The American Red Cross encourages you to help meet the urgent need for blood and platelets by resolving to give blood this January – National Blood Donor Month. Donating blood or platelets is a way to make a lifesaving impact in the new year for patients such as those with end-stage autoimmune liver disease.  The critical role of blood and platelet donors has been celebrated each January for nearly 50 years during National Blood Donor Month, which coincides with one of the most difficult times to maintain a sufficient blood supply for patients. Busy holiday schedules, extreme winter weather and seasonal illnesses often impact donor turnout this time of year.

The Red Cross encourages eligible donors to resolve to give blood or platelets regularly this month. Make an appointment to donate blood or platelets by downloading the free American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Locally, some upcoming blood donation opportunities include:

• Orient 1/9/2019: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Orient-Macksburg High School, 201 School Street
• Atlantic 1/10/2019: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Atlantic YMCA, 1100 Maple Street
• Griswold 1/11/2019: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Griswold High School, 20 Madison
• Exira 1/28/2019: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Exira Recreational Center, 106 N Jefferson
• Lewis 1/31/2019: 12 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Lewis Community Center, 400 West MainStreet
• Red Oak: 1/19/2019: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Red Oak YMCA, 101 E Cherry St; 1/28/2019: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1101 East Summit
• Clarinda 1/15/2019: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, 322 N 16th; 1/17/2019: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Clarinda Academy, 1820 North 16th Street
• Avoca 1/25/2019: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., AHSTW High School, 768 So. Maple
• Elk Horn 1/15/2019: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Elk Horn Lutheran Church, 4313 Main Street
• Harlan 1/22/2019: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Veteran’s Memorial Building, 1104 Morningview

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports a rural Clarinda man, 45-year old Jess Scott Larson, was arrested Monday morning, on a warrant. Larson was taken into custody at the Page County Courthouse, on the warrant for Theft in the 3rd Degree. He was transported to the Page County Jail and was unable to post a $2,000 cash-only bond.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — Work is expected to begin next month to remove two dams spanning the Des Moines River in Fort Dodge after officials approved contracts worth more than $1.4 million. The Messenger reports the City Council announced Monday that it hired Minnesota-based construction company Rachel Contracting Inc. to remove the Hydroelectric Dam and a second structure often referred to as the little dam.

Nicole Church is an environmental specialist with Snyder & Associates, an engineering, planning and design firm. She says the dams need to be removed for safety and environmental reasons. The project is moving forward after the city resolved concerns brought up last month by the State Historic Preservation Office. City Engineer Tony Trotter says the city has agreed to preserve the framework of one gate of the Hydroelectric Dam.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet 9-a.m. Wednesday, in their Boardroom at the Courthouse in Atlantic. On their agenda is a report from Kingston Life and Health Consulting, with regard to the County’s ISAC group health insurance program account manager, and a report on the current year’s insurance activity as well as renewal options.

In other business, the Board will discuss the Hungry Canyons Alliance Program, and hear from Project Director John Thomas, with regard to addressing the problem of stream degradation in a 19 county area of the deep Loess Soils Region of western Iowa. To prevent damage to public and private infrastructure, loss of farmland and increased sediment loads, the Alliance provides cost share and technical assistance to build grade control structures in streams.

The Board will also act on approving appointments to: the Cass County Condemnation in Eminent Domain Board (28+); One representative to the 28E Board for a Multi-County 28E (Cost sharing) agreement, regarding the Juvenile Detention Center and Emergency Juvenile Services.

They will also review and act on a recommendation from the County (Elected Officials) Compensation Board, and hear a quarterly report from Cass County Conservation Director Micah Lee, in addition to other, regularly scheduled reports. And, the Cass County Supervisors will act on approving an application for a Class-C beer permit for the Dollar General Store in rural Griswold.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors will meet in a regular session 9-a.m. Wednesday, in their Boardroom at the Courthouse, in Greenfield. On their agenda is discussion with County Engineer Nick Kauffman, with regard to a replacement truck purchase, as well as his normal maintenance and activity report. Fiscal Year 2020 budget requests will also be received from the following:

• County Treasurer Brenda Wallace
• County Recorder Janelle Schneider
• Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater
• Adair County Ag Extension
• The Adair County Library Association
• Adair County Historical Society
• Midwest Partnership

A representative with Kingston Health and Life will be present at around 11:45-a.m. Wednesday, to discuss with the Board, FY20 County Employee Health Insurance. And, John Thomas, with the Hungry Canyons Alliance, will discuss the HCA program.

A man arrested in Shelby County was transported to Pottawattamie County Monday evening, where he was wanted on warrants. 39-year old Justin Dean Bywater, of Harlan, was wanted on warrants for Theft in the 4th Degree and Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. He was transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail and booked-in.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of stabbing his 70-year-old father in central Iowa is scheduled to be sentenced Monday. Marshall County District Court records say a jury found 45-year-old Brian Wengert guilty of willful injury, assault with intent to inflict serious injury and two other crimes. Authorities say Wengert stabbed his father several times during an Oct. 21, 2017, altercation at the State Center home they shared with Wengert’s mother. She was not injured.

The Iowa Department of Transportation reports the DOT is requesting public input on the proposed bridge replacement on Iowa 92 over Marvel Creek, 0.3 miles west of Adair County Road P-33, in Adair County. The proposed project provides for removing the existing bridge and replacing it with a pretensioned prestressed concrete beam bridge that is 130 feet by 44 feet. Through traffic on Iowa 92 would be detoured during construction using Adair County Road P-33, Adair County Road G-61, and Iowa 25. For more information, see the website listed below.

For general information or to make a comment regarding the proposed improvements, contact Scott Suhr, transportation planner, Iowa DOT District 4 Office in Atlantic, at 712-243-3355 or 800-289-4368, email scott.suhr@iowadot.us. Comments must be received by January 22, 2019 to be considered.

For information about this project or scheduled public meetings and hearings, and opportunities to offer input to the Iowa DOT during the development of certain projects, visit www.iowadot.gov/pim. To submit a comment online about this project, go to:  https://bit.ly/iowadot14013.

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

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(Radio Iowa) — A Worth County judge has ruled against a rural Manly woman’s request that nine dogs and four cats be returned to her after dozens of animals were taken from her property. Officials seized 154 dogs and four cats from the property of Barbara Kavars back in November. In several visits to the property, a Worth County sheriff’s deputy says he saw kennels covered with feces and mud and visibly skinny dogs with no water and little food.

Court records describe overcrowded and filthy conditions at the rural Manly property. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals cared for the animals and called the operation a “puppy mill.” Worth County Magistrate Douglas Krull ruled against Kavars on Monday, saying the dogs and cats were among those neglected and that they qualified as threatened animals. Krull says the Worth County Sheriff’s Department should appropriately care for them, up to and including delivering them to another owner.