Gomers -- What's going wrong

SLIM DOWN OR PAY MORE: Two-thirds of Iowans are overweight or obese, according to the latest U.S. Centers or Disease Control and Prevention research. And the excess weight is leading to many health-related problems. If our obesity rates keep rising at the current rate, Iowa's annual health care costs will increase by $3 billion by 2018.

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WRONG PLACE FOR THOSE PRONE TO VIOLENCE: Three men, all with a history of violent crime, who were court ordered to be housed at the Fairview Care Facility in Anamosa, were arrested on June 16 and accused in the sexual assault of a female resident. Police say one of the men acted as a lookout while the other two sexually assaulted the female several times over a week. The incident has raised troubling questions, including why Iowa judges can order violent offenders into lightly regulated, unsecured facilities that are provided for the disabled. One of the accused has been arrested at least 27 times, and been convicted four times of domestic abuse assault, court records show. State law allows staff to lock individual doors to rooms only at inpatient facilities like a state hospital.

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