(Radio Iowa) – The new nationwide 9-8-8 mental health helpline goes live tomorrow (Saturday) as some questions remain about the sustainability of the plan. The idea is to give you an easy number to remember when you need immediate mental health support from a trained counselor or local crisis intervention services. Mental health advocates and law enforcement leaders have pushed for the number. Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson says it can take people directly to the source of help without having to go through law enforcement.

“It helps divert a significant portion of the people that otherwise might end up in the criminal justice system for no other reason than the fact that they are mentally ill,” Thompson says. But rolling out the service is proving to be complicated. The federal legislation left 9-8-8 up to states to implement with federal funding. But it also allows states to impose a new tax on phone lines to fund call centers and even crisis services. Many states, including Iowa, use this kind of tax to help fund 9-1-1 services, but Iowa has not introduced any legislation to fund 988.

Marissa Eyanson with the Iowa Department of Human Services says the state is relying on federal funding to see what real-time demand for it will look like after it launches. “We’re accounting for what we know today to be additional funding available from the federal level. But we’re also looking to detect what that means going forward. Because there’s an ongoing conversation at the federal level for how the effort will be supported. It is a nationwide effort, and it’s important,” Eyanson. Eyanson says it’s unlikely that D-H-S will have enough data available to review in time to come up with a legislative plan by the next session.

Organizations contracted by the state to set up the statewide 9-8-8 call centers have concerns about this — including Community C-E-O Sarah Nelson in Iowa City. “We’re building a massive infrastructure to do this and without knowing if there’s sustainable funding moving forward,” Nelson says. Emily Blomme at is C-E-O of Foundation 2 Crisis Services in Cedar Rapids. She says it’s been challenging to recruit the extra crisis counselors they need with the funding she has. “It’s really hard to say, Hi, you need to have a bachelor’s degree and two years of experience, and I’m going to pay you 17 dollars an hour,” according to Bloome.

Both organizations currently run call centers for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. But Blomme says estimates provided by the national lifeline projects calls to jump significantly under 9-8-8. And so far she’s hired less than half the additional staff she would like to have in place by the launch date. Eyanson of D-H-S says the agency has worked with Vibrant to review that estimate and provide its two contractors with enough funding for the first two years.

“What we’ve told them is that we think we’re sufficiently funded to start, but if their experience tells us otherwise, we will shift and that is a, that’s a promise that we’ll make real,” Eyanson says. If you need help you can 9-8-8 starting tomorrow (July 16th).

(reporting by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

(UPDATED) (Radio Iowa) – Nearly a dozen Iowa nursing homes have closed in the past seven months for financial reasons. Iowa Health Care Association president and C-E-O Brent Willet says like any industry, nursing homes face rising operating costs — but cannot raise daily and monthly rates because those are set by the government for Medicare and Medicaid patients.

“Medical supplies are up 35%. Certainly wage pressures are significantly higher than that. Long-term care facilities just don’t have the option that the rest of the economy does, which is either limiting our hours, (but) can’t shut down; we can’t raise our prices because those prices are controlled by the federal and the state government,” Willet says, “and so we are incurring ongoing and devastating financial losses which has unfortunately has begun to result in the closure of nursing homes.”

Willet says it means families and patients seeking long term care have fewer options. At least 45 percent of Iowa nursing homes are limiting or freezing admissions due to a lack of staff according to a recent survey by Willet’s organization.  “I was speaking with an administration the other day in the north central part of the state and I asked him: ‘Why are you still doing this?’ There’s an easier way to make a living,'” Willet says. “…He looked me in the eye and said: ‘I’m doing this because I don’t want my kids to see me as a quitter, because this is the hardest time I can imagine.'”

Willets made his comments during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S.

(Radio Iowa) – Local and state officials are investigating the events which led to the suicide of a man involved in a standoff in Le Mars.

Le Mars Police Chief Kevin Vande Vegte says several shots were fired in a home in southeast LeMars at around 9:30-p.m., Thursday, just as officers knocked on the door to serve a search warrant. One of those shots went into a neighbor’s home and lodged in a bedroom headboard.

The officers backed-off and set up a security perimeter, and made several, failed attempts to contact the suspect. The incident came to a head at around three o’clock this (Friday) morning, when the emergency response team entered the residence and found the man — who was not identified — dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines woman who initially pleaded “not guilty” in connection with a hit-and-run accident last April, that resulted in the death of a teenager, has changed her plea. On Wednesday, 38-year-old Terra Flipping entered into court a written plea of “Guilty” to “Knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death” – a Class C Felony.

Police said Flipping was driving an SUV in the 1600 block of East University Avenue when she hit 14-year-old Ema Cardenas. Authorities initially said another vehicle made it unavoidable for Flipping to see the teenager crossing the street in time.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Democrats are hosting a potluck/fundraiser this evening (Friday 15th), at the home of Jim and Vicki Nordskog. The event begins at 6-p.m. Invited candidates include Tripp Narup, who is running for the State Senate seat held by Tom Shipley, and John Norwood, Democrat candidate for Secretary of Agriculture in Iowa. Persons interested in attending may contact Denise O’Brien as casscountyiadems@gmail.com.

Audubon County Democrats will hold a meet-and-greet with US Senate candidate, Admiral Michael Franken, on Saturday. The event takes place late Saturday afternoon at the Audubon County Fair. At 6-p.m. Saturday, Franken will meet with Audubon County residents at the El Adobe Restaurant, on Main Street in Audubon. The event is a part of the Franken campaign’s 99 County Tour, and will offer local residents an opportunity to hear directly from Franken about why he is running to represent Iowans. This will also be an opportunity for Franken to hear directly from you about the issues and policies that matter most in rural Iowa.

And, on Wednesday, July 20th, Deidre DeJear and John Norwood will be in Atlantic, for DeJear’s Workday Wednesday series. Organizers say the series is focused on DeJear visiting local non-profits, small businesses, and farms, to hear directly from everyday Iowans about their challenges and opportunities. There will also be  round table discussion at the Atlantic High School (1201 E. 14th St.), on Feeding Local Communities. DeJear will be joined on the panel by Sec. of Ag. candidate John Norwood, local farmer Emily Paulsen, and community advocate Vicki Nordskog. The event will be moderated by Kimberlee Spillers. The round table takes place from 12:30-until 2-p.m., Wednesday.

(Atlantic & Audubon, Iowa) – Officials with the Cass and Audubon County Community Foundations have announced organizations providing charitable services within both counties may begin to apply for the fall grant cycle. Each County has $36,000 available in this grant cycle. In each county, only organizations providing services. They must be able to demonstrate broad community/county support and be an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charity, a local municipality, or a fiscally sponsored project.

The deadline to apply for funds through the online application process is September 1st. Of the total allocated funds in CASS COUNTY, $4,000 is restricted to the community of Griswold, and $32,600 is available to support projects throughout the county. Of the total allocated funds in AUDUBON COUNTY, $2,950 is restricted to the Exira area, $2,500 is designated for the community of Audubon, and $47,700 is available to support projects throughout the county. Organizations must be in their respective counties, and cannot cross-over to apply for funds in another county. 

Beginning July 15, application details, a fact sheet, and a link to the application form is online by selecting either Cass or Audubon County under County Listing at www.swiowafoundations.org. Applications will only be accepted through the online system.

The two Community Foundations aim to improve the quality of life in Cass and Audubon County, by supporting community needs in civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. The objective of the grant program is to fund projects that will have a permanent impact on and in, Cass County. For Fall 2022, the Cass and Audubon County Community Foundations will entertain requests for capital and program support. Requests for general operating support will not be considered.

These grant funds are made possible by the generosity of Cass and Audubon County Community Foundation donors, respectively, for each county. To inquire about donating to either Foundation, please contact the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa staff or any board member (listed below). Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Cass/Audubon County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

Please contact Stacey Goodman (stacey@omahafoundation.org) or Sydney Calcagno (sydney@omahafoundation.org) at 800-794-3458 with application-related questions. All completed grant applications will be considered at the October Board meeting, with applicants notified of funding decisions by the end of October.

Board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are Chair Kristi Burg of Massena; Vice Chair Gaylord Schelling of Atlantic; Secretary/Treasurer Sue Hunt of Atlantic; Sandy Bierbaum of Griswold; Justin D. Hockenberry of Anita; and Mike Tibken of Anita.
Audubon County Community Foundation are Chair, Steven B. Hansen of Audubon; Vice Chair, Pat Kaiser of Audubon; Secretary/Treasurer, Megan Wagner of Audubon; Gina Benton of Exira; Bob Blomme of Audubon; Travis Nelson of Exira; and Donna Olson of Kimballton.