ISU Extension and Outreach is providing a program called “Smart Choice” to help consumers understand health insurance concepts and terms, evaluate their own health insurance needs, examine insurance plans and select a plan that fits their needs and budget.  Mary Beth Kaufman, family finance program specialist stresses that the “Smart Choice workshops will not be an avenue for enrolling consumers in health insurance or for providing one-on-one advice about health insurance….” instead, by attending the meeting, consumers will be better able to understand and make sound choices.  Kaufman will teach the Smart Choice class in Harlan on Monday December 2 at the Shelby County Extension office at 906 6^th Street from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

Pre-registration is encouraged for the Smart Choice workshop which is free to you thanks to the Shelby County Extension District and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.  Consumers are encouraged to pre-register by calling the Shelby County Extension office by November 27 at 712-755-3014.

(Press Release)

An attempt to park a vehicle in the Atlantic Medical Center parking lot Thursday morning resulted in a total of $8,600 damage to five vehicles, but no one was injured. According to the Atlantic Police Department, Rachel Jensen, of Brayton, was attempting to park her vehicle, and was backing up to get between the yellow lines of her parking stall, when she a vehicle driven by Larry Brown of Atlantic, traveling through the parking lot.

After Jensen’s car hit Brown’s, she proceeded to pull forward, and in the process hit a parked vehicle registered to Micheal Spetman, of Council Bluffs. The collision pushed Spetman’s vehicle into another parked car, registered to Gary Claussen, of Walnut. That vehicle was then shoved into a parked car registered to Alan Arp, of Atlantic.

The accident happened just before 10-a.m., Thursday. Officials say Jensen was cited for Failure to Maintain Control.

The Chair of the Audubon County Community Foundation has announced that $34,900 in grants have been awarded to four non-profit agencies in the County. According to ACCF Chair Brett Irlmeier, the following each received checks for $8,725 : the Audubon County Agricultural Society received a grant for the Agri Hall air conditioning project; The Audubon County Recreation Foundation also received a check for the construction of a recreation center; A grant was awarded to the Exira Park Committee/City of Exira, for an LED programmable sign, and the Friendship Home Foundation received a grant for their new, Memory Care Unit.

Nonprofit representatives receiving grant awards: 1st row from left to right: Jenny Smith, Audubon Recreation Foundation; Genelle Deist, Friendship Home Foundation; Donna and Jim Johnson, Exira Park Committee; and Thomas R. Nielsen, Secretary/Treasurer, Audubon County Community Foundation.

Each of those nonprofit organizations had submitted applications to the Audubon County Community Foundation by the September 1^st deadline. Of the $34,900 award total, $2,000 from the Leon and Iva Milliman Endowed Fund was provided to the Exira Park Committee.  The Audubon County Agricultural Society was awarded $2,600 from the Charles T. and Kathleen K. Manatt Endowed Fund, $600 from the Audubon State Bank/Stephen Garst Endowed Fund, $1,000 from the Audubon Masonic Association Endowed Fund, $450 from the Fred and Evelyn Nissen Endowed Fund for Audubon, and $450 from the Merle and Norma Petersen Endowed Fund.

All grantees met the criteria as Audubon County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions in the areas of civic, cultural, health, education and social services.  Only organizations providing services in Audubon County were eligible. Audubon County agency representatives received their checks on November 11^th.

For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact any of the Audubon County Community Foundation Board Members, or call Dennis Nissen, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458.