The spotlight on concussions in sports has started a conversation about brain injuries from the local to the national level, but the Iowa Department of Public Health says thousands of people who aren’t on the playing field suffer brain injuries each year that go untreated. The department’s Maggie Ferguson says this is Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month in Iowa and they want people to know the symptoms of a brain injury.

“It’s important that people understand that first of all — we have been hearing a lot about concussions and a concussion is a brain injury — I think people just think of it as having their bell rung or seeing stars. But definitely those are consistent with symptoms of a brain injury, so it’s important to know if you are experiencing those symptoms, you should be checked out by a medical professional,” Ferguson says. The violent hits are the focus of attention for causing concussions in football, but Ferguson says you could suffer one from a simple slip on a wet floor in your home.

“Falls are the number one cause of brain injuries in Iowa,” Ferguson says. Ferguson, the I-D-P-H’s Brain Injury & Disability Program Manager, says there are several symptoms that you should recognize. “Initially people might experience a headache, they could be a little confused, they could have balance problems or disiness, feel a little sluggish, maybe foggy, also might experience some vomiting or be bothered by light or noise,” Ferguson says. “For some people there might be loss of consciousness…that’s not always something that might happen.” She says it’s important if you experience such symptom that you get checked out before you go on about your daily routine.

“You never know how long those symptoms could last, and not having it checked out and continuing on with activities as normal could actually make your situation worse,” according to Ferguson. Blows to the head are a common cause of the brain injury — but not the only cause. “People don’t even need to necessarily hit their head directly, just being shaken around,” Ferguson says, “having a blow to the body is enough to have your brain juggle around inside your skull and cause some injury.” Ferguson says victims of brain injury can have changes in thinking, language, or even general emotions, that are often missed, and that’s why they call it the “silent epidemic.”

“Brain injury can happen to anybody….like I said, falls are the number one cause of brain injury. We see it being the number one cause in the very young and the very old. So, across the board it is something we should be concerned about,” Ferguson says. For information on prevention and resources available regarding brain injuries, you can visit the Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa’s website at: biaia.org, or visit the Iowa Department of Public Health’s website at: idph.iowa.gov/brain-injuries.

(Radio Iowa)

A man from Nebraska was arrested for Reckless Driving Saturday night for driving the wrong way on Interstate 80 in Adair County, two-miles west of Stuart. The Adair County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy stopped 57-year old Scott James Noell, of Omaha, at the 91 mile marker, as he was traveling west in the eastbound lanes, at around 8:50-p.m.  Noell was sentenced to time served and released Sunday night.

Two people were arrested last week on drug charges, in Adair County. The Sheriff’s Office says 21-year old Mariah K. Carbine, of Winterset, was arrested by Stuart Police March 1st. The woman was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine – 1st offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was released on $1,000 bond later that day. And, Stuart Police arrested 22-year old Tyler Eugene Worthington, of Winterset, March 1st as well, for Possession of Meth/1st offense, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Violation of a Temporary Restraining Order. He was later released on $1,000 bond.

And, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports 59-year old Reginald Allen Sickles, of Greenfield, was arrested Saturday night for OWI/1st offense. Sickles was later released on $1,000 bond.

One person died in a single-vehicle crash Sunday morning, in Adair County. The Adair County Sheriff’s Office says the driver of a 2000 Chrysler Town and Country mini-van that crashed about nine-miles east of Greenfield off Highway 92, is believed to be an adult male from the State of Indiana. The victims’ name was being withheld though, until a positive identification can be made by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner.

The accident was reported a little after 7-a.m., Sunday. Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports upon arrival by emergency personnel, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was located underneath the van and was later pronounced deceased at the scene by the Adair County Medical Examiner.

Upon investigation, it was determined the vehicle was traveling eastbound on State Highway 92. For reasons unknown, the van veered off of the roadway and entered the north ditch. After traveling some distance, the vehicle left the ditch and became airborne. The momentum of the minivan caused it to roll sideways again when came into contact with the roadway. The driver was ejected from the minivan as it rolled and became trapped underneath the vehicle as it came to a rest.

The accident remains under investigation. The Adair County Ambulance, Greenfield Fire Department, Orient Fire Department and an Adair County Sheriff’s Deputy assisted at the scene.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency says participating businesses, and fire station in the County, should keep their “FIRE DANGER” signs in the HIGH category for the next few days, as record temperatures and breezy conditions will create near RED FLAG (extreme fire danger) conditions, especially between 11-a.m. and 6-p.m. each day.

Any open burning that can be moved to the early morning or late evening hours, will reduce the potential for fires to rapidly spread. The next update will be Thursday morning.

Patrons of the Atlantic Community School District are invited to attend a public meeting Wednesday evening (March 9th), with regard to the District’s proposed 2016-17 School Calendar and the 2016-17 Certified Budget. The hearing will take place in the High School Media Center, beginning at 5:30-p.m., during the Board of Education’s regular session.

The proposed Budget is just over $26-million ($26,035,748), which is an increase of nearly $1.16-million over the Re-estimated 2016 Budget, and $1.32-million more than the Actual 2015 Budget. The proposed tax rate is $15.83 per $1,000 taxable valuation, which is an increase of nearly 63-cents more than the last fiscal year’s (FY 2015-16) levy of almost $15.20/$1000 (*as noted by the IA Dept. of Management). The proposed calendar for the upcoming year has the first day of classes starting August 23rd, 2016, with the last day of classes for all students (except seniors) being May 25th, 2017. Seniors’ last day will be May 17, 2017.

With regard to the current school year (2015-16), Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein will recommend to the Board extending the last day of school for students other than seniors, to May 26th instead of May 24th. That’s to make up for days missed earlier due to inclement weather. Amstein says the District missed five school days due to the weather during the current school year, but because the District will have exceeded the required number of hours’ instruction this year, he recommends make up only two of the five days.

The Board will act on approving as well, 2016 Summer Capital Projects recommendations by Dr. Amstein, which includes: $385,000 for Bus purchase/lease; $180,000 for Phase 2 of the High School Heat Pump replacement project; $125,00 each for the annual payment with regard to High School laptop computers, and playground equipment at Washington Elementary. Those, and other, smaller projects amount to an expenditure of nearly $1.1-million ($1,090,000.00).

In other business, the Board will act on approving resignations, including those of: head Football Coach Eric Waldstein, Freshman Football Coach Dan Vargason, Middle School Art Teacher Jessica Brocka, and Food Service worker Katherine Meyer. The are expected to approve, as well, the several contracts and/or letters of assignment, including: Sierra Worth, 4th Grade Teacher for 2016-17; Jill Miller, 5th Grade Teacher (2016-17); and Amber Knudsen, 4th Grade Teacher (2016-17). Transfers for 2016-17 include: Alisa Winquist, from 2nd to 1st Grade Teacher; Sheryl Dusenberry, from 6th Grade Science to 6th Grade Social Studies; Hillary Waldstein from High School 2/3 Special Education to Washington Elementary 2/3 Spec. Ed.; Kathy Blazek from High School Level 1 to Level 2-3 Special Ed; and Kara Martin from 8th Grade Science Teacher to 6th Grade Science Teacher.

SIDNEY, Iowa (AP) – A southwest Iowa pastor has been convicted of sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl. A Fremont County jury Friday found 68-year-old Roger Kissel guilty of sex abuse and lascivious acts. Radio station KNCY in Nebraska City, Nebraska, reports that the jury deliberated for about 2 1/2 hours. Kissel’s sentencing is set for May 4th.

When he was arrested, Kissel was a pastor at the nondenominational Sidney Cowboy Church. Police have said the allegations weren’t connected to the church. Prosecutors say the crimes occurred in 2013.

Police in Creston say seven people were arrested over the past week, four of them on drug-related charges. Arrested last Friday (March 4th), was 40-year old Amy Crispin, of Creston, who was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for Failure to Appear, on an original charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance/2nd offense. Crispin was being held in the Ringgold County Jail on $7,500 bond. Two people were arrested on drug charges early Saturday morning: 20-year old Phillip Pfeiffer, of Red Oak, and 20-year old Marcus Adair, of Milwaukee, WI., were arrested in Creston, for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Both men were later released from the Union County Jail on $1,000 bond, each. And, James Street, of Creston, was arrested early Sunday morning in Creston, for Possession with Intent to deliver/Marijuana, and Failure to Affix a drug tax stamp. He was later released on a $5,000 bond.

Police in Creston report also, 20-year old Jacob Davis, of Creston, was arrested Friday night on two Union County warrants for Unauthorized use of a credit card (charges under $1,000), and OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $2,000. Earlier in the day, Friday, Creston Police arrested 21-year old Allen Hall, of Creston, for Driving While Barred, and 21-year old Nicholas Weckman, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County warrant for Violation of Probation. Weckman was being held in the Union County Jail on $5,000 bond, while Hall was released from custody on $3,000 bond.

In other news, Creston Police say a woman in the 1700 block of 160th Street reported March 1st, that sometime between Feb. 26th and Feb 23rd, someone entered a residence owned by her in the 500 block of W. Adams Street, and took a Red Velvet Settee, and a solid oak table with glass. The loss was estimated at $175.

A Red Oak man was arrested this (Monday) morning on a Red Oak P-D warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree. Police say 18-year old Josiah Ivan Prokes was arrested at around 1:25-a.m. and held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond.

Iowans who enjoy following the state’s ever-changing weather conditions are wanted to help with a national network of weather observers. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says volunteers are needed for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network, otherwise known as CoCoRaHS. “Basically, it’s an internet-based reporting system where people with a particular type of rain gage can report each day on precipitation amounts, snowfall totals, snow depths, hail events, and all sorts of things that can be reported through the network,” Hillaker says.

The data that’s collected by the volunteer observers is available for free online and helps the National Weather Service with flood forecasting, drought assessments, and more. “We currently have about 200 active observers across the state right now,” Hillaker says. “Almost 70 of Iowa’s 99 counties have observers and we could definitely use way more than that.”

The CoCoRaHS network was established in Colorado in 1998 and has spread to all 50 states. Iowa joined the volunteer network in 2007. Hillaker says weather observers are needed statewide, but the most critical needs are in Osceola, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Worth, Wright, Allamakee, Calhoun, Carroll, Shelby, Audubon, Cedar, Adams, Monroe, Louisa, Davis and Van Buren Counties.

More information about the network is available on the CoCoRaHS web site at www.cocorahs.org. The website includes information on how to join, where to purchase your rain gage and how to accurately measure and report rain and snow.

(Radio Iowa)

A bill that’s passed the Iowa Senate and is now eligible for House debate would make it easier to convict so-called “peeping toms.” Ruth Lapointe was a University of Iowa student in 2012 when a neighbor caught their landlord in the act. “She had stuffed one of the peep holes in her ceiling with cotton balls and noticed the cotton balls being removed and then was able to confront our landlord right after the incident and he admitted guilt,” Lapointe says.

Lapointe found a peep hole in her apartment, above the sink in her bathroom. Her landlord was convicted of 11 counts of invasion of privacy, but was not charged for spying on the apartments where men lived, just women like Lapointe. Lapointe says current law is flawed because it requires a peeping tom’s victim to be nude or partially nude and requires prosecutors to prove the peeper was sexually excited by what he or she saw.

“The crucial elements of this bill are that it removes requirements of arousal for a perpetrator of invasions of privacy or peeping tom,” Lapointe says. “That’s very hard to prove in court, that kind of intent, and not only is it hard to prove in court but, in my opinion, it is completely irrelevant to the crime.”

The bill has passed the Senate unanimously and last Thursday the House Public Safety Committee gave the bill its unanimous support. A similar bill was filed last year after a Des Moines cop was spotting looking through a locker room window as a female officer changed clothes inside, but he wasn’t prosecuted because the person who caught him couldn’t say what he was looking at.

Lapointe says invading someone’s privacy “without a legitimate purpose” should be sufficient for a conviction.”The bill, in my opinion, does a great job of just making it so if you assume privacy, you believe yourself to be in a private space, someone who is invading that is guilty,” Lapointe says. Last week, Coralville police arrested a Tiffin man who is accused of using his cell phone to take a picture of another man who was inside one of the stalls in a shopping mall restroom.

The bill that awaits House debate would make it illegal to install or retrieve equipment used to take pictures or record video in places someone reasonably expects to be a private place.

(Radio Iowa)