Governor Chet Culver announced this week that swine flu had hit the state of Iowa, with three probable cases of the H1N1 influenza virus found in Marshall, Des Moines, and Clinton counties.

"I want to be clear," Culver said. "Now is the time to continue our diligence and to exercise caution. There is no need for alarm."

Culver said he has instructed Public Health Director Tom Newton to prepare a declaration for a public-health disaster in Iowa if the cases are confirmed. This would allow the state to receive additional anti-virals, deploy public-health response teams, adopt measures to prevent transmission of the disease, and provide for possible isolation of individuals or groups to protect the public.

The disease is not transmitted by food, Culver added. "Our swine herds in Iowa are healthy," Culver said. "We have not had any reports or concerns about the swine herds. You simply cannot catch this flu by eating pork. Rather this is a new type of influenza and as such is airborne and spread by human contact."

Newton said so far 150 specimens have been sent in from around the state to be analyzed for the H1N1 virus. Of those, 40 have been tested, 110 remain to be tested, and two are likely swine flu.

Iowa has received a shipment of anti-viral medications and personal protective equipment. Newton said the state has 435,000 courses of anti-virals on hand and could get up to 750,000. State troopers are now protecting Iowa's anti-viral supply around-the-clock as a precaution. Culver said he considered calling in the National Guard like other states, but did not think that step was necessary yet.

"It's important to note that both of these individuals had contact with areas where there were outbreaks," Newton said. "Now that we believe the virus has been introduced to the state, we do believe it will be spread across Iowa."

Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the state's epidemiologist, said the identification of the two cases should serve as a reminder to all Iowans of how to prevent getting and spreading the flu. The Iowa Department of Public Health has set up free a hotline number, (800)447-1985, for Iowans to call with questions and concerns.

"Make sure you wash your hands frequently," Quinlisk said. "Wash your hands after coughing or sneezing. If you feel ill, stay home; do not go to work; do not go to school. If you have a temperature over 100 degrees, a bad cough, or sore throat, stay home and contact a health-care provider to make arrangements to be seen and tested in a way that will not expose others to your illness."

Hundreds of Gay and Lesbian Couples Issued Marriage Licenses

County recorders in Iowa's 99 counties issued more than 350 marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples on Monday, the day the Iowa Supreme Court decision in Varnum v. Brien legalizing same-sex marriages took effect.

Andrew Mahoney-Lam and Grant Lam of Des Moines were the first ones in line outside the Polk County Administration Building at 5:45 a.m. One couple, Denny Schrock and Patrick Phillips of Urbandale, wore their black-and-white tuxedos. Another couple, Kelly Friend and Tasha Vazquez, drove eight hours from Indiana to apply for a marriage license here and hoped to also be granted a waiver of the three-day waiting period.

Yet another couple, Reva Evans and Ingrid Olson of Council Bluffs, has been together for more than 11 years and was one of the six couples who were the plaintiffs in the case. They tried in November 2005 to get a marriage license and were denied, leading Lambda Legal to file the lawsuit.

"Today's kind of a pinnacle of what we've been waiting for," Olson said Monday. "Just to actually hold that piece of paper and to be able to sign what we were denied before is really overpowering. I'm sure I'm probably going to cry."

The couple brought their two-year-old son, Jamison, with them to get the marriage license. "For Jamison, just the power in the word of marriage, people know what that means," Evans said. "I think it will be easier for him on the playground, just to be able to say his parents are married. You can't question what that means. It's really about him. He deserves to have parents that are married."

Melisa Keeton and Shelley Wolfe of Des Moines were one of the first same-sex couples to be married in Iowa, after receiving their marriage license from the Polk County recorder's office and then being granted a waiver of the three-day waiting period from Polk County Judge Karen Romano.

"It means a lot to us because we're pregnant right now," Keeton said, tears welling in her eyes. "What it means is Shelley will have rights as soon as we have the baby. We'll still go through some of the motions in case it gets overturned. But for our love to be recognized, for us to have some legal recognition ... it's a huge step and it's very exciting."

Chuck Hurley, president of the Iowa Family Policy Center, presented Polk County Recorder Julie Haggerty with a petition containing about 2,300 signatures Monday morning, urging her to deny marriage licenses to the same-sex couples. She issued them anyway.

"The county attorney was there. We read the petition to the county recorder. They also understood that we would provide free legal defense if they ... refuse to issue based on their right of conscience, which has been recognized since before the Declaration of Independence," Hurley said.

There were no protests Monday morning at either the Polk County recorder's office or at the courthouse down the street, but Hurley said marriage rallies were being held at some courthouses across the state to "pray and grieve" for the couples.