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Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
10 Fireworks Safety Tips for Parents Ahead of July 4
Watching fireworks with your kids can be an exciting and memorable experience. It might remind you of some of your best childhood memories. But fireworks can be dangerous, even to bystanders. And yes, even legal, backyard fireworks can pose significant risks. 'All fireworks (even the legal backyard ones) are combustibles that create their dazzling displays by flinging burning metallic powders using an explosive force,' says Chau Pham, MD, an ophthalmologist with UI Health Care. 'Even 'just' a sparkler burns at 1800 to 3000 degrees F which is enough to melt some metals. A three-inch salute firework with 2.5 ounces of pyrotechnic material can produce an air blast equivalent to about 1.5 ounces of TNT.' These are some scary facts, but knowledge is power, and there are some concrete things you can do to protect you and your family from the dangers of fireworks—and still manage to have a thrilling, shimmering, and unforgettable Fourth of July. Dr. Pham shared the story of a patient and mom, Lisa Dickerson, who had a terrible injury from fireworks. It was Fourth of July, 2019, and Dickerson was celebrating the holiday with her family when a firework malfunctioned, hitting her directly in the face and causing burns and other serious injuries. Dickerson survived, but she lost vision in one eye and now wears a prosthetic eye. 'Lisa's story really highlights how absolutely life-altering any one of these injuries can be,' Dr. Pham describes. 'Even when full recovery can be made, it can take months to years and often requires multiple doctors visits, use of medications, and possibly surgical or procedural intervention—all of which can be quite disruptive and burdensome for not only the patients, but their families and caretakers.' According to Todd Zimmerman, DO, pediatric emergency medicine physician at Pediatrix Medical Group in Las Vegas, fireworks can pose a major risk to children in particular. The following types of injuries can impact children: burns, bodily injury, eye trauma or vision loss, and hearing damage. 'As a pediatric emergency medicine physician for 20 years, I have seen children lose fingers and also sustain permanent vision loss from fireworks,' he shares."As a pediatric emergency medicine physician for 20 years, I have seen children lose fingers and also sustain permanent vision loss from fireworks."Betsy Koickel, MD, chief medical officer of GoHealth Urgent Care, says that burns to the hands, face, and eyes are especially common, and can happen in just a split second. While the risk is higher for individuals directly lighting the fireworks, bystanders can get hurt as well. 'Bystanders often get hurt when fireworks tip over, explode unexpectedly or are used incorrectly,' she describes. 'And while legal backyard fireworks might seem safer, they can still malfunction, shoot off in the wrong direction or ignite nearby objects like dry grass or clothing.' But it's not just major fireworks that can cause injuries, according to Dr. Koickel. Even smaller fireworks, like sparklers, burn at very high temperatures and can be hot enough to cause severe burns or set clothing on fire. 'Because of their size, kids often think sparklers are harmless, but they're actually one of the leading causes of firework-related injuries in children,' she says. The risks posed by fireworks are scary to consider, but there are tangible things you can do to protect you and your family. Here are some tips from Dr. Pham: Supervise children at all times Only allow adults to light fireworks Never consume alcohol or other mood-altering substances while handling fireworks Keep a fire extinguisher or fire blanket nearby Carefully read and follow the manufacturer's instructions Always wear safety glasses if you are going to be within 10 yards, but definitely if you'll be handling the firework (Tip: ANSI Z78.1+ rated polycarbonate lenses are best; these are available online and at your local hardware store) Wear fireproof or flame-retardant clothing Never point or direct a firework at a person or animal Never throw a firework Never re-light a firework; it may still be burning on the inside and may explode when handled Want the dazzling, glittering experience of fireworks, but without the danger? It's easy to replicate the experience at home. Some alternative ways to celebrate include glow sticks or LED light wands, says Dr. Koickel. 'These are always a hit with kids and can turn any backyard into a glowing wonderland because they're safe, colorful and perfect for after-dark fun,' she says. She also recommends light-up balloons, lanterns, laser light shows, projection displays, or a campfire or fire pit gathering. Hosting a dance party with string lights or disco bulbs is a safe way to celebrate too. Some counties even host community events that offer safer ways to celebrate the holiday. 'Many municipalities have now moved to laser light and/or drone light shows instead of traditional fireworks,' says Dr. Pham. 'Outdoor 'drive-in' movie style displays with live music are sometimes offered.' First of all, it's important to act quickly if you have any type of injury resulting from fireworks. 'If you sustain any injury from fireworks you should go to the nearest emergency room as soon as possible,' says Dr. Zimmerman. Dr. Koickel offered specific advice for some of different types of injuries you might sustain. Gently run the burned area under lukewarm (not cold) water for 10 to 15 minutes. Avoid ice or very cold water, because that can actually make the injury worse. After rinsing, check the burn. 'If it's larger than 1-2 inches, looks deep, or is on the face, hands, feet or over a joint, it's best to seek medical attention right away,' she recommends. Never rub an eye injury. 'Instead, rinse or apply pressure to the eye and loosely cover it with a clean cloth or sterile dressing, and get emergency medical care immediately,' Dr. Koickel advises. 'Eye injuries from fireworks can be very serious, and quick treatment is crucial.' Above all, never ignore an injury caused by fireworks. 'Even if an injury seems minor at first, it can worsen quickly, especially in children,' says Dr. Koickel. 'It's always safer to have a healthcare professional take a look.' But the best advice? Take preventative steps to avoid these injuries altogether, and keep your children away from fireworks—even sparklers in the backyard—no matter what. Read the original article on Parents
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
$35M UIowa project will raze, move Center for Disabilities and Development. What to know:
Citing outdated conditions at its 1950-era facility and a need to free up space for a new inpatient tower, the Iowa Board of Regents approved the University of Iowa's request to raze and relocate the Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD). The university will enter a 20-year lease at a former office building 15 minutes from the main medical campus to house the many offerings of the CDD. The demolition project is anticipated to begin in late 2026. Renovations at the new building are expected to cost $35 to $40 million. The CDD, built in 1954 at 100 Hawkins Dr., is in the path of the planned new UI Health Care inpatient tower. Ongoing construction, according to board documents, is hampering local clinical services, including the cytogenetics lab and the sleep disorders clinic, making it 'difficult, if not impossible, to continue to occupy the building." The UI also said the 100,500-square-foot building needs 'significant renovations and upgrading' and has "no significant architectural or historic significance.' The building's demolition is expected to eliminate $20 million in deferred maintenance costs. More: Meet the latest nominees for the Iowa City Press-Citizen Student of the Week The CDD serves all 99 of Iowa's counties, and about '70% of CDD's patients come from outside Johnson County.' Services at the CDD center focus on providing diagnostic and therapeutic care for individuals with complex disabilities, addressing a range of medical, physical, and behavioral conditions. The CDD will relocate to a 58,000-square-foot building at 2610 Northgate Dr., Iowa City, near the N Dodge Street Interstate 80 exit and the Highlander Hotel. The lease will last 20 years, anchored by four five-year renewals. 'Moving to this new location will give us the opportunity to create a more innovative and state-of-the-art environment for individuals with disabilities and their families to receive care, as well as conduct research, and lead community engagement efforts and interdisciplinary training,' said Jim Leste, chief administrative officer for UI Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital in a news release. More: Iowa City again pauses rezoning for apartments on Governor St. amid neighborhood opposition The University and UI Health Care believe that the services offered will be 'more successful' thanks to the new building's "convenient access" to the interstate and additional space. 'This will be a huge benefit for the many patients who travel to us for specialized care from all over the state," Leste said. The CDD's services are not expected to relocate until late 2026 or early 2027 to allow time for necessary renovations at the Northgate facility. The new CDD will include patient clinic rooms, diagnostic and treatment areas, specialized patient rehabilitation spaces, a lab, faculty offices, and nursing/staff support spaces, along with an exterior playground. As part of the lease agreement, the landlord will build a 15,000-25,000 square-foot addition and will be solely responsible for the costs of a new roof, replacing the air handling units, upgrading the surface parking lots, and making other landscaping improvements. More: University of Iowa dean says five student visas have been revoked. What to know: The total estimated cost of the renovations is $35 to $40 million, which UI Health Care will pay for 'upon substantial completion.' The full lease agreement has not been made public. UI Health Care will pay approximately $2.89 per square foot annually for operating and maintenance costs and real estate taxes. Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@ or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_ This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: UI plans to raze, relocate Center for Disabilities and Development
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
North Liberty man sentenced to 50 years in prison for Iowa City break-in, sexual assault
A North Liberty man has been sentenced to an additional 50 years in prison for a break-in and sexual assault in Iowa City. Asante Walker-Garcia Adams, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual abuse, first-degree burglary and second-degree robbery in February. The charges stemmed from a 2022 sexual assault along Lucas Street in Iowa City. A second sexual abuse charge was dismissed as part of his plea. Walker-Garcia Adams was also sentenced to 100 years in prison in Black Hawk County in December 2024 for a pair of sexual assaults in Waterloo that occurred in the summer of 2023. More: String of home invasions, sexual assaults in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids leads to arrest A Johnson County District Court judge sentenced Walker-Garcia Adams to 25 years for the Iowa City sexual abuse charge, 25 years for the burglary charge and 10 years for the robbery charge, with the latter two charges running concurrently. In total, he was sentenced to 50 additional years in prison. According to criminal complaints, on the night of Sept. 6, 2022, Walker-Garcia Adams "burst through" the door of a woman's bedroom, "punched her in the face," pulled the bed sheet over her head and sexually assaulted her. He threatened the woman during the assault, allegedly saying, "Don't make me get the knife again." Walker-Garcia Adams also demanded a phone and money from the woman, according to police. He fled the scene after the assault. More: Regents set to approve 3 percent wage increase for UI Health Care, graduate student unions Cell phone data collected from Walker-Garcia Adam's phone indicated that he was in the area of the assault around the time it happened. Walker-Garcia Adams's wife also confronted her husband in the wake of the incident, forwarding him a news article from the day after the assault, which included Ring doorbell footage of a suspect being sought by Iowa City police. According to police, she wrote, "So that's a random guy with dreads, similar eyes, similar height? Happened same time u were there?" Walker-Garcia Adams was previously charged for two sexual assaults that occurred in Waterloo in March and April of 2023. The assaults included a similar "modus operandi" to the Iowa City incident, District Court Judge David Odekirk wrote in the court's opinion last October. In each case, Walker-Garcia Adams entered a residence, threatened the individual inside with a knife, sexually assaulted them, took their electronics and left. More: Iowa State, University of Iowa students hold pro-DEI protest during Board of Regents meeting Walker-Garcia Adams waived his right to a trial by jury in the Waterloo case and the bench trial found him guilty of two counts of second-degree sexual abuse and first-degree burglary. Odekirk sentenced Walker-Garcia Adams to 100 years in prison in December. Walker-Garcia Adams has also been charged in connection with a May 2023 assault in Linn County. The 27-year-old is facing five charges: Second-degree robbery, third-degree kidnapping, assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, first-degree harassment and false imprisonment. According to a warrant request, Walker-Garcia Adams allegedly "attacked (a person) from behind" as she attempted to put something in her car on the evening of May 3, 2023. During the attack, Walker-Garcia Adams also allegedly threatened to kill the woman and demanded to be let into her apartment to "take any money, drugs or anything of value from her." Walker-Garcia Adams has pleaded not guilty in the Linn County case. A case management conference is scheduled for Thursday, April 24, and a jury trial is currently set for June 3. Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@ or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01. This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: North Liberty man gets 50 years in prison for Iowa City sexual assault
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why this Johnson County Democrat says he's challenging US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks
Travis Terrell, a Democrat and University of Iowa Health Care employee from Johnson County, said he's challenging U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks for Iowa's 1st Congressional District seat to be a voice in Washington, D.C., for working-class and progressive Iowans. Terrell, 39, is the first Democrat to launch a 2026 congressional bid in the race that has already been projected to be competitive. Miller-Meeks hasn't formally announced an official reelection campaign but has a significant jump in fundraising and recently took herself out of the running for the Iowa governor's race. "I am doing the work, and I am going to go to Washington ready to fight. I'm not going to go there and try to get settled down," Terrell said. "I'm going with a plan to fight like hell for Iowans and let the billionaires and the corporations know I am not going to be like Donald Trump or Nancy Pelosi. You're not going to be able to buy me, because my heart is going to be back home, where I'm going to be as much as I possibly can." He said he's running because he believes Iowa voters in the 1st Congressional District are ready to send a progressive Democrat to Congress who will "restore the dignity of the working man." He said he closed out of his vacation savings to fund his campaign's website and first ad. "I don't have the masters education that a lot of politicians do, and I feel like that's going to be a good thing because I don't think Congress or government officials need that formal education or that degree because really what it comes down to when you're voting is right or wrong and it comes to what you believe and who you're going to fight for," Terrell said. Terrell lives in Tiffin and works as a patient access specialist at UI Health Care. He grew up in Ottumwa in a single-mother household for most of his life and said he started working at 13 years old to help pay bills. Terrell attended Indian Hills Community College to study electronic technology. "I come from a very working-class, union-proud family. My brother-in-law was on strike at John Deere last year and my sister is on a strike at Dr. Pepper now," he said. "And even though most of the family doesn't work there, we all go out to the picket lines for our union brothers and sisters because we have a very strong belief that this country was built by unions and they're what makes this country great." He filed a statement of candidacy at the end of March with the Federal Election Commission for the race in the district that includes the cities of Davenport, Iowa City, Keokuk, Burlington and rural southeastern Iowa. He said his campaign focuses on protecting Social Security, passing immigration and health care reform, such as expanding programs for families and veterans and finding solutions to remedy physician shortages. Terrell said he has already drafted a few bills with his main issues. "The first bill that I wrote was a plan that gave you a gateway from legal residency to citizenship for people that earned it by being residents and paying their taxes and contributing to our society, where they didn't have to go through the minefield of becoming a citizen," Terrell said. National Democrats have pledged resources for the 1st Congressional District race and are targeting it as one they think could be flipped blue. The Cook Political Report also has slotted Iowa's 1st District contest into its most competitive category as a 'toss-up' race. Terrell said he's already visiting more rural areas to speak with voters about his platform in anticipation that the race will be competitive. "So the enthusiasm is there, but we also have to capitalize on it and not just count on people to vote blue no matter who, because that's one of the worst philosophies that a Democratic party has ever had," Terrell said. "We need to take that enthusiasm and give people (someone) that they can actually get behind and know that this person is actually somebody who can relate to me." Miller-Meeks, a former ophthalmologist and Army veteran, won her 2024 reelection by about 800 votes, and in 2020, Miller-Meeks led with six votes after a recount. While Miller-Meeks hasn't publicly announced a reelection campaign, she said in an April 16 announcement she's not seeking a 2026 Iowa governor run. She said she is focusing on her current role representing southeastern Iowa in Congress. "I'm honored that many Iowans would consider me as a candidate for governor, but my current job is all encompassing and I will not be exploring a gubernatorial run," she said. Miller-Meeks has a significant lead in fundraising so far this year with more than $1 million among Iowa U.S. House members, according to the most recent financial reports. Emily Tuttle, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson, wrote in a statement that Terrell is a 'radical Democrat" and has no business running for Congress. "Iowans know Rep. Miller-Meeks is working relentlessly to deliver results for their communities," Tuttle wrote. "Terrell stands no chance.' One other competitor eyeing Miller-Meeks' seat has formally declared they are running. David Pautsch, a Davenport Republican, announced his intentions in February to run against Miller-Meeks, which likely sets up a primary rematch that the two candidates faced in 2024. Running to the right of Miller-Meeks, Pautsch was within 12 percentage points of her in the 2024 primary. Sabine Martin covers politics for the Register. She can be reached by email at or by phone at (515) 284-8132. Follow her on X at @sabinefmartin. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Democrat Travis Terrell challenges Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How much rain did Iowa City get on Easter? See the highest Iowa rainfall totals
April is ending with showers in hopes of bringing May flowers, as much of Iowa received rainfall over Easter weekend. Iowa City received 1.61 inches of rain on Easter Sunday, while some areas of the state received more than 2 inches. Tornado warnings were issued around the Quad Cities, as storms pushed out of the state in the evening on April 20. Reports of heavy rain northeast of the rural Johnson County town of Oakdale reported 1.85 inches of rain. Flash flood warnings were also issued for northwestern Johnson County late Sunday night. No official reports of flooding have been confirmed in Johnson County. Cedar Rapids, according to the National Weather Service out of the Quad Cities, set a single rainfall record, tallying 2.34 inches of rain on Sunday. The city's previous record was 1.75 inches in a day in 1973. Here are the cities in Iowa with the most rainfall from 8 a.m. Sunday to 8 a.m. Monday, April 21, according to the Iowa State University Mesonet. Fairfield: 2.18 inches Oelwein: 1.97 inches Des Moines: 0.97 inches More: UI Health Care, Mission Cancer pursue 10-year lease in Des Moines to expand cancer care There is a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday, April 22, with a predicted high temperature of 74 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. It will be a rainy week with more chances for showers and thunderstorms each day through Friday. Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@ or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17. This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: How much rain did Iowa CIty get on Easter? See the highest totals
