More area, and state news, from Ric Hanson.

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DES MOINES, Iowa – Use of e-cigarettes among young people in Iowa and across the United States is topping regular cigarettes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, for the first time in the history of its National Youth Tobacco Survey, e-cigarette use is higher than all other forms of tobacco use, including cigarettes.

CDC director Tom Frieden said the increased popularity of the product is working against other progress made in the fight against cigarette smoking. “Big picture here is, we’re seeing a striking increase,” he said. “It’s very concerning. It more than counterbalances the decrease in cigarette smoking, which we’ve seen occurring over the last few years.”

Brian King, deputy director for research translation in the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, said the many flavors offered with e-cigarettes and hookah tobacco make them interesting options to young people. “Hookah, like e-cigarettes, are not regulated, although they have proposed to be regulated,” he said, “and they’re still available in flavors, and particularly kid-friendly flavors that can increase appeal and access.”

Last year, the CDC estimated, 2.4 million youths were users of e-cigarettes, and an estimated 1.6 million young people who used hookahs, the large pipes used to smoke flavored tobacco. The agency said those numbers have tripled since 2011. The report is online at cdc.gov.

(Iowa News Service)

• 3 lbs. hamburger
• 3 medium size onions (diced)
• 3 cups potatoes (diced)
• 3 cups celery (diced)
• 3 cups carrots (diced)
• 1 cup peas (frozen)
• 3 cups wigglers or plain macaroni
• 2 cups tomato or V-8 juice
• 2 cups Velveeta cheese (grated)
• 2 cans cream of celery soup
• Top with buttered bread crumbs

Fry hamburger and onions until brown and drain well.  Cook vegetables separately.  Cook wiggles.  Mix everything together and top with buttered bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes.

The Creston Police Department reports a woman from Cromwell, in Union County, was arrested Monday night. 36-year old Carrie Nawacy Parcher was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for a Controlled Substance Violation. Her bond was set at $10,000.

The 7:07-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Residents in Adair and Guthrie County can access a new application for their cell phones, tablets and other electronic devices. Bob Kempf, Emergency Management Coordinator for Adair and Guthrie Counties, says the new app available through the Google Play Store, allows residents “one-stop location” for all sorts of important information. He says it’s an all-in-one mobile app with information on what to do and expect before, during and after an emergency.

Kempf acknowledges there are other sources from which persons can glean emergency and weather information, including the NOAA weather radio and the Code Red system for emergency notifications via text and land-lines that covers Adair and Guthrie County, the Adair-Guthrie County Emergency Management Commission wanted a more concise way to reach the mobile user.

The two counties will be the first in the State to offer an app that offers weather, weather alerts, radar, a way to push out emergency notifications such as Boil Orders or evacuations, as well as links to the EMA’s Facebook and Twitter sites, contact information, and how to send a damage report to the Adair-Guthrie EMA if your property is hit by a storm or other disaster.

The system is not affiliated with the “Alert Iowa” program, which is a statewide mass notification and emergency messaging system. Kempf says because the two counties still have a year remaining on their Code Red contract, they won’t be switching over to Alert Iowa until the contract expires. He says if you come home or get in your vehicle and catch the tail end of a weather alert broadcast from your weather radio or local radio station, you can go to the new app on your cell phone and read exactly what the message from the National Weather Service was. You simply open up the app and access the type of information you want.

That includes preparedness information for example on what to do after a power outage. Kempf says the app has been under development since last fall. He says you can find and download it from the Google Play Store by searching for Adair (space) Guthrie (space) EMA, or at the iTunes app store under the iPhone section, not the iPad.

The body of an Iowa State University student was discovered Monday afternoon.  A resident of Friley Hall on the Ames campus found her female roommate inside their room. Iowa State University Police and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene. The female was pronounced dead by authorities.

No foul play is suspected in the case. The name of the individual has not been released pending notification of family members.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education, Monday night, approved the district’s 2015-16 school calendars. The move followed a public hearing during which no comments were received from the public for or against the proposal. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein recommended the school day and testing calendar be approved, with classes beginning August 24th, in Atlantic.

New teachers will report on August 17th. All teachers and staff will report for duty on August 20th. The last day of school in 2016 will come on May 24th.  Amstein says the first semester will end before Christmas, with the second semester ending before Memorial Day. Spring Break for Atlantic students is being moved one-week later on the new calendar. Curriculum Director and Schuler Principal James Northwick says the break covers the Easter break, which also helps classes get out earlier.

And, the testing calendar which normally shows dates occurring during the winter norm for Iowa Assessments, indicates those tests will be given in late April 2016, because all school districts in Iowa starting next year, will be required to test in the spring to standardize the testing time frame.

Northwick pointed out also, that some changes had been made to teacher Professional Development days. School Board President Kristy Pellett asked Northwick to explain why the district started with “early outs” (early dismissal) the first three days of the year last fall. He said it allows the younger students more time to adjust to the routine by going half-days at the start, and it allows staff to get in more professional development time during the afternoons.

Amstein said in previous calendars, the staff has as much as five days prior to students’ arrival to prepare and receive professional development, but that’s been reduced over the years as much as possible to get students going, while at the same time still allowing for professional development.

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) – The National Transportation Safety Board has declined a request to reopen the investigation of the Iowa plane crash that killed musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. The Civil Aeronautics Board ruled in 1959 that the most likely cause of the crash near Clear Lake, was pilot error. Snow was listed as a secondary caused.

In a letter dated April 21, the agency said the evidence presented in a request from pilot L.J. Coon wasn’t sufficient to merit the reconsideration of the findings of the original investigation. Coon had contended that there were other issues involving weight and balance calculations, fuel-gauge readings and more that contributed to the crash.

Farm equipment dealer AgriVision Inc. of Glenwood, is cutting 28 people from its full-time workforce of 350 because of lagging sales triggered by the downturn in grain prices. The Omaha World-Herald says according to AgriVision CEO Jeremy Ostrander, the John Deere dealership also is offering early retirement plans to staff members over the next three or four months to reduce costs. Workers who lost their jobs — mostly in sales and support positions — are receiving severance pay and help finding new work.

AgriVision’s 13 locations in southern and south-central Iowa have customers in Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri. AgriVision was formed Jan. 1, 2014, by the merger of Barker Implement and A&M Green Power, which trace their history back more than 100 years. During the years of high farm income, grain prices and equipment sales, the company replaced two of its facilities and added on to others.

Ostrander said the company’s parts and service business “is still going strong” and is likely to expand as farmers repair and maintain equipment rather than buying new. He said farmers bought so much new equipment during the high-income years of 2010-13 that their equipment fleet is as new as it has ever been. Much of their old equipment has been exported to other nations.

Last fall, John Deere’s manufacturing plants laid off more than 1,000 employees, including some in Iowa.