LINN COUNTY eNEWS

April 2015

Linn County celebrates National County Government Month in April

Linn County is celebrating National County Government Month by showcasing county programs and services that help residents and its communities prosper. Counties provide services that build, maintain and protect homes, schools and neighborhoods. Counties build infrastructure, maintain roads and bridges, provide public health services, administer justice, keep communities safe, run elections, keep vital records, build and maintain parks and recreational areas and so much more. How do Linn County programs and services benefit you and your loved ones? Read more...

Linn County Supervisor Linda Langston

Supervisor Langston delivers State of Linn County address

Linn County Supervisor Linda Langston delivered the 10^th annual State of the County address on April 9 at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center in Cedar Rapids.

Langston highlighted a number of important county issues, including mental health, road improvements, public safety, public health and improving customer service. You can read the address on Linn County’s website.

Linn County Conservation campgrounds open

It's a sure sign of spring when recreational vehicles hit the roadways headed for their favorite campsites. And spring has arrived in Linn County parks. The Linn County Conservation Department has announced that campgrounds at Morgan Creek, Pinicon Ridge and Squaw Creek Parks are now open for the season.

Linn County parks offer many opportunities for people to have fun in the outdoors and camping is a popular activity. Campers and other outdoor enthusiasts may call the Linn County Conservation Department at 319-892-6450 for the latest information or visit the news section of www.linncountyparks.com.

Linn community health assessment needs your input

A new, local collaborative effort called Together! Healthy Linn is working on completing a community health assessment for all of Linn County. This assessment will identify the priority health and strategic issues that affect the community. The group seeks input from people who live, work, worship or go to school in Linn County. Please complete this short survey by June 1, 2015. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete.

Many different organizations are involved in Together! Healthy Linn, ranging from hospitals and clinics, not-for-profits, and government agencies. These organizations are working together to complete the assessment. After completing the assessment, the group will create a Community Health Improvement Plan that will identify action steps to address the priority issues from the assessment. Once the assessment and plan are complete, the organizations intend to continue the partnership to implement the plan and track progress toward the goal of creating a culture of health and optimal quality of life for all.

Subscribe to Linn County road construction email, text alerts

Various secondary roads in Linn County are slated for work to begin in the coming months. To ease traffic congestion and delays, residents are encouraged to sign up for road construction alerts, which will send e-notifications about road construction projects. To sign up to receive road construction notices via email or text message from the Linn County Secondary Road Department, visit www.linncounty.org, click “Notify Me” and sign up for “Construction Project Updates” to be notified of a project before it begins or sign up to receive updates for a specific road construction project.

Flood prevention & preparedness, hazard mitigation, stormwater management & more

The Linn County Planning and Development spring newsletter is now available and contains important information about flood prevention and preparedness, flood protection for homes, Linn County’s new multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan, stormwater management and much more. Learn more about these important topics.

Updated community resource sheets now available

Community resource sheets have been updated for 2015 and are now available on Linn County’s website. The resource sheets provide basic information on assistance available locally for residents in the areas of affordable housing, food assistance, transportation, healthcare and more. Read more...

Linn County receives awards at Iowa Governor’s Conference on Public Health

Linn County received a number of awards from the Iowa Public Health Association and Iowa Environmental Health Association at the 2015 Iowa Governor’s Conference on Public Health, which took place April 14 and 15 in Cedar Rapids.

From the Iowa Public Health Association:

Linda Langston, Linn County Supervisor and Board of Health member, received the Public Health Official of the Year Award
Jim Hodina, Linn County Public Health Environmental Public Health Manager, received the Henry Albert Memorial Award
Linn County Board of Health received the Local Board of Health Award

From the Iowa Environmental Health Association:

Jia Sun, Linn County Public Health Environmental Health Specialist, received Rookie of the Year Award
Linn County Public Health received Health Department of the Year Award

Linn County Public Health recently became the first health department in Iowa to achieve national accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board. Accreditation was a major focus on this year’s conference.

Free mammograms & Pap tests offered May 4-6 for women without insurance

Free mammograms and Pap tests will be provided to women aged 40-64 with no medical insurance May 4-6, 2015 in locations across Cedar Rapids. Income guidelines apply. Appointments are required and the services are available on a first come, first served basis by calling (319) 892-6019. Spanish speakers may call 1-800-369-2229 to set up an appointment. The screenings are being held as part of Well Women Week.
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The planning for these screenings is a collaborative effort among the following groups: Linn County Public Health, the Care for Yourself Program at the Iowa Department of Public Health, Eastern Iowa Health Center, Especially for You: Race Against Breast Cancer, His Hands Free Medical Clinic, Mercy Medical Center, RCI, and UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital.

LINN COUNTY eNEWSApril 2015