(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday morning, held a Public Hearing on a proposed amendment to Zoning, changing McCunn Specialty Firearms, LLC near Massena, from Business District to Light Industrial, for the purpose of assembling certain firearms. There were no comments from the public. Zoning Administrator Rich Hanson.

Hansen noted that the Cass County Zoning Commission has already given its approval for the change. Brice McCunn explained in additional detail, what kinds of services they would, and would not be offering, with regard to the assembly of weapons.

He said they don’t have any interest at this time in machining a gun or related components, but that could change sometime in the future.

Since there was no Resolution for action today’s (Tuesday’s) agenda, the Board agreed to meet approximately 10:45-a.m. Wednesday to pass a Resolution approving the change in zoning. In other business, West Central Community Action Executive Director Wendy Mueller provided the Board with an Annual Report, and a request for funding of $4,500, which is a $500 over last year. She said they have not asked the County for an increase, since 2016,

Mueller said the demand for assistance has increased substantially since the advent of Covid, and it has not waned. For Fiscal Year 2022…

West Central provided Head Start school readiness and other services for low income families with children who are between 3- and 5-years of age. The also handle child care resource and referral services.

She said in 22 Fiscal Year, they had 192 enrolled in child care at 12 home providers who participate in the program. One of the problems is finding affordable child care. Board Chair Steve Baier says next Monday, ground breaking will take place in Griswold for the 88-hundred square-foot Noble Initiative Foundation daycare center. Noble Initiative is a 501(c)3 non-profit agency.

(Radio Iowa) – Around eight in ten nursing home residents on Medicare received psychotropic drugs during the past decade, according to a watchdog report from U-S Health and Human Services that was requested by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. He says he’s “very disturbed” by the report. “It shows that just an overwhelming number of people in nursing homes are on psychotropic drugs,” Grassley says, “and I don’t think that it’s justified and I think that there’s overuse of it.” The report covered the years between 2011 and 2019. Grassley says nursing home residents deserve to be “treated with dignity” and their loved ones ought to have the confidence that nursing homes are appropriately prescribing medicines.

“If it was given to people because they just wanted to keep people quiet,” Grassley says, “it seems to me an inhumane thing to do.” Grassley says the Inspector General report “confirms many of our fears” that serious medications are being administered “without appropriate diagnoses or oversight.” He says the report makes it clear that more needs to be done to protect nursing home residents.

Link to the full report:
https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/OEI-07-20-00500.asp?hero=psychotropic-nursing-home-hero

(Griswold, Iowa) – The Griswold School District’s Board of Education, during their meeting, Monday evening, accepted three resignations.

That’s Griswold Superintendent Dave Henrichs. The Board also set 6-p.m. January 18, 2023. as the date for a joint Board Meeting with the Lenox CSD School Board, with the regard to the sharing of a Superintendent.

In other business, the Griswold School Board passed a resolution to maintain the current Director Districts.

Their final order of business was to set a work session for December 5th, with regard to setting an action plan for Board Goals.

(Radio Iowa) – As hundreds of employees left or were fired from Twitter after billionaire Elon Musk became C-E-O, the social media platform is also seeing a flurry of users quitting, but Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’ll be staying put. “I’m thankful that Musk is trying to make it into the free speech platform that it was intended to be,” Grassley says, “because I believe in a democracy like we have, the more political speech you have, the stronger our democracy is going to be.” Grassley, a Republican, says he sees many of those who are leaving Twitter as being from one ideology.

“It seems to me that there’s a liberal wing of the spectrum, and I don’t mean just political wing, generally people that are somewhat believing in censure of political speech seem to be the ones that are raising in the most cain,” Grassley says, “and between those two, I will choose the side of free speech.” Grassley is a frequent tweeter and he has more than 788-thousand Twitter followers.

(Radio Iowa) – A northern Iowa woman is facing multiple felony charges after being accused of lottery related theft. According to the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrested 40-year-old Michelle Lynn Gruver of Wesley Friday afternoon on nine counts of lottery forgery/theft. Each charge is a Class D Felony. Gruver is also facing one count of third degree theft, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Online court records show that the Algona Police Department filed the criminal complaints on Thursday and Gruver allegedly committed the acts while working at an Algona convenience store. Gruver was booked into the Kossuth County Jail to await an initial court appearance. She is due back in a Kossuth County Court for a preliminary hearing on December 8th.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce reports the City of Atlantic has been recognized as a “Neighborhood Champion” for the ninth year in a row, by American Express. Atlantic will participate in the 13th Annual Small Business Saturday to support small businesses, on November 26th. Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday® is a day to celebrate the small businesses that help support our community. American Express created the Neighborhood Champion Program to help rally communities around Small Business Saturday and is working alongside numerous business organizations to support local Small Business Saturday celebrations throughout the country.

American Express recognizes communities that have strong participation. The on-going Shop Local Initiative, presented by First Whitney Bank & Trust, and overall community support has helped Atlantic achieve this national recognition. Atlantic Chamber Executive Director Bailey Smith says “It’s a great opportunity for Atlantic to receive positive, national exposure. Atlantic is very fortunate to have the business community that we do, and this day is an added bonus for residents to remember how important their support and participation in shopping local is to keeping Atlantic a vibrant place to live.”

November 26th marks the 13th Annual Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Local participants include: Akin Building Center; Aunt B’s; Brymons Interiors; Cappel’s Ace Hardware; CoffeeGirl; Eleven O’ Three Clothing Company (Black Friday Only); Fareway; Farmhouse & Flowers; Hanson’s Fine Jewelry (Saturday Only); Imagine (Saturday Only); Jazzercise; Hy-Vee (Black Friday Only) and Outfitters Plus.

Small business owners can learn more about taking part in Small Business Saturday and download free marketing materials on www.shopsmall.com. Consumers can visit www.atlanticiowa.com to find deals and merchants to shop at on Small Business Saturday. Small Business Saturday is presented by First Whitney Bank & Trust and the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is reporting seven arrests took place from Nov. 4th through the 11th. Three people were arrested on drug charges: On the 4th, 40-year-old Thomas William Holzer, Jr., of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant for a Controlled Substance Violation, being a Person ineligible to carry dangerous weapons, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; And, on Nov. 6th, 39-year-old Jonathan Patrick Antrim (No known address), was arrested after a vehicle pursuit, in Harlan. Antrim was transported to the Shelby County Jail, and charged with two-counts Possession of Controlled Substance/3rd or Subsequent offense, Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, Eluding, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Driving while License Denied, Suspended, Canceled or Revoked, Speeding, Failure to Maintain Control, and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability. During that same incident, 28-year-old Brooke Marie Johnson, of Shelby, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance (2 counts), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Four people were arrested on separate OWI charges. On Nov. 5th, 21-year-old Eduardo Andrade Covarrubias, of Manilla, was arrested in Harlan following an investigation into a traffic accident. Andrade Covarrubias was charged with OWI 1st, Reckless driving, Violation of Instruction Permit Limitation, Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability, and Failure to Maintain Control; On Nov. 5th also, 39-year-old Benjamin Nicholas Stein, of Woodbine, was arrested following a traffic stop on Highway 44. Stein was charged with OWI 1st, Interference with Official Acts, Speeding, and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability; On the 7th of November, Deputies in Shelby County arrested 43-year-old David Joseph Christie, of Harlan, following a traffic accident investigation. Christie was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with OWI 1st, Failure to Provide Proof of Liability, No Valid Drivers License, and Open Container.

And, on Nov. 11th, 37-year-old Tiffanie Ann Newcomb,of Kirkman, was arrested on a Shelby County Warrant. Newcomb was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving while Barred.

Note: Criminal charges are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.