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College World Series opens in Omaha Friday

Sports

June 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Thousands of Iowans will head to Omaha over the next 10 days to watch the College World Series. Eight teams will compete in Charles Schwab Stadium with the goal of winning an NCAA baseball title. Amy Hornocker is executive director of the local organizing group College World Series Omaha and says they are hoping to top last year’s record attendance.

The College World Series has been a fixture in Omaha since 1950.

Hornocker says the College World Series draws fans from across the country but the largest groups are from the Midwest.

The College World Series begins Friday afternoon when North Carolina plays Virginia.

There’s now a taste of Ukraine in the middle of NW Iowa’s Dutch country

News

June 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A new grocery store in downtown Orange City is named Schedryck which means “bountiful” in Ukraine. Natali Valyanska — the store’s owner and operator — says it’s also the name of a popular Ukrainian song. “All American people know this song. It’s like ‘Carol of the Bells.’ It’s Ukrainian song,” she says. “It’s like treasure. It’s like Ukrainian treasure.”  She says there are a variety of foods and beverages in stock to give Ukrainians who’re living in the area familiar tastes. “We have candy, chocolate, cakes, cookies. We have juice from Ukraine,” she says. “We have pickled tomatoes, pickled cucumber, some baked beans, but a Ukrainian recipe.”

The store has Ukrainian meats, mainly sausage, for sale — and the kind of ice cream that Valyanska prefers. “I think that it’s more tasty,” Valyanska. “I don’t know how to explain. You need just to try.” Valyanska says opening this store has fulfilled a dream. “In Ukraine, I worked 18 years in a bank, but I worked with big companies,” Valyanska says. “My favorite and best company, my best customer, was a retail company in Ukraine, so I know how it works from inside.”

Natali Valyanska

Valyanska has a small gallery in the store featuring paintings by an artist who still lives in Ukraine.

Central Iowa man injured in a Guthrie County accident

News

June 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – A man from central Iowa injured during a single-vehicle accident Wednesday afternoon in Guthrie County, was cited for Failure to Maintain Control. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says the accident happened at around 4:55-p.m. on Highway 44, east of Dogwood Avenue. Authorities say 24-year-old Jonathan Robert Hogan Brandon, of Indianola, was traveling east of Highway 44 when, according to Brandon, he attempted to pass a truck and trailer that was “all over the road.” While trying to pass the vehicle and trailer, the 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis he was driving slipped onto the north shoulder of the road, causing him to lose control.

The car entered the north ditch and continued eastbound before striking a tree. Jonathan Brandon – who was wearing his seat belt – complained of extreme shoulder pain, and was found laying on his back in the north ditch, by a Guthrie County Sheriff’ Deputy. He was transported by EMS ambulance to Methodist West Hospital. The car sustained an estimated $10,000 damage.

Local officials tour Glenwood housing project with Iowa Lt. Governor Adam Gregg

News

June 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Representatives from Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO), the City of Glenwood, and Developer Ryan Sell had a chance to show off the 712 Lofts development to Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg on Tuesday, June 11th. SWIPCO officials say the Lt. Governor was making his way through the region and provided an opportunity to check out this project and discuss other projects in Glenwood. Sell and his family hosted a tour of their conversion project of the former Glen Haven Nursing Home into 3-bedroom and 1-bedroom apartments. The project has been partially funded through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery Housing funds administered by SWIPCO following the 2019 Missouri River Floods.

Sell talked about the challenges of converting the building into the space they envisioned and hopes it brings a great option for the community. “We wanted to put something here that wasn’t really available anywhere else in town. This gives residents a unique space option with some three-bedroom, two-bath units,” Sell said. There will be 27 units total available once the project is done including a small house on the site that is being renovated as well. Sell said it’s been a learning process and has been challenging and frustrating at times with changes made along the way but it’s all working out. “We were all learning through the process but ultimately SWIPCO and Iowa Economic Development have been great partners. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without the help,” Sell said.

Photo (L-R): SWIPCO Communications Coordinator Chris Parks, Brock Sell, DeShawne Bird-Sell, Developer Ryan Sell, SWIPCO Disaster Recovery Coordinator Ashley Hayes, Lt. Governor Adam Gregg, Glenwood Mayor Angie Winquist, Glenwood City Administrator Amber Farnan, Mills County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jennie Davis, SWIPCO Community Development Specialist Tammy DeBord. (Photo courtesy Chris Parks at SWIPCO/SWITA)

Lieutenant Governor Gregg said he loves seeing projects like this one happen, “Ultimately you hope that this has a chance to bring a new generation to town. This can attract families to your community.” Glenwood City Administrator Amber Farnan also discussed the downtown façade work that is about to get underway because of a CDBG Downtown Revitalization grant that SWIPCO is working with the city on. 8 buildings around the Glenwood town square will get a facelift starting this summer. That project has approximately $960,000 in funding, $490,000 in CDBG funds and $470,000 in city and building owner funds.

Farnan also touched on a fiber project the city is in the midst of with Western Iowa Networks. They entered a partnership to bring fiber internet service to the entire city. The city is using American Rescue Plan Act funds to support the project. Lt. Governor Gregg asked about what obstacles arise in these projects and several on hand expressed concern with some of the changing requirements of grant funds and some of the paperwork obligations being a big challenge to fill. Gregg expressed his sympathy to those issues and said sometimes it’s above the state’s control when it comes to federal funding, but he noted the hangups. Also discussed was the vital need for good infrastructure for communities to continue to grow and attract business, such as a proper water system.

Glenwood officials were very thankful for the funding opportunities that have presented themselves and feel like they have done a good job of spending those funds on the right projects.

Ribbon-cutting held for Harl Holt Park project completion in Atlantic

News

June 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors and staff with the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today (Thursday), for the Harl Holt Park Playground renovation project.

Harl Holt Park playground equipment

The Park is located near 16th and Olive Streets. Parks and Rec Coordinator Jeff Christensen spoke before the ribbon-cutting about the playground and history of the project.

Harl Holt Ribbon Cutting

The Pour and play fall/safety material that surrounds the playground, Christensen says, “is like walking on a mattress, it’s nice and soft under you, and there’s not that much maintenance” that’s required. Aaron Sligh with Play-Pro Recreation in Waukee, spoke about the composite makeup of the fall material

Atlantic City Councilperson Elaine Otte said the new playground equipment has been utilized more over the past month than she’s seen in a long time. That sentiment was repeated by others who attended the ceremony, as well.

Christensen said Harl Holt Park will be a destination for people to bring their kids to now, especially with the Pour and Play surface. The Park was named after Atlantic resident Harl Holt, who died in 1975.

Iowans on the WIC program can now buy groceries online

News

June 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Families in Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska that take part in the Women, Infants, and Children program can now use their cards to shop online at most Hy-Vee stores in the state as part of a pilot program. Kate Franken, a Midwest WIC director, says shopping with young children can be challenging, and without an online option, fewer healthy foods are accessible. “This became a problem and really clear during the pandemic that the families that receive WIC benefits were not able to redeem those online,” Franken says, “like many of us consumers did at that time.”

Franken says the pilot program was launched in February at one Hy-Vee store in each state and it’s seen great success. “We’re hopeful to expand this around the state and into other retailers,” she says, “but we’ll need partners in the retail community to do that.”

Franken says grocery delivery is available from Hy-Vee for an additional fee, which cannot be paid for using WIC benefits.

FEMA Hiring Staff Members for Iowa Disaster Recovery

News

June 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Officials with FEMA report the Federal Emergency Management Agency is hiring Iowa residents to support the severe weather recovery efforts. Positions include Site Inspectors and Public Assistance Program Delivery Manager. The temporary positions are for 120 days and may be extended, in 120-day increments, for a maximum 365-day appointment, based on the needs of the disaster.

All candidates should possess strong computer, communication, interpersonal and customer service skills. Applicants must be at least 18 years old. U.S. citizenship is required. Selected candidates will be required to complete a background investigation, including fingerprinting. FEMA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Salaries are comparable to local pay rates.

To see posted positions, visit USAJOBS.gov. Type “FEMA Local Hire” in the search box and “Iowa” in the location box. Detailed job information is provided, including pay, benefits and application deadline for each position.

Iowa restaurants face fines for violating Child Labor laws

News

June 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa — Due to a difference in child labor laws at the state and federal levels, some Iowa restaurants could be punished despite following state regulations.  In a law passed last year, Iowa restaurants could have teenagers work later into the night. Allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work as late as 9 p.m. on school nights and 11 p.m. in the summer. KCCI-TV reports Iowa Restaurant Association officials say the U.S. Department of Labor has been issuing fines to several Iowa restaurants based on breaking federal law.

At the federal level, the teens must be off the clock by 7 p.m. on school nights and 9 p.m. in the summer — a full two hours earlier. It’s a difference that the association’s president and CEO Jessica Dunkin said could cost restaurant owners tens of thousands of dollars.

The U.S. Department of Labor said in a statement that it has done several investigations resulting in child labor violations in Iowa. However, the department also said the problem isn’t unique to Iowa with similar violations happening in several other states. Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a statement saying the Iowa law provides “tailored, common sense labor provisions that will allow young adults to develop their skills in the workforce.”

Senator Chuck Grassley also issued a statement saying “the Department of Labor ought to be working closely with Iowa businesses, not targeting them.” He said he’ll write to the labor department to urge improved communication so that Iowa small businesses and families can better navigate the labor laws.

Iowa care facility nurse fired for ‘callous disregard’ of residents’ needs

News

June 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa) – A judge has ruled that a western Iowa nursing home worker who was fired for dismissing residents’ complaints of pain as mere drug-seeking behavior is not entitled to unemployment benefits. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports, that according to state records, Leann McVay, a state-licensed practical nurse, was employed by one of Iowa’s largest nursing home chains, Care Initiatives, until March 18 of this year when she was fired due to issues at Avoca Specialty Care where she worked.

According to evidence presented by Care Initiatives at a recent hearing, the daughter of a resident at the Avoca facility contacted a supervisor at the home in March and complained about the care McVay was providing to her mother. After the supervisor told McVay to call the resident’s doctor for guidance, McVay allegedly responded that there was no need for that because the resident was “drug seeking” and only wanted pain medication the doctor would not provide, the company alleged. The supervisor allegedly reminded McVay such decisions were for the doctor to make, not the nursing staff, and inquired as to whether McVay had examined the resident for signs of a yeast infection. According to Care Initiatives, McVay replied that she was “not doing that” and refused to make the assessment.

The resident’s doctor subsequently ordered that an anti-fungal medication be administered by the staff, but within minutes the resident’s daughter contacted the supervisor again – this time upset and crying. Care Initiatives alleged the daughter reported that when she inquired as to the doctor’s orders, McVay was unkind to her and rolled her eyes. The daughter indicated she did not want McVay to ever again provide care for her mother. Around that time, another resident who was in pain and in tears allegedly went to the supervisor and complained about the care McVay was providing for her chronic pain. When McVay was asked whether she had contacted the woman’s doctor about the pain issue, McVay replied the resident was a “junkie” merely seeking access to pain medications the doctor wasn’t likely to authorize, the company alleged.

According to Care Initiatives, McVay then refused a directive to contact the woman’s doctor, although the physician had previously warned the staff that the woman might be needing additional pain medications to treat a diagnosed medical condition. McVay subsequently agreed to call the doctor, but allegedly reported back to her supervisors that the physician was out of the office and would not be back for a few days. She also was alleged to have made no effort to contact the on-call physician who was covering for the absent doctor.

Within days of those incidents, Care Initiatives said an overnight nurse at Avoca Specialty Care reported to the facility administrator, that McVay had thrown a set of tube-feeding devices at her and hurled an expletive, when she asked the worker is she was “blind,” due to her inability to locate the items.  State records indicate that in February 2024, McVay was reprimanded in response to complaints made by another Care Initiatives facility, Atlantic Specialty Care. The complaints included an allegation that McVay had simply sat in the director of nursing’s chair for an hour while she was on the clock, as well as allegations that she was unavailable to assist the certified nursing assistants. The company also alleged that in 2022, during the pandemic, McVay was disciplined for using her cell phone during work hours, having her protective mask pulled down while at the nurses’ station, and failing to assist aides with resident care.

After being fired, McVay sought unemployment benefits, which led to a hearing before Administrative Law Judge James Timberland. After hearing evidence in the case, Timberland recently ruled McVay was not entitled to benefits due to workplace misconduct stemming from her “callous disregard” of residents and their needs. Timberland ordered McVay to repay the $841 in benefit already collected. State records indicate McVay’s license is still in good standing with the Iowa Board of Nursing, and that she has no history of any prior disciplinary action imposed by the board.

Other Iowans whose unemployment cases were recently decided include:

Nichole Van Houten, who worked for the City of Bondurant as a communications and events coordinator until she resigned in April.

Stephanie Coble-Day, who worked as the school principal for Community Christian School of Fort Dodge until her dismissal in March for allegedly failing to properly complete numerous applications for program funding, failing to properly report a threat of gun violence, and fostering a negative work environment.

Read more about those cases, HERE.

Former Central Iowa insurance agent sentenced to prison for stealing from older Iowans

News

June 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — A former insurance agent and annuity salesman from Clive will spend 19 years behind bars for stealing millions from older Iowans. KCCI reports 48-yer-old Zachary Flaherty was charged with 17 counts of mail and wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and two counts of money laundering over $10,000. He was charged in April 2023.

In late November, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of wire fraud. On Wednesday, a federal judge sentenced Flaherty to 222 months for wire fraud and an additional six months for contempt, for a total of 228 months, or 19 years. Flaherty was also ordered to pay $2.4 in victim restitution.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Flaherty used his position as an insurance agent and annuity salesman to defraud about a dozen older clients in Iowa and Nebraska out of their retirement savings and other monies. Officials say the victims lost more than $900,000. Prosecutors say the victims also wrote more than $1 million worth of checks that Flaherty deposited to himself, and Flaherty defrauded insurance companies over $650,000.