Friday Facts, August 3, 2012, Vol. 149

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.

Footnotes April/May 2002, Vol.26, no.4/5

Monthly newsletter of the State Library

Sunshine Advisory, January 2004

A Bulletin on Iowa Open Meetings and Public Records Laws By Attorney General Tom Miller

Reducing Prescription Drug Abuse in Iowa, January 5, 2011

Prescription drug abuse is the nation’s fastest-growing drug problem, as outlined by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s 2011 national plan “Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis.” The urgency of the challenge is underscored in other reports, including a recent analysis by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that said: “Overdoses involving prescription painkillers are at epidemic levels and now kill more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined.” According to the CDC, more than 40 people die in America every day from overdoses involving narcotic pain relievers such as hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (Oxycontin), methadone and oxymorphone (Opana). In Iowa, the situation is similar, at least in some ways. Prescription drug abuse is one of the fastest-growing forms of substance abuse in our state too, though its scope is smaller and on a more manageable scale when compared with most other states. The Iowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, reports the drug overdose deaths of at least 130 Iowans over the last three years (2008-2010) due to non-heroin opioids (i.e., prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone), nearly as many as for the previous eight years combined (149 from 2000-2007).

2001 Iowa Termination of Pregnancy Report, March 3 2003

The total number of pregnancy terminations decreased from 7,602 in 2000 to 6,845 in 2001. This represents a 10% decrease. Induced termination decreased from 6,059 to 5,722 (a 6% decrease) and spontaneous termination decreased from 1,541 to 1,119 (a 27% decrease). Pregnancy terminations by maternal and child health regions (MCH) • The fertility rate for the state as a whole increased from 62.3 per 1,000 to 62.6 per 1,000, from 2000 to 2001. In 2000, 15 MCH regions had a higher rate than the statewide fertility rate, while in 2001, the number of MCH regions with a higher rate than the statewide fertility rate dropped to 12. Region 7 continued to have the highest fertility rate and region 12 continued to have the lowest rate. • The pregnancy rate decreased from 74.6 per 1,000 to 74.1 per 1,000. Region 16 continued to have the lowest pregnancy rate. However, region 23 had the highest pregnancy rate in 2001, compared to region 7 in 2000. • The induced termination rate decreased 0.6 per 1,000 and down to 9.4 per 1,000 in 2001. Compared to 2000 reports, two fewer regions had a higher rate than the statewide induced termination rate in 2001 (8 regions in 2000 vs. 6 regions in 2001). • The spontaneous termination rate for the state dropped to 1.8 per 1,000 from 2.5 per 1,000. The number of regions with a higher spontaneous termination rate decreased from 9 to 7. Region 14 had the highest rate, and region 20 had the lowest. • The statewide induced termination ratio increased from 145.7 per 1,000 to 149.6 per 1,000. Region 12 had the highest ratio for both years, and region 22 had the lowest ratio. • The statewide spontaneous termination ratio decreased from 39.7 per 1,000 to 29.3 per 1,000. One less region was higher, compared to 2000 data (9 regions in 2000 vs. 8 regions in 2001). In summary, the geographic distribution of the 2001 data showed a pattern similar to that seen in 2000. Generally, the frequency for both induced and spontaneous terminations decreased by month of occurrence, gestational age, marital status, and education level and mother’s age

Iowa Department of Transportation Major Items - Preliminary Quantity Report, February 17, 2015; With Addendums

Weekly letting report.

Road Safety Audit for US 151 from Amana to US 30 in Cedar Rapids in Benton, Iowa and Linn Counties, Iowa, 2010

US 151 was originally constructed as IA 149 in 1931-1934 and has been rehabilitated several times. The most recent major improvements, which were completed in 2005-2006, consisted of hot mix asphalt resurfacing and partial shoulder paving. Major widening and resurfacing improvements were also completed in 2007 between Fairfax and US 30 in Cedar Rapids. According to a preliminary 2009 estimate, traffic volumes range from about 5,900 vehicles per day (vpd) north of Amana to about 14,400 vpd at the US 30 interchange in Cedar Rapids. In response to high crash densities and medium to medium-high crash rates along the route, the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) requested a road safety audit to examine the roadway and suggest possible mitigation. Representatives from the Iowa DOT, Federal Highway Administration, Institute for Transportation, local law enforcement, and state government met to review crash data and discuss potential safety improvements to this segment of US 151. This report outlines the findings and recommendations of the road safety audit team for addressing the safety concerns on this roadway.

Iowa Department of Transportation Major Items - Preliminary Quantity Report, March 15, 2016; With Addendums

Weekly letting report