in Iowa State University’s Business School — says a brand name is one of a company’s assets.

“It’s the trust, it’s the promise, it’s the connection between the consumer and the company and it’s extremely valuable,” Raju says. “If you you look at Apple, for example, much of the value that the brand holds is actually equal to or more than all of the other assets that they have.” Kum and Go has sold caps, koozies and other items that bear the Kum and Go logo, but Raju isn’t sure of the long-term value of that memorabilia once the brand is retired.

“There will be some nostalgia related to the brand,” Raju says. “People might be collecting these things.” The Kum and Go brand was launched in the 1970s by Bill Krause and Tony Gentle, who started the chain. They opened their first gas station in 1959 in Hampton. Jim Davies, a Hampton native who’s chairman of the Hampton Historic Preservation Commission, remembers when the company started selling food and merchandise as well as gasoline.

“The stores were really nothing like the convenience stores of today,” Davies says. “They were much smaller.” Davies and his family attended the same church when the Krause family lived in Hampton. “In 1963, Krause Gentle introduced the company’s first convenience stores,” Davies says. “I think Store #1 is located on north Highway 65. There was another store located on west Highway 3 across from their corporate headquarters.”

The company’s corporate headquarters moved to Des Moines in 1988. According to C-Store Dive — a trade publication for the convenience store industry — a Maverik spokesperson said Kum and Go stores will briefly close, be rebranded as Maverik stores and reopen with the same employees.

SIOUX CITY – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources, this (Wednesday) evening, said their Field Office in Spencer was notified by the City of Sioux City of an untreated wastewater discharge due to equipment failure at the Floyd lift station.

The discharge began around 10:15 a.m. on November 6th. Officials sayiIt is estimated nearly two million gallons of untreated wastewater discharged into Bacon Creek Channel, with an unknown amount reaching the Missouri River. Officials say Bacon Creek Channel was dry prior to the incident. The discharge has stopped and the lift station is operational. No dead fish have been observed at this time, and Bacon Creek Channel is now dry.

The Iowa DNR has notified downstream surface water systems with the cities of Council Bluffs, Blair, Nebraska, and Omaha, Nebraska. Any downstream recreational users should take caution and stay out of the river at this time. The Iowa DNR will follow up with the city for further assessment.

To report a release after hours, please call the DNR’s emergency spill line at (515) 725-8694. Quick reporting can help DNR staff identify the cause of an incident. The DNR website has more information about spill reporting requirements.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic met in a regularly scheduled session this (Wednesday) evening. During their meeting, the Council paid special recognition to Assistant Police Chief Paul Wood, who has served as a member of the Atlantic Police Department for 20-years. Mayor Grace Garrett read from a statement provided by Atlantic Police Chief Devin Hogue, with regard to Assistant Chief Paul Wood’s background and experience.

Wood was promoted to Sergeant in the Atlantic Police Department 2011, Lieutenant in 2016, and finally to Assistant Police Chief, in 2022.

Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett congratulates Assistant Police Chief Paul Wood for his 20-years of service on the City’s Police force.

Speaking of people with many years of valuable experience, Councilman Jim Behrens, during the Council Committee report portion of the City Council meeting, said he learned during Tuesday’s fire department meeting, the Atlantic Fire Department is losing four members whose experience will be sorely missed. One of those is Wayne Brosam, who is a Special Agent/Investigator with the State Fire Marshal’s Arson and Explosives Division with the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council acted on passing a Resolution setting Dec. 4, 2024, as the date for a Public Hearing on an Urban Renewal Plan Amendment, with regard to the Southeast Urban Renewal District. With the approval, the Council will adopt a development agreement for the use of TIF (Tax Increment Financing) for the Vision Atlantic housing development project, which City Administrator John Lund says is the largest such project in Atlantic since the Nishna Hills Final Plat was adopted in 1978.

The Council acted also on a Resolution authorizing City Administrator Lund to sign and execute a Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) SWAP Program and other Iowa DOT documents, as required by the Iowa Department Of Transportation, which allows the City to use over $1.056-million in the City’s accrued and borrowing from, future TIP (Transportation Improvement Plan) funds to fund the estimated $1.320-million in costs, for the reconstruction of West 22nd Street. That work is expected to begin next Spring and Summer (2025).

Another Resolution the Atlantic City Council passed, Wednesday, was with regard to the City’s responsibility for Community Sidewalks, and the Development of a Comprehensive Sidewalk Improvement Plan to maintain sidewalks in a safe, and hazard-free condition. John Lund says the Resolution leaves the City as the owner of sidewalks, and liable for damages resulting from failure to maintain them. Lund says the City can transfer liability, but each time it does so, a property owner must receive notice by certified mail requiring the owner to “repair, replace or reconstruct sidewalks within a reasonable time.”

The final item of business for the Council, was to act on passing the third and final reading of an Ordinance pertaining to “Prohibited Trees.” In his report, John Lund sounded a bit like the painter Bob Ross, when describing the 2023 Audit Report.

He said he’s proud of the Audit, and would enjoy talking about it.

(Radio Iowa) – With warmer-than-normal temperatures forecast for the weekend ahead, it may be the ideal time for Iowans to transition their lawn mower to the back of the barn or shed and get the snowblower ready for duty. Kris Kiser, president and C-E-O of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, says to prep the mower for storage by sharpening the blade, putting in a new spark plug and air filter, and running it until it runs out of gas.

“Fuel has ethanol in it now, which is hygroscopic. It’ll absorb water over time and phase separate. The key is to not let that happen,” Kiser says. “So run the product dry, clean it and try to store it in dry place, that’s key for power equipment.” If your mower or other tools, like weed trimmers, run on those large, rechargeable batteries, there’s a right way and a wrong way to store those for the winter ahead — and those batteries are pricey, so don’t just leave them attached.

“Follow your manufacturer directions to the letter here,” Kiser says. “There are some differences with that, but likely it’s going to be — charge them up, don’t put them on a metal shelf, and again, store in a cool, dry place.” If your snowblower was put away properly in the spring, he says it should be an easy chore to get it ready for the winter ahead. Fuel stabilizers, products like Sta-bil, may be helpful but Kiser would refer you back to the instruction manual.

“The key, I think most engine manufacturers today will say, run it dry, store it dry with nothing else in it,” Kiser says. “It should, when you introduce fresh fuel, remember fuel stales now, and so when you’re ready to bring it back out for the season, use fresh fuel. Don’t have fuel that you’ve kept in a can in the garage for 30 days or more, fresh fuel should bring it back.” Does much need to be done to a snowblower to get it ready for action?

“A lot of it’s going to be determined by how you put it up, so if you run it dry and you’ve stored it in a dry place, you should likely have no issues whatsoever,” Kiser says. “Not all snow blowers have them, but check the air filter, check the oil, but if you put it up, it’ll likely fire right when you fill it with gasoline. Give it a pull or two, it should fire right away.” While Iowa has no snow in the immediate forecast, the flying flakes will be here soon enough, and Kiser says when that day arrives, you’ll want to take another precaution for the health of your snowblower.

“If you’re going to get a snowstorm, clear the area that you intend to plow or blow, because that machine is going to find sticks, debris, the garden hose, dog toys, whatever is left out there. That machine is going to find them, and once the snow covers them, you’re not going to see them,” Kiser says. “So the key is, before the storm, get out there, clear it, you don’t want the machine finding those items.”

If you have questions about your power equipment but can’t find the original instruction manual, he notes it’s probably online.

https://www.opei.org/

(Radio Iowa) – Programs to support housing for homeless youth in Iowa are being awarded nearly seven-million dollars in a grant from the U-S Department of Housing and Urban Development. Courtney Guntly is director of the Iowa Balance of State Continuum of Care, a co-applicant on the grant. Guntly says the money can expand more tailored services for young people across the state, with a focus on those between the ages of 18 and 24.

“Young people may have never had an apartment in their name, and so you just need to walk through what does all of that look like,” Guntly says, “and so the needs of this population are different than the needs of our general homeless population.” The Iowa Institute for Community Alliances received the HUD grant. That agency will distribute the money to organizations across the state, though Guntly says local providers don’t have to be youth-specific to apply for part of the money.

“There’s no way we’re going to be able to do it if we only have our providers that serve youth,” Guntly says. “We need everyone to be up at the table and to talk through how we can really make an impact.” The money is being issued through HUD’s Youth Homeless Demonstration Program. It can be used for solutions like rapid rehousing, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing. Guntly says after the two-year grant is over, HUD will continue to provide long-term funding to support the projects.