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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
The Audubon County Community Foundation has announced that grants totaling $46,500 were awarded to Audubon County nonprofit organizations and community projects. With these grants, the Audubon County Community Foundation has distributed over $2.3 million in grants and scholarships over the last 23 years.
The following organizations were awarded grants by the Audubon County Community Foundation Advisory Board:
All grantees met the criteria as Audubon County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions supporting community needs in the areas of civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. Only organizations providing services in Audubon County were eligible to apply. These grant funds were made possible by the generosity of donors to the Audubon County Community Foundation and the following charitable funds through the community foundation: Audubon Masonic Association Endowed Fund; Audubon State Bank/Stephen Garst Endowed Fund; Charles T. and Kathleen K. Manatt Endowed Fund; Leon and Iva Milliman Endowed Fund for Audubon County, Iowa; Fred and Evelyn Nissen Endowed Fund for Audubon; and Merle and Norma Petersen Endowed Fund.
Board members of the Audubon County Community Foundation are Chair, Genelle Deist of Audubon; Vice Chair, Joel Hoegh of rural Brayton; Secretary/Treasurer, Megan Wagner of Audubon; Gina Benton of Exira, Bob Blomme of Audubon; Steven B. Hansen of Audubon; and Donna Olson of Kimballton.
For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Stacey Goodman, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458 or stacey@omahafoundation.org.
The Cass County Community Foundation is pleased to announce that grants totaling $30,375 were awarded to Cass County nonprofit organizations and community projects. With these grants, the Cass County Community Foundation has distributed over $2.2 million in grants and scholarships over the last 22 years. The following organizations were awarded grants by the Cass County Community Foundation Advisory Board:
All grantees met the criteria as Cass County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions supporting community needs in the areas of civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. Only organizations providing services in Cass County were eligible to apply.
The grant funds were made possible by the generosity of donors to the Cass County Community Foundation and the following charitable funds through the community foundation: Griswold Community Development Endowed Fund and Triumph Endowed Fund for Cass County.
The Cass County Community Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to create permanent and expendable funds—such as those above—that address changing, vital community needs and interests. To inquire about donating to the Cass County Community Foundation, please contact the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa staff or any board member listed below. Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Cass County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.
Board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are Chair, Kristi Burg of Massena; Vice Chair, Gary Maas of Anita; Secretary/Treasurer, Roland K. Landsness, Esq. of Atlantic; Royal Bierbaum of Griswold; Sue Hunt of Atlantic; and Mark D. Kyhnn, CPA of Atlantic.
For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Stacey Goodman, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458 or stacey@omahafoundation.org.
The Cass County Auditor’s Office reports the Cass County courthouse will be open for in-person early voting through Monday, November 2 for all Cass County precincts. The Election room is the County Auditor’s Office which is located on the first floor. Regular courthouse hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
The County Auditor’s Office will also be open Saturday, October 24 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. and also Saturday, October 31 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The deadline to request an absentee ballot to be mailed is 5 p.m., Saturday, October 24th.
Montgomery County Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Hamman reports the Burn Ban in his county which was implemented on Sept. 28th, was lifted this (Friday) morning. Hamman says overall grassland and cropland conditions have improved due to recent precipitation, and harvested crops have reduced the risk for large and uncontrollable fires. Caution is still urged, however, if you plan to burn.
As always, please contact the Montgomery County Communications Center at 712-623-5107, if you plan to burn. Doing so will alleviate any unnecessary emergency responses, and allow for a point of contact, should an incident take place.
The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports 23-year-old Brandon Henderson, of Harlan, was arrested October 12th, on two outstanding warrants for Violation of Probation and Interference with Official Acts. Henderson appeared before the magistrate and was released on his own recognizance. And, 40-year old Donald Wanser, of Manning, was arrested Thursday, October 22nd, on a charge of OWI/1st offense. Wanser was released on his own recognizance and will appear before the magistrate at a later date.
His charges stem from a traffic stop on Highway 71 in the area of 250th St.
Atlantic firefighters responded this (Friday) morning to reported vehicle fire northeast of town. The page about a vehicle on fire in a ditch just west of Highway 71 on Troublesome Creek Road, went out at around 9:39-a.m. The driver of the vehicle got out safely before fire crews and law enforcement arrived. Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren says 19-year old Dylan Litty, of Atlantic, was traveling westbound on Troublesome Creek, when his brakes apparently failed as he was about to enter a curve in the road.
Ric Hanson/photo
The Chevy pickup traveled down a farm drive before entering the northeast ditch where it became engulfed in flames. The vehicle was a total loss. The accident remains under investigation.
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Court of Appeals has ordered a lower court judge to review the murder conviction in which jurors were accused of making racially charged comments during the trial. The appeals court ruling Wednesday came in the case of Doncorrion Spates, who was 18 when he was convicted in 2018 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for a 2016 shooting death.
A juror in Spates’ trial testified that two other jurors made the comments, including that most young Black men are in gangs and are desensitized to killing. Now, the trial court must determine whether the defense proved that racial hostility was a significant factor in the verdict. If so, Spates will be given a new trial. If not, his conviction will stand.
Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon reports the Burn Ban which was issued September 3rd, is officially rescinded as of 10-a.m. today (Friday, Oct. 23rd). The ban was lifted because field and grassland conditions have improved and the risk of controlled burns becoming out of control and spreading, is significantly reduced.
(Radio Iowa) – A new digital element has been added inside the tiny childhood home of the Everly Brothers in Shenandoah. Don and Phil Everly recorded their first hit — Bye Bye Love — in 1957, but they got their start in the 1940s performing in “The Everly Family” with their parents. A six-foot tall touchscreen is now inside the family home in Shenandoah, so visitors can see what else is in the museum collection. Bill Hillman, head of the Everly Brothers Foundation, says the small home just isn’t big enough to hold all the materials. “We’ve always wanted to get some kind of interactive cpmputers or something that people could look at all the stuff we have,” Hillman says.
The Everly’s home was moved to a spot in downtown Shenandoah years ago. Shelley Warner of the Shenandoah Chamber and Industry Association says they plan to keep adding material to the touch screen terminal. “Right now we’ve got our movie that we’ve made,” Warner says, “lots of photos and archived items and displays that we don’t have room for in the house.” Warner says fundraisers for the new digital display were held across the street from the home, at the Depot Deli. “Every concern we had for the last three years, I think — maybe four, proceeds have also helped go into this,” she says.
Other donations came from the Ed May Family and WalMart. The home is open by appointment only, except for special events when it’s open to the public. Phil Everly died in 2014. Don Everly is 83 and lives in Nashville.
Atlantic, IA—Cass County Health System CEO Brett Altman and Chief Nursing Officer Amanda Bireline are raising red flags about an uptick in COVID-19 cases in Cass County. The warnings come as the Cass County positivity rate for COVID-19 cases ranked second highest in the state at over 21% on Wednesday, October 21. Bireline says “Positive cases are rapidly accelerating and one of our greatest concerns is our future ability to adequately staff our hospital and clinics. Whether a staff member is forced to care for a family member or themselves after a positive COVID test, quarantine effectively removes a staff member from our workforce for up to two weeks at a time. While we have incorporated plans to mitigate workforce shortages during the pandemic, obviously the last place you want to have staffing shortages is in a hospital.”
Altman said CCHS belongs to a network of twelve independent western Iowa rural hospitals and all of them are sharing in that same struggle. “We are actually in better shape than most rural hospitals, however with the recent increase of cases in Cass County that could change quickly,” he said. Bireline noted that CCHS is beginning to see a rise in COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization. “The number of COVID patients hospitalized at CCHS is at an all-time high this week, and the cases we are seeing today reflect community activity from the last several weeks,” she said.
Altman added, “The surge is here and it’s real. We don’t know when it will peak, but too many cases at once should concern all of us. Our staff has been doing tremendous work, but we need everyone’s help in preventing the spread of COVID so we can maintain our workforce. Unless we are willing to make some commitments to reduce the spread, then there is reason to believe this current wave will continue to worsen.”
With the weather beginning to cool and people spending more time indoors, it is likely that cases will continue to increase. Public health messages such as frequent handwashing, practicing physical distancing, wearing a mask, and staying home when ill are more important than ever. “It is critical that entire communities recognize that there is a downstream impact from not social distancing, not wearing a mask, gathering in large crowds, and taking unnecessary chances. All of these actions can impact our local workforce including schools, businesses, as well as the hospitals,” said Altman.
Altman also commented on mask wearing and the recent change in quarantine guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health. “Like many, I personally don’t enjoy wearing a mask, but it is required in the hospital and is highly recommended in other public places based on individual circumstances. Remember, if everyone is wearing a mask, then exposure to someone with COVID who was also wearing a mask does not require a quarantine. Everyone masking supports the desire many of us share – keep kids in school and keep our employees working.”
Bireline and Altman both spoke to the importance of public health messages, and the difficult work done by Cass County Public Health. “Beth Olsen and her team have done an incredible job. They have been working seven days a week for many months now, with no end in sight, and taken it in stride. Like all of us, they didn’t sign up for this pandemic, but have simply been amazing. We want to thank and them for their efforts on behalf of all Cass County residents,” said Altman.
Bireline agreed. “It’s been a tremendously difficult year. We need to stay positive and keep planning for what’s ahead, and we must keep working together. I know that when I’m going through a tough time, it’s the support of those around me – both my family and my work family – that help pull me up out of it. That’s where we’re all at now. We need to rally and do what we can to lift each other up. That solidarity of ‘we are all in this together’ can have a positive impact on our entire well-being and our communities.”