(Radio Iowa) – The leaders of two Iowa health care groups say they’re concerned about the pending closure of the state-run Glenwood Resource Center for residents with profound disabilities. After a federal investigation of how residents were being treated, state officials announced the facility would close in 2024. Di Findley is the founder of Iowa CareGivers, an advocacy group for health care workers and those who receive care. While Findley understands ending institutional care is a priority, she says transferring Glenwood residents to community or home-based care will be difficult.

“I don’t know who’s going to do that work,” Findley says. Findley says many of the families of Glenwood residents will not be equipped to provide direct care.  “I have serious concerns about how people are going to be able to access good care in the home,” Findley says, “(to) keep them safe.” Brent Willett is president and C-E-O of the Iowa Health Care Association. It represents nursing homes, the primary destination as al Glenwood Resource Center residents are transferred by the end of 2024.

“The priority is being on placing them in the community, which we absolutely support,” Willett says. “The concern that we have is that the infrastructure is not there and the timeline is aggressive just for these folks.” Willett says his association would like to see deep new investment in the facilities and services that are caring for frail and elderly Iowans  “The 30,000 people in nursing homes across the state of Iowa have some of the highest acuity levels, which is their level of illness, than any other state in the country,” Willett says. “…We need to face that reality that folks that are in nursing homes overwhelmingly cannot return home, and so we simply cannot have a long-term care continuum without a robust nursing facility system to support and care for those individuals.”

Willett and Findley made their comments during a recent episode of “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

(Radio Iowa) – A key fundraiser for the American Cancer Society is making a comeback in Iowa this summer. Relay For Life events are being held across the state again where cancer survivors, caregivers and supporters walk around a track for pledges. Tina Morrison is spokeswoman for the Iowa branch of the American Cancer Society. “COVID has kind of changed our overview of Relay in the last couple of years,” Morrison says. “We still want to make sure that everybody is safe from COVID. We didn’t have a relay for a couple of years due to that reason and we did things a little bit differently.”

In past years, Relay For Life events would features dozens, even hundreds, of people walking around tracks for a certain number of laps or minutes to raise money. Morrison says she’s is grateful to see the event returning to communities across Iowa. “Unfortunately, since COVID is going to be a part of our life forever, we’re just trying to get back in the swing of things,” Morrison says, “and maybe get back to that four or five hour relay, just a little by little, get back to that and what it what it used to be.”

Relays are planned in the coming weeks in several Iowa cities, including: Mt. Pleasant on August 19th, Bettendorf on September 10th, Fairfield on September 13th, Burlington on September 25th, Washington on October 1st, Fort Madison on October 7th, and Boone on October 21st. Learn more at: relayforlife.org

DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation for Allamakee, Clayton, Harrison, Shelby, and Winneshiek counties in response to recent severe weather. The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to, and recover from, the effects of this severe weather.

In addition, the proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program, for those five counties. The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website at https://dhs.iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

The Disaster Case Management Program addresses serious needs related to disaster-related hardship, injury, or adverse conditions. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice, and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Management Program, contact your local community action association or visit www.iowacommunityaction.org.

UPDATE – 7-25-2022: Montgomery County Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Hamman, today (Monday) reports “After a joint investigation by the Red Oak Fire Department and Iowa State Fire Marshall’s Office, the cause and manner of the apartment fire has been determined to be an accident and electrical in nature.”

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At approximately 2:14pm, Sunday, the Montgomery County Communications Center received multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting an upstairs apartment fire at 615 N 3rd Street in Red Oak, located just north of the downtown square. Officers of the Red Oak Police Department arrived on scene immediately and confirmed all occupants were out of the structure prior to Red Oak Fire arriving on scene. Red Oak Fire arrived on scene within 4 minutes of being paged and requested a second alarm structure fire response bringing additional crews from the Stanton Fire Department, Elliott Fire Department and additional aerial support from the Glenwood Fire Department.

Photos courtesy Brian Hamman, Montgomery County Emergency Management.

Fire crews made an immediate and aggressive interior attack of the fire and were able to contain the fire to the origin apartment. Smoke and water damage is throughout the entire structure.
The American Red Cross was contacted to assist five displaced adults due to the fire.

No injuries to any occupants or firefighters on scene however two cats were located deceased and unable to be revived at the scene after attempts were made

The state of Iowa has about six-hundred doses of monkeypox vaccine. Due to the limited supply, officials say those who’ve been exposed to the virus are being prioritized for vaccination. The vaccine can prevent or limit the severity an infection. Dr. Aneesa Afroze of MercyOne in Des Moines says they have one patient with symptoms consistent with monkeypox and they’re awaiting test results. “Providers are watching patients presenting with any kind of rash,” she says.

People with monkeypox may have a fever, chills or a rash. According to the Centers for Disease Control, six cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in Iowa. Dr. Afroze (ah-FROZE) says the virus is not easily transmissible like COVID-19, but people should still be aware of it. “Primarily it spreads between people through direct contact with infectious sores, scabs or body fluid,” she says. “Sometimes lesions, sores can be in the mouth or the throat and they can be coughed and spread via droplets or very close contact, like kissing.”

This weekend, the World Health Organization declared the spread of monkeypox a global health emergency. More than 16-thousand cases have been confirmed in 75 countries. As of Sunday, more than three-thousand cases had been confirmed in the U.S., including two cases in children.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Katie Peikes)

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports five recent arrests. Friday night (July 22nd), a traffic stop in Adair resulted in the arrest of a woman from Greene County. An Adair Police Officer stopped a vehicle driven by 42-year-old Tamra Jean Mills, of Rippey. While questioning Mills, the Officer noticed a clear plastic bag under her leg. The bag appeared to contain marijuana. A search of the vehicle recovered the bag, plus two bags of a marijuana shake, a substance believed to be methamphetamine, and a pipe used for smoking meth. Mills was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 2nd offense, Possession of a Controlled Substance – 2nd offense, and Poss. of Paraphernalia. She was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $3,300 cash or surety bond.

On July 21st, 29-year-old Joseph Colt Chinberg, of Dexter, was arrested at around 6:33-p.m. on Seattle Avenue, near Bridgewater. He was taken into custody on a Department of Corrections warrant for Violation of Parole, and held without bond in the Adair County Jail. The warrant was based on charges in Polk County. Also arrested on the 21st, and at around 3-p.m., was 39-year-old Stacy Jean Quakenbush, of Lincoln, NE. She was taken into custody in Greenfield, on an Adair County Felony warrant for Violation of Probation. Her bond was set at $2,000 cash or surety.

On July 19th at around 8:45-p.m., Greenfield Police arrested 32-year-old Kenny Joe Cunningham, of Creston, for Driving While Barred. He was cited at the scene and released. And, at around 7:17-p.m. on July 19th, Adair County Deputies arrested in Fontanelle, 35-year-old Kevin James Jungers, of Lenox. He was taken into custody for Driving While Barred and Operating a vehicle without Registration. Jungers was released at the scene with a citation.

(Atlantic) Online court records indicate the second trial on numerous charges for 30-year-old Anthony Asay, of Atlantic, has been moved to September. The request for a continuance was filed Friday, by Asay’s Attorney, Robert J. Engler. Asay’s trial was set to take place August 2^nd in Cass County District Court.

Asay stands accused of Willful Injury Causing Bodily Injury, Assault Causing Bodily Injury or Mental Illness, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. His new jury trial date is September 27^th at 9:30 a.m., with a Pretrial Conference on September 19^th.

The charges stem from an alleged stabbing incident on Cedar Street in May. Nearly two weeks ago, a separate jury found Anthony Asay Not Guilty on the charges of Attempted Murder, Arson 1^st Degree and Assault Causing Bodily Injury in connection with a house fire on Cedar Street on May 4^th.

(Adair, Iowa) – A teen from Stuart suffered suspected minor/non-incapacitating injuries, during a rollover accident Thursday evening, about six-miles west of Adair. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports 16-year-old Landon D. Osberg was traveling south on Quail Avenue in a 2003 Ford F-150 pickup, before turning west onto 350th Street. An investigation determined the vehicle had been operated in “a careless manner,” before it skidded into the south ditch off of 350th, and rolled onto its top. The accident happened at around 6:26-p.m.

There were four people in the pickup, in addition to the driver. No other injuries were reported. Authorities say Landon Osberg suffered minor injuries to his leg. The pickup sustained $10,000 damage. Osberg was issued a citation for Careless Driving.

(Radio Iowa) – A regional recreational trail system spanning more than one-hundred miles in northwestern Iowa will connect several towns, including Sergeant Bluff, Sioux City, Merrill, Hinton and Le Mars. Siouxland Chamber of Commerce president Chris McGowan says linking the communities is a strategy to overcome the area’s labor shortages.  McGowan says, “To take a pause on aggressively recruiting more businesses and creating more job vacancies and saying, what can we do to enhance quality of life in the region so that we can attract more people?”

Sioux City is one of the largest towns in the state without a trail connection to another city. It’s estimated it could double the amount of visitors the trails see within five years of the project’s completion. Sioux City Parks and Recreation director Matt Salvatore says the regional trail system will be a real game-changer for the area. “I think that could really transform the community,” Salvatore says. “People will move to Siouxland because of the quality of life amenities, and we can see our communities start to grow, and we can see our employment start to go up.”

The project is made possible by a seven-million dollar grant awarded by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. As part of the grant, the project must be completed by 2026.

(Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)

(Harlan, Iowa) – Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Londo said today (Monday), “We have received a few reports of damage throughout Shelby County (from the storms that took place Saturday night). If you had damage from the storm please call 712-755-2124 to report it and be included in the damage report that we will provide to the state. This is not a guarantee that you will receive assistance, but there is a potential for it. When you call you will be asked your name, address, phone number, type of damage, and if you have insurance on the damaged property. If you qualify for assistance someone will reach out to you for what to do next.”

Initial reports indicated there were numerous power outages in Portsmouth and parts of Harlan, with large trees down in Harlan, and tree debris littering the roads.