Gazette Daily News Podcast: April 1, 2024
Featured Stories
- Cancer in Iowa: Iowa changing the way it looks for cancer clusters
- Cancer in Iowa: Here’s how Iowans are battling the state’s dire cancer rates
- Iowa will no longer have park rangers under plan
Episode Transcript
Welcome to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast for Monday, April 1, 2024.
This podcast provides the latest headlines from the Gazette newsroom. I’m Becky
Lutgen Gardner.
First, Cancer in Iowa: Iowa is changing how it looks
for cancer clusters. That includes screening tests, proposed policies, and
personal advocacy to help move the needle in the fight against Iowa’s high
cancer rates.
In 2023, Iowa’s cancer rates soared to the second highest in the country.
The Iowa Cancer Registry has investigated 150 suspected
cancer cluster cases since 1994.
But only one investigation near Wellman resulted in a
confirmed cluster finding.
Researchers now want to reverse the cluster
investigation process by identifying locations with known contamination and then
studying cancer rates nearby.
The CDC also has new cancer cluster guidelines recommending
tracking communities to see if the disease develops over time.
Gary Streit helped
co-found the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in 1977. And then was
diagnosed in 2016 with prostate cancer.
Within months, he had surgery to remove his prostate. Every year, he
participates in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life to fundraise for
fighting cancer. Last year, he walked 30 miles to raise more than $100,000.
He says of his advocacy, “If I broke my arm, I’d tell people about it.
People need to get past the stigma — have to get past the fear.”
Other Iowans are fighting cancer in their own ways. They’re calling for
more screening tests to detect and treat cancer earlier. Though few are gaining
traction with lawmakers, they’re proposing policies that help prevent cancer.
And they’re assuming another powerful role: advocates who can raise awareness
and demand change, all in the name of keeping Iowa’s population safer and
healthier.
Finally, Iowa’s state parks will no longer have park rangers under
a new alignment plan being executed by the Iowa Department of Natural
Resources.
The department confirmed that rangers at Iowa’s 69 state parks will gradually be classified as conservation officers assigned to one or more counties rather than assigned to
a specific state park or parks. Iowa DNR spokeswoman
Tammie Krausman said, “Under alignment, State Park Managers and Natural
Resource Technicians will exclusively handle state park operations, allowing
DNR’s sworn peace officers to solely focus on law enforcement tasks,”
But park advocates say the change will mean reduced law
enforcement presence at state parks, which, in the summer, become hubs of
activity that can involve overconsumption of alcohol, unsafe boating and
criminal activity.
Dawn Bill is president of Friends of Pilot Knob, a group that supports Pilot Knob State
Park in north-central Iowa.
She says, “Anywhere there is alcohol, law enforcement presence
needs to be known. Especially when you’re out in the middle of nowhere.
Even though the Iowa DNR is making changes according to an alignment plan, when The
Gazette asked for a copy, Krausman said the plan was still a draft, which makes
it not subject to public disclosure under Iowa’s open records law.
As sworn law enforcement officers, park rangers have been
jacks-of-all-trades for decades who do everything from repairing buildings and
overseeing mowing to educating the public about invasive species and cracking
down on out-of-control parties at campgrounds.
The Iowa DNR told rangers in 2022 that they had to move out of 26
state-owned houses in state parks, saying the upkeep was
too costly. That meant instead of being on-site for busy weekends, rangers
could live as far as 20 miles away.
Up to 16 million people visit Iowa’s state parks annually. The Gazette reported in March
that the parks need more than $100 million in repairs to fix leaking roofs,
rotting shelters, and outdated sewage lagoons. In recent years, Iowa DNR
Director Kayla Lyon has not asked the Iowa Legislature for additional funding.
Monday’s weather: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 47. Monday night showers are likely, mainly before 1 am. Low around 36. Breezy with wind gusts as high as 30 mph.
Tuesday has a 30 percent chance of showers before 1 pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52.
You can find a link to each of the stories featured in today’s episode in the episode’s description or at thegazette dot com.
Thank you for listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast. I’m Becky Lutgen Gardner.
