(Radio Iowa) – The Siouxland Freedom Park has opened a temporary exhibit to honor local military hero Bud Day. Brigadier General Day received the Congressional Medal of Honor after surviving years of torture in a prison camp during the Vietnam War. Freedom Park board member Marty Hogan says the exhibit honors the hero and his wife Doris as Day’s 99th birthday approaches February 24th.

“We have a lot of really good pictures, several with him and his family before he went to Vietnam and then there’s some after Vietnam. We have some little items that Doris started that remember our P-O-Ws, we have a bumper sticker from that era,” he says. Hogan hopes the display at the interpretive center of the park will spur donations of local memorabilia that will eventually become a permanent display.

“Hopefully this will kick start a few donations coming in for you know of items and then we can start on our permanent display,” Hogans says. “We would like a collage of pictures on the wall, so most of those pictures that you’ll see will be incorporated into that. But then I would like a showcase to have items inside there with little stories beside them.” Day endured more than five years of torture after being shot down. He escaped a P-O-W camp, but was recaptured and punished more for escaping. Hogan is a retired major who marvels at the fortitude of Day throughout the ordeal.

“To not hold endless hate in your heart, his faith, his faith in his country, everything that he did was geared towards getting back home to his family,” Hogan says. “And on the converse side of that, his wife was doing the same thing here. And that is a family value. I think that Americans have kind of let slip away.” Day earned 70 decorations in service to his country, second only to General Douglas MacArthur. Day was posthumously promoted to Brigadier General in 2017.

The Interpretive Center is currently open Saturdays from 10 a-m to 4 p-m in South Sioux City Nebraska.

(Creston, Iowa) – Two accidents occurred Thursday (today), in Creston, but no one was injured. According to Creston Police, the first accident happened at around 1-a.m., on Spruce Street. Authorities say a 2002 Ford F-150 pickup driven by 21-year-old Christopher Gage Selvy, of Creston, was stopped in a driveway. Selvy didn’t realize the vehicle was in reverse. When he reached down to grab something in the vehicle, he stepped on the accelerator.

The pickup crossed Spruce Street and struck a 1991 Dutchman camper which was parked in a yard. The camper was pushed into a 1990 Ford Econoline E-350 motor home/RV, which was also parked in a yard. The front of the camper also struck a 2006 Dodge RAM 2500 pickup, which was parked in front of the camper. No citations were issued.

Damage from the accident amounted to $10,500. Police were notified about the accident at around 9-a.m.

The second accident happened at around 1:30-p.m., Thursday, at S. Maple and E. Page Streets. Creston Police say a 2008 Dodge Avenger driven by 25-year-old Joshua Lee Rafter, of Creston, was traveling south on S. Maple Street, while a 2012 Chrysler van driven by 20-year-old William Brandon Berry, of Creston, was traveling east on E. Page Street.

As both vehicles entered the uncontrolled intersection, Rafter failed to yield the right-of-way. His car was struck on the passenger side rear door by the van. The damage amounted to $10,500 altogether. No citations were issued.

(Radio Iowa) – City councils would be able to strip Iowa public library boards of their authority and take over management of their city’s library under legislation that’s cleared an Iowa House subcommittee.

City councils would be able to hire or fire the library’s director and decide what books should be in the library. The bill is a response to a failed effort to get a graphic novel removed from the shelves in Pella’s library. Pella’s city council held a city-wide vote — which is allowed under current state law — that would have put the council in charge of the library, but the referendum narrowly failed last November.

“Please don’t overturn this by an end run around and legislate a way of stopping the vote,” Mary Timmer of Pella told legislators during a subcommittee hearing late this morning.

Several library directors and members of local library boards urged legislators to defeat the bill. Wade Dooley, a farmer from Albion, is chairman of the board of trustees for the public library in his town of fewer than 500 residents.

“This bill is a train wreck,” Dooley said. “It opens up all sorts of possibilities for very disastrous consequences if you get an activist city council that starts seesawing on what they believe for a library to be or not be. Our city council has barely any training to be a city council, now you also want them to run a library?” I’m sorry, but that’s not a good idea. This bill should be squashed.”

Amanda Brewer, director of the Harlan Community Library, says library boards receive extensive training in what’s involved in governing a library.

Harlan Community Library director Amanda Brewer testifies at a House subcommittee hearing in the Iowa Capitol on Feb. 8, 2024. (RI photo)

“Our city councils can’t step up and take on that role,” Brewer said. “They’re already maxxed out on their responsibilities and they also need the buffer of the library board to protect them as a city and make the decisions that need to happen in the library.”

Republican Representative Carter Nordman of Adel said he’s heard privately from members of city councils as well as city administrators who have complaints about their public libraries that go beyond debates over books and content.

“The city council funds the libraries. There’s personnel issues. There are taxpayer dollars being spent and these are the individuals who are elected to make those decisions, so if there is issues with the library board, I think the buck stops at the city council,” Nordman said. “That’s why I think I am OK with moving this forward and continuing to have the conversation on making this bill better.”

The other Republican on the subcommittee said she had “reservations” about the bill, but voted to send it on to the House Local Government Committee to “continue the conversation.” The Democrat who served on the subcommittee said the bill “is a bad idea” and “there’s no reason for it.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Cass Health said Thursday (today), “We have been made aware of a series of scam phone calls and texts involving Cass Health.

“The callers claim to be from Cass Health and are asking to confirm or update your information including address, phone number, date of birth, as well as billing information. These are not legitimate phone calls and residents should not give out any personal information. Please hang up and disregard these calls.

“We’ve also been made aware of scam text messages claiming patients need to pay their bill by clicking on a link. We do not send text messages about payments due. Do not click on these links; you can disregard or block the number.

Keep in mind that our Registration team may call some patients to pre-register you for a a limited number of upcoming appointments (such as telehealth or clinical dietitian appointments). If you’re ever unsure about a call from us being legitimate, you can always hang up, call us at 712-243-3250 and ask for the department that contacted you.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) — Cass Health, in Atlantic, was recently named one of the four finalists for the 2023 Rural Hospital Leadership Team Award from the American Hospital Association. Hospital officials say the award recognizes small or rural hospital leadership teams who guide their hospital and community through change and innovation. The awardees display outstanding leadership, responsiveness to their community’s health needs, and a collaborative process that has led to measurable outcomes.

Cass Health CEO Brett Altman says “Cass Health’s staff is dedicated to our vision to be the best rural hospital in the country. Meeting that goal means we do a lot of behind-the-scenes work to really delve into our community’s needs, research solutions, recruit quality providers to allow greater access to specialty care and invest for the future. We’re very proud of our entire team to be one of the finalists for the American Hospital Association award, and I hope the many southwest Iowa communities we serve feel the same.”

The American Hospital Association shared that Cass Health was selected due to their work in three main areas. First, for labor and delivery services and growth in maternal health services. Second, their student experience program that provided around 120 clinical opportunities in nursing, medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, radiology, and other healthcare careers last year. Lastly, Cass Health was selected due to their Healthy Equity Committee, which focuses on health disparities, social determinants of health, and social needs.

The winning recipient of the Rural Hospital Leadership Team Award was Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital, in Waimea. Other finalists included the teams at Providence Alaska in Seward, Valdez and Kodiak, Alaska; and Hannibal Regional Healthcare System in Hannibal, Missouri.

(Radio Iowa) – The wife of a Woodbury County supervisor who was convicted of voter fraud will be sentenced on April 1st. Kim Phong Taylor was found guilty on multiple charges in a scheme to illegally gather votes from the Vietnamese Community for her husband Jeremy. Woodbury County Auditor Pat Gill was one of the witnesses for federal prosecutors. Gill says workers in his office raised a concern about absentee ballots in the 2020 primary election. “There were 135 write ins for Jeremy Taylor as auditor and 150 in that supervisor seat. And what was noticeable, why they called me down is the handwriting was all the same,” Gill says. He says there wasn’t enough to take action on at that point.

“And I just kept saying you know it’s a get out the vote effort unless one of those voters tells me differently, there’s nothing we can do about it,” he says. Things changed when a brother and sister came forward and said they were not allowed to legally vote because someone had forged ballots cast in their names.

Kim was found guilty of 26 counts of providing false information, 23 counts of fraudulent voting, and three counts of fraudulent registration. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count. Jeremy Taylor, was named an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the case but hasn’t been charged with a crime. Taylor was urged to resign by fellow board of supervisor members, but has refused.

(Radio Iowa) – Lawmakers on a Senate subcommittee have agreed to advance a bill that would double the number of medical cannabis dispensaries in Iowa, but they’re expressing reservations about the plan. About 18-thousand Iowans are currently registered to buy cannabidiol or C-B-D products from the five state licensed businesses. Senator Mike Bousselot, of Ankeny says a proliferation of products that produce a high are being sold elsewhere. “I think we ought to take a broader look at the program in light sort of all of the different facets of weed and hemp and THC and lack of action at the federal level,” Bousselot said.

Senator Janet Weiner, of Iowa City says Iowa’s medical marijuana program is really little — for a reason. “We’re just dancing around the issue of the fact that neighboring states have recreational marijuana and we’re losing out on a lot of revenue,” Weiner says. Marijuana is legal for recreational use in Minnesota, Illinois and Missouri. The five medical marijuana dispensaries licensed by the State of Iowa are in Coralville, Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Waterloo and Windsor Heights. The Iowa Cannabis Company operates three of those and a lobbyist for the company raised concerns about a section in the bill that says if the number of dispensaries expands to 10, one company could only operate three.

Tim Coonan is a lobbyist for Green Leaf Cannabis Company, a firm that backs the bill because it wants to apply for a license.  “That restriction makes it more competitive,” Coonan said, “rather than have the market completely dominated and monopolized by a certain few entities.”

Iowa Capitol Building (RI file photo)

MedPharm Iowa has the license for the state’s other two dispensaries.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Board of Supervisors met in a regular session Tuesday morning. According to the meeting minutes provided by Auditor Mark Maxwell, Tony Buman, Shelby County Zoning Director, was present and recommended the passage of a Wind Turbine and Solar Farm moratorium in Shelby County until more details can be worked out on the proper conditions and possibly be implemented in county ordinances. The Board then acted to approve two resolutions pertaining to both commercial Wind and Solar Farms.

In other business, Chris Fredericksen, Shelby County Engineer, gave a Secondary Roads report which that specifies Fredericksen is authorized, on behalf of the Board of Supervisors, to execute the certification of completion of work and final acceptance thereof in accordance with plans and specifications in connection with all Farm­ to-Market and Federal or State aid construction projects in the county. Auditor Mark Maxwell said also, a utility permit has been applied for by the Rural Water Association for utility in a right-of-way. The permit was approved. Carolyn Blum, Shelby County Treasurer, was on hand to present her semiannual report to the Supervisors and give a quarterly report to the Supervisors which included that the number of drivers license examinations have increased with parent taught Drivers Education.

Geralyn Greer, Shelby County Recorder, gave a quarterly report to the Supervisors with the current event in her office and that she has volunteered her services on a State Committee for the State Recorders Association. Greer also introduced her new employee, Makenzie Burmeister, to the Board of Supervisors.  The Supervisors then considered the hours earned by the interim EMS coordinator, many compensatory hours have been earned and necessary in the start up of the Shelby County Department. All hours have been logged and turned in by the EMS Coordinator. The Board passed a related resolution to assist the EMS Department in Employee Compensation:

“Whereas the Shelby County EMS department was organized quickly, and Shelby County took over operations from Medivac in less than one month. Whereas no Supervisory position existed at the time of the transition. Whereas the assistant EMA director volunteered to head the creation of the EMS department and was named interim director. Whereas the duties of both positions take many hours more than allowed in EMA employee handbooks. And the limits of compensation time allowed are suspected to be exceeded in the interim EMS role. Therefore let it be resolved that until July 1st, 2024, any excess compensatory time accumulated over the maximum allowed in the EMA handbook, will be allowed to be paid out at a one hour worked to one hour paid ratio . Signed timesheets by a County Supervisor and the interim EMS director must be turned in and properly filled out to receive any of the compensation payout.”

The Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council role in governing and advising the Supervisors has never clearly been defined. Marcus Gross, Shelby County Attorney, spoke and the EMS Advisory Board is in place to assist the creation of the Shelby County EMS and to assist the Board of Supervisors in making future recommendations to the Board of Supervisors concerning the operation of the EMS Department.

Jordon Sanders, interim EMS Coordinator was present to have the Supervisors consider a new wage scale for the EMS department. The Board approved the wage scale as presented.

A building and grounds use application by the Roar into Harlan organization was presented to the Supervisors to hold their monthly Thursday evening events this next summer. No incidents involving the Courthouse grounds have been noticed or reported to County officials. The Shelby County Supervisors passed a motion to approve the application as presented.

The Shelby County GIS director, Mark Maxwell, presented a contract between Harlan Municipal Utilities and the County for GIS services. Harlan Municipal Utilities want to have a three-year contract with the County versus a perpetual contract as has been the case in the past. A motion to that effect was passed.

The budget limits placed on Counties by the Iowa Legislature has caused the Supervisors to consider several options of cutting costs to taxpayers. A new County retirement incentive has been drafted with the details available at the Auditors office. Generally described as employees with over 25 years of continuous full time employment with Shelby County, over 55 years of age and eligible for bonafide retirement may apply for an early retirement package now offered by Shelby County. A motion to approve the retirement package passed as presented.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Community School District Transportation Director Steve Andersen presented his first report to the School Board Wednesday evening, since taking over the position. He said the Transportation Department has 19 regular drivers and 12 active substitute drivers.

Andersen all of the District’s yellow buses run on propane. A smaller, mini-bus runs on gasoline, and there are five diesel buses.

Steve Andersen showed the Board a color-coded map indicating their bus routes.

ACSD Transportation Director Steve Andersen (Official ACSD photo)

Andersen said all of their buses are inspected twice per year. All 27 buses were kept in-service last year, with only minor repairs needed, such as burned-out lights. A suburban that was previously taken out of service for repairs, was returned to the fleet this past Fall. He said one of his goals is to be able to acquire routing software, similar to what he used in his former delivery business. Currently, the routes are drawn by hand.

Andersen said the software would not only be a good security benefit, but a parent’s portal would allow changes to the route to be more efficient, based on student availability.

He said also, he wants to offer competitive compensation for the District’s drivers.

He also wants to continue to recruit Class-B licensed drivers. Andersen noted they can train persons who are getting their Class-B license for the first time and get them up-to-speed with an approved training at no charge.

(Radio Iowa) – Before this week’s warm-up, more than 30 swans were trapped in the ice on Little Wall Lake in central Iowa’s Hamilton County. Rescue efforts were hampered as the ice was too thin to safely support humans, so a hovercraft was used last week to reach the struggling birds. Jeni Boonjakuakul, with the Iowa Bird Rehabilitation Center in Des Moines, says seven swans were saved, but three died, likely from a combination of exposure and lead poisoning. “We took the four remaining ones to the Nebraska Wildlife Center. They have a full-time vet and some amazing equipment and we were able to get the lead out of the gizzards of two of the swans,” Boonjakualkul says. “Two are still there because they were too unstable to do the procedure, but we are hoping within the next day or two, that they stabilize, and then we can do the procedure on them as well.”

Another 24 dead swans were pulled from the icy lake by rescue and recovery teams. Boonjakuakul says it’s common for swans to be afflicted with lead poisoning. “They usually are ingesting lead particles that are at the bottom of the lake, and Little Wall Lake is 30 inches lower than it normally is due to our drought,” she says. “The swans have very long necks, so they were able to reach the bottom, and as they forage, they’re picking up particles, and then the lead just sits in their gizzard. It doesn’t digest and it doesn’t move through their system and it just continues to poison them.” It’s hoped all four swans can return to the Iowa rehab center to be nursed back to health, though it could take months.

Iowa Bird Rehab photo from Facebook

For updates on the swans, follow Iowa Bird Rehabilitation on Facebook.
iowabirdrehab.org