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

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ALTA VISTA, Iowa (AP) — Trial has been set for next year for the father of a 4-month-old baby whose maggot-infested body was found in a swing in his family’s Alta Vista home. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that trial for 28-year-old Zachary Paul Koehn has been scheduled for Jan. 3 in Chickasaw County. Koehn and 20-year-old Cheyanne Renae Harris, both of Alta Vista, have each pleaded not guilty to child endangerment and first-degree murder charges in the death of their son, Sterling Koehn.

Authorities say deputies and medics called to the couple’s apartment on Aug. 30 found Sterling dead in the swing. A medical examiner found maggots in his clothing and skin that indicated he hadn’t had a diaper change, bath or been removed from the seat in over a week.

Iowa smokers are being urged to try and quit just for today (Thursday) as part of the 40th annual Great American Smokeout, in hopes they may be able to quit for a week, for a month, and for good. Brian Ortner, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society, says giving up cigarettes and other tobacco products can bring almost immediate results, in addition to the long-term improvements in health. “Within 20 minutes, there’s benefits to their body,” Ortner says. “Their heart rate and their blood pressure drop, which is a great thing and it keeps going as you continue without that cigarette or that tobacco, the positives that happen.” It’s often helpful for smokers to tell those around them they’re trying to quit but he says the important thing is to make an effort. Ortner says, “One of the keys to quitting the habit of smoking tobacco or even chewing tobacco is finding a date or making a plan that fits your need.”

If today isn’t “the” day, he suggests setting a date to quit and sticking to it. Ortner says he quit on Christmas Eve nine years ago and remains a non-smoker. The Smokeout effort began as a statewide initiative in California in 1976 and went nationwide the following year and Ortner says we’ve seen four decades of progress. “There’s been dramatic changes, obviously, in the way the public views tobacco advertising and its use,” Ortner says. “Now, many places are smoke-free because of the efforts of this campaign and others across the country.”

Lung cancer is Iowa’s top cancer killer. There were more than 2,400 new lung cancer cases diagnosed in Iowa last year and nearly 1,800 deaths.  More info. online at: www.cancer.org/smokeout

(Radio Iowa)

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling nearly 49,000 trucks worldwide to fix a fuel tank problem that increases the risk of a fire. The recall covers Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 3500 trucks from 2011 through 2015 with two fuel tanks. Documents posted Thursday by the U.S. government say that the low-fuel-level sensor in the front tank can stick, causing the rear tank to over-fill the front tank. That can make the front tank expand and touch the drive shaft, possibly causing a hole and a fuel leak.

GM says it has no reports of fires or injuries from the problem. Dealers will replace the rear tank fuel pump, update software and inspect the front tank. Owners will be notified starting Dec. 18 with parts available for repairs in February.

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

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The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening approved an order to amend an 18-year old agreement between the City and the Cass County Public Safety Communications Commission. Cass County 9-1-1 Center/Emergency Management Director Mike Kennon explained to the Council, that the amended agreement added the description “28-E” and the word “Communications.” The original agreement in the 1970’s was updated in Oct. 1999 and hasn’t been changed until now. Councilman Gerald Brink asked why Griswold and Anita weren’t included in the agreement. Kennon said at one point in time, when they updated the agreement, Griswold and Anita had their own Police Officers and therefore didn’t feel the need for representation on the Board. Kennon disagreed with that assessment.

Only the City of Atlantic and Cass County are currently included in the agreement. Atlantic pays 23-percent of the cost. The County Board of Supervisors adopted changes to the agreement during their meeting last Wednesday. Mayor Dave Jones said years ago, the Board talked about upping Atlantic’s rate of contribution because of it’s population, but Jones said he won’t allow the rate to be updated anytime soon…and then not until the other cities start contributing.

In other business, the Council approved a cleaning contract with Melissa Johnson for the remainder of FY 2018, at an annual cost of $23,400. Johnson’s bid for the services was the lowest of three received by the City, for cleaning of the Library, City Hall and Police Department. A cleaning service was made necessary, after the Facility Maintenance Manager’s position was eliminated. City Administrator John Lund says going with a private company for the service, will save the City $38,407 per year.

The Council also approved the FY 2017 Urban Renewal Report, which is a standard, annual formality. The report is sent to the Iowa’s Department of Management. And, Police Chief Dave Erickson presented his first Department Head report since becoming Police Chief in January. The Mayor praised Erickson for how well an incident at the High School was handled Monday morning. Erickson said law enforcement and the school cooperated well, and as expected. Prior to adjourning for the night, the Council entered into a closed session to discuss with Legal Counsel, matters related to the Atlantic Municipal Airport.

Officials with the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic announced today (Thursday), the facility has received a 2017 Performance Leadership Award, from The Chartis Center for Rural Health/iVantage Health Analytics, and the National Organization of State Office of Rural Health (NOSORH), for overall excellence in two categories, Quality and Outcomes. The award recognizes that CCMH has performed among the top quartile of all rural hospitals in the nation. The awards were announced in conjunction with National Rural Health Day, which is celebrated every year on the third Thursday in November. CEO Brett Altman said “We are very pleased to receive this recognition of being in the top 25% of over 2200 rural hospitals across the country. This is a direct result of the outstanding team we have who make these quality and outcome measures a top priority with every patient, every time.”

The rankings are determined each year using iVantage Health Analytics’ Hospital Strength INDEX®, the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. In partnership with NOSORH, iVantage Health Analytics has developed a data-driven program designed to identify excellence across a broad spectrum of indicators relevant to hospital performance and patient care. The Hospital Strength INDEX captures performance metrics for all rural and Critical Access Hospitals. Leveraging data from public data sources, INDEX aggregates data from more than 50 individual metrics into three major categories and eight pillars to derive a single strength overall rating for each facility.

Michael Topchik, National Leader of the Chartis Center for Rural Health, stated that “On this important day, as we celebrate the power of rural, it’s great to recognize these top performers who are excelling in managing risk, achieving higher quality, securing better outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction, or operating at a lower cost than their peers. These leaders serve as a benchmark for other rural facilities as they strive to achieve similar results and provide a blueprint for how to successfully run a hospital and serve their communities amidst today’s uncertainty and mounting pressures.”

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating an armed robbery that took place at around 1-a.m. today (Thursday). Officers were sent to the Kwik Shop at 3632 Ave G. Soon after they arrived on the scene, Police spoke to the clerk and a victim that entered the store during the robbery. The clerk said a 30-to 35-year old black male produced a handgun and demanded money, and alcohol. The second suspect, a 20-to 25-year old black male, went behind the counter and grabbed cigarettes.

Armed suspect

A second victim was ordered into the store by the armed suspect, and was told not to move. Both offenders fled west out of the store on foot. No shots were fired and no injuries were reported. The suspects fled the store with an undetermined amount of money, two bottles of alcohol and an undetermined amount of cigarettes. The first suspect was wearing a tan jacket with a red hood. The second suspect was wearing all black.

2nd suspect

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Council Bluffs Criminal Investigation Division at 712-328-4728 or Crime-stoppers at 712-328-7867 (STOP).  The Council Bluffs Police Department wants to remind citizens to call the police if they see suspicious individuals hanging around any businesses especially at night or early morning hours.

Red Oak Police report two separate arrests took place Wednesday. At around 8:20-p.m., 51-year old Barbara Darlene Wilson, of Red Oak, was arrested in the 600 block of Sunset, for Disorderly Conduct. Wilson was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 bond. And, at around 3:47-p.m., 33-year old David Ray Sturgis, of Maryville, MO., was arrested in the 600 block of E. Reed Street, in Red Oak. Sturgis was taken into custody on a valid Montgomery County warrant for Violating a No Contact Order. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was also set at $300..

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A group of lawmakers tasked with evaluating Iowa’s response to the opioid epidemic will miss a deadline for completing a report offering findings and recommendations. The Opioid Epidemic Evaluation Study Committee was supposed to deliver an opioids report to Gov. Kim Reynolds and lawmakers by Nov. 15, but the report wasn’t available Wednesday. An official with the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency blamed the delay on staffing limitations.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An animal rights group is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to require more humane treatment for turkeys, chickens and other poultry as the birds are sent to slaughter. California-based Mercy For Animals filed the petition Wednesday, about a week before Thanksgiving. The petition asks that poultry be covered under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1958. A spokeswoman for the National Chicken Council says including poultry in the law is unnecessary.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The National Indian Gaming Commission has again approved the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska’s plan to build a casino near Omaha, but after a decade of court hearings, the project’s future remains uncertain. The commission’s ruling this week came nearly 10 years after it first approved the proposed casino in Carter Lake, Iowa.

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — Attorneys for former “Bachelor” contestant Chris Soules say he performed CPR on an Iowa farmer who died after Soules rear-ended his tractor in April. The attorneys filed a motion Monday seeking the dismissal of the charge against Soules _ leaving the scene of a fatal accident. They say Soules performed CPR on 66-year-old Kenneth Moser until it became clear it was futile. Investigators say Soules fled the scene after killing Moser. He was later arrested at his home about 10 miles away.