United States health officials say they are confident they can prevent the spread of Ebola in the U.S. after the first case was diagnosed in Texas this week.
How well is Iowa prepared?
On this edition of River to River, host Ben Kieffer talks with State Epidemiologist Patricia Quinlisk about Ebola and other health concerns at this time of year. Also, recent deaths of two Iowa State University students raise questions, Keith Kerkhoff of Templeton Rye responds to the lawsuit that claims the Iowa whiskey company misled consumers, and U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez joins to talk about the latest job numbers and minimum wage.
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This episode also contains a conversation Ben Kieffer had with Iowan Nick Rhoades back in June 2014. In the interview Rhoades describes the impact the criminal charges had on his life and reflects on his experience.
Black Hawk County prosecutors are asking a judge to drop criminal transmission of HIV charges against Rhoades, who was convicted of having sex without revealing his HIV status in 2008.
The prosecution filed a motion to dismiss the case, citing the amount of time that has passed since original charges were filed, as well as an Iowa Supreme Court ruling that threw out his conviction in June. If the dismissal is approved, Nick will no longer be considered a convicted felon and will no longer be branded as a sex offender for life.
