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Photos from Black Hawk County Health, Nov 21, 2019.

[foxfeaturewriting]

Prevention In Vein

Being Gay and Navigating Fear, Stigma, and Tele-medicine

I could feel my blood pumping through my jugular.

I received a call from BioLife Plasma Services regarding discrepancies in my blood tests from a recent donation session in March, 2018. I was to meet with a nurse at the location at my soonest convenience. My friend consoled me, reminding me that simple, nonlife-threatening conditions, like iron deficiency, are common reasons people receive such a phone call.

As a junior in college, I lost my job and needed easy cash. Plasma services like BioLife frequently bombard college students with “$500 a month” flyers for their time while providing their plasma. By no surprise, donors undergo invasive screening and testing to qualify, ensuring donations are of healthy quality.

Donors are required to answer 20 questions each time they go to BioLife. Questions like: “Are you feeling healthy and well today?” Most would answer, “Yes!” Or, “Have you taken any medications on the medication list in the time frames indicated?” Typically, donors would answer, “No.”

Alongside questions about tattoos and piercings, the PPTA (Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association) requires to always ask: “In the past 12 months, have you had sexual contact with another male [for males]? Have you ever had sexual contact with another male [for males]? In the past 12 months, have you had sexual contact with a male who had sexual contact with another male, in the past 12 months [for females]?”

After a November, 2014 review of studies, the FDA relaxed its lifetime deferral for donations from MSM (men who have sex with men) to allow MSM a 12-month no-sexual contact grace period. However, this question is easily dismissed with a simple checkmark in the ‘no’ column of the questionnaire screen. At the time, $50 per donation was worth a lie through my fingertips.

After receiving the phone call about my labs, only three letters could sprint across my mind before meeting with the nurse at BioLife – HIV.

The questionnaire from the Source Plasma Industry is in place to prevent HIV transmissions through services like BioLife. Frustration inside me grew. Though I was forced to conceal my identity as a gay man, the questionnaire posed redundancy. My blood was being tested anyway.

My lab results returned from BioLife positive for syphilis. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that is easy to treat, but is capable of creating very serious complications in its later stages. I could feel my shoulders drop in relief – I was not given a life sentence.

Subsequently, I earned a phone call from the Black Hawk County Health Department for treatment. I was introduced to the quarters of the health department in Waterloo, IA, located on Independence Ave. on Waterloo’s east side. The Pinecrest Building, home to the local Department of Human Services and Veteran’s Affairs offices, is by no means ‘state of the art.’

Testing was performed for all STI’s with blood being drawn, a prick to my finger, and cotton swabs everywhere. I was told my HIV/syphilis result would take a mere 20 minutes.

Twenty minutes to wait for an HIV test – in what seemed like an attic, with the room’s sloped, low ceiling and obnoxiously dripping pipe. I counted every second the clock in the room ticked.

They confirmed the diagnosis - just syphilis. The treatment was simple, but painful; two simultaneously injected doses of penicillin to the waist. During and afterwards, it felt like I had been struck by trucks on both my left and right sides. I was handed a bottle of water from the nurse, Claudia, and asked to sit-down. She asked me follow-up questions about the symptoms I may had experienced.

I was able to recall a full-body rash I had three months prior to my diagnosis. At the time, I assumed my roommate’s cat was the culprit – that I was allergic to Jazmin, the feline in my home. I had made a visit to convenient care in December, four months before my diagnosis, suggesting to the physician that I was allergic to the cat. The doctor had given me steroids, assuming it was a reaction from my immune system.

The rash had cleared after consuming the medication, but for obvious reasons. My immune system was reacting, but no STI test was performed to discover the cause. In its second stage, the CDC describes syphilis as a skin rash, as well as swollen lymph nodes and possibly a fever.

Primary syphilis consists of a sore, or a chancre, or a sore located on the genitals. According to the CDC, syphilis is transmitted from partner to partner from this sore. What was troubling for me – I was unable to recall any chancre or sore, on my own body or the body of one of my partners. What was more troubling was discovering the source of my syphilis – I was unable to.

Claudia asked me to contact partners or hand over contact information of partners I’ve had since my last STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) test or when I first recalled symptoms. I contacted my partners whom I felt morally obligated to notify myself and gave her the information of the few partners I was uncomfortable with contacting.

I use condoms frequently and keep track of who I am sleeping with, but no one was able to tell me that they had also contracted the infection. Three letters, again, dashed through my mind - what if this was HIV?

In the U.S., possibly 1.1 million people are living with HIV, according to HIV.gov by the NIH (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases). Nearly 15% of that figure includes those who are unaware of their status. Young people, ages 13-24, are most likely to be unaware of their HIV status. According to the report, approximately 51% of the group infected remains undiagnosed.

The NIH has on record that over 15,000 died in 2016 with an HIV diagnosis. “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America,” was announced by President Donald Trump in his February, 2019 State of the Union address, noting the $20 billion annual health expenditures the U.S. allocates for HIV prevention and treatment.

In the media, HIV has casted a crucial role in critically-acclaimed TV shows like Michael Crichton’s “ER” which aired on NBC for 15 seasons, or Shonda Rhymes’ “How to Get Away With Murder” which is running its 6th season on ABC. Jonathan Van Ness, starring in reality TV’s “Queer Eye,” revealed in his New York Times book preview his saddening past facing drugs and sexual abuse, and his life now living HIV positive.

As the HIV epidemic continually lifts from the ashes of stigma, several federal campaigns preach prevention. One resource by the CDC is the “#DoingIt” campaign, which claims that HIV testing should be part of an adult’s regular health routine. Its website provides a search option for HIV testing, HIV treatment, prevention medication, and other transformational information for prevention.

The Black Hawk County Health department shared with me Iowa’s statewide initiative for HIV prevention: TelePrEP. Like several other states, Iowa has created a specialty clinic to engage with populations most at risk for HIV infection.

The CDC has provided funding to the University of Iowa and the Iowa Department of Public Health to increase technology and infrastructure for HIV prevention with a $2 million grant in 2018. TelePrEP describes itself as “an in-home (or wherever you want to be) telemedical delivery model for PrEP.”

TelePrEP connected me with Dr. Kim Spalding, a pharmacist from Coralville, IA with the University of Iowa.

“PrEP is a once a day pill. People using PrEP aim for a level of Truvada in their blood that grants 95%-98% protection from the HIV virus,” she explained.

The CDC clarifies that Truvada is a combination of two medicines, tenofovir and emtricitabine, drugs also used as antiretrovirals for HIV treatment. It is imperative patients seek testing prior to taking PrEP.

“We need to be sure that there is no [HIV] viral load before you get on PrEP, because there’s possibility that the virus could build an immunity to the same drugs in PrEP that are used for treatment,” Dr. Spalding said.

Dr. Spalding recorded my health information including my lifestyle, sexual history, drug/alcohol use, etc. PrEP has a history of causing bone and kidney complications, and Spalding explained how a creatinine test would examine the functionality of kidneys. It was like a routine check up with a doctor, except I was sitting in my living room, talking to Dr. Spalding via a live-video streaming app, VidyoMobile.

Months prior to my check-up with Dr. Spalding, a PrEP Navigator with TelePrEP, Seth Owens, was answering my questions over the phone. Together, we decided HIV prevention through PrEP was right for me.

Seth informed me that TelePrEP tries to make PrEP as accessible as possible to rural Iowa. The advancement of telemedicine has brought relief to patients who, otherwise, would have to commute to see a pharmacist like Dr. Spalding.

“We try to be as creative as we can, but every case is different,” he said.

“The big thing [is] the labs. You have to have your blood drawn regularly on PrEP and the time window to interpret the results is pretty tight,” he continued, “For people who live somewhere that doesn’t have a lab in it, that can be a huge obstacle.”

Patients on PrEP are scheduled for annual STI/HIV testing every three months, with new creatinine tests every six. Public health departments across the state provide these tests for TelePrEP and its patients.

“Stigma, too,” Owens said, “And then it’s like, if you already have fewer resources, if any of the human beings at that resource suck, then what do you do, you know?”

Campaigns like “RU Clean? Dealing With HIV Stigma” by EndingHIV 2020 target stereotyping on dating and hook-up apps – indicating that HIV is not “dirty.” The campaign claims that stigma surrounding the virus cripples prevention.

With the FDA’s deferral of MSM from donating blood, the stain HIV marks on the LGBTQ community only shrinks the 37% of the U.S. population eligible to donate, according to GivingBlood.org.

With infrastructure like telemedicine in place, HIV prevention has never been easier. TelePrEP delivers medicine to its patients’ doorsteps. Though tens of millions globally have died from the HIV/AIDS infection, advocates for awareness and prevention are determined to end the epidemic.

[foxfeaturewriting]

Jaycee Lee Duggard

Meredith Vierra - Intro into “harrowing story.”

“Survived a triumphed in a big backyard.”

Not a desirable lifestyle - she was kidnapped and held hostage under her neighbors. 

A Stolen Life - her book.

“You notice how her face changes as she talks about the past.”

The locket around her neck is a symbol of hope & new beginnings.

Lake Tahoe, California - “a safe place to live.”

Details of her field trip, outfit, and personality as a child.

Details of her abductions - stun gun, Philip Goredo and his wife.

“My family doesn’t have a lot of money - they can’t pay the ransom. Kidnapping is always ransom, right? No.”

Details of her being handcuffed and locked her in the shed. “I can still hear it.” -the lock of the shed.

Elizabeth Smart

14 year old girl violently ripped from her own home & bed.

“If it seemed like a miracle, it wasn’t one she wanted to talk about.”

Spring of 2002 in SLC, Utah.

Description of Smart’s abduction and the initial encounter with a police car, but her kidnapper pushed her behind a bush. 

Elizabeth and Meredith Vierra walking through the woods with her dog.

Details of being dragged through the path, brought to a location with tarps and a tent, then her kidnapper started performing marital rituals. 

As a 14 year-old, she began bargaining with her abductor. 

Smart recalls details during her rape and after the feelings of brokeness, hopelessness. Eventually, her kidnapper chained her to a tree.

Vierra spirals into the search for Smart, as investigators combed through the mountainsides where she was missing.

Less than half the victims abducted by strangers return home. 

“It was shocking to have so many people stare at me and not recognize me.” “Hiding in plain sight.”

Smart addresses how wrong it is for others to criticize her for not running, screaming out - Vierra asks why, how she feels, saying that the people are going to wonder.

Smart and her kidnapper were traveling to the SLC Public Library - someone recognized her. 

Meredith asking the right questions: Smart contrasts the logic of a full-grown adult vs. a traumatized 14 year-old girl.

Smart’s younger sister was able to recall her sister’s abductor - but authorities paused the lead.

She describes her attempt to get home - She began to hitch-hike and at the same time her father was able to release the sketch of Immanuel. 

“Savvy 15 year old survivor. 

Police had a tip received and were able to confront Elizabeth and her abductors. Describes the feelings of being on the phone with her father.

Aftermath: Elizabeth’s counseling and how she found comfort. 

Her partner accounts for how well Elizabeth has coped with the trauma - now she shares her story to help other victims. 

[foxfeaturewriting]

Questions Transcribed with Seth Owens, PrEP Navigator

Fox: “Is getting on PrEP really this easy or am I misunderstanding something?”

Seth: “I mean, it can be. It depends. Our program is a specialty clinic so we try to make it easy. 

The big thing will be the labs. You have to have your blood drawn regularly on PrEP and the time window to interpret the results is pretty tight. Should be a week, but there’s a little wiggle room with it. Still, for people who live somewhere that already doesn’t have a lab in it, that can be a huge obstacle.

And stigma, too. If people don’t have insurance, that really limits options. Doesn’t make it impossible, just harder.

And then it’s like, if you already have fewer resources, if any of the human beings at that resource suck, then what do you do, you know? I don’t think it happens often, but the fact that it happens at all is still a bummer.

Anyway, rant!”

Fox: “I’m definitely writing about this.

It’ll be more of a feature story of putting myself through the PrEP process. I’m doing my research, but the narratives from the people on PrEP and who help distribute it is really important.

Can I do the labs at the LGBTQ health clinic at Unity Point in Cedar Falls? Or would the Black Hawk County Health Department be better? Where do folks in more rural areas do their labs? At least our health department is progressive enough (though very underfunded).”

Seth: “I believe you can only get labs at the LGBTQ health clinic if you’re their patient, as in, if they are the ones prescribing PrEP for you. I can message my coworkers to confirm, but I don’t believe they do outside lab orders because they have such limited hours.

You could probably go get regular STI screenings done, but the test that most people won’t do is called a creatinine test. It measures kidney function. The health department can definitely do it, but you could also go to a more commercial lab like Quest or Labcorp, that will just be more expensive. Depends on insurance, but it’s usually $80-$140 at one of those.

Labs are always hard for rural people, which sucks, but most of them are sto it because living rural usually means commuting semi-regularly for some services, healthcare include.

We try to be as creative as we can, but every case is different. Some smaller hospitals will take outside lab orders after they talk to us and get a feel for our program, but most nowadays are part of larger chains so they don’t get to make those decisions independently.

For a while, we were doing research on home mailing kits so people do all the lab collections themselves, through urine, swabs, and finger sticks. Those are super popular, so we ran out.

Now we’re analyzing the data and designing new kits, but that’s still a while before it will all be ready.

[foxfeaturewriting]

Mind Your PEAS & Q’s: Not For This Young Environmental Activist

By Cole Fox

Bella Carrillo has a goal: for the people of her generation to hoist the trophy for saving the planet. At only 16 years-old, the Cedar Falls High School sophomore has taken initiative. Her new organization, Protecting Earth And Society (P.E.A.S, concisely), has started working with local businesses and her high school to make a difference.

“Making one change, it all helps,” Carrillo said.

Protecting Earth And Society has participated in multiple community clean-up rallies in the Cedar Valley. On College Hill, Carrillo and several others collected 16 large sacks of trash from a mere two blocks. Near Viking Road, they rounded up six bags of waste.

Cleaning up trash is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Carrillo’s embodiment of a sustainable society. P.E.A.S. has been arranging a clothing drive at Finishing Touch Tattoo + Barber Shop on College Hill. She plans on gifting the collected clothing to homeless shelters and heating stations in the Cedar Valley.

Carrillo’s inspiration for helping those who experience homelessness stems from her family’s actions in Texas. Anytime she makes a visit to her grandparents in [CITY], her family provides gift packages for those who live on the streets.

According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Texas has over 25,000 people experiencing homelessness. In Iowa, nearly 3,000 citizens are on the streets, says the council. With temperatures beginning to drop below freezing in the state, Carrillo’s cause is taking urgent action to take care of the less fortunate in the community.

As of October 29th, five large garbage bags and one box of winter clothing – hats, gloves, sweaters, etc. – had been collected at the College Hill barber shop. When dropping at donation at the site, you are greeted with praise and thanks from the employees and customers at Finishing Touch.

Protecting Earth And Society does not plan on ending their action with the winter. Carrillo is organizing a food drive for students at Cedar Falls High School.

“I know she’s only 16 years-old. I can’t even imagine what she’s going to do after high school,” said Carrillo’s mother, [CONFIRM NAME].

[SHE] described her daughter as having “a brilliant mind – a huge heart.”

“Right now, I don’t think I have the power to do big change,” said Carrillo, “but I want to see it grow.”

Being an activist for sustainability is accompanied with obstacles. Carrillo mentions that a lot of people get bullied for being environmentally aware, including herself. Other students at her school have made snark remarks regarding her Instagram profile for the group.

She said: “I kind of just brush that off. I know of the bigger picture and what needs to be done. I know that they’re going to be grateful when it’s done.”

Carrillo says that mental health awareness and treating others kindly is important, and a vital message for her organization’s mission. She is a member with Active Minds at her school, a group that advocates for mental health and suicide prevention.

Bella Carrillo’s said her own experiences with anxiety are what drives her to be an activist for the environment. She shares concerns that scientists claim only 12 years remain before humanity’s impact on the planet are irreversible.

“Making one change – it all helps,” Carrillo said.

Protecting Earth And Society can be found on Instagram with the handle: @protecting_earth_and_society. The profile posts updates and is a channel for suggestions from the community for future projects.

[foxfeaturewriting]

Interview with Bella Carrillo

Interview with Bella Carrillo

16 year-old sophomore at Cedar Falls High School.

Protecting Earth and Society, (PEAS) for short. Clean up around Waterloo/Cedar Falls area. 

Currently running a clothing drive. Food drive to follow. 

Bella experiences anxiety, and climate change’s effects are concerning for her. She believes 12 years is what’s left before damage is irreversible.

So far only two clean-ups. Picked up 16 large bags of garbage across only two blocks. Filled six large bags along the road near Viking Road.

She works with her school and wants to help build a food drive for students at her school.

Active Minds - she believes mental health and treating others is important. 

One Big Goal: People of our generation to be able to tell our kids that we saved the earth. 

“Take responsibility. Take charge.”

A lot of people get bullied for being environmentally aware. 

Some kids at her school tease her for having the P.E.A.S. group. “I kind of just brush that off. I know of the bigger picture, and what needs to be done. I know that they’re going to be grateful when it’s done.

“Making one change - it all helps.” 

“She has this brilliant mind - this huge heart.” 

“I know she’s only sixteen years-old. I can’t even imagine what she’s going to do after high school.”

Her grandparents live in Texas where she sees lots of homelessness. Her family provides gift packages for homeless people whenever she visits.

The clothing drive is mainly for winter clothes - gloves, hats, coats. 

Sustainability to Bella is reusing products. She tried going vegan, but it’s hard. Her mother said it was hard and it was expensive. 

She has shown her grandparents how to use a Brita filter and they haven’t used plastic water bottles since. 

“Right now I don’t think I have the power to do big change, but I want to see it grow.”

@protecting_earth_and_society - she’s taking suggestions and posting announcements. 

https://youtu.be/oo6mEqJ666U

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[foxfeaturewriting]

September 19, 2019

Human Interest Story: Tristan & Tiana

Wedding ceremony under pitched ten

Tristan is dying of a severe liver years

Christina Perry: A thousand years. 

No time for a marriage license - only time for vows and a brief ceremony

Tristan wheeled into the tent with oxygen tank, covered in blankets.

Tiana is in her wedding gown.

Frail wrists, weak voice. 

They met on tinder, bonded over her german shepard.

She was invited to his final cancer treatment. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“He was just so determined,” when talking about Tristan trying to chase her german shepard around. “I want you to love me,” he would say. 

“It’s awesome to see a community come together for something - for him.”

The basement with vinyl records displayed all along the wall. 

Photos with her bridesmaids - all of their mascara is washed away. 

She said the rain was a good sign for her wedding. 

The video of the ceremony and Tiana’s interview elicited a lot of memories and emotions. 

Anelia found this difficult story - a once in a lifetime story - private, intimate moment. She had met Tristan a year prior to the wedding, his mother approached her, asking Anelia to write a feature to publicize a fundraiser for his condition.

“I knew I was trying to help with the event - writing the best story I could, putting it on the front page - I still felt hopelessness.”

At a coffeeshop in Waverly, Iowa, Anelia had noticed a young couple planning their wedding, sharing photos and locations with one another. She asked for a photo. 

“Please make sure there is no sound of him in pain.”

Write a reflection about Anelia’s article: “A Tender Tribute.”

[foxfeaturewriting]

September 17, 2019

“Pearls Before Breakfast,” Why?

Taste of greatness before starting the day?

What do we associate with pearls? Wealth, fashion, etc? Not a McDonald’s hamburger. 

Style: Think of our DNA. Unique style to be described. Weingarten’s style - curious, self-inclusive (very specifically centered on the writer), informative.

Whole purpose of the experiment? Being served pearls before breakfast?

Writing and reading a lot determines uniqueness and style for a writer. Determine a writing style: Exclamation? Conversational? Master the voice. Don’t try to break the rules - try to find them first.

Informative, have a point/angle, sources/credibility, mystery - writing in prose (not poetry), closer we get to poetry the more striking. 

Writer did not write for “skimmers,” he wrote for very sophisticated readers.

Advisory writing guidelines (Not the 10 Commandments): 

Pulling out complicated words just for it.

A lot of word-y tricks.

Don’t use JRE words.

Not using active verbs (ex. coax, jabber, cradle)

Not using adverbs judiciously. Determine intellectually pleasurable adverbs. More impactful with one word is better than being redundant. 

Maintaining an active voice, Attributions. Vital piece of journalism.

Using said/says? An engagement tool in new journalism.

[foxfeaturewriting]

September 12, 2019

Joshua Bell Experiment

Pearls Before Breakfast - Pulitzer Price Winner - Gene Weingarten

Stop and Hear the Music - Visual creation for musical scene.

Event Story

P1: 

Sets the scene - describes clothing, seemingly routine but detailed. 

Leaving lots of room for questions - intriguing, descriptive. No frills and not mysterious, however. 

P2: 

Expands the setting, puts normal people (us) in Washington DC. 

“Part of the cityscape.”

Questions presented for us: questioning our morals.

Questions ordered particularly.

Specific Time & Place - Very informative, every word has a purpose.

Contrast of government bureaucrats vs. freelance musician.

P3:

Private questions/public interrogation.

Revelation of musicians identity - over the top.

Relationship of the writer to the story. Something landed on? Something they experimented with? 

“In a banal setting, would beauty transcend?”

P4, P5:

Nature of the music.

Description of the arcade, metro, acoustics.

Personification of the violin.

P6:

“HANG ON, WE’LL GET YOU SOME EXPERT HELP.”

Slatkin says that a crowd would gather & the musician would make nearly $150.

Revelation that the musician was Joshua Bell. 

P7:

Bell’s background, for those who don’t know who he is.

Tells us how good Bell is and how he got to where he is.

P8: 

Bell’s reaction to being approached

“Sounds like fun.”

Stands in front of the crowd like Zorro. 

P9:

Bell’s humility even though he is beautiful and a genius.

He claims his skills as interpretative, not genius.

“It was an interesting request, and under the circumstances, one that will be honored. The word [genius] will not again appear in this article.”

Bell had developed perfect pitch from a early age (4 years-old).

P10:

In depth evaluation of the instrument used: Stradivari, a 1710′s perfectly handcrafted violin.

Bell delicately displays the instrument, acknowledging its fragility.

The violin holds a story: its finish, its travels from thief to thief, Bell’s purchase of the violin.

P11:

Establishment of the scene: L’Efant Plaza - the common mispronunciation of the station.

The lottery ticket station is striking - points to what commuters care about and pay attention to. 

“Only if they were of mind to take note.”

P12:

The first piece, “Chaconne,” from Bach, described by Bell as “one of the greatest achievements of any man in history.”

Vocabulary:

Fungible: easily replaceable or easily replaced.

Indeterminate: not exactly known, established, or defined.

Unbidden: without command or invitation.

Moral Mathematics: measurement of morality, alliteration!

Utilitarian: useful, practical, rather than attractive.

Grandeur: splendor and impressiveness, especially of appearance or style.

Castigate: reprimand (someone) severely.

Importuning: persistent harassment of someone for or to do something.

Sumptuous: splendid and expensive-looking.

Virtuoso: a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit.

Mendicant: given to begging, a beggar.

August: respected and impressive.

The Red Violin: 1998 drama/mystery.

Elide: Merging/coming together.

Accolades: Praise, awards.

Plebian: Latin, roman citizens.

Good writing jolts you into awareness from time to time.

Finish article - write reflective piece - Make yourself happy with length & word count.

[foxfeaturewriting]

Sept 10, 2019

Connecting a story: What a conservation officer does? Where the board of conservation comes into play? Chris Jones: Iowa DNR Conservation Officer.

Notes:

Black Hawk County Board of Conservation Meeting September 12, 5:00PM.

Iowa Natural Resource Commission Meeting September 12, 8:30AM.

Iowa Environmental Protection Commission September 16, 12:00PM

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=88&ba=SF609

https://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/Boards-Commissions/Environmental-Protection-EPC

https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce/iowa-chapter/legislative-issues/REAP.pdf

http://icleiusa.org/localizing-the-paris-agreement/

https://ceee.uni.edu/

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=87&ba=HF106

https://www.iowadnr.gov/Conservation/REAP

TRAVEL PIECE (Oct 15)

Contacts: 

Timi Brown-Powers (319) 404-3380

Eric Giddens (319) 230-0578

Jim Weimer

Questions:

Iowans sharing concern for the full-funding of REAP

LIFESTYLE (Oct 31)

HEALTH & WELLNESS (Nov 19)

CULTURE, ENVIRONMENT (Dec 12)

[foxfeaturewriting]

Local Climate Action: Giddens Warns Cedar Falls Constituents

By Cole Fox

 Taking initiative is imperative as the consequences of climate change become sinisterly imminent, warns Sen. Eric Giddens of District 30. He spoke to nearly 50 Cedar Falls citizens on Sept. 23 at the public library.

 “We’re not here to argue [climate science],” Giddens begins. “We’re just going to talk about what we’re going to do about it.”

 In an hour-long presentation, sponsored by the United Nations Association chapter in Cedar Falls, Giddens displayed several data graphics arguing that America’s heartland faces dire repercussions – drastically rising temperatures, increased rainfall, destroyed ecosystems – if immediate action is not taken.

 Giddens, who sits on the Dry Run Creek Advisory Board and holds several other ranking positions in the community. He won a highly contested special election in March 2019, defeating former 60th District Rep. Walt Rogers. He is the program manager for the Center for Energy and Environmental Education at the University of Northern Iowa.

After the end of the 2019 legislative session in April, Giddens noted in a newsletter which opportunities Iowa lawmakers missed. In the Senate, SF 548 aimed to prohibit state dollars from acquiring public land for conservation and recreation. Giddens voted against it.

 What can local governments do to deter the devastation greenhouse gases are striking on the planet, Giddens asked.

 Gidden’s first slide flashed data of over hundreds of thousands of years displaying the recent spike in carbon particles per million in the Earth’s atmosphere.

 A man’s hand sharply raises from the center row.

 “How do we have data from over 100,000 years ago?”

 Giddens explained that scientists use data from ‘ice cores’ in the north and south poles. According to NASA, ice sheets accumulate snow for thousands of years, compressing into layers of ice sheets. Researchers are known to drill further than a mile below to receive data to determine environmental variabilities from Earth’s history.

 Slide after slide of troubling data centered the audience’s attention from international calamities to the Iowa Climate Statement of 2019.

 “Dangerous Heat Events to Become More Frequent and Severe,” the report reads upfront.

 According to the data, Iowa summers are going to be above 90 degrees for twice as many days – and that is a low-emissions scenario.

 Prior to 2005, Des Moines experienced an average of 23 days with temperatures soaring above 90. By midcentury, the state will be enduring nearly 70 days of sweltering heat, worst-case scenario.

 July 2019 was the hottest month on record across the planet, states the report.

 “That’s all the bad news,” Giddens said.

 His words elicited an uncomfortable laughter from the room.

 “We cannot bury our heads in the sand,” he said.

 His disposition was hopeful, but seemingly eager to ignite the community.

 Senator Giddens introduced ICLEI: The International Council for Local Environment Initiatives. ICLEI is a program across more than 100 countries in over 1,750 local and regional governments. The website, ICLEI.org, claims its commitment to sustainable urbanization develops eco-friendly plans for cities. Giddens laid the blueprints for a plan he sees fit in the Cedar Valley:

 1.       Reduce emissions.

 The city of Cedar Falls has been built for vehicular commute. Side by side, Giddens depicted how neighborhoods in the western half of the city are built to require travel by road, contrary to older districts like Downtown Cedar Falls.

 The audience and Giddens concluded - projects like the controversially installed series of roundabouts along University Avenue are steps in the right direction. Studies from the city of Lincoln, Nebraska explain the drastic reduction of emissions by eliminating the stop-go process of traditional intersections.

 “We’re building in the need to drive for decades,” Giddens said.

 Under a broad proposal by Giddens, Cedar Falls and Waterloo need to improve the MET (Metropolitan Transit Authority).

 2.       The electricity grid – reduce energy use.

 Though Iowa is notorious for its natural resources – ethanol, wind, hydroelectric – a state profile and energy estimate lists that only two-fifths of the state’s net electricity generation comes from renewable resources. The senator explained that wind energy is becoming more affordable. According to the state profile, nearly 18% of Iowa’s electricity comes from towering turbines in fields across the state.

 Senator Giddens emphasizes, however: “Be efficient. We need to go back to using less energy.”

 3.       Address demand.

Plastic straws, plastic bags, water bottles – a grocery list of single use plastics that can be harmful to the environment, end up in a landfill that sits south of Waterloo on East Washburn Road. Basic information from the EPA places municipal solid waste as the third largest source of methane emissions from humans. At 14.1% of total methane emissions in 2017, this waste also marks as a loss for recycled energy sources.

 Giddens claimed boldly, “We have to ban single use plastics.”

 States like California and Hawaii have phased out plastic bags with government intervention. Alongside any piece of legislation, serious opposition poses threat to possible infringement on American’s daily lives. In Iowa, local governments seem to be losing the battles.

 Congressman Kressig from the back of the room mentions, “There are ten different bills in state congress right now that threaten to take away local control.”

 In March of 2017, Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law legislation that prohibits localities from increasing minimum wage, slamming counties like Linn, Johnson, and Polk, where the minimum wages were up to $10.10 per hour.

 “So, are there any feasible ways to capture greenhouse gases?” Asked a man in the audience.

 Senator Giddens concisely said, “Well, trees.”

 Giddens shared the story from the week before when he stood by North Cedar Elementary students as they planted 50 new crabapple trees along Lone Tree Road in Cedar Falls.  Several volunteers with the Lions Club, Trees Forever, and many city organizations participated.

 There is a planning process when achieving sustainability with smaller communities. Giddens has been working with the Iowa City School District, since government operations contribute highly to emissions. After developing data from the community and its ‘business as usual’ forecast, that’s when reduction goals take form.

 “We have a menu,” Giddens told the audience regarding programs to alleviate harm on the planet. “It consists of comprehensive plans including sustainability.”

The Center for Energy and Environmental Education  at the University of Northern Iowa is located on the southern portion of campus in Cedar Falls.

According to it’s website:  “ The Center for Energy & Environmental Education (CEEE) creates opportunities for UNI students, faculty and staff to work with community leaders to arrive at evidence-based, solution-oriented responses to the problems they wish to address. We offer technical assistance, educational programs, and leadership in energy conservation and renewable energy, environmental conservation and community-based agriculture. The CEEE serves Iowa cities, counties, school districts, teachers, farmers, businesses, elected officials, state agencies, community leaders, and citizen organizations”

Its ICLEI Regional membership gives local governments access to ICLEI’s extensive tools and resources through the University of Northern Iowa Conservation Corps.

[foxfeaturewriting]

October 1st, 2019

France du jour:

Background accordion playing. Makes appearance in opening photo sequence.

Helicopter flyover to bus trip from the airport.

“Disoriented best describes our state of mind.”

Guitarist - russian born, gypsy trueador - trader. 

Everyone is smoking or drinking. 

Music to signify the end of a segment, bringing pictures to life. 

Mouth of the Martyrs - capture of cafes, artists’ and their displays, portrait booths.

Sacred Heart basilica - perpetual adoration of the blessed sacrament.

Tourists surrounding young dancers outside of the basilica. 

Photographs being taken of the Mona Lisa - emphasis on tourist affection. 

Mime performance transition - camera positioning near offstage area.

Street performers seemingly common. 

French open grandslam - cut shots, description of the venue, the tournament, and the players. 

Dinner with rain, “exotic oerdurves,” school of music next door, and a bottle of chardonnay.

“The Island Palace.” one of the most photographed places in france. 

Escaped goose on the street - story caught in the moment. “Goose on the Loose.”

Chamonix mont blanc - extreme sports “high probability of dying.”

12.5 km glacier at the foot of the one of the least climable peaks in the alps.

James Bonde esque passageway.

Marseille & its diversity and friendliness towards immigrants. 

Research that goes into yachts “cannot always afford to understand what you are seeing.”

Bachelorette party sirens scaring them away.  

[foxfeaturewriting]

September 3rd, 2019

Insert Katie Keller: Interview

·         Katie has raised a blended family. Two children with her current husband, one child with her ex-husband, and Anna.

·         Keller works at Cedar Valley Hospice as a social worker, she also has a career as a health coach.

·         She expresses herself as “living out loud” since she discovered life coaching. 

·         At this point, Keller has recruited her husband into her program.

·         Holds herself accountable, as well.

·         Keller’s program does not do outreach; all clients approach her for health coaching.

·         She is determined to explore a client’s goal, then discover the right path. 

·         Keller provides mental support, frequently contacting her clients.

·         When asked to defend health coaching as a ‘pyramid scheme: “If we could do it ourselves, we would.” The program is 75% mental support and habit changing, claims Keller. “If it was cheap and easy, we’d all do it.”

·         Keller’s depression and unsatisfying lifestyle drove her to seek support.

·         Health coaching transformed Keller’s confidence and daily lifestyle.

·         Keller desires her story be heard to help other grieving mothers.

·         A lot of her habits changed from a simple mantra, “Stop, challenge, and choose.”

·         This includes saying ‘no’ to pandering decisions.

·         Her and her husband changed their date nights from cocktail hour to game night. Noting that her family enjoys playing Phase 10, a popular card game.

·         Keller describes her program as a lifestyle change, not a diet program. The diet is supplemental.

·         Most clients seek weight loss, but have desires to repair other ailments.

·         Keller’s transformation comes after years of feeling withdrawn, stoic. She had not always felt that way, but had slipped into depression. Even after attempting several programs, her journey led her to a current state of joy.

·         Keller met her current husband, Ryan, six years ago at the Bremer County Fair in Waverly, IA. He’s a Jimmy John’s franchise owner and runs four Jimmy John’s in the Cedar Valley.

·         The two began dating, but had waited several weeks before introducing their children to one another.

·         Keller’s professional career has certainly been impacted by the loss of her first child, Anna. 

·         Immediately upon discovering she was pregnant, Keller knew she wanted the baby. She state that she had grown up very quickly, noting that she was only 21 years-old before giving birth.

·         As much as Keller loved to share her story, she would cry. Crying was a normal part of her life, seemingly. She would sob when simply showering.

·         There’s no right or wrong way to grieve, as long as an individual is not harming themselves or others.

·         However, Keller recalls enduring all of the elements of grief - from depression, anger, and denial to bargaining and acceptance - sometimes asking herself, “Why me?”

·         “Anna’s 9th birthday was awful.”

·         At a high school track meet, Keller recollects a moment when she looked into her ex-husband’s eyes. “They’re yelling her name.” Anna was the name of a competitor who many of the fans were cheering for.

·         Keller divorced her first husband when her children were young, and the many adversities that are encountered when raising children involve the consent of all three parents. 

·         One of her sons lives with several disorders that require the communication between her and her ex-husband.

·         Keller loves each one of her children, but has developed her parenting skills since, improving each time a new child begins to develop.

·         As of now, she does not feel the need to be a “helicopter mother.” However, her maternal tendencies may vary when undergoing pregnancy, referring her experience with Anna’s death. 

·         Keller enjoyed being married. She loved her husband, and wanted to remarry after the initial marriage.

·         Keller describes “baby land;” a portion of the cemetery where her daughter, Anna, is buried. Baby land is where infants and still-borns rest after burial.

·         Since Anna’s birth, Keller has celebrated each birthday memorializing her. Even with her children born since, it becomes more special. She tells them, “When you can’t see your balloon, Anna has your balloon in heaven.”

·         Several things remind her of Anna: The University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, the name ‘Anna,’ even the Vanilla Blackberry scented lotion from Bath & Body Works she remembers wearing when getting to hold Anna. 

·         “I think about her like my other kids. She’s my baby,”

·         Unfortunately, the mid 2000′s did not have the privilege of acceptance nor technology to preserve sophisticated photos of stillborn children. At the time, the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital was able to take photos from a disposable camera. 

·         In today’s society, only a decade and a half later, parents can opt for maternity pics with infants who do not make it home from the hospital. 

·         Though controversy stirs when deceased infants make the paper, Keller believes that many families can find peace from such publications. She notes that it truly must be at the parents’ discretion.

·         Day-to-day in 2019, Keller says she does not grieve. Though she thinks about Anna, her love for her prevails. 

·         “I love her. I feel I am in the acceptance stage.”

·         The topic of her stillborn pregnancy is not something Keller leads with, but she is certainly open and able to share her story, even with the world.

·         INSERT FACEBOOK STUFF

·         She is an average person trying to be her very best. Keller seeks high-quality out of life. She explains, “Self care for quality of life is a ripple.”

·         Seeking a more positive life has made Keller a better social worker, wife, friend, and mother. 

·         “I wore my sunglasses today in case I ugly cry. I do that still, that never goes away.”

·         January 26th, 2004, Keller found out she was pregnant after dating her late daughter’s father, Rod, for four months.

·         With immense joy from the news, Keller was excited to become a mother. Her and her husband selected names, but decided to keep the sex of the unborn child a surprise.

·         “I never had a doubt in my mind that things would be perfect.”

·         At around 30 weeks of pregnancy, Keller began experiencing complications with her pregnancy. She was assigned strict bedrest for the remainder of her pregnancy, as well as diet limitations because of conditions like gestational diabetes. She was ordered to refrain from carbohydrates, sodium, sugars. “I had this little bean to take care of,” she said. Keller did what she could to protect her unborn child.

·         The Waverly Health Clinic’s website has an entire selection for visitors, including: a baby gallery, directions for visiting patients, a gift garden, as well as a ‘send a card’ option.

·         On the date of Keller’s visit to the health clinic in Waverly, she realized that she was going to give birth to her baby. However, she noticed things were not right. The entirety of the time thinking it was her own body, not her baby’s. Things took a dark turn when she recalls a nurse saying, “We need to get her out of here.” Keller was transported to Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo, IA, a larger facility with more resources.

·         Despite the complications, Keller’s baby was delivered. She heard the cries of her newborn baby daughter, Anna Marian. “I have never felt love like that in my whole entire life,” she recalls.

[foxfeaturewriting]

Sustainability

Seek features for stories: Local Iowa Senators and Representatives

https://www.iaenvironment.org/get-involved/advocate

Passing the public trust doctrine to protect the commons - Ask your legislators to pass a bill that would protect the commons, the things we share like clean water, wildlife, public universities, state parks, education, public health, the air we breathe, the archaeological and historical record of the state. 

The things that we share – the commons – have been ignored, have been degraded, and have been given away to private companies and individuals. It is now time to restore those things that we all share. That is where the Act to Protect the Commons comes into play. The features of the Act are naming a legal guardian for future generations, assessing all regulations for the effects on the commons, working toward restoring and enhancing the commons, and creating a program to repair and restore public assets, modeled on the federal Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps.

-Sierra Club’s Legislative Agenda

https://www.sierraclub.org/iowa/iowa-legislature

For several articles I aim to project platforms from lobbyists and legislators, and seek answers regarding how these ideas and documents can affect us and those around us.

https://www.co.black-hawk.ia.us/176/Conservation