Through the Safe Haven Law, a baby girl, born March 6 is now in the care and custody of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and will be placed with a foster family until permanent placement is determined. This brings the overall total to 80 infants since the law went into effect more than two decades ago.

Iowa’s Safe Haven Act is an option for parents in crisis who determine they cannot care for an infant up to 90 days old. Designated safe havens are locations like hospitals and police and fire stations. Iowa HHS then works to place infants in an approved foster home while awaiting permanent adoption.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent or adopting a child, visit https://iowafosterandadoption.org/ to learn more about becoming an approved foster or adoptive family. For more information on Iowa’s Safe Haven, visit https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/CPS/safe-haven.

The Lee County Board of Supervisors has approved funding for a new K-9 police vehicle, but not without debate.
Supervisors voted Tuesday to allocate up to 65-thousand dollars in opioid settlement funds for a Fort Madison Police Department SUV dedicated to a narcotics detection dog.
Some officials raised concerns about the purchase. Supervisor Chuck Holmes opposed the request, saying the current vehicle—at 90-thousand miles—could last several more years.
Others questioned whether opioid settlement funds should be used for a full vehicle purchase, rather than ongoing services.
Still, the project received approval after the Iowa State Auditor’s Office indicated the expense qualifies under allowable uses for the funds.
Fort Madison Police Chief Cody Potthast defended the request, saying K-9 units are highly effective in detecting illegal narcotics and play a key role in reducing opioid distribution.
The measure ultimately passed with majority support, and the department will be required to report annually on the K-9 program’s impact.

A dangerous reminder out of Burlington this week after a garbage truck caught fire—caused by improperly discarded lithium batteries.

Officials say the incident happened yesterday when batteries thrown in with regular trash ignited inside the truck. Crews acted quickly, dumping the load to prevent further damage, but the situation still led to a hazardous cleanup in the street.

Authorities are urging residents to never throw lithium batteries in the garbage. These batteries are commonly found in everyday items like cell phones, laptops, tablets, power tools, and other small electronics—and can easily spark fires when damaged or compressed.

While other types of batteries should be recycled when possible, lithium batteries pose a much higher fire risk and require proper disposal.

Residents are encouraged to take advantage of safe disposal options by visiting dmcwaste.org.

Officials say taking a few extra minutes to dispose of batteries correctly can help protect sanitation workers, prevent fires, and keep the community safe.

The Fort Madison Area Chamber of Commerce, Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Burlington Chamber of Commerce and the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to declare March 19th (3-19) Random Acts of Kindness Day in the (319). We challenge all of you to be kind to one another on 3-19 in the (319). Here are some things you can do!

• Do something special for your customers like putting out candy or cookies for anyone that comes in.
• If you have a favorite store or restaurant, tell people about it on social media.
• Maybe you have a colleague that is having a rough time, grab them a cup of coffee on your way to work.
• Send flowers to someone special in your life.
• Draw encouraging messages on the sidewalks with chalk.
• Pay for the meal of the person behind you in the drive-thru.

Smile, wave and say hello to everyone you meet on the street.
Invite others who live within the (319) area code to join you in being kind, not only on this day, but every day! Help us spread joy in our little corner of the world!