An official groundbreaking ceremony will be held Wednesday afternoon in Atlantic for a $23.5-million dollar expansion and renovation project at the Cass County Memorial Hospital. CCMH Administrator and CEO Pat Markham says planning for the project actually began not long after the last major project was completed, in 1994. She says as the changes in health care have occurred over the years, especially the transition from in-patient to out-patient care, the hospital realized the need to consolidate the in-patients services and expand upon their surgery and the out-patient services.

Markham says CCMH Board of Directors began working on the financing and budgeting process for the expansion and renovation last Summer. When complete, the facility will feature a new, state-of-the-art Emergency Room and O-R surgery services, along with same-day surgery, which will be on the first floor of the new addition. Markham says all of the in-patient services will consolidated into the second floor of the addition. 

Following that, a renovation will occur in a number of areas at the hospital, including the outpatient clinic, expansion of the oncology and cardiology and cardiac rehab areas. All of the facility’s rehab services will then be moved to what’s currently the surgery and O-B areas. The three in-patient wings at the hospital will be demolished, which is the last piece of the project.

Just about a year ago, the facility added a new Home Care Hospice center, which will be demolished as part of the current renovation project. Markham says that’s because since it was built, the hospice services have been transitioned to Iowa Health Home Care, and is no longer under the auspices of the Cass County Health System. 

She says it was only intended to serve as a temporary location to develop the service and gauge the communities’ response to such a service. Markham says it was not the “ideal situation,” and the service providers and staff preferred to see it in a totally separate location, with a more “residential” feel.

Markham says Wednesday’s brief, groundbreaking ceremony for the new addition and renovation, will take place at 1-p.m. in the east parking lot at CCMH.

Two people were injured during a rollover accident Sunday afternoon, in Page County. Sheriff’s officials say the driver of a minivan, 18-year old Elyane Anderson, of Chicago, IL, and her 20-year old passenger, Antonio Ray Putnam, of Essex, were transported to the Shenandoah Medical Center following the crash at 150^th Street and “B” Avenue, at around 3:15-p.m., Sunday.

The pair were traveling east on 150^th when Anderson lost control of the 1997 Dodge mini-van. The vehicle slid off the road at the intersection with B Avenue and knocked over a stop sign, entered the east ditch and rolled over onto a fence before coming to rest on its wheels.

Anderson and Putnam suffered possible, unknown injuries. Authorities say they were wearing their seatbelts. Authorities cited Anderson for Operating without a valid license, failure to maintain control, and having no proof of insurance.

The van was totaled in the crash. Other damage, including to the stop sign and fence, amounted to $850.

The Atlantic Police Department reports seven people were arrested over the past week, on a variety of charges. Early this (Monday) morning, 23-year old Brandon Johnston, of Atlantic, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

On Sunday, officers arrested 18-year old Alex Rutledge and 19-year old Tia Cohrs, both of Atlantic. Rutledge and Cohrs face charges which include Possession of a Controlled Substance, Distributing to a person under the age of 18, and Gathering where Controlled Substances are unlawfully used. And, 26-year old Rudy Gutierrez Del Toro, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI, 1^st offense.

Saturday, 25-year old Benjamin Grulke, of Atlantic, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension, and, 22-year old Trent Bramman, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI 1^st offense, and, Driving Under Suspension.

And, on Tuesday, 43-year old Lenny Biggs, of Atlantic, was arrested on four-counts of Sexual Abuse in the 3^rd degree.

Each of those individuals were brought to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

Officials with the Shelby County Chapter of the Salvation Army say the non-profit organization has been very busy this Spring with a variety of projects which have recently been completed or are currently in the works. Among the projects is a $350 donation to needy Shelby County residents for lice kits and diapers.

The organization has also provided $200 to assist a local non-profit group to help with their After School program, $300 to help re-stock a local non-profit organization that donated their existing stock to victims of the Mapleton tornado, and $200 for a “Fans for the Elderly” project, to purchase fans for those elderly individuals who are without air conditioning.

The Shelby County Chapter of the Salvation Army is funded by donations received from bell ringing volunteers in the Shelby County area and Shelby County Community Chest. Many volunteers give their time to the organization, while others assist in the distribution of goods and services.

Local businesses also help, by giving the organization the items it needs, at or below cost. Officials say their help is invaluable in helping those in need, in Shelby County, and the Salvation Army is grateful for the assistance.

Sheriff’s officials in Fremont County say no injuries were reported following a rollover accident early last week on Interstate 29, near the Iowa-Missouri border. Authorities say Jose Celis, of Hempstead, TX, was driving a 2002 Dodge pickup truck northbound on I-29, when a car veered into his lane.

As Celis attempted to move over, his pickup caught the shoulder and caused him to lose control. The vehicle rolled into a ditch and ended-up on its wheels. The accident happened on Tuesday, May 17^th.

Federal and State government agencies are coming to Council Bluffs Thursday, to Discuss Flood Prevention. The second of four “Don’t Test the Waters” forums across the state is sponsored by Iowa’s Flood Awareness Interagency Coalition, and will held at 6:30-p.m. in rooms A and B at the Council Bluffs Public Library, at 400 Willow Avenue.

During the meeting, you can learn how to prepare for floods and protect against property losses, and receive an update on flood mitigation efforts by local, state and federal government officials. Topic of discussion include: “Flood Readiness: Prepare, Prevent and Protect”; “New Floodplain Map: Has Your Risk Changed?”; “National Flood Insurance: Is It Right for You?”; “Flood Forecasts: Your Prevention Resource,” and “Council Bluff’s Flood Protection and Prevention Plan.”

Following the various presentations, there will be a panel question and answer session with the audience, along with refreshments.

Lightening may have sparked a fire that destroyed a home in rural Guthrie County Saturday night. Guthrie Center Fire Chief Doug Kent told KJAN News this (Monday) morning, the call about a fire at 2667 Frontier Road came in at around 11:30-p.m.

Kent says the home, owned by Tyler Carney, of Adair, and located about seven-miles southwest of Guthrie Center, was being remodeled, and is considered to be a complete loss, with the roof and sidewalls gone. The structure was unoccupied, and no injuries were reported.

The Guthrie Center Fire Department received mutual aid in fighting the blaze from the Adair and Casey Fire Departments. They remained on the scene for over four hours.

 The Chief says a storm passed through the remote area at around 8:30-p.m., and it’s possible lightening may have struck the home and caused a fire to smolder for about three-hours before it engulfed the home, but the cause remains under investigation.

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

B-17 “Liberty Bell”

Two World War Two aircraft will take to the skies over Council Bluffs this Memorial Day weekend. According to the non-profit Liberty Foundation, The Liberty Belle, a restored World War II B-17 “flying fortress” bomber and Curtiss P-40 Warhawk will take-off from the Council Bluffs Municipal Airport from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 28th, as part of the Liberty Foundation’s “2011 Salute to Veterans” tour. 

Anyone interested will have an opportunity to take a ride in the restored warbirds. Cost for a flight in the B-17 is $390 for Liberty Foundation Members and $430 for non-members. Twenty-minute rides are available for $1,150 on the newly restored P-40. Longer flights are available upon request. Become a member for $40 and receive the member discount. The foundation relies solely on donations and contributions. Funds raised from the flights help to keep the aircraft flying.

Ground tours will be available after the flights. The event is open to the public. Those interested can call (918) 340-0243 to schedule a flight. For more information, go to the website at libertyfoundation.org.