Officials report Iowa flu toll 6 since October

DES MOINES — Iowa officials reported four more influenza-related deaths, bringing the state total to six since October.

Iowa Public Health Department spokeswoman Polly Carver-Kimm said Friday the department recorded three flu-related deaths for the same period last year.

The department said three of the four were at least 81 and one was age 61 to 80. Also, three of the four had underlying conditions or contributing factors.

Two of the six who've died since October lived in northwest Iowa and two lived in the southeast part of the state. One lived in eastern Iowa and one in northeast Iowa.

Health officials said essentially everyone over 6 months of age should receive the flu vaccine. Flu symptoms may include fever, headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and body aches.

Evansdale water tower back working; boil order lifted

EVANSDALE — Officials said the water tower in the Waterloo suburb of Evansdale is functioning again after a suspected ice blockage melted.

Officials also lifted the boil order after tests showed Thursday the water was safe for consumption. Residents and businesses lost water service for a time Monday, regaining it at lower pressure when well water was redirected into the system, bypassing the tower.

Water plant and system manager Mike Ellison suspects ice had blocked a standpipe. Mayor Doug Faas said the rising temperature let the tower cure itself.

The National Weather Service said the temperature at the Waterloo airport got down to 20 below zero Monday morning.

Iowa mom of 7 says police lied about squalor at her home

DUBUQUE — A Dubuque woman accused of letting her seven children live amid what police said was garbage, rotted food and feces on their home's floor said officers lied about the conditions.

Court records said 34-year-old Tiesha Martin and 33-year-old Jermaine Watson were charged Tuesday with child endangerment. The records said Watson's pleaded not guilty.

Police said Watson fathered the youngest of the seven and that Martin is the mother of them all.

The records said police and a social worker checking on the children at Martin's residence found the squalid conditions and said the children were sharing one bedroom and bed.

Martin said Thursday that the children weren't in just the one room. Martin also said what appeared to be feces to the officers actually was syrup.