(Radio Iowa) – Everything from computers to power tools now contain lithium batteries and that has created a sometimes explosive situation for waste haulers. Ames Resource Recovery Plant assistant superintendent Mark Peebler says it is very dangerous to throw lithium batteries into the regular garbage. “There’s several different cells in there, and each cell is separate. When those cells get exposed and exposed to each other, we’ll say if it gets broken or cut in the center, that causes that to create a thermal reaction,” he says. Peebler says the batteries get cut by the compactors in garbage trucks and the thermal reaction sets the trucks on fire. He says the batteries may no longer run your weed wacker, but they aren’t out of power when you toss them.

“I think a lot of people, when they throw those batteries away, they think that the battery is just dead. That’s not generally the case,” he says. “Generally, there’s still 80 percent of the original energy still stored in that battery. It’s just on and it’s just not enough to power that device that you’re using.” He says the batteries have been developed to deliver more juice, which makes them more dangerous if properly recycled. “Everybody wants them to be more powerful and to last longer, and by doing that, it increases the thermal reaction and the energy that’s stored in a smaller space,” Peebler says. “So then that, it makes it harder, harder to recycle them. And technology is constantly changing. So that’s one of those things on the recycling side that we have to make sure that we keep up with and that they get disposed of the right way.”

Peebler says they keep containers at their plant where people can drop off the lithium ion batteries for recycling. The Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency was just awarded up to four million dollars in federal funds to construct a new battery recycling and collection hub at its planned customer convenience center. Agency Administrator Ken Miller says lithium batteries have caused expensive fires in their garbage haulers’ trucks. He says the batteries can also cause dangerous fires in the landfill. “When our heavy equipment runs over the battery, not knowing it’s in there, then that causes the same reaction as it would if it came inside, into contact with the mechanized system within the garbage truck,” he says. He says all the garbage in the trucks and landfill provides fuel so the battery fire can quickly grow. Miller says employees sorting the batteries can also be injured if one starts on fire. The new facility gives them a warm safe place to separate and sort the lithium batteries. The batteries are then sent off to be recycled.

“There are specifically designed battery recycling facilities that will then recycle those materials to recapture the metals and stuff. This is a lithium so they can be reused again. It just depends on how the battery comes into us. Loose batteries we ship to one processor. Battery containing devices go to our electronics recycler.” Miller says. He says some agencies are developing high-tech systems to battle the fires that start from lithium batteries, but prevention is a better idea. “Using A-I camera technology and water cannons to be able to suppress, detect and suppress the fires as they begin, rather than, you know, waiting until the whole building is engulfed,” he says. “But the idea is to not have to utilize those systems by keeping them out of the waste and recycling, you know, the curbside waste and recycling streams altogether.”

Peebler and Miller says you can help by keeping lithium batteries out of the garbage and checking with your local waste hauler for lithium battery recycling options.

(Radio Iowa) – With Thanksgiving behind us now and a whole month of holiday happenings ahead, Iowans are hearing a lot about the importance of being mindful and practicing gratitude, but what does that really mean? Christie Harris, a wellness education specialist at Gundersen Health, says it may sound like touchy-feely rhetoric, but there’s a lot of science behind trying to have a more optimistic outlook on life. “We’re learning about the role that emotions play, and what we’re finding is that when gratitude is such a powerful emotion, that when we can practice that more, it has a lot of wonderful mental, physical and emotional benefits for us.”

The November election is in the rear view mirror, but there’s still a lot of division, disagreements and bickering, especially on social media. Harris suggests if you make a concerted effort to rise above the arguments, it can have real health benefits. “There’s so many things in life that it’s easy for us to get caught up in the negative things that are happening,” she says, “however, usually even in bad situations, there’s things that we can find some sort of spark or some sort of ray of hope from, and those are the things that we’re grateful for.” That could include being grateful for friends, for having a roof over our heads, or just being alive. Harris suggests taking a simple notebook and creating a gratitude journal to write in before going to sleep. Some of us wake up in the middle of the night and have all sorts of foul thoughts.

“If we can change that around, and we stop and we think about a few things that we’re grateful for, we write them down in our journal,” Harris says. “That’s getting the biochemicals in our bodies to be released. That is going to help us to be able to allow that autonomic nervous system to calm down, and allow us to be able to hopefully get a good night’s sleep.” The journal can also be something to look back on to cheer up when having a bad day. Harris says research is finding that being grateful can boost the immune system, and may increase life expectancy.

Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – A restaurant that opened just a few years ago in Elk Horn, has closed its doors permanently. According to a social media post, the Muller family, which owns and runs Grace on Main (formerly known as The Danish Table: Hygge Kitchen) announced Sunday that “After much consideration and prayer [we[ have made the choice to permanently close our doors.”

The notice said also, “We would like to thank everyone who passed through our doors and supported us over the past four + years.” The Mullers said “As we close our doors, we are excited for the opportunities the Lord has put before us.”

Owners Ilee and Michael Muller moved to Iowa from California, where Michael had worked and gained extensive experience in fine dining and bartending. Their restaurant featured many unique offerings and hosted intimate dining experiences for 20 people at different times during the year, called the “Gathering Table,” which featured a select five-course meal.

The family weathered through the pandemic, and health issues before deciding to close their business. The lot where the restaurant resides was formerly home for many years to the Danish Inn Restaurant, before that business closed in 2015, and the building was demolished three-years later.

A new building was constructed on the site that became an instant hit loved by food critics, residents and visitors.

(Iowa News Service) – A new report says Iowa has created more than 200 new child-care providers in the state, which is among the nation’s leaders in working parents who need it. The jobs were created with pandemic relief funds, and bolstered by money from local businesses. Iowa set aside $3 million in COVID relief aid to create the Child Care Solutions Fund, which established more providers and is making money available to pay them.

Businesses in the seven Iowa communities that took part in the program kicked in another $1.4 million, to increase the notoriously low wages and improve health benefits. A Program Manager at Common Good Iowa, Sheila Hansen, said the investments will make a big difference on the ground. “It created around 275 child-care slots and about 105 child-care providers,” said Hansen. “And then it impacted around 1,200 child-care personnel.”

The Iowa Women’s Foundation and the Common Sense Institute of Iowa released the report. The state recently launched a website that shows parents in real-time who has child-care openings, so they can see what’s available when they need it. While the pilot program was created with pandemic relief money, the report says expanding it statewide would cost Iowa about $28 million a year. Hansen said she thinks it would be a wise investment, in a state that desperately needs more child-care services.

“Iowa leads the nation with both available parents in the workforce,” said Hansen. “The need for child care is really immense. And if they’re not in the workforce and they want to be, you know, and they struggle to find child care, then they’re not really contributing.”

The report estimates if every mother with kids had access to child care and wanted to work, at least 150,000 more women would join the Iowa labor force.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County will hold their regular weekly meeting beginning at 8:30-a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3rd, in their Boardroom at the courthouse in Red Oak. The only action item on their agenda, is to approve or disapprove of Homestead and Military Credit Applications.

Other business includes regular Board committee and Secondary Roads Department, reports.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council is set to meet 5:30-p.m. Wednesday (Dec. 4, 2024), in their Chambers at City Hall. Action items on their agenda include:

• An order to approve pay application number three to the Henley Group, LLC, for the Sunnyside Park Splashpad Project.
• The passing a resolution approving the Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Budget for Atlantic Municipal Utilities.
• And, the Second Reading of an ordinance amending the City’s Code of Ordinance, with regard to ATV and Snowmobile use in the City.

The Council will hold a Public Hearing, Wednesday, on a proposed amendment to the Urban Renewal Plan (URP) for the Southeast Urban Renewal District (URD), followed by action on a resolution to approve the amendment as presented. During their meeting on Aug. 3rd, the Council held a public hearing an passed a resolution adopting the original Prairie Hills Subdivision Project to the Southeast URD.

City Administrator John Lund notes “Amending the Urban Renewal Area to include the new Urban Renewal Project, is a prerequisite to formal debt being incurred and eligible for TIF (Tax Increment Financing) capture under a development agreement, as proposed in a resolution setting the public hearing and date for, approval of a development agreement with Vision Atlantic, which includes an annual appropriation for TIF payments. The council will act on that resolution during their meeting Wednesday.

The final order of business for the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, is to act on an Order approving the Annual Urban Renewal Report, as required under the Code of Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – Four different business groups are calling on state utility regulators to adopt a series of reforms to address both the cost and the supply of power for Iowa consumers. Bob Rafferty represents Iowa Business for Clean Energy, one the groups that participated in a recent study that asked a basic question:  “How do we evolve the way we regulate this electric grid so we can have the most reliable, lowest cost and cleanest electric grid 10 and 20 years from now?” Rafferty says the study has four major recommendations that would allow the state-regulated utilities to make infrastructure improvements, while ensuring rate increases in the electric bills businesses and individuals pay are reasonable.

“The business community is united, big and small, on this issue,” Rafferty says. “We need reform.” The Iowa Utilities Commission recently issued an order that increased Alliant Energy’s rates for Iowa businesses by 15 percent. Residential rates went up six percent. Rafferty says that should be an eye opener because Alliant’s Iowa customers now pay electric rates that are higher than the average residential and commercial rates in 37 other states.

“For those communities to have the ability to compete economically, we need to find a way to start addressing that disparity so they can have a strong economic future,” Rafferty says. “Electric prices are only going to become more and more important as the economy becomes more and more dependent on electricity as opposed to gas.”

The business groups are asking that the Iowa Utilities Commission use what’s called “Integrated Resource Planning” when evaluating future electric rate increases. Rafferty says it’s a method that analyzes both the expected demand and supply of electricity in the future, with the goal of considering all options for arriving at the most affordable rates.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Transportation’s 511ia.org website this (Sunday) morning, reports the right lane of Iowa Highway 44 eastbound between US 59 and County Road M47 (Harlan), is blocked because of emergency repairs. Additional details are currently not available.

(Wiota, Iowa) – A call to the Cass County (IA) Communications Center Saturday afternoon about a person experiencing a possible mental health crisis, ended with an individual driving a vehicle being transported to Cass Health. According to sheriff’s officials, the incident began at around 3-p.m.

A deputy located a vehicle driving erratically between Wiota and Anita. After he pulled-up behind the car and followed it, the suspect vehicle left the road and  ran into a power pole before coming to rest on a culvert at the edge of a driveway.

The female occupant of the vehicle refused the deputy’s commands to exit the car. Following a brief standoff, a negotiator arrived at the scene and successfully negotiated the woman’s exit. Reports indicated pepper balls were used some time during the incident, though. The woman was transported to CCMH for observation. The vehicle sustained extensive damage to the front end.

White Pole Road was closed for a time after being blocked in both directions during the incident.

IOWA (KCRG) – The Centers for Disease Control has issued a food safety alert regarding a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to cucumbers. 68 people across 19 states have gotten sick, including at least 2 people in Iowa. 18 people have been hospitalized, but no one has died.

The CDC says the cucumbers were grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico and include cucumbers recalled in 26 states by SunFed Produce, LLC.

The CDC says anyone who bought whole fresh American cucumbers produced by ‘SunFed Mexico” between October 12 and November 27, should not eat the cucumbers. They should be thrown away or returned to the store.