Two Audubon County men were arrested Thursday night on Child Endangerment charges. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office says 34-year old Eric Allen McMichael, of Audubon, was arrested at around 10-p.m. following an investigation into an incident that allegedly occurred at his residence earlier in the evening. McMichael was brought to the Audubon County Jail and charged with  Child Endangerment Causing Injury. He was later released from custody after appearing before a magistrate.

And, at around 11:30-p.m. Thursday, 23-year old Scott Nathaniel Belew, of Audubon, was arrested following an investigation into an incident that allegedly occurred in the 4000 block of 2nd Street, in Hamlin. Belew was being held in the Audubon County Jail on a charges of Child Endangerment and Domestic Abuse Assault.

Cass County Public Health staff will be holding influenza vaccine clinics to start later this month. Nancy Gibson, Public Health Team Lead, reports that public clinics will begin as soon as the vaccine arrives.  The influenza (flu) vaccine injection given by the Public Health/UnityPoint will be the trivalent type this year, meaning that it protects against 3 strains of influenza virus. The Flumist given to persons ages 49 and under will be quadrivalent, protecting against 4 strains of the influenza virus.

Public Health will accept Medicare and Medicaid payment for vaccines. Vaccine is also available for children including those who qualify for the Vaccine for Children (VFC) or those being children who do not have insurance or have insurance that doesn’t pay for vaccines. All other patients who receive vaccines must pay privately at a cost of $30 for the injection and $35 for the Flumist.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) notes that Influenza (flu) usually occurs in late fall and winter in the US and is spread from an ill person to other people by coughing and sneezing. Therefore, October- November is not too late to receive your vaccination. According to Dr Patricia Quinlisk, Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Medical Director, it takes about two weeks after the vaccination for the body to receive the full protection from the flu protection from the flu virus, being vaccinated now will mean you’ll be protected before the flu starts spreading in your community.

Cass County Public Health Staff encourages residents to practice good health habits including eating right, getting lots of sleep, and washing hands thoroughly and often. Other precautions include covering your mouth by coughing into your elbow of the upper arm instead of your hand and stay home when you don’t feel well.

Listen to KJAN for more information about public flu clinics in Cass County or call Public Health Office at 712-243-7475 or 712-243-7551.

(In an update to our story at 7-a.m.)…

Police in Atlantic say two people suffered non-life threatening injuries following a collision Thursday evening on the east side of town. According to Atlantic Police, vehicles driven by Margaret Clausen, of Adair, and Callie Westover, of Atlantic, collided just after 5-p.m., on Highway 6 near the intersection of 635th Street.

Officials say both drivers were traveling east on Highway 6 when Westover stopped to make a left hand turn onto 635th Street. Clausen was distracted, and didn’t see the Westover vehicle. When she noticed it, she couldn’t get stopped in-time, and ran into the rear of Westover’s vehicle.

Both drivers were transported by Medivac Ambulance to the Cass County Memorial Hospital. Clausen was cited for Failure to Maintain Control/reduce speed. Damage from the crash amounted to $14,000.

DES MOINES, IA (October 9, 2014) –The Guided Growth Business Development Cohort will provide a new opportunity for child care programs to receive comprehensive business assistance to help them grow. Through a combination of professional business advice and peer networking and learning, child care providers will receive customized budgeting and financial tools, Iowa Department of Human Services approved training, one-on-one business consulting to address their needs, and assistance in developing a road map to reach their goals.

Child care providers participating in other First Children’s Finance business development cohorts have reported many improvements to their programs such as increases in quality environments and playgrounds, higher enrollment, improvements in finances, and decreases in staff turnover.
Interested providers can get full details about eligibility and geographical requirements, and download an application at www.firstchildrensfinance.org/guidedgrowth-cohort. Applications are due October 31, 2014. For more information contact Angie Rae Duncan, Business Development Specialist with First Children’s Finance at (515) 229-5064 or angie@firstchildrensfinance.org.

First Children’s Finance, a national nonprofit organization, provides financial and business-development assistance, training and financing to child care businesses. The Guided Growth project and the Guided Growth Business Development Cohort are possible thanks to funding from Sam’s Club Giving Program along with support from Mid-Sioux Opportunity and West Central Community Action.

MidAmerican Energy Company today announced plans to develop one new wind farm site in Adams County and expand a second site in O’Brien County in 2015 – an additional investment of up to $280 million for the nation’s leader in ownership of wind-powered generation among rate-regulated utilities.

If approved, the company’s proposed wind project would result in installation of up to 67 wind turbines. The project, scheduled for completion by the end of 2015, would add up to 162 megawatts of new wind generation capacity in Iowa.

Bill Fehrman, president and CEO of MidAmerican Energy, said the new project reflects the company’s commitment to the development of renewable energy. Using wind as the fuel source to generate energy for this project helps the company reduce its fuel costs, which in turn helps stabilize electric rates for customers. Energy costs passed through to customers are projected to be reduced by approximately $93 million over 10 years.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Gov. Kim Reynolds joined Fehrman at a news conference to announce the latest wind expansion project. “MidAmerican Energy’s commitment to wind generation garners long-lasting benefits and makes Iowa a competitive economic force not only in the United States but also in the world,” Branstad said. “Iowa has attracted major tech companies, such as Google, Microsoft and Facebook, because of our low energy prices and commitment to renewable energy. MidAmerican Energy’s newest wind project will help the state meet the demand for renewable energy that is attracting major companies and high-quality jobs to Iowa.”

“MidAmerican Energy’s investment in additional wind generation provides significant benefits to all citizens of Iowa,” Lieutenant Gov. Reynolds said. “Wind is now the No. 1 source of new electric generating capacity in the country, and Iowa derives a greater percentage of its electricity from wind than any other state. By taking advantage of the abundant wind resources we have here in the state, MidAmerican Energy is delivering a sustainable energy solution that will play an increasingly important role in powering Iowa’s future.”

“With this proposed expansion, beginning in 2016, MidAmerican Energy’s wind resources are expected to produce an amount of energy equivalent to approximately 50 percent of the retail energy customers are expected to need,” Fehrman said. “We’re extremely proud of how far we’ve come as a state, and as a company, since the installation of our first wind turbines a decade ago. These wind projects help stabilize rates in the long term for our customers, foster economic development in Iowa communities, and demonstrate MidAmerican Energy’s commitment to the environment.”

MidAmerican Energy is working with county officials and landowners to secure development and interconnection rights for the project sites. These sites are expected to provide more than $40 million in additional property tax revenues over the next 30 years, along with annual landowner payments. Blades for the new turbines will be manufactured at the Siemens facility in Fort Madison. The next step in the development process is for MidAmerican Energy to file for approval of its wind expansion project with the Iowa Utilities Board. If the IUB approves the project, construction could start in the summer of 2015, with completion by the end of that year.

Coupled with projects currently underway in Grundy, Madison, O’Brien and Webster counties, MidAmerican Energy will have approximately 3,500 megawatts of wind generation capability in Iowa by year-end 2015 – enough capability to provide energy for the equivalent of approximately 1.05 million average Iowa households. With the completion of this newest project, MidAmerican Energy will have invested more than $6 billion for wind generation development in Iowa, making wind approximately 40 percent of its electric generator nameplate capacity.

(Press Release)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A state regulator says less than 2 percent of Iowans will be hit by state-approved health insurance rate increases. The Iowa Insurance Division said Wednesday that it had approved 2015 increases averaging 8.7 percent to 19 percent for Iowans who bought individual policies from Coventry Healthcare, Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield, and CoOportunity Health.

The department says the increases were justified, in part by costs associated with the federal Affordable Care Act. Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart told The Des Moines Register that Iowa’s overall health insurance climate is stable, with most premium increases being relatively small.