ATLANTIC—The Cass County Health System Foundation is hosting their annual gala on Saturday, March 30th at the Atlantic Golf & Country Club. The gala is a fundraiser for the CCHS Foundation’s 2019 campaign to raise funds to purchase an “OB Bundle.” “Our goal this year is to purchase new equipment to enhance our obstetrics care at CCHS,” said Dawn Marnin, CCHS Foundation Director. The “OB Bundle” includes a new infant warmer, three portable ultrasound devices, and a new surgical table.

The theme of this year’s gala is “A Night at the Masquerade.” Attendees are encouraged to wear gowns, suits, and masquerade masks. The evening includes dinner, dessert auction, 50/50 raffle, and entertainment. “Our entertainment this year is ‘The Newlywed Game’ featuring four fun couples, and we will have DJ services from Chaos Productions, too,” said Dawn.

Tickets to the event are limited and available through table sponsorships. For more information, please call Dawn Marnin at 712-243-7409 or visit casshealth.org.

How can you be sure your retirement funds will last throughout your lifetime?  This important question will be addressed in an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach workshop on April 2 and 9, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic.  Writing Your Retirement Paycheck is designed to provide information needed by those approaching retirement within the next ten years. The workshop outlines key factors to consider prior to retirement and describes two strategies for structuring your retirement income. “For most of us,” says Sandra McKinnon, Human Sciences Specialist in family finance, “our paychecks have been determined by someone else all our lives. But in retirement, many of us are responsible to write our own paychecks. How will we know how big it should be?”

According to McKinnon, who will lead the workshop, topics covered will include: inflation, health costs, Social Security, required minimum distributions, annuities, and more. “Individuals need to make their own decisions about retirement,” says McKinnon, “but clear and non-commercial information is a necessary ingredient for decision-making.” McKinnon points out that even those who work with a trusted financial professional must ultimately make the decisions themselves. A financial professional can suggest or recommend products and strategies, but it is the consumer who decides and then lives with the results of the decisions.

For a fee of $20.00, attendees at the Writing Your Retirement Paycheck workshop will walk away with a variety of resource materials and hands-on practice in determining their own needs in preparing for retirement, to meet their personalized goals. Pre-register by March 29 at http://bit.ly/wyrp12198 or by contacting the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132.

The Cass County, Iowa Master Gardeners (CCMG) are offering a $1,000 scholarship to local students, with applications due April 1, 2019. This scholarship is available to students who are graduating seniors or graduates of any of the following Iowa school districts, in which currently reside members of CCMG: Atlantic, AHSTW, Clarinda, CAM, Exira-EHK, Griswold, Harlan, Red Oak or Riverside.

The goal of the Master Gardener program is to support horticulture education and community service. CCMG members provide many hours of volunteer service and gardening education within their local communities. Accordingly, this scholarship is intended to provide post-secondary funds to individuals who are studying, or intend to pursue a career in, a horticulture-related field. The scholarship winner will be selected based upon academic success, history of community service, and career goals related to horticulture. Demonstration of past interest and experience in horticulture will be very helpful.

The scholarship is for those pursuing post-secondary education during the 2019-2020 school year. The recipient will be notified of their award on or before May 20, 2019 for planning purposes. A scholarship check will be issued in January 2020, in the student’s name directly to the academic institution, upon receipt of an official grade transcript for the completed Fall 2019 semester. A previous scholarship recipient may re-apply, but an individual may only receive a total of two scholarships from this program.

The application form is available through the high school guidance departments, or on the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/. Applications should be submitted to the Cass County Extension Office, 805 W 10th St, Atlantic, Iowa 50022, or emailed to keolson@iastate.edu on or before the April 1 deadline for consideration. Questions can be directed to the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132.

DES MOINES – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 2.4 percent in January. The state’s jobless rate was 2.8 percent one year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 4.0 percent in January. “More Iowans than ever are now employed,” said Beth Townsend, director of Iowa Workforce Development. “This is the fourth straight month for job gains. These positive numbers reflect the efforts we are making through Registered Apprenticeship, Home Base Iowa and Future Ready Iowa. With historically low unemployment continuing, now more than ever, is the right time to invest in Future Ready Iowa to help Iowans improve their lives through good paying jobs and careers by ensuring access to training and education opportunities in high demand careers.”

The number of unemployed Iowans increased to 40,600 in January from 40,400 in December.  The current estimate is 5,900 lower than the year ago level of 46,500.  The total number of working Iowans increased to 1,654,400 in January. This figure was 3,200 higher than December and 22,500 higher than one year ago. Monthly labor force data have been revised for 2014-2018 as required by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Benchmarking is the process of re-estimating statistics as more complete data becomes available.  Prior year’s estimates for the Current Employment Statistics (CES) and Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) programs are benchmarked annually.  In March, the revised data is incorporated with the January employment statistics.

Seasonally Adjusted Non-farm Employment

Iowa establishments added 500 jobs in January, lifting total nonfarm employment up slightly to 1,593,900 jobs. The monthly gain is now the fourth consecutive increase for the state. Overall, private sectors shed 300 jobs in January while government agencies added 800 jobs. This gain was primarily within local governments. Compared to last year, private sectors have accounted for virtually all of the annual gain in Iowa (+13,700) whereas government is nearly unchanged (+200).

Education and health care gained 700 jobs in January to lead all super sectors. Both education and health care advanced slightly. Private education has been sluggish over the past few months, while health care and social assistance continues to steadily advance slowly and has now added jobs in five straight months. Manufacturing firms also added jobs to start the year (+500). The monthly increase stemmed from durable goods shops in January, although both durable and nondurable goods have generally shown some level of hiring over the past few years. The only other sector showing an increase this month was arts, entertainment, and recreation, up 500 jobs from December. This is the fourth consecutive increase for this sector. Alternatively, losses were largest in other services (-1,000). The monthly decline is the first since August. Construction pared jobs for the third month in a row (-400). This sector has lost steam following a ramp-up in activity in 2018. The only other notable loss occurred in professional and business services, down 400 jobs in January.

Annually, total nonfarm employment is up 13,900 jobs. Manufacturing continues to fuel much of the growth in the economy with 8,800 jobs added versus last year. Professional and business services is up 1,300 jobs due to hiring within professional, scientific, and technical services. Leisure and hospitality has advanced 1,800 jobs fueled by arts, entertainment, and recreation. Retail trade continues to lead all sectors in losses (-3,300). A minor increase of 100 jobs in December was the first gain since September of 2017. This sector continues to adjust to shifting consumer preferences and is not expected to show any major gains this year.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report the arrest early this (Monday) morning, of a woman in Treynor. A Deputy responding at around 12-a.m. to a disturbance call on Lamar Drive, in Treynor, arrested 27-year old Meagan Ashley Marie Conner, of Treynor, for Domestic Abuse Assault causing injury/1st offense. On Friday:

• Pott. County Jail inmate, 37-year old Maurice T. Bass, Sr., was presented with a warrant for Violation of Probation.
• 38-year old Seth R. Carmel, of Omaha, who was visiting an inmate at the jail, was arrested Friday on a Nebraska warrant for being a Fugitive from Justice.
• A Sheriff’s Deputy called to a residence in the 200 block of N. Central Street, Friday afternoon, arrested 43-year old Kathy Gerhardt, on a warrant for Violation of Probation.
• 48-year old Kenneth O. Rutherford, of Council Bluffs, who was being held in the Omaha Correctional Center (OCC), was transferred to the Pott. County Jail, Friday morning, where he was wanted on a warrant for Driving While Barred ($2,000 bond), and on a hold for another facility.
• 37-year old Trinidad Barradas-Melandres, of Omaha, was transported from the OCC to the Pott. County Jail, Friday, to address a warrant for Indecent Contact with a Child ($2,000 bond), and to be held for another facility.
• Friday morning, 28-year old Anthony Ernest Robinson, Jr., turned himself-in to the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, to address a warrant for Violation of Probation.
• 38-year old Robert Michael Uyeda, of Missouri Valley was transported to the Pott. County Jail, Friday, by Harrison County Deputies. He was wanted on a warrant for Contempt of Court.
• And, 31-year old Crystal M. Donovan, of Omaha, was transported from the Douglas County, NE. Jail to Pott. County, Friday, to address a warrant for Violation of Probation.

(Radio Iowa) — Police in Waterloo are investigating the suspicious death of a teenager. On Sunday morning, officers were called to a residential street where they found an unresponsive male lying face down on the sidewalk. The victim has been identified as 16-year-old Tayshaun Jenkins. Initial reports indicated it was a hit-and-run accident. Investigators say no other information about Jenkins’ death is being released until they receive the autopsy results.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa safety agency has proposed fining a Dubuque manufacturer nearly $26,000 over the workplace death of a Wisconsin man. The Telegraph Herald reports that the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently issued a citation to A.Y. McDonald Manufacturing Co. Each of the hazards cited carry fines of nearly $13,000.

Authorities say 46-year-old Dennis Hall died Dec. 6 after becoming trapped in equipment at the plant. OSHA investigators say Hall “fell through the unguarded floor hole to a moving conveyor and was transported into other mechanical hazards resulting in fatal injuries.” He’d worked for McDonald for five years and lived in Potosi, Wisconsin.

The company makes water works brass, plumbing valves, pumps and water systems, and high-pressure gas valves and meter bars.

The Creston Police Department reports there were two arrests over the past few days and three incidents of vandalism. At around 8-p.m. Friday, 28-year old Matthew Edwin Thomas, of Creston, was arrested at his residence for Simple Assault. And, at around 3:40-a.m. today (Monday), 20-year old Austin Brian Lanny Benge, of Orient, was arrested in Creston for Driving Under Suspension. Both men were released on bond.

And, there were three reports of vehicles sustaining broken windows in Creston over the weekend. The incidents, which happened sometime Friday or Saturday, caused a total of $700 damage. The incidents took place in the 500 and 100 blocks of W. Montgomery Street, along with the 100 block of Manor Drive.

(7-a.m. News)

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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