(Radio Iowa) — The location of Iowa’s newest casino is raising critical concerns from the C-E-O of a nearby homeless shelter. Candace Gregory, who runs the Open Door Mission in Omaha, Nebraska, says the new Prairie Flower Casino in Carter Lake, Iowa, is only eight-tenths of a mile away. The casino, run by the Ponca Tribe, opened earlier this month and Gregory fears the impact will soon be felt.

“It’s within walking distance of a very vulnerable population that already has a high addiction level,” Gregory says. “I truly believe the Open Door Mission and other non-profits will be left picking up the pieces of broken lives again, and the social issues that are going to be created, it will be costly to taxpayers.”

The new gambling hall is located almost within sight of the homeless mission, which serves many hundreds of meals daily and offers shelter for up to 600 people nightly.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Animal rescue officials in Iowa are asking for the public’s help in tracking down whoever tossed an emaciated dog trapped in a kennel into a trash bin. The Animal Rescue League of Iowa says in a news release Friday that a passerby found the Chihuahua Nov. 2 in a dumpster in Des Moines’ River Bend neighborhood and took the starving dog to Animal Rescue League.

Vets there say the dog, dubbed “Oscar,” weighed just 4 pounds and was suffering from a loss of muscle mass and fur as well as intestinal parasites. His fur was stained from being caged in his own filth for a long period.

The League says Oscar is recovering and regained 25 percent of his body weight in the first two days of treatment.

(Corrects earlier street value) — A traffic stop on an RV in Fremont County early Friday morning resulted in the discovery of nearly 300 pounds of high-grade marijuana worth almost $2.9-million. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says the 2017 Chevy Coachman RV was pulled over for several moving violations at around 2:40-a.m., on Interstate 29 southbound, four-miles from the Iowa-Missouri border.

A Fremont County K9 was deployed and indicated and alerted to the presence of controlled substances inside the vehicle. The pot was worth $2.88-million. Deputies arrested 65-year old Richard Jordan, of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, 44-year old Elwood Perry, Jr., of Chesapeake, Virginia, and 45-year old Patrick Hawes, of Norfolk, Virginia.

Hawes

Perry

Jordan

Each of the men were charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver more 100 Kilograms, a Class B Felony.  All parties are being held at the Fremont County Jail without bond, pending an initial appearance with a Magistrate. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Iowa Division of Narcotic Enforcement.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports a traffic stop at around 9-p.m. Thursday for a minor traffic violation, resulted in an arrest. The driver, 24-year old Kendal Leslie Arnold, of Clarinda, was arrested for Driving under suspension. Arnold was transported to the Page County Jail. Arnold later posted bond amounting to slightly more than $566.  She was then released pending further court proceedings.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Friday), released a long list of recent arrests.

On Nov. 6th: 54-year old Elvin Allen Shrimpton,  of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a charge of Possession with Intent to Deliver More Than 5 Grams of Methamphetamine (a Class-B Felony). Shrimpton was taken to the Cass County Jail and remains held on $100,000 bond. And, 35-year old Matthew James Bruns, of Atlantic, was arrested on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Harassment 1st Degree. Bruns was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $3,000 bond.

On Nov. 5th: 29-year old Andrew Gaston Nickum, of Atlantic, was arrested in Cass County on charges of Domestic Abuse Assault 2nd Offense, and Child Endangerment. Nickum was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $4,000 bond. And, 21-year old Pedro Perez Velasquez, of Lewis, was arrested on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. Velasquez was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $1,000 bond.

On November 4th: Cass County deputies arrested 27-year old Devin Michael Gardner, of Exira, on a charge of Driving While Barred. Gardner was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.

On Nov. 2nd: 24-year old Taber Charles Andersen, of Elk Horn, was arrested on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. Andersen was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance.

On Nov. 1st: 28-year old Cole Jacob Benton, of Hamlin, was arrested in Cass County on an Audubon County warrant. Benton was taken to the Cass County Jail and transferred later that day to Audubon County.

And, on October 31st,  deputies in Cass County arrested 49-year old Pamela Joann Murphy, of Greenfield, on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Murphy was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on her own recognizance.

Deputies in Page County, Wednesday, arrested 39-year old Seth Martin Kuipers, of New Market, on a warrant for Probation Violation. The violation is with regard to original charges of two counts of Prohibited Acts, and one of Tax Payment required. Kuipers was transported to the Page County Jail from the Cheyenne County, Nebraska jail, where he had been held on Cheyenne County Charges. Kuipers is currently being held in the Page County Jail on a $25,000 cash-only bond, pending future court proceedings.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — An Illinois man has claimed the $1 million prize he won the same day someone else won $1.54 billion in the Mega Millions lottery game. Iowa Lottery officials say 73-year-old Bob Hollenback, of Milan, Illinois, bought the ticket at a Hy-Vee gas station in Davenport. He said Thursday he already had a ticket for the Oct. 23 drawing, but something told him to go ahead and buy another.

It matched the first five numbers drawn but missed on the Mega Ball number. Another ticket bought in South Carolina matched all the numbers for the jackpot. He and his wife, Jeanne, say they plan to share the winnings with family, take a trip and buy some land.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has upheld the first-degree murder conviction and life sentence of a western Iowa woman found guilty of killing another woman she considered a romantic rival. The high court today (Friday) rejected Shanna Golyar‘s arguments that evidence presented at her trial was too thin to sustain a guilty verdict and that her trial lawyer was so deficient that she didn’t get a fair trial.

Golyar, of Persia (Iowa), was convicted and sentenced last year for murder and arson in the death of 37-year-old Cari Farver, who was last seen in Omaha in November 2012. Her body has never been found.
Prosecutors say Golyar posed as Farver online and by phone for years after her disappearance and also posed as other people confessing to having killed Farver. An officer testified that Farver had been dating Golyar’s ex-boyfriend for some weeks when she disappeared.

While a new report finds opioid use in Iowa is falling, methamphetamine use is back on the rise. Opioid-related deaths are down by nearly 50 cases statewide since last year, but more than 10-thousand Iowans got treatment for meth, the most ever. Dale Woolery, interim director of the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy, says the renewed rise in meth abuse is disheartening. Woolery says, “We’re also, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health, seeing an increase in Iowans who are being reported dying of psycho-stimulant related circumstances.”

Meth is a stimulant while opioids, in general, have a sedative effect. Woolery notes some people misuse both drugs and says policy efforts need to address all types of addiction. He says the drop in opioid abuse and overdose deaths is thanks to several simultaneous efforts.  “Everything from health care professionals changing the way they treat pain to reducing the number or level at which they prescribe opioids to address pain. Increased use of that opioid overdose-related or rescue drug, naloxone,” Woolery says. “That’s saving lives.”

Woolery says he’s hopeful the opioid epidemic will continue to improve.

(Radio Iowa w/thanks to Amy Mayer, Iowa Public Radio)

Atlantic, IA – The November session of Healthy U will be held Thursday, November 15, at Cass County Health System.  The program, Tackling Those Winter Blues will be presented by Megan Bierbaum, LMSW.  Megan is a licensed social worker who joined CCHS in 2014.  In her role as a Care Coordinator, she assists patients and families to ensure they have the resources they need to live as safely and independently as possible.

Megan Bierbaum, LMSW

“Loneliness and depression have a big impact on our physical health and it’s important to know they are more common than most people realize. And the holiday season can be one of the toughest times of year,” Megan explained.  “It’s also important for people to know there are resources available to help you get through it, to ensure the best quality of life possible, all year round.”

Healthy U will be offered at both noon on Thursday, November 15. Healthy U is a free educational series at Cass County Health System held monthly in Conference Room 2. The public is invited and welcome to attend, but reservations are required as a meal is provided for all attendees. Call 712-243-7479 to reserve your seat.