No injuries were reported after an SUV slammed into a store Wednesday in Clarinda. According to the Clarinda P-D, 81-year old Neva Humphrey, of Clarinda, was driving a 2010 Ford Escape, when her foot slipped off the brake and onto the accelerator. The mishap resulted in her SUV slamming into a brick wall of the Dollar General Store at 200 East Glenn Miller Drive. The accident, which happened at around 1-p.m. Wednesday, caused just $1,000 damage to the SUV, but an estimated $14,000 damage to the store’s wall. No citations were issued.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Republican lawmaker is proposing a ban on abortion in Iowa, though he acknowledges his effort likely won’t succeed this session.  Rep. Dwayne Alons, of Hull, introduced a resolution Wednesday seeking to amend the Iowa Constitution to define life as beginning at conception, making abortion illegal at any stage. The proposal was supported by five other Republican legislators.

To change the state constitution, the measure would need to be passed by lawmakers, then approved by the Legislature elected in 2014 before a public vote.  Hull acknowledged the Senate likely wouldn’t take up his proposal but says the measure could have more support next year.  He also says the plan likely violates the U.S. Constitution, but he’s hopeful the Supreme Court will overrule current law that guarantees abortion rights.

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest Tuesday of 38-year old Tommy Auten, of Atlantic. Auten was taken into custody on a District Court warrant associated with his Failure to Appear for a Child Support Hearing. Auten was booked into the Cass County Jail and held, pending a court appearance.

Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley is introducing a bill today (Wednesday) that he says will cut rural health care costs. Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, is cosponsoring the “Rural Health Care Fairness Act” with Congressman Aaron Schock, a Republican from Illinois. Braley says the bill would allow rural health care clinics to qualify for federal incentives as they transition to electronic medical records. Braley says electronic medical records will help rural health clinics improve patient care, cut costs and prevent medical errors.

The Medicare Electronic Records Incentive Program already provides payments of up to 44-thousand dollars ($44,000) to eligible hospitals that upgrade to electronic health records technology. Braley says his bill would expand that program. “There are 142 Medicare rural health clinics currently in Iowa. They are not eligible to receive the electronic health records incentives. Our bipartisan bill changes that and allows rural health clinics to qualify for the electronic records incentive program,” Braley said.

Braley told reporters the legislation is budget-neutral, since it simply expands eligibility for the existing Medicare grant program and doesn’t expand the size of the program itself.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors have approved an amendment to the County’s Indigent Burial Policy. Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman says the policy as amended states “Applications for Disposition Benefits shall be made by family, interested friends or a funeral home, through the Cass County General Assistance office. Previously, funeral homes were not included in the application process, but that was changed due to the fact if the deceased has no family, and the other avenues of paying for a burial are not available because of a lack of assets, the “Friend” or funeral home can assume liability for reimbursing the County for related burial costs if it is later determined funds were available through a will or other source.

Supervisor Chuck Rieken said if there assets available no one was aware of at the time of application, the funeral home or person who applies has the responsibility of notifying the County. Rieken said the Board may revisit the Disposition Policy next year, to see if costs have increased and if the County can continue to provide an indigent burial service.