Another Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) will be located within the walls of the Cass County Courthouse, in Atlantic.

Board Chairman Mark Wedemeyer (left) and Auditor Dale Sunderman look on, as Cass Co. Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon talks about the new AED (Center). – Ric Hanson photo

Cass County Emergency Management Director Mike Kennon told the Board of Supervisors during their meeting today (Wednesday), that the device, which is designed to shock a person’s heart back into normal rhythm during a heart attack, was received last Friday as a prize from ICAP, the Iowa Communities Assurance Pool. Kennon says he won the device after filling out a survey, which automatically entered the County into a raffle.

While courthouse staff will be trained in its use, the AED is designed to be administered by anyone, to someone suffering from a heart attack, because it comes with spoken instructions as soon as the case is opened and diagnostics are quickly run. It instructs the operator where to place the shock pads on the victim and automatically administers the proper voltage to restart the heart.

The only question that remained, is where the AED should be located. An AED is already located in the basement of the courthouse. Supervisor Chuck Rieken said since the majority of the foot traffic in the courthouse is on the second floor, where the Auditor and Treasurer’s offices are, it should be located in one of those offices.

Mike Kennon demonstrates how the AED is used.

The final determination as to its location will be left up to Kennon.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors have adopted upon the second reading, an amendment to the County Zoning Ordinance, that would allow an indoor shooting range and/or gun sales & service business to locate within the County. The move followed a second public hearing on the matter, during which there were no objections, but a Massena area resident, Rod Anderson, did question what impact the business would have on the septic leach field in the area, and how potential water and sewer usage would affect the City’s sewer system, and the money it receives from the wind turbines.

Supervisor Chuck Rieken reminded Anderson that the zoning ordinance they were acting on doesn’t have anything to do with leach fields and sewers, or wind turbines for that matter. He said there are rules that the County Sanitarian has to follow that are dictated by the State that will determine if the business actually is able to operate within the scope of the law.

Massena resident Kevin McCunn plans to open an indoor shooting range and gun sales shop on his property located northwest of the intersection of Highways 92 and 148. The Board’s approval of the amended ordinance today (Wednesday) allows that process to move forward.