(Iowa DNR News)  – A large canine found lying in the median of I-80 in Scott County Monday morning has been identified as a young adult male gray wolf. The animal, estimated to be around two years old, was seen laying in the I-80 median near the interchange with I-280 by State Conservation Officer Brooks VanDerBeek who collected it for examination.

The wolf was taken to the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Ames, and received a full necropsy on Wednesday to confirm cause of death and assess overall health. The DNR is planning to send tissue samples for DNA testing to verify if it’s a true wolf or hybrid, and its population of origin.

Based on the examination, state furbearer biologist Vince Evelsizer and state wildlife veterinarian Dr. Rachel Ruden are confident it is a gray wolf. “He was in fair shape physically, with not much fat under the hide but a good amount of fat internally,” Ruden said. “He was also moderately parasitized by tapeworms, including Echinococcus, which is not unexpected as wild canids are the definitive host. However, this particular parasite can infect people through the ingestion of eggs in feces, so this serves as a good reminder for our hunters, trappers and wildlife rehabilitators to take care when handling coyotes and foxes.”

This wolf likely originated from the Great Lakes population in Wisconsin and Minnesota, Evelsizer said. “Wolves have a complex social structure and will naturally disperse, typically in the fall or winter, not necessarily associated with breeding. We received a quality daylight photo of a gray wolf from a trail camera in Delaware County in November, and this wolf appears to have similar coloring, but we don’t know for sure it’s the same animal or not,” said Evelsizer. “We are thankful Officer VanDerBeek spotted this animal and picked it up.”

The Great Lakes wolf population has been steady to slightly increasing in recent years and is the closest population to Iowa. Over the last five years, Iowa averages from one to five wolves roaming through. Iowa does not have a breeding population of wolves. “While it is rare for wolves to be in Iowa, this serves as a reminder to coyote hunters to be very sure of your target before pulling the trigger,” Evelsizer said.

Coyotes typically weigh 25-40 pounds whereas wolves typically weigh 70-110 pounds. For comparison, this wolf weighed 77.5 pounds, and measured 62 inches long from nose to tip of the tail. Wolves are protected in Iowa and there is no open season.

(Cedar Rapids, Iowa) –  A man from western Iowa who was found in possession of a homemade large-caliber pistol in the Meskwaki Casino in 2022, was sentenced Thursday (February 22, 2024) in Cedar Rapids U-S District Court, to five years in federal prison. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa, said Friday (today), 56-year-old Som Boun Cam, from Council Bluffs, received the prison term after a September 18, 2023 guilty plea to possessing a smooth bore, .410 gauge pistol, which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

In addition to the 60-month sentence, Cam must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. He is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

In a plea agreement, Cam admitted that on April 14, 2022, he was in the Meskwaki Casino hotel when he was involved in a scuffle with another guest and misplaced his backpack. Hotel staff subsequently found the backpack, and when they looked in it on April 18, 2022, they found methamphetamine and a homemade smooth bore .410 gauge pistol. On April 19, 2022, Cam returned to the hotel to claim his property. Cam admitted he had manufactured the firearm. This was a firearm that was required to be registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, but it was not registered to him. Cam has a 1995 felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and methamphetamine, a 2017 felony conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon, and multiple assault convictions.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated by the Meskwaki Nation Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

(Radio Iowa) – A report by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform finds 61 percent of Iowa’s rural hospitals no longer deliver babies. The report analyzed federal data and also found that of the 36 rural hospitals still providing the care, 58 percent reported losing money on the service. The C-E-O of the non-profit, Harold Miller, says insurance companies and Medicaid need to reimburse hospitals more for the cost of births.

“We’ve suggested that they also need to pay differently. Rather than simply paying for each birth, they need to be paying the hospital to be able to support the availability of the appropriate staff to do that,” he says. Miller says it’s really hard to reopen the birthing units once they close.

“So it’s really important to try to prevent more of them from closing now. And with the warning signs that this indicates that this problem is growing right now,” Miller says. Miller says policymakers also need to find ways to recruit and train more people to work in rural health care.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who know someone who lives by the six pillars of character are invited to nominate someone, a business or organization for this year’s Iowa Character Awards. Those pillars are: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.

Cheri McDaniel, spokeswoman for the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University in Des Moines, says they’re looking for Iowans who go above and beyond. “We collect nominations from across the state,” McDaniel says, “and we just want to recognize Iowans that are doing wonderful things.” There have been more than 200 Iowa Character awards presented since 2005. There are multiple categories for the awards, including for sports teams and student organizations.

“Annually, we give out awards to the Citizen of Character, both at the youth level and at the adult level,” McDaniel says. “We have the Educator of Character Award, which can be given out to teachers, administration, anyone working within the schools. There’s the Business of Character, which is any business organization.”

Character Pillars (Robert D. and Billie Ray Center image)

The nomination deadline is May 1st and she says it’s easy to submit a name. “You can go to Iowa Character Awards and there is going to be a red box on the page that just says 2024 Nomination Form,” she says. “You click that and it’ll take you to a page and you can add all the information and upload whatever supporting documentation you might have.”

The winners will be announced in June and will be recognized this summer with a date to be announced.

(Radio Iowa) – Two dozen cats were removed from a house in Des Moines this week. A news release from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa says the 24 cats were everywhere in the house, and their droppings and garbage covered the floors.

The ARL says all of the animals were dehydrated with upper respiratory infections, conjunctivitis, ear mites, fleas, and eyes matted shut. They’re all now being treated by the ARL’s Miracle Medical Team though CEO Tom Colvin says their recovery will be a long journey.

ARL of Iowa image

There’s no word yet on the owner’s name or whether any charges are being filed. To make a donation to the ARL, click here.

(Atlantic, Iowa)C – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Doctors Jim & Haley Kickland on Thursday, February 22nd, 2024, to catch up with the Midwest Health Center and learn more about the services they provide.

The Kickland’s have been working side by side for many years, integrating chiropractic care, family medical care, and acupuncture to improve the overall health and wellness of their patients. Dr. Jim Kickland has been in the chiropractic industry for 32 years, and shared the ancient history of acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years by the Chinese. Acupuncture can be used to impact all aspects of a person’s life from headaches to nausea, to chronic pain and even breached babies. Jim shared that his favorite part about his profession is the ability to build relationships with his clients and see them through all stages of life, from two days old until 100 years old.

Ambassador (Left to Right): Lana Westphalen, Elaine Otte, Kathie Hockenberry, Dolly Bergmann, Beth Spieker, Dr. Keith Leonard, Krysta Hanson, Scott Bennett, Alisha Wagner, Tonya Jamesen, DeeDee Kalny, Dorene White, Anne Quist, Rick Mericle, Haley Kickland, Julie Waters, Donnie Drennan, Jim Kickland, Jeremy Butler, Wesley Ansty, Kelsey Beschorner

Dr. Haley Kickland has been in the health industry for 16 years, using her passion for women’s health to connect and treat patients of all ages. Haley works closely with Cass Health and other specialists to make sure her patients get the help they need while staying close to home. Haley has more recently expanded her certifications to include advanced Botox and dermal filling techniques to help her patients look and feel younger.

Midwest Health Center is open Monday- Thursday 7AM-5PM with a Pediatrist seeing patients in the clinic on Fridays. Midwest Health Center is located at 1101 E 7th Street, Atlantic.

To learn more about services, or to schedule an appointment, call 712-243-5790 or visit www.midwesthealthcenter.com

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Iowa 3rd District Republican Congressman Zach Nunn hosted an informational session on Opiods at Cass Health in Atlantic, this (Friday) morning. The event was attended by more than fifty members of the Cass County community. Panelists included Atlantic Police Chief Devin Hogue, Decatur County Sheriff Chris Lane, representatives from the Office of the Iowa Attorney General, Cass County Chief Medical Director Elaine Barry, Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett, and Deric Kidd, who lost his son to fentanyl.

He was joined by representatives from the law enforcement community, medical professionals, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office and others, in sharing the best practices and develop new approaches to help combat the opiod crisis in rural Iowa.

Nunn said he just returned from the Yuma, Arizona border crossing. He said many of the drugs — such as fentanyl that are made in China – make their way into the U-S through Mexico. He said [the] “Opiod crisis impacts every community. As a parent, as a family member, as a kid, you know, it is the number one leading cause of death…fentanyl… from folks my age down to my daughter’s friends age. And this is a very dangerous thing that is hurting our communities.”

Photo’s courtesy of Zach Nunn’s office

Speaking of developments on the federal level, Nunn said the medical prevention act was passed, so that Naloxone  (Narcan) a nasal spray that helps to reverse the effects of a fentanyl overdose – can be made readily available to families, communities and school districts. More than 70-thousand drug overdose deaths that occurred in 2021, were attributed to synthetic opiods other than methadone – primarily fentanyl, which is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18-and 45.

Among the panelists who spoke at the event, was Cass Health Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Elaine Berry, who also serves as Cass County Medical Examiner. She’s been with the hospital for more than 35-years. Dr. Berry said most of the overdose deaths are due to stimulants, such as methamphetamine, or fentanyl. What makes fentanyl the greater threat, she said, is that it is cheaper to make compared to other drugs. She said it’s a huge threat for an overdose, because “Very, very tiny amounts are extremely powerful. Just a little tiny crystal of it can cause an overdose,” which can cause a person to stop breathing.

Iowa Department of Public Safety Special Agent, in charge of the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Michael Mittan, showed pictures of fake fentanyl (M-33), which looks like candy, and can come in a rainbow color pill, making it attractive to kids, who might mistake it for something good to eat. He said in 2019, Iowa DCI lab cases dealt with 34 grams in 2019. As of 2023, that increased to 9,000 grams. In addition to pills, fentanyl can come in a powdered form, as is the case with the drug which was seized in Council Bluffs. The drug is also being mixed with other substances, such as cocaine or Zylazene (A livestock tranquilizer). Fentanyl deaths, he said, will be treated as as homicide, if the person or persons responsible for its trafficking, can be identified.

Atlantic Police Chief Devin Hogue spoke at the event, about the effects of fentanyl on the local level. He said in Atlantic and neighboring communities, there have been at least two deaths associated with the drug. Five people have been prosecuted and sentenced to federal prison for their roles in the deaths. He said those people sold the drug, “to feed their own habit.”

Decatur County Sheriff Chris Lane explained what he’s noticed over the past two-years: an increase in overdoses and an increase in fatal overdoses. Narcan was administered numerous times over the past couple of years. Meth and Marijuana are also prevalent drugs in his county, with fentanyl cut into the mix. He said pill bottles with opiods are also being found more and more. Sheriff Lane said they have not seen a lot of counterfeit pills in his county, but the DNE recently stopped a vehicle in on Interstate 35 in Decatur County, and seized 30,000 pills. He said the effects of meth mixed-in with fentanyl make people go  “Completely out of their mind for a month, for upwards of a month or longer…we are absolutely convinced that a few people will never return to their normal behavior,” whereas before, with the use of meth alone, they would recover within about a week.

He cited a case in one of the small towns in his county where a man was running through town with a machete and screaming at people who weren’t there. The man stood 6-feet 5-inches tall, and weighed more than 300-pounds. As he cowered on the floorboard of the patrol car, he begged the Sheriff to protect him from the whatever he was seeing and “voices he was hearing.”

Deric Kidd spoke about the loss in July, 2021, of his 17-year-old son Sebastian Alexander Kidd. Sebastian took half a pill before bed he thought was percocet. He was unaware he had actually taken a counterfeit pill laced with a lethal dose of fentanyl. He said “This crisis transcends a mere drug problem. It signifies a deeper societal despair. Our mental health epidemic fueled by grief, trauma and depression, demands urgent dialogue.” He said tearfully, “Two weeks ago, a fellow parent in one of our advocacy groups took her own life. She could no longer bear the loss of her son.” The next victim, he said, “could be someone you love.” The discussion about the risks of fentanyl and other drugs, he added, must be prioritized in our schools and communities, “treating it with the urgency of an epidemic. We cannot afford to revisit this conversation in the future without tangible progress.”

The final speaker at Friday’s event in Atlantic, was William Pearson, Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Division of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. One of the areas of focus he covers is opiods. The Iowa Consumer Fraud Act, he said, has allowed the State to reach settlements with prescription (legal) drug major drug manufacturers of opiod painkillers (such as Oxycontin, Oxycodone and Hydrocodone). The settlement also includes the distributors and big chain pharmacies, and amounts to almost $300-million over the next 15-to 18-years into Iowa, for opiod remediation, including: treatment; education; and harm reduction (Including Naloxone).

Congressman Nunn concluded the event by saying more has to be done at the strategic level, to control and push back against the production of synthetic drugs in China and Mexico, because it “Is a true national security threat.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Department reports two people were arrested on separate drug charges between Feb. 10th and the 23rd:

• On February 10th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 48-year-old Samuel Shroyer, of Eagle, CO, on charges of OWI/1st Offense and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  Shroyer was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.
• On February 16th, 45-year-old Anthony Karns, of Wiota, was arrested on a variety of warrants and new charges which included:  2 counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, Theft 5th Degree, 3 counts of Burglary 3rd Degree, Theft 2nd Degree and Possession of Marijuana.  Karns was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

On February 14th, 26-year-old Chase Holmes, of Griswold, was arrested on several counts of Exhibiting Obscene Material to a Minor.  Holmes was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

Two people were arrested on separate assault charges in Cass County:

• On February 16th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested 40-year-old Markku Liukkonen, of Atlantic, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault/1st Offense.  Liukkonen turned himself in to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.
• On February 11th, 43-year-old Julie Geer, of Griswold, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st Offense.  Geer was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On February 23rd,  County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 34-year-old Joseph White, of Atlantic, on the charge of OWI 1st Offense.  White was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

And, on February 12th, 32-year-old Dalton Cormeny, of Fontanelle, was arrested on a warrant for Violation of Probation.  Cormeny was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later transfer to another agency.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled in the first review of whether state lawmakers have immunity when it comes to releasing information on their discussions. The League of Latin American Citizens of Iowa (LULAC) served subpoenas on several legislators seeking copies of communications they had related to changes in the state voting law. LULAC wants the information for its lawsuit that claims the changes were unconstitutional and meant to discriminate against some voters.

Lawmakers argued they are protected by a legislative privilege under the Iowa Constitution. The Iowa Supreme Court says an individual legislator’s intent is not relevant to LULAC’s claims at this point in the case.

The state Judicial Building.

The Supreme Court says legislators do have a privilege to not reveal the information in this case, but stop short of saying the legislative privilege is absolute.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with SWIPCO (the Southwest Iowa Planning Council), report five new members have been added to the SWIPCO/SWITA team.

• Amy Jones joins the team as a Payroll & Benefits Specialist. Jones has an extended background in accounting and human resources.
• Brandie McFarland joins SWIPCO as a Human Resource Specialist. She will work alongside Human Resource Coordinator Daurine Petersen to assist with many HR duties including on-boarding new employees, driver training, and compliance.
• Holly Jackson joins the organization as a Community Development Specialist, Planner. She will work with communities throughout the SWIPCO region on zoning and coding ordinances.
• Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA) welcomes Gina Gentile as a Transit Scheduler. Gina will join the team that connects area residents to the transportation they need.
• Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA) welcomes Adam Kisner as Maintenance Assistant. Adam will help to keep the SWITA fleet of vehicles clean and maintained along with ensuring offices and facilities are kept in top shape. He will also run routes as a driver and help transport vehicles. SWITA serves eight counties in Southwest Iowa with a fleet of 100 vehicles. Transportation provided includes work routes, student transportation, day habilitation routes for disabled individuals, medical transport, and a range of other services.

Holly Jackson

Gina Gentile

Brandie McFarland

Amy Jones

Adam Kisner