United Group Insurance

Nebraska man sentenced for Iowa cocaine conspiracy

News

March 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a Nebraska man who supplied crack cocaine that was sold in northwest Iowa has been given 15 years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors say 32-year-old Tuwane English had pleaded guilty in Sioux City to conspiring to distribute crack cocaine. English would sell crack in Omaha, Neb., to people who would sell it in the Sioux City area. English, of Omaha, must serve eight years of supervised release when he leaves prison. He was sentenced on Monday. He’d already been convicted of conspiracy to distribute narcotics in Nebraska.

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast: March 28th 2012

Podcasts, Weather

March 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here’s the (Podcast) forecast for Atlantic and the KJAN listening area…..

Play

WARREN T. CHAFFEY, 86 (formerly of Harlan) Svcs. 3-30-12

Obituaries

March 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

WARREN T. CHAFFEY, 86, of Lancaster, CA (& formerly of Harlan), died Feb. 9th, in Lancaster, CA. A Memorial Mass for WARREN CHAFFEY will be held 11-a.m. Friday, March 30th, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Harlan. Burmeister-Johannsen Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Memorials may be directed to the Harlan Golden K Club in Warren’s name.

Warren T. Chaffey is survived by:

His daughters – Dale Avery, of Quartz Hill, CA, & Valerie Fontaine, of Los Angeles, CA.

His son – David (Laurie) Chaffey, of Palmdale, CA.

His sister – Lettie Wing, of Walnut Creek, CA.

7 grandchildren & 1 great-grandchild.

RUTH POULIN HAIG, 74, of Atlantic (Svcs. 3-31-12)

Obituaries

March 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

RUTH POULIN HAIG, 74, of Atlantic, died Tue., March 27th, at the Atlantic Nursing & Rehab Center. Funeral services for RUTH POULIN HAIG will be held 2:30-p.m. Sat., March 31st, at the Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic.

Burial will be in the Gus Cemetery (formerly the Maple Grove Cemetery), northeast of Clarinda.

DHS director says mental health reorganization has to address provider shortage

News

March 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The director of the Iowa Department of Human Services says a plan to redesign Iowa’s county-based system for delivering mental health services should also tackle a critical shortage of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. D-H-S director, Chuck Palmer, says lawmakers acknowledge that Iowa’s shortage of psychiatrists is one of the most severe in the country. “It’s the full range, we have acute problems, particularly in rural Iowa. We see it as a significant need and we have to take it on,” Palmer says. Palmer says the bill to reorganize the mental health delivery system includes a study of the shortage of the people needed to run the system.

“The legislature has built into the bill the creation of a workforce group that’s to look at the full range of providers — from psychiatrists where we’re 47th in the nation — to even building up more people trained in peer support,” Palmer explains. Providers say the shortage means a lack of access to mental health care in some parts of the state, especially rural Iowa. Lawmakers say they’re optimistic they will reach agreement on their plan to standardize mental health care statewide and have the state pick up more of the cost.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)

Benefit fundraiser to be held for good samaritan hit by a car last year

News

March 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

An event scheduled to take place next Monday night at the Treynor Community Center, will benefit a member of the American Legion Post in  Treynor, who was critically injured last December. According to the Omaha World-Herald, the benefit fish fry for Jerry Lustgraaf will be held from5- to 7-pm Monday at the Community Center, located at 11 West Main Street. The cost is $8 per person.

Lustgraaf, who was the driver of a tow truck, went to help a motorist who had gone into a ditch during an ice storm on December 3rd. He was outside of his truck when he was hit by another vehicle. Lustgraaf was released from the hospital in late January, and while he continues to recuperate at his Treynor home,  it will be months before he can return to work. All of the  proceeds from the benefit fish fry Monday night will go to Lustgraaf’s family, to defray his injury-related expenses.

Anyone with items to donate can contact Post 725 Adjutant Ken Koehler at 712-487-3813.

Early morning forecast for Cass & area Counties: 3-28-12

Weather

March 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

347 AM CDT WED MAR 28 2012 NWS/Des Moines

TODAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 70S. NORTH WIND NEAR 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 5 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW AROUND 50. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MORNING…THEN THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE LOWER 70S. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 60 PERCENT.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE LOWER 50S. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST AFTER MIDNIGHT. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 70 PERCENT.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 70S. WEST WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE LOWER 50S. HIGH IN THE UPPER 70S.

SATURDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 50S.

SUNDAY…SUNNY. HIGH AROUND 80.

Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., March 28th 2012

News

March 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — House Republicans have pushed through a large proposed cut in education spending. Yesterday, they approved a $775 million schools budget — $36 million less than the current one. The matter is far from settled as Senate Democrats have a school spending plan that is $115 million larger than the House measure.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Almost a dozen bus drivers in large Iowa school districts either face charges or have been convicted in the past decade of serious traffic offenses or criminal convictions. The charges included drunken driving and operating a vehicle with a suspended license. A review of public records in the Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Dubuque districts show most drivers had clean records or minor traffic violations.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Governors or lieutenant governors from at least four states, including Iowa, are planning to tour the remaining operational Beef Products plant to show support for the company. The plant produces the low-cost beef filler known as “pink slime” that has come under public scrutiny. A company spokesman says officials from Texas, South Dakota and Nebraska also will tour the South Sioux City, Nebraska, plant Thursday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An inmate serving a 25-year prison sentence for criminal transmission of HIV has died of heart disease. The Iowa Department of Corrections says 48-year-old Darrell John Alderton died Sunday in Iowa City. Alderton initially went to jail after being arrested in May 2005 for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy.

Cass County Audit report released

News

March 27th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman said Tuesday, Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn & Company P.C. CPAs have released an audit report on Cass County. The report shows the County had local tax revenue of $22,858,378 (roughly $22.86-million) for the year ended June 30th, 2011, which included $1,414,745 ($1.4-million) in tax credits from the state.

The County forwarded just over $16.26-million of the local tax revenue to the townships, school districts, cities and other taxing bodies in the County. The County retained $6.59-million of the local tax revenue to finance County operations, which is a 14.5 percent increase from the prior year. Other revenues included approximately $5.38-million from the state, including indirect federal funding of $837,755, and direct federal funding of $725,657, charges for service of $364,599, and $160,970 for the use of money and property.

Expenditures for County operations totaled nearly $11.94-million, which is a 9.1 percent decrease from the prior year. Expenses included slightly more than  S4,16-million for roads and transportation, $1.9-million for mental health, $1.85-million for public safety and legal services, and just over $1.07-million for administrative services.

A copy of the audit report is available for review in the office of the Auditor of State and the County Auditor’s office.

Atlantic School Board Terminates Food Service Employee’s Contract

News

March 27th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education held a special, closed session Tuesday night.

Becky Oliver (Photo from School District's website)

When the session concluded and the open session resumed, the board voted to terminate the employment of  Food Service employee, Becky Oliver, who worked at the Washington Elementary School. No reason was announced for the termination.